Didn't you go to Teyvat to earn money to support me?

“But I see you can call her ‘Mom’ without feeling too awkward anymore,” Anna said with a mischievous smile.

"I'm not some stubborn teenager from a single-parent family insisting on sticking to my mother's principles. I'm an orphan, so it doesn't matter who I call 'Mom'." Shen Liang shrugged. "When I was in the orphanage, every nun who took care of me forced me to call them 'Mom.' It's just a sentence, it's worthless. But you, weren't you worried about getting engaged to someone just a few days ago? Now you've figured it out?"

Anna was slightly taken aback. She lowered her head and fiddled with her necklace, which was only half intact; she hadn't taken the other half back yet.

But she didn't get discouraged. Instead, she raised her head, her smile even brighter. "Really? It's worthless, huh? Well, how about you call me 'Mom'? I'll give you a red envelope."

"Anna, are you looking for a beating?"

"If that's the case, then... then could Little Pandora call me that too...?"

"Hey, I really will hit someone! I've been beating up my sister since I was a kid, don't think I won't hit a woman!"

----------

At Munich Airport, a young man with short, gray hair interspersed with a few strands of gray-white hair, wearing a black coat that covered him up completely, stepped off the plane. He was carrying a silver-white suitcase with an engraved ouroboros emblem on it.

He was handsome, and although not tall, he was over 1.7 meters tall. However, when he walked, he would make strange "clicking" sounds, like the sound of metal and machinery colliding. People passing by would occasionally turn around and look at him with puzzled expressions.

"Finally arrived in Germany." As soon as Night Owl stepped out of the airport, he could see the towering foothills of the Alps to the southwest of the city, and the pure white castle standing on the mountaintop overlooking the sea.

Neuschwanstein Castle, a landmark of Munich, is a familiar sight to almost every European, as it is the inspiration for Disney's castle. It's evening now, and as darkness falls, the castle's outer lighthouse will illuminate the city, its beautiful glow visible to cities within hundreds of kilometers and to cruise ships at sea.

That lighthouse also guided the girl whom the owl deeply loved.

He pulled open his collar and took out a crescent-shaped, ice-blue necklace that he kept close to his body—a necklace Anna had once given him. Three years ago, during the Manila collapse, he, then known as "Chen Tianwu," was buried deep under the rubble of a building. There, he met a stunningly beautiful girl with long chestnut hair, a cool and gentle demeanor. He was on the verge of death when the girl did everything in her power to save him.

"You must live on, just for my sake. This is our promise." Anna had said this when she sent him to Schicksal's medical unit, with the necklace as the promise.

Having already lost more than half of his body tissues and almost declared beyond saving in his attempt to put out the fire, he managed to survive thanks to those words.

For Anna.

In order to see her again.

In order to... let her leave that cold and austere Shaniat family home in happiness and joy.

Night Owl touched his heart, where an artificial heart was beating coldly, but the emotions were real, and his love for Anna was even more real.

After being taken away by World Serpent, in order to fulfill his promise to Anna and to prolong his life, he replaced 74% of his body with mechanical components; it could even be said that his external organs, except for his right hand, were almost completely modified. But this was not a bad thing for him. His modified body strength far exceeded that of ordinary humans, and his survival after being corrupted by Honkai energy actually granted him, to some extent, the power to control Honkai energy.

As a male superhuman, extremely rare even on a global scale, and a member of the powerful transnational superhuman organization "World Serpent," Night Owl finally mustered the courage to propose to Anna after three years of correspondence. He was now qualified to hope for the beautiful, ice-princess-like girl, and also qualified to be her equal.

"This time, it's my turn to give you a happy future," Night Owl thought to himself.

He knew very well that Anna was a girl who couldn't refuse. In such a hierarchical family, she would inevitably be forced into a political marriage. Perhaps Anna could refuse once or twice, but she couldn't refuse forever. She was such a gentle person; she couldn't and wouldn't go against her family.

In the end, she will probably start a family with a stranger and live a miserable life.

Night Owl climbed the ranks with all his might to prevent such a thing from happening, becoming the youngest high-ranking officer in the World Serpent. Anna may have already received his surprise; the subtle feelings that the young man and woman had kept hidden in their letters for the past three years have finally blossomed into fruition.

Anna must be so happy she can't sleep.

Night Owl smirked, then heard his colleague Raven's lazy voice through his earpiece, "What are you laughing at again, Night Owl? Are you desperate to get married? You've been laughing ever since you sent out your engagement invitation last week, like a complete idiot meeting his first love. Is it really that serious?"

