Honkai Impact: My Power Grows When Valkyries Fall For Me — Chapter 83

Chapter 83: Unspoken Questions

The car drove smoothly through the deepening twilight.

Outside the window, the empty tarmac gradually gave way to neat, orderly streets. One by one, the streetlights flickered to life, tracing warm lines against a sky that was slowly surrendering to darkness.

Lucian’s gaze drifted past the glass, watching as unfamiliar buildings flashed by.

The United Kingdom. This was his first time setting foot in this country.

“What are you thinking about?”

Durandal’s voice, soft yet clear, cut through his thoughts from the seat beside him.

Lucian turned his head, his eyes meeting hers. In the dim light of the car’s interior, her sapphire eyes seemed exceptionally bright as they watched him with quiet intensity.

“Thinking about…” Lucian paused, carefully choosing his words. “Thinking about why you were all in such a hurry to see me.”

Durandal blinked. “In a hurry to see you?”

“Mm,” Lucian nodded. “Overseer Otto only invited me to participate in a mission. From the moment I received the notice to now, it hasn’t even been half a day. I’ve just gotten off the plane, haven’t even had a chance to find my footing, and you two are already waiting on the tarmac to pick me up.”

He paused again, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment. “This doesn’t feel like standard mission protocol.”

The car fell into a heavy silence for several seconds.

Durandal simply looked at him, a subtle, unreadable light flickering in the depths of her blue eyes. It was a complex expression, as if she were weighing a decision, or perhaps confirming a suspicion.

She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, it was Rita’s gentle voice that drifted from the front seat.

“Mr. Lucian is indeed very sharp.”

Lucian’s eyes met Rita’s in the rearview mirror. Her wine-red eyes were curved into a pleasant, smiling crescent.

“You flatter me, Miss Rita.”

“It’s not flattery. Compared to our first meeting, you have indeed grown a great deal,” Rita replied, shaking her head gently. Her tone was laced with a hint of genuine admiration. “However, this matter was not a decree from the Lord Bishop.”

Lucian’s brow twitched. “It wasn’t Otto’s idea?”

“Mm,” Rita nodded, her gaze flicking towards Durandal in the rearview mirror. A meaningful smile touched her lips.

Lucian turned his head to look at Durandal once more.

She met his gaze without flinching. Her blue eyes remained calm, yet they held a new layer of earnestness.

“Picking you up was my own decision.”

Lucian was momentarily stunned. “Your own decision?”

“Mm.”

His gaze lingered on her face. The passing streetlights cast flickering shadows across her features, but her eyes never wavered, meeting his with a disarming frankness.

“Why?” he asked.

Durandal didn’t answer right away. Her gaze lowered slightly, falling to the back of her hands, which rested quietly on her knee. Her hands were fair, the knuckles distinct, and they were folded so serenely they betrayed no emotion at all.

From the front seat, Rita maintained a perfect, professional silence. For a moment, the only sound was the soft hum of the engine.

“I have something I want to ask you,” Durandal finally said, her voice quiet but clear. “Some things… that I can’t seem to figure out on my own.”

Lucian watched her, waiting for her to continue.

But after a few seconds of silence, she just shook her head. “Let’s talk after the mission is over…”

Her voice was steady, yet it carried an almost imperceptible thread of hesitation.

Lucian studied her, saw the complex emotions swirling in those blue eyes, and decided not to press the matter.

He simply nodded. “Alright.”

The car fell silent once more. The night outside grew deeper, and the streetlamps cast long, flowing shadows across the windows. Lucian’s gaze was fixed on the world outside, but his mind was no longer on the unfamiliar streets.

He was replaying what Durandal had just said. He could guess what was happening. She must have met the version of herself from the other world, and that encounter had left her with questions. But it seemed she didn’t fully trust that other self—or perhaps, the things she’d been told were so world-shattering that she couldn’t bring herself to speak them aloud just yet.

He turned his head slightly, glancing at the girl beside him. She was looking out the window, her long, golden hair shimmering faintly in the dim car. The line of her profile was soft and elegant, but the conflict in her eyes told Lucian that she was a million miles away from the passing scenery.

“Lord Durandal,” Rita’s voice suddenly broke the quiet. “We are almost at the residence.”

Durandal pulled her gaze back from the window and gave a soft hum of acknowledgment. “Mm.”

