Starting from the Collapse World, I became the behind-the-scenes boss

"Everything is going well, Lord Bai."

Rita, who also understood the reason why the Knight Princess had dressed the boy in his current attire, bowed slightly and said, "I handled the emergency together with Miss Peggy and Miss Amber, while the important matters were left for Lady Durandal to review personally."

As she spoke, Rita pointed to the few thin documents on her desk.

"That's all?"

Upon seeing this astonishing amount of work, Durandal's face immediately showed surprise.

She hadn't returned to Tianming for three days, and she thought she would be faced with a mountain of tasks.

"Therefore, Lady Durandal can rest for a few more days with Lord Bai."

Noticing the Knight's surprise, Rita smiled slightly and said.

"Well--"

Upon hearing this, her cheeks immediately flushed red, and wisps of white steam instantly rose from the top of Durandal's head, and then...

boom!

With a muffled thud, the boy was shut out of the office by the heavy wooden door.

"..."

Seeing the unmistakable rejection before him, Shihen could only helplessly rub his nose and turn to leave.

At least this time, he won't be able to have office play with Durandal.

Meanwhile, sitting back in her office chair, looking at the meager number of documents in front of her, Durandal vaguely understood what the young man was trying to say.

"Rita, you've worked so hard these past few days, taking on so much of my workload."

Looking up at the maid in front of her, Durandal spoke in an extremely serious tone, her smile full of sincerity.

"Rita is already satisfied as long as she can help Lady Durandal."

Meeting the gentle gaze of the female knight, Rita suppressed a bittersweet smile and said.

"From now on, let's work together to make the world a better place."

Seeing the maid's humble demeanor, Durandal's smile grew even brighter.

Rita: “…”

Although the logic is correct, she still felt that something was wrong.

If she took on more of the tasks for Durandal, wouldn't Durandal have more time to find the boy...?

Thinking of this, Rita suddenly felt a wave of dizziness.

“Peggy…”

Ignoring the maid's minor dilemma, Durandal simply turned her gaze to another person's file, a deep glint in her eyes.

…………

"Hen! Wait!"

Having changed back into his original attire, Shihen hadn't even had a chance to leave the Tianming administration building when he was stopped by a voice that suddenly rang out from behind.

Turning around at the sound, Shihen saw a platinum-blonde girl rushing towards him, and a hint of surprise appeared on his face: "Peggy? What are you doing here?"

Logically speaking, it should be the other party's working hours now.

"..."

Peggy, naturally understanding the unspoken meaning in the boy's words, immediately rolled her eyes at him before explaining, "Durandal gave me a break."

"Have a holiday?"

Startled by the words, Shihen noticed the girl's increasingly resentful expression and smiled slightly. "In that case, how about we take a walk together?"

"Hmm~"

The resentment on her face immediately turned into a bright smile, and Peggy followed the boy like a little sparrow.

"Come to think of it, it seems like it's been a long time since we've spent time together like this."

Strolling along the courtyard path, Shihen looked at the excited girl beside him and couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

"This kind of thing has never happened before!"

Upon hearing this, Peggy glared at the boy reproachfully.

"Yeah……"

He shrugged, a hint of helplessness creeping onto Shihen's face.

After all, compared to the other Herrschers who needed his guidance, Peggy was much less of a worry for him; she only needed a little sunshine to thrive.

It could even be said that Cocolia's contribution to Peggy's current state is truly indelible.

So even though the other party had several ways to die, Shihen still arranged for Cocolia to stay in Siberia to run an orphanage, so that she could contribute her remaining energy in that most bitter and cold place.

After all, even if the Honkai has disappeared, the chaos in Siberia cannot be eliminated in a short time, and the many orphans there need a stable and warm home.

Of course, this time Cocolia's role can only be a mother; she can no longer be a powerful female warlord or an entropy executor.

Even Bronya and Seele's visits to him were limited by him, with hints that the number of visits should be restricted.

Shihen believed that this was a more suitable ending for Cocolia and for the land of Siberia than an eternal, dark imprisonment.

"..."

Unaware of what the boy was thinking, Peggy simply looked at the boy's face and pursed her lips. Her mind drifted to her daily overtime work, to Shihen's tender care and affection for other girls, and to his near-successful voyage last time…

Overwhelmed with sorrow, Peggy's eyes welled up with tears, large drops streaming down her face.

"Paige?"

Shihen was momentarily stunned as he looked at the girl who had suddenly collapsed in front of him.

"I like you, Hen..."

Wiping away her tears, Peggy said in a choked voice, "No matter where we go, even to the darkest depths of the universe, I will follow you and try my best not to cause you any trouble."

Even if it's just Kiana and the others, as long as you can spare me a little bit of attention, I'll be very obedient and won't compete with anyone else.

