Chapter 643: A Beautiful Girl on the Left, A Beautiful Girl on the Right, and Another Beautiful Girl Coming from Behind
"Professor Anaxa, did something happen?"
Hearing her Professor's confused and bewildered words, Castorice quickly diverted her attention.
Although the touch in her hand still remained, because her attention had been diverted, the redness on Castorice's face had faded slightly.
But it was still specially red, as if blood was about to drip, making it completely impossible for outsiders to tell what changes had occurred to Castorice at this moment compared to before.
"..."
Upon hearing, after hearing the question Castorice asked, Anaxa did not immediately reply.
Instead, his eyes were fixed on the scene he saw in front of him, and he seemed to be thinking about something in his heart.
"Professor Anaxa?" Castorice first looked in the direction of Anaxa's gaze and saw a couple... well, holding hands, interlocking their fingers, and being deeply affectionate...
This should be a couple, right, well... there should be no mistake, it must be a couple.
Their fingers were interlocked, their actions so intimate, and the gaze they exchanged was so intense it was almost pulling silk, they must be a couple... with a very good relationship.
"Mmm..."
While Castorice was observing the situation before her, the warmth and an itch emanating from the palms of her hands pulled her thoughts back.
A burning sensation surged through Castorice's entire body, as if she were in a furnace.
The couple interlocking their fingers before her was undoubtedly a couple. Then... then what did it mean for her and Sister Lumina to interlock their fingers like this?
Could it be... could it be... that she and Sister Lumina had already started gradually moving toward...?
Although Castorice had never fallen in love, nor had she ever experienced this kind of feeling.
Even though she had rarely had contact with others, but... but she still understood a lot about things related to "love and romance."
After all, in addition to writing some warm and happy stories, Castorice would also occasionally write... stories about two people in love.
And as for novels about girls and girls, although Castorice didn't write them much, she had read a lot.
And her and Sister Lumina's behavior right now, wasn't it just... developing in, in that direction?
Me... me and Sister Lumina?
This... This isn't very good...
What about Big Sister Herta?
Upon seeing the couple and associating it with her current situation with Sister Lumina, Castorice's little head instantly ran wild with thoughts.
You couldn't really blame Castorice for thinking too much, for her mind always veering in a certain direction.
This gesture of interlocking fingers, after all... wasn't it a bit ambiguous?
Even between best friends, making this gesture would seem a little... intimate.
Wait, best friends!
As soon as the word came to mind, Castorice's little head seemed to enlighten, instantly reaching an epiphany.
Right... Right! That's it, best friends!
The relationship between her and Sister Lumina was a best-friend relationship!
Although interlocking fingers was slightly intimate, it was still within the realm of best friends!
For some very close best friends, this behavior was a completely normal thing!
Never mind interlocking fingers, for very close best friends, even taking baths together or sleeping in the same bed was a completely normal thing.
She was only interlocking fingers with Sister Lumina, it didn't mean anything.
It could only... be considered Sister Lumina's way of showing her care.
Sister Lumina is very smart, she must have guessed that I bear the Curse of [Death], and that I must have been very lonely from childhood.
Everything she has done for me is just to make sure I'm no longer alone or lonely. She definitely doesn't have any ideas of that nature!
Sister Lumina is just... showing her care for me.
She doesn't... have any deeper thoughts about me.
Probably, right?
Castorice murmured silently in her heart.
Becoming the kind of couple that everyone envies with Sister Lumina was something Castorice didn't even dare to think about.
After the incident at The Grove and the fact that Sister Lumina was unaffected by the Curse of [Death], and associating that with the respect and caution Lady Aglaea showed toward Sister Lumina, Castorice also understood.
Sister Lumina is the sun in the high heavens, something mortals on earth cannot reach...
Even if a sprout of feelings had bloomed in Castorice's heart because of Lumina's various actions, it would surely be extinguished, right?
Big Sister Herta and Sister Lumina... they are the match made in heaven, aren't they?
Castorice lowered her eyes, the light in them gradually fading.
The blush on her fair face gradually faded away, visible to the naked eye.
But even so, feeling the waves of warmth from her palm, Castorice's face remained very flushed, and the shame in her heart still lingered.
