Being a Cosplay Master in the World of Honkai Impact 3rd

"Put it on!"

"No!" Siegfried said anxiously, "Please listen to my explanation! That's not... there's a reason for this! I just... that, this is..."

Siegfried started to stammer. Not being very good with words, he quickly became incoherent and unable to explain.

Was it Otto's terrible idea?

You could say that, but someone had to believe it!

Cecilia should know that ever since she left, his relationship with Otto had been frozen.

To have an enemy give him advice and then actually follow through with it.

Who!

Would actually believe that?

"Siegfried." Cecilia suddenly leaned on Siegfried's shoulder and said, "Hurry up and put it on. Explaining is useless. You can't run away today."

"This is for a man who is a man, a man with backbone, a warrior who dares to face challenges with determination and perseverance."

"Even though you're wearing women's clothes, your heart is still that of a pure man, daring to face the eyes of the world."

"To achieve all this is to be a true tough guy."

"I don't like a man who isn't a tough guy."

"I! Will wear it!" Siegfried took the clothes and went into the changing room.

"Eh..." Kiana looked at Cecilia, and she suddenly felt a chill all over her body. She clearly felt her father didn't want to, but what did her mother say? He looked so resigned to his fate.

"What did mom say?" Kiana was both curious and afraid to ask, but she asked anyway.

It felt so scary.

"It's nothing," Li Pu said, crossing his arms. "I just temporarily found a weakness in his humanity."

Just like Kiana called her mom, Siegfried's weakness that Li Pu could exploit was right here. Anyway, it wouldn't cause any major problems for now.

She might as well hold onto it and torment him a little.

"What a devoted man," Li Pu said, whether mockingly or admiringly. "Truly capable."

Indeed capable!

Siegfried seemed to know that he needed to change Cecilia's image of him through certain actions. A drunkard, an idle second-generation heir, and an irresponsible father.

Perhaps when dating, these could even be considered advantages. Drinking, showing off, and being generous. Being idle could also be described as being resourceful.

Irresponsibility could even be spun as having many friends and good social skills.

It was pretty much in line with the saying that women love bad boys.

But after marriage and having children, it was different.

Continuing to act like this was a huge drawback in every aspect.

Siegfried needed to earn points now. At the very least, he needed Cecilia to think of him as a man.

A tough guy!

"Swish~"

The curtain was pulled back, and Siegfried's figure appeared.

On his head was a large star headband similar to White Comet's. He was wearing a black slip dress with hundreds of black layers. On his hands, he wore long white gloves, the same style as Shokuhou Misaki's.

On his feet were black stockings and high heels.

His face was resolute, and he looked resigned to his fate.

He looked like a warrior about to go into battle, truly evoking the feeling of "the wind howls, the Yi River is cold."

"This is how a tough guy should dress," Siegfried said with a resolute expression. "How is it, Cecilia?"

"Am I very manly in this outfit?!"

Overcoming fear, ignoring the eyes of the world. Facing any situation and any challenge with composure.

Isn't that what a tough guy is?!

Surely I've earned a lot of points in Cecilia's eyes now?!

"Ah..." Li Pu reluctantly gave a thumbs-up and said, "Indeed... very manly."

Why did he suddenly feel like he had lifted a rock only to drop it on his own foot?

It seemed things were getting complicated again.

Chapter 58: Cecilia Loves You

"Kiana."

Li Pu said, crossing his arms, "You go find somewhere to play for a bit. I need to talk to Siegfried about something."

"Eh..."

Kiana felt a little strange and said, "What are Mom and Dad going to talk about?"

Kiana felt the atmosphere was a bit strange, and she really didn't want to leave. She always felt there was some kind of gap between her father and mother that she didn't know about and couldn't bridge.

Kiana was reluctant to go. She was really worried that if she went far away, her parents would start arguing like this.

Her hard-won complete family would be shattered again.

"Me too..." Kiana tried to give herself the right to interrupt and overhear.

But she didn't even finish her sentence.

"Kiana!" Li Pu suddenly became serious and said, "You don't need to interrupt here, and you don't need to overhear. This is between me and Siegfried."

"Yeah~" Siegfried rubbed his head.

His originally serious, almost tragic face, as if he were going on a doomed expedition, immediately lost its solemnity.

He said like a silly boy, "Leave us some private space. We haven't seen each other for so many years."

"Catch up, relive the old days." Siegfried said with such nostalgia and warmth, "We need to find that feeling from back then again."

"Oh..."

Kiana let out a sound and didn't insist.

She seemed to understand a little.

After all, those passionate years must have held many memories and stories for her parents. Kiana probably understood some of it.