Anna was indeed my first love.

"Good, good, good, congratulations! May you have a long and happy marriage." Raven Siola put her two long legs on the quartz table in the hotel, threw potato chips into her mouth and chewed them, then looked at the footage brought back by the drone. "I've been monitoring the Shaniat family here for half a month. You've finally arrived. To be honest, if it weren't for you, I would have captured Anna when she came back from Elsa alone last time. Our World Serpent still values ​​the personal feelings of its employees, right?"

Raven arrived in Munich quite early and checked into the highest suite at the Geisel Hotel in the city center so that he could monitor the situation at Neuschwanstein Castle by helicopter at any time.

However, her subordinates handle the specific tasks, and Raven is mainly enjoying herself at public expense these days. For example, she is currently watching where Night Owl is while reading a Chinese novel in split-screen mode to learn Chinese, and she has just finished taking a shower and is applying the face mask that the hotel sent her.

“I know that Jackal needs the Herrscher core for research, and I will take Anna with me.” Night Owl’s tone was slightly somber. “However, Jackal promised me that taking out the Herrscher core would have no impact on Anna, at most it would cause her to lose the ability to manipulate Honkai energy… Tsk, it’s not certain whether Anna is a potential Herrscher!”

"The civilization of this era is not yet advanced enough to cause a catastrophe with the appearance of a Herrscher. If nothing unexpected happens, Anna, a Herrscher-like being, will only live an ordinary life. I'm not quite sure how they found out, but Lord is omnipotent. Night Owl, don't question Lord's purpose." Raven said casually, "I won't let anything happen to your beloved Anna-chan. You don't trust Jackal, but you trust Lord, don't you?"

Night Owl was silent for a moment, then nodded. "I just hope Anna won't blame me after I take out the core."

"How could she blame you? Without you, we were ready to forcibly take the woman away. Now we're just marrying her first and then using force. It's just deception, and deception is better than robbery." Raven shrugged.

"Let's not talk about that. How is the Shaniat family doing these days?"

"It's the same old story. After the Saintess entered the Ice Cellar, the Shaniat family brought back Maria, and now they've become conservative again, even postponing the missions of Destiny. They're probably worried about others targeting the Shaniat family. That's understandable. They were so arrogant in protecting Pandora, and they even took away the two known supernatural abilities that grant unconditional healing. Even Destiny probably doesn't like them now, so how dare they act recklessly?"

Chapter 219 I really want to touch little Pandora, it's so amazing!

“Although the Holy Maiden needs to recuperate, judging from her previous level with Aisha, she can still make a move even if she has to sacrifice a few years of her life.” Raven shrugged. “Even the Lord is not willing to be an enemy of someone like the Holy Maiden right now. Taking Anna away through marriage would be better for both sides.”

Night Owl understood her meaning. Cecilia's title as a saint was not given lightly. Not only was her strength unmatched, but she was also a gentle, loving, and caring matriarch. She could take drastic action for Maria's children; if the World Serpent Eyes were exposed, there was no guarantee that Cecilia wouldn't act again to protect Anna.

There's no need to offend someone who's about to die; it would be unwise to clash with Cecilia now.

It could even be said that even if Anna were taken away, World Serpent wouldn't touch her for the time being. Taking the Herrscher core wouldn't make a difference in a year or two; it's not too late to do it after Cecilia's deterrent effect dissipates.

No one wanted Her Highness, who had been calm for many years, to once again display the anger she had shown during the Siberian War.

"However, on the other hand, the child that St. Mary brought back has become the biggest topic of conversation on the supernatural side this month." The tall, mature woman with short gray hair and deep red eyes lay on the brown leather sofa, with a bath towel draped over her. Although her tone was lazy, her eyes sparkled. "This is the first time I've ever seen such a beautiful child. At least 40% of the Valkyries in the Holy Lake don't believe that he is a boy."

"Pandora, the Child of the White Flower?"

“Yes, although I’m not very old, I look like a young boy even though I’m supposed to be sixteen.” Raven split the screen again and sent the photo he had saved to Night Owl. It was a photo of Shen Liang training with Maria at Neuschwanstein Castle. His clothes were soaked with sweat under the scorching sun. “The young children of the Shaniat family are all pampered young ladies. No matter how resolute or stubborn they are, they are essentially little girls. Their eyes are full of innocent kindness and gentleness, as if they have never seen the world.”

