Honkai Impact: My Power Grows When Valkyries Fall For Me — Chapter 61

Chapter 61: Theresa?

“Hehe, impressive, right~”

Kiana landed lightly on the floor, a proud smile gracing her lips as she theatrically patted non-existent dust from her hands. But when she looked up, her gaze falling upon Lucian under the soft glow of the bedside lamp, the triumphant smile melted from her face.

“Your hair…?”

Her voice was laced with astonishment. She took a few quick steps closer, tilting her head up to get a better look. Her sapphire eyes darted back and forth between his familiar face and the cascade of long, loose black hair that now framed it.

“What happened? I haven’t seen you for a day, and you… went and got a full makeover?” Kiana blinked, her mouth hanging slightly agape as if to confirm she wasn’t hallucinating.

The Lucian before her, while his features were unchanged, had somehow become inexplicably more handsome… The curtain of long black hair, paired with those deep purple eyes… the more Kiana looked, the more captivating she found him. It was an aesthetic preference hardwired into the very DNA of the Kaslana bloodline, a standard of beauty vetted by generations of her ancestors.

Kiana reached out, her fingertips lightly brushing the ends of his hair where they rested on his shoulder. The touch was cool and smooth, far softer than she had imagined.

“It’s real…” she murmured.

Lucian offered a wry smile, allowing Kiana to curiously play with the unfamiliar strands. She hummed to herself, unable to resist walking a small half-circle around him, examining this sudden transformation from every angle. With each passing moment, her eyes grew brighter.

“Compared to when you had short hair… there’s a bit more…” She searched for the right adjective, struggling for a moment before her face lit up. “A bit more of a big sister vibe!”

“?”

The faint, resigned smile on Lucian’s face instantly stiffened. He quickly pieced together, however, exactly why Kiana was so taken with his current appearance.

As if to prove his theory, Kiana excitedly snatched the small mirror from his nightstand and held it up in front of him. “Look, Lucian!” she chirped. “You look so much like Mei now!”

“…”

Ah. Now he understood.

Staring at his reflection, Lucian finally grasped the source of her excitement. The face in the mirror, aside from a slight difference in eye color and a jawline a touch broader than Mei’s… really did bear a striking resemblance to the elegant Herrscher of Thunder.

“Hey, snap out of it!” Kiana put the mirror down, waving a hand in front of his eyes with a teasing grin. “What, mesmerized by your own reflection?”

Lucian helplessly caught her waving hand. “Stop messing around. I’m just not quite used to it yet.”

“Hehe…” Kiana let him hold her hand, while her other hand couldn’t resist reaching out to touch his long hair again, her fingers threading through the silky strands. “Can I borrow your shampoo from now on?”

“…I’m still planning to cut it. It’s a little uncomfortable.”

“Don’t you dare cut it!”

The words had barely left Lucian’s mouth before Kiana cried out, her voice sharp with alarm. She tightened her grip on his hand, her expression suddenly serious.

“Why?” Lucian was taken aback by her intense reaction, the question slipping out instinctively.

Kiana’s grip on his hand grew firmer, her blue eyes fixed on his. “Because… it looks good…” she began, biting her lower lip as she tried to organize her thoughts. A faint blush began to creep up her neck and onto her cheeks. “And, the way you are now… it feels… I like it even more…”

Her voice grew softer and softer until she finally gave up on explaining altogether. She wrapped her arms around Lucian’s arm, shaking it gently like a petulant child. “Anyway, you’re not allowed to cut it! Just let me look at it for a few more days!”

Lucian looked down at her. Kiana tilted her face up to meet his gaze, her eyes shimmering with expectation. The refusal on the tip of his tongue was swallowed back down.

“Alright, then,” he conceded, a note of helplessness coloring his tone. “I’ll keep it for now.”

“Yay! I knew you were the best, Lucian!” Kiana cheered, the earlier pout vanishing in an instant, replaced by a radiant smile. She let go of his arm and instead began to study his hair with renewed enthusiasm.

“Leaving it loose like this probably isn’t very convenient for moving around… oh!” As if struck by an idea, her eyes lit up. “Let me tie it up for you!”

Before Lucian could react, Kiana was already eagerly rummaging around him.

“Where’s the hair tie? You should have a spare here, right?” she asked, pulling open the drawer of the nightstand behind him before peering toward his desk. The sight made the corner of Lucian’s mouth twitch.

“Kiana, I’ve never had long hair. Why would I possibly have something like that?”

“Ah… right.” Kiana paused, scratching her head with a chagrined expression. But she quickly devised a solution, her hands moving to her own iconic twin braids.

