Hua said: "St. Freya should be gone by now."
Fu Hua shook her head: "I don't know."
"Oh…" Hua pressed: "What about them?"
Fu Hua said: "There's a gap in my memory from some time ago. I can tell you what happened before that."
Hua nodded: "Good. Tell me on the way."
She waved her hand, and the illusions of the girls vanished like mist wiped from glass.
Fu Hua rarely took the initiative: "May I ask a question?"
"Anything."
Hua didn't care.
Fu Hua said: "Why are you going to Taixu Mountain? There's nothing new there. It was forgotten many, many years ago."
"…"
Hua fell silent, seemingly weighing her words: "Actually, I—"
She started, then stopped.
Her face showed frustration, as if she already regretted what she was about to say.
"I just awakened, understand? I don't know anything—my mind is completely blank."
"Like a newborn baby. Can you expect a baby to plan out the next hundred years of its life?"
"But I've already planned it, because… I have no choice. Because I'm Fu Hua, and Fu Hua has things she must do."
"I know that clearly, but I really… can't muster the energy. You can say I'm running away—I am running away. I don't even dare look back at my own memories."
"But time won't wait for me, enemies won't wait, and my comrades won't wait either. I have to accept this fact. I have to accept myself—I must become Hua…"
Hua scratched her head in embarrassment and continued: "I want to go to a place I can call home. Like… fallen leaves returning to their roots. I want to see it. Maybe having a home makes it easier to accept oneself."
The two talked as they arrived at Taixu Mountain.
She casually picked up a Fenghuang Down, and the scene inside unfolded before all the viewers.
"This is a once-in-a-millennium opportunity." The old man's voice carried weariness: "The aftermath of Schicksal's failed eastern expedition has not yet subsided, and the youngest Kaslana daughter has handed over a scandal on a silver platter. In a thousand years of history, the three great houses have never been so vulnerable—and the Castle Conference will not let this go."
"Crushing the Kaslana house is only the first step. The nobles will make a big issue of this case. Their goal is to destroy the system where the three houses share power and force us to cede authority to the parliament—this must never be allowed."
The old man paused, his gaze falling meaningfully on his youngest son.
"Kallen Kaslana must die!"
Though he had expected it, Otto Apocalypse still felt as if he had been struck hard—the world spun around him.
This was because the woman he loved had been sentenced to death, and because he had already tried every method he could think of, begged every person he could imagine.
Finally, unwillingly, he had come before his own father to plead—only to be refused.
Kallen must die.
Those words became a heavy weight, constantly pressing down on Otto's heart, trying to crush it lower and lower.
He thought about those six words, not even noticing what his father was saying.
"I am old." Nikolas Apocalypse—the most powerful man in all Europe—said slowly: "As years pass, one becomes muddled, committing great mistakes without realizing. The disastrous expedition should have been a wake-up call, but I hesitated—failed to retreat strategically and instead left myself open. This impeachment storm against the three houses is my responsibility."
"After Kaslana's execution, I will retire. This will satisfy the Castle Conference's wishes yet also catch them off guard."
"But the problem is… who will succeed as Overseer of Schicksal?"
"…The ideal successor is dead—my Ferdinand… If he were still alive, the expedition's failure would never have reached this point."
"Fabian? My second son—stern on the outside, timid within, a Kaslana at heart."
"And you, Otto…"
Hearing his name suddenly snapped Otto out of his daze.
He looked at his aged father.
He was surprised to see a trace of warmth on his face that had never been shown to him before.
"You, Otto… Do you think that because I rarely showed you affection, I underestimated you?"
"No—regardless, you are my son."
"Of all my children, you are the most complex…"
"You inherited your mother Sabrina's intelligence, learned a few tricks of intrigue from me, and your darker side resembles your grandfather Frank exactly."
"People say you're weak and incompetent, but clearly that's not true. You achieved great merit during the Black Death—that proves your ability."
"But let's be frank—you're not yet qualified to become Overseer of Schicksal!"
Otto remained silent.
He clearly remembered that at the last family meeting, Nikolas had personally said he would pass the position to him. He waited for his father's next words.
"I will pass this seat…" Nikolas Apocalypse continued: "to Ferdinand's eldest son, Marcel. That boy is only sixteen, yet he has an iron heart and steady, seasoned methods."
