Honkai Impact: My Power Grows When Valkyries Fall For Me — Chapter 78

Chapter 78: I Was Bullied Quite Badly Last Night

Theresa’s gaze lingered on Lucian’s bashful expression. She remained silent, but her mind was already spinning, piecing together a puzzle she hadn’t realized was missing a piece.

In her memory, Lucian had always been the picture of composure, a man entirely at ease with himself and the world. Whether it was during their first encounter at Schicksal Headquarters so long ago, or his later persona as an “amnesiac,” he exuded a quiet confidence, a subtle certainty that everything was under his control. He spoke with a calm cadence, acted with methodical precision, and wore an expression that suggested the world owed him a debt he had no intention of collecting. And his strength… it was simply absurd.

Could a person like that truly feel shy?

Theresa took another deliberate sip of her bitter melon juice, her azure eyes narrowing in thought. The young man before her now was strikingly similar to the one she knew during the Second Honkai Eruption. The only difference was that the deep depth and chilling coldness that once defined his eyes had vanished, replaced by a certain… softness.

She set the cup down, her small fingers tracing the rim. Was the man from her memories—the one who had single-handedly held back a tide of Honkai Beasts—truly the same person as this flustered young man blushing in front of her?

“…Have you had your fill of staring?”

Lucian’s voice, laced with a hint of helplessness, pulled Theresa from her reverie. She blinked, realizing she had been scrutinizing him for far too long—so long, in fact, that the blush on his cheeks was already beginning to fade.

“Ahem.” Theresa cleared her throat, attempting to gather an air of dignity. “Who’s looking at you? I was just thinking about something.”

“And what, exactly, requires you to stare at me to think about it?”

“…Don’t ask!” she snapped, then coughed twice more, schooling her features into a stern mask.

Lucian wisely chose not to press the issue. He finished the last bite of food on his plate and set down his chopsticks.

“Finished eating?” he asked.

“Yeah.” Theresa nodded, draining the last of her bitter melon juice before placing the cup on the table.

The two left the cafeteria together, stepping out into the quiet night of St. Freya. They walked side-by-side along the path that led toward the dormitory area, the silence broken only by the soft crunch of their footsteps on the pavement. Theresa walked a step or two ahead of Lucian, her gait slightly absentminded as she was lost in her thoughts.

Just then, Lucian’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out.

[Mei: I’m waiting for you at your dorm.]

The text was brief, devoid of any emojis. Lucian’s gaze lingered on the screen for a few seconds, his thumb absently rubbing the smooth edge of the phone.

“Who sent the message?”

Theresa’s voice drifted from his side. Lucian looked up, his eyes meeting hers.

“Mei.”

“Looking for you this late?” Theresa asked, her tone studiously casual as her gaze drifted toward the streetlights lining the path ahead.

“Yeah.” Lucian put his phone away without further explanation.

They walked on in silence for a while longer. Gradually, the warm lights of the dormitory area grew clearer in the night. Theresa’s own dorm was in the opposite direction, but Lucian noticed she had no intention of turning off the path, simply continuing to follow him.

“Theresa?” he said, turning his head to look at her.

“Hmm?”

“Your dorm is that way.”

Theresa’s footsteps faltered for a moment. She glanced in the direction Lucian pointed, then nonchalantly pulled her gaze away. “I know.”

“Then why are you walking this way?”

“To see what kind of mischief you and Mei are getting up to, of course.” Theresa planted her hands on her hips, her small face tilted up to look at him. The self-righteous expression, combined with her diminutive height, was particularly comical. “As the Headmaster, isn’t it perfectly normal for me to care about my students’ nightlife?”

Lucian was speechless.

Looking at Theresa’s determined little face, which practically screamed ‘I’m going with you and there’s nothing you can do about it,’ he felt a headache coming on.

“Theresa, Mei just wants to talk to me about something.”

“I know.” Theresa nodded and resumed walking forward. “That’s why I have to go and see.”

“See?”

“Yeah.” She didn’t look back, her small frame casting a long shadow under the streetlights. “To see if you two are really just talking about something.”

A corner of Lucian’s mouth twitched. He quickened his pace to catch up with her, looking down at the top of her head.

“You’re not thinking of… supervising me, are you?”

Theresa looked up, met his gaze, and blinked. Then, a bright, mischievous smile spread across her face. “That’s right.”

Lucian was at a loss for words.

“Theresa, Mei and I are both adults.”