She deftly undid the black elastic band at the end of one braid. A small section of her silver hair immediately came loose, cascading over her shoulder like a miniature waterfall. She paid it no mind, pinching the elastic between her fingers and holding it up in front of Lucian.

“Use mine!”

Lucian looked at the undone section of her braid. A few strands of silvery-white hair had fallen beside her cheek, framing her earnest expression and making her look just a little bit silly.

“Then what about your hair?”

“It’s fine. I have to take them out to sleep at night anyway,” Kiana said, shaking her head nonchalantly. The loose silver strands swayed with the motion.

Without another word, she moved behind him. Her fingers gathered the long black hair at his back, her movements a bit clumsy at first.

“Don’t move, okay?” Kiana muttered softly, her warm breath occasionally brushing against the sensitive skin of his neck. “I’m usually quick when I do my own hair, but this is the first time doing it for someone else…”

Her fingertips carefully combed through his hair, her movements awkward but carrying an indescribable focus. Lucian could feel her fingers occasionally, accidentally, brushing against his scalp or the back of his neck, sending a faint, ticklish sensation through him.

“Hey, Kiana…”

“Hmm? What’s up?”

“Nothing, just… I feel pretty happy right now.” Lucian’s voice was very soft, imbued with a gentleness that was deeply familiar to her.

The simple words still made Kiana shy. A strange flutter spread from her fingertips all the way up to the tips of her ears, making them grow slightly warm.

“S-stupid… why would you say something like that all of a sudden…” she mumbled, but her hands unconsciously softened their movements.

The room fell quiet, the silence broken only by the faint sound of their breathing and the occasional soft rustle of Kiana’s fingers through his hair. After a while, she finally gathered all of Lucian’s long hair into a neat, high ponytail, carefully securing it with the black elastic.

“Done!”

Kiana moved back in front of him, carefully examining her handiwork with a satisfied smile. Lucian raised a hand, touching the ponytail tied at the back of his head. It did feel much cooler, and his field of vision was clearer.

He turned his head to look at Kiana.

Under the soft light of the bedside lamp, the girl’s face still carried a fading blush, but the corners of her mouth were curled in a proud arc. One of her braids was partially undone, a few strands of silvery-white hair hanging casually by her cheeks, lending her a touch of gentleness he rarely saw.

“I like it, Kiana.”

Kiana’s cheeks reddened further. She instinctively averted her gaze, but then, as if unwilling to back down, she turned to meet Lucian’s eyes head-on.

“Of course! This young lady’s skills are top-notch!” she declared, trying to put on her usual carefree demeanor. The uncontrollable blush on her cheeks, however, completely betrayed her true feelings.

The room fell quiet again, the air thick with the sound of their breathing, so close to one another.

“Well… let’s sit for a bit…” After a moment, Lucian finally broke the spell, sitting down on the edge of the bed and patting the spot beside him.

“Mmm…” Kiana nodded, sitting down next to him. A small, charged distance separated them, and neither spoke.

Kiana’s fingers unconsciously toyed with the bedsheet. Her fingertips accidentally brushed against the back of Lucian’s hand. In response, he slowly turned his hand over and gently took hers.

The warmth that spread from his palm made Kiana’s fingers tremble slightly, but she didn’t pull away. She lowered her head, feeling the solid touch of his hand, and curled her fingers, intertwining them with his.

The room was still dark, illuminated only by the single bedside lamp and the pale moonlight filtering through the window.

After a few seconds, or perhaps much longer, she finally turned her head, her gaze slowly rising to trace Lucian’s profile. He had his eyes slightly closed, as if he were dozing.

A strange, fluttering feeling spread through her heart, making her pulse quicken uncontrollably. She just watched him, and he, as if sensing her gaze, turned his head to meet it.

Their eyes locked.

The air was so still they could hear each other’s breathing and the faint whisper of wind outside the window. Kiana’s fingers shifted slightly in Lucian’s palm, a conflicted movement that was half a desire to pull away and half a desire to hold on tighter.

In the end, she didn’t pull her hand away. Instead, she raised her other hand and gently placed it on Lucian’s cheek.

And Lucian responded. He leaned forward slightly, the distance between them quietly shrinking until their breaths intertwined, indistinguishable from one another.

“When a girl looks at you like this,” Kiana’s voice was a near-whisper, laced with a hint of chiding laughter, “you’re supposed to take the initiative and kiss her…”

Lucian looked into her eyes, so close he could see the flecks of gold in her sapphire irises. A slow smile spread across his face. “I was just afraid that if I kissed you, it would be hard to stop.”

“St… stop what?” Her fingertips still rested on his cheek, carrying a slightly feverish warmth. “You think this young lady is… is that easily scared?”

Lucian’s gaze fell to her slightly parted lips, the smile at the corner of his mouth deepening.

