Honkai Impact: My Power Grows When Valkyries Fall For Me — Chapter 16

Chapter 16: School Festival (Part 2)

“This is our dessert and drink menu for the day. Our specialties are the Mango Parfait and our Special Blend Black Tea.”

Lucian led them to a booth by the window, placing the menu on the crisp tablecloth in front of Mei. He had originally planned to just stand guard at the entrance, but seeing Mei, he felt a natural compulsion to attend to her personally.

Mei accepted the menu. After a brief glance, she looked up at Lucian, her gaze lingering on his eyes for a moment longer than necessary. Without the sunglasses acting as a barrier, she could see they were calmer than she remembered, holding a depth she hadn’t anticipated.

‘And his right eye…’

It was as if it held a strange, captivating magic, drawing one’s gaze and making it difficult to look away.

Mei met Lucian’s eyes, but quickly realized her staring was perhaps a bit impolite. She offered him a slight, graceful nod. “Thank you. We’ll take our time looking.”

“Please, choose at your leisure.”

Lucian gave a small bow and retreated to the service counter a short distance away, giving them their space.

Mei watched his retreating figure, her finger unconsciously tracing the glossy picture of the “Mango Parfait” on the menu.

‘His eyes really are quite special,’ she mused. She had clearly seen the golden mark within his iris. It didn’t look like a cosmetic accessory; it seemed to be an intrinsic part of the eye itself, as if it had grown there.

This discovery only added another layer to her burgeoning curiosity about the new transfer student.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Kiana had been standing at the entrance since their arrival, her gaze fixed on the interaction between Lucian and Mei. Her lips were pressed into a thin, unhappy line.

‘This guy… he knows Senior Mei, too?’

An inexplicable knot of irritation tightened in Kiana’s chest. She knew that Mei was something of a loner at school. Despite her distinguished, elegant aura, she rarely formed deep connections with anyone.

And Lucian… the way he had guided them to their seats and presented the menu was clearly far more attentive than how he had treated any other customer.

Was he interested in Senior Mei?

A sour feeling churned in Kiana’s stomach. Before she could even begin to dissect the emotion, two little figures had already started a heated argument in her mind.

One voice, filled with an urgency she hadn’t even realized she felt, muttered insistently, “His eyes are practically glued to Senior Mei! Go on, hurry up and tell Lucian that Senior Mei is mine!”

Another voice immediately and rudely interrupted, its tone imperious and absolute. “This one, that one… Are they not all mine?”

The thought struck Kiana with such force that she froze for a second. Then, a slow, relieved smile spread across her face.

——————————

Back at Mei’s table, the order had been placed. She had ordered quite a lot, but since it was a school festival and most of the items were pre-made, the preparation was swift.

Several cups of steaming black tea were gently placed on the table, followed by three towering parfaits and a small plate of assorted cakes.

“These are complimentary. Please enjoy.” Lucian announced as he set down the final tray.

“Thank you.” Mei picked up her teacup and took a delicate sip.

The temperature was perfect. The aroma was rich and full-bodied, with a faint astringency on the first taste that quickly gave way to a lingering sweet aftertaste. It was, indeed, an exceptionally well-blended tea.

Without thinking, Mei asked, “Junior… did you brew this black tea?”

Lucian gave a slight nod. “Only for your table.”

Mei’s hand, still holding the teacup, paused mid-air. She looked up, a flicker of surprise in her deep purple eyes as she met his.

“Only for our table?” she repeated softly.

Lucian nodded again, his tone still perfectly calm. “Time is limited. I can’t possibly brew it personally for every table. I just happened to be free a moment ago, so I took the liberty.”

It was a complete lie.

In truth, Lucian was simply playing favorites. Valkyries already held a special status in his heart, and that was doubly true for Raiden Mei, one of the three foundational pillars of his world.

Mei lowered her head, her gaze falling to the deep amber liquid in her cup. Wisps of fragrant steam curled into the air, carrying the rich scent of black tea leaves. The water temperature had been controlled with precision, balancing the astringency and the fragrance perfectly. It was clear the brewer had been exceptionally attentive.

“The tea is brewed very well. Do you have an interest in the tea ceremony, Junior?”

“I know a little.”

It was far more than ‘a little’. The fact that Lucian was so well-rounded was largely thanks to Otto Apocalypse’s peculiar brand of ‘cultivation’. Years ago, Otto had declared he wanted to taste black tea brewed by Lucian’s own hands. In order to brew a single, perfect cup for the Overseer, Lucian had studied the art with obsessive dedication.

Of course, on the very day he finally mastered it, that bastard Otto had casually announced he’d switched to drinking red wine.

It was safe to say Otto had just been messing with him.

Mei gave a soft hum of acknowledgment, but her gaze remained on Lucian. She noticed his demeanor carried a quiet, unshakeable composure, a stark contrast to his classmates, who were buzzing with an almost manic excitement. His bearing was not that of an ordinary high school student.

‘This person… he’s definitely not simple,’ Mei thought to herself, but she didn’t press the matter further.

Seeing that they had begun to eat, Lucian gave a slight bow. “Please enjoy your meal. Call me if you need anything.”

He turned and left, returning to the entrance to resume his post beside Kiana.

The girl was biting her lower lip, her gaze wandering aimlessly toward the far end of the corridor. It was obvious her mind wasn’t on the job.

“What are you thinking about?” Lucian asked softly, his voice close to her ear.

“Ah!”

Kiana jumped, spinning around with a yelp. She visibly relaxed only after seeing it was Lucian. “N-nothing.”

Her cheeks were faintly flushed, and her eyes darted away from his. She was a terrible liar.

Lucian didn’t call her out on it.

“That table for Senior Mei just now… you brewed the tea yourself?” Kiana finally caved, unable to hold back the question. Her voice was barely a whisper.

Lucian nodded, his tone as even as ever. “Mhm. I happened to be free.”

“Oh… You seem to take pretty good care of Senior Mei.”

Lucian glanced at her from the corner of his eye. The girl was looking down at her shoes, her expression unreadable.

“Jealous?” he retorted, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Kiana’s head snapped up, her eyes wide and her face instantly flushing a brilliant crimson. “J-Jealous?! Who—who’s jealous?! Don’t talk nonsense!”

The words tumbled out of her mouth like a string of firecrackers. She looked like a startled cat whose tail had just been stepped on, all puffed up and defensive.

“I-I just think you should treat all customers equally!” Kiana straightened her back, trying to lend her words an air of conviction they sorely lacked.

Lucian watched her flustered explanation, a faint smile playing on his lips. Deciding not to poke at her fragile defenses, he simply nodded. “You’re right. I’ll pay more attention next time.”

His easy agreement, however, left Kiana stunned. She had expected him to continue teasing her, or at least offer some kind of explanation. She never thought he would just admit it so straightforwardly.

“However…”

Lucian changed the subject, his gaze settling fully on Kiana. “If it was you who wanted to drink it, I would personally brew tea for you, too.”

Kiana blinked, the words not registering immediately. “Huh?”

She stared at him, her brain failing to process the statement. Seeing her adorable, dumbfounded expression, Lucian couldn’t suppress a mischievous smile. Teasing Kiana was simply too much fun; anyone who could resist must be a saint.

He leaned in just a fraction closer.

“Because you’re Kiana.”

“…?”

Kiana froze on the spot.

The words were spoken with such blunt sincerity that she was left completely disarmed, with no idea how to react. The temperature in her cheeks skyrocketed, and her heart began to hammer against her ribs with an abnormal rhythm.

“Y-you idiot…!”

With a final, flustered shout, Kiana spun around and fled, hiding herself deep inside the classroom.