LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 96: Kiana's Past
Rita wasn't wearing the amour that Schicksal had prepared for her. The aftereffects of the HSN gas from last night hadn't faded yet, and the God-Killer Armour placed a heavy burden on her body. At this time, she was wearing a white collared shirt with wavy lace, and a gray pencil skirt. A pair of sheer black stockings covered her legs, paired with high heels. She looked like a sophisticated city woman.
"Rita, what are you doing here?" Kiana didn't release her grip at all. Instead, she tightened her hold on Alvit's neck, turning her to face Rita so that she could see the panic on her face.
"There's no need for Ms. Kiana to be nervous. You saved my squad members and me last night. I naturally wouldn't repay kindness with hatred. As for why I'm here at the hospital, I'm just investigating some things. After all, the Herrscher of the Void is infamous, but Ms. Kiana seems to have it under control. It's hard for one to not be curious."
Having said that, Rita paused, her gaze falling on the lunch that was in Kiana's hands. "It seems like Ms. Kiana has found a reliable… partner. Or should I say, a loved one?"
"Hmph, you're thinking too much. I'm just hiding in the hospital by myself."
"Oh? Then why did you specifically prepare two lunches?"
Kiana paused for half a second, then replied with an irritated tone, "Can't I just eat more? It's not like I'm eating Schicksal's food. This doesn't have anything to do with you, does it?"
Rita smiled gently. "Of course not."
Faced with Kiana's impatient questioning, the maid slightly bowed and lowered her posture gracefully. "Could Ms. Kiana please release my subordinate? I apologize for her rudeness. World Serpent has already cut off all contact between myself and Schicksal. I assure you that Ms. Kiana doesn't have to worry about being pursued by Schicksal for the time being."
Rita's expression remained calm and sincere as she met Kiana's gaze, showing no signs of lying.
"You better be telling the truth." After confirming that the other party didn't have any hostile intentions, Kiana loosened her grip. Alvitr coughed twice before quickly hiding behind Rita.
"Thank you for your understanding. Let's not interfere with each other, then. Our common enemy is World Serpent, and we should focus on preventing them from using this city for their experiments," Rita said to Kiana, sighing as she glanced at the useless Alvitr.
"Hmm." Kiana breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't that she was afraid of fighting Rita. Her current strength was more than enough to defeat even a peak-level Rita. The issue was Ren. If there were any conflicts, he would inevitably be targeted by Schicksal.
However, before she could be happy for even half a second, she saw Rita turn around, and walk back into the ward.
?
She quickly followed. Rita looked back, a puzzled expression on her face. "Is there anything else, Ms. Kiana?"
"Weren't you going to leave?"
Rita's expression shifted with sudden realization. "That's right. Alvitr found some clues nearby, and we were planning on asking Mr. Ren, who is staying in this ward, a few questions."
"This…"
Rita smiled faintly. "Surely, Ms. Kiana doesn't believe that Schicksal would move against ordinary people?"
Kiana was left speechless.
In the ward, Ren, who had been eavesdropping, sighed. Kiana's acting skills still weren't good enough. If she kept this up, she'd definitely be tricked by Schicksal again in the future.
Helpless, he threw a cup onto the ground, creating a loud noise. Rita and Kiana, both startled by the sound, walked into the ward.
Seeing Kiana, Ren's face immediately lit up with surprise. "Ms. Thalia, you finally came back."
"Tha…" Hearing the unfamiliar name, Kiana's mind went blank. She didn't fully understand what was happening, but just as Ren trusted her, Kiana had decided to trust him as well. She nodded calmly and placed the lunch by Ren's side.
On the other side, Rita, who had been secretly observing Ren's expression, narrowed her eyes. She hadn't seen the reaction she was hoping for. "Are you very familiar with Ms. Kiana, Mr. Ren?"
"Kiana… who?" With the perfect amount of confusion on his face, Ren, the veteran actor, wouldn't fall for Rita's trick. His expression shifted to seriousness. "You don't even know Thalia's name? And you're calling yourselves her friends, asking me all those questions? Who are you exactly? If you don't explain yourselves, I'm calling the police."
Rita was speechless for a moment but quickly regained her composure. "I'm very sorry. I just accidentally called her the wrong name. We're indeed her friends. If you don't believe me, you can ask her."
Kiana, still confused, didn't know what to do. She stood awkwardly by the window, unsure of how to respond. Suddenly, she felt her hand being gently squeezed. She glanced at Ren and somehow understood what he meant.
"Ah, yes, yes, yes."
"I see." With a definite answer, Ren's expression softened. "While I was injured, Thalia told me some stories about her past."
"Oh? What kind of stories?" Rita asked, her curiosity piqued. She still couldn't be sure of the relationship between Ren and Kiana, but if Kiana had really shared her past with this boy, it meant that he was extremely important to her.
If the Bishop wanted to deal with the Herrscher of the Void in the future, this would be a very important pawn.
"If you're really her friends, then you should know about her," Ren began, his voice tinged with emotion. "Back when she was in school, she was a top student. Her grades were always first in her class, and because of that, she was ostracized by her classmates. But she didn't give up. Instead, she worked even harder. Unfortunately, she still couldn't stand up to the rumors."
Ren's gaze grew more intense. "The dog she had raised was poisoned with chocolate disguised as dried treats by jealous classmates. Her most trusted friend even stole her stationery during a test. After those two betrayals, her grades plummeted, and she was forced to drop out of school."
He paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "She participated in a cooking competition to earn money for tuition, winning first place. With the prize money, she made her way to ARC City."
Ren's expression darkened. "But soon after arriving in ARC City, she met those damned monsters, which is when we met. When she rescued me from the monsters that day, I never would have thought she had such a difficult life. A kind person like her, with so few friends... I couldn't accept it. As her friends, can you tell me more about her past?"
"…" After glancing at Alvitr, even the usually talkative Rita couldn't find anything to say. "Her… her grades actually weren't that good…"
Before she could finish, Ren's expression darkened. "You're saying that she lied to me? I see. What friends? You were the ones who bullied her. No wonder Ms. Thalia was so tense when she saw you. It's because you're threatening her!"
Ren's voice grew more intense. "You didn't come here to visit her. You came to cause her trouble. Get out! If you don't leave, then I'm calling the police!"
With that, Ren's hand moved to the call button beside his bed. If he pressed it, a nurse would come to check on him. Once Rita's identity was recorded and uploaded, World Serpent would definitely notice.
Helpless, Rita and Alvitr could only leave the ward for the time being. They walked side by side down the hallway, Alvitr's face full of anger.
"That insidious Herrscher of the Void! No wonder we couldn't find her. She had deliberately made up a fake identity to gain the trust of the citizens! And, when she was in the ward, she even acted so well, with a look of surprise, she was probably planning this all along!"
Listening to the girl's grumbling, Rita felt a headache. But based on Ren's performance, if Kiana had only been using him as a tool to hide her identity, then his role would naturally be less important.
But, what if this had all been a performance directed by the Herrscher of the Void?