"Alright, I still have some business with Herta, so I'll leave you here. Asta, hurry up and get to work before you're late."
"Mhm, mhm, goodbye, Sister Lumina."
After breakfast, Lumina accompanied Asta to the active capsule bay. After bidding her farewell, she turned and left.
[You didn't do anything... Is this really you? Did someone possess you or something?]
Recalling Lumina's behavior towards Asta from last night until now, the System seemed to have seen a ghost.
Though Lumina had occasionally surprised it before with unexpected actions, she would always secretly be up to something. But this time, she had done nothing and said nothing, acting as if it were the first time...
Seeing this, Lumina didn't rush to answer. Instead, she waved goodbye to Asta, watched Asta's graceful figure recede, and smiled softly.
With a hint of profound irony, Lumina countered, "Haven't you noticed? How utterly foolish of you~"
[?]
A question mark slowly materialized on the System's screen in response to Lumina's cryptic remark.
Seeing the question mark, Lumina realized this entity was just as clueless as Asta and March 7th—a mere bystander completely oblivious to her machinations.
Softly, Lumina began to explain, "When I said, '[I'll bring Asta breakfast every day during my time at the Space Station~],' that single line sealed Asta's fate to stay at my residence."
Lumina first mimicked her earlier conversation with Asta in the room, then clarified the meaning behind her words.
"I didn't know where Asta's room was, and she never told me. Plus, she mentioned her bed was broken... To keep receiving my daily breakfast on time and to avoid having her lie exposed, Asta had no choice but to stay in my room."
The corners of Lumina's mouth gradually curled upward, like those of a supervillain, as she firmly held Asta, the "protagonist," in the palm of her hand.
If I weren't a true villain, if I didn't harbor any romantic feelings for Asta, given her blind trust in me and her naive, gullible mind, I could have easily swindled her out of everything, even her underwear...
Lumina sighed inwardly.
Thank goodness she ran into me. Otherwise, Asta would have been in real trouble.
[ Thank goodness she ran into you, or Asta wouldn't be in this mess in the first place, ] the System muttered silently.
"Heh," Lumina scoffed softly, refusing to dwell on it. She locked onto the location of Herta's Office and began walking slowly toward it.
"What are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to wait for my signal and not rush things?"
Lumina had just pushed open the door and stepped into Herta's office when a flat, emotionless voice greeted her.
Amused by the indifferent tone, Lumina closed the door behind her and teased, "Miss Herta's beauty is unparalleled in the world. Is it so strange that I came to admire it personally?"
"Suit yourself."
Herta wasn't Asta. Hearing Lumina's words, her expression remained completely unchanged. She casually replied and continued working on her project without looking up.
"Ah... Herta, is this how you treat your partner?" Lumina sighed dramatically. "So cold, so indifferent... I come to visit you out of the goodness of my heart, only to be met with a cold shoulder... Ah, well, if you don't appreciate my affections, I'll leave then. I'll just leave~"
Lumina wiped away completely nonexistent tears from the corner of her eye, and a sudden wave of green tea fragrance filled Herta's office.
Herta: ...
The moment Herta caught the scent and heard those words, several dark lines flashed across her brow. Lumina's remark had left her utterly speechless.
An Emanator of Abundance—arguably the most renowned and revered figure in the entire Cosmos, a Saintess in the eyes of some obsessed fanatics—actually saying such a thing?
Can you believe it?
Hmm... alright, even if she said it aloud, few would believe her...
And even if they did, they'd just praise Lumina for her 'unique personality'...
Herta had experienced firsthand the capabilities of die-hard fans on multiple occasions...
Not to mention Lumina's die-hard fans...
"What do you want? Get straight to the point," Herta said, shaking her head. Abandoning her work, she focused her gaze on Lumina, arms crossed, her tone laced with weary resignation.
"I already told you, didn't I? I came specifically to admire Madam Herta's unparalleled beauty," Lumina replied, spreading her hands in a gesture of mock innocence, as if her sole purpose for visiting Herta's office was truly just that.
"Hmph." Herta merely snorted and rolled her eyes, clearly not believing a word Lumina said.
Her own peerless beauty was an undeniable truth, a fact as solid as iron. Herta would never deny it, nor would she feign modesty.
If Lumina were a man, Herta might have considered her stated reason plausible.
But she wasn't. Lumina was a woman, and her beauty rivaled Herta's own. In fact, the aura she exuded seemed even more captivating.
Therefore, Herta refused to believe a single word of Lumina's explanation. Unless...
"Wait a minute!"
As the thought struck her, Herta's eyes widened abruptly.
Recalling Lumina's behavior toward Asta and March 7th, alarm bells instantly rang in Herta's mind.
Her usually placid face, which seemed immune to worldly concerns, gradually grew cautious. Her gaze, now filled with incredulity, locked onto Lumina, and she involuntarily took a few steps back, as if confirming a shocking suspicion that left her shaken.
Lumina: ?
"What are you thinking about?"
Lumina couldn't help but twitch at the corner of her mouth, having observed Herta's expression and subtle movements.
Though she couldn't know exactly what was going through Herta's mind, her reaction and actions clearly indicated it wasn't anything good...
To prevent her image in Herta's mind from completely collapsing, Lumina quickly spoke up, interrupting Herta's train of thought.
Hearing Lumina's words, Herta snapped back to reality, her expression complex as she gazed at Lumina before her. She took a deep breath and said:
"Lumina, I know what you're trying to do, but I, Herta, have absolutely no interest in such matters... So, I hope you won't set your sights on me... You're a good person, but we're not compatible. You can find someone better!"
Lumina: ???
Hearing this and seeing Herta's utterly serious demeanor, Lumina blinked in bewildered confusion, several large question marks popping up above her head. She instantly radiated an aura of innocent, dazed adorableness.
"Why did I suddenly get friend-zoned?" Lumina muttered to herself, utterly baffled. She replayed her recent actions in her mind, but couldn't find anything that warranted a friend card...
"Hmm... it seems you've misunderstood something," Lumina said. "Since that's the case, I won't tease you anymore."
"The main reason I came to your office was to ask about Ruan Mei. I'm quite interested in her and would like you to introduce me."
Lumina shook her head, dismissing Herta's strange behavior without further thought. She cut to the chase, explaining the purpose of her visit.
Herta must have misinterpreted something. I didn't even say anything, and she just suddenly reacted like this...
A woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea—inscrutable. The old saying proved truer than ever. Lumina felt utterly overwhelmed.
Ah... Even someone as powerful as Herta, an Emanator of Erudition, can't escape this universal truth... Lumina sighed inwardly, resigned.