"Sorry! I kept you waiting! Siegfried, I'm all ready!"
"Hey, your hair—what happened to it…?"
"My hair was too long and too eye-catching. I didn't want to cause you trouble, so I cut it short…"
Cecilia fidgeted with her fingers, a little embarrassed.
That adorable expression instantly made countless extraordinary beings cry out that it was too much to handle!
"Does it look… strange?"
"N-no… not at all… how should I put it… it's actually pretty cute!"
Siegfried felt his heart take a direct hit and stammered out his reply.
"All right, all right, let's hurry and set off! It'll take many days to get from here to Austria!"
Quickly changing the subject,
Siegfried took Cecilia by the hand and began their journey.
Though they called it "travel,"
in truth, it gave Cecilia her first real chance to properly admire the outside world.
"Siegfried! What kind of shop is that over there? The yellow bunny on the sign is so cute!!"
"That's a HOMU Happy Restaurant—just an ordinary diner…"
"I've never left headquarters before… so I've never seen such interesting towns…"
Cecilia said softly, a hint of sadness in her voice.
Siegfried immediately comforted her.
"I see… then let's do this! We'll rest here for a day today—let me take you around and show you everything!"
"N-no… I can't… I have to hurry back to headquarters. That's my mission…"
Though clearly tempted,
Cecilia still lowered her head and refused.
But Siegfried looked straight into her eyes, his expression serious.
"You're like a little bird that's never left its cage."
"Even if it's just once…"
"Fly freely."
In an instant!
Cecilia's body trembled as she stared at Siegfried, her lips slightly parted.
It was the first time she had ever heard words like these.
They completely clashed with the education and beliefs she had always been taught!
And yet…
they made her heart beat just a little faster.
Back in Schicksal,
no one had ever spoken to her like this.
Soon,
the two of them wandered through the romantic little town together—
flower shops, bookstores,
and even arcade game shops she had never experienced before.
All these novel sights filled Cecilia's face with a radiant, joyful smile.
And outside the screen,
countless viewers felt a warmth spread through their hearts.
An innocent girl untouched by the world,
and a boy chasing freedom.
In such a romantic atmosphere,
it was only natural for faint feelings to blossom between them.
Outside the screen.
On the road back to St. Freya Academy.
"So romantic, Cecilia…"
Theresa looked at the heartfelt smile of her dear friend on the screen
and couldn't help but smile in relief herself.
Ever since Cecilia left,
Theresa often recalled her smiles from the past—
but she had never seen them so vividly, so clearly, on screen.
Cecilia, encountering love without even realizing it.
"As expected, Cecilia's smile is the most beautiful in the world!"
Theresa nodded.
While reminiscing,
she also felt the simple joy of shipping a couple!
[March 7th]: Why does this feel so incredibly shippable!!!
[Silver Wolf]: Th-this is a caged songbird meeting an adventurous boy!
[Keqing]: Why am I suddenly so excited?!
[Kiana]: Is this how that old man lured people back then…
[Amber]: Still, Lady Cecilia looks really happy.
[Furina]: Wait… if Otto finds out, won't he try to stop them??
Just as everyone in the chat group was enjoying the joy of shipping,
a bucket of cold water was poured over them.
The moment Otto's name appeared,
everyone's brows immediately furrowed!
Strictly speaking,
Cecilia's personal love life shouldn't have anything to do with Otto.
But given the countless vile deeds committed by this Overseer of Schicksal,
it was impossible not to worry that he might resort to some despicable method to break the couple apart!
And the very next second—
as if responding to everyone's concerns—
Otto's figure appeared on the screen!
News of the attacked Schicksal squad had been sent back to headquarters.
"Reporting to Overseer! After examination—"
"Cheng Lixue and Heismith's injuries are not severe. They can recover within a month."
"However, Cecilia was not found at the scene. She may have been taken away by the enemy…"
Hearing this report,
Otto's expression darkened slightly.
"Cecilia is extremely important to us. Immediately mobilize all intelligence and investigation units."
"The moment there is any information, notify me."
"I will personally bring her back."
"Or personally destroy her."
[Paimon]: Bad guy! Super bad guy!
[Keqing]: That haunting Overseer is coming again…
[March 7th]: I just started shipping them!!
[Honkai · Himeko]: Every time a story gets beautiful, someone always shows up to ruin it!
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