So, next time you leave, take me with you... Waaah—"

Before Peggy could finish her tearful words, the boy silenced her with a finger.

"Peggy, it won't be easy for you to stay by my side."

He spoke softly, seemingly unmoved by the girl's deep affection, his expression remaining calm and indifferent, "As a Herrscher, my time is extremely long."

A thousand years, ten thousand years… my time will never change, but you—as an ordinary human being—how long can you live?

"..."

Startled by the boy's calm gaze, Peggy choked back tears and replied, "It's okay. If I get old and no longer pretty, I'll take the initiative... Waaah..."

Before she could finish speaking, Peggy's lips were sealed again.

However, this time it wasn't fingers.

"Well--"

Peggy's eyes widened in an instant as she looked at the handsome face of the young man so close to her. A huge weight lifted from her heart, and she slowly closed her eyes to fully savor and respond to her first kiss.

I will accept your kind offer.

In her daze, Peggy heard only one reassuring voice, and her consciousness immediately became chaotic as if she were being drawn into a vortex.

PS: Gurgle...

Chapter Nine: The Morning After Peggy's Incident

"No~"

Peggy opened her eyes groggily and saw a familiar ceiling. The cool morning breeze drifted into the room through the half-open window, quickly waking the girl from her hazy state.

Memories from last night quickly resurfaced, and Peggy's face flushed red. The aching pain that felt like her body was about to fall apart also entered her mind, causing her to groan softly.

"Seriously, that guy went too far..."

Peggy couldn't help but complain under her breath as she subconsciously rubbed her slightly swollen belly, but all she felt in her heart was immense satisfaction.

"Gossiping behind someone's back is not a good habit, and it was clearly you who did it last night..."

A gentle voice rang out, and a black-haired boy pushed open the half-closed door and stepped in.

"what--"

Upon seeing the boy appear, Peggy's face turned even redder. She quickly made a loud noise to cover her embarrassment and rolled around under the covers.

But the next second...

"Ouch, ouch, ouch—"

As if a wound had been aggravated, Peggy's expression suddenly changed, and she collapsed like a slime.

"If you're not feeling well, don't move around too much. Just lie down and rest."

He rubbed the girl's head and said, then picked her up and helped her sit up so she could lean against the upright pillow.

"Hey hey~"

Feeling the care from the boy, Peggy immediately grinned foolishly, as if all the aches and pains in her body had disappeared.

"..."

Looking at the platinum-blonde girl in front of him, who was now completely focused on him and had lost her usual capable demeanor, Shihen couldn't help but sigh slightly, feeling a deep sense of pity.

Even during last night's battle, despite her body being completely exhausted, Peggy stubbornly tried to endure everything he gave her, and the result...

He possesses the attributes of both a Herrscher and a Fusion Warrior. Even though he had just fought Durandal not long ago, dealing with an ordinary person like Peggy would be a piece of cake.

It's fair to say that the title of "minor fish" truly suits Peggy.

"How are you? Does your body still hurt? Do you want me to help you recover?"

Shihen gently tidied the girl's slightly disheveled hair and said softly with a smile.

"No, no need, this is enough, this is fine..."

Without hesitation, Peggy looked at the boy in front of her with eyes full of happiness.

Although her body was still in pain, this was a unique experience for her, and she certainly didn't want the boy to ruin it.

As she thought about it, a hint of worry appeared on Peggy's face. She said, "Um... Hen, was my performance yesterday... um—"

Before she could finish speaking, the girl's lips were sealed shut, and the words that had reached her throat instantly turned into muffled sobs.

Peggy's worries vanished instantly, and she couldn't help but reach out and hug the boy's neck, giving herself completely to the kiss.

……

After a long while, when the two finally separated, Peggy's face was flushed as if she were suffocating.

"Now do you know how well you performed?"

Looking at the girl in front of him, who was breathing heavily, Shihen chuckled and asked.

"Hmm~"

Peggy answered softly, unable to utter another word of dejection, her brown eyes filled with a dazed look.

"Everyone has their own unique qualities. Don't force yourself to do things you can't do. You are already likable enough as you are."

Speaking earnestly, Shihen picked up a bowl of seafood porridge and said, "Here, have something to eat."

If you don't take good care of yourself, next time you'll just be watching from the sidelines.

"Hmm~"

Upon hearing this, Peggy opened her mouth, and a spoonful of thick porridge mixed with various seafood was fed into her mouth, instantly bringing a smile to the girl's face.

While savoring the rich, savory flavor in her mouth, Peggy couldn't help but pout slightly and said, "Anyway, you just want to trick me into working for you, right..."

As she spoke, Peggy's gaze toward the boy carried a hint of resentment.

"Because this is something only you can do."

Meeting the girl's reproachful gaze, Shihen simply smiled slightly, continuing to feed the platinum-blonde girl in front of him.