“I know.” She nodded again, her smile growing even wider. “That’s why I have to keep an even closer eye on you.”

Having delivered her self-righteous declaration, Theresa continued walking forward with her small hands clasped behind her back, showing no sign of turning back. Lucian stood rooted to the spot, watching her small, retreating figure, momentarily unsure of what to say.

‘This girl… why is she so possessive?’ he wondered.

Then, as he watched her determined little back, a realization dawned on him. Nominally, Theresa was here to watch him, but it felt more like her true goal was to watch Mei and make sure she didn’t do anything reckless…

“What are you spacing out for? Let’s go.” Theresa, having walked a few steps ahead, looked back at him with a grin. “Aren’t you going to see Mei?”

Lucian let out a helpless sigh and followed.

————

As they approached Lucian’s dorm, they saw Mei standing at the door from a distance. She was dressed in simple loungewear, her deep purple hair tied back in a high ponytail, looking exceptionally gentle under the warm glow of the porch light.

When she saw Lucian, a soft smile graced her features.

But that smile stiffened ever so slightly when she spotted the petite figure trailing behind him.

“Headmaster?”

Theresa poked her head out from behind Lucian and gave Mei a little wave. “Good evening, Mei.”

She smiled, a picture of innocence, and trotted up to Mei on her short legs, looking up at the taller girl. “Coming to see Lucian this late, is there something the matter?”

Mei was taken aback for a second, her gaze shifting past Theresa to meet Lucian’s.

He gave her a helpless shrug, his expression clearly saying: I tried to stop her, but I couldn’t.

Mei’s lips curled into a subtle, understanding smile. She looked back down at Theresa, her tone as gentle as ever. “There are just a few things I wanted to discuss with Lucian.”

“What things?” Theresa asked with a persistence that was entirely in character.

Mei looked at her, silent for two long seconds. Then, she gracefully crouched down, bringing herself to eye level with the Headmaster. Her purple eyes held a gentle smile, but for some reason, a prickle of unease ran down Theresa’s spine. Something felt… off.

“Does the Headmaster want to know?”

“Ahem.” Theresa cleared her throat, puffing out her small chest in an attempt to project more authority. “Of course I want to know. As the Headmaster, I have a responsibility to understand the students’…”

“Headmaster,” Mei interrupted, her voice still a gentle murmur, but now with an unmissable hint of amusement woven into it. “You’re blushing.”

Theresa froze. “?!”

She subconsciously reached up to touch her cheeks, only to find them burning hot. Her hand stopped in mid-air as the heat, like a lit flame, spread rapidly from her ears down to her neck.

“Who—who’s blushing!” she stammered. “This is… it’s because the night wind is too cold! It’s wind-chill!”

Mei let out a soft chuckle. She rose to her full height again, turning slightly to push the dorm room door wide open before making a graceful “please, come in” gesture.

“Since the Headmaster is so concerned, then… would you like to come in and sit for a while?”

Theresa subconsciously took half a step back. She slowly turned her head, her eyes first meeting Lucian’s amused ones, before her gaze slid uncontrollably back toward Mei.

Mei was still wearing that overly gentle smile.

“Fine, I’ll go…” Theresa took a deep breath and marched inside on her short legs, determined not to show weakness.

With a soft click, the door closed behind them.

Only a single warm, yellow floor lamp was lit in the dorm, its soft light spilling across the floorboards and casting long shadows of the three occupants. Mei turned and headed toward the kitchen to pour some water, her posture elegant and composed.

Lucian leaned against the door, hands tucked in his pockets. He looked down at Theresa, who seemed to wish the floor would swallow her whole, and couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Headmaster, what’s gotten into you today?”

Theresa stiffened at his teasing tone. She snapped her head up and glared at him, her azure eyes flashing with a warning that clearly said, If you laugh again, I’ll kill you.

But paired with her small, flushed face, the threat had absolutely zero effect.

The corners of Lucian’s mouth curled up again.

Theresa took a deep, steadying breath, trying to calm her racing heart. She crossed her arms and declared with a stern face, “I’m not! I’m just… I’m just afraid Mei will bully you!”

“Bully me?” Lucian raised an eyebrow. He pinched his chin, pretending to think for a moment, then said with a teasing lilt, “Well, I was bullied quite badly last night.”

Theresa: “…?!”

Her face instantly upgraded from a delicate pink to the vibrant red of a cooked shrimp.