The morning sunlight, like a golden veil, gently streamed through the villa’s large floor-to-ceiling windows and softly fell upon the living room carpeted with soft rugs.
The air was filled with the aroma of toasted bread and a faint sweetness of pastries.
A new day had quietly begun.
Mercy, or rather, Bai He who now possessed a new identity and new memories, sat at the dining table, swinging her two little legs that couldn’t quite reach the floor.
The pair of small white wing-like halos behind her head trembled slightly with her movements, like a pair of restless little chicks.
Before her sat a warm cup of children’s nutritional milk with a hint of honey fragrance, and a small plate of golden honey pancakes that her mother had carefully cut into small pieces.
“Mom, the pancakes are so good!” Mercy took a bite, and the sweet taste melted in her mouth, making her happily squint her eyes as she generously offered her praise.
Her mother, with her beautiful blue hair and fully spread wing-like halos, wearing an apron, placed perfectly fried sunny-side-up eggs onto each of the three children’s plates.
Hearing her daughter’s compliment, she smiled gently.
“If you like them, eat more.
Our Mercy’s mouth is especially sweet today.” “Sister’s mouth has always been sweet,” said little Robin, who was sitting next to Mercy.
She blinked her big sapphire-like eyes while sipping her milk in small sips, leaving a cute white “mustache” around her lips.
“Because yesterday, Sister said that seeing us made her happier than eating cake!” Robin was wearing a light blue dress today, which made her short blue hair and white wing-like halos look even more fresh and adorable.
When she spoke, her voice carried the soft, earnest quality unique to children, melting Mercy’s heart once again.
“That’s because our little Robin and Brother Sunday are sweeter than cake themselves!” Mercy said cheerfully, reaching out to gently wipe the milk stain from the corner of Robin’s lips with her fingertip, the gesture natural and intimate.
This affection, born from both memory and instinct, let her slip into the role of older sister with almost no barriers.
Sitting across the table, already sitting up straight and neatly cutting his pancakes with children’s utensils, Sunday looked up.
His delicate, angel-like face, having inherited his mother’s excellent genes, wore his usual composed expression.
He looked at Mercy, who was beaming like a little sun, and then at Robin, whose cheeks were flushed from being teased.
He lightly pushed up a pair of glasses that didn’t exist (a little mannerism imitating adults) and spoke in his clear child’s voice: “From the perspective of nutrition and taste receptor analysis, human perception of sweetness comes from sugar.
The emotional sense of ‘sweetness’ is a metaphorical figure of speech.
However…
Sister’s metaphor is barely acceptable.” Mercy: “…” She looked at her little brother, acting like such a little grown-up, and couldn’t resist teasing him.
“Oh?
Then from the perspective of ‘Sunday, Future Head of the Family and Chief Analyst,’ which of us, Robin or me, has a higher ‘metaphorical sweetness level’?” Mercy deliberately tilted her head and gave Sunday a mischievous look.
Sunday’s hand, holding his little fork, froze.
He clearly hadn’t expected his sister to ask such an “unscientific” question.
He furrowed his small brow slightly, looked at Robin who was gazing at him expectantly, then at Mercy whose eyes sparkled with cunning, and the tips of his fair little ears seemed to turn a bit red.
He lowered his head, continued cutting his pancakes, and said in a voice so quiet it was almost inaudible: “…Tied for first.” Pfft— Mercy and their mother burst out laughing at the same time.
Robin, though not entirely sure why her brother seemed a little embarrassed, also joined in with a giggle.
“Our Sunday is such a fair little gentleman,” their mother said, walking over to gently pat Sunday’s head, then adding a little fruit salad to each child’s plate.
“Alright, finish up.
After breakfast, I’ll take you all to the central plaza for a walk.
I heard there’s a new fountain show today.” “Hooray!” Mercy and Robin cheered together.
Though Sunday didn’t say anything, a glimmer of anticipation also sparkled in his beautiful blue eyes.
