A Person in Collapse, Only Loves Valkyries

"I don't want to know something like that." Kiana said discontentedly, but she subtly tightened her hips to avoid drawing the golden-haired villain's attention.

"What I want to know is..."

Before she could even ask, Otto cut in ahead of time.

"You want to know whether Siegfried or I is your father?"

Chapter 9. The Fiancée Is Actually Me?

K423 carried Siegfried's blood in her veins, but she was created by Otto.

A clone of Kiana Kaslana fused with the core of the Herrscher of the Void—Otto had wrought the miracle that was K423.

By lineage, K423 could technically be considered Theresa's aunt.

And since Theresa was of the same generation as Siegfried, rounding it off, K423 could actually be counted as Siegfried's elder.

Otto smiled as he looked at the stunned girl. Kiana was completely dumbfounded. She had originally come to ask this golden-haired villain about the Kaslana family, hoping to find some clue about Stinky Dad.

But how did he just blurt out Stinky Dad's name like that!?

And he also knew she was Siegfried's daughter?

Kiana dismissed Otto's earlier words as a joke. She stood up excitedly and asked.

"You know my dad?"

After all these years, she'd finally caught a lead on Stinky Dad.

But Otto only tapped the table lightly with his finger.

"Sit down."

Then he said nothing, just smiled at Kiana with a knowing look.

Kiana had no choice but to sit back down in her chair, but her eyes burned with eagerness. Siegfried was her only family, and she was tired of being alone.

Even though she'd lived alone all these years, even though she'd grown used to solitude.

She still longed to return to that little cabin where she'd stayed with her father as a child.

There, just the two of them, living happily.

"Eat." Otto pointed at the dessert in front of Kiana, then picked up his own fork and took a bite of his tiramisu.

The sweet, slightly wine-tinged flavor spread across his tongue. Otto nodded—it was indeed delicious. The high price had its reasons.

To have some alone time with Kiana, Otto had bought out this upscale dessert shop entirely.

But Kiana was listlessly fiddling with her fork.

"Cute little kitten, don't know how to use a fork? Siegfried never taught you? Even kindergarteners usually can."

Hearing Otto's words, Kiana shook her head.

"I never went to school."

Having lived with Siegfried since she was little, she'd never had the chance to attend school. And after Siegfried left, she had even less opportunity.

"But I do know how to use a fork."

Kiana picked up her fork and stabbed it into the cake.

"It's fine..."

Otto was about to say that she would one day attend a fine academy, where she'd meet excellent teachers, an excellent class monitor, and excellent companions.

But how could he possibly let Kiana go to St. Freya Academy?

No matter—he could just move those excellent teachers, excellent class monitor, and excellent companions all to Schicksal.

"I never went to school either."

Otto was telling the truth.

He cut off a small piece of tiramisu, then brought it to Kiana's lips.

"Try it. It's good."

Looking at the tiramisu offered to her mouth, Kiana hesitated for a moment, but eventually opened her lips.

Truth be told, Kiana was a bit put off.

Because this was the fork Otto had used.

But Kiana worried that if she refused, he wouldn't tell her where Siegfried was.

"It's really good."

Kiana's eyes closed slightly, a hint of happiness spreading across her face. Good food could lift one's spirits.

This was the best dessert she'd ever eaten.

Kiana had always lived frugally. Even during her journey to find Stinky Dad, she had to work odd jobs to earn money along the way, so she never had spare cash to spend on things that wouldn't fill her stomach.

"Then eat more. We can talk about what you want to discuss while you eat."

After feeding the little Bronya, seeing that smile on Kiana's face filled Otto's heart with satisfaction. A smile suited Kiana far better.

She wasn't suited for frowning, nor for silence. Growing up didn't mean she had to become quiet.

Otto pulled back his fork, fingers fiddling with it, while Kiana picked up her own fork and began eating the dessert in front of her.

She was genuinely afraid Otto would feed her again.

"That's right." Otto said, reaching for the black tea beside him and taking a sip.

His demeanor was leisurely, because around Kiana he needed no pretense—it was as if he'd been hit by a neurotoxin, leaving him utterly relaxed.

