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

Shen Liang knew he couldn't hide the fact that he was a sea king in Teyvat from them, but he still asked hopefully, "Sister Leah... what are you worried about?"

"It's heartbreaking to say, but my sister was always worried that she wouldn't see her daughter walk down the aisle before she died. She's a rather traditional person, and she wouldn't be able to rest in peace if she died before she could officiate her daughter's wedding." Maria leaned back on the sofa, her slender legs, encased in dance stockings, resting on the coffee table, and said softly, "Both of you ladies hadn't been planning on finding partners before, but your appearance saved her. At least Miss Kiana has a chance now. But who could have known Kiana would be so disappointing?"

"What do you mean by 'not up to par'?" Shen Liang scratched his head.

"Do I really have to spell it out?" Maria crossed her legs, tapped the sofa armrest, and gave him a look. Shen Liang pursed his lips, pressed down on her beautifully curved legs in white stockings, and helped her relax her calf muscles that had been in one position for a long time.

"Leaving Teyvat aside for now, in the past few months, Kiana and you haven't progressed as much as Ana, the woman beside you." The woman's voice was cold and indifferent. "No wonder that World Serpent executive is so resentful. You really acted quickly, my dear son, Pandora Shaniat."

I was called by my full name!

Shen Liang's hair stood on end. He quickly looked up at his mother, Maria, who had a half-smile on her face. He turned back to look at Anna, who had turned into a zombie from fright.

"Keep kneading," Maria ordered.

Shen Liang subconsciously continued to inject Hua Hai Yue, massaging his calves. In the world, only Cecilia and Maria could experience this kind of ultimate pleasure; there was no other youth who could simultaneously use the Coral Palace secret technique and the Shenzhou Blind Shop technique. However, he wasn't paying any attention to Maria's long, stockinged legs; his mind was filled with the booming sound!

How did Maria find out?

Leah must know by now!

This is terrible! Even a rabbit doesn't eat the grass near its burrow, and he, as the most trusted son-in-law of the elder sisters of the Shaniat family... how could he possibly be with a sister from the branch family... with a sister from the branch family...

He thought it would be years before the truth came out, but it's only been a few days!

"Mom, how did you know?" the long-haired boy asked stiffly.

"Do you really think your little tricks can fool anyone? Younger girls might be suspicious and uncertain, but experienced people are different. They can see the atmosphere of your relationship at a glance." Maria's expression was indifferent, showing no sign of surprise at the boy and the girl in the beret's stunned expression. She just glanced at Anna. "You think you've got it all figured out, but in reality, it's blatantly obvious to us."

Anna was so scared she was about to cry.

Shen Liang was both conflicted and curious, and finally whispered, "Mom, how come you're considered an experienced woman? If I remember correctly, you've never been with a man."

Maria's beautiful eyes suddenly turned cold. "You're not considered experienced if you haven't been with a man?"

"You know less about relationships than I do, so how dare you call yourself an 'experienced' person..."

The older lady in the white silk dance costume instantly strangled Shen Liang's neck with her legs. Her long, supple thighs were full of explosive power. With one hand on the coffee table, she exerted force and twisted the boy upside down, throwing him onto the sofa!

Ultimately, she was an S-class Valkyrie. Shen Liang collapsed without any resistance, with Maria kneeling on her neck. Maria smoothed her long hair, calmly took out a pack of women's cigarettes, then thought for a moment and replaced it with a lollipop, unwrapped it, and bit into it. She looked down at the boy, whose face was flushed red, and said, "Just because you've never been with a man doesn't mean you've never been in a relationship. Your mother was in a relationship before you were even born."

Although the boy was desperately clinging to Maria's thighs trying to catch his breath, he couldn't help but tease her, "Hey, if we're mother and son, then isn't this obvious? You were dating when I was born, so aren't you cheating on your partner? ... Ouch, ouch, ouch, Mom, I'm sorry, Mom's going to break, my neck's going to break!"

