Pier Point, Interastral Peace Corporation Headquarters
"Little miss, this is the Interastral Peace Corporation headquarters. If you don't have an invitation or identification, please visit one of our branch offices."
Looking at the extremely adorable Clara before him, even the security guard at the IPC entrance couldn't help but soften his tone.
"Mister Guard~ don't you think I look very familiar?" A faint, elusive smile appeared on Clara's lips, her ruby-like eyes brimming with "innocence and purity."
Hearing this, the guard studied the little girl carefully. With features that seemed carved by spirits themselves, she was unbelievably cute from every angle~
"Familiar? Now that you mention it, you do look a bit familiar."
The guard muttered to himself, but he just couldn't place her.
Could she be the daughter of some high-ranking executive? The thought startled him, but he quickly realized he knew the children of every corporate bigshot by heart—and none of them were half as cute as this little girl.
But still… where had he seen her before? He pondered for a while but couldn't come up with anything.
'Under normal circumstances, a low-level employee wouldn't pay much attention to a sky-high bounty target. Most guards just give the wanted posters a quick glance when they're posted.'
'Plus, the photo on the bounty notice wasn't a perfect match to reality, so it never occurred to the guard that such an adorable little girl could be a wanted criminal.'
"Mister, can I go in?" Clara waved her hand slightly, her smile as bright as a blooming flower, utterly charming.
Seeing her angelic grin, the guard felt his heart melt. If it weren't for being on duty, he would've surely given in to the urge to scoop her up and smother her with hugs.
"Sorry, but to enter the company, you need either an invitation or proper identification."
As much as he wanted to say yes, the guard had to refuse, bound by his duty.
"Mmm… alright then~"
Seeing Clara's "disappointed" and "dejected" expression after being turned down, the guard felt as though he'd committed some heavenly sin.
How could he have refused such a precious little angel? Ugh~ Tonight, he'd have to confess properly to the Amber Lord…
Clara glanced left and right, then beckoned the guard with a finger, signaling him to lean closer.
"Come closer, I'll tell you a secret."
Faced with such a request from a little angel, the guard naturally obliged, leaning in until he was inches from Clara's flawless face, forgetting to breathe in the process.
"To tell you the truth, I'm actually the Amber Lord's illegitimate daughter."
"The Amber Lord's il… illegitimate daughter?!" The words struck the guard like a bolt from the blue, and without a hint of doubt, his face flooded with shock.
"Shh~ keep it down."
Clara quickly pressed a finger to her lips, signaling him not to make a scene.
Hastily lowering his voice, the guard averted his gaze from Clara's angelic face, too flustered to look directly.
"I understand, I understand! What brings you to the company, ma'am? Should I notify the higher-ups?"
Seeing the guard's excited expression as he reached for the phone, Clara swiftly stopped him.
"Hey, hey, that won't be necessary, really!"
If he actually notified the higher-ups, her cover would be blown instantly. And if her identity was exposed, how could she possibly plant the bombs? She couldn't let some random guard ruin her plans.
"This is an incognito visit. Not too many people should know about my identity."
"But…" The guard scratched his head, looking troubled.
"If I don't report your identity, the alarms will go off as soon as you step inside."
"Of course, for someone of your status, it wouldn't be a real issue, but it'd still cause a lot more trouble than just reporting it upfront."
"Alarms? Don't worry about that." Clara patted her rather modest chest.
"As the Amber Lord's daughter, how could I possibly set off any alarms?"
"That's true." The guard nodded, finding her logic sound. The daughter of the company's chairman wouldn't be stopped by mere security alarms, after all.
"So, Mister Guard, can I go in now?"
Clara fixed her "innocent and lively" eyes on the guard, radiating such cuteness that the very air seemed to grow sweeter.
Ah—
The guard felt as if he'd taken ten thousand points of emotional damage. If not for needing to maintain the company's image in front of the "Amber Lord's daughter," he might've already collapsed on the spot, twitching uncontrollably.
"O-of course."
"Thank you, Mister Guard! I'll treat you to some fireworks later~" Clara replied with a smile, giving him a playful wink that delivered another ten thousand points of damage.
Then, she hopped cheerfully through the entrance of the Interastral Peace Corporation, not triggering a single alarm, and left behind a guard still lost in a daze, grinning foolishly at the memory of her smile.
"Hehehe, so adorable, just so adorable. The little angel said she'd treat me to fireworks, the little angel said she'd treat me to fireworks, hehehe…"
…
"The Amber Lord's illegitimate daughter… Miss Clara, you're quite the character. Aren't you afraid the Amber Lord will find out and smash you to bits with his hammer?"
Clara hadn't been inside the Interastral Peace Corporation for long before a puppet-like figure blocked her path.
A petite girl with chestnut-brown hair, delicate features, a beret adorned with a purple flower, and articulated joints that added an artistic touch to her entire form.
Clara knew her—the 83rd member of the Genius Society, Herta.
"Hmm? What do you mean, Miss? I really am the Amber Lord's illegitimate daughter, you know." Clara placed a finger on her lips, her expression the picture of innocence.
"Your tricks might work on ordinary people, but they won't fool an Emanator." Herta crossed her arms, completely unfazed by Clara's sweet, harmless appearance.
Though Herta sounded casual, inwardly she was on high alert.
If she hadn't misjudged earlier, the ability Clara used was 'cognitive manipulation'… an incredibly overpowered skill that left the target utterly unaware of the changes…
For all she knew, her own perceptions might have already been altered. That's why, having decided to confront Clara, she had to stay sharp.
"Miss Clara, who looks so innocent and kind on the surface, turns out to be a cunning, scheming, and rather mischievous person behind the scenes."
"Oh?" Clara wasn't offended by Herta's description—after all, it wasn't wrong.
"I know what you're thinking. Don't worry, my abilities can't affect an Emanator."
Clara slowly walked up to Herta, extended her hand, and smiled.
"Pleased to meet you. Let me introduce myself—Clara, of the Stellaron Hunters."
Herta narrowed her eyes slightly but reached out and shook Clara's hand.
"Herta."
…
Herta: Regarding Clara
Clara? Sweet and innocent on the outside, cunning and devious on the inside—the perfect example of 'pink on the outside, black on the inside.' That was my first impression of her, at least.
You want to know my second impression?
Heh.
…
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