Rita: Lady Fu Hua, are you in love?

"Lord Fu Hua, greetings."

The maid bowed slightly, her attention largely drawn to Fu Hua's current state.

Perhaps because she was at home, she seemed a little relaxed; the girl's clothes were rather casual, her white tank top was very thin, and large areas of her fair and smooth skin, as smooth as porcelain, were exposed to the air.

Her shoulders were full and rounded without appearing bulky, and they also had some muscle to maintain a visually elastic appearance.

Her delicate collarbones are on full display.

The clean, straight lines of the collarbone give a smooth feel, and even the hollows are just the right depth.

From Rita's perspective, the girl sitting cross-legged on the ground could even be seen to reveal the soft, undulating shape beneath her thin clothing.

Was Fu Hua always the type to look slim in clothes?

It seems a bit excessive compared to what it appears to be.

The girl frowned slightly. Although they were both women, her inner sense of propriety made her somewhat resistant to such a level of exposure, and this was especially true when Rita's gaze lingered on her skin.

She pulled the blanket from the bed and covered herself under the maid's slightly regretful gaze.

Fu Hua let out a helpless sigh as she looked at the newcomer:

"I don't think that's something someone who shows up uninvited in someone's house in the middle of the night should say, Rita."

"Never mind, what brings you here?"

In fact, if Rita had disguised herself even slightly, this place would probably have been destroyed in a single Inch Strength: Sky Splitting.

A hint of apology crossed Rita's face. She bowed and said softly:

"Rita is extremely sorry about this; it truly does not conform to the etiquette and standards expected of a maid."

Fu Hua nodded, indicating that she accepted the apology, and then said:

"Then what would lead you to break these rules and regulations to come see me?"

"The task Otto gave you shouldn't involve me, right?"

The maid smiled enigmatically and said:

"Although the time allotted by His Lord Bishop for the mission has not yet arrived, I feel there is no need to continue this leisurely pace, so I will be boarding the plane back to Schicksal Headquarters in a little while."

"The duties of Valkyrie cannot allow me to relax like this forever. I've already had a vacation these past few days at the St. Freya Academy. It's time to get back to work."

"But before that, Rita wanted to satisfy her curiosity."

Fu Hua was somewhat puzzled, as her relationship with Rita could at most be considered that of colleagues whose true identities were known.

Rita has always been good at striking a balance and maintaining just the right distance in her relationships with others.

It's truly astonishing that someone like her would behave so rudely out of mere curiosity.

She asked:

"Curiosity?"

Rita said with a hint of helplessness:

"Lady Fu Hua is very busy. She practices her boxing in the morning, helps Miss Sato train at noon and in the afternoon, and watches the sea at the coastline at dusk. Rita feels it's difficult to get in touch with her at any time of day, so she can only choose this time to come and see you."

Seeing the troubled expression on the other person's face, the girl said softly:

"So you've been following me all day, right?"

The maid smiled and admitted, saying:

"Following Lady Fu Hua is really difficult. Rita had to go to great lengths to do it so as not to disrupt Fu Hua normal time."

Fu Hua wasn't surprised that Rita could do that.

Without using Udu-dust to restore the sword heart, as long as one uses a telescope and pays attention to their line of sight, it would be difficult to detect such spying.

Of course, if there is malice in their gaze, that's a different story.

The maid gracefully knelt opposite the girl, calmly adjusting her skirt to reveal her calves encased in black stockings. Her slender, shapely legs and excellent proportions were quite eye-catching.

Rita looked directly into those clear yet unfathomable eyes and said softly:

"Lord Fu Hua, are you dating Mr. Su?"

The girl was taken aback. The tightness in her slender hands, which were gripping the blanket, loosened unconsciously, as if surprised by the amount of information conveyed in the other person's words.

Finally, she pressed her temples and said helplessly:

"Rita, this joke isn't funny."

"However, I can understand why you came to find me now."

"Is it because of Su Qing'an?"

Rita, who had been carefully observing the other person's expression, was somewhat disappointed that she hadn't seen anything more interesting.

That could shake the spirits of the immortals Shenzhou for five thousand years—that would certainly be interesting.

Unfortunately, although their relationship might not have been normal, it wasn't to the point that the immortals felt completely lost.

She nodded in agreement:

"It's because Mr. Su is right, but I'm more curious about the fact that Lord Fu Hua has made contact with other people."

"For Lady Fu Hua, maintaining no contact should be the most natural thing to do, but the level of your guidance to Su Qing'an is on a completely different level compared to your guidance of the other students. Coupled with some rumors circulating in the academy, it's impossible not to be curious."

The girl did not waver, she said:

"Su Qing'an has great talent, Rita, you should be well aware of that. There's no need to teach him ordinary techniques."

"Whether the rumors are true or not is entirely up to you to judge, but in any case, Rita, this is my private matter."

