"In that case, you two should get engaged first!" Elena suddenly changed tack and said this.
Neither Shun nor Ana had expected this development and froze for a few seconds.
Not just them even Friedrich hadn't anticipated it. He'd thought his wife was just going to pack Ana off like that, but she threw a boomerang instead. Was she toying with them?
Thinking this, Friedrich's gaze toward Shun softened considerably. Though his daughter would inevitably marry someday, seeing Shun get checked by Elena suddenly made him feel the kid wasn't so detestable after all.
"Mom!" Before Shun could react, Ana was the first to panic. She'd thought her mother was satisfied earlier why the sudden change?
Shun, on the other hand, though rejected by Ana's mother, actually felt a slight relief. At least it wasn't outright refusing him and Ana being together.
If they got engaged, it should still be secure. From another angle, neither he nor Ana had reached Shenzhou's legal marriage age anyway.
Think of it as typical college couple stuff: meet the parents, get engaged, plan to marry after graduation.
Even so, since he'd been rejected, Shun wanted to ask the reason.
"Mother-in-law, may I ask why?" Since she agreed to an engagement, Elena clearly still approved of him so calling her "mother-in-law" wasn't off-limits.
"How should I put it… this is partly my fault. I just saw the shadow of an old acquaintance in you. If you'd like to hear, I can tell you."
Elena toyed with a small lock of hair falling from her shoulder, thought for a moment, and said.
"I'm all ears." Ana's mother had some hidden reason for temporarily refusing their marriage? But…
The shadow of an old acquaintance honestly, Shun was getting a bit PTSD.
He had this ominous feeling, like countless eyes were watching him, yet he couldn't see anyone. Damn, why did it feel like so many people knew him?
Hearing Shun's response, Elena's expression immediately shifted. She turned to Ana and said, "Ana, go on help Shun prepare a room."
Ana realized her mother was sending her away. As she stood, she gave Shun a worried glance. Only after seeing his reassuring look did she relax a little.
"And you too." Elena then urged Friedrich, who was sitting with arms crossed, probably thinking how to assert father-in-law authority.
"Me?" Friedrich pointed at himself, still in disbelief.
"Yes, you. Have you finished harvesting the wheat? What if it rains later and it sprouts? A whole year's work wasted." Elena casually made up an excuse.
"Hey! That's one thing and this is another. Farming is just to pass the time how could it be more important than Ana's life event?!" But no matter how Friedrich protested, it was useless.
Too weak no power. As a man, he had zero combat ability in this hidden side of the world that had touched Honkai.
After sending Friedrich away, Elena double-checked the room to ensure no third party could overhear before finally relaxing.
"Shun, you must still have many questions in your heart."
Seeing they were getting to the serious part, Shun immediately focused. "Yes." He nodded.
"Where should I start… Do you know Ana's aunt, Cecilia?"
"Cecilia?" Good grief though he knew both Cecilia and Ana were Schariac, he hadn't expected them to be this closely related.
(The above is the author's secondary setting applies only in this book. Don't take it as canon.)
"If it's the legendary Cecilia, the strongest Valkyrie of the previous Schicksal era, then yes, I've heard of her. Does what you're about to say have to do with her?"
"No rush listen first." Elena had the look of "I know you're anxious, but hold on."
"Since you know about Sister Cecilia, you must also know Siegfried. He was Sister Cecilia's husband, head of the Kaslana family though he's defected from Schicksal now."
"Do you know why Siegfried defected from Schicksal?"
"Why?" Shun knew the answer but pretended not to.
"Because of Kiana Siegfried and Sister Cecilia's daughter. She carries the Schariac holy blood and the powerful strength of Kaslana."
"Sister Cecilia and Siegfried's marriage was personally arranged by His Grace the Bishop. After the Second Honkai, His Grace suddenly developed an extraordinary interest in Kiana."
"It's said His Grace conducted many experiments on Kiana. When Siegfried discovered this, he took Kiana and fled Schicksal. He hasn't returned since."
What Elena said was seventy to eighty percent similar to the truth, though Shun knew more.
"But what does this have to do with me and Ana?"
"Because the last marriage that received a personal letter of attention from Bishop Otto was Sister Cecilia and Siegfried's. And today, I received a handwritten letter from His Grace."
"His Grace was interested in Cecilia and Siegfried's marriage because of the combination of Schariac holy blood and Kaslana power."
"So, for him to pay such attention to you two, there must be something about you that he wants. I don't want Sister Cecilia's family's tragedy to repeat on my daughter this is also for your own good. I hope you can understand."
Elena finally voiced her concern. Actually, when she received Otto's letter today, she had been very happy.
After all, Otto's letter highly praised Shun a completely different attitude from how he treated Siegfried back then. Elena was delighted her daughter had found such a good match.
But after calming down, Elena could no longer feel at ease. Though the Schariac had served Otto loyally for generations, that didn't mean they had no personal feelings.
For Elena, her daughter Ana came far above the Schariac mission.
There was power in him that interested Otto? How did Otto know about him or rather… was Otto also one of his "acquaintances"?
"I understand, Mother-in-law. This really does deserve reconsideration. But please rest assured I will protect Ana no matter what, even if it costs my life!"
Saving Ana was Shun's goal from the start. Not even Otto could stop him. Otto? Pure love war god? False god? Just some wind and frost.
But hearing Elena say this, Shun felt a chill of fear. When had Otto started paying attention to him without him even knowing?
Could there be some method of Otto's on him…? No, that shouldn't be. If there were, Su, Kevin, and Fu Hua would have noticed.
Actually, Shun had been misled by Elena, and Elena herself had made associations due to the tragedy that befell Cecilia's family.
Otto: Brothers, the most unjustly accused episode.