"Do you remember this? The bath. Hot water on the left, cold on the right…"
After Amber delivered fresh garments, Otto escorted Cecilia to the residence nearest the laboratory.
First things first—a proper bath. The nutrient fluid had been refreshed regularly, but nothing soothed body and soul quite like warm water. It would ease the tension knotted in her muscles, kindle quiet joy from within.
And in their secluded world of two, it would soften the barriers between them.
"This is body wash… I'll prepare clean clothes for you…"
Seeing Cecilia nod in innocent bewilderment, Otto turned to withdraw. But her hand swiftly caught his sleeve, fingers trembling with unspoken plea.
"Onii-sama…"
Are you leaving me?
Her exquisite eyes brimmed with longing; every gesture radiated helpless dependence. For a moment, the mask Otto had worn so long nearly cracked.
How could he misunderstand that silent plea?
Yet…
This mature, alluring form paired with such childlike vulnerability—the contrast was devastating.
Who could resist a breathtaking woman whose gaze held only you, extending a wordless invitation to share the bath?
Apparently, he could.
Otto's eyes swiftly regained their serene calm.
If Cecilia recovered her memories later, an indiscretion like this would be difficult to justify.
She might understand, might still yield to him, but she could also retreat into shyness and distance herself. And while the current Otto possessed skill in guiding hearts, he refused to wager on unpredictable human responses in matters so delicate.
"Women cannot bathe with men," he murmured, tenderly stroking her silver-white hair. "Unless they are truly close."
Cecilia's head drooped. She slowly released his sleeve, looking faintly forlorn.
"I've already shown you the basic steps. Do not worry—I'll be in the living room. I won't go far."
Like soothing a frightened child, Otto guided her back toward the bath, then turned and departed beneath her reluctant gaze, gently closing the door behind him.
Cecilia pressed her lips together, lifted the towel beside the tub, and echoed Otto's words in her mind.
"Close enough, huh…"
…
"I knew you'd be here."
Otto returned to the living room and, unsurprisingly, found Void Archives lounging there in Cecilia's form.
She reclined against the sofa, wearing a triumphant smirk.
"It was the teens-to-twenties phase before, wasn't it?"
Without awaiting his reply, she plunged into her own analysis.
"Boys that age grapple with the melancholy of leaving home, the uncertainty of forging their own families. Hormones stir, yet they still yearn for the comfort of the original nest—so they naturally fixate on girls who evoke that sense of belonging."
"And Cecilia Schariac embodies the gentleness and maternal warmth most irresistible in those years, laced with a saintly aura that ignites a man's urge to conquer. That's why she was the first you summoned to your side—even if it's merely a clone, correct?"
Yeah, yeah, whatever.
Otto's expression remained impassive, though quiet relief bloomed within.
The Book of Wei truly wielded formidable power.
It had decreed that only he and Amber would know—and it had indeed deceived even Void Archives.
"But that's partly my doing too—who left me wearing Cecilia's form last? Haha, kid, you're positively endearing."
Thanks. The way you're weaving my backstory for me is rather endearing as well.
Deciding it was time to respond, Otto lifted his gaze, adopting an expression that feigned irritation beneath icy composure.
"If you're finished, depart. I still need her."
"Need her? Need a Cecilia-flavored Amber to supplant the original and serve as your secretary?"
Void Archives chuckled.
"If I were you, I'd simply let me eliminate that Amber, disguise myself in her place, and deceive the world together—"
"I refuse," Otto cut in without hesitation. "I most relish denying overconfident sorts like you."
If he could truly command Void Archives, he might entertain placing Amber in hibernation and letting her assume the role while they fooled everyone in tandem.
But he could not.
Thus, for now, he would not stake everything on her.
And recalling her audacious gambit in A Post-Honkai Odyssey—summoning extraterrestrials to purge the sealed Honkai on the moon—Otto concluded he was wiser relying on himself.
"Heh." Void Archives let out a frosty laugh. "You truly don't trust me."
Why does that sound almost… resentful?
"You're overthinking it," Otto replied flatly. How could he admit such a thing openly? "Our interests align perfectly—how could I lack trust? Our alliance shall endure eternally."
"Then you'd rather entrust a clone with your protection than heed my suggestion?"
"Your suggestion is too crude. And… too cruel."
Hearing "cruel" uttered from Otto's lips was a novel sensation for Void Archives. Her grin widened.
"He is he, and I am I." Otto's expression hardened with resolve.
"Wow. Not only lustful, but a fool who fancies himself virtuous."
Void Archives murmured it deliberately—loud enough to reach him, yet soft enough to feign ambiguity.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing. Merely that you're pure and adorable." Void Archives smirked, disdain gleaming in her eyes. "So, what is your plan?"
"Why should I tell you?!" Otto's voice rose, as though incensed by her evasion.
Void Archives's gaze grew even more scornful. She glanced toward the bathroom, narrowed her eyes, then suddenly dissolved into laughter.
"I understand… I understand completely…"
She rose and approached him.
"Clone Cecilia Schariac, Siegfried Kaslana, Theresa Apocalypse—am I right?"
"I haven't the faintest idea what you mean." Otto retreated a step, responding with calm denial.
"It's a fine scheme," Void Archives conceded, halting her advance. She began pacing the living room. "In China, they call it… yes—holding the emperor hostage to command the princes. Even if they sense something amiss, they'll shield you for Cecilia's sake."
"And with those two S-rank warriors plus the cataclysmic Judgment of Shamash, in a Schicksal presently boasting only one S-rank, you could indeed come and go unchallenged."
She paused, exhaling in mock admiration.
"Devising such a self-preservation strategy in so short a time—partner, you possess a flicker of Otto's genius."
"I'm not thinking along those lines."
Otto "paled," yet persisted in "denial."
"Believe whatever suits you, think whatever you wish, partner." Void Archives shook her head. "A pity you overlooked one detail—we are allies."
"My dear boy in his teens-to-twenties haze, aren't you being a touch exclusionary?"
She flashed Otto an enigmatic smile and vanished.
"Tch."
Otto's facade shifted in an instant. He rolled his eyes, settled onto the sofa, and betrayed no trace of alarm at Void Archives's theatrics.
Merely trying to sour the atmosphere, are you?
Gloat all you like while I'm still "maturing," Void Archives.
Thus far, the tale unfolded precisely as intended—every thread aligning with his design.
And every ploy you attempt… heh heh heh.
Otto lifted the pocket watch from the table and slowly clasped it shut in his palm.