"Hey, if it isn't the great Lady Clara, who performed such mighty deeds on Jarilo-VI?"
"Actually remembered to come back, did we?"
The moment Clara stepped through the door, a slightly mocking voice—sounding rather like a dog's bark… no, wait, more like a cat's meow—reached her ears.
Clara's face showed none of the panic of a child caught sneaking home by a parent. Instead, she planted her hands on her hips, her tone a touch arrogant:
"The esteemed Lady Clara and Lady Firefly have arrived! Why aren't you hurrying to welcome us?"
"…"
The moment Clara's voice rang out, the entire house fell silent.
Even Silver Wolf, who had been lying on the sofa playing a game with her controller, paused and shot a glance at Clara.
The silence, however, didn't last long. Silver Wolf withdrew her gaze, picked up her controller again, and resumed her game.
At the same time, Firefly's somewhat embarrassed shriek echoed through the house.
"Ahhhhh!"
Firefly hurriedly reached out to cover Clara's mouth, afraid she'd say something else utterly mortifying…
Why drag me into it when you're the one talking?
Clara was wonderful in every way, except for her mouth…
Well… no, actually, Clara's mouth was wonderful too.
Soft and tender, like touching a delicate petal… yet not quite like a petal—warm and slightly heated, with a hint of milky sweetness…
It was enough to make one lose themselves, reluctant to part…
A memory from the snowfields, of that moment with Clara, surfaced in Firefly's mind. Somewhat entranced, she stuck out her tongue and lightly licked her own lips, as if savoring the lingering taste.
"…"
Seeing Firefly lick her lips like that, alarm bells immediately rang in Clara's head. She quickly walked over and sat down on the sofa.
Only when Firefly returned to her usual self did Clara let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Turning her gaze to Elio, who wore the stern expression of an interrogator, Clara smiled:
"Didn't you say before~ that I could play around however I wanted~?"
"See? I'm so very obedient~"
"An obedient child deserves a reward, Elio. Come on, give me my reward~"
Clara held out her palm, demanding the reward for her "obedience."
Elio: …
He had seen shameless people before, but someone this utterly shameless… this was a first for Elio.
"Ehehe~" As if reading Elio's thoughts, Clara stuck out her tongue, tapped her own head playfully, and threw a cute, pleading look his way.
"…"
Firefly, who had been watching Clara the whole time, felt her breathing grow a little ragged seeing Clara's pink tongue dart out like that.
Silver Wolf: ?
Silver Wolf observed Firefly's expression from start to finish and, for once, set down her gaming controller.
She looked at Firefly, then at Clara, and finally back at Firefly again.
A knowing smile spread across her face, as if she'd found something even more entertaining than her game.
Firefly, meanwhile, remained oblivious, assuming Silver Wolf was just taking a break to rest her eyes after a long gaming session…
…
"See, I didn't really do anything wrong."
"Sure, the process was a little… 'tiny' bit different, but the outcome was the same, wasn't it~?" Facing the persistently silent Elio, Clara wasn't flustered. Propping her chin in her hands, she offered a smiling explanation.
"The Stellaron crisis on Jarilo-VI was successfully resolved. Stelle gained the recognition of the Architects and caught the gaze of the Aeon of Preservation, embarking on the Path of Preservation."
"And with my 'tiny' bit of help, she even progressed a little further."
"See? Isn't that a happy ending for everyone?" After speaking, Clara kept her eyes fixed on Elio, waiting for his response.
"…" Elio remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "You're right. It is indeed better than my original Script…"
Although Clara had disrupted his initial Script, he had to admit that her interference had steered events toward a better outcome.
"Sigh…"
Thinking this, Elio couldn't help but let out a sigh.
"In any case, I still prefer things to follow the Script as written…"
"But if you can promise that the outcome will be good, then do as you please."
Elio waved a paw dismissively. There really wasn't much else to say.
Hearing this, Clara immediately raised one hand and vowed:
"I, Clara, promise that the outcome will be good and won't alter the final ending!"
As for the process, though~
Hehehe~ Hehehe~
…
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