"Mei, oh Mei, I know it's difficult for you to fall in love with me instantly, but why can't you, with true and honest feeling..."
"...call me 'husband'?"
In the restaurant, Otto leisurely held a cup of red tea, a smile playing on his lips as he spoke.
Mei sat opposite him. She was no longer in a bathrobe but a pure white dress, spotless, like a blooming lily.
If one were to splash ink on her, watching that purity become stained bit by bit... that might be quite interesting.
"M-Mr. Otto..."
She couldn't bring herself to say it.
How could she possibly say such a thing!
Mei stammered, her words catching in her throat. While she had agreed to learn to love Otto, the sheltered, introverted girl had no idea how to love someone, let alone start with such a mortifying form of address.
However, Otto was in no rush. Even someone as passionate as Kiana needed time to enter Mei's heart.
Though he was a high-quality human male, this would also take some time.
"In that case, can you drop the 'Mister' and just call me Otto?"
Otto took a step back, proposing the form of address he had intended for Mei to accept all along.
"Yes, I can. O-Otto."
It was the first time Mei had ever called a male by his first name.
"Don't be so formal. In love, both parties are equal. I'm not your simp, and you are not my simp."
"Of course, if you wanted to simp, I wouldn't refuse," Otto added with a smile.
Mei tilted her head, confused. The year was 2013, and as a proper young lady, she couldn't quite grasp internet slang like 'simp'.
If it were Bronya, she would likely understand.
If it were Kiana, she would likely view the word through a lewd lens, guess at its meaning, and then inexplicably pound on his shoulder.
Seeing Mei's bewilderment, Otto just smiled.
"Don't ever become a simp, alright? Once you become a simp, you are forever the loser."
Otto's words were not just for Mei, but for himself as well.
He didn't explain further. During a date, it was impolite to talk about another girl.
Yes, Otto was treating this as a date with Mei.
And his objective was simple: date her and make her shy.
Herrschers—mysterious girls born from the Honkai disaster. Faced with their immaculate power, does one use force, or does one communicate with love? Otto's choice was now being put to the test.
Otto's Operation Date had begun.
"Are you full? If so, it's time to proceed with the date."
Otto picked up a napkin and gently dabbed at a non-existent smudge at the corner of Mei's lips. Hearing his words, her mouth fell slightly open, her lovely face tinged with red.
"D-Date?"
Wait, wasn't I just invited down for breakfast? How did this suddenly become a date?
Mei realized she had been tricked. The moment Otto led her out of her room, it became difficult to refuse any subsequent invitation.
It was like a drunk girl following a strange man home—you couldn't blame him for what he decided to do next.
"In terms of healthy ways to advance the feelings between a man and a woman, what we should be doing right now is going on a date."
"You don't need to worry. Just think of it as a day out, like when you used to go to the amusement park with your old man, Ryoma."
"However, be sure to think of me as your boyfriend, not your father, okay~"
Otto said with a laugh. Mei looked down at the tabletop, remembering the last time she went to an amusement park with her father. She was still so young then.
That time... it was truly happy.
So why does my heart ache now?
Her hand, resting on the table, tightened into a fist. A larger hand gently covered hers, enveloping it.
Though his hand was cold, Otto's gaze was warm.
"The deepest sorrow is to recall a happy time in misery."
"But it's alright. I am here now."
"However... I don't want to eat breakfast here tomorrow."
Otto tapped the table lightly with his other hand. Mei didn't understand his meaning, so he continued in a relaxed tone.
"Don't you in the Far East have a tradition of making bentos? I want to eat a bento made by you."
"I... I don't know how to cook..."
Mei lowered her head. Having always been a young lady of means, she had never cooked a meal herself. She had never even worked in a kitchen.
"It's fine. Just try. If you try, you might succeed. But if you don't try, you absolutely never will."
"I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of food you can make tomorrow."
The luxury hotel suites were equipped with kitchens, but Otto and Kiana always ate in the restaurant, as neither of them cooked.
Not that Otto was a stranger to the culinary arts.
"Mmm..." Mei replied, her voice filled with uncertainty.
The young lady, still in her larval stage, had yet to evolve into the ultimate form of the Cook.
Otto wasn't worried.
His Soul Steel body was immune to poison anyway. He could eat the plate itself tomorrow and it wouldn't make a difference.
"So, where should we go next? This is my first time in Nagazora City, you're more familiar with the area."
"I... I rarely go out. I don't know where to go, either."
Forget dates, Mei hardly ever went out with friends.
Perhaps, when I made friends with them back then, my feelings weren't genuine either...
That must be why they all abandoned her the moment her father ran into trouble.
"Fine. But when a man and woman go on a date, it's usually one of a few places."
"The movie theater, the aquarium, an amusement park. Those are generally the options."
"Okay," Mei nodded.
"So, let's go to the lingerie store."
"Okay. Eh!?"
Mei was following along just fine until Otto's words took a sharp turn.
Why a lingerie store? How is that in any way related to the first three options!?
"Because I believe that for any man, watching the girl he likes wear the cute lingerie he personally selected for her would be a very blissful experience."
"And I am no exception."
Mei's head drooped even lower. She had so little contact with men. Most boys were intimidated by the 'Queen' persona she projected and kept their distance. She had never been subjected to such a forceful romantic offensive.
For the Thunder Queen, whose heart had been locked away for so long, this was a first.
It was a little embarrassing. A blush crept across her fair face.
"On second thought, let's not go to a place like that."
"I'm worried you're so cute, Mei, that I might just eat you right up."
Otto spread his hands wide, making a playful pounce like a lion cub. Seeing his silly antics, the corners of Mei's mouth lifted into a faint smile.
It was the first time she had smiled in days.
"Actually, I've already bought movie tickets. We'll go see a movie, and by the time it's over, it should be about time for lunch."
The tickets were for a popular romance movie that was currently playing.
Mei nodded. She gazed out the window. The sky was clear and bright, and it felt so much more luminous than it had these past few days.