He knows Seele!?
The thought flashed through Bronya's head. As for the line about also being someone important to Seele, she shoved that to the back of her mind.
I'm the one who matters most to Seele.
But how did he know Seele!?
Bronya wanted to know, because she'd never known Seele to know a man like this. Which meant this was a man Seele had met only after leaving her side.
But in that damned X-10 experiment, Seele's body had been quantized, and she could only enter the Sea of Quanta.
Then where had this man met Seele, and how?
Could it be that Seele had actually already returned — but hadn't come to find her because this man was keeping her imprisoned?
Given Seele's weak temperament, if she were subjected to harsh torture, it was entirely possible she'd tell him the secrets between the two of them.
Thinking of this, Bronya clenched her fists, then slowly unclenched them.
She had to flatter this man. If Seele really was in his hands, then sheer determination alone would never be enough to save her.
Because Otto had left such a terrible first impression on Bronya, her thoughts kept running toward the darkest possibilities.
Then Bronya looked toward the little boxes by her head. This blond man was a safety absolutist. At the very least, she probably wouldn't have to worry about seeing Seele with a swollen belly in the future.
And this man was refined all over, carrying the bearing of someone long used to a high position. If he was interested in her, then he was probably interested in Seele too.
A man of high station and good education wouldn't hand over a woman he'd already claimed to someone else. Unless he was some kind of madman like that mercenary captain from the stories.
Bronya shook her head. Even if Seele really did bear this man's child, she would still treat Seele's child as her own.
No matter what Seele became, she would never let go of her.
"Where is Seele?" Bronya softened her voice. "Big brother, could you let me see Seele?"
Endure it. Even though the moment Bronya thought about Seele being messed up by this man, she wanted to kill him, she still chose to pretend to be weak.
But Otto wasn't fooled by that attitude, because, unexpectedly, the boy held grudges.
Void Archives had wanted Otto's body, and that alone was enough to make Otto keep his guard up around her even now. So Bronya, a girl who'd almost killed him twice, was hardly going to earn his trust.
Still, hearing that light, faint voice call him big brother made Otto's brow loosen.
It felt great.
"I can't let you see her." Because he himself didn't even know where Seele was.
"But I need your cooperation. Only then can I let you see Seele."
Otto didn't feel safe keeping someone who'd tried to kill him by his side. But because of Void Archives' attitude toward Bronya, he still decided to keep this girl close.
Then for his own safety, he needed to put a chain on this girl.
But this wouldn't be a physical chain.
It would be an invisible one.
The name of that chain was attachment.
He would use information about Seele to hold Bronya in check and make her obediently stay by his side. Later, once he found where Seele was, he could bring Seele over too.
Otto's idea was very simple, but Bronya was a little puzzled.
He needed her cooperation before he'd let her see Seele?
Bronya turned Otto's words over in her mind. He wanted her cooperation.
But with Seele in his hands, how exactly was she supposed to cooperate with him?
Bear him a little Bronya while Seele bore him a little Seele, and raise them together?
But Bronya very quickly understood one thing.
She'd underestimated this man. When Otto had first shown up, he'd looked fixated on her feet, so Bronya had assumed first and foremost that Otto was interested in her looks.
But how could an outstanding man be so easily bewitched by beauty?
So the "cooperation" this man wanted probably meant finding out what value she had — what sort of help she could offer him.
Assassination? Hacking skills? She didn't know any bedroom techniques, but if necessary, she could learn fast.
Thinking this, Bronya spoke.
"What do you want me to do?"
Do what? Otto thought it over. Seele clearly mattered a great deal to Bronya, so the thing to do — he'd already decided on it.
"You, Bronya. You're going to follow me."
Otto said this. He'd already chosen Anna, but one Anna alone wasn't enough. And now there just happened to be a girl here who wasn't familiar with him — of course he was going to turn her into his subordinate.
"Bronya, you're going to stay by my side and serve me."
"You'll listen to what I say. Whatever I tell you to do, you'll do it."
"If you do that, then not only will the other children from the orphanage be treated well by Schicksal, but as long as you satisfy me, I'll bring Seele to you."
Otto said this. That was his demand. It was simple, but very hard to do.
And this girl seemed skilled at assassination, too. Keeping her by his side might help him avoid quite a few assassination attempts from others.
But he couldn't tell her the truth about Seele. What if she changed her mind? So he had to make her understand that only he could contact Seele, and make himself more important in her eyes.
Bronya was thinking over Otto's demand. Listen to him, do whatever he said — wouldn't that just make her a dog?
But she didn't think for very long. She'd finally gotten a clue about Seele, and she couldn't let this chance go.
She struggled to turn herself over. Because all four limbs were bound, she could only roll across the bed in a rather ridiculous way.
Otto didn't move. He even grew more wary. Was this rope really secure enough?
Bronya was no longer presenting her butt to Otto. Instead, she was facing him head-on. She lay on the bed and tilted her head up to look at the blond man.
She knew this man was on guard against her, so she had to find some way to lower that guard.
Thinking this, Bronya kept the same blank expression on her pale face, but her lips parted.
"Woof, woof, woof~"
Barking like a little dog — this represented her submission, her agreement to his demand.
And Bronya understood clearly that with her face and bearing, saying "woof woof" like this to a man would definitely hit him differently.
This was her first time.
Bronya looked at Otto. But after barking, she felt a little puzzled, because she thought she saw a trace of confusion in this man's eyes.
Why was this person barking like a dog?
Otto was extremely puzzled. He didn't understand Bronya's intent, and he didn't understand all these games. What bad thoughts could the Overseer of Schicksal possibly have?
He only thought her barking sounded really nice.
He really wanted to hear it a few more times.
"So then, you agree?" Otto asked, and Bronya nodded, a little confused.
But what Otto said next made her body stiffen slightly.
"Then turn yourself over. Time to get down to business."
So there really was no way to avoid it. But she'd already steeled herself.
Bronya calmly faced her fate of being acquired.