Today was her disaster day.
Kiana Kaslana couldn't help but think so.
Her slender fingers were held in the blond villain's hands, cradled as if they were precious treasures.
Her cicada-wing-thin eyelashes trembled, her rose-petal lips were pressed into a thin line, and her long, elegant neck was held high with defiance.
A warmth pricked at the corners of Kiana's eyes, but she did not cry.
Having lived on her own since she was a child, Kiana was strong—far stronger than she ever wanted to be.
And yet, while the blond villain toyed with her fingers, he did nothing more invasive.
It wasn't that Kiana wanted anything to happen with this handsome man. Although he looked like he'd be perfect in a dress, she had absolutely no interest in him.
Women were made of water, men were made of mud.
When she saw women, she felt refreshed. When she saw men, she felt a suffocating, putrid stench.
Kiana much preferred to be close with cute girls, like the young lady who had just backstabbed her.
However, Kiana felt like a prisoner on the execution block. The great blade meant to sever her head was suspended, refusing to fall, instead tapping against her neck with its blunt side every now and then.
Knowing something was coming, but having it endlessly delayed.
This was a form of torture.
A psychological execution.
But perhaps she could stall until her strength returned. Then she could punch that smug, self-satisfied face of his until it was black and blue!
So, Kiana, endure!
Kiana was not one to give up easily. She clamped her mouth shut. Crying out would only add to the villain's cruelty, so she silently endured Otto's humiliation.
"Heh."
A soft chuckle escaped Otto's lips.
"The time should be about right."
Otto discreetly glanced at the system panel.
[Daily Mission: Hold hands with any Valkyrie for five minutes]
[Mission Status: Complete]
[Mission Grade: B]
[Mission Remark: Bullying a helpless girl. What a twisted host you are.]
[Mission Reward: 100 Crystals]
[+50 Friendship Points]
Although Kiana had not yet become a Schicksal Valkyrie at this stage, the system still registered her as one. It seemed becoming a Valkyrie was her inevitable destiny.
But wait, why did he get Friendship Points?
[The method for obtaining Friendship Points is for the Host to explore on their own.]
Fine, then.
With the mission complete, there was no longer any need to keep holding Kiana's little hand.
Otto released her. Kiana let out a sigh of relief, but her heart immediately leaped into her throat.
What is he going to do to me next?
She bit her lower lip gently. But then, her eyes widened. She could feel the control over her body slowly returning.
Kiana's constitution was special; she was, after all, one of Otto's most meticulous creations. Even Raven's neurotoxin could only affect her for a short period.
My strength... it's coming back.
But it wasn't enough yet. Just a little more, just a little bit more!
Otto didn't notice Kiana's condition. After letting go of her hand, he leaned back in his chair, staring at the chandelier on the ceiling, and spoke slowly.
"Rita, tell me, how can I prove to this cute little kitten that I am a good person?"
His tone was not that of an equal, but of one who placed himself on a higher pedestal.
This Overseer belonged above her, as was only right.
"My Lord Overseer, you have no need for proof."
The voice was soft and languid, carrying a lazy charm that could make one's entire body tingle. It was melodious yet held a natural, bewitching quality, enough to sway one's mind and make their very soul feel as if it would leave their body to follow that sound.
For a moment, Otto's composure slipped, and he almost revealed a look of fascination, but he gripped the Seven Thunders tightly.
Damn, this is more stimulating than ASMR.
The cowlick on Kiana's head twitched. Her beautiful-girl-radar was going off again.
She and Otto turned their heads in unison to look at the doorway.
Standing there, as if she had appeared from thin air, was a breathtakingly beautiful young woman.
She had short, ash-blonde hair that reached her shoulders, with soft bangs covering her left eye. Her exposed right eye was like a magnificent ruby.
Her snowy cheeks were tinged with a rosy blush, as if rouged, and her lips, as vibrant and moist as rose petals, were slightly parted in a way that could topple nations.
A black and white, off-the-shoulder maid outfit was adorned with delicate flowers. Her creamy shoulders were smooth and round, and her unrestrained bust pushed the silk of her dress into an arrogant curve.
Her slender waist looked as if it could be encircled by a single hand. The skirt fell past her knees, and the graceful curves of her calves were perfectly outlined by stockings.
Kiana was momentarily lost in a daze. This was a beauty who could make the heart of another woman race.
A single smile from her could overthrow a city. A femme fatale in the flesh.
"Your great deeds have never needed to be explained to anyone," Schicksal's S-rank Valkyrie, Rita Rossweisse, said.
Tsk, as expected of Rita. Her silver tongue is second to none.
Otto quite enjoyed hearing such words.
He was very fond of that sweet-talking mouth of hers.
This Overseer's great deeds have never needed to be explained to anyone.
"However, my Lord Overseer, who was that young lady from just now?" Rita asked.
Rita placed her hands before her, her willowy waist swaying as she walked into the room, her long legs carrying her with a graceful rhythm.
A fragrant breeze washed over Otto, making his mind wander. This was the kind of woman a man would willingly become a dog for.
Otto, however, had no such base interests.
He was more interested in making Rita his dog.
And in a way, he already had.
Rita, wielder of the [Argent Knight: Excelsis] battlesuit, was, at her core, the loyal hound of Schicksal's Overseer.
Therefore, he had to be even more careful about his own conduct.
Rita was Otto's right-hand woman. She was intimately familiar with the original Otto's habits. He would have to be on his highest alert in her presence.
If he exposed himself as an imposter, the consequences were not worth repeating.
"That was a little mouse from World Serpent," Otto said flatly, his voice laced with a hint of disdain.
Without Kevin, World Serpent was nothing.
"World Serpent?" Rita inquired, hearing the unfamiliar name.
"Mm. An organization of rats, hidden in the dark side of the world, manipulating the course of history."
"If Anti-Entropy are lice on an elephant's back, then World Serpent is a tiger that would bare its fangs at the elephant."
Such an organization existed?
This was the first time Rita had ever heard of World Serpent. The woman she had just let go had a formidable presence; Rita felt her strength might not be inferior to her own.
Rita Hatake, a 50/50 matchup against anyone.
"However, their leader, Kevin Kaslana, is the strongest being under the Herrscher of the End."
"Even Durandal is no match for him."
Even Lady Durandal is no match!?
Rita was shocked. She was about to speak, but a clear voice cut in from the side.
"Kaslana?"
It was Kiana, whom Otto had been ignoring ever since he finished his mission. Otto narrowed his eyes. Judging by the strength in her voice, he could tell that Kiana had likely recovered her stamina.
And here she was, still pretending to be weak.
What a dishonest little Paramecium.