"Not enough. Keep going."
Rita, who had only removed one long glove, didn't hesitate and quickly undid the corseted vest around her waist.
However—
"Continue."
The black sphere displayed the words.
Rita: "!!"
The countdown had already reached 31 seconds.
Rita Rossweisse's maid outfit, while seemingly covering a lot, was actually just a combination of a blouse, a corseted vest, and a skirt.
If she removed any one more piece, only her undergarments would remain...
Rita glanced at Ye Feng, who returned an innocent look.
Rita may appear seductive and alluring, but in reality, she was a traditional, well-mannered lady.
Even so, no matter how much she cared internally, her exterior remained elegant and composed.
The maid's emotional control was impeccable—she maintained a smile the entire time. Just by looking at her face, it was impossible to tell what she was thinking.
Rita blinked at Ye Feng, clasped her hands in front of her skirt, and chuckled softly:
"Lord Ye Feng, could I trouble you to turn around?"
"Oh, sure, no problem."
Ye Feng, ever the upright gentleman, turned around without hesitation—while activating his 360° panoramic vision.
Rita's wine-red eyes watched Ye Feng's back, and she quietly let out a sigh of relief.
Noticing the subtleties was a maid's essential skill.
From Ye Feng's swift and decisive turn, Rita could roughly tell that he might be an open and honorable person.
Rita glanced at the black sphere again—only 20 seconds remained.
The maid's fingers quickly brushed between her legs, but there was no dampness.
The "triple-period" sensation was just that—a sensation. Nothing had actually been expelled.
Noticing this, Rita felt slightly comforted.
Then, she turned slightly, loosened the thin straps, and undid the skirt's side buttons.
Her slender, fair fingers slipped into the skirt, gliding along her waistline.
With a slight bend of her knees, she lifted her graceful left leg, stepping out of the skirt, followed by her right leg.
Just like that, the pleated skirt was effortlessly removed—her movements fluid and elegant.
Rita held the maid skirt in her hands, hesitated for a brief moment, then began folding it.
The maid was dexterous—in no time, she folded it into a neat square, resembling a thick, oversized handkerchief with no trace of its former identity as a skirt.
Next, she tugged her blouse downward, trying to cover as much as possible.
But her long, shapely legs were now fully exposed to the air, all the way up to her thighs. Her legs were still clad in semi-transparent black pantyhose, the smooth fabric shimmering like water.
Her plump yet beautifully sculpted thighs, wrapped in the stockings, appeared even more supple and firm. The sheer black fabric faintly revealed the creamy skin beneath, along with glimpses of the lace-trimmed, seductive lingerie.
Rita looked at the black sphere—the timer had stopped.
All that remained was a retro-styled emoticon:
「^_^」
"You may turn around now, Lord Ye Feng."
Rita exhaled softly.
She hadn't wanted to remove her skirt in front of Ye Feng, nor did she want him to see her in this state.
But trapped together in the same room, avoiding his gaze entirely was impossible.
Unless she knocked him out.
But he hadn't done anything wrong.
Rita was also a Valkyrie, fighting for a "better world," and she adhered to her principles just as firmly.
In truth, both she and Durandal had always upheld this ideal.
No matter how much she was called the "Hunting Hound," tasked with cleaning up the dark side of things, she would never harm an innocent person without reason.
Ye Feng turned around, his gaze neither wandering nor evasive—just as it had been before.
This naturalness put Rita at ease.
At the same time, she quietly pondered: Just who was Ye Feng?
After all, someone who could remain so composed and unflinching was no ordinary person.
Rita also mused: If it were Lady Theresa or Lady Durandal here instead, they'd probably be blushing cutely, wouldn't they?
How adorable. She'd love to tease them.
"Lord Ye Feng, how did you end up here?"
Rita's lower half was now clad only in sheer black stockings, her feet still in high heels, which only accentuated the curve of her hips.
Yet the two of them faced each other as if completely unaware of this fact, conversing like ordinary friends.
"Me? I closed my eyes, opened them, and suddenly I was here."
Ye Feng answered honestly.
Rita lowered her gaze, lost in thought.
"I experienced the same thing... Just what kind of power could achieve something like this? Unless..."
The Herrscher of the Void?
Spatial teleportation would be child's play for her.
And the Herrscher of the Void was currently slumbering here—inside Kiana Kaslana's body at St. Freya Academy.
But...
Rita stared at the mysterious black sphere at the room's center, all the while carefully sensing the energy in the air.
There wasn't a trace of Honkai energy.
Before she could ponder further, the black sphere slowly displayed new white text:
「Game: First to Blink」
「Ye Feng and Rita Rossweisse will stare into each other's eyes.」
「Whoever blinks first loses.」
「The loser will be punished.」
"..."
Snakey enjoys games like this?
"What if we refuse to play?"
Ye Feng deliberately asked.
「Severe punishment will follow.」
Thus, Rita looked over, her wine-red eyes gazing at him with amusement.
"I've experienced punishment before, so... be careful, Lord Ye Feng."
"When it comes to endurance games, I've never lost."
Ye Feng met her gaze.
The two locked eyes, each reflected in the other's vision.
Time ticked by.
In another space, Mobius, who had initially found this amusing, was now visibly displeased after over ten minutes.
A man and a woman, staring into each other's eyes like this... wasn't it a little too intimate?
The green-clad Mobius wore a distinctly irritated expression.
「"I never knew my little white mouse could last this long. Is it just to keep looking at her?"」
Mobius' voice echoed in Ye Feng's mind.
「Snakey's jealous?」
「Less talking. Lose now.」
「Does Snakey really enjoy punishing me this much?」
「I just hate waiting.」
「Fine.」
Ye Feng "uncontrollably" blinked.
The black sphere immediately displayed new text:
「Loser: Ye Feng」
「Punishment: "Love Potion" status」
In short, it was the same state as the drug Mobius had given Ye Feng earlier—except without the unconsciousness effect and with a certain function enhanced.
Ye Feng stiffened.
Rita was taken aback, covering her lips with a delicate hand, her cheeks slightly flushed as she averted her gaze.
"It wasn't on purpose." Ye Feng showed no shame, standing tall.
"...I understand, Lord Ye Feng... Um, could you please not face me like that..."
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