An Apology and a Thank-You Gift

Upon hearing this, Gwen smiled and shook his head. He got up from the bed, pressed Rita's shoulders and pushed her onto the sofa next to him. He then went to the water dispenser, filled two glasses of water, handed one to Rita, and gulped down the other himself.

"How's Bronya doing? Are the children too upset?"

"Just as you said, Miss Bronya is more than just a companion to the children in the orphanage."

With her reassurance, the children have all settled down to sleep in the guest rooms arranged by the Eastern European branch.

After Miss Xing woke up, she requested to see you, but Miss Bronya persuaded her to go back.

Although somewhat surprised by Gwen's actions, Rita did not stand up again. Instead, she held the warm water that Gwen offered in her hands and slowly began to speak.

As she spoke, it seemed she had thought of something interesting, and the smile on Rita's lips softened.

"As for Xing, Bronya could indeed easily subdue her."

Gwen nodded, but instead of sitting back on the bed, he sat directly on the wide armrest of the sofa where Rita was sitting.

"I'll take a look at the properties under my name later and choose a suitable place to settle these children, which will also reduce Bronya's expenses."

"Meeting you might be the luckiest thing that has ever happened to Miss Bronya."

Hearing that Gwen was concerned about Bronya as soon as he woke up, Rita couldn't help but smile.

"There's probably no hope."

Upon hearing this, Gwen smiled and shook his head.

"For Bronya, the luckiest thing must have been meeting Seele..."

Then, Gwen abruptly changed the subject—

"Speaking of which, Rita, if you took a nap earlier, can you talk to me now?"

"Certainly."

Rita smiled and nodded.

"Although she's not very professional, Rita did obtain a license to be a psychologist."

"As expected, Rita, your diligence is no less than You Lan Dai Er's..."

With a sigh, Gwen glanced at Rita beside him, a deeper, more meaningful smile creeping onto his lips—

"Speaking of which, I remember Rita saying that you and You Lan Dai Er saved me from a minor Honkai. Could you tell me where that was?"

"Certainly."

Although Rita felt slightly uncomfortable due to the close proximity to Gwen, she did not lose her composure. The smile on her pretty face remained unchanged as she slowly uttered the information that had already been written into the file.

"But in my gradually clearer Remembrance, the place where I used to live wasn't there..."

Upon hearing this, Rita did not immediately refute anything. She stared at Gwen's face, which was familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar to her, with a playful smile on it, and various thoughts flashed through her mind.

A moment later, the smile that seemed to never fade from her pretty face quietly disappeared.

Rita sighed softly, a complex expression on her face.

Have you noticed it yet?

Hearing Rita's somewhat heavy words, Gwen's playful expression faded, and he put away his whimsical thoughts, reaching out to gently smooth the furrowed brows of the beauty beside him.

Seeing Rita's questioning gaze, Gwen smiled, then slid down and sat down next to Rita.

Although it was a two-seater sofa, Gwen's movements caused their bodies to press close together.

Because of Gwen's sudden action, Rita's delicate body stiffened slightly.

Although Rita was already a mature young woman, this was also the closest she had ever been to a man other than her father in her life—

Even through their thin clothing, Rita could feel Gwen's somewhat burning body temperature.

"To be precise, I didn't just notice it, I already knew the whole truth..."

Or... maybe even a little more than you?

It was rare to see Rita in such a mischievous state. Although Gwen had given up the idea of teasing her, he couldn't help but feel a little restless and said with a smile.

"..."

Upon hearing Gwen's words, Rita fell silent once more, her mind racing with a flurry of thoughts—

"Gwen already knows the truth..."

Did the Lord Bishop tell him the truth?

Or perhaps... His Lord Bishop has used Feather of Dust again?

If it's the former... it's because Gwen's strength has reached a level that even the Lord Bishop needs to treat with caution?

Or has he devised a new plan?

If it's the latter...

Just as Rita was thinking rapidly, a mild pain suddenly shot through her forehead, pulling Rita out of her thoughts.

Rita's shoulders were pressed down by a force that, while not strong, was irresistible. With a gentle turn, she looked up and met Gwen's eyes, which held a warm smile.

"Alright, Rita, don't think about it too much. Just ask whatever you have questions."

I don't want you to get wrinkles from thinking for too long.

As he spoke, Gwen raised a hand and stroked Rita's forehead, which was completely smooth without a single wrinkle.

"That..."

Looking at Gwen, a smile she knew all too well, but one with a greater sense of composure than any she could recognize, Rita hesitated, setting aside her thoughts for the moment, and tried to speak—

332

Chapter 332 Apologies and Gifts of Gratitude.

"Can you tell Rita how you found out the truth?"

Although she believed that cooperating with Otto's concealment was the best choice for Gwen at that time, Rita was still somewhat uneasy about Gwen, who already knew the truth.

It wasn't because he was worried about being harmed by a disgruntled Gwen, but rather a simpler, more direct concern—

She worried that this incident would create another barrier between her and Gwen, causing their already distant hearts to drift apart completely.

