In the end, Castorice still couldn't bring herself to call Lumina "Wife."
Even though Castorice actually wanted to say it in her heart, the fact that they hadn't known each other for long, combined with the endless embarrassment that kept arising, made it impossible for her to say it.
And Herta, who had started all of this, didn't say it again after that first "Wife."
The reason she stopped was quite obvious.
But that was only a guess. No one knew what Herta was actually thinking or what little schemes she was plotting except herself.
Stelle, on the other hand, presented a sharp contrast to Castorice and Herta.
"Wife Sister, Wife Sister."
"My wife Lumina, Sister Lumina Wife!"
Since her own Sister Lumina had said it, Stelle naturally seized the opportunity.
She immediately combined the words "Wife" and "Sister Lumina" to create a vast array of new nicknames.
Lumina: ...
Lumina felt somewhat helpless about this.
Each of Stelle's nicknames for her was weirder than the last. Even though Lumina didn't usually care about how she was addressed, under the barrage of these strange titles, she figured it wouldn't be long before she started to care.
"Hmm... these nicknames all feel a bit strange." Not only did Lumina find them weird, but Stelle herself felt the same way.
After bowing her head in thought for a moment, Stelle made a decision that brought Lumina a sigh of relief.
"Forget it, Sister Lumina, I'll just call you that."
"I'm not really used to calling you 'Wife' and things like that."
Stelle scratched her head, wearing an awkward yet polite smile.
She had been calling Lumina "Sister Lumina" almost since the moment she woke up on the Space Station.
Having used that name from the very beginning, Stelle couldn't possibly get used to a new one right away.
And with Stelle's personality, she wasn't about to get used to anything.
You want me to get used to it? You dare ask the Galactic Baseballer to accept or get used to you?
Well then, sorry, it's time to say goodbye!
After a few seconds of thinking, Stelle's mind kicked out every nickname except for "Sister Lumina."
"Phew..."
Hearing this, Lumina breathed a sigh of relief, a kind and satisfied smile appearing on her face.
It was the kind of smile a grandmother would have when seeing her grandchild being so sensible and lovable.
After offering Stelle a brief smile, Lumina turned to look at Herta.
The smile hadn't disappeared, but the kindness and satisfaction within it were nowhere to be seen.
The smile Lumina now directed at Herta was full of mockery and ridicule.
Like a winner mocking a loser.
Come to think of it, isn't Herta the loser right now?
She was the one who started this argument, so naturally, the final gaze was destined to fall on her.
Lumina had perfectly resolved this matter, so in the end, she naturally had to "judge" Herta.
Herta: ...
Herta clenched her fists at Lumina's mocking smile, and a prominent "#" symbol appeared on her fair face.
Two nameless fires flared up in her heart because of Lumina's behavior.
One was undoubtedly anger.
As for the other nameless fire, it was...
But no matter which fire it was, she couldn't do anything about Lumina.
Putting aside whether she had the strength, in her current situation, Herta was already at a disadvantage and in the wrong, with absolutely no right or power to resist.
If she said anything more, or acted stubborn or like a scoundrel, Lumina might even seize the opportunity to launch a Follow-Up Attack...
At this moment, silence and silently accepting Lumina's mockery was the best choice.
Enduring for a moment brings calm; stepping back reveals a vast sky.
Herta understood this principle.
But Herta obviously didn't know another truth.
And that is, the times have advanced.
So-called Follow-Up Attacks can be triggered regardless of whether the "monster" has taken action.
Just like right now.
Although Herta looked like she was silently accepting and silently enduring her punishment, Lumina still launched a Follow-Up Attack.
The hand holding Herta's small hand began to act a little restless.
Palm rubbed against palm, bringing Herta a slight, tingling itch.
Lumina leaned her head forward, bringing it close to Herta.
Her lips, cherry-red and moist as if tempting someone to take a bite, came to Herta's ear.
Lumina first gently blew a breath of hot air, brushing against Herta's ear.
