After Kael officially took over Bianca's guardianship, his life became even more 'fulfilling'.
He spun like a top, constantly moving between the Asgard's bridge, the document tutoring room, and his dormitory, feeling as though the arduous tasks were draining him of his last ounce of energy.
In the afternoon, he finally managed to find some time to take Sirin and Bianca for a walk in the headquarters garden, enjoying a moment of peaceful sunshine.
Sirin held his left hand, and Bianca held his right. Although the two little girls occasionally exchanged silent glances over who was closer to Kael, overall, they were quite harmonious.
Just as Kael was pointing to a strange blue flower in the distance and explaining it to them, a familiar voice with a hearty laugh came from behind him:
"Captain Kael! What a coincidence, meeting you again!"
Kael turned around and saw Kallen Kaslana walking quickly towards him.
She was wearing a neat training uniform today, her silver ponytail swayed gently with her steps, and a radiant, sunny smile lit up her face, making her look full of vitality.
"Miss Kallen."
Kael nodded, a form of greeting.
After their previous encounters, he had become somewhat accustomed to this overly enthusiastic lady.
Kallen naturally walked over to Kael, her gaze first falling on Sirin and Bianca, revealing an extremely gentle and friendly smile: "Sirin, Bianca, hello! Are you looking at flowers?"
Sirin looked at Kallen, blinking her golden eyes. She remembered this silver-haired auntie, who had brought her snacks before and even played puzzles with her. She didn't seem as fierce as Sister Theresa.
She nodded, answering softly but clearly: "Yes, big brother is teaching us about flowers."
Bianca, however, looked at Kallen with a somewhat blank expression, instinctively shrinking behind Kael.
Kallen smiled, not forcing her proximity, but instead turned her attention to Kael, saying eagerly: "Captain Kael, I just happen to have a question about close-quarters combat tactics for warships that I'd like to ask you! I've seen your combat records from the Rhine front, and your strategy for dealing with small assault boats was simply brilliant! Could you tell me about your thought process at the time?"
As she spoke, she 'naturally' moved closer to Kael, her fingers gesturing in the air as if simulating tactical movements, her body inadvertently almost pressing against Kael's arm.
The faint scent of iris from her once again wafted into Kael's nose.
Kael subconsciously wanted to step back to create distance, but Kallen's questions were indeed professional and to the point, showing that she had truly done her homework.
Out of respect for a colleague, he had no choice but to stand still, trying his best to ignore the overly close proximity, and began to explain briefly: "At the time, it was mainly about anticipating their advance routes and using the Asgard's broadside cannons to form a crossfire..."
Kallen listened with great 'focus', her sapphire eyes fixed on Kael without blinking, occasionally exclaiming, "I see!" and "That's amazing!" Her adoring gaze almost materialized.
And this scene, transmitted without a single detail missed through a hidden surveillance camera, reached the Bishop's Office.
Otto was holding a glass of red wine, originally watching the screen languidly.
When she saw Kallen almost pressing against Kael, and Kael, though somewhat uncomfortable, didn't immediately push her away, her usual playful smile instantly froze.
"Click."
With a faint crisp sound, the stem of the expensive crystal wine glass in her hand was actually cracked by her forceful grip!
Crimson wine seeped through the crack, staining her fair fingers.
Otto's eyes became extremely dangerous, as if a storm was brewing in her emerald pupils.
She stared intently at Kallen's 'adoring' smiling face on the screen, the low pressure emanating from her making the temperature of the entire office seem to drop by several degrees.
"Ka...llen..." She almost squeezed the name through her teeth, her knuckles slightly whitened from the effort.
Good, very good.
It seems the previous 'cuckold' reminder wasn't clear enough? How dare she approach her Kael so brazenly?
It hardened.
Otto's fist hardened.
Meanwhile, in the garden.
Theresa, carrying a pile of recently 'conquered' documents, was on her way to find Kael to claim credit and replenish her 'Kael energy.' From a distance, she saw Kallen practically glued to Kael's side, the two of them 'chatting happily'!
Theresa's smile instantly vanished, replaced by a raging inferno of anger!
She slammed the documents to the ground, then charged like a white cannonball, forcing herself between Kael and Kallen. With her back to Kallen, she looked up, glaring at Kael indignantly:
"Kael! What are you two doing?!"
Kael was stunned by Theresa's sudden 'attack': "Theresa? We're discussing tactics..."
"Do you need to be this close to discuss tactics?!" Theresa interrupted him, her voice filled with grievance and anger, "She's practically on top of you! Why didn't you push her away?!"
Kallen, pushed aside by Theresa, wasn't angry. Instead, she showed a helpless yet somewhat innocent smile: "Theresa, don't misunderstand, I was just asking Captain Kael for advice."
"Asking for advice? I think you have ulterior motives!" Theresa retorted unceremoniously, hugging Kael's arm tightly like a protective little animal.
Kael looked at the two women, poised for a confrontation, and felt a headache coming on.
He tried to appease Theresa: "Theresa, calm down. Miss Kallen really was just asking questions..."
"I'm not listening, I'm not listening!" Theresa covered her ears, starting to act childish, "Kael, you're biased! You let her get so close! I don't care, I want to too!"
Meanwhile, Sirin, standing on Kael's other side, watched the chaotic scene unfolding before her, especially Sister Theresa's exasperated expression and the silver-haired auntie's 'it's not my business' look. She tilted her little head, her purple hair swaying gently in the breeze.
She tugged at Kael's sleeve, and when he looked down at her, she said in her much more fluent, almost 'little adult' analytical tone: "Big brother, Sister Theresa seems angry again. Is it because of this silver-haired sister? She just looks like big brother's good friend, like when she brought snacks before. Why is Sister Theresa so angry?"
In Sirin's innocent understanding, Kallen's interaction with Kael seemed no different from Kael's communication with other colleagues, far less 'threatening' than Theresa made it out to be.
She simply didn't understand why Sister Theresa got so agitated every time she saw big brother talking to someone else.
Kael listened to Sirin's 'innocent' analysis, then looked at the fuming Theresa and the 'I'm very magnanimous' Kallen, feeling utterly powerless.
What sin had he committed to simultaneously deal with a Theresa whose jealousy had boiled over, a Sirin who was either truly innocent or starting to become a little 'dark', a clingy, amnesiac Bianca, and a... Kallen who always seemed to precisely ignite Theresa's anger and whose motives were a mystery?
Kael looked up at the sky, feeling that today's sun was exceptionally dazzling.
And his longed-for 'easy' life seemed increasingly out of reach.
Kael silently swore in his heart that the next time he saw Bishop Otto, he would... he would... well, it seemed there wasn't much he could do.
💎 Power Stone Bonus: Every 100 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter
🌟 5-Star Review Bonus: Every 5 (5-Star) Reviews = +2 Extra Chapters
💬 Comment Speed-Up: If any chapter reaches +10 Comments = The Next Chapter Will Be Released Faster!
🔥 Want to Read Ahead? If you want to read advanced chapters, check out my buymeacoffee(.)com/02netnovel