At this moment, Herta was comfortably soaking in the bathtub, with only her beautifully defined collarbones and shoulders visible above the water. Her eyes were closed, and her face was filled with contentment as she leaned back slightly, allowing herself to relax completely while letting out a satisfied sigh.
"Mm~ Yeah, right there... A little harder..."
Standing behind her was a small Herta doll, barely a little over a meter tall. Despite her diminutive size, the doll possessed delicate features and a serious expression, and she was completely absorbed in her task.
With bath scrubbers wrapped around both hands, the doll diligently scrubbed Herta's back in small, practiced motions, occasionally praising her in an almost flattering manner as though she were genuinely trying to please her.
It was at that moment that Lucian's figure silently appeared in the bathroom like a ghost, blending seamlessly into the warm, humid steam and the faintly fragrant air surrounding the bathtub.
Not a single firewall or defensive system was triggered, and by sheer coincidence, Lucian happened to materialize directly behind both 'Big Herta' and 'Little Herta.'
Lucian had deliberately restrained his presence, making himself exceptionally difficult to detect, while Big Herta remained completely absorbed in the pleasant sensation of having her back scrubbed.
Little Herta, meanwhile, continued working away with enthusiastic little movements, entirely unaware of the intruder standing just behind her.
Neither of them noticed that someone else had entered the bathroom.
From where he stood, Lucian could clearly see Big Herta's back as she faced away from him, the water slowly flowing over her smooth spine before disappearing beneath the surface.
Her skin was as fair as snow, while the proportions of her shoulders and back were perfectly balanced. Under the hazy veil of steam, her skin seemed to carry a faint, pearl-like sheen, making her already elegant figure appear even more alluring.
Meanwhile, the elegant fragrance of high-end body wash lingered in the air, mingling with the warm, delicate scent unique to a woman's body and creating an unusually intimate atmosphere around the bathtub.
"Scrub a little lower."
Big Herta issued the command without even bothering to turn around, her voice carrying a hint of laziness and satisfaction as she continued enjoying the comfortable sensation.
"Yes, Madam Herta!"
Little Herta was extremely obedient.
Immediately after hearing the order, she squeezed a little more foam onto her hands and prepared to place them against Big Herta's waist. In that moment, Lucian had already noticed the opportunity presented to him.
He paused for a moment, and a mischievous smile slowly appeared at the corner of his lips.
'What a perfect opportunity!'
Lucian reached out and switched off Little Herta's power without making the slightest sound.
In that instant, the small doll immediately went limp and shut down, her body becoming completely motionless.
Lucian then naturally stepped forward and took her place behind the true Herta, smoothly filling the position she had just occupied.
"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and get to work."
Herta urged her doll onward with her eyes still closed, apparently assuming that the doll behind her had merely taken a moment to adjust her position.
Lucian could not help but laugh inwardly.
'She thinks I'm her doll?'
'Is her perception really that bad? Or am I just that good at hiding my presence?'
'Either way, she was the one who told me to scrub her back. It'd be a waste not to take advantage of it.'
With that thought in mind, and under the noble principle of 'helping others,' Lucian stepped forward without hesitation and extended both hands.
He first placed one hand gently against Herta's slender waist, immediately feeling the smoothness of her skin beneath his palm and the pleasant warmth left behind by the bathwater.
'Oh, this waist... it's no worse than Black Swan's. Tch, tch, this scientist really does a good job of keeping her figure.'
Herta seemed to pause for the briefest moment at the unfamiliar sensation, but she did not react much, apparently assuming that the doll was simply adjusting its position before continuing with her task.
Lucian, naturally, took that as permission to become even more brazen.
In the next moment, his other hand slowly moved lower in a seemingly natural motion, settling against the rounded curve below. He even gave it a light, subconscious squeeze as his palm registered the astonishing elasticity and fullness beneath it.
'Ohh, this sensation... is incredible! As expected of a genius. Even the hardware is top-notch!'
For a mere fraction of a second after Lucian's hand settled into place and his fingertips registered that wonderfully soft sensation, he was still secretly marveling at it when Herta's entire body suddenly stiffened.
At this moment, Herta finally realized that the sensation she was feeling was wrong—completely wrong.
Because the hands of her dolls had all been precisely calibrated, from the materials used to the amount of force they could exert, there was absolutely no way they could produce a sensation like this.
Unlike her dolls, the hand currently touching her body carried the unmistakable warmth of a living body, along with a distinctly aggressive quality that no doll could possibly possess. It was not merely the temperature or texture that was different; the entire sensation felt fundamentally different from the mechanical movements she was accustomed to.
More importantly, the sensation of the palm itself...
'It feels a little like that pervert Lucian...'
Herta could feel that the pressure, temperature, and even the technique were all unfamiliar in exactly the wrong way. Gradually, the realization became impossible to ignore, and a faint sense of disbelief began to rise within her.
In the next second, she abruptly turned her head, and in that instant, her pupils widened in shock.
How could she not when the person standing behind her was exactly who she had feared it would be?
It was really Lucian.
And that handsome face of his was wearing an expression that looked far too pleased with himself.
"LUCIAN?! WHY ARE YOU HERE?!"
Herta shouted loudly, the initial shock on her face quickly being replaced by overwhelming fury as her cheeks flushed bright red with anger.
Honestly, she genuinely had not expected Lucian to appear in her home, much less at a time when she happened to be bathing.
From her perspective, the timing was simply too perfect.
It was obviously premeditated!