Anna whispered, "Don't talk about Lady Maria's love life in front of her. Lady Maria's love life has been a failure."

Maria's eyebrows twitched, but she didn't react. She could only say coldly, "You two always get together, do you really think the elders in the family can't tell? During the day you call each other 'sister' and 'brother' so familiarly, but at night you don't know how to be so affectionate. It's just that our castle walls are thick and soundproof—and you two are too bold. Although there are no surveillance cameras in the living area, do you really think no one noticed that Anna went into Pandora's room and didn't come out all night?"

"Those people are so nosy!" Anna complained softly.

"What are you staring at in other people's rooms for!" Shen Liang complained in a low voice.

Maria couldn't help but chuckle at the adorable pout of the young couple. "Are you two getting angry?"

Seeing that Maria didn't seem to be acting like the "bad nanny in a big family who scolds a couple for having an affair," Shen Liang became a little bolder. He quickly got up, sat down on Maria's shoulder, and massaged her shoulders and thighs while whispering, "Shouldn't you be angry? Mom, I'm your son. Anna and I are in love. It's not like we're doing anything heinous. Why are you so worried?"

“Pandora, remember this: you belong to Kiana.” Maria ruffled the boy’s long, soft hair and smiled wryly. “The family likes you, values ​​you, and treats you like their own son, all because you will become Kiana’s husband and Saint Cecilia’s son-in-law. You will also be one of the family’s successors.”

"But Kiana and I haven't reached that point yet."

“I know that you young people categorize things like ‘more than friends, less than lovers,’ let alone marriage,” Maria said softly. “But if everyone sees you as Kiana’s future husband and Cecilia’s son-in-law, you won’t have many choices. Anna is not like Ayaka Shinra or Kokoro Kokoro in the other world.”

Anna's face paled, but she still whispered, "What... is different?"

“They’re not from the Schariac family, so they pose no threat to Kiana. Even if you build a harem on Teyvat, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re a member of the Schariac family.” The mature woman with chestnut hair glanced at the snow-white girl with chestnut hair and sighed sincerely. “But Anna isn’t a member of the family; she beat us to it.”

“Why can’t I go first? Just because I’m not a member of the same family?” Anna looked at Maria stubbornly.

“Because once your relationship is discovered and proven, then Pandora, you will be Anna’s husband. Even if you marry Kiana in the future, it will only mean that Kiana leaves the main family… You will lose your ‘main family’ identity.” Maria said in a low voice, “I know that you young people don’t care about the separation of the main family at all. You care more about so-called free love, but some things are not a choice.”

“Pandora, you may not care about your family’s identity, but what about Kiana? If Kiana doesn’t care about you at all, there’s absolutely no chance of you two falling in love in the future… So naturally she won’t lose her family’s identity, but do you really think that’s impossible?”

"Pandora, do you really think Kiana has no chance of falling in love with you?"

Shen Liang was unable to answer this question.

His relationship with Kiana is not complicated; they are more than friends but not quite lovers. Perhaps in a few years, after spending more time together, things will naturally progress to a more intimate relationship.

Maria's question goes straight to the heart. His most pressing concern isn't whether he can be with Kiana, but rather... his possessiveness as a man.

He knew very well how greedy he was. No matter how much he felt for Kiana, none of that mattered... He just couldn't bear the thought that Kiana didn't belong to him, couldn't bear the thought that the white-haired girl he had spent so many years with, who had developed such a deep understanding with him, didn't belong to him.

Like a lion's declaration to its prey, Kiana felt he perfectly matched her aesthetic preferences for beautiful girls, and Shen Liang gradually came to see Kiana as "one of his own." This attitude, subtly ingrained over time, had become a tacit understanding. Perhaps it sounds arrogant, but—

That's mine for the taking! How could I possibly let someone else have it!

