[March 7th: FOUL!! This level of emotional manipulation is totally unfair!! QAQ]
[Sushang: Exactly!!]
[Sushang: I'm done!! My eyes are full of knives!!]
[Furina: A grandfather's final advice to his granddaughter… it's just too moving!!]
[Hu Tao: I never imagined…]
[Hu Tao: Otto… could love Theresa this deeply…]
[Kamisato Ayaka: From earlier scenes, it was already clear that Otto truly loved Theresa…]
[Kamisato Ayaka: But moments where he shows it so openly are incredibly rare!]
[Himeko (Star Rail): "Theresa, my dear granddaughter, try eating some fruits and vegetables besides bitter melon."
"You stay up late so often—you really need more balanced nutrition."]
[Himeko (Star Rail): Those words… how are they any different from an ordinary elder's nagging?]
[March 7th: That's exactly why it hurts even more…]
[March 7th: Otto even personally stitched Theresa's Archbishop mantle… I can't believe that's something Otto would do…]
[Keqing: Ahem Even Otto has moments where his true feelings slip out—especially at the very end.]
[Keqing: Didn't you all prepare yourselves to be emotionally wrecked?]
[Ganyu: Lady Yuheng… why do your eyes look a little red?]
[Keqing: …]
[Rita: Lord Otto's feelings for Lady Theresa truly run deep, though scenes like this are indeed rare.]
[Durandal: The Archbishop… sewing clothes by hand?]
[Raiden Mei: It really is hard to imagine…]
[Himeko (Honkai): Theresa must be… having a hard time.]
[Himeko (Honkai): Otto clearly knew he wouldn't be able to attend her succession ceremony. He arranged everything long ago.]
[Kiana: But I believe… Theresa will definitely lead Schicksal forward! She'll become a warmer Archbishop!]
[Sushang: This Otto…]
[Sushang: At the very least… at least he should've properly said goodbye to everyone…]
At St. Freya Academy,
Himeko couldn't help but worry about Theresa after seeing all this.
Afraid that Theresa might not be able to handle it emotionally, she went to her office and gently knocked.
But to Himeko's surprise—
When the door opened, Theresa's desk was completely empty.
She had only just returned from Schicksal not long ago…
[Principal Theresa left the academy ten minutes ago.]
Looking at the message on her communicator,
Himeko smiled bitterly and shook her head.
With a mind as sharp as hers, how could she not guess where Theresa had gone?
Still—
Between close family… no matter what misunderstandings exist, blood ties can't be severed so easily.
Perhaps this exposure, this "rating reveal,"
wasn't such a bad thing after all.
At least Otto and Theresa's unspoken distance…
could finally be laid bare.
Himeko let out a soft sigh.
Otto's affection for Theresa had never contained even a trace of falsehood.
That alone… was enough.
In the chat,
countless extraordinary beings rubbed at their sore, reddened eyes.
Even those who held little fondness for Otto
couldn't help but be moved by this moment.
This Otto—
so openly genuine—
Was a stark contrast to the Archbishop of Schicksal they knew.
And it was precisely this contrast, this raw sincerity,
that made it all the more heartbreaking.
At that moment, on screen—
With Otto's quiet sigh,
a long-buried memory shared by Otto and Himeko resurfaced.
"I'm sorry, Theresa…"
"From now on… cooking magic will disappear…"
[Sushang: Cooking… magic? What's that supposed to be??]
[March 7th: Don't tell me… another knife is coming QAQ]
[Furina: I have a bad feeling about this…]
[Himeko (Honkai): This can't be…]
[Himeko (Honkai): That incident…]
[Kiana: Himeko-sensei??]
[Keqing: Was Himeko involved too…?]
[Ningguang: Cooking magic… is there really such a miraculous thing in the world??]
[Xiangling: Impossible! Absolutely impossible!]
As confusion spread—
The scene shifted
to a certain year at the academy, during Lunar New Year.
Everyone had gathered, bustling about, preparing the New Year's Eve feast.
"Why did you call everyone here? Is something important going on?"
Kiana: "Emergency mission?! Is it time for me to shine?!"
Bronya: "Bronya is ready to deploy."
"An emergency mission… but on a day like this… could it be—"
Theresa: "That's right! The mission is—preparing the New Year's Eve dinner! Before New Year's Eve, everyone must cook! Everyone!"
Kiana: "Huh?! Cooking is such a pain—"
Theresa: "The winner gets a New Year's gift I bor—ahem—carefully prepared!"
Kiana: "I'M IN!"
"Wait a second, Theresa! You didn't say it was bought with academy funds!"
Theresa: "It's New Year! Don't sweat the details!"
Everyone drew bamboo lots from Theresa.
By sheer coincidence,
Theresa and Himeko ended up on the same team.
"It's over… teamed up with Theresa? No chance we win."
Theresa: "W-What do you mean by that?! Don't underestimate my culinary skills honed over many years!"
"Oh please. I'm not meeting you for the first time. Last time you carbonized a meat pie, I was the one who threw it out."
Theresa: "Hmph! That was just the surface! It's time to unleash my trump card!"
[Sushang: Theresa… can actually cook?]
[Kiana: This is… that New Year, isn't it?!]
