The moment he entered the house, Otto immediately turned around wanting to run, because both Yae Sakura and Mei had turned to look at him, holding kitchen knives.
"What a cute little girl. Is she a friend of Judah's?" Mei asked curiously.
"Mhm, an old friend's child," Judah replied coldly. Then she pulled Otto over and pointed at Mei and Yae Sakura, saying, "Call them 'sister'. This is Sister Mei, and this is Sister Yae Sakura."
Impossible! With my status as Otto, how could I possibly call them sisters? Especially with that Yae Sakura here!
Duang—
Seeing Otto standing there with an uncertain expression, Judah raised her fist and punched him, leaving a large bump on his head.
"Just call them what I told you to. Why are you being so shy?"
Otto's eyes welled up with tears from the pain. He squatted down, clutching his head, his face full of shame and anger.
Otto's inner thoughts: I haven't even provoked this Judah, what is she doing now! Damn it, this punch definitely carried personal feelings!!
"Are you okay? Judah, you're being too mean! How could you hit a child so hard!!"
Yae Sakura helped the squatting Otto up, led her to the sofa, then took an ice pack from the refrigerator and gently treated the bump on her head.
Otto politely said thank you, then put on an expression as if Nicholas had just died while looking at Yae Sakura.
Seeing Otto's sullen face, Judah's fists clenched again. She had wanted to hit Otto for a long time, and now he dared to put on a sour face.
"Hmph, you still dare to make a sour face. This time, I'll make sure to control my strength and try not to leave a bump," Judah said, shaking her fist as she walked towards Otto, only to be stopped by Yae Sakura.
"Alright, alright, Judah, don't be angry. Kids are all like this. Look, didn't Hiyokumaru used to have a sour face like this too?"
Judah snorted coldly, not wanting to answer Yae Sakura's question, and turned to go into the kitchen to help Mei with the cold dishes.
"Hey, little brat, what's your name?" Kika asked, lying on the sofa and eyeing Otto.
"My name is... Luocha. Just call me Luocha!" Otto thought for a moment and then used a former alias. Since Fu Hua wasn't here, no one would know this name of his.
"What an ugly name. It doesn't suit a sweet little girl like you at all. My name is Mushoku Kika. Just call me Sister Mushoku."
Otto let out a few dry laughs. He would rather be killed than call Mushoku Kika sister.
Yae Sakura walked over carrying several rice balls as big as Theresa's head and placed them in front of Otto.
"Ryn and Kallen haven't returned from grocery shopping yet, and the banquet still needs some time to prepare. If you're hungry, you can have some rice balls to fill your stomach first. I made these myself, and both Kallen and Theresa have praised them endlessly."
"Mhm... I understand."
Hand-rolled... not clean, unhygienic... How could I possibly eat something like this!
Otto was roaring internally. He had come today to spy on Theresa's reaction, why was he being dragged in by Judah to eat this kind of thing!!
"Go on, eat! Why aren't you eating? They're delicious." Kika picked up a rice ball and took a bite, then seeing Otto still sitting there, she grabbed another one and stuffed it into his hand.
"Uh... ah... this..."
Seeing both Kika and Yae Sakura looking at him, Otto was now in a position where eating was as difficult as not eating.
No choice, he could only imagine it was high-end sushi... Otto closed his eyes and tentatively took a bite.
The rice ball was very fragrant and sweet. Although it was warm, it didn't have a stiff texture. The ingredients were also very ordinary, just plain rice, seaweed, and... huh? Why are there cherry blossoms!
"This is so salty... a cherry blossom rice ball?" Otto spat out a cherry blossom petal and looked at Yae Sakura curiously.
"Mhm, it's salt-pickled sakura that I prepared myself. Kallen once said that by making food out of cherry blossoms, it can also become proof that the cherry blossoms have bloomed," Yae Sakura explained considerately, while also pouring Otto a cup of tea.
"Luocha, have some tea! It'll help with the saltiness."
Otto took the tea from Yae Sakura, took a large gulp, and then continued to slowly savor the rice ball.
Every rice ball made by Yae Sakura was crafted with great care and filled with her emotions.
Otto was a loveless, spoiled child. Even after becoming the Overseer, the king of humanity... he remained lonely for centuries.
"Luocha, is it delicious?" Yae Sakura looked at Otto expectantly.
Otto finished the last bite of the rice ball and wiped his hands.
"The taste is average. Not exactly delicious, but not bad either. It's just okay..."
"Is that so? It's a shame that I failed to earn Miss Luocha's approval," Yae Sakura said regretfully as she cleared the dishes and gave Otto a slight bow.
Theresa walked over, holding a rice ball in each hand, taking a bite from one, then the other.
"You ate it all even though it wasn't delicious? Luocha is a tsundere just like Grandpa."
"Hmph." Otto turned his head away, blushing, unable to look at Yae Sakura and Theresa. It was quite embarrassing to be called out for being a tsundere.
"By the way, what is the grandpa you mentioned like, Theresa? Can you tell me about him?" Otto hadn't forgotten his purpose for being here and started to probe indirectly.
"Grandpa..." Theresa took a bite of her rice ball and looked up at the sky, starting to ponder.
"Grandpa is a tsundere, a child who says one thing but means another, with low self-esteem and a lack of love... He unabashedly shares his love with everyone in Schicksal. He remembers everyone in Schicksal, and on every holiday, he personally writes letters of condolence to every employee and brings things to visit their families... But, Grandpa also rejects everyone's love for him."
Otto's inner thoughts: They are worth me giving everything for, but I am not worthy of receiving their return. I will bear all the sins to turn this world into the one I long for.
"He's a big villain. He hurt me, and he hurt many people... He did many, many bad things, so bad that I might never be able to forgive him for the rest of my life."
"Ah?" Otto scratched his head awkwardly. Although he felt very sorry for Theresa, there were some things he had to do.
"But he is also the best grandpa in the whole world... Everything grandpa has done for me is enough to benefit me for a lifetime, a debt I can never repay..."
Theresa lowered her head and quietly ate her rice ball, saying no more. If she said any more, she was afraid she wouldn't have the heart to storm Schicksal to question Otto.
Seeing Otto's gratified expression, Judah walked over and tapped him on the head, causing him to stumble.
"What's a little brat like you doing prying into other people's family affairs! Get over here and help out. You can't just eat and drink for free!"
Then Judah grabbed Otto and dragged him into the kitchen.
Otto wanted to show off his skills and cook a sumptuous feast for Theresa, but unfortunately, this body was that of a little girl and couldn't reach the stove. He could only silently wash vegetables under Judah's watchful gaze.