Caught in the sudden embrace and hearing that familiar voice, Fu Hua's body went stiff. For a rare moment, panic flickered in her azure eyes.
Her heart in turmoil, she hadn't noticed Otto's approach at all.
Her hand, still holding the flower, now felt utterly out of place.
Otto's arms were wrapped around Fu Hua's slender waist. Her well-toned abdomen was completely devoid of fat.
Kiana's belly is a little chubby, though.
Well, each has their own charm.
"Otto…"
Fu Hua's voice was as cool and detached as ever.
"Please, conduct yourself with respect."
It was as if she had reverted to the Immortal Celestial, ethereal and untouchable, a figure to be admired from afar but never defiled.
But Otto only whispered gently in her ear.
"Do you not yet understand my weight?"
Otto's weight was the weight of over fifty thousand years.
Including their time in the illusion, Otto had occupied more than half of Fu Hua's entire life.
Her gaze, which had just regained its calm, trembled. With a single sentence, Fu Hua's immortal-like aura was pierced.
If he truly held no weight, why would she be here, performing a flower divination?
"But you needn't worry."
Otto smiled, tucking a strand of hair from her cheek behind her ear. He then pressed his face against hers.
"I made sure to close the door properly."
Her cool cheek met his warm one. Fu Hua felt a sliver of warmth, just like the countless days and nights in the illusion when Otto had shared his warmth with her.
She subconsciously let out a soft sound of affirmation.
"Mm."
The moment she did, Fu Hua realized what she had just agreed to. What in the world am I 'mm-ing' about?!
And Otto, what are you planning to do after locking the door!?
Fu Hua was no longer the sweet, naive girl who understood nothing.
Otto had taught her a great deal.
When Heaven is about to confer a great responsibility on any person, it will first frustrate their spirit and will, toil their sinews and bones, starve their body, expose them to poverty, and confound their undertakings.
And for parents, a child was the greatest responsibility of all.
"Alright, alright, my old friend. Don't be so tense."
Otto's hands left her waist. He straightened up, placed his hands on her shoulders, and began to massage them.
"You're really stiff. Have you not been resting well recently?" he asked with a smile.
Fu Hua rolled her eyes. It was all because Otto had been ordering her around day after day. From Nagazora until now, she hadn't had a single proper rest.
For a time, she'd had the Herrscher of Corruption practically attached to her hip.
Otto didn't tease her further, not wanting to agitate her already unsettled heart. Instead, he quietly massaged her shoulders, as if he had come solely to serve her.
Fu Hua said nothing either, half-closing her eyes and enjoying the Schicksal Overseer's massage service.
The endless ripples in her heart calmed once more, becoming as still and clear as a mirror.
They quietly enjoyed the tranquility, like a couple who had been together for many years.
Two lifetimes, ten days as husband and wife, five hundred years of servitude, fifty thousand years of companionship, and countless moments of intertwined fingers had forged this peculiar couple.
"Hey, I was thinking…"
It was Otto who broke the silence first.
Fu Hua opened her eyes. She placed her hands in her lap, her fingers fiddling with a loose petal.
She tilted her head slightly, indicating she was listening.
"Is there reproductive isolation between a MANTIS and a human?" Otto asked.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Hearing Otto's question, Fu Hua burst into a violent coughing fit.
What kind of question is that!
Th-That's something you'd only know after trying!
"Did you catch a cold during the night?" the instigator himself asked with feigned concern.
"I recommend the Otto-brand blanket. It might not be warm, but at least we can catch a cold together."
He was as slick-tongued as ever.
Fu Hua forced herself to calm down. Her tone became flat, as if she were discussing an academic topic with him.
"It should be possible," Fu Hua stated.
She wasn't too worried about this particular issue.
After experiencing the 50,000-year illusion, Fu Hua now possessed many memories from the Previous Era. She remembered that Dr. MEI had used her own and Kevin's DNA to create an heir.
That DNA sample was taken after Kevin had become a MANTIS, which was why the Kaslana family bloodline possessed Kevin's MANTIS traits.
Therefore, theoretically, there should be no reproductive isolation between her and Otto.
"What should be possible?" Otto asked with a grin.
"Reproductive isolation. There shouldn't be any between you and me."
Thinking he hadn't heard her clearly, Fu Hua repeated herself.
But then she suddenly felt that something was off.
"Oh? I don't recall asking about you and me. But it seems you care a lot about this. Do you want to have my child that badly?"
Otto teased, though his own heart was no calmer than hers.
Fu Hua thought it was possible, but he was genuinely worried.
Because… this body of his could hardly be considered human.
Even if he possessed the authorities of six Herrschers, his body could still absorb massive amounts of Honkai energy even when those authorities weren't active.
Even now, Otto was constantly absorbing Honkai energy and storing it within himself.
Part of the reason Yae Sakura felt a closeness to him, aside from Kallen, was the influence of her being a Pseudo-Herrscher.
When you're out and about, no phone can refuse a power bank.
Ultimately, however, truth could only be found through practice.
Fu Hua didn't notice Otto's internal conflict. She only felt that she was once again being led by the nose. Ever since leaving the illusion, she felt like poor Tom, being played with by this man at every turn.
No!
Fu Hua gritted her teeth.
This wretched Otto is always disturbing my state of mind!
It was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain a cold facade in front of him. She couldn't deny the sense of comfort that welled up from the depths of her soul whenever they were close.
Yet, Fu Hua was deeply confused.
In the illusion, she had truly considered a future with Otto and believed he could give her one.
But their five hundred years together in the real world had taught her that everything Otto did was for a purpose.
He was a greedy man who would stop at nothing.
So, everything he did to her in the illusion… was it real?
I'll believe half of it.
Therefore, she couldn't let herself be swept along by his rhythm, lest she fall for him, foolishly and irrevocably.
Fu Hua composed her expression, adopting a look of serene detachment, and spoke in a perfectly calm voice.
"So, you don't want me to have your child?"
She said it as if discussing some trivial matter.
There was no movement from behind her. Fu Hua didn't turn around, not wanting to show how embarrassed she actually was for saying such a thing.
Though she acted indifferent, her heart was screaming with anxiety.
"We would need to prepare for the child's upbringing and education, though. Neither of us has any experience in that area, I imagine," Fu Hua continued, her expression still placid.
But…
Still no response from behind her.
The atmosphere was getting a little awkward.
Damn it, say something! Otherwise, I sound like an idiot for saying all this!
Then, a pair of arms slowly wrapped around her neck from behind.
Otto's heart was pounding. Honestly, he had never expected Fu Hua to say something like that.
It was completely beyond his expectations.
But he quickly calmed himself.
Otto looked at Fu Hua's profile, and she turned her head to look at him.
His emerald eyes met her azure ones.
"I want to kiss you."
Fu Hua didn't move.
She simply watched him, her gaze serene.
Otto lowered his head, and their cool lips met.
And then, he spoke softly.
"I will be a good father."