"..."
Upon leaving the shop, Ragna stared pensively at the packaged bag she held in her hand.
Why was I so bewitched that I agreed when Rita suggested "we will take you to play"?
Has my "leftover woman syndrome" reached this point?
No, no, no, what is even stranger is why there are shops selling these kinds of things in Sky City.
Am I out of touch with current times?
Ragna looked at the bag in her hand and at the two young women to her left and right, and could not help but sigh.
Even though they have all become mature and responsible adults, aren't they a bit too mature?
"Ah! Young lady over there, please wait a moment!"
Just as Ragna was about to continue her shopping with Rita and Bianca, she suddenly heard a lively female voice behind her.
"?"
The three of them turned their heads at the same time.
Then I saw a rather strange combination.
A beautiful blonde boy with a ponytail, dressed in a dress... or perhaps a girl?
A long-haired girl who appears to be from Shenzhou.
A noblewoman with silver-white hair and a timid young girl with equally silver-white hair, which fell freely.
Speaking of which, does that girl look familiar to me?
"Were you calling us just now?"
Rita asked the strange group politely.
"That's right."
The blonde girl gave Rita a kind smile.
"We are tourists in Sky City, but it's a bit complicated and we are somewhat lost... Could you please accompany us? After all, it's the three of you..."
Rita seemed to brighten up upon hearing this.
It turned out that the other party considered them tourists like themselves, although there was nothing wrong with that, as Rita herself had been there for less than a month.
The reason they asked for help is even simpler: they are the only foreigners on this street, and they probably approached us because they thought it would be easier to communicate with us, since we are both foreigners.
"Although we are not exactly tourists ourselves, if you don't mind, you can join us."
Rita smiled at the blonde girl.
"May I ask your names?"
"Ehm… my name is Vera, Vera Sharon."
"Li Sushang."
The girl from Shenzhou replied coldly.
The lady beside her smiled and put her arm around the young girl next to her.
"My name is Sabrese Francis, and this is my daughter Lisa."
"So the two of you are mother and daughter? I truly didn't know that."
Rita showed a slightly surprised expression, although usually it was just polite conversation; her partner was truly surprised.
Although she had the bearing of a noble lady, in terms of her appearance, she was as good as she had ever been.
I never expected the other person to already have a daughter...
Rita felt a certain curiosity about the other person's age, but out of politeness, she did not inquire directly into it.
"Hmm... Miss Vera, have we met somewhere before?"
Bianca stared at Vera's blonde hair, a look of confusion on her face.
"Eh? Have we met before?"
Rita and Vera showed thoughtful expressions at the same time.
"Ehm... I don't think so."
Vera thought for a moment and then shook her head.
"Is that so?"
Bianca nodded.
"I'm sorry, but it has always seemed to me that your blonde hair, Miss Vera, is very familiar to me."
"Because that's the hairstyle you usually wear, Bianca."
Rita could not help but make a comment seeing Bianca's dazed look.
Both have blonde hair and a ponytail, how can they be distinguished? One cannot judge a person by their hair.
"Oh, excuse me, we haven't had the chance to introduce ourselves yet, my name is Rita, and these two are Ragna and Bianca."
After introducing themselves, they joined naturally.
"By the way, isn't Miss Li Sushang from Shenzhou? Why is she with Miss Vera?"
The seven people walked quietly, chatting aimlessly.
"Ah, that's because my mothers and their family took me to Europe when I was very small, so I don't have many memories of Shenzhou."
"Mothers?"
Ragna, who was the one asking the question, and Rita, who was listening, immediately became grumpy.
Is it possible to find such a sensitive topic from a simple casual question?
"Ehm... Miss Li, although it's a bit blunt to ask, how many... eh, mothers do you have?"
"Mmm... three, or maybe four?"
"Your father was truly extraordinary."
Ragna hesitated for a moment and then spoke, though it was not clear whether her words were meant to praise or criticize.
"What does this have to do with my father?"
Li Sushang looked puzzled upon hearing this.
"As far as I remember... I have absolutely no memory of my biological father."
"I'm sorry."
"What are you apologizing for? I don't even know him."
Li Sushang shook her head, completely indifferent.
"My three mothers are very good to me, and besides, my great-great-grandfather takes care of me."
Li Sushang blushed slightly as she said this.
Why are you blushing like that?
Could it be that this Miss Li Sushang likes older men...? No, this no longer falls within the category of older men.