In an instant, the tips of Herta's ears flushed red at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The speed was so fast it rivaled the light arrows of The Hunt.
But even so, even though her ears were already crimson, Herta still maintained a calm and indifferent expression on her face, as if she didn't care about Lumina's current behavior at all.
But Herta obviously forgot that she was still holding Lumina's arm.
When Lumina's small mouth blew hot air onto Herta's ear, Lumina could clearly feel Herta's soft body stiffen instantly.
"So cute, Little Herta."
Lumina smiled, silently praising Herta in her heart.
Then, imitating Herta's earlier tone, she pinched her voice and said with a coquettish giggle, "Wifey~ You are my one and only wifey, you are my wifey alone, right?"
"Herta Wifey~ I want cuddles."
Whatever Herta had done to her before, Lumina would now do the same to Herta.
As for whether this sentence would turn a "punishment" into a reward...
Lumina felt it completely wouldn't.
Well... it probably wouldn't.
Lumina muttered to herself, still feeling a bit uncertain.
But fortunately, in the very next second after her words fell, Herta's reaction confirmed what Lumina had been thinking.
Under the assault of these words, within a mere second, Madam Herta's powerful defenses were completely breached...
The calm expression she had been feigning instantly collapsed, and blood rushed through her body. In the blink of an eye, every inch of her skin, on her face and body, turned a visible shade of red.
Before long, the fair-skinned Madam Herta had transformed into a "red person."
It was as if she'd been splashed with several buckets of boiling water, turning completely red and even emitting a faint steam.
"Oh wow."
Lumina had expected Herta to have a strong reaction.
But she never expected it to be this strong...
Tsk tsk.
You turn like this just from some "sweet talk," and you're planning to do something even more "intimate" with me?
Seeing Herta in this state, the derision and disdain in Lumina's eyes deepened.
Lumina wasn't an idiot. She had a pretty good idea of what Herta's plan was.
Herta would most likely take the initiative to do something, then tempt Lumina into doing something "wrong" to her. In the end, Lumina would be forced to stay with her out of guilt... forced to be with her forever.
Forced to truly become her wifey...
That must have been Herta's inner plan, or at least close enough to it.
But looking at it now...
Is this plan a joke?
With Herta like this, how could she possibly tempt me to do anything "wrong" to her?
Just wearing revealing clothes and hesitating to come before her completely naked... those two things alone would be enough to completely stall Herta, wouldn't they?
Hmph~
Compared to Ruan Mei, Herta was much weaker.
Lumina had to admit, this plan was actually a bit effective.
After all, with Madam Herta's looks, if she really did something extremely seductive, Lumina might not actually be able to resist the temptation.
If she truly made up her mind to "be taken down" by Lumina, only to "take down" Lumina in return, then Lumina wouldn't have any choice but to do some "common sense" things to her.
Anyway, she would be the one to act first, and as the older sister, she wouldn't be at a disadvantage at all.
Well, Madam Herta should make up her mind first, though.
Lumina snorted inwardly. Although this plan was useful, she didn't believe Herta could actually carry it out.
Without thinking any more, Lumina snapped back to her senses. Seeing Herta still in her bright red state, Lumina decided not to launch any follow-up attacks.
Leave a line of retreat for others; don't push things too far.
Lumina was very clear on this principle.
If she really pushed Herta to the limit, Herta might actually do it.
But if she didn't push her, and instead kept her in a state of constant restlessness, unable to act because she couldn't get past her own mental barriers, that would undoubtedly be the best outcome.
Ignoring Herta, who had turned into a little red person, Lumina tightly held the small hands of Herta and Stelle. She looked at Castorice, whose face was also slightly flushed, and then at Stelle beside her, who seemed completely unaffected.
"So spirited."
Sometimes, being thick-skinned is a good thing.
In this minor "wife" incident, only Stelle remained unaffected.
