LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 95: A Visit
Although many things had happened that night, life for ordinary people had to go on. When Kiana returned to the hospital, the sky had already started to turn a pale grayish white.
After carefully avoiding the numerous surveillance cameras, Kiana pushed open the door to the ward.
The boy was lying quietly in his bed, fast asleep. Kiana breathed a sigh of relief. The stone that had been weighing on her heart was finally lifted. She tiptoed to the side of the bed, careful not to wake Ren up.
After an entire night of fighting, and days of training in the mindscape, she was utterly exhausted—both physically and mentally. It wasn't until she found a small stool beside the bed and sat down that she noticed a lunchbox on the bedside table.
There was a note on it, written in elegant handwriting. It was a message from Ren:
「Dinner that the nurse brought over. I saved half for you.」
There weren't any words of comfort, but Kiana felt a sense of relief. She opened the lunchbox. It contained just an ordinary nutritional meal, and for someone like her—who had expended so much energy—it was barely enough to stave off hunger.
Still, she finished the cold dinner and carefully organized the utensils when she was done.
Returning to the bedside, Kiana gazed at the boy's side profile. A strange feeling stirred in her heart. She leaned down, slowly moving closer to his face, so close that she could even feel Ren's breath.
"Good night."
In the end, she gently rubbed the boy's cheek with her hand before sitting back down on her small stool. She leaned against the window and soon fell into a deep sleep.
What Kiana didn't notice was that after she had fallen asleep, Ren—still lying in bed—had quietly opened his eyes. With a silent sigh, he drifted back into slumber.
…
When Kiana woke up again, it was already almost noon. The warm sunlight made the room feel cozy. The sounds of footsteps and voices drifted in from outside the ward.
Kiana rubbed her eyes and stretched. That's when she met Ren's gaze. He was sitting up against the head of the bed, reading a book.
Her face suddenly turned red. Kiana quickly pulled her clothes down to cover her exposed belly, then subconsciously wiped the corner of her mouth with her sleeve. Fortunately, she hadn't been drooling this time.
Ren couldn't help but smile at Kiana's flustered reaction. He handed her the wet wipes beside him and pointed to his own chin.
"You haven't wiped everything off yet."
Kiana took the wipes and wiped at her chin. When she saw the black dirt and dust on the cloth, she froze for a moment before quickly heading to the bathroom.
In her battle with Heliopolis Life Sciences Pharmaceutical last night, the explosions from the numerous mechas had covered Kiana's body in dirt and dust. There were also oil and bloodstains on her clothes. Although she had cleaned herself in the bathroom before returning, traces of the battle still remained.
"Did he… figure it out?" Kiana sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror.
The commotion from the night before had been too big. Almost the entire city had felt the explosion. Ren must have sensed the tremors too. Now that both Schicksal and World Serpent knew about the Herrscher of the Void, Kiana knew what awaited her: an endless pursuit.
Especially World Serpent, whose forces were already spread all throughout ARC City. After destroying Heliopolis Life Sciences Pharmaceutical last night, they would surely intensify their search today.
She didn't want to drag Ren into her troubles, but she also didn't want to leave him.
"Ren is a very smart person. He's probably already guessed what I did last night. This time, he's probably really going to make me leave." With those worries swirling in her mind, Kiana returned to the ward.
Ren had already put away his books and was now looking at Kiana, who wore a complicated expression. He looked at her with a puzzled expression. "What's wrong?"
Biting her teeth, Kiana prepared to tell him everything she had experienced. But Ren noticed her conflicted look. He shook his head and raised his hand, stopping her.
"Girls should have their own secrets. You don't have to tell me. No matter what you choose, I'll always support you. Although… it can only be moral support."
Kiana stared blankly at Ren, then revealed a small smile.
Kiana, oh Kiana, she thought. Even though that person is placing all of his trust in you, why are you still thinking so much?
"Okay."
After tidying himself up a little bit, Ren handed his bank card to Kiana so she could go buy lunch. Since he'd started earning money through his side job working on mangas, Ren's financial situation wasn't as tight as before. Especially now that his hospital bills had been partially covered, he didn't have to worry much about daily expenses.
It was noon now, and the cafeteria outside the hospital was crowded with people. Kiana stood in the crowd, scanning the menu, her brow furrowed in thought.
"Let's see... what should someone who's been injured eat? High-protein meats, and iron to replenish blood…" Kiana paused, confused. "Iron... what?" She rubbed her head. During her time at St. Freya, she hadn't really paid attention to her academics. Now that she needed the information, her mind went blank.
After struggling for a bit, she decided to just buy whatever Mei had prepared for her when she was injured in the past.
When she reached the door of the ward, a familiar voice called out.
"Mr. Ren, have you been in contact with a white-haired girl recently?"
It was Rita's voice. Panic immediately filled Kiana's mind, but she forced herself to stay calm. Rita hadn't found her yet. The best option now was to hide. If she stayed out of sight, she could divert Rita's attention to herself and keep Ren out of the picture.
Kiana held her breath, suppressed any sounds she made, and slowly backed away from the ward's entrance.
However, she had only taken two steps when she bumped into someone. Kiana quickly steadied the person and was preparing to leave, but someone grabbed her clothes.
"Herrscher of the Void, I knew you'd be here."
It was Alvitr's voice. The gray-haired girl had a smile on her face. Ever since Kiana saved her the day before, Alvitr had started thinking that the Herrscher of the Void wasn't as bad as people said. So, when she saw Kiana, she didn't show any signs of fear.
But in the next moment, Kiana felt a sharp pain in her arm. Her entire body was pressed against the wall, her face against the cold surface. A palm-sized Void Lance was pressing against the arteries in her neck.
"Shut up!" Kiana's voice was cold. Her right eye, usually hidden by her bangs, revealed its golden pupil. The terrifying pressure made Alvitr tremble in fear.
"Wuu…" The poor girl's eyes filled with tears from the sudden change. She probably wouldn't see the Herrscher of the Void as a good person anymore.
Unfortunately, despite Kiana's quick reaction, that woman had still noticed the commotion.
"Ms. Kiana, would you please release my squad member?"