Great-grandfather... well, maybe I shouldn't look at people with such an authoritative gaze.
Rita stroked her face; she could not let her own romantic feelings lead her to judge others.
"What kind of person was Miss Li's great-grandfather?"
Seeing that Li Sushang seemed quite interested in talking about this topic, Rita continued the conversation along those same lines.
"I imagine he must be a very respected old man."
"Mmm... yes, yes, that's right, he is very handsome and very kind."
"..."
Rita and Ragna fell silent again.
Miss Li Sushang, are you sure the words "handsome" and "gentle" are used to describe an old man?
(Lady Ragna, if we keep going like this, we will touch on a taboo subject, won't we?)
(Ah... without a doubt, great-grandfather and so on, this is no longer a simple taboo.)
Ragna and Rita gave somewhat awkward smiles.
Forget about that adjective; her behavior was clearly that of a young girl in love!
It's better not to meddle in other people's family affairs.
Rita took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from her forehead, then looked toward Bianca.
At this moment, Mrs. Sabrese is hugging Bianca, and they look very affectionate.
"Mmm~~ Miss Bianca is so cute... Would you like to be my daughter?"
Rita: "..."
Ragna: "..."
The topics they are discussing over there seem to be more interesting.
Is there no normal person in that group?
"Ahem… Mrs. Sabrese, please, don't make things difficult for Miss Bianca."
At that moment, Rita could only intervene to calm things down.
"Eh..."
"Mrs. Sabrese, I sincerely do not share the same feelings as you."
After regaining her composure, Bianca addressed the noblewoman before her with severity and firmness.
"What a pity."
The disappointment was clearly visible on the other person's face.
"I am very, very serious about adopting you!"
"I was very serious when I said I refused."
Bianca stared straight into the other person's eyes.
"Mmm... what a pity."
As if sensing Bianca's determination, Lady Sabrese sighed.
"If I were eighteen or nineteen, maybe we could become good friends."
"Now you look eighteen or nineteen."
"Mmm!"
Mrs. Sabrese was surprised by Bianca's sincere response.
"Ahhh... Bianca-chan is so cute, doesn't she want to be my daughter?"
"Stop playing the fool here..."
Rita watched as Miss Vera, apparently unable to stand it any longer, grabbed Mrs. Sabrese by the back of her shirt collar.
"It's incredible that you can say those things without feeling guilty, who else would talk to you so calmly!"
"Eh~~"
"I'm sorry, Miss Rita, Miss Bianca, and Miss Ragna, this fellow made a fool of herself."
"Eh... it's nothing, it's nothing, but you and Mrs. Sabrese are..."
"Hmm~ Don't be fooled by her appearance, she's actually my best friend It's just that her breasts and her butt haven't grown much yet."
"..."
Rita looked surprised, while Ragna looked envious.
It was impossible to tell her age, especially since she was wearing a youthful white dress; she looked like a beautiful young woman of eighteen or nineteen.
"Ka... Sabrese, are you going to die if you don't talk nonsense?"
"Anyway, it's the truth~~"
"Then, shouldn't she be called Mrs. Vera, rather than Miss Vera?"
Bianca's focus was a bit strange at that moment.
"No, calling her 'Miss' is fine."
"Vera, you're so boring."
Sabrese —that is, Kallen— let go of Otto's hand and turned to greet her charming daughter.
"Lisa, say a few words to your new friends too~~ Don't always be so quiet and reserved, I'm sorry, this girl is very introverted, please excuse her."
Kallen, pulling on Amber, who had kept her head down, smiled at everyone.
Amber, however, continued to keep her head down.
"Waaah..."
Amber doesn't dare look up.
To be honest, she knew all those people in front of her.
Even though she had taken off her blindfold and changed her hairstyle and clothes, what if they recognized her...?
"Lady Ragna, doesn't Miss Lisa look familiar to you?"
"Because she looks a lot like Mrs. Sabrese?"
Ragna looked at Mrs. Sabrese who was beside her, and then at Miss Lisa.
"I don't mean 'familiar' in that sense..."
Rita rested her chin on her hand, feeling that something was escaping her.
"What brings Miss Rita to Sky City then?"
Rita returned to reality at a question, and saw Miss Vera beside her... or rather, the lady?
"Well... I guess you could say I'm on a business trip, right? But it certainly feels like a vacation paid for by the company," Rita said with a smile.
