Rita and Kiana were tidying up the garden, which had been left in disarray. Bella, under Kiana's orders, floated obediently in the air, helping them carry the debris to the trash cans outside.
The two quietly restored the garden to its orderly state until Rita broke the silence.
"Miss Kiana, you seem troubled. Is there something on your mind?" Rita asked, turning to the White-Haired Knight beside her after they had finished cleaning up the garden with Bella's help.
"Uh, you noticed, Miss Rita?" The girl scratched awkwardly at the hair near her ear.
"If it's something I can explain, Rita would be happy to help you, Miss Kiana," Rita said with a gentle smile, turning to the white-haired girl beside her, waiting for her question.
"Well... it's not a serious question or anything... it's just..."
"Just...?" Rita chuckled softly, watching Kiana with amusement.
"It's just... my sister, Miss Rita. What kind of person do you think she is?"
Kiana looked expectantly at the Valkyrie before her, awaiting her answer.
"I see... Lady Snow told you about your origins, so you're curious about your sister?" Rita smiled at the white-haired girl, who nodded earnestly in response.
"Lady Bianca... She's a Valkyrie with a pure and kind heart. And surprisingly, she's quite adorable."
"Adorable?" Kiana looked at Rita, puzzled.
"Indeed, very adorable. Lady Bianca can't resist cute things—she'll stop in her tracks when she sees something precious."
"Hmm... If Lady Bianca were here right now, Miss Kiana, after you said you didn't want Bella, that little one would probably be snatched up into Lady Bianca's arms and smothered with affection..."
"And then I, who declared I didn't want Bella, would get a serious pummeling from my sister, right...?" Kiana shuddered, remembering the devastating power of her sister's punches.
"Lady Bianca wouldn't do that..." Rita shook her head, paused, and offered another answer—
"It'll probably just be a whole day of lectures from Lady Bianca... and you won't be allowed to leave until you genuinely admit you were wrong..."
"So my sister's actually the lecturing type of Valkyrie? She sounds a lot like the Class Monitor."
Kiana seemed to have found a similar figure among her acquaintances... though, logically speaking, the two weren't really that alike.
"Well, Lady Bianca isn't actually very good at lecturing. Unlike Lady Fu Hua, she can't really articulate grand philosophical principles. At Headquarters, Lady Bianca is famous for her straightforwardness, which makes her very easy to trick..."
"Sounds like a very rigid, strict, and earnest person," Kiana nodded.
"That's why it's actually quite easy to get out of Lady Bianca's lectures..."
Rita gave a slightly awkward smile.
"It sounds like Miss Rita has tricked her before..."
"Ahem, excuse me," the Valkyrie with short, gray-gold hair coughed awkwardly, trying to cover up her embarrassment.
"Does my sister have any hobbies or goals...? In the dream Snow showed me, I saw a future version of her... uh, how should I put this... she didn't seem to have any worldly desires?"
Kiana scratched her head, a puzzled look on her face, as she waited for the maid before her to offer an explanation.
"No worldly desires...? Well, Miss Kiana, there's nothing wrong with putting it that way."
Rita nodded in agreement with the white-haired girl's assessment and began to elaborate.
"Lady Bianca's interests are... rather unique. I presume the scenes Lady Snow showed you primarily featured Lady Bianca in combat, correct?"
Kiana nodded. With her answer confirmed, Rita continued her explanation.
"Lady Bianca's sole ambition is to become stronger—to become the absolute 'strongest,' and she's willing to sacrifice everything for it. She strives for perfection in all she does, a fiercely competitive Valkyrie."
"As for her hobbies... Miss Kiana, do you like cats? Have you ever owned one?"
Rita posed a question to the girl.
"Cats? Hmm... I do like them, but they're such a hassle to take care of! Sometimes they get inexplicably angry—such demanding little masters! I just feed the stray cats I see on the street. Ugh, I'll never understand why Ninti's so popular with the academy's cats."
"Oh, right—Rita, you mean my sister likes cats? And she even kept one as a pet?"
Kiana snapped out of her thoughts and turned to Rita.
"Yes, Lady Bianca adopted a... um..."
Rita's words suddenly caught in her throat. The perfect maid found herself at a loss for words, unable to describe her mistress's pet cat.
"...A... what?"
The young woman's curiosity was instantly piqued by Rita's hesitation.
"Hmm... A cat that can transform into a Honkai Beast and understands human speech?"
After a long pause, Rita still couldn't find a suitable descriptor. She settled for simply outlining the pet's unique traits.
"A... a cat that can turn into a Honkai Beast? My sister's hobbies are certainly... unique."
Kiana's lips twitched.
"Well, Miss Kiana, I think your pet is about the same..."
The maid glanced at the white-haired girl with a teasing smile.
"My pet?"
Kiana looked puzzled, as if still trying to grasp what the maid was implying. It wasn't until Bella, who had been lying forgotten nearby for some time, let out an angry roar that the realization dawned on her.
"Hey! Human! Who are you calling a pet?! I'm the Queen's most loyal servant!"
Bella, the miniature doll, glared at the maid before her, her pale blue eyes burning with fury as if she wanted to devour the woman whole.
"Be-lla!"
"Forgive me, Queen!"
Bella instantly apologized, while Kiana shot Rita an apologetic glance. Rita shook her head, indicating she didn't mind.
Having secured Rita's forgiveness, Kiana turned her attention back to Bella.
"Bella, don't call me 'Queen' anymore... Just behave yourself at the academy."
"But... the Queen is the Queen..." Bella scratched her horn in confusion.
"No buts—"