Breakfast ended in a joyful atmosphere.
Their mother carefully tidied up the three children’s outfits.
Mercy wore a white short-sleeved shirt and light blue overalls (simply because overalls were cute), Robin wore a pretty dress, and Sunday wore a little shirt and knee-length shorts.
Standing together, the three little ones’ blue hair and white wing-like halos complemented each other perfectly, like three little fairies who had descended to the mortal world.
Holding their mother’s hand and walking along the mirror-smooth streets of Penacony, which seemed to be constructed from dreams themselves, Mercy curiously looked around.
The architecture here was magnificent and dreamlike, with bright colors, elaborate flowerbeds, and softly glowing decorations everywhere.
Most pedestrians were well-dressed, with relaxed and happy expressions on their faces.
A faint, soothing melody seemed to float in the air.
So this was the world influenced by Xipe, the Aeon of Harmony.
It truly felt like an eternal carnival.
The central plaza was even livelier than she had imagined.
Huge colorful balloons floated in the air.
Street performers played lively music.
Children ran and played by the fountains.
The newly installed fountain system was performing, with water jets rising and falling to the rhythm of the music—sometimes shooting up into towering columns, sometimes dissolving into gentle mist that refracted tiny rainbows in the sunlight.
“Wow!
So beautiful!” Robin was mesmerized, her little hand gripping her mother’s fingers tightly, her eyes fixed on the spectacle.
Sunday also looked up, focusing intently on the changing patterns of the water, as if analyzing the mechanical principles behind it or the coordination with the musical rhythm.
Mercy was equally captivated by the dreamlike scene, but her attention was soon drawn to a small stall nearby that emitted a sweet, sugary aroma.
It was a candy shop run by an elderly man, decorated like a fairy tale cottage.
Transparent glass jars filled with colorful candies of all shapes and sizes looked like jars of captured rainbows.
“Mom,” Mercy gently tugged on her mother’s sleeve and pointed at the candy shop, her eyes sparkling with longing.
“Can we buy some candy?
Just a little bit!” She used her fingers to indicate a “very small” amount.
Her mother followed her gaze and smiled gently.
“We can, but not too much.
And remember, after you eat candy, you have to brush your teeth carefully.” “Definitely!” Mercy promised immediately, then turned excitedly to her younger siblings.
“Robin, Sunday, let’s go pick out some candy!
Sister’s treat!” She patted the small pocket on her overalls that held a few credits of allowance, looking very much like she was saying, “I’m rich.” Robin was immediately drawn in and nodded happily.
“Okay, okay!
Thank you, Sister!” Sunday was more cautious.
He looked at the overly bright candies, then at his mother.
Seeing her nod with a smile, he said quietly, “Thank you, Sister.
I’ll…
just pick one.” The three little ones ran up to the candy shop, stood on their tiptoes, and leaned against the counter, gazing at the dazzling array of sweets.
“Grandpa, how much do these candies cost?” Mercy looked up and asked in her sweetest voice.
The elderly candy seller looked at the three adorable little Halovian children and smiled so wide his eyes crinkled.
“Little ones, pick whatever you like.
Regular fruit candies are 5 credits for a small bag.
The ones with filling are 10 credits.
Over there are special-shaped ones, like little stars and little moons, 15 credits a bag.” Mercy glanced at the allowance in her pocket—about 50 credits in total given by her mother—and quickly did the math in her head.
She turned around and began “interviewing” her younger siblings: “Robin, what color do you like?
Pink?
Blue?
Or these sparkly ones?” Robin’s little face was practically pressed against the glass counter.
She hesitated for a long time before pointing at a pale blue candy shaped like a tiny musical note, her voice timid yet full of anticipation.
“Sister, I like those…
the ones that look like little music notes.” “Got it!
One bag of music note candies!” Mercy waved her little hand decisively, then turned to Sunday.
“Sunday, what about you?
What do you like?
These that look like gemstones?