"I see, the benefits your company offers seem quite good."
Vera's face showed an evaluating expression.
"Miss Rita seems to have been here for quite some time, doesn't she?"
"It's been less than a month."
Rita smiled at the other person and said.
"Speaking of which, lately... I've been thinking a bit about quitting."
Since she had nothing else to do, Rita didn't mind chatting informally with the lady.
"Eh? Quitting? It's not easy for young people to find work these days, have you found another one yet?"
"Well... although I have found a new job, what kind of new job is it actually?"
Rita stroked her chin and reflected for a moment.
In reality, she didn't have much desire to change jobs, but the transfer order from that morning made her feel she had no choice but to do so.
To be honest, if Tian Shi had a body, Rita wouldn't mind being a full-time housewife.
After all, compared to those great scientists or heroes, Rita has a relatively clear understanding of her own position.
In reality, she had no big dreams to dedicate her entire life to.
Everyone says she is a genius, but she knows perfectly well what kind of person she is.
If it hadn't been for the upheaval of that year, she probably would have stayed in the flower shop and led a simple and ordinary life as a florist.
If Ragna hadn't "died in battle" back then, she might have followed the normal promotion process, joined the Valkyrie Stormtroopers, and charged alongside Lady Ragna, wielding a great sword.
If she hadn't met Tian Shi and Bianca later, she might have lost her true identity mission after mission and become a ruthless assassin.
Rita felt that the last twenty-something years had been wonderful and lucky.
So she has no big dreams.
Right now, she just wants to protect the people she cares about, like Bianca and Ragna, and help others in any way she can... If possible, she would like to have a few more children with Tian Shi.
"To be honest, Mrs. Vera's ideal job right now is that of a housewife, although it's a bit difficult."
Although she had no big dreams, the state of Tian Shi's body represented big problems.
"Isn't it inappropriate to have those thoughts at this age?"
Otto struggled to keep her expression from crumbling: what had she just heard?
Was the dream of her own S-rank Valkyrie to be a housewife?
"And it seems that with your... qualities, Miss Rita, it would be difficult for you to find a suitable partner."
"I'm not worried about finding a partner; I already have a man who is exceptional and very reliable."
At the thought of Tian Shi, Rita could not help but trace a slight smile.
"..."
What on earth? What's with that radiant smile?
However, Rita sighed again.
"However, the only downside is that he's probably too reliable and exceptional, which makes him too attractive to women, he already has over 100 women around him."
"I have a feeling he's a jerk."
"Well... seen that way, he does look like one."
Rita could not help but let out a bitter laugh as she listened to what "Mrs. Vera" had to say.
If it were four, five, seven, or eight people, one could say without problem that they are destined to have many romantic encounters.
But with the number of people surrounding Tian Shi, almost twenty... no, and maybe even more than twenty if we count those she doesn't know, it's not something that can be easily dismissed with a simple "destined to have many romantic encounters."
"But he's definitely not that kind of scoundrel... or rather, I actually hope he's a bit of a scoundrel in some aspects, but anyway, he can't get married right now."
Rita sighed thinking about Tian Shi's state.
She also asked Dr. MEI about matters related to his health.
The answer I received was: yes, but it is not necessary.
Nowadays there are too many womanizers.
Instead of accidentally allowing a womanizer to take Tian Shi's place by creating a body for him, it would be better if they first established a hierarchy and then created a body for Tian Shi.
Although Rita always had the feeling that the other person's description of her as a "cheating cat" was directed at her, she accepted this interpretation with reservations.
"I think you might be exaggerating the other person's qualities."
Although it bothered Otto a bit that Rita ignored her orders regarding this matter, she could still understand it to some extent.
Furthermore, seeing the expression of happiness on the other person's face, Otto could not help but think of her own God.
If God were by my side, I would probably make that kind of expression too, wouldn't I?
It doesn't matter...
Otto, after realizing this, decided not to keep pressing the matter with Rita.
I am not so twisted as to prevent others from being happy just because I cannot be happy.
Then Otto changed her mind.
Let's forget for now about the world's intrigues; first we must protect the happiness of our subordinates.
First, try to determine the character of the other person.
If he is a jerk... well...
However, if the other person truly is a reliable man, I will find a way to help Rita win him over.
After all, Rita is my subordinate and I cannot allow her to lose in a fight for a man.
Then, prepare a dowry for Rita, so they can part on good terms...