"Your mother and I, along with Fabian and Lisa, will all retire together. This will lull the Castle Conference into complacency, thinking we've handed over core power."
"When they realize Marcel is not a little prince they can order around but a fierce lion, it will already be too late."
"Your mother and I both agree this is the best decision—except for one point. That one exception allows you to remain here and hear the conditions I offer."
Nikolas stepped forward. The Overseer exuded an intimidating authority that made the air in the room freeze.
"Kaslana." The old man said: "It is now the greatest hidden danger to Schicksal and the three houses. Times have changed—Kaslana is no longer our steadfast ally. If Francis were still alive, he would never let his precious daughter fall into this state. The Castle Conference wouldn't dare ride over our heads. Unfortunately, there are no 'ifs' in this world…"
"Francis is dead. His outstanding children also fell to plague and expedition. No worthy successors. The current house head, Luca, lacks his brother's talent—he's just a dying sick dog."
"—Kaslana, the traditional third house—if we do not bring it back under our control, this vulnerability will sooner or later become Schicksal's Achilles' heel."
So that's it…
Otto Apocalypse understood.
In the end, Otto himself didn't matter, nor did Kallen. What mattered was only that marriage contract.
—A marriage contract that would let Apocalypse easily seize the Kaslana house.
Cunning old fox…
Overseer Nikolas revealed an ambitious smile: "Otto, my son… Next, I will offer you a price—a price you cannot refuse: Kallen Kaslana's life."
"And the demand I make will be one you have no reason to refuse: I want you to marry Kallen Kaslana. By any means necessary, you must make her fulfill the engagement set long ago."
"In return, I will spare Kallen, hand you the position of house head, and deal with Luca for you—it's that simple."
…How strange.
The dream of a lifetime was right before him—heaven, earth, and people all aligned. The flow of cause and effect, carried by the tide of time, had actually pushed him toward the result he longed for: forcing him, Otto Apocalypse, to marry the only woman he ever loved.
Yet he felt no joy at all, because he knew this was not what Kallen Kaslana wanted.
Seeing this,
the audience instantly understood.
"So that's how it is—Otto became Overseer through such despicable means!"
"Heh heh… This is the real Otto—the creator of all tragedies, despicable from the very beginning!"
"I'm starting to feel sorry for Kallen—forced to marry him and watch him become Overseer?"
"It must be because Otto fancied Kallen's beauty, so he forced the engagement and now forces marriage, right?"
"Of course. What normal woman would ever like Otto?"
"Just watch—later Kallen definitely refuses to the death and hates Otto!"
"Otto, Otto! As expected, you didn't disappoint me in dying—you really are a complete villain, a total dog!"
"This memory exposure from Hua instantly made me have zero good feelings toward Otto."
"No way… You actually had good feelings for dog Otto before? Don't you know how much of a dog he is? The whole world wants him dead."
"…"
Countless viewers cursed Otto in the official group.
Inside the company,
Aponia watched the plot and felt something off.
After thinking, she posted in the group: "Something's not right. Hua said earlier that Otto only has one dead woman in his mind—so Kallen should be dead, right? Is there some twist?"
As soon as she sent it, she was drowned in backlash: "What twist could there be? Dog Otto lived five hundred years—how could normal people do that? Kallen must have died of old age."
"Exactly. Maybe she committed suicide because she refused forced marriage."
"Would you be willing to marry dog Otto? A normal person would rather die—so Kallen died, and Otto still obsesses over her."
"Yes, definitely like that. Dog Otto doesn't deserve a good ending!"
Almost everyone had no good impression of Otto—they all wished him a miserable life and tragic end.
Even when Aponia looked at the other actors in the company, everyone felt Otto's plot was normal—he deserved this.
Helpless,
she could only continue watching with her doubts.
Sure enough,
Otto's memories were not yet over.
The scene cut directly to the prison cell, where Otto spoke to Kallen through the iron bars.
Kallen inside was played by Theresa. At the time, Hessian had specifically asked her to wear prosthetic breasts, claiming: "Kallen absolutely cannot be flat-chested."
This little episode further confirmed Hessian liked large breasts, and Theresa had thrown quite a tantrum over it.
On the TV, Otto spoke: "Fulfill the engagement with me. You know I… I won't let you die."
In the darkness, beyond his reach, was the unreachable Kallen Kaslana.