Or these…
um…
more ‘serious’ black licorice candies?” She deliberately pointed at a type rumored to taste very strange.
Sunday’s small brow furrowed again as he carefully examined each type of candy, as if evaluating some important project.
Finally, he pointed at a transparent package containing pure white, neatly square candies.
“I want these.
Plain milk-flavored candies.” He chose the option least likely to go wrong and most consistent with his “character.” “Copy that!
One bag of plain milk candies!” Mercy noted, then chose for herself a bag of mixed fruit-flavored candies with the most vibrant colors.
She paid, and the old man even gave each of them an extra small lollipop for free.
The three children held their own candies, faces beaming with satisfaction.
Robin carefully cradled her bag of music note candies like a precious treasure.
Sunday neatly tucked his milk candies into his little shirt pocket.
Mercy couldn’t wait to tear open her package and pop an orange-colored ball candy into her mouth, and the sweet-and-sour taste made her happily squint her eyes.
“Mmm…
so good!
Robin, Sunday, you should try yours too!” she said, her cheek puffed out on one side, her words slightly slurred.
Following her sister’s example, Robin carefully opened her package, took out a tiny blue music note candy, and put it in her mouth.
The next moment, her sapphire-like eyes instantly lit up, and she nodded vigorously.
“Mmm!
It’s sweet, and it has a blueberry flavor!” Sunday watched his sister and little sister eating before slowly opening his own package, taking out a square candy, and placing it in his mouth.
He savored it for a moment, then gave his objective assessment: “Moderate sweetness, rich milky flavor, smooth texture.
Quality is acceptable.” Mercy couldn’t help but laugh at how seriously he evaluated the candy.
Her eyes darted, and she came up with another idea to tease her little stick-in-the-mud brother.
She leaned in close to Sunday and whispered mysteriously, “Sunday, did you know?
I heard that if you eat really sweet candy, your smile becomes really sweet too!
Want to try smiling more and see if you get sweeter?” Sunday, with the candy still in his mouth, looked expressionlessly at his sister, who was grinning like a little fox.
After two seconds of silence, he calmly replied, “Sister, sugar metabolism primarily occurs in the digestive system and has no direct biochemical correlation with the movement of facial expression muscles.
Your claim lacks scientific basis.” Mercy: “…” Alright, her brother’s defense was a bit too high.
Not giving up, she turned to Robin, who was slowly licking her lollipop.
“Robin, don’t you think Brother Sunday should practice smiling more?
Like this—” She made an exaggerated, eight-teeth-showing, bright smile at Robin.
Robin, seeing her sister’s funny expression, burst into giggles.
She also tried to make a cute smile, then nodded vigorously.
“Mm!
Brother’s smile is really pretty!
As gentle as Mom’s!” At his little sister’s words, a faint, barely noticeable blush seemed to flicker across Sunday’s face.
He cleared his throat softly, turned his face away, and looked back toward the distant fountain.
But the small, naturally relaxed upward curve at the corner of his lips from the candy in his mouth seemed just a little more noticeable than before.
Their mother stood not far away, watching the three children interact with a gentle smile.
Her eldest daughter Mercy seemed especially lively and cheerful today, like a little bundle of joy, constantly teasing her younger siblings.
Her youngest daughter Robin was well-behaved and adorable, and her sister’s influence made her even more carefree.
Though her son Sunday still acted like a little grown-up, under the combined “attack” of his sisters, the overly composed shell seemed to have quietly cracked open, revealing the childlike innocence befitting his age.
This kind of daily life—ordinary, trivial, yet full of the happiness that made her heart feel at ease.
They played in the plaza a while longer, watched the fountain show, and fed the pigeons, and it wasn’t until the sun had climbed higher that their mother took the three somewhat tired but still excited little ones home.
After lunch came the usual naptime.
Robin and Sunday were both coaxed by their mother into taking their naps.
Mercy lay on her soft little bed, but she wasn’t sleepy at all.