Lumina silently marveled at Stelle's mental fortitude.
Hmm... mental fortitude was one thing, but another possibility was that she was just... rather simple-minded.
"So, Mr. Anaxa, how much farther is it to the target we need to visit?"
Seeing Anaxa return after finishing his conversation with the two women and the old man, Lumina asked him with a slight smile.
As Lumina's words fell, it also signaled the end of this "wife" topic.
Even though the topic had ended, the blush on Herta and Castorice's faces hadn't faded much.
Lumina didn't mind. A little blush would blow away in the wind.
Upon hearing Lumina's words, Anaxa first observed their expressions, raised an eyebrow, and seemed to understand the situation.
Without commenting on Lumina's behavior, Anaxa said, "Let's check out the last place first."
"If it's just like this place, we can skip this 'consolation' step."
Anaxa said no more, nodded to Lumina, then turned and walked toward their next destination.
He could tell there was something "subtle" about the relationship between them.
As a man, he definitely couldn't stay here after saying his piece.
Anaxa shook his head as he walked.
Perhaps because Anaxa was too immersed in academia, he found what they were going through a bit... absurd.
As for whether it was actually absurd, Anaxa wouldn't dwell on it.
It had nothing to do with him, nor with academia.
There was no need to waste brain cells thinking about such irrelevant matters.
"Castorice, Herta, Stelle, and Mem, let's go too."
Having just experienced a complete victory, Lumina felt very pleased and her spirit was extremely active.
Without waiting for everyone to respond, Lumina grabbed Herta and Stelle's small hands and walked in the direction Anaxa was heading.
Castorice said nothing, and as they walked, the blush on her face gradually faded.
As for Herta...
She might have fallen into a "red screen" crash state, as the blush on her face showed no signs of receding.
"..."
"Aha... aha..."
A faint, heavy pant escaped Herta's lips.
Perhaps Lumina simply didn't know, and could never imagine.
Herta's current blush was indeed partly due to shyness.
But more so, it was because of the series of fantasies that flooded Herta's mind after Lumina said those words.
This time, the fantasies in Herta's mind were more intense and more intoxicating than ever before.
This was why, even though Herta had an extremely strong psychological constitution, she still remained in such a long-lasting state of blushing...
Because, it was truly stimulating...
-
"Alright, that's it. The condolence visit is over."
"Huh?"
Upon arriving at the next destination, Anaxa took just one glance before declaring the condolence visit finished.
Hearing this, Castorice's eyes snapped open, her entire being filled with confusion.
The condolence visit is over?
Is this for real?
Hasn't anyone even been visited yet?
"Professor Anaxa... are you mistaken about something?" Castorice asked with a face full of confusion, her tone tinged with a hint of concern.
Could Professor Anaxa... have something wrong with his head?
Um... Castorice didn't mean to scold Professor Anaxa, it was simply because, for a so-called condolence visit, there should at least be a target, right?
"First..." Castorice's words made Anaxa cross his arms, his expression becoming serious and earnest, "Call me Anaxagoras."
"Second, they aren't dead. The condolence visit is over."
"That's all."
Anaxa didn't offer much of an explanation, after all, he himself didn't know the reason.
But in any case, this was a good thing.
Since it was a good thing, why bother with it?
Anaxa waved his hand and said, "Let's go, take me to see Aglaea."
"Um... alright." Castorice stopped dwelling on it and nodded.
"Herta and I will part ways with you here."
Before anyone could take a step, Lumina's voice of farewell reached everyone's ears.
The people she had resurrected in The Grove had all been teleported to Okhema by Lumina.
If Lumina wasn't mistaken, the medical institutions in Okhema must be in total chaos by now, right?
Although those people's bodies were definitely fine, such a fantastical event still required the medical institutions of Okhema to conduct an examination.
But with so many people appearing all at once, Okhema's medical institutions would definitely be overwhelmed and unable to keep up.
So, in this situation.
A "god" is needed to save the day~