"Lin Li": You Think I Want to Hug You?

No wonder Lin Li had a Stigmata. Her mother was a Valkyrie too.

"What's her name? I'll contact her for you."

Theresa began recalling which Valkyries she knew who would be around that age.

"Bronya Zaychik."

"So it was Bronya..."

Theresa nodded in realization, but the next moment, she froze.

"Bronya?"

"I remember Bronya should be fourteen this year..."

Theresa murmured, then looked at Lin Li with some alarm.

Before, she had only felt that Lin Li's eyes looked a little familiar. But now that she thought about it, weren't they exactly the same as Bronya's?

If Lin Li was currently ten, and Bronya was fourteen...

"Gasp."

Theresa sucked in a sharp breath.

"What's wrong?"

Lin Li looked at Theresa in confusion.

"Nothing. Wait here a moment, I'll take you to see her."

Theresa pulled up Bronya's file and compared them.

Other than their eyes, they basically had no other similarities. But those eyes were truly identical.

Though Theresa did not particularly care about her students' pasts, wasn't Bronya's experience a little too legendary...

Theresa felt that Lin Li's father could probably skip the trial and go straight to execution without any issue.

"Perfect, class is over. I'll go get her. Little Lin Li, wait here for a while."

Theresa checked the time. Morning classes had just ended.

"Okay."

Lin Li obediently nodded while sitting on the sofa.

"How is it? Happy? You're about to see your mom."

"Lin Li," sitting casually beside the sofa, said.

"You should know that two little kids couldn't possibly have given birth to you."

"But I really am Mother's child."

Lin Li said earnestly.

"..."

"Annoying girl."

"Lin Li" felt increasingly resistant toward Bronya.

"Auntie Theresa! I came to find you—"

Before Theresa returned, a white-haired, blue-eyed girl pushed open the door and walked in.

"Whose little kid is this? She's so cute!"

The instant Kiana saw Lin Li on the sofa, she fell for her.

"Very good. You're someone Kiana has taken a liking to!"

Before Lin Li could react, Kiana walked over and picked her up.

"Huh?"

Held in Kiana's arms, Lin Li looked at Kiana in confusion as she rubbed her hair and nuzzled her cheek.

"She's so well-behaved."

Seeing that Lin Li did not resist at all and wore such an obedient little expression, the strange feeling in Kiana's heart grew stronger.

Unfortunately, before she could nuzzle her for long, Theresa walked in with Bronya beside her.

"Auntie Theresa, whose little kid is this? She's way too cute!"

Kiana hugged Lin Li and said happily.

"There. She's hers."

Theresa pointed at Bronya, whose eyes were somewhat blank.

"Bronya? Is this your little sister?"

Kiana asked in surprise. Bronya was so not cute—how could she have such a cute little sister?

The instant she saw Bronya, Lin Li jumped down from Kiana's arms and rushed over to her.

"Mom!"

"Seele..."

Seeing the girl before her, identical to Seele in her memories, Bronya instinctively wrapped her in an embrace.

"Mom?"

"Seele!"

"Lin Li": Did You Think I Wanted That Hug?

"Her name... is Seele?"

Watching the two rush toward each other, Kiana felt an inexplicable sense of discord.

Their expressions did not quite look like a mother and daughter reuniting. Bronya's expression held more bewilderment and confusion than joy.

Meanwhile, the blue-haired little girl Kiana liked so much was clearly happy.

"Mm, I don't think her name is Seele..."

Theresa said uncertainly.

Although Bronya was petite, she was still about half a head taller than Lin Li.

When she held Lin Li in her arms, Bronya felt an extremely familiar aura from her.

Bronya was not sure who she was, but of one thing she was certain: the girl before her absolutely had a deep connection to her.

"You just called me Mom?"

Though she had been somewhat excited at first, Bronya calmed down.

"Mm-hm."

Lin Li raised her head and met Bronya's gaze.

The moment she saw those familiar silver-gray eyes, Bronya was briefly stunned.

What left her frozen was not how remarkable those eyes were, but how familiar they were to her.

"Who... exactly are you..."

Bronya could not help loosening her arms and pushing Lin Li away. Even her half-floating body drifted back slightly.

"I... I'm sorry... I scared you, Mother Bronya..."

Noticing Bronya's movement, Lin Li let go of her as well. Her joyful expression became dejected.

"See? Your existence will only bring her trouble and anxiety. No, she only let you get that close because she mistook you for that coward..."

"Lin Li" mocked.

"Heh, look at her expression now. Why do you think she hugged you just now? Did you hear those two cries of 'Seele'? No one knows where you came from..."

"I... really am... sorry... I caused trouble for Mother Bronya..."

Lin Li pressed her lips together, tears glimmering in the corners of her eyes.

"..."

Seeing that she had actually started crying, "Lin Li," who had been lecturing her, fell silent.

It was not that she was truly dissatisfied with Lin Li. She was simply venting the pain of being ignored all along.

She had always been the one caring for her and reminding her, yet Lin Li ignored her completely. Then the moment she heard the name "Bronya," she came running without looking back.

Unlike Lin Li, who was influenced by their bloodline, she was more practical. She had never considered relying on those two mothers in the biological sense.

Sigh...

With her consciousness split in two, this emotional and vulnerable half of her consciousness simply could not make a rational decision.

Even now, "Lin Li" could not understand the bloodline influence created by that Recombinator.

She had long expected Bronya's reaction, so she had never expected this meeting to end well.

No matter how one looked at it, Bronya could not possibly acknowledge Lin Li. It was not a matter of stance, but of the immense information gap between them.

Bronya's actions were not wrong, but...

"Lin Li" did not care about any of that. She had already disliked these two nominal mothers somewhat, but Lin Li's expectations had left her with no choice. Now, seeing Lin Li like this, she regretted it a little.

St. Freya Academy had never been a safe place. If they wanted to live peacefully, she alone was enough.

The game's protagonist, Honkai—none of that mattered at all.

Just as "Lin Li" placed a hand on her shoulder and prepared to take over control of their body, the white-haired girl watching from the side spoke up.

"Bro! Nya! Zay! chik!"

Kiana was a little angry. The little cutie had been perfectly content in her arms, but then she had rushed over upon seeing Bronya. And Bronya had pushed the little cutie away and made her cry.

"You're really a little annoying, you know? Why did you have to speak so seriously? Were you interrogating a child?"

Though she had long been used to Bronya's icy demeanor, seeing her push someone away and then look at her as if questioning her really upset Kiana.

"There, there. If your Mother Bronya doesn't want you, come to me. I can be your Mother Kiana."

Kiana walked over, picked Lin Li up, and comforted her, then made a face at Bronya.

"...Sorry. I was too sensitive."

Bronya also realized that what she had done just now had been rather hurtful. This child had shown her no hostility from start to finish; Bronya had simply been at a loss when faced with eyes so similar to her own.

"This one looks much more pleasing."

Seeing Kiana speak up for Lin Li, "Lin Li" could not help thinking more highly of her.

She did not care who was right or wrong. As long as someone stood on Lin Li's side, they were right.

"But that smile of hers is annoying too... And you're way too close!"

Watching Kiana practically press her entire face against Lin Li's, "Lin Li" clenched her fists.

No wonder this idiot was speaking up for Lin Li—she was taking the chance to cop a feel, wasn't she?

Hugging and holding her was not enough; she had to stick so close too...

Even she had never done that...

No, that was not important.

"Lin Li" pulled her thoughts back.

"Bronya, calm down first. You can talk later."