Then Cecilia's gaze landed on Kiana☆'s belly, full of curiosity.
Kiana☆ touched her belly and replied with a smile, "Five months, give or take."
------------------------------
Cecilia and the others strolled through the mall corridor carrying shopping bags. The sunlight at 10 a.m. poured through the massive glass dome, casting a dazzling and warm glow over the entire space.
"Where are we going next?"
Kiana hopped ahead excitedly, her eyes sparkling with joy.
"Why don't we find a place to have some coffee and take a break? We've been walking for a while now."
Cecilia suggested with a gentle smile.
Everyone agreed and soon found a delicately decorated café.
The rich aroma of coffee filled the air, and soothing music flowed through the atmosphere. They chose a window seat, watching the bustling crowd outside.
The server quickly brought their drinks and snacks.
Sirin picked up a cup of Americano and took a small sip. The bitterness exploded on her tongue like a bomb.
"Ahh~ So bitter!"
Sirin's brows furrowed instantly, her features twisting from the intense bitterness. She forced herself to swallow the coffee despite the urge to spit it out.
She stuck out her tongue, trying to ease the bitterness in her mouth, only to find that it had deeply permeated her senses, numbing her tongue.
Sirin stared at the remaining coffee in her cup with a terrified expression, as if it were some kind of monster.
Then, she looked up at the others and said in disbelief, "You guys actually like drinking this stuff?"
Across from her, Kiana☆ smiled and pushed a steaming cup of hot milk in front of Sirin.
"Sirin, this might be more your style."
Sirin looked at the milk with some doubt. After a moment's hesitation, she picked it up and took a small sip.
Instantly, a rich milky flavor spread through her mouth.
The contrast to the earlier bitterness was stark, and Sirin couldn't help but narrow her eyes, savoring the sweet moment.
"Hmm, this one's pretty good."
She set the cup down and said softly, a small satisfied smile forming on her lips.
At that moment, Kiana was devouring her dessert.
The rich chocolate aroma and creamy texture had her eating happily. With her mouth full, she mumbled in admiration, "Wow, the desserts here are amazing, though still not as good as Mei's."
Just then, the café's TV started broadcasting the latest report on the coronation ceremony of the Schicksal Overseer.
On screen, the plaza at Schicksal headquarters was already crowded with guests and media, the atmosphere lively and solemn.
The camera shifted to reveal Amber surrounded by reporters. Despite their barrage of questions, she remained calm and composed, her responses clear and fluent, every word perfectly placed.
Kiana looked up at the screen curiously and remarked, "It's really lively over there!"
Cecilia smiled and nodded, then took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the chocolate off the corner of Kiana's mouth, saying, "Yes, I wonder how Theresa and Lord Otto are doing with the preparations. But why is Amber the one being interviewed? Where's Lord Otto?"
As everyone chatted while watching the TV, Kiana☆ rested her chin on her hand and glanced out the window.
Outside, the street bustled with people, all in a hurry, but one figure stood out.
That person seemed to be deliberately avoiding something, frequently glancing around with suspicious movements.
Kiana☆ fixed her gaze on the figure, a surprised expression forming on her face. She uncertainly said to Cecilia, "I think I just saw Otto."
Cecilia, hearing this, looked curiously in the direction Kiana☆ was pointing.
Sure enough, near a trash can not far away, someone was crouched down. Though partially obscured by the bin, their golden hair was unmistakable.
Cecilia focused her eyes and exclaimed in surprise, "It really does look like Lord Otto. What could he be doing here?"
Kiana☆ asked, "Should we go check it out?"
After a moment of thought, Cecilia nodded. "Let's go see."
They got up and left the café, heading toward the figure that looked like Otto.
As they approached, the golden hair gleamed faintly green under the sunlight, it was unmistakably Otto.
At that moment, Otto was hunched down, eyes fixed intently on a clothing store ahead, muttering to himself about something.
Suddenly, a voice called out from behind him, "Lord Otto!"
Startled, Otto jumped and turned sharply. Upon seeing Cecilia and the others, he looked both surprised and awkward.
"Oh my, what a coincidence! Fancy meeting you all here, fate, perhaps."
Otto let out a dry laugh, trying to cover his embarrassment.
He stood up quickly while pretending to dust off nonexistent dirt from his clothes, attempting to appear more composed.
Cecilia politely asked, "Lord Otto, what brings you here? Isn't the coronation ceremony in full swing right now?"
Otto cleared his throat and answered solemnly,
Ahem, "Everything is proceeding smoothly at the coronation."
Before he could finish, Kiana☆ bluntly interrupted, "So Amber's handling all those tricky reporters while you're sneaking off to hang out at the mall?"
Otto quickly laughed and explained, "Haha, Amber is very capable, more than enough to handle the press. I have full confidence in her."
He continued, his tone turning serious, "As for why I'm here, well, I'm carrying out a very important and secret mission."
Kiana's curiosity was piqued. She asked eagerly, "What mission?"
Otto immediately declined, "That, I'm afraid, I can't disclose."
"Apologies, but I must take my leave now. Goodbye, ladies, enjoy your day."
Just then, something caught Otto's eye. After hastily bidding farewell, he turned and quickly walked away.
Kiana watched him leave, seeming to realize something. She turned and said, "Otto's acting really suspicious... How about we follow him and see what he's up to? If he's doing anything shady, we'll be able to stop him right away."
Kiana☆ agreed, nodding enthusiastically, "I was thinking the same thing."
The two exchanged a smile and immediately pulled Cecilia along, sneaking after Otto.
They kept their distance as they tailed him, observing his every move.
Finally, they arrived at a quieter part of the mall and stopped simultaneously, watching from a distance as Karen and Yae Sakura chatted happily.
Otto, biting a piece of handkerchief, which he had gotten from somewhere, kept glancing at Kallen from time to time, clearly paying her special attention.
Seeing this, Kiana was speechless and muttered, "So after all that… Otto's just stalking Senior Kallen?!"