Raven looked at the boy in the photo, gritting his teeth and training at the same intensity as the Valkyries. According to the anonymous Shaniat girl who posted the photo, his physical abilities were not comparable to Kiana, Anna, and others, but he managed to keep up. Apparently, he felt ashamed that he was not as good as them, even though he already had extraordinary strength.

The girl who posted the photo was clearly a bit of a fangirl; the angles of the photos were exquisite. But Raven wasn't looking at the handsome young man; she was looking at the boy's eyes in the photo.

“Look, he’s smiling, a bright and innocent smile, but it’s a business smile. His eyes are cold, though. Even after such strenuous physical activity, he doesn’t show any weakness. Instead, he’s indifferent to everything and everyone around him.” Raven stroked the photo. “He’s not the same kind of person as the rest of the Shaniat family. They are all kind and innocent, but his innocence is an act. He’s just trying to adapt to this warmth.”

“Warmth?” Night Owl repeated.

“Yes, people who are used to self-reliance are not used to other people’s intimacy and warmth. It’s like a solitary tiger cub that even if it blends into a flock of sheep, it will be hard to hide its indifference and ferocity.” Raven said calmly, “Look at his eyes. I’m very familiar with that look. I’ve adopted many orphans. Even if those children who have struggled on their own for many years have a small home, they still have that cold, beast-like look in their eyes.”

"Are you saying the Shaniat family lied to everyone? This child isn't their illegitimate child at all?"

"Who knows? The Shaniat family has been publicly saying that this child has been raised outside the family for a long time. Maybe he really did grow up in an environment close to being an orphan," Raven said nonchalantly. "Besides, no matter what his background is, the Shaniat family is really treating him like their own son now. Even a tiger cub can be moved, let alone a human. I just have a little regret that I met him when he was being raised as a black glove outside."

"Your maternal instincts are overflowing again?" Night Owl frowned. "You see a child and you want to raise it? You want to bring him to your bar too?"

"Hey, hey, hey, do you think I don't have needs? That's a guy who can control Honkai energy, even better than you! He's a natural Honkai energy master with a bright future!" Raven rolled her eyes. "Can't I just be interested in him? He's young, but I'm only twenty-five! Do you know how many people are lusting after him? Would I do something so wasteful? I'm not one of those shy, timid girls. If I've got my eye on someone, I'll devour them first, that's better than anything else."

A thoughtful smile appeared on Night Owl's handsome face. "You have feelings for him? Is that so? Let me remind you, your combat boots are fifteen centimeters high. If you stand up in front of him, he might not even be able to reach your chest."

"Night Owl, are you looking for death?! The cutest height difference! The cutest height difference, you little brat, didn't you hear me?!"

Night Owl pretended not to hear, "If there's a chance, Pandora is also an option to take away. The Black Abyss White Flower in his possession has the core of the Herrscher of Death from the previous era, and his research value is no less than that of a Herrscher... Moreover, I heard that he and Anna have a good relationship. If Anna is lonely at headquarters in the future, it would be good to have a younger brother to accompany her."

"You're already thinking about your married life with Anna before anything's even started?" Raven scoffed. "Pandora is far more important than Anna. Impossible. He's the only male heir of the Shaniat family. He'd go crazy if he lost the Saintess and Saint Mary. Don't do things you shouldn't do. I'm warning you, I can only handle one S-rank at most. If you expose your plans and cause trouble, I won't be cleaning up your mess."

"Since Anna is the target, there's no possibility of the plan failing. In their eyes, this is just an ordinary marriage." Night Owl said calmly. "And it really is a marriage. I didn't lie. After extracting the Herrscher core, Anna and I will hold a wedding... I didn't deceive Anna's feelings."

Raven whistled. "I didn't say you were lying. Oh well, it's good that you're confident... But I have a question. Are you really sure your Anna will happily go with you? Without the slightest hesitation?"

The owl wore an air of disdain, but he quickly realized that even though they were far apart, the raven could still see his expression, so he quickly regained his composure. "Of course, Anna and I have a three-year relationship... it's unbreakable."

Raven dismissed her doubts, turned off the communication, and continued enjoying her face mask.

She didn't bother asking further. Night Owl was a very serious person, and since he said so, it was probably true. Raven had also had her doubts—for example, he and Anna had only met once, and although they had exchanged many letters over the past three years, they were still just letters… But Night Owl's confidence must have its own reasons.

"Damn it, even Night Owl is married and I'm still single." Raven cursed, then pulled out the photo, looked at the boy in it with a lovesick expression, and rubbed his face against the screen.