"So-called curiosity is no excuse for asking this kind of question; you're not that kind of rude person."

After making this judgment, Fu Hua arrived at the real answer, and she said:

"Is it related to Otto's mission?"

Rita fell silent. Trying to lie to the fairy or make jokes would not be a wise plan; everything seemed to be laid bare in those eyes, leaving nothing to hide.

So she chose silence, and silence was her answer.

The immortal said calmly:

"He's interested in Su Qing'an."

"No wonder, after all, it's already an abnormal event that Su Qing'an survived."

"But if you're just curious about why he survived, Rita, I can tell you the truth directly."

The girl's gaze towards Rita deepened and became serious. She said:

"Su Qing'an's physique is nothing special, and his Honkai Energy resistance is within the normal range for men."

"Schicksal must have known all along. As the only family member of an important Schicksal staff member, Su Qing'an's physical data should have been clearly recorded."

"There's only one reason he survived the Third Honkai Outbreak: he cultivated a sword heart, forcibly raising his body's resistance to Honkai Energy to a low level where Honkai Energy."

Rita remained silent. Given Fu Hua's personality, she had naturally already investigated these matters thoroughly and had many guesses and hypotheses about them.

But she never expected it to be for this reason.

She suppressed her inner turmoil and said softly:

"The Void Sword Qi, the Sword Heart? At that time, Mr. Su should have had no contact with you, Lord Fu Hua. Given that he couldn't receive your guidance, he shouldn't have had anyone else around him who could teach him."

"He mastered it all on his own, relying solely on talent? Mr. Su is truly remarkable, to the point that Rita can't help but be astonished."

This is an unprecedented case.

"Theoretically, the Void Sword Qi shouldn't have the function of helping people increase their Honkai Energy resistance, but theoretically, it's even less likely that Mr. Su's Honkai Energy quality could cultivate a sword heart."

Fu Hua gazed at the crescent moon outside the window. In the deep night, the moonlight cast a gentle glow, like the undulating morning mist in the mountains, yet even more transparent and beautiful.

She said:

"Su Qing'an, through a kind of innate talent, directly surpassed this limit, so in breaking one theory, he also broke the previous one."

"But that's all. Su Qing'an isn't worth Otto's continued attention; his case is not replicable."

"Su Qing'an is just an ordinary person."

"He's just an ordinary person."

The immortal repeated the words with a wistful air. Beneath her long eyelashes, her eyes shone with a unique brilliance, like ripples spreading across a lake, as light surged in.

The shimmering light on the water was, of course, as beautiful as a painting.

The immortal is very beautiful, and her earthly temperament makes her light emotions seem a bit incredible.

Rita watched this scene alone, her mind wavering for a moment.

Both Lord Fu Hua and Mr. Su are ridiculously good-looking.

Such beauty and countenance possess a clean and pure quality, as if many beautiful aspirations reside there, making one unwilling to harbor any thoughts of desecration.

What is Lady Fu Hua really thinking right now?

The immortal, who had always been aloof from the world, felt a sense of melancholy at this moment; perhaps this was the reason why she disliked having contact with people.

The relationship between people is like a thread; it may break, or it may always remain connected.

For immortals, those things are destined to perish sooner or later, bringing only emptiness and sorrow.

Rita understood what the girl meant by repeating those words. She suppressed her habitual smile and said softly:

"Rita will apologize to Fu Hua for the way she visited today next time."

"I will report the matter concerning Mr. Su to His Lord Bishop truthfully."

"Then, Rita will take her leave now, so as not to disturb Fu Hua's rest any longer."

After the maid rose and bowed, she leaped out of the window, her figure disappearing into the night and the blowing wind.

Just like when she came, she didn't use the main entrance.

Fu Hua tore off the blanket that was covering her eyes, and walked barefoot to the window, gazing at the scenery around the crescent moon.

The sunlight refracted through the clouds cast a soft, muted golden hue through the gaps in the sea of clouds.

The girl looked up at the scene, remaining silent.

Her melancholy dissipated like a gentle breeze; after all, she had grown accustomed to many things.

Even if it's just a little bit of a habit, her perspective and view of everything will be completely different.

Only...

Even after so much time has passed, this sky remains endlessly captivating.

Has it been a long time since you've watched the moon with someone?

Oh, moon, sorrow and pain unconsciously well up from the still Mind Lake when I am bathed in its light.

The outcome of that battle led to today's result.

But...

As she thought about it, a smile appeared on her face.

That smile was clearly not faint or shallow, but rather like a dandelion seed that could fly away at any moment, without firm roots or a future.

That smile was more transparent than moonlight, and the girl seemed to vanish without a trace at any moment, as if she might ascend to heaven at any moment.

It's okay.

At this very moment, the immortal felt that the future still held promise.