But it seemed it was already too late. As the three of them (especially my wife) noticed something in my reaction and stared intently at me, I eventually opened my mouth slowly.
"Actually, it was a few days after that broadcast ended, when Bronya and Bronie left the house to visit Cocolia's Orphanage."
At the time, Auntie had asked me for a favor, so I went to work at Schicksal Headquarters. When I came back home, I found an unfamiliar pair of shoes at the entrance.
"They weren't my wife's shoes, nor were they Kiana's or Mei-senpai's. Feeling tense, I muffled my footsteps and headed toward the living room."
And as I quietly opened the living room door, a delicious smell tickled my nose.
"From the smell and the clattering sounds coming from the living room, I realized someone was cooking."
Why on earth? Wondering this, I slowly walked toward the kitchen, but I had no choice but to freeze as soon as I saw the person's back.
"The person in the kitchen was Ms. Cecilia Schariac."
"What?"
"Really?"
"You're lying, right?"
The two of them reacted in surprise to my words, but only my wife saw right through my lie and cut me off firmly.
At her words, I nodded and confirmed it.
"Yes, it's a lie. Actually, it was Kiana with her hair let down."
"I knew it. She had been strangely quiet, so that's what she was up to. However, you'd quickly notice it was her just from her hair being let down."
"Just as you said, I'd notice right away if it was simply her hair let down. But seeing her in an innocent outfit I'd never seen before, and speaking in Ms. Cecilia's voice—wherever she managed to get that from—saying, 'Cooking is almost done, just wait~,' my heart skipped a beat for a second— Ahem!"
Seeing my wife glaring at me with an unpleasant expression and clicking her tongue, I broke into a cold sweat and stopped talking with a fake cough.
If I had said any more, my safety tonight probably would have been in danger.
"But I immediately knew why Kiana was acting like that, so I quickly snapped out of it, flicked her forehead, and headed to the bathroom."
"Huh? Why the bathroom all of a sudden?"
"Didn't it end there?"
At Sushang and Fu Hua's words, my expression stiffened, and I nodded.
Because the truly important story begins here.
"Even though I turned on the bathroom light, it was dark. Feeling something was off, I looked up at the ceiling."
Just thinking about it now still makes my heart pound.
If I were to list the most terrifying moments of my life, it would definitely rank in the top five.
"Hanging from the ceiling was Mr. Siegfried, holding the Judgement of Shamash in its greatsword form."
"...You're lying, right?"
"This time it's real."
"...What?"
"He was glaring down at me while hanging upside down, his bloodshot eyes wide open and filled with murderous intent. It's a miracle my legs didn't just give out right then and there."
If they had, my body would probably have been sliced in two by the blazing greatsword of Shamash, swung at me while he smiled brightly, completely out of place for the situation.
"At that moment, if Ms. Cecilia—who had come looking for her husband after feeling suspicious when he suddenly left and didn't return—hadn't stopped him by hitting the back of Mr. Siegfried's head with the Abyss Flower... I would have been slashed by Shamash's greatsword, which had transformed into the Might of An-Utu midway through."
They say the man who normally couldn't manifest the An-Utu form has been able to easily transform it into the An-Utu state ever since that day.
And quite honorably, only when he is dealing with me.
I really don't need this kind of honor, though.
"You've been through a lot."
"Your life was quite literally hanging by a thread."
Seeing Fu Hua and Sushang looking at me with pitying gazes, I couldn't help but cry tears in my heart.
Because ever since then, if I accidentally bump into Mr. Siegfried walking alone, it has become an everyday occurrence for him to turn Shamash into a greatsword, transform it into An-Utu, and immediately chase after me.
Thanks to that, even in situations where I can't use my eyes or ears, I've reached a state where my body automatically dodges upon sensing danger on its own, almost like using 'Ultra Instinct -Sign-'.
"Ah, by the way... is Comrade Bronya letting her hair down also because you said Ms. Cecilia was your first love?"
"Yes, it is."
Ah, so that was the reason...?
No wonder I thought it was strange that my wife had her hair fully down recently instead of half-tied. So that was why.
"I don't really have a specific preference for hairstyles, though."
"What? I-is that so? Since you praised it as being pretty, I thought it was your preference."
"No, I just like whatever style you have because you're Bronya. A first love is just a first love. The one I love right now is Bronya, which is you."
"...Brother."
"Bronya."
At my words, Bronya widened her eyes, then soon looked at me with a subtle, happy smile. I also gently stroked her cheek and gazed at her with loving eyes.
And seeing Bronya close her eyes, I also closed mine and slowly leaned my face in. Just as our lips were about to touch, a cute voice echoed between us.
"Ah! Papa, it's not fair to only kiss Mama! Bronie wants a kiss too! Give me a kiss!"
"?! Ahem!"
"B-Bronie...?!"
Snapping back to reality at our daughter's cute whining, we blushed and pulled apart. Bronie puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.
Looking at Bronie with troubled expressions, we briefly made eye contact.
Then, smiling at the same time, we pressed our lips against both cheeks of our pouting daughter. Seeing her let out the air from her cheeks and rejoice, I gave her a tight~ hug.
"Haha~ Who do you take after to be this cute!"
"Hehe~ I take after Papa and Mama!"
"Aww~ Aww~ You speak so beautifully, too!"
"Kyaaa~"
Saying so, I hugged my daughter and gave her endless kisses to my heart's content.
Watching me, Bronya gave a warm smile, while Fu Hua and Li Sushang looked at me with bitter smiles, like they were looking at a completely foolish, doting father.
What? Why? What? Jeez!
What's wrong with a father adoring his daughter?
I am not ashamed in the slightest!
"Ah, come to think of it, something just came to mind. Can I ask a question?"
"What is it, Sushang?"
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"No, not to the Captain. To the Master."
Saying so, Sushang looked at the Class Monitor who was drinking tea.
At that, the Class Monitor stopped drinking her tea and asked Sushang, seemingly puzzled.
"To me?"
"Yes."
"What is it?"
Toward the Class Monitor who took another sip of tea, Sushang spoke with eyes full of genuine curiosity.
"At that time, after the Captain's retirement ceremony, what exactly did you experience to be in such a state of panic—"
"Spuuurrrt—"
Before Sushang could even finish her sentence, as if announcing "Here's the tea~," the tea spurted out of the Class Monitor's mouth cleaner than a water dispenser and landed perfectly back into her cup.
Seeing that, everyone froze on the spot, except for my daughter who cheered in amazement.
"IsawabsolutelynothingnobutIdefinitelysawitwrongImusthavebeendrunkfromthedrinksofcourseyesthatwasdefinitelyadreamitcouldntbeanythingbutadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadreamitsadream-"
Watching the Class Monitor, who seemed broken as she endlessly muttered that it was a dream, not only Sushang who asked the question, but my wife and I couldn't help but feel a little terrified.
Seriously, what in the world happened after my retirement ceremony?