"…Schicksal doesn't care about my life or death, nor about my relationship with you. If I agree, I'll just become the hostage the Overseer uses to control the Kaslana house."
"…Yes." Otto did not lie, for that was the truth: "But so what? Since this engagement is only a pretense, it can remain a pretense in the future… The important thing is… you live, Kallen. As long as you live…"
From the other side of the bars came Kallen's unshaken voice: "Living may be important… but betraying one's heart and playing the role of a pawn—is that truly living? That kind of life, I feel, is no nobler than death."
"…"
Otto already knew what she would say—he even knew every word she was about to utter… but he refused to accept it!
To fulfill the childhood promise he made to her, he had done so many things she would never agree with or accept. What harm in one more time?
Wasn't this time more noble than any before?
—He was saving her life!
…Yet he did nothing.
His hands gripped the cold iron bars tightly, as if becoming one with them.
Kallen continued: "Go back and tell Overseer Nikolas: Kallen rejects his demand. This is her own decision."
"I cannot agree with Schicksal's actions. I despise the black heart hidden beneath Schicksal's radiant exterior. I will never bend the knee to preserve my life. Kallen Kaslana would rather die—this is my resistance, simply… resistance."
Otto Apocalypse could not move: "…I understand. Kallen… I really do understand."
Silent rain fell in his heart, fine and formless, like smoke in fire.
"But I won't let you die. No matter what means I use, no matter whether you agree… I will never let you die."
Long silence filled the cell.
At the far end of the darkness, Kallen suddenly smiled softly: "Thank you—my great inventor…"
!
Something cracked, as if a heart shattered.
He waited.
Thinking she had more to say, just like him.
He had so, so much he wanted to say.
But this silence was longer than the last, yet shorter, more complete.
It seemed there was no longer any need for words between them.
"Do you have wine? I'd like to drink a little… just one glass."
Dark red liquid poured into the vessel. Kallen gently swirled the glass, somewhat surprised: "Is this the bottle of red wine I gave you?"
"Yes." Otto's voice was low.
"…That's nice." Kallen Kaslana drained the glass in one gulp. She said nothing more—the wine glass turned to mist and vanished.
"Perhaps in some world…"
Otto did not hear the rest. He had already left.
The Fenghuang Down containing this memory of Otto returned to Hua's body.
But all the viewers froze.
In disbelief…
This was simply unbelievable!
The official fan group exploded instantly.
"No… what just happened? Kallen actually had feelings for Otto?"
"Is that man really Otto? He didn't force Kallen to marry him? What's going on?"
"Yes, yes—I felt it too. Their relationship is clearly not ordinary!"
"Especially 'Thank you—my great inventor…' Would you say that to someone you hate?"
"Kallen, who resisted marriage so strongly, was so gentle with Otto? Could they really have been childhood sweethearts who liked each other?"
"Impossible, right? If they truly liked each other, why did it come to this? Why wouldn't Kallen marry him?"
"Who knows! So later Kallen died, and Otto has been thinking of her—that's what Hua meant earlier?"
"No way… I don't believe dog Otto could be this devoted. Don't forget his human experiments."
"The problem is right there—Theresa was made by Otto, and she looks almost exactly like Kallen, just flat-chested."
"I feel there's a huge secret here. Hua, spill more…"
"…"
Not just the viewers.
Even in the company lounge, there was an uproar.
This plot was far beyond their expectations. They could accept Otto being a dog like Hessian, a death-courting villain.
But they couldn't accept him being a deeply devoted person…
Wait…
Wasn't Hessian also deeply devoted?
No!
That's not important!
From what they'd seen, Otto should be a bad guy!
Bad guys shouldn't be whitewashed—otherwise he'd lose his role, lose all his appeal.
So everyone turned to Hessian.
Questioning: "Director He, what exactly are you trying to do? Isn't Otto the villain, the bad guy?"
To everyone's questions, Hessian nodded: "Yes, he's a bad guy. That will never change—rest assured."
Kiana asked puzzled: "If he's a bad guy, why did Kallen like him?"
Hessian said: "Even though he's a bad guy, he's still human. It's normal for someone to like him."
Kiana said in disgust: "Not normal at all. Can Otto even be considered human?"
Mei quickly added: "Exactly."
To this, Hessian only smiled: "Keep watching. You'll find out later."
Everyone turned back to the TV.
Aponia spoke up: "So… Director He really does like big breasts."