Seeing the trembling tears in Rita's eyes, and his own reflection in them, Gwen's gentle smile remained unchanged.

"It's very simple, our Bishop Otto told me—"

I demonstrated the strength and threat he had to face, and I also offered him what he wanted.

Out of a sense of reciprocity, he told me about it...

Although I think this might be one of his schemes, in fact, he did tell me the truth directly.

I was rescued by you and You Lan Dai Er, who were returning from a mission in the Sea of Quantum, and brought back to the present world.

To help me better integrate into this world, you fabricated a false origin and identity for me.

"...Feel sorry."

Hearing Gwen reveal the truth in such a relaxed tone, Rita pursed her lips and said softly.

"What's there to apologize for?"

Gwen smiled, noticing that Rita seemed to care about this.

"In the end, Rita, you made this choice for my own good."

Moreover, the plan was set by Otto, and you were just an executor. You didn't cause me any harm; on the contrary, you helped me integrate into this world smoothly.

I also want to thank you.

"Um..."

Seeing that Gwen seemed genuinely unconcerned, Rita nodded slightly and then asked a few more questions, to which Gwen answered without reservation.

In the back-and-forth questioning, the previous silence and awkwardness gradually dissipated, and the atmosphere between the two became harmonious.

"Alright, it's getting late. Rita, you should go back and get some rest. Staying up too late is bad for your skin."

After chatting for a long time, Gwen glanced at the time and prepared to take Rita back to rest.

"Rita will take her leave now."

Rita, her usual smile back on her pretty face, nodded with a beaming smile and slowly stood up.

Gwen also got up and escorted Rita to the door.

However, after her hand touched the doorknob, Rita paused for a moment, as if making a decision, and slowly turned around, her beautiful wine-red eyes looking at Gwen:

"Gwen, please forgive Rita's intrusion..."

Are you really... not bothered by Rita's previous deception?

Although Gwen had expressed an indifferent attitude, Rita discovered through their question-and-answer session that Gwen knew far more than she had imagined.

This discovery, however, made Rita feel uneasy again, urging her to ask again before leaving.

"Um?"

Sensing the barely concealed unease and anxiety in Rita's words, Gwen raised an eyebrow and then nodded vigorously.

"Of course, I believe Rita meant well for me."

"Um..."

Rita pursed her red lips and nodded gently after receiving Gwen's unwavering affirmation once again.

The next moment, Rita suddenly stood on tiptoe, tilted her head back, and pressed her pale pink lips, like flower petals, onto Gwen's lips.

Anxiety, peace of mind, relaxation, composure...

Although it was his first kiss, Gwen unexpectedly gleaned a multitude of emotions from those slightly trembling lips.

Of course, besides these emotions that Gwen sensed with his keen intuition, Gwen also made a more direct discovery—

Inexperienced.

The all-powerful maid is clearly not good at kissing; if Gwen were to comment, he might even say, "Great effort brings miracles."

However, before Gwen, who was equally inexperienced, could even try, Rita had already landed on her tiptoes, her breathing slightly heavy, but the smile that Gwen was very familiar with reappeared on her pretty face, which was flushed with two red blushes.

"Although you don't mind, Rita is still very sorry for deceiving me before."

Consider this Rita's small apology for taking the liberty of offering herself; please don't find it offensive.

After speaking somewhat awkwardly, Rita turned to leave.

Although she was already a mature young woman, Rita, who had just given away her first kiss, still found it difficult to maintain her usual smiling demeanor.

However, before Rita could turn around and open the door, her slender hand was grabbed, and her whole body was turned around and placed into a broad chest.

The next moment, before Rita could say anything, the familiar scent she had just tasted was followed by another awkward kiss.

Caught off guard, Rita's beautiful wine-red eyes widened in surprise, but feeling the heat on her lips, Rita slowly closed them and shyly responded to Gwen.

After a long while, Gwen, finally satisfied, raised his head, looked at Rita whose face was now completely red, and said in the same tone Rita had just used:

"Perhaps you don't care, Rita, but I am truly grateful for your kind lie."

And this... consider it my thank-you gift..."

"!"

Upon hearing this, Rita, who had been keeping her eyes tightly closed, opened her watery eyes and met Gwen's smiling eyes. A hint of resentment appeared on her face. She withdrew her hands, which had been wrapped around Gwen during the long kiss, and lightly punched Gwen's chest to show her dissatisfaction.

Feeling the pressure of the massage, which was less of a revenge and more of a physical massage, Gwen.

Looking at the beautiful woman's blushing face and luscious lips, Gwen couldn't help but feel aroused again.

Seemingly sensing Gwen's gaze, Rita, whose heart was pounding, finally realized her dangerous situation, jumped off Gwen's arms, and quickly said:

"Gwen, it's getting late, you should get some rest. Rita will take her leave now..."

However, Rita, who was trying to escape in a panic, was grabbed by Gwen again.

However, this time Gwen didn't pull Rita into his arms again. Instead, he whispered a reminder in a chuckled voice—

"Rita, if you go out like this now and someone sees you, rumors will probably spread."

"Hmm..."