[Keqing: She doesn't look very reliable…]
[Himeko: Just keep watching…]
[Xiangling: Carbonized meat pie…]
[Furina: (From the sound of it, she's about on my level…)]
But to everyone's shock—
Theresa's dish… completely exceeded expectations.
Inside the room,
Himeko had already grabbed a bottle and started drinking, offering no help at all.
(I can't cook at all. I'd only make things worse. Might as well enjoy my rare day off.)
Before long—
"Himeko! You're here! Try the dish I just made!"
"Huh? Smells great. Instant noodles?"
"Hehehe! Prepare to be shocked! Ta-da! Theresa's Special—Kung Pao Chicken!"
"You actually made it?! And it looks… really good?!"
"'Actually'? How rude! Not only does it look good—it tastes great too!"
"You made this? You know how to cook?!"
Himeko froze, staring at the colorful, fragrant dish in Theresa's hands.
Theresa puffed out her chest proudly.
"Of course! First, dice the chicken breast, marinate it with cooking wine, white pepper, starch, and a bit of salt. Fry the peanuts. Stir-fry the chicken briefly and set it aside—"
"Heat oil, sauté Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies, add scallions, toss the chicken back in, then add peanuts and sauce to thicken!"
"—That's exactly how the recipe said!"
Theresa lifted her chin smugly.
Himeko's view of her was completely overturned.
"Sounds legit… I can't believe Theresa can actually cook."
After tasting it—
(A mild numbing spice, followed by sweetness, finished with a rich sour note—distinct flavors harmonizing perfectly.)
(Tender chicken, crunchy peanuts, sweet scallions—each texture balanced flawlessly.)
Himeko—and everyone watching—was stunned.
Seeing Himeko's disbelief, Theresa beamed.
"Right?! It's delicious, isn't it! How could your principal be defeated by something as trivial as cooking!"
"I still can't quite believe it, but this Kung Pao Chicken is amazing."
"Hmph! Of course! This is my family's secret technique!"
She giggled proudly.
"Grandpa taught me!"
At those words—
Not only did Himeko falter,
even the viewers fell into stunned silence.
Theresa… a hidden culinary master?
[Raiden Mei: Principal… is that amazing…?]
[Xiangling: This… is indeed the most perfect Kung Pao Chicken method…!]
[Xiangling: Miss Theresa might be a hidden culinary genius?!]
[March 7th: She really doesn't look like it!!]
[Silver Wolf: Otto personally taught her cooking?]
[Kafka: Sounds oddly convincing.]
[Sushang: Could this be the legendary cooking magic…?]
[March 7th: There's no way that's real magic, right?!]
[Paimon: Paimon wants to learn too!!]
[Paimon: Paimon wants endless delicious food!!]
[Ayaka: Perhaps it's a culinary tradition passed down…?]
[Himeko: …]
[Furina: But… I have a really bad feeling about this…]
Soon, more dishes were completed.
As expected, the Kaslana family stayed far away from the kitchen.
And unexpectedly—
Theresa's Kung Pao Chicken dominated the field.
Everyone eagerly awaited her second dish.
(Looks like we're almost done… everyone's doing fine… mostly.)
(Never thought Theresa was a hidden master chef. From looks alone, she's even younger than Little Master Chef.)
Himeko marveled inwardly as she walked into the kitchen.
"…Huh?"
On the sofa lay a small silver-haired figure, fast asleep.
"Theresa. Theresa, wake up."
Himeko gently shook her.
Everyone assumed Theresa had simply gotten tired.
"Mm… Himeko?"
"You'll catch a cold sleeping here. Want me to take you back to the dorm?"
"No… not yet…"
"Not yet?"
Himeko frowned.
"If I don't sleep long enough, the dish won't turn out right."
"…???"
Himeko's expression was priceless.
"What does sleeping have to do with cooking?!"
"Grandpa taught me—if you prepare the ingredients and recipe on the counter, then take a nap, the dish will be done!"
Theresa replied obediently.
And instantly—
Himeko, and everyone watching, were utterly dumbfounded.
Prepare ingredients.
Prepare recipe.
Take a nap.
Dish complete???
This was… cooking???
Could this be Otto's so-called—
Cooking Magic?!
The entire chat descended into chaos.
[Keqing: Wait—wait—]
[Keqing: Did I hear that right?!]
[Cloud Retainer: Tsk… you heard it correctly.]
[Ayaka: Sleep… and the dish is done?]
[Paimon: Don't forget ingredients and recipe!]
[Paimon: This is cooking magic!!]
[Lumine: Paimon, you can't seriously believe that…]
[March 7th: Is Theresa serious…?]
[March 7th: Can Honkai energy really be this absurd?!]
[Herta: This… magic?!]
[Xiangling: Impossible… it can't be that simple…!]
[Xiangling: (My cooking… QAQ)]
[Sushang: This is way too ridiculous!!]
[Furina: Could this… be Otto's doing?]
[Silver Wolf: Otto's cooking magic?]
[Raiden Mei: There's no way…]
[Durandal: To my knowledge… there is no record in Schicksal of any cooking-related magic.]
[Durandal: Honkai energy cannot do this either.]
[Rita: Indeed… Lady Theresa's uniqueness is truly astonishing…]
And yet—
That was only the beginning.
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed.
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