Before?
Hiding in the wardrobe, Kiana, who had been eavesdropping, felt her eyes sharpen.
From the way her great aunt put it, it sounded like Otto had met her before and had done something "excessive" to her.
But... she had met Otto for the first time in Italy.
Could it have been when she was younger?
Kiana had no memories of her early childhood.
Then again, it made sense. Otto wasn't young. If he knew her useless old dad, then he must have met her as a child, too.
But Kiana didn't dwell on it. To her tiny great aunt, maybe pulling on her pigtails counted as an "excessive thing."
What she was more concerned about was this: did this mean she wasn't just a new love interest who appeared out of nowhere, but also had the "childhood friend" backstory?
---o---
Otto looked at Theresa and took a deep breath.
He really should have just let Kiana leave through the window. He hadn't expected Theresa to be such a landmine.
However, if he handled this correctly, it wouldn't be a major problem.
"Heh. Little Theresa, are you trying to keep her here with you?"
Otto offered a smile, not a hint of panic on his face. He was long past the ignorant youth he once was. After spending thousands of years in the illusionary world, his heart was as still as water.
He deftly shifted the topic, avoiding Theresa's attempts to get entangled in the past.
"Yes," Theresa nodded.
"And why is that?" Otto asked again.
"Because she is Cecilia's precious..."
Theresa's words caught in her throat.
No, she isn't.
K-423 was merely a clone of Kiana Kaslana.
"Are you using her as a substitute?" Otto said with a smile.
After Cecilia's death, a large piece of Theresa's heart had been carved out.
She had poured all her longing for Cecilia, and for the real Kiana, onto K-423.
She had even been willing to lead the Far East Branch in rebellion against the Overseer of Schicksal for her sake.
"Kiana... she-she is not a substitute!"
Theresa clenched her fists. In the days she had spent with Kiana, she had almost come to see her as her true niece.
"Of course not."
"On that point, I am even more aware than you that she is one-of-a-kind," Otto stated.
"But, for her sake—for Kiana's sake—handing her over to me is the better choice."
"No it's..." Theresa began to rebut.
But Otto continued speaking.
"Siegfried chose me."
"Eh?" Otto's words stunned Theresa for a moment. Why was he bringing up that dumbass Siegfried?
Back in Nagazora, Otto had told Theresa everything that had happened to Kiana, leaving Theresa with a lingering resentment towards Siegfried.
Hiding in the wardrobe, Kiana was also confused. Why would Otto mention her useless old dad?
"I met Siegfried in Italy," Otto said slowly, speaking not just to Theresa, but also to Kiana.
"And at that time, Siegfried and I had a... friendly exchange."
"Grandpa, you killed Siegfried!?"
Theresa's outburst made Otto's eyelid twitch. Good grief, this girl couldn't wait for Kiana to be an orphan, could she?
The impression he gave people really was terrible.
And it was for this exact reason that Otto would never sit down for a peaceful negotiation with Anti-Entropy. They would never trust him.
No matter what he did, they would never believe him.
So...
He'd just have to find an opportunity to beat Anti-Entropy half to death.
"No, no, little Theresa. Is that the kind of grandfather you think I am?"
"How hurtful."
Otto waved his hand dismissively. He would never kill Siegfried himself. The moment he did, any possibility between him and Kiana would drop to zero.
"On the contrary, I had a nice chat with Siegfried over coffee about Kiana."
"Though, Siegfried was a bit impolite. The moment he met me, he slapped the Keys of Judgment down on the table. I was honestly worried he was going to point them at my head."
"Pfft." Imagining her father slamming those two flame-spewing guns on the table in front of Otto, Kiana had to cover her mouth to stifle a laugh.
But wait... when I was in Italy with Otto, was my useless old dad there too?
Then... why didn't he come out?
He was right there, so close. Why was he hiding?
Kiana didn't understand.
But she clenched her fists.
The day she finally found him, she was going to beat him senseless until that useless old dad of hers coughed up a reason.