"Ah! Baby, so cute, so cute! I'm screaming! It's so real, I really want to touch Pandora's long, straight black hair, it's just so amazing!"

Meanwhile, the handsome young man with black hair and red eyes, who was being eyed by a certain adult woman, was wearing an apron and cooking four pots at the same time.

At Shaniat's house, besides sauerkraut stew with potatoes, sauerkraut pork knuckle, potato stew with pork knuckle, and the indispensable German sausage at every meal, there were basically not many other dishes to choose from.

It's not that the Schariac family is so noble that they can only eat such rubbish. In fact, at least two out of the Schariac family's three meals are French cuisine most of the time. However, they, including the chef, are all Valkyries, and the head chef and sous chef have gone on their honeymoon, so finding a new head chef is quite troublesome.

Neuschwanstein Castle stands a hundred kilometers outside the city, and there's no way to order takeout there, so every meal consists of an endless supply of roasted pork knuckles. The older generation of Valkyries have no complaints, but the pampered younger generation is full of grievances.

Shen Liang was originally only responsible for improving his sisters' meals, but the others came running as soon as they smelled the food, carrying basins. Although he didn't have a kitchen, each bedroom in Neuschwanstein Castle had a spacious balcony.

It's worth mentioning that this dilapidated castle didn't even have natural gas; cooking relied on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders, and some outdoor kitchens even used firewood. So he easily obtained a gas cylinder and cooked for himself in his room.

There were still quite a few people in his bedroom at that time.

Arlene and her sister occupied the sofa in his living room to watch TV. The TV was showing a British talk show, and the two little ones looked surprised, wagging their tails.

Bronya continued her geeky work, setting up a workstation with three laptops, while Seele skillfully assisted her, preparing meals for the entire family. Besides her sisters, several Shaniat girls were chatting in his small room: the white-furred dumpling, the white-furred little queen, and the little princess playing with ice.

"...Most guys don't like sleeping in each other's arms. Why would you want to sleep in someone's arms? Although girls don't want to admit it, your heads are incredibly heavy, but we can't tell you the truth! You're blocking your poor boyfriend's blood circulation by using your head there, so he's trying to pull his hand out to avoid having to have an amputation tomorrow morning. That's not because he doesn't love you! Especially after you've done 'exercise,' oh my god, you're all sweaty and incredibly hot. We don't want to cuddle because it's really hot, sticky, and uncomfortable!"

On TV was a hilarious and entertaining stand-up comedy performance by a Black actor. Rosalia's mouth was slightly open, and then she looked puzzled.

"But my brother really likes to sleep while holding Rosalia."

“Silly Rosalia, it’s because we’re light. We’re little girls, not mature, over 100-pound big girls. We’re just little girls,” Lilia said calmly. “Even if we rest our heads on our brother’s arm, there won’t be any problem. Besides, we usually sleep under our brother’s arm.”

"Underarms?" Kiana couldn't help but ask, "Don't they smell?"

"My brother smells wonderful!" Rosalia said angrily. "You're the one who smells! All white people have a strong body odor!"

"I don't have body odor! Besides, you're white, okay? Everyone here except my junior brother is white, okay!"

“But my brother probably doesn’t understand that the reason he likes to fall asleep while holding us is because we make sure he feels comfortable.” Bronya, who was conducting backdoor testing for the company, suddenly interjected, “Every time we sleep, we use Honkai energy to cool him down to make him more comfortable, so he won’t feel hot and kick us off the bed… In the first two years, my brother’s sleeping posture was terrible.”

"Yes, my brother is a little bit of a germaphobe. Unclean people can't get into his bed." Rosalia wagged her tail happily. "Rosalia always takes a bath before bed, making herself smell nice and smooth, so my brother won't feel sticky and hot, and he can hold Rosalia all night! It's so blissful!"

Kiana swallowed hard, a hint of envy in her eyes. "Junior brother and you guys have been so close since childhood, ah, that's so nice. By the way, Rosalia, do you want to sleep with me tonight? I'm a little scared being alone in my bedroom, I really need someone to keep me company... Don't worry, I'm not a lesbian, I don't have any fantasies about you guys, after all, I'm not a lesbian. But I have to say, you guys are really cute, so fragrant and smooth, I want to hug you too, I'm not a lesbian, don't roll your eyes! But to be honest, I'm still quite envious of junior brother, it would be even better if you guys could all be close to me, after all, I'm not a lesbian."

"No way," Rosalia said, sticking out her tongue.

No, please!

The room was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.