“Like this.”

The moment the words fell, Kiana felt her heart skip a beat.

Lucian placed a hand on her shoulder, gently pushing her down onto the bed.

“Huh…?”

The mattress sank beneath her. Kiana found herself sinking into the softness, her silver hair fanning out across the pillow. Her eyes widened slightly as she looked up at Lucian’s face hovering above her. In the dim light, those purple eyes seemed especially deep. A few stray locks of his black hair fell, lightly brushing against her cheek.

His hand braced beside her ear as he leaned down, unhesitatingly capturing her lips with his own.

Kiana’s mind went blank for the first few seconds, able only to passively receive the kiss. But soon, instinct took over. She closed her eyes and began to respond.

The room quieted, filled only with the sound of their intermingled breaths and the soft, blush-inducing sounds of their kiss. Kiana felt as if she were melting in the heat that bloomed between them. The air grew thin, and her thoughts gradually blurred into a pleasant haze.

After what felt like an eternity, Lucian finally, slowly, pulled back, his forehead gently resting against hers. Both of them were breathing raggedly.

Kiana’s cheeks were burning, her gaze dazed and unfocused. Her silver hair was a disheveled halo on the pillow, lending her a stunning, unguarded beauty.

“That’s what I meant,” Lucian murmured, his voice a low rumble, “by ‘hard to stop’.”

“…Idiot.”

He chuckled softly, his fingertips gently brushing aside the sweat-dampened silver hair from her forehead. “Who told you to sneak over here in the middle of the night?”

“I-I can come if I want…” Kiana tried to summon some of her usual bravado, but the tremor in her voice and the fiery blush on her face made her words utterly unconvincing.

Lucian didn’t tease her further. He simply propped himself up, lay down beside her, and pulled her into his embrace.

Kiana’s body stiffened for an instant, then relaxed completely, compliantly nestling into his arms. Her cheek came to rest against his chest, where she could hear the steady, strong rhythm of his heartbeat.

They lay quietly embraced, neither speaking. The room was filled only with the sound of their calming breaths. After a moment of shared tranquility, Lucian shifted slightly, wanting to adjust his somewhat stiff arm.

The small movement, however, made Kiana stir. Unconsciously, she burrowed deeper into his embrace, her arm wrapping securely around his waist.

Lucian’s body went rigid. He looked down.

Kiana’s eyes were tightly closed, her breathing even and deep. She was clearly already fast asleep. It seemed she had mistaken him for a large body pillow, sleeping with absolutely no guard up.

The corner of his mouth twitched. He gave up on the idea of moving his arm, his gaze falling on her peaceful, sleeping face.

‘…This is fine.’

Lucian thought, closing his eyes as well.

——————

The first rays of morning sunlight had just begun to pierce the dawn. On the tree-lined path of the dormitory area, a small figure was walking with purpose toward Lucian’s dorm.

Theresa’s face was stern, her brows slightly furrowed. Although she had confirmed that Lucian seemed fine on the surface last night, a deep sense of unease lingered. She had promised to take him to the Medical Department first thing in the morning, and she had no intention of giving him a chance to sleep in. She had to come early.

Soon, she stopped in front of Lucian’s dormitory door. She raised her wrist to check the time: 6:30 AM.

It was perhaps still early for most students, but for someone needing a complete check-up, the timing was perfect. It would ensure he was on an empty stomach.

She didn’t ring the doorbell. Instead, she took out a spare key. As the Headmaster of St. Freya Academy, she possessed emergency keys for all the dorms.

Click.

The lock turned with a soft, metallic sound.

Theresa pushed the door open. The living room was dim, the curtains drawn tight, allowing only a few slivers of morning light to seep through the gaps. The air carried a faint, elusive… and familiar scent.

Her steps paused for a fraction of a second. Her azure-blue eyes swept across the living room. Everything appeared normal, nothing amiss.

Not giving it a second thought, she walked straight toward the bedroom. The door was slightly ajar, not fully closed.

Theresa walked to the door, reaching out a hand to knock.

“Lucian, time to get up…”

Her voice cut off abruptly.

The door had swung open just a bit wider from her touch, enough for her to see the scene inside.

On the not-so-spacious single bed, two people were sleeping in a deep embrace.

Lucian lay on his side, one arm pillowing Kiana’s head while the other was draped loosely around her waist. His striking long black hair and Kiana’s silvery-white hair were tangled together, spilling across most of the bed.

And Kiana was clinging to Lucian like a koala, sleeping soundly. One of her arms was also wrapped around his waist, while her other hand unconsciously clutched the fabric of his shirt over his chest. Their breathing was even and steady, both clearly immersed in a deep sleep, completely unaware of the silent observer at the door.

Theresa: “…”