She remembered Daria and the [Free Daily Shop].
She silently chanted in her mind: “System.” A semi-transparent light screen, visible only to her, appeared before her eyes.
The interface was simple, and at the center was the shop icon flashing with a “¥0” symbol.
She mentally clicked on it.
The shop interface popped up, displaying three items, each with a brief description and a prominent “Free” label.
[Item: Truth-Speaker Candy (Trial Size – 3 pieces)] Description: After eating, the next sentence spoken will involuntarily come out in a singing melody (effect lasts for one sentence).
No side effects.
For entertainment purposes only.
Original Price: 10 points | Current Price: Free [Skill Book: Basic Music Theory Perception (Fragment 1/10)] Description: Use to slightly increase sensitivity to musical rhythm and melody.
Collect ten fragments to synthesize the complete skill book.
Original Price: 50 points | Current Price: Free [Item: Rainbow Bubble Water (One Small Bottle)] Description: Bubbles blown from this solution reflect especially brilliant seven-colored light in sunlight and are not easily popped.
A children’s favorite!
Original Price: 5 points | Current Price: Free “Oh?
Today’s refresh is pretty interesting!” Mercy’s interest was piqued.
Especially the [Truth-Speaker Candy]—it was clearly a tool for mischief!
[Basic Music Theory Perception] seemed helpful for Robin’s future development, and [Rainbow Bubble Water] was just pure fun.
She didn’t hesitate to “purchase” (claim) all three items.
With a faint flash of light, the three items appeared in her system storage space (a small extra-dimensional space that came with the system).
Looking at the [Truth-Speaker Candy], Mercy’s mischievous soul began to burn.
Who should she try it on?
Robin?
She already loved to sing, so the effect might not be as dramatic.
Sunday…
imagine the little stick-in-the-mud suddenly speaking in operatic tones…
The corners of Mercy’s mouth couldn’t help but curl upward.
In the afternoon, after the children woke up, they played in the garden.
Mercy brought out the bottle of [Rainbow Bubble Water], which immediately captured Robin’s full attention.
“Sister!
These bubbles are so pretty!” Robin chased after the large bubbles that shimmered with seven-colored light in the sun and were unusually resilient, letting out silvery laughter.
Even Sunday couldn’t help but be drawn in, standing nearby and watching the bubbles drift slowly up into the sky, his eyes filled with the pure curiosity and appreciation of a child.
While blowing bubbles, Mercy kept an eye on Sunday.
An opportunity!
She quietly retrieved the [Truth-Speaker Candy] from her system space and peeled off the wrapper (which dissolved into motes of light in her hand, leaving the candy itself looking like an ordinary pink fruit candy).
Then she walked over to Sunday, pretending she had just taken it out of her own pocket.
“Sunday, here.
This is the best-tasting candy from today’s haul!
I saved it especially for you.” Mercy held out the candy, her face wearing a “pure and innocent” sisterly smile of care.
Sunday looked at the pink candy in Mercy’s palm, then at her “sincere” smile, and hesitated slightly.
He didn’t remember seeing any pure pink candies among the ones his sister bought today.
But out of acceptance of his sister’s (seemingly) goodwill, he still politely took it.
“Thank you, Sister.” He looked at the candy but didn’t eat it immediately.
Mercy felt a bit anxious inside but didn’t show it on her face.
She continued to stir things up: “Go ahead and try it!
It’s really, really good!
Don’t believe me?
Ask Robin!” She shot a meaningful look at Robin, who was still chasing bubbles.
Though Robin didn’t understand what was going on, she was still very supportive and nodded vigorously.
“Mm!
All the candy Sister gives us is delicious!” Under the watchful eyes of both sisters, Sunday finally put the candy into his mouth.
Mercy held her breath, her eyes fixed on him without blinking.
The candy seemed to taste good—Sunday’s little face showed no signs of anything unusual.
