Three hours later, Shencheng Medical Plaza.
"They're treating this like an airfield, aren't they?"
Raven couldn't help but complain as she watched the transport ship about to land.
"So, the one who came this time is Durandal, the strongest of Schicksal?"
"That's right, it's Captain Durandal... You should know her, right?"
"Of course I know her. She's the girl who stole Jackal's cat two years ago."
Raven was very happy speaking of this.
"Should we tell her what happened here? I don't think Gray Snake would want a conflict with a 'monster' under such circumstances, and there's no need for it."
"Of course, but the adjective 'monster' is quite rude."
As Rita conversed with Raven, Durandal, dressed in a black military uniform, descended from the transport ship.
"Are you alright, Rita?" Durandal greeted Rita normally.
"Everything's fine here, Lady Bianka."
"Huh?"
Since that mission, she had added the name "Durandal" to her title, and it later became her nickname.
Even Rita had grown accustomed to this name, so why today...?
"Rita, why did you call me that today?"
Durandal asked her doubts very directly. This truly hadn't changed at all.
"Perhaps because I remembered lost memories?" Rita smiled.
"Eh... memories from that time?" There was a hint of surprise and joy on Durandal's face. "In other words, you remembered Mr. Tian?"
"Ah... yes."
Rita felt a little embarrassed by Durandal's direct words.
Who made her want to pretend she knew nothing and approach Tian Shi from the start?
"And here he is..."
"Good morning, Bianka. I told you your figure would definitely be good in the future, didn't I?"
"You really are."
Bianka looked towards the air from where the voice came, with a strange expression on her face.
"But you haven't changed at all."
"Doesn't that seem like too dull a reaction?"
Tian Shi complained.
"Even if you don't cry out loud, at least give me a hug, right?"
"Cry... why cry if there's more joy than sorrow?"
Bianka asked with an unexpectedly serious tone.
"But if I hug you..."
Bianka blushed slightly and opened her arms.
Seeing this, Tian Shi smiled and hugged Bianka.
"Welcome back, Sir Guardian Angel."
This overly intimate contact made Bianka feel a little embarrassed, even if the other person was a ghost.
"I'm sorry, I'm still not very good at this..."
Bianka said softly.
"What aspect? A hug? A reunion?"
"I guess it's both. Maybe I've become a boring adult, but I'm very... very happy."
[Compatibility with Bianka +10%]
After seeing Bianka as a child, Tian Shi discovered that, compared to Rita, the marks left on Bianka by five years were more clearly visible.
The vivacity and childishness in her had completely faded, replaced by maturity and stability.
There would no longer be a look of surprise on her face, and all emotions expressed on her face would be limited to "slightly."
Her temperament when dealing with people had also become much calmer and more stable, no longer like the little thorn she used to be.
Seeing her as a whole, the only characteristic that remained unaltered was "serious airhead."
However, for those seeing her for the first time, it would be difficult to believe that the heroic Valkyrie in front of them could be an airhead.
Ah, and of course, the changes in her body shape were equally obvious.
"I actually thought you'd be more lost."
After the hug, Tian Shi said with a faint smile.
"Master Bianka, here."
Rita handed her a pack of tissues from the side.
"?"
Looking at Bianka with confusion in her eyes, Rita sighed and pointed with the corner of her eye.
"I won't wipe it for you this time, Lady Bianka."
"Hmm? Rita, do you have something in the corner of your eye?"
"I meant the corner of your eyes."
Rita said helplessly.
From the perspective of a love rival, Bianka's innocence is a natural shield.
"Mine?"
Bianka took out a tissue with some confusion and wiped the corners of her eyes.
Only then did she realize that some tears had already welled up from the corners of her eyes without her knowing.
"Speaking of which, who is this person here?"
Bianka tried to change the subject awkwardly.
"Me? I'm just an onlooker, feel free to ignore me."
Raven waved her hand, signaling Bianka not to worry about her.
She also wanted to see if the plot would turn into a soap opera.
"This is Ciora, the Shencheng Medical consultant, and also a maid apprentice."
However, Rita didn't want to think too much about it.
Obviously the situation was now in Bianka's favor, and Rita naturally wanted to finish it as quickly as possible if she could.
This kind of display of affection that no one can break is truly enviable.
If I think about it this way, I really shouldn't have pretended I knew nothing this morning.
If I had known there would be so many benefits now, Rita thought she might as well have put on a tragic soap opera.
I lost an opportunity in vain... As expected, I'm still too young.
Bianka didn't have as many cunning thoughts as Rita; she simply nodded foolishly.
"Oh, Rita, are you looking for a successor?"
Raven: "..."
Why did this girl believe it so quickly?
How old is Rita, and she's already thinking about finding a successor?
"No... I just want to admire Miss Rita's heroic figure..."
Raven's lips curved as she replied that she had risked everything for the island's sake and it wasn't shameful to "bow" to those people.
"I see. That's natural. Indeed, I envy Rita for her ability to handle anything with ease."
Bianka showed an expression of deep approval.
"No, saying 'I can handle anything' is too much flattery for me."
Rita's lips curved slightly. If it had been before, she would have nodded with a modest smile.
But this morning...
How can I accept such compliments when I can't even handle love and men?
Rita's smile was already a little distorted.
"Rita, what's wrong with your face?"
Bianka seemed to notice something was wrong with Rita.
"Nothing."
Rita adjusted the smile on her face.
"I always feel that your appearance, Rita, is a little off today," Bianka was still very worried about her best friend.
"It feels like... the superiors at headquarters? Mmm... it must be an illusion."
"Lady Bianka, you certainly know how to joke."
Rita tried to keep smiling.