A very warm feeling, a feeling Castorice had never experienced before...
And... and this warm feeling was even felt through a glove.
If she took off this glove and felt the temperature of Sister Lumina's palm up close, without obstruction, pressed together, facing each other honestly... in such a situation, how warm would it be?
In her heart, Castorice couldn't help but start to fantasize.
"Let's keep going."
But before the fantasy in Castorice's mind could deepen further, after a moment of silence, Anaxa spoke. He didn't continue forward, but turned and walked in another direction.
"Eh? Ah?"
"Oh, oh."
Anaxa's words were like a heavy blow, striking Castorice's heart and instantly snapping her out of her "naughty" fantasies.
"Sis... Sister Lumina, let's go too."
Castorice didn't feel any confusion at Anaxa's words.
After all, Castorice didn't know who the target of the "comforting" was supposed to be.
Seeing Teacher Anaxa's apathetic attitude, Castorice even wondered if he had found the wrong person.
Staring at Anaxa's back, Castorice took a deep breath, not daring to turn her head to look at Lumina.
Keeping her gaze fixed forward, she spoke to Lumina in a somewhat unnatural tone.
"Okay, let's go." Lumina smiled, and as Castorice took a step forward, she gently stroked the palm of Castorice's hand with her own.
"Mgh..."
Although Lumina's action was extremely subtle, and the ticklish sensation transmitted through the glove was minuscule,
the "characteristics" of Castorice's current state amplified this minuscule tickle infinitely, making her feel it clearly as it spread from her palm to her entire body...
Which caused her emotions, which she had just managed to regulate, to soar once again...
Her footsteps became heavy once more, as if bound by a thousand-catty stone.
"..."
"Let's go."
Having witnessed the entire interaction between Lumina and Castorice, even someone as strong as Herta could no longer bear it.
Stepping forward, Herta grabbed Lumina's other free small hand.
Feigning a calm demeanor as if nothing had happened, she gave Lumina a sign.
"Hmm~"
According to the previously decided plan to "infuriate Herta," Lumina should have shaken off Herta's small hand now.
But when the warmth of Herta's small hand touched her palm, even if Lumina had the thought, her hand lost all strength. No matter how strong her will, she couldn't bring herself to shake off Herta's small hand.
After struggling for a mere zero point zero zero few seconds, Lumina abandoned the idea.
Little Herta in one hand, Little Castorice in the other, with Little Stelle and Little Mem following behind... this "Elysium" was probably nothing more than this, right?
"Hmm..." In the back, Stelle watched Sister Lumina with a beautiful girl in each hand, scratched her head, and a flicker of thought passed through her eyes.
She looked up and down at Sister Lumina's figure, seeming to be pondering something.
"Mimi?" Seeing her companion lost in thought, Mem immediately felt confused.
What was there to think about in this situation?
Couldn't she just catch up?
"Companion, you..."
"Hmm~ I've decided! How can it work without me?"
Before Mem could even ask her question, Stelle's contemplation reached a conclusion.
She nodded, affirming the thought that had just crossed her mind.
"Mem?"
Then, under Mem's utterly confused gaze, Stelle hastily started running forward.
When she got close to Lumina's back, she spread her arms wide.
A faint thud of bodies colliding and the sound of running footsteps skidding to a halt echoed. Stelle had hugged Lumina from behind.
Her body pressed against Lumina's back, her arms wrapped around Lumina's waist, and her head turned to the side, half her face resting firmly against Lumina's back, a look of sheer enjoyment on her face.
"Mem..."
Slap...
Seeing her companion commit such an act, Mem raised a hand and smacked herself in the face. Her small face crumpled, her speechless frustration reaching a new height.
But speechless or not, this was still her companion.
Even if she was speechless, she still had to walk this path with her.
Mem shook her head and flew lightly, instantly appearing beside Stelle.
Since Stelle was almost pressed against Lumina's back, a fragrance that seemed capable of healing all wounds wafted through the air as Mem approached, making her feel exceptionally comfortable.
So she sniffed the air and took a deep breath.
"Mem..."
Realizing what she had just done, Mem's small face instantly flushed red.