A few seconds later, as if he’d thought of something, he turned to Mercy, apparently wanting to share some thoughts on the musical programming logic of today’s fountain show.
He opened his mouth, but what came out wasn’t his usual straightforward child’s voice.
It was a smooth, clear melody, almost operatic in tone: “Sisterrrr—today’s fountaaain~ the rhythm controlll~ could still use~ some optimizzationnnn~~~ Huh?” The singing stopped abruptly.
Sunday froze.
Those always calm blue eyes suddenly went wide, filled with disbelief and a trace of panic.
He instinctively covered his mouth, his fair little face instantly turning bright red, all the way to the tips of his ears.
Even the small white wing-like halos behind his head seemed to puff up slightly from the shock.
“Pfft—hahahahaha!” Mercy couldn’t hold it in anymore.
She doubled over, clutching her stomach and laughing so hard tears nearly streamed down her face.
Even Robin, who had been chasing bubbles, stopped and looked curiously at her brother, who had suddenly sung and then suddenly covered his mouth while turning bright red.
Though she didn’t understand what had happened, seeing her sister laughing so joyfully made her giggle along too.
“Brother sings so nicely!” Robin praised innocently.
Sunday: “!!!” He lowered his hand, opened his mouth as if to explain, but feared he might sing again.
He could only press his lips tightly together and glare accusingly at Mercy, who was laughing without any sense of dignity, his blue eyes misted over (likely from a mix of embarrassment and indignation).
His gaze seemed to say: “Sister!
You set me up!” After Mercy had laughed her fill, she walked over and tried to pat her brother’s head to comfort him, but Sunday angrily dodged away.
“Come on, don’t be mad, Sunday,” Mercy said, holding back her laughter and trying to sound sincere.
“See?
You sing so beautifully!
You should sing more often!” Sunday turned his back to her, leaving only a small, rigid silhouette that screamed “I’m very upset” and “don’t touch me.” Even the wings at the back of his head drooped.
Mercy knew the little guy was probably going to hold a grudge.
But being able to see her usually composed brother make such an amusing expression?
Totally worth it.
At dinner time, Sunday still seemed embarrassed about the afternoon’s incident.
He kept his head down the entire meal, eating silently and refusing to look at Mercy.
Their mother noticed something was off and looked at Mercy questioningly.
Mercy just made a silly face and used the serving chopsticks to put a piece of Sunday’s favorite tender grilled fish onto his plate.
“Sunday, eat more fish.
It’ll make you even smarter!” Mercy said in a deliberately saccharine-sweet voice.
Sunday looked at the fish in his bowl, then looked up at his sister, who was smiling all “innocently.” He let out a nearly inaudible little huff through his nose, but still picked up his small spoon and quietly ate the fish.
Robin watched her brother and sister interact.
Though she didn’t fully understand, she still found it very amusing and even ate more than usual at dinner.
That night, lying in bed, Mercy reflected on this fulfilling and entertaining day.
The warmth of breakfast, the play in the plaza, the sweetness of candy, and the successful prank on her brother…
All of it made her truly feel that she was no longer just a spectator playing a game behind a screen, but a real person living in this world called Honkai: Star Rail, a sister to Robin and Sunday.
She had a family.
She had younger siblings to protect (and occasionally tease).
Her consciousness drifted into the system space, where she saw Daria still organizing the light screens.
As if sensing her gaze, Daria didn’t turn around, simply letting out a small hum and letting a tiny spark of electricity crackle at her fingertip as a warning.
Mercy smiled and withdrew from the space.
Outside the window, Penacony’s neon lights shone like eternal stars, adorning this dreamlike city in dazzling brilliance.
The road ahead was still long—the Astral Express, the Stellaron Hunters, the secrets of the Family…
countless possibilities awaited her.
But at least for now, holding her soft blanket corner, savoring the memory of her brother’s operatic “critique” from today, Mercy drifted off to sleep with a satisfied smile.
Daily life today?
Ten out of ten!