The superiors at headquarters have their own concerns.
How could they possibly have the same concerns as me? I haven't reached the stage of thinking about life's worries yet.
For the first time, Rita hated Bianka's overly sharp intuition.
By the way, the biggest concern for Valkyries at headquarters is how to get married.
Although the treatment at Schicksal isn't bad, and those who can retire from the front are basically wealthy women, they have a special status and high standards.
They're not just looking for someone to live with, nor are they just finding someone agreeable.
Over time, they will undoubtedly become anxious as they age.
Himeko's situation is not an isolated case at all.
But to be honest, it's not that she's disrespectful to her predecessors.
But senior Lewis successfully married and gave birth to a child four years ago...
Before today, Rita truly felt that those leftover women in her family might be more or less pretentious.
But now... although it's different from her predecessors' marital anxiety, Rita has a different kind of anxiety.
Question: How can I prevent outside cats from coveting my fish?
"That seems to be my illusion." Bianka nodded knowingly, without any doubt.
"But I feel like you're a little strange today, Rita... Don't you think so, Tian Shi?"
"Do I?"
Tian Shi stared at Rita's face.
"Isn't this the same formal smile as always?"
To be honest, in Tian Shi's classification, there are only "normal smile" and "Shura smile."
"It's as if she suddenly became the normal Rita again..."
Bianka looked at her best friend, feeling truly confused.
She inexplicably felt as if there was a thick barrier between her and Rita.
As for Rita...
(Phew... I finally fooled her.)
Rita breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's really rude to call a lady's smile 'formal,' Mr. Tian."
"By the way, Rita, I brought all the AVs. Do you want to watch them on the ship?"
Bianka suddenly asked.
"Huh?"
Rita froze.
Raven, who was beside her, suddenly had a strange look in her eyes.
In broad daylight, talking about AVs in front of an outsider like me, is this the Valkyrie of Schicksal?
"No wonder Miss Rita is so good with ropes."
Raven sighed.
Having been tied up by Rita once, Raven understood this well.
"But I really didn't expect Miss Durandal to be so... uh, so unrestrained."
"No, no..."
Just as Rita was about to explain to avoid Tian Shi's misunderstanding, she suddenly remembered something.
Those AVs... animal videos, weren't they bought by Tian Shi and me together?
What terrible timing! Wait, does it seem there's some wiggle room here?
"No, Lady Bianka, I've already seen those discs, so I won't watch them again."
"Really? What a pity..."
Seeing the two people in front of her, still discussing "AVs," Raven frowned.
Is Schicksal's S-rank Valkyrie already so shameless?
Even though he himself scoffed at her once, she still discussed this topic without changing her expression.
Could it be that these two people seem normal but are actually nymphomaniacs at heart?
Raven inexplicably felt a little uneasy.
"Alright, Lady Bianka, I can have Miss Ciora accompany her."
"Huh—?! Rita! Your maid—"
"This is part of maid training."
A devilish smile appeared on Rita's face.
"Being able to attend to the master's needs while watching a movie is also part of your training. If you don't even meet this requirement, you're not qualified to be a skilled maid... If you get expelled, Miss Ciora, you'll lose your mercenary reward, won't you?"
"You, you..."
"Although I don't know what it is, for you, Miss Ciora, to abandon your hatred and come to me shamelessly, Gray Snake must have given you a reward you can't refuse, right?"
"Isn't it possible that I'm loyal to World Serpent? As a member of World Serpent, I'm willing to give everything for the Lord."
"If that's your reason, Miss Ciora, then your maid test is like being put into an oil barrel full of cement and then living in a sea trench for a hundred years."
"If you want to kill me, just say so."
Raven gritted her teeth.
Rita narrowed her eyes, still with a "gentle" smile on her face: "So, do you want to watch it or not?"
"I'll watch!"
Raven replied with a look of humiliation on her face.
It's just that my eyes will be stained!
Compared to missions where I risked my life, it's nothing!
For the villa! For the children!
No matter how great the humiliation, it doesn't matter!
My soul, Natasha Ciora, will never be corrupted!
"I always feel that Raven has made a very bad choice."
Tian Shi couldn't help but complain as he looked at the determined Raven in front of him.
Let's be grateful this is reality and not a book.
Otherwise, Raven's idea is simply the standard heroine idea of that book...
"Then I..."
"I'll trouble Lady Bianka to serve as Miss Ciora's examiner."
"Alright, leave this kind of thing to me."
Bianka agreed to be an examiner without hesitation.
"But... what does an examiner for maid evaluation need to do?"
"Just give her orders like you normally give orders to me."
"?"
Durandal was confused.
Had she ever given orders to Rita?
It seems there's no such thing at all, right?
Although Rita wore a maid outfit and was her assistant, Durandal always treated Rita as a friend and there was no such thing as giving orders.
This evaluation...
"As long as Lady Bianka truthfully records Miss Ciora's reaction, that will be enough."
Rita seemed to understand Bianka's doubts.
"No problem, that's easy."
Bianka nodded, but then asked, "And you, Rita?"
"I'm going to Shencheng Medical to look for information. Is Lady Bianka interested?"
Rita asked with a smile.
"Well... forget it. I'll just cause more trouble if I go."
Bianka was very self-aware.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Lady Bianka. I'll see you this afternoon."
Rita turned and walked towards the Shencheng Pharmaceutical office building, as if she really meant to ask Gray Snake for information.
"Rita, you're quite shameless."
Tian Shi, who was observing the entire operation, started complaining at that moment.
"Didn't you stop me, though?" Rita smiled.
Rita's mood quickly improved, even though she felt a little guilty for having tricked her cute best friend.
But... how can a girlfriend smell like a man?