"At that time, Siegfried agreed to entrust Kiana to me, and I gave him my word that I would treat her well."
"On this, I can swear on the name of Kallen Kaslana. Little Theresa, I am telling the truth," Otto said.
Theresa fell silent for a moment. She looked into her grandfather's eyes and knew he was telling the truth.
Because he had sworn on Kallen's name.
As someone close to Otto, Theresa knew what Kallen meant to him.
But, how could Siegfried hand Kiana over to Grandpa? Wasn't he worried Grandpa would do something bad to her again?
Wow, he really is a massive dumbass.
Still, if even Siegfried, her father, had said so, what standing did she have to keep Kiana here?
"Actually, I don't think what Siegfried says counts."
Theresa nodded her head vigorously.
Right, Siegfried's opinion didn't count.
"How about this," Otto said with a smile. "Tomorrow, we'll ask her. We'll let her decide if she wants to stay at St. Freya Academy or follow me to Headquarters."
Theresa thought for a moment, then nodded.
Kiana's fate would be decided by Kiana herself.
However, Theresa had no idea what had transpired between Kiana and Otto. She was confident that, as her great aunt, Kiana would surely want to stay by her side.
"Alright then, Theresa, you should go back and rest. We'll talk tomorrow. Don't oversleep, or I'll just take Kiana with me," Otto said with a chuckle. He was starting to shoo her out. Once Theresa left, he was going to ride Kiana.
"Mm, mm." Theresa nodded. She had only snuck into her grandfather's room for Kiana's sake. She didn't want Kiana to be hurt by the truth, which was why she'd come to discuss it with him secretly in the middle of the night.
Theresa was just about to leave.
Knock, knock, knock.
The sound of knocking came again.
Otto frowned. He was having quite a few guests tonight.
"Eh!? Could that be Kiana!?" Theresa whispered. The last thing she wanted was for Kiana to find her here.
No, Kiana is already here.
"You can leave through the window," Otto suggested. Seeing Theresa's reaction, she probably didn't want to leave through the main door.
But Theresa frowned. Her grandfather didn't know anyone at St. Freya, and his presence was a secret. The only person who would look for him this late would be Kiana.
But... why is Kiana looking for Grandpa so late?
Is Grandpa trying to trick Kiana!?
No!
I can't let Grandpa do anything bad to Kiana!
Someone as naive as Kiana will definitely be tricked and twisted around his little finger, just like I was!
"I-I'm not leaving just yet. I still have something to discuss with you, Grandpa."
Theresa was stalling for time. Her eyes scanned the room, trying to figure out how she could stay and eavesdrop on whatever her grandfather was planning with Kiana.
Her gaze landed on the wardrobe.
"Right, I'll hide in the wardrobe! After Kiana leaves, I still have things to talk to you about, Grandpa!"
"Wha—? Wait..."
Otto tried to stop her, but Theresa was already pattering over to the wardrobe on her short legs. Not daring to pull it open too wide for fear of making noise, she opened a small crack and slipped inside.
Witnessing this, Otto slapped a palm to his forehead.
"Grandpa, just pretend I'm not here," Theresa's voice came from inside.
She closed the wardrobe door, plunging her surroundings into darkness. She then opened a tiny slit to observe the situation outside.
If her grandfather tried to persuade Kiana to leave with him, she would definitely have to intervene.
Still... this wardrobe feels a little crowded.
Puzzled, Theresa turned her head to look into the darkness of the wardrobe. A pair of azure eyes were silently staring back at her.
Using the sliver of light coming through the crack in the door, Theresa saw a very familiar face.
She froze completely.
"Great Aunt, what a coincidence, haha," Kiana whispered with an awkward laugh.
Theresa's eyes went wide. She opened her mouth, about to scream, but Kiana quickly clamped a hand over it.
"Shh! Don't say a word, Great Aunt. Aren't you curious?" she whispered.
"Someone's visiting Otto this late at night."
She paused.
"And I'm super curious to see who it is."