"And if I like you, I like you. I can't lie to myself."
"Phew..."
Mei had sensed it coming, but hearing Kiana say it outright still left her at a loss. Yet she did not feel much urge to resist or run away.
"However, that's not the reason behind my difficulties..."
Seeing Senpai Mei like this, Kiana knew she had this in the bag. Mei had already been conquered.
"Let's go somewhere quiet first. Other people can't know about this."
"Mm..."
Senpai Mei could not help but grow curious. Could Kiana really have some hidden difficulty, rather than merely trying to fool her?
The two went to a pavilion in the middle of the lake. With snow falling and no one around, it was very quiet.
"I think... you're the only one who can understand me, Mei..."
That was Kiana's genuine thought. Mei was actually like her, with a Herrscher's will residing within her. Of course, Mei had it under control now, whereas the Herrscher of the End within Kiana was someone Mo Yi still had no confidence in dealing with.
Then, Kiana told Senpai Mei about the information she had "accidentally" overheard from Mo Yi.
"How could this be?!"
Mei found it hard to accept this reality. As the Third Herrscher, she naturally knew how painful it was to slowly turn into a monster while being able to do nothing but watch. Even more painful was the fear that, after becoming a monster, she would return and hurt the people who had always cherished and protected her.
According to Kiana, the Herrscher within her was the Herrscher of the End, the strongest and most evil Herrscher of legend. The civilization of the previous era had been destroyed by her.
At that moment, Mei was afraid she would lose Kiana.