"You really haven't changed at all!"
Herta hurriedly shrank farther into the bathtub, trying to conceal as much of herself beneath the water as possible.
Unfortunately, the water was clear rather than cloudy, so her efforts did little to obscure Lucian's view, making her attempt at hiding herself practically meaningless.
"GET OUT! RIGHT NOW! GO!"
Herta fiercely shoved Lucian away with one hand while the other covered her chest, her face still burning with embarrassment and anger.
Lucian raised his eyebrows at the intensity of her reaction.
'Whoa, what a huge reaction. You seemed to be enjoying yourself just fine a second ago.'
Despite thinking that, Lucian did not resist or argue with Herta. Instead, he simply removed the bath scrubber from his hand with a smile and prepared to leave. Before stepping out, however, he could not resist throwing one last remark over his shoulder.
"You really don't want me to scrub your back? It's a rare chance, y'know? Only my wives have ever gotten this privilege."
"No! Don't even think about it!"
Herta immediately scooped up some bathwater and splashed it toward him.
It was only because the person in question was Lucian that she stopped at something as harmless as bathwater. If it had been anyone else, she would not have bothered with such a gentle method of driving them away and would have simply unleashed a full barrage of firepower.
Lucian naturally did not care in the slightest. He turned around and walked out of the bathroom, even thoughtfully pulling the door shut behind him before calmly leaning back.
A moment later, Herta's furious voice came through the door.
"Lucian, just you wait! I'll never forgive you!"
Hearing that, Lucian leaned casually against the wall outside the bathroom, the corners of his lips still curved upward.
'Her temper really is as savage as ever. Still, she looks pretty amusing when she's angry.'
Lucian particularly enjoyed seeing Herta reduced to helplessly barking in frustration, so he remained there with a faint smile on his face, subconsciously rubbing his fingers together as he recalled the wonderful sensation from earlier.
Inside the bathroom, a series of clattering noises soon followed, accompanied by the sounds of Herta hurriedly shutting off the water and grabbing a bath towel. Every so often, a few angry complaints could be heard through the door as she continued grumbling about what had just happened.
'But she's really not good at taking a joke. If I ever bring her home as my wife, I'll probably have to work on that temper of hers first.'
After some time had passed, the bathroom door was suddenly yanked open with a loud bang.
Herta had already gotten dressed, but her expression remained thoroughly unpleasant. Her face was stiff and stern as she glared at Lucian, her eyes practically capable of shooting daggers at him.
"You'd better have a good explanation! Otherwise, I'll self-destruct right now! Nobody's getting out alive!"
Of course, those were merely words spoken in anger.
Herta knew exactly what Lucian was capable of, and there was no way her technological firepower could pose a genuine threat to him.
As for actually self-destructing, doing so in front of an Emanator of Abundance would be little more than a joke.
At her threat, Lucian merely smiled.
With a casual movement of his hand, he produced a small cookie and immediately stuffed it into Herta's mouth, effectively blocking the next wave of complaints before they could leave her lips.
"Don't get so worked up. It's not like I haven't seen you naked before. You're the most beautiful woman in the universe. At least, that's what I say. I'm here because I have something important to do. I'm taking you to elbow someone."
Herta angrily chewed the cookie twice before swallowing it, her cheeks puffing slightly as she glared at Lucian.
For some reason, perhaps because of Lucian's declaration that she was the most beautiful woman in the universe, her mood improved slightly, and her attention gradually shifted away from her earlier anger.
"Elbow someone? Who? Is there really anything in the universe you can't elbow to death?"
"Zandar," Lucian answered calmly, without changing his expression. "Of course I can elbow him to death by myself. I'm just thinking that since you and I get along so well, I might as well take you along and broaden your horizons."
At his words, Herta froze for a moment, looking at him as though he had suddenly started talking about something completely absurd.
It should be noted that the name Zandar was practically known throughout the universe. He had once created a super-celestial AI computer, and that AI had later achieved independent ascension, eventually becoming the Aeon of Erudition known as Nous.
In a sense, Zandar could even be regarded as Nous's sociological father.
"Zandar? You mean Zandar One Kuwabara? Are you nuts? He's been dead for ages!" Herta was completely convinced that Lucian was deliberately messing with her. "You broke into my house just to tell me this? Seriously? You're really gonna waste my time?"
Her temper began to flare up all over again, but Lucian's expression remained completely serious.
"Zandar died, but he didn't completely die. He's got nine thought fragments left, or you could say, nine incarnations of his thoughts."
Upon hearing that, Herta's expression changed slightly.
Lucian did not look like he was joking or trying to deceive her, and for the first time, she began to seriously consider the possibility that he was telling the truth. Even so, she was not willing to admit it that easily.
"Sure, keep making things up," Herta said with a frown. "Let's see what other nonsense you can come up with."
Lucian could not help laughing in exasperation.
'I'm telling you the truth, and you still don't believe me. Do you really want me to use force?'
Right after thinking that, Lucian suddenly stepped forward, forcing Herta to retreat until her back touched the wall. Before she could react, he leaned in and pinned her there, leaving her with no room to retreat.
"In that case, I guess I'll just take Ruan Mei instead and give her the honor of beating up the first seat of the Genius Society?"
Herta's expression immediately changed the moment she heard that.
"No! Who said I wasn't going?! I'm going! I'll expose your lies myself!"
===
[A bonus chapter for reaching 400 Power Stones]
[Support and get early access to upcoming chapters at: patreon.com/VALRRR]