She turned to look at Lucian, her blue eyes seeming exceptionally deep in the low light. “Get some good rest tonight. I will come find you tomorrow morning.”

Lucian nodded. “Alright.”

——————

The car slowed to a halt before a stately building.

It was a classic European-style structure, not particularly tall at only five stories. Its exterior walls were a warm beige, and a cozy, yellow light shone from its windows. This was not the cold, sterile Schicksal stronghold Lucian had imagined; it looked more like a high-end boutique hotel.

“We’re here,” Rita’s voice came from the front, tinged with a light, cheerful smile. “Mr. Lucian, please rest here for the night. While this isn’t an official Schicksal guesthouse, the environment is very quiet. It should allow you to relax well.”

The car door was opened, and a cool night breeze rushed in.

Lucian stepped out and stood before the building, looking up. The warm light spilling from the windows seemed exceptionally inviting against the dark night. He was about to walk inside when he heard the sound of another car door closing behind him.

Looking back, he saw that Durandal had also gotten out.

She stood by the car, the night wind gently tossing strands of her long, golden hair. In the soft halo of the streetlights, her blue eyes seemed to glow.

“Let’s go. I’ll walk you up.” Her words were as concise as ever, her tone carrying an authority that left no room for argument.

Lucian was taken aback for a moment. Before he could speak, the driver’s side window rolled down.

Rita leaned her head out, her gaze sweeping back and forth between him and Durandal, the smile on her face deepening into something far more knowing. “I’ll go park the car first. See you two in a bit.”

“See you in a bit?”

Rita didn’t explain. She only gave him a playful wink before the window slid shut. The car slowly drove away, its taillights trailing two red streaks in the night before disappearing around the corner.

Lucian stood there for a second, watching the car vanish, then turned back to Durandal. “Rita… she’s staying here too?”

Durandal nodded. “Mm, she is.”

Her answer was concise and clear, offering no further explanation. Lucian withdrew his gaze and didn’t ask again.

The two of them walked into the building together.

The lobby was a bit smaller than he had imagined, but it was exquisitely decorated. Warm yellow light filled the space, illuminating soft sofas, a huge fish tank set against one wall, and tasteful decorative paintings.

‘Well,’he thought,’it doesn’t just look like a high-end hotel. It seems it actually is one…’

A woman in professional attire stood at the front desk. Seeing them enter, she bowed slightly. “Good evening, Lord Durandal.”

Her gaze lingered on Lucian for a moment. Her professional smile remained perfectly in place, but a flicker of curiosity crossed her eyes. “This must be Mr. Lucian? Your room is 32.”

She handed over a key card. Lucian took it and murmured his thanks.

Durandal stood beside him, her gaze sweeping over the front desk before falling back on him. “I’ll walk you up.”

Lucian’s hand, holding the key card, paused. He turned his head to look at her. Her expression was calm, her eyes watching him quietly.

He was silent for a second. “Alright.”

They walked toward the elevator. The doors slid open without a sound, revealing an empty car. Lucian stepped inside, and Durandal followed close behind.

The doors closed, sealing them in the cramped space.

The floor numbers ticked upward. 2… 3…

The elevator chimed softly and stopped. The doors opened onto a corridor carpeted in a dark, plush material. It was utterly silent, with only a few wall lamps casting a soft, ambient glow.

Room 32 was at the far end of the hall.

Lucian walked in front, with Durandal a half-step behind him, at his side. The thick carpet absorbed the sound of their footsteps, leaving only the faintest rustling to mark their passage.

Reaching the door, Lucian pulled out the key card and tapped it against the sensor. With a soft click, the lock disengaged.

He pushed the door open but didn’t immediately step inside. Instead, he turned to face Durandal.

Under the warm yellow light of the corridor, her long golden hair shimmered with a soft luster. The girl herself was simply watching him, her expression unreadable.

“Is there something else?” Lucian asked, his voice very quiet.

Durandal looked at him, silent for two long seconds.

Then, she spoke. “Tomorrow morning at eight, I will wait for you downstairs. Breakfast will be delivered to your room; you can eat before coming down.”

Her tone was perfectly calm, carrying the earnest, business-like air of someone giving a report.

Lucian nodded. “Alright.”

Durandal looked at him for another moment, as if confirming he understood. Then, she gave a slight, formal nod.

“Then that’s all. See you tomorrow.”