"Good evening, Bishop."
A beautiful blonde girl in black stepped out from the shadows. Her expression was complicated, as if she wanted to speak but hesitated.
The girl before them was none other than Durandal—nicknamed Goose or Dudu—Cecilia Schariac's daughter, the real Kiana.
"Good evening, little Durandal. What brings you here?"
Otto could clearly see where her peripheral gaze kept drifting, so he flipped his hand—still hooked around Cecilia's pinky—and fully enclosed her soft, boneless hand in his own.
He watched Durandal's pupils contract slightly, like a startled kitten frozen on the spot.
Flirting with the mother in front of the daughter—damn, that was thrilling.
Otto nearly laughed out loud. Only when Durandal snapped out of her dazed "goose mode" did he restrain himself, letting out a soft, teasing hum.
Durandal finally recovered. "Apologies, Bishop. I was distracted."
"I'm very interested in what you were thinking," Otto said. How could he miss such a prime opportunity to tease the goose?
"…Bishop," Durandal hesitated for half a second—true to her straightforward nature—then asked, "I was wondering whether this Valkyrie might have some connection to me."
Otto clearly felt Cecilia's body tremble. The hand that had been slightly resisting now clasped his back, tight with tension.
"Oh? Is that so?" Otto kept his tone light. "If that's the case… Rita might cry, you know."
"What does this have to do with Rita?" Durandal asked, puzzled.
"What do you think?" Otto countered.
"I think it has nothing to do with her," she replied bluntly, perfectly in character—driving the conversation straight into a dead end.
Otto felt Cecilia's grip loosen a little, the soft flesh of her hand no longer squeezed so tightly. She seemed… pleased.
Why pleased?
Because her daughter's retort was perfect?
Women's thought processes were truly mysterious…
"Perhaps," Otto shrugged. "Then let me ask another way: why do you think that?"
"Because…"
Durandal looked steadily at Cecilia, silent for a long moment.
Otto faintly saw a thin veil of redness brush her eyes—then fade.
"When I saw her," Durandal said more softly, as if afraid to startle Cecilia, "I felt a sense of closeness. Just like back when I saw you as a doctor in the orphanage—I wanted to punch you."
Otto: …
Just for that line, Goose, your reunion with your mother is postponed by N chapters!
"Please don't feel offended, Miss Valkyrie," the earnest goose continued, oblivious to the Bishop's nearly tangible resentment. "When I see you, my heart starts pounding, and my eyes sting for no reason. I want to hug you—just a light hug. Say nothing, think nothing."
She paused, then added haltingly, "I'm sorry, but that's honestly what I felt. Of course, people can control themselves. I just… only wanted to tell you that I feel an inexplicable closeness toward you.
"Maybe we've met before. Maybe we were close before I lost my memories. I didn't forget you on purpose—I really did have amnesia as a child.
"And from a practical standpoint… if it bothers you, I'll try to appear less in front of you. I can do that. I swear it in the name of Durandal."
Otto: …This silly girl is practically incoherent.
He could see it clearly—when Durandal said she would stay away, the two little cowlicks on her forehead drooped, and her whole demeanor dimmed.
After enjoying enough of Durandal's expressions, Otto turned to Cecilia—
Oh my God. That look in their Saint's eyes was so gentle it could practically drip water.
Cecilia noticed Otto's glance and returned a faint, apologetic smile filled with maternal warmth, then met Durandal's gaze again, emotions surging within.
I feel it too, Durandal, she whispered silently in her heart.
I want to pull you into my arms and listen quietly to your breathing.
I feel an inexplicable closeness as well, as if we once weathered storms together.
Please don't apologize for forgetting. I'd gladly exchange names with you.
I'm suffering from amnesia now too, but that doesn't stop me from feeling happy just seeing you.
You don't have to leave my world, because…
I really, really want to see you too.
Cecilia's expression grew sorrowful to the extreme, yet she didn't seem on the verge of tears—rather, there was a deep, vast emotion within it.
They looked at each other without speaking, yet it felt as if every word had already been conveyed through their eyes.
"Tsk tsk," Otto broke the silence. "Looks like real blood ties are quite different from certain… adopted relationships."
Wasn't there a certain father who failed to recognize his own daughter too?
So flesh and blood really is closer than anything else.
"So we really are related by blood?" Durandal was the sharpest at this moment, cutting straight to the point.
For a split second, Otto was tempted to mess with her—to say she was actually the secret child of him and Cecilia, born because Cecilia wanted a child. (Hence the quotation marks.) Otherwise why was she blonde? Why did he treat her so well?
After all, it would be future Otto's problem, not his.
"Who knows?" In the end, he decided to spare his future self and answered with a mysterious smile.
It wasn't that Otto was being petty—just that now… wasn't the time for mother and daughter to reunite.
At least, not if he wanted to maximize his interests.
"Let me summarize the situation," he continued before Durandal could press him. "Miss Durandal, you came to find me about something important, correct? Then you saw this Valkyrie, felt an unusual familiarity, and followed us, unsure how to speak. Am I right?"
"That's exactly it," Durandal nodded. "So can you tell me what her relationship to me is?"
Cecilia also turned her head, looking at him with curiosity.
Otto: …
Airheads counter schemers—ancient wisdom never lies.
After all that circling, they still looped back to the original question.
So… should he lie?
Better not. If exposed, he'd probably get beaten.
"I'll tell you when it becomes necessary," Otto finally said, shaking his head.
"…Alright," Durandal's Schariac bloodline kicked in—she obeyed his lead. "Then let's set that aside for now. Also, I wanted to ask—may I—oh, right, Bishop. What is this lady's name?"
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