201 BLUE - Over

"Mr.Alexander, what are your thoughts on becoming Japan's #1 chef?"

"Are you planning on joining any specific restaurant in the future?"

"What are your thoughts on the current level of the world gourmet?"

In front of Alexander, too many cameras were stuffing in front of his face with interviewers asking him non-stop questions. All Alexander did was stand there like a statue.

For the first time in his life, Alexander was flustered, "Uh...I...First of all, I would like to thank my mother and--" But lucky him, he was rescued by Mana who pulled him by his collar.

"The show is over you have 5 minutes to get out of my castle!" Mana displayed a ferocious glare, one that she had never displayed since her days in Totsuki. The reporters couldn't help but lower their heads down like kids and retreat.

"Thanks for the save, i guess." Being dragged by his collar, Alexander asked. This woman is surprisingly strong despite never eating for years.

"I guess then you owe me some dinner, right?" Mana smiled with bright eyes of the stars at the mention of eating again despite having just eaten two dishes.

Alexander chuckled "And I guess someone owes me an apology too." He said. Mana stopped and looked back at him with a frown "What?" she asked.

"Remember? You said if i win this, you will kneel in front of me and apologies." Alexander adjusted his clothes and said with a smile.

"No, I didn't," Mana remember that time and she clicked her tongue while denying that fact completely, like hell she was gonna kneel in front of a kid the same age as her daughter!

"If you do kneel, I will cook for you." Alexander raised his hand and spoke with a sweet smile on his face.

"Really?!" Mana was thrilled as her face beamed with joy "Then--" Before Mana could do anything, Anne appeared like a ghost behind her with a cold smile.

"Whoa!!" Mana jumped up with shivers going down her spine.

"Mana-sama..." Anne spoke, "You're the book master, please mind your actions..." She said as she looked at Mana with a smile like that of a titan that killed a certain mother. Mana froze down terrified, Is this the same Anne that serves under her? she thought.

Alexander chuckled awkwardly, by this time, he was no longer interested in Mana's apology as he remembered "Ah! ARC!!" He shouted, "I have to get back to Russia." He said, "My son must be missing me!" He said with a pained expression.

Hearing him, Mana recalled that some girl with him got pregnant "Oh yeah, you're a father now, A son, eh? he must be a cute little devil, isn't he?" She spoke while thinking about the time she Erina, She too was fawning all over her daughter at the time, being a parent brings out the most unexpected side out of you.

"Oh, he is, here, let me show it!" Alexander jumped up and opened his coat and took out a stash of pictures as he laid them on the floor "Look! this is after he was born 2 hours later, and this one is 5 hours later, and this one is 5 and a half later...and this one is a day later." Alexander started going through the long-ass line of pictures that he took.

Mana and Anne started having a headache "Uh...We get it, fine, he is cute!" Mana raised her hands giving up.

Alexander started gathering his pictures like they were gold coins while looking at Mana with wary eyes "I won't take them!" Mana said after noticing his gaze at her.

"You better..." Alexander said "...I think I will go now, oh and by the way, send the money prize as soon as possible, I think I will gift it to Arc." Mana shook her head and decided not to speak any further, she doesn't want to continue this conversation that will just revolve around a kid who can't even see yet.

"Alright, see ya!" Alexander jumped off the stairs wall and landed on the floor as he did some unexpected acrobatic moves while shouting "Parkour!" on his way out of the caste.

Mana looked at Alexander leaving and sighed, it seems that she will not eat anything until he returns. She turned to leave to her room, and as she did, her eyes landed on 3 men in front of her, one elderly with a long white beard and thick eyebrows, another in his late 40s, red-brown long hair and subtle beard, and the last one, he was a black-haired with one single white stripe. Just a mere look at him made Mana want to pull his guts out.

She looked at the elderly man and frowned "What is the meaning of this...Father?" Mana looked at Senzaemon; her father who was with Joichiro together with...Azami.

...

Alexander soon reached Vlad who was waiting for him outside in the car with Keanu and the others as they took off to the airport. On his way, Alexander's phone rang, for a moment, he didn't want to pick it up, but you never know...

"New phone, who is this?" Alexander said.

"Eh?...uh! New phone?... I think this is the right number?" A very flustered voice of a boy came from the other side of the phone. Alexander recognized the voice as Isshiki's.

"Isshiki? what do you want?" He asked.

"Alexander?...Oooh! You got me this time." Isshiki chuckled as he realized that he was tricked, but Alexander wasn't trying to trick him...It was a habit. "But anyway, I just had to call you to tell you that the autumn election is over and [Autumn Leaf Viewing] where the elite 10 are to meet the top 10 of the election is soon to start in a few weeks." he said, "Several days ago, Senzaemon-dono said this was a tradition that must not be broken." The last part was said with a scared tone masked with an amused chuckle. Senzaemon's anger was not a joke. "And the Moon Banquet Festival is soon to start in a couple of months..."

Alexander face-palmed himself, he totally forgot about Totsuki and that he was an elite 10 with responsibilities, the only reason he could stay like this without any work is that Isshiki as the 2nd seat was covering for him and that he was representing Totsuki is BLUE.

"I will try to come back when the Autumn Leaf Viewing starts, but just in case...Call me."