Maria's question could not be answered, because there was only one solution: Kiana would inevitably fall into his hands... or rather, he would inevitably fall into Kiana's hands.

Just a matter of time.

"See, so you and Anna broke a taboo," Maria said calmly. "You should tone it down and wait until you marry Kiana before pursuing other girls. It's better for everyone if it's later."

Hearing this, Anna finally lowered her head, a shadow of gloom flashing across her originally pale pink eyes, as if she were recalling the desperate days when she had no one to rely on as the Night Owl was about to arrive.

Her right hand clenched unconsciously, and the expression on her face gradually faded, becoming somewhat indifferent.

"Does Lady Maria know that if Anna had gotten Ryoko's brother any later, Anna might have already married someone else?"

She raised her head and met the gaze of the S-rank Valkyrie Maria without fear, her tone calm: "I didn't act first, I just saved myself."

He is an extremely rare male superhuman in the superhuman realm over the years, with exceptional talent that even allows him to pluck the Black Abyss White Flower, a miracle that Fate researchers marvel at.

He was so handsome that even the Valkyrie was amazed by him, and he was surrounded by countless envious and admiring gazes. He was the only son of the Saintess lineage for thousands of years.

He deserves everything he desires—power, status, authority, or even love. Since he shines so brightly, he cannot be possessed by anyone. He doesn't belong to any so-called family; he is free from those cumbersome, outdated traditions. He is a free child!

Anna held the boy's hand, which was about the same size as hers, feeling the warmth emanating from his palm. She stared at Maria and slightly curled the corners of her lips.

Therefore, he does not belong to any one person, not to Ayaka Kamisato, not to Kokoro Sango, and certainly not to Kiana.

interesting.

Yes, the runaway princess of a powerful family and the jade-like young man hidden away in the bustling city—one stunningly beautiful and carefree, the other handsome and serene; one with white hair and blue eyes, the other with black hair and red eyes—even their colors are a perfect match! They're practically the protagonists of a novel, a match made in heaven. What a perfect couple! From the Far East branch to the Schariac family in Germany, from the Saint Lake Forum to the Valhalla discussion area, everyone praises and envies them. Pandora and Kiana are simply a match made in heaven!

So she willingly became a lover's sister who couldn't show her face, suppressing her urge to be clingy with him during the day while doing her work; when outsiders were around, she maintained a serious demeanor and only discussed serious topics; when eating at a restaurant, she would pretend to accidentally order dishes she didn't like, then watch Shen Liang pass her food to him and then share his own, thus sweetly enjoying the pleasure of actually eating a meal together; finally, at night, she would sneak into his room, wearing his favorite clothes underneath...

I'm already shameful enough... I can't even be seen in the light of day.

But why are you trying to stop me?

Shouldn't a daughter who has separated from the family be excluded from the main family's share of the family's cake? Even if they aren't even lovers?

Just because her mother is the peerless Holy Maiden, does that mean she can so recklessly give that sun-like boy... to her beloved daughter?

Why.

Since I'm already in such a shameful situation, I'll devour him completely. I, Anna Shaniat, will not leave you even a tiny bit of cream or pudding on the cake.

You can't blame me for this. Any girl from the Shaniat family who had this opportunity... would have chosen to do what I did.

Anna's smile was no longer gentle. She proudly raised her head and said to Maria in a low voice, "Lady Maria, are you here to ask Anna to let go?"

Maria was silent for a moment. "I know this is very unfair to you. But I'm not asking you to give up completely. Once Pandora is fully integrated into the main family, I will no longer concern myself with anything related to you."

"Is that so?" Anna remained noncommittal, only saying, "But Lady Maria, you also let go like that before, didn't you? When you're comforting me now, have you ever thought about why you were abandoned by Miss Shigure Kira?"

Maria's indifferent demeanor faltered for a moment as she looked up and saw Anna's stubborn and hostile gaze.

She was stunned.

Chapter Three: Take Protective Measures!