Maybe she was just worrying too much.

"Then I'll go watch a movie?" Kiana said, "Just call me later."

After saying that, Kiana seemed to really go watch a movie, and her figure quickly disappeared into the crowd. Only she, Siegfried, and some onlookers remained.

"You should change out of that first," Li Pu said, turning his back. "I'll wait for you outside."

"Isn't this outfit manly enough?" Siegfried spread his arms and said carelessly, "You're right, though. Once you break through worldly expectations, some things become much clearer."

"Hiss~" Li Pu suddenly felt a jolt all over his body, and a certain place tightened.

Could this Siegfried have really awakened some strange hobby?

"I was just kidding," Li Pu said, putting on a serious face. "Don't wear that. Let's talk about something important."

"It's very important."

"Hahaha~" Siegfried chuckled. He could tell something from Li Pu's tone, of course. Naturally, he wouldn't act foolishly now. He chuckled foolishly three times, pulled the curtain, changed back into his own clothes, and walked out.

"You've changed a lot," Siegfried said, standing beside Li Pu. "I almost don't recognize you."

"You really do need to get to know me again," Li Pu said. "I'm Li Pu. You should learn to remember this name."

"Not Cecilia's name."

"But you..." Siegfried tried to insist.

"You were the one who came to my door that day, weren't you?" Li Pu interrupted Siegfried. "How did you know I lived in that neighborhood? Did Kiana tell you, or did you follow me?"

"Does it matter?" Siegfried shrugged and retorted.

"Of course, it does," Li Pu said, walking out of the shop and slowly along the corridor. "I saw you today, so you should know my true appearance."

"Hehehe~" Siegfried followed, not answering, but using a silly smile to brush it off.

"You doing this today," Li Pu said, "someone must have advised you, right?"

"Otto?"

"What makes you say that?" Siegfried neither denied nor confirmed, but retorted, "Do you think he has a reason to help me?"

"In this academy," Li Pu said confidently, "although theoretically Theresa has the most power, as the principal, she has the right to directly appoint or dismiss teachers."

"But in reality, Theresa is more like a mascot, isn't she?"

"Mascot or not," Li Pu continued, "Otto should be the next person with real power after Theresa."

"Theresa might let you in and arrange a formal staff position for you."

"But she definitely wouldn't do that. It's unnecessary."

"If you could have entered normally, you wouldn't have done this."

Li Pu glanced at Siegfried beside him. "Theresa wouldn't do this, so the only one who has the right to arrange you, even to directly assign you to tutor Valkyries, and make you look foolish, is Otto."

"Don't give me that look," Li Pu said contemptuously. "This isn't difficult at all. A little reasoning and it's obvious."

After all, I have to be the King of Understanding.

Who in the world can out-reason me?

"It was indeed Otto's plan," Siegfried said, seeing that Li Pu had guessed it himself, so he didn't hide it. Of course, there was no need to hide it in this matter.

He and Otto weren't really on the same side.

"What did Otto tell you?" Li Pu asked curiously.

"..." Siegfried closed his mouth. Although they weren't really on the same side, Siegfried felt it was better not to say some things.

"Alright," Li Pu shrugged.

Since Siegfried was unwilling to speak, Li Pu didn't want to pry further.

"Let's be direct," Li Pu said. "I don't know what Otto told you, or what he promised you. But I think it will be difficult for both you and him to achieve your goals."

"Because my name is Li Pu, and I am not Cecilia."

"I know." Siegfried gritted his teeth. His body stiffened slightly, pausing for a second or two, but he continued walking. "It doesn't matter."

"No, it does matter. It matters a lot," Li Pu said. "Perhaps Cecilia still deeply loves you."

"But I don't. Because I am Li Pu, not that Cecilia."

"Mr. Siegfried." Li Pu stopped, standing directly in front of Siegfried. "Please don't treat me like Cecilia."

Being direct and honest, yet always thinking of scheming and using others, now it seems he was just lifting a rock only to drop it on his own foot.

Kiana didn't see him in her eyes, and similarly, Siegfried didn't see him in his.

In their eyes, there was truly only one person.

That person was Cecilia.

It wasn't that he, Li Pu, was falling deeper, but rather that these two were falling deeper. Rather than reaching a point where they'd be irrecoverably stuck, completely fixated on a single belief.

It would be better to shatter their illusions and cut the Gordian knot quickly.

"Is that really how it is?" Siegfried sighed. "Do you truly have no feelings left at all?"

"Including for Kiana?"

"Yes," Li Pu replied. "Including for Kiana. I am merely using her."

"Using her to achieve my goals."

Li Pu tilted his head, his eyes devoid of any emotion.