Stealing Spree

The dinner eventually ended in silence. With Otoha's father stomping his foot down to not let the conversation escalate from earlier, the battle of words was far from over.

As the servants cleared the dishes and replaced them with the dessert, I couldn't help but chuckle internally at the sight of Otoha's mother's scowling face.

She was defeated, if only for now. But I'm sure he won't let this night end with me laughing. She's probably already planning something in that head of hers.

I didn't think much of it though. What's important for me right now is to tend to my girl.

Using the table napkin, I gently wiped the corner of Otoha's mouth, catching the stray cream that had escaped from the delicious dessert she was devouring. She blushed and then scooped a spoonful for me, placing it gently on my lips.

Her mother's eyes shot daggers, but we were both unfazed. We were in our world now, and we would not cede it so easily.

I opened my mouth and took the sweet spoonful from Otoha's trembling hand, savoring the rich flavor of the chocolate mousse.

"Onoda, do you know? Otoha made this dessert. She didn't want us to tell you but... I believe you'll appreciate knowing," Hidekazu said from the other side, who was amused at seeing the sight of us unbothered by the presence of their parents and acted flirty in front of them.

"Is that true?" I asked, looking at Otoha with feigned surprise.

She nodded, her cheeks a delightful shade of pink but then she glared at her brother saying, "It's supposed to be a secret!"

He laughed, "Why keep it a secret? You've worked hard for it."

"T-that's right. This is great, Miss... Otoha." Her ex-fiance also said, trying to insert himself in the conversation to win some points.

Otoha didn't ignore him but when she looked in his direction, her glare remained, "I didn't make it for you."

Looking like he just got choked out of air, the ex-fiancé coughed a bit, his cheeks reddening from embarrassment.

But as always, her mother came as the dude's backup, "Otoha, you're being rude to a guest. Apologize immediately.

"Huh? So, when you're rude to Ruki, it's fine but when I'm rude to that guy, I have to apologize?" Otoha retorted, not missing a beat. Her voice was like a whip crack, carrying with it a hint of her unusual defiance. She had had enough of her mother's double standards. We were in this together so she wouldn't let me face her alone.

Perhaps not expecting her daughter's sudden spike of rebellion, Otoha's mother's expression froze, her hand freezing mid-air with the spoonful of Otoha's mousse. Her eyes darted from her daughter to me, then back again.

"I didn't teach you to speak to your elders that way," Otoha's mother snapped, her eyes flashing with irritation.

"Mother, you also taught me that respect begets respect. And I dare say that I've been more than respectful to our guest, even when our engagement had long been canceled. "Otoha said with a sweet smile that didn't quite hide the edge in her voice, "It was you who's not practicing what you preach."

Once again, the room was filled with a thick silence, only this time, it was not one of tension, but rather of the quiet satisfaction of a well-placed retort. Otoha's mother stared at her daughter, speechless for once.

I observed the reaction of her brother and her father. Both of them had been holding back their amusement at Otoha's quick wit, while her mother's face was a mask of indignance.

Of course, considering this should be a dinner to introduce me properly to them, Otoha's mother bringing someone unrelated had displeased them, just not vocally.

"Otoha, it's fine. I didn't feel disrespected at all," I said, cutting through the tension with a smooth smile. "In fact, Auntie was probably concerned about your well-being. I'm sure you made this dessert for all of us to enjoy. Let's not spoil the evening with petty squabbles. You know me, no matter what happens, I'll stay by your side."

After saying that, I glanced at her mother, wearing a fake smile, "Auntie, your guest also enjoyed the dessert. That's all that matters, isn't it?"

Understanding that she's now on the backfoot, Otoha's mother only clicked her tongue and dropped the issue.

Still, the tension remained in the air, thick as the chocolate sauce on the dessert. The silence was only broken by the sound of spoons scraping the last remnants of mousse from our plates.

As I thought this was going to be over, Otoha's brother then brought up something, "Onoda, is it true? I heard from grandpa, you're going to help him out with his new project?"

Adding a wink at the end, I guess this was his way to help us out. However, considering he brought up their grandfather, there must be a sprinkle of truth there.

I took a sip of my tea to wash away the sweetness, before responding to Hidekazu, "I don't dare claim I'm helping him. Grandpa is simply giving me an opportunity."

Making sure to put an emphasis on 'Grandpa', everyone in the dining hall had their ears perked up.

My way of addressing the Patriarch of the Kaneko Family 'Grandpa' was not a mere slip of the tongue. It was a deliberate attempt to shock those opposed to me that I had the support of someone who mattered the most in this household.

And it worked. Otoha's mother's expression shifted from irritation to surprise, and I knew I had her full attention.

"Oh... was that too casual? I apologize. I used to call him grandfather but he insisted on having me address him the same way Otoha does," I said as I took in the dumbfounded expression of Otoha's mother and her ex-fiance.

Well, I said I wouldn't casually use his influence but if I didn't bring this up once, her mother would never put down her prejudice.

"You... Have you met Father?" This time, it was Otoha's father who spoke up, curiosity burned in his eyes.

I looked at Otoha first to clue them in that we met him together before responding, "Yes. It was more than a month ago, Uncle. We went to her cabin up in the north. Since then, we communicated occasionally through phone calls."

The room went eerily quiet. The only sound was the clinking of silverware against the porcelain plates and the occasional shifting of chairs.

"Well, I suppose that explains a lot," Hiroyuki said with a thoughtful look, stroking his chin. He had a twinkle in his eye, and I could almost see the wheels turning in his head. "You've gotten his approval."

"No wonder he mentioned you to me," Hidekazu also said.

At this point, all attention focused on me and Otoha's mother remained flabbergasted at the side. As for her ex-fiance, he looked more humiliated than when we made fun of him before.

Even when he became Otoha's fiance before, he never had direct contact with her grandfather.

Otoha's mother was visibly taken aback. "You... you've been speaking to father?" she asked, her voice wavering slightly.

"I am, Auntie. Although not as much. Sometimes, I actually feel like I'm troubling him a lot."

And that was the truth. I asked him for the favor of helping Juri. And then recently, with Marika's aunt. I got indebted to him long before I could do something in return.

At this, the air shifted and the questions suddenly leaned more towards my connection to the eccentric old man.

Otoha helped me in answering and together, we commanded the room. I shared his words of wisdom, making them laugh with the old man's peculiar sense of humor. Of course, Auntie still thought I was lying but when I described that cabin and how he seemed to be able to talk to animals during our visit back then, it became unmistakable.

Anything that Auntie was preparing went down the drain and she deflated like a balloon running out of air.

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