-398- Alright! I'll be your Papa!

"Pa... Papa?"

At this moment, Rozen's eyes widened in utter astonishment.

"Ugh..."

Even Asuna's mouth hung slightly open, showing her inability to process what was happening.

"Gu!"

"Gu!"

Both Saichou and Hanachou simultaneously emitted sounds, as if joining Yui in calling out "Papa."

Everyone stared at Yui, their thoughts scattered, leaving only the shocking address echoing in their minds.

Rozen, in particular, was left dumbfounded.

In this moment, he could only think of a few things:

What's going on?

Where is this place?

Who am I?

Where am I?

It was all a jumbled mess.

Only Yui, observing Rozen's bewildered expression, and carefully approached.

"Papa...?"

Yui tentatively called out to Rozen, her eyes tearing up and fearful, like a shy child who had spotted a family member but was too scared to recognize them, evoking deep sympathy.

"...Rozen?"

Asuna seemed to be stimulated by Yui's complicated demeanor, staring intently at Rozen, her emotions swirling.

Seeing Asuna's complex expression, Rozen couldn't help but speak up.

"Don't look at me like that! I definitely don't have a daughter this age!"

He was kidding!

Let alone marriage, Rozen hadn't even had a girlfriend yet. For decades, he had been immersed in the training of magic. While he certainly wasn't entirely cut off from the world of romantic thoughts, he did entertain certain fantasies about cute girls, but he hadn't make a move on any of them!

Even though it was quite sad to admit, Rozen was still a virgin. When did he suddenly end up with a daughter this size?

Rozen even felt like shouting at Yui, "What's your mom's name?"

It was such an absurd turn of events.

Asuna naturally understood Rozen's intention.

"I... I understand," Asuna said, "I never really doubted you."

This sentence made Rozen stare directly into Asuna's eyes, but all he got in response was Asuna turning her face away without hesitation, clearly appearing guilty.

This caused Rozen's mouth to twitch.

Meanwhile, Yui continued to gaze at Rozen with her round, teary eyes, her delicate face still showing signs of wanting to cry, making her appear pitiful.

At least, faced with this kind of expression, Rozen couldn't bring himself to say the words, "I'm not your dad."

"Sigh..."

At that moment, Rozen let out a sigh and forced an even awkward smile as he spoke to Yui.

"At... at the very least, you should call me 'Onni-san' or something...?"

Upon hearing this, Yui's tearful expression didn't disappear; instead, it became even more intense, as if she could burst into tears at any moment, making her appear even more pitiful.

Seeing this, Rozen gave up completely.

"All right! All right! I get it! I'll be your Papa!"

Rozen exclaimed, resigning himself to the absurdity of the situation.

As soon as he said this, Yui's tearful expression instantly transformed into a big, joyful smile.

"Papa...! Papa...!"

Yui seemed incredibly happy and climbed out of bed, pouncing into Rozen's arms.

"Be careful!"

Rozen quickly approached and embraced Yui.

"Hehe..."

Yui immediately let out a tinkling laugh.

"Haha..."

Rozen laughed as well, but his laughter felt incredibly hollow.

Although in terms of actual years of existence, Rozen was old enough to be someone's father, but his life experiences and maturity were still those of a young man.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have remained so childish while dedicating himself to magic training.

Now, suddenly becoming someone's father, his emotions were incredibly complex.

But for now, there was no other choice.

(We still don't know what's going on with this child, so it's best to go along with it for now.)

Rozen thought to himself this way.

Of course, he would never admit it, but even he couldn't help but waver when Yui stared at him with such hopeful and pitiful eyes, leading him to resort to this measure.

(At most, this is just a temporary solution. That's right, a temporary solution.)

Rozen had to convince himself of this.

"Pfft..."

Asuna, who had been watching this scene from the side, couldn't hold back her laughter any longer and covered her mouth with her hand, bursting into giggles.

This girl...

Rozen gritted his teeth in frustration.

Unfortunately, Asuna wouldn't enjoy her amusement for long.

Yui lifted her head from Rozen's embrace and looked at Asuna.

"Mama...?"

Asuna's face froze, and she was left dumbfounded.

"Ma...Mama...?"

After a moment, Asuna finally understood that Yui was calling her, and she became flustered.

"Um..." Yui's face once again showed a tearful expression, her eyes seemingly moistening, and she cautiously called out, "Mama...?"

That voice was not just heart-wrenching; it even evoked a feeling that denying it would be a sin.

"Yu...Yui-chan..."

Asuna's face displayed the most conflicted and guiltful expression she had ever worn.

She was torn between the guilt she felt because she couldn't bear to see Yui like this and the sheer complexity of the situation.

(Rozen is the dad... I'm the mom... Does that mean Rozen and I...)

Thinking about this, Asuna's face turned bright red.

On the other hand, Rozen, as if finally getting his revenge, smiled.

"Can you bear to refuse such an adorable child? Hm?"

Rozen said these words with a mischievous tone, reveling in the situation.

Asuna glared at Rozen for a moment before turning her gaze towards Yui.

Yui had been watching Asuna all along, her eyes filled not only with anxiety but also with expectation.

Seeing this, Asuna knew she was trapped.

"Okay."

Asuna nodded and put on a warm, motherly smile.

"I'm your Mama, Yui-chan."

In that moment, Asuna's voice sounded more tender than ever before.

Yui's eyes lit up, and her big smile returned.

"Mama...! Mama...!"

Yui immediately rushed into Asuna's arms.

"Yui-chan!"

Asuna hugged the young girl, closed her eyes, and even rested her head on top of Yui's.

Holding this young girl, Asuna felt her innermost vulnerability being touched.

Even though she didn't know who Yui was or what she had been through to become like this, Asuna sensed the girl's longing for family and the unease of being in an unfamiliar place.

Otherwise, why would Yui call complete strangers "Papa" and "Mama"?

With a mixture of sympathy and sorrow, Asuna embraced the young girl tightly, pouring all her emotions into the hug.

Meanwhile, Saichou and Hanachou continued to flutter around the newly formed mother-daughter pair, creating a warm atmosphere.

Watching this scene, Rozen couldn't help but smile wryly and thought to himself, "Looks like I'll have to investigate this thoroughly."