Yae Sakura swallowed the rice balls quickly. She wasn't accustomed to a man watching her so intently as she ate.
Otto realized he was the cause.
But he had no intention of changing.
Instead, he continued to admire the "girl's" eating habits.
Watching Yae Sakura, however, Otto couldn't help but be reminded of Kiana. In Nagazora, watching Kiana eat so happily was a deeply enjoyable sight.
I wonder how that idiot Tuna is doing over at Theresa's?
"Cough, cough!"
Having swallowed too quickly, Yae Sakura began to choke.
Otto handed her his teacup, and she hurriedly took it and drank a sip.
After taking a mouthful, she froze, suddenly realizing this was the cup Otto had drunk from. Her eyelashes, thin as cicada wings, trembled slightly.
In this era, even children didn't care about indirect kisses, but the village girl from five hundred years ago still did.
She set the cup down, gently pursing her red lips, a little embarrassed.
"The rice balls are sweet. They're delicious," Yae Sakura said, her cheeks flushing as she tried to cover her awkwardness with words.
Her mindset was far more traditional than even Fu Hua's, deeply poisoned by the doctrines imposed upon women in her time.
"Kallen also liked sweets."
Otto said with a smile, once again bringing up Kallen to close the distance between them.
For now, the entire foundation of his relationship with Yae Sakura was supported by Kallen.
But what did that matter?
It was like how many business clients are introduced by others; over time, don't they become your own clients?
One day, Yae Sakura would no longer be Kallen's Yae Sakura, but Otto's Yae Sakura.
"Yes, Kallen did like sweet rice balls."
Yae Sakura said, a smile gracing her lips as she recalled the past. It was the first true smile she had shown since waking up.
Otto looked at her. For some reason, he found her smile incredibly beautiful.
And this was despite his tastes having long been spoiled by the likes of Kiana, Fu Hua, and Mei.
Sometimes, however, a wildflower truly is beautiful.
Yae Sakura began to eat the rice balls in small bites, no longer in a rush, but chewing slowly and deliberately.
"Were you and Kallen very close?" Otto asked.
Yae Sakura looked up and nodded at him.
"Kallen was my best friend."
Best friend?
"Did she ever mention me to you?" Otto asked again.
Yae Sakura nodded. She had already told Otto that Kallen had spoken of him before.
"Then do you know what Kallen's relationship was to me?"
Otto watched Yae Sakura with a smile.
If he told her that Kallen was, in fact, his fiancée, what kind of expression would appear on that beautiful face?
Distortion? Shock? Or perhaps… hostility?
But he opened his mouth and said nothing.
Why should he tell her that?
Was he jealous? Or was he trying to declare his legitimate status to Yae Sakura?
What was this, some story about the original wife bullying the mistress?
A faint sense of unease settled in Otto's heart.
He was the one who had guided the conversation here.
He didn't like this feeling, as if he were being shackled by the past.
"Childhood friends?" Yae Sakura ventured after a moment of thought.
"Yes, childhood friends."
Otto nodded. He stood up and spoke to Yae Sakura with a smile.
"Sakura, after you finish eating, you should rest on the bed for a while."
"Mm." Yae Sakura nodded. She felt that Otto's attitude was a bit strange, but she didn't say anything.
She was merely living under his roof.
Otto didn't linger. He left the room, but as he walked out, before the door had even closed, he was struck by the sudden realization of a very important fact.
Wait, isn't this my room!?
Otto remembered that this was his room, but having already stepped outside, he couldn't just turn around and go back in.
He could only grit his teeth and shut the door, leaving himself standing outside his own room.
Why do I feel like the wronged wife who just got kicked out by the mistress?
Forget it. I promised Rin I'd take good care of Yae Sakura. I'll just consider this me giving up the room so she can rest properly.
Comforting himself with this thought, Otto walked down the corridor. To conceal his presence, his room was in a remote location, and he didn't encounter a single Valkyrie along the way.
Following the route from his memory, he stopped in front of a certain room.
This was Fu Hua's room.
He had come to bother Fu Hua.
He didn't knock. Why would he need to knock to enter Fu Hua's room? During those long years in the illusion, he had barged into even her bathroom without a second thought.
The door swung open, and a voice drifted out from within.
"Approach him."
"Stay away from him."
"Approach him…"
It was Fu Hua's voice, muttering something. Could she be thinking about him?
Otto tiptoed forward. He knew it was useless against a top-tier master like Fu Hua, but it was all about creating the right atmosphere.
However, as Otto entered the room, Fu Hua remained seated at her desk, muttering to herself, seemingly unaware of his arrival.
Is she captivated by something?
Otto was intensely curious. He then noticed a scattering of flower petals on the floor at Fu Hua's feet.
Eh?
Otto was slightly surprised. He had always assumed Fu Hua had little interest in flowers and plants.
Not thinking much of it, he slowly closed the door.
Then, skillfully, he locked it.
Approaching Fu Hua with light steps, Otto could now clearly hear her muttering. He saw her plucking petals one by one from a flower.
Oh?
A love divination?
The Celestial is dabbling in fortune-telling?
Otto was astonished. He never thought Fu Hua had such a girlish side to her.
Then again, divination was popular in ancient Shenzhou, so perhaps there was some merit to it.
What satisfied him greatly, however, was that this meant he still held a place in Fu Hua's heart. Otherwise, she wouldn't be in such a state of conflict.
The carpet of flowers on the floor was a testament to his weight in her heart.
Fu Hua knew his weight well.
"Approach him…"
As the last petal was plucked, Fu Hua looked at it in her hand and placed it on a spot on her desk.
Otto noticed that there were already twenty-two petals gathered there.
Don't tell me… they all gave the same answer?
A thought sparked in his mind. Otto secretly counted the number of bare stems on the floor. The final count was twenty-two.
Oh?
Otto remained silent, continuing to stand behind Fu Hua, watching her perform her flower divination.
After watching her ruin two more flowers, Otto understood.
Just as Fu Hua picked up a new flower and was about to begin, Otto leaned down and whispered in her ear.
"Tell me, this flower… how many petals does it have?"
Fu Hua subconsciously stated a number.
But before she could react, she was pulled into a warm embrace.
Otto held her from behind, burying his face in her long hair, his arms wrapped securely around her waist.
Inhaling her fragrance, he said in a gentle, teasing tone:
"Just how much do you love me?"
The flower petal divination wasn't some arcane magic.
It was because Fu Hua knew from the start exactly how many petals each flower had.
All she had to do was adjust where she began.
No matter what, she would only ever get one answer.