Maybe it was because pufferfish were poisonous.

"Actually, I know quite a bit about the Kaslana family."

"Mm." Kiana ate her cake, curious why it tasted so different from the ones she'd bought at the convenience store, and why it was so delicious.

"My fiancée was a Kaslana."

"Mm." Kiana ate her cake, inwardly surprised that she and this man were actually related. But since he'd said earlier that big-chested lady was his mistress, maybe if she met other Kaslanas later, she should go tattle?

"You're a Kaslana too."

"Mm." Kiana ate her cake, proud of her surname—it was a name she'd only earned after finally getting Stinky Dad's approval.

"But I never expected to see my fiancée here today. I'm very pleased."

"Mm." Kiana ate her cake, though she was a little curious who Otto's fiancée was.

"Dear little kitten, it's wonderful that you have childbearing hips. You'll definitely be able to fulfill my wish for five children."

"Mm. Mm!?"

Kiana finally realized something was wrong.

The fiancée he was talking about... was me?

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Chapter 10. Why can't the object of love be oneself?

I'm Otto's fiancée?

Then in the hotel, wasn't he cheating on me right to my face?

No, no.

"How is that possible!?"

Kiana cried out. She'd never heard of having a fiancé!

"It won't work? Fine, I know five might be a bit much for your belly."

"Then four will do. If they're all twins, two years would be enough."

Seeing the bristling Bronya, Otto's lips curled with amusement. The pressure from Raven and Rita earlier was swept clean away.

When life's unhappy, poke the Bronya.

Oh, the touch system's gone. Never mind.

"Is that the problem here? This young lady isn't giving birth to anything!"

Kiana gritted her teeth. That many—did he think she was a sow? She slapped the table in protest.

"As for this fiancé business, I've never heard Dad mention it!"

Still, she asked hesitantly.

"Is this real?"

Kiana vaguely sensed that the Kaslana family might be a big clan. In novels, there were always engagement plots—maybe she'd been betrothed without knowing it. After all, Otto seemed like a quality man.

Damn it, Stinky Dad, don't let me find out you arranged this engagement.

You don't even come see me, and you pull this kind of thing. If I catch you, I'll punch you twice with my fists!

But when she saw the smile Otto couldn't hide at the corner of his mouth, she suddenly realized she'd been tricked.

"You're lying to me!?"

Kiana angrily reached out to grab Otto's collar, but he leaned back, and she couldn't reach him.

"But I didn't lie. My past fiancée really was a Kaslana."

"Past?" Kiana caught the key point.

"She died."

Otto's tone was flat, but he let his gaze dim, a hint of sorrow radiating from his whole being.

Kiana fell silent for a moment.

"Sorry."

She felt like she'd touched someone's scar.

Kiana could relate—her dad was as good as dead.

But at least she still had hope of finding him.

She lowered her head, eating the cake on the table, her pace gradually quickening—this must be what they call drowning sorrows in food.

What a sensitive girl.

A girl like this, he liked very much.

Otto watched Kiana. In truth, he felt nothing about Kallen's death, nor did he intend to go mad like the original Otto, obsessively trying to revive Kallen.

To him, Kallen was just a Valkyrie gathering dust in his roster.

Only occasionally did he take out Dance Kallen for some fun.

"So, cute little kitten, how about we get involved? I think we'd be a good fit." Otto said with a smile.

Hearing this, Kiana raised an eyebrow and deliberately crossed her arms over her chest in disdain.

"Trying to win me over, huh?"

"You're not my type."

"Give it up, no chance."

Kiana fired off a triple rejection without hesitation.

Being rejected came as no surprise. If Kiana had agreed right away, Otto would have suspected this Kiana was an impostor.

Even though this Bronya hadn't met the Housewife yet, the difficulty of winning her over was still considerable.

"Truly heartbreaking—I've been shot down just like that."

Otto said, but Kiana couldn't see any trace of sadness on him. He was smiling far too cheerfully.

She felt like he was constantly teasing her, like a cat.

"Then at least we can be friends, right? You should know by now that I'm not really a bad person."