Night had fallen, and the light in the rented apartment was dim and quiet.
At this moment, inside Liang Wu’s room, he and Cecilia were staring at each other.
Well, to be precise, it was one person and one ghost.
Cecilia Schariac.
She appeared much clearer than during the day, her outline no longer as flickering and unstable as before.
But there was no doubt about it.
She was a ghost.
“Hello?” Cecilia spoke first.
But Liang Wu furrowed his brow: “So…
what exactly are you?”
Cecilia tilted her head and tapped her chin with a finger: “Hmm…
how should I put it?”
“Right now, I suppose I’m a spirit who has been dead for many years.
By some coincidence, because you awakened my Stigmata, I happened to wake up?”
It seemed Cecilia was not entirely sure of the situation either.
But Liang Wu caught some useful information from her words.
Her appearance was indeed due to his Stigmata.
Though it seemed that as a fighter, she did not fully understand the mechanics of Stigmata either.
Liang Wu asked again: “So, Lady Cecilia, why have you appeared now?”
At this, Cecilia showed a very gentle expression.
Her gaze turned toward the living room, passing through the closed door and landing on a figure who was washing up: “Because Kiana is here.”
“My daughter is here.
Of course I want to see her more.”
Was she treating Kiana as if she were Bianka?
After a moment of thought, Liang Wu decided to tell Cecilia the truth about Kiana.
But unexpectedly, before he could speak, she seemed to foresee his words and responded first: “I already know everything.”
“…What?”
“I know that child’s true identity.
She was originally…
K-423, right?”
Liang Wu was stunned again.
Wow.
This Cecilia was something else.
Was she some kind of hidden SSR, Intelligence Cecilia?
“You know?”
“Although I’m just a remnant spirit within the Stigmata, the reason you awakened the Stigmata seems to be related to that child.”
“So I saw that child’s memories.
So I know…
she is not my Kiana.”
She paused, then smiled again: “But she is also Kiana, isn’t she?”
Liang Wu looked at her and was silent for a moment: “So you mean…
you don’t mind?”
Cecilia asked: “Mind what?”
“About Siegfried giving your daughter’s name to someone else.
Don’t you mind that at all?”
Indeed, Siegfried’s act of passing on his daughter’s name had drawn quite a bit of criticism in the previous era’s online discussions.
Did Cecilia, as a mother, not care about this at all?
At this, Cecilia’s expression finally shifted slightly: “Well…
at first, I did mind a little.
After all, waking up to find that your daughter’s name had been given to someone else for no good reason, no parent would be completely fine with that.”
“But after seeing that child’s memories, I realized something.”
“That child has shouldered far too much.
She believes she committed unforgivable sins, believes everyone hates her, and believes she is a monster.”
“But even after everything that happened, she still chose to carry the world forward.”
“How could I not love such a good child?”
For a moment, Liang Wu did not know what to say.
Because that answer was very Cecilia.
After all, this woman had the nickname “Herrscher of Moms.” Even the Second Herrscher Sirin had wanted to be her daughter.
So this was probably normal?
Before Liang Wu could respond, Cecilia continued: “And I also believe that when Bianka learns the truth of her own origins, she will definitely accept Kiana as her little sister.”
Liang Wu: ??????
Wait, who did you just say?
Bianka?
Holy crap.
You even know that?
You really are Intelligence Cecilia!
Noticing Liang Wu’s shock, Cecilia cupped her face in her hands, her expression growing even sweeter.
“Liang Wu, since you and Kiana both come from the future, you must have heard of Schicksal’s strongest Valkyrie, right?”
“Hmph, that’s right.
Bianka is my daughter.
“I swear by my name as a mother.
I would never be wrong!”
Liang Wu was at a complete loss for words.
All he could say was that this was Cecilia.
Even as a ghost in death, she carried the “Herrscher of Moms” aura.
Her ability to gather information was simply absurd.
“Alright, I think I understand.” Liang Wu rubbed his temples, trying to digest this sudden flood of information.
“So your current state is that you’re attached to the Stigmata within me, and you can manifest freely and see my daily life?”
Cecilia nodded: “Pretty much.”
“But my range seems to be limited.
I can’t go too far from you.
During the day at the shopping district, when I wanted to see more of Kiana, I was pulled back by some force.
It must be the Stigmata’s binding.”
Liang Wu nodded.
That made sense.
If she could move freely, that would really be haunting.
“Can you maintain this visible state indefinitely, or is there a time limit?”
“Hmm…
it doesn’t feel very stable right now.
Maybe it’s because you’ve just awakened the Stigmata, and the energy supply isn’t consistent enough?”
As she spoke, Cecilia suddenly leaned in closer, studying Liang Wu’s face with interest: “Now that I think about it, you really are a pleasant-looking child.
White hair, blue eyes.
If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were my Kiana’s big brother.”
“…Thanks for the compliment, but I really have no connection to the Kaslana family.”
“I know, I’m just joking.
After all, if you can awaken my Stigmata, your ancestry must be connected to the Schariac line.” Cecilia waved her hand with a smile, then her expression softened.
Liang Wu did not argue further.
After all, now that he had awakened her Stigmata, it was indeed hard to insist otherwise.
“But since I’m now staying with you and relying on your Stigmata’s energy to exist, I should do something to repay you, right?”
Liang Wu blinked: “Repay?”
So there was a repayment phase?
Given Cecilia’s current state, how could she possibly repay him?
Cecilia nodded excitedly: “Let me help you win over my Kiana.
How about that?”
Liang Wu: ?