Fortunately, she wasn't in her human form, so her blushing wasn't very clear.
But Mem felt extremely shy and embarrassed about her recent actions.
"Um..." up ahead, Lumina, who was being held hands with by one beautiful girl on each side and hugged from behind by another, stopped walking, her expression showing a hint of awkwardness.
"Um, Stelle, please let go first."
"I can't walk properly like this."
Lumina was still somewhat unaccustomed to being surrounded by beautiful girls on her left, right, and back.
Lumina preferred having a beautiful girl on each side and another one held in her arms; that was how she liked it.
With a beautiful girl behind her like this, Lumina felt it was somewhat strange...
Being hugged tightly around her waist from behind by a beautiful girl... Lumina decided that it was better to avoid it.
After all, such an action always made Lumina think of some not-so-pleasant things.
Moreover, this posture greatly hindered her walking movements, which was very inconvenient.
"Sister Lumina, do you dislike me?"
Hearing Sister Lumina's 36-degree small mouth say words that were minus 36 degrees, Stelle felt extremely, extremely heartbroken.
But even so, her actions at this time did not change at all.
"..."
Obviously, Lumina, who knew Stelle a little, knew that she was completely faking it.
Sighing, Lumina said: "I don't dislike you, it's just that you hugging me like this really makes it a bit inconvenient for me."
"Then I want to hold hands."
Hearing this, Stelle, who understood the point, followed her sister Lumina's words and reluctantly loosened her arms, moving away from Lumina's back.
Sigh... I really want to make Sister Lumina my trophy.
Looking at her sister Lumina's mesmerizing back, Stelle silently sighed in her heart.
"Hmph!"
After letting out a very cool "Hmph," Stelle instantly became determined.
Although Sister Lumina is incredibly powerful, I'm not bad either.
I am the Galactic Baseballer, no matter how powerful Sister Lumina is, she will eventually have to surrender to my baseball bat!
Perhaps infected by someone beside her, Stelle laughed loudly in her heart, fiercely fantasizing about the scene of Sister Lumina becoming her private trophy.
Fortunately, the infection wasn't completely thorough; Stelle quickly stopped thinking about it and snapped back to her senses.
Looking at her sister Lumina's two small hands, both already occupied, Stelle spoke: "Sister Lumina, I want one too!"
Castorice and Herta both have her hands, why can't she?
Although Sister Lumina only has two hands, with her vast powers, would it be any problem for her to grow a third?
Definitely no problem at all.
Lumina: ?
If Lumina knew what Stelle was thinking right now, she would feel incredibly speechless and would probably smack Stelle's head hard.
Grow an extra hand? Although Lumina could actually do it... it would look hideous, completely unbecoming of a beautiful girl's elegance and grace. Lumina would never do such a thing.
"Uh..." Unaware of Stelle's thoughts, Lumina was left speechless for a moment after hearing her words.
"Stelle, I think..."
"M... Miss, here, you take it."
Then, before Lumina could say anything else.
The hand she had interlaced with Castorice's suddenly felt a chill.
Castorice let go of her interlaced fingers.
She took a few steps back, giving her spot to Stelle.
Lumina: ???
Even someone as powerful as Lumina couldn't help but be bewildered by Castorice's move.
Wait, what is the meaning of this?
Treating me like an object to be lent out after use?
Are you okay? Did you get so flustered that your brain short-circuited?
Whoosh—
While Lumina was still stunned, Stelle didn't refuse Castorice's "goodwill." With a gentle breeze brushing past her ear, Stelle appeared in Castorice's original spot and took Lumina's small hand.
Then, mimicking the gesture the two had made earlier, she interlaced her fingers with Lumina's.
Feeling the warmth of a different hand from Castorice's, Lumina still hadn't snapped out of it. She blinked, fully displaying her utterly bewildered state.
"Hmm... never mind."
After a moment, Lumina finally came to her senses.
"It doesn't seem to make much of a difference."
Although the person had changed, she was still in the position of holding a beautiful girl in each hand.
Lumina didn't mind it too much.
"Pfft... Hahaha."
Although Lumina didn't mind, Herta did.
Herta, who had been quietly watching the scene from the side, couldn't help but burst out laughing on the spot.