You've let go like this before, haven't you?

In a daze, Maria recalled that afternoon fifteen years ago, when she first met that slightly tone-deaf blue-haired female student at the gates of the music academy of Heidelberg University, as a music teacher; that girl who was clearly a Valkyrie but dreamed of becoming a so-called idol; that girl who pestered her every day to practice bel canto and violin...

In reality, she was hardly a music teacher; it was just a convenient identity for her to move around in Heidelberg. But she still learned the violin for Shigure Kira and even learned the drums and obtained a real certificate.

A series of campus concerts, gradually familiarized instruments, and sheet music memorized step by step. In the very end, the stern and aloof teacher and the clingy and adorable student finally confessed their love with a kiss in a secluded place. Their intense emotions transformed into a flame between lovers, engulfing Maria and Shigure Kira.

Those were the best times for Maria in recent years; the chestnut-haired and blue-haired girl lived day and night in that apartment outside Heidelberg University.

Although they strive to become idols, Valkyries are Valkyries after all. One is an S-rank and the other an A-rank, both top geniuses of Schicksal. The abundance of Honkai energy brings them an exceptionally rich, even unreleased, energy. And at sixteen or seventeen, a time of adolescence when self-control is at its lowest, they can endure it for a while, but living under the same roof for an extended period is unbearable… Even though they are both girls, on the transcendent side, this is only natural and inevitable.

The gentle young girl, who aspired to become an idol, shone brightly in Maria's eyes. In just a few months, both of them made rapid progress in their singing, instrumental, and dance fundamentals. After their daily lessons, the few hours of leisure practice that followed were something Maria especially looked forward to. Their practice spaces ranged from the bedroom to the living room, even the balcony, on the bed, sofa, and even on top of the piano.

Although the girl's singing was not perfect, the scattered piano notes produced by her fair, jade-like back pressing down on the keys were the most beautiful and irrepressible songs in the chestnut-haired nun's life.

But all this beauty was ultimately shattered in the face of the six words "Shaniat family".

She is Maria, the Witch, an S-rank Valkyrie of Destiny, one of the world's strongest superhumans. She cannot possibly accompany a frail female student to fulfill her so-called idol dream; she has the responsibility that comes with her surname. Nor can she possibly deprive the girl of her dream, taking her back to Neuschwanstein Castle, where she will forever be reduced to a soulless nightingale.

That was the first time in Maria's thirty-plus years of life that she had fallen in love with someone, but in the end, she couldn't face the girl's earnest and pleading gaze, and the relationship ended without a trace.

“Anna, you’ve always been so good, why are you talking like that?” Maria remained silent for a long time. “You’re different from me, you should listen to me, and…”

"Is being obedient useful? Is being compliant useful? Will doing this prevent you from taking Ryoko away from me? Will doing this allow Lady Maria to marry Shigure Kira? What else can you do besides pray in church every day? This is the 21st century; we don't believe in God anymore. Your Shigure Kira might even be married by now!" Anna's voice was cold and angry as she glared fiercely at the young mother. "Listen to you? Lady Maria, you've already suffered once from the family's mistakes, and you want me to suffer the same fate again!"

That's enough; it hits the nail on the head.

Anna can be quite harsh, too. When she unleashes her grievances and anger, it's a needle-like rage that can leave her enemies riddled with holes.

Shen Liang was stunned. He hadn't expected the conflict between his wife and mother to be so intense... Was this why mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships could never get along? But they weren't even mother-in-law and daughter-in-law yet!

However, for both emotional and rational reasons, Shen Liang resolutely stood on Anna's side. He already felt ashamed that Anna was willing to be his secret lover, and it would be unmanly to let Anna be helpless at this time! So, I'm sorry, Mom. Although I feel a little sorry for knowing about your rare dating history, I still have to stand up to you when necessary!

Shen Liang, mustering a certain amount of arrogance, cleared his throat and said, "Mom, I think..."