"Heh heh heh! It seems this Himeko really has made quite a few enemies among the higher-ups at headquarters! I never thought they'd actually allow me to go this far this time!"
Having received special authorization from the top brass, the logistics director could already picture Himeko's future look of bitter regret after crossing him—a perfect embodiment of that classic phrase: 'how gleeful a petty man is when he succeeds.'
"Hmph! And that damned Herrscher too! I can't wait to see the look of utter disbelief on your face—after all the good you've done for Australia—when the branch here stabs you in the back!"
The thought that this Herrscher, Lunelle, with her absurdly strong research abilities, had visibly slashed this month's potential profits made the logistics liaison for the Australian branch seethe with hatred for her as well.
But as a seasoned capitalist, this coddled, office-bound logistics director had clearly never personally experienced or witnessed the hellish scene of a Herrscher's power running wild.
So much so that, convinced he had Himeko and Lunelle completely under his thumb thanks to headquarters' orders, he failed to realize that he himself was just a pawn, being used as a disposable weapon by those very higher-ups.
After all, given the cowardly, self-preserving nature of those capitalist higher-ups at Fire Moth headquarters...
While they secretly wished they could just publicly order the execution of Lunelle—a Herrscher drained of Honkai energy and in a weakened state—they were hindered by the fact that even after being exiled to this backwater of Australia, her reputation seemed to be growing rather than fading.
So, these higher-ups who wanted her dead were stuck: they wanted to secretly eliminate the Herrscher, but they also didn't want to bear the infamy of openly killing Lunelle.
They'd truly mastered the art of 'wanting to have their cake and eat it too.'
"Perfect! I just happen to have this batch of expired, scrapped supplies I didn't know how to secretly repackage and offload cheaply to those short-lived paupers who can't afford better!"
"Since you're so stubborn, Himeko, insisting on keeping the cake for yourself, don't blame me for recouping my losses from you!"
Oblivious to the fact that Fire Moth's higher-ups were using him as a single-shot firearm, the logistics director, feeling backed by his powerful connections, hastily began arranging a 'big surprise' for Himeko within the next batch of medical supplies scheduled for the Australian branch.
--+--
Meanwhile, Lunelle, the very eye of this gathering storm, was drowsily and snugly pressed against Big Sister Himeko's chest, fast asleep.
But whether it was from being smothered by Himeko or from suddenly having a nightmare she couldn't recall, Lunelle, who had been sleeping soundly, jolted awake with a start!
"Oh? Did my lovely little Seele have a bad dream, getting so tense all of a sudden?"
Feeling the sweet, soft little darling in her arms break into a sudden sweat, Himeko gently stroked the little one's head, trying to soothe her inexplicably troubled thoughts.
"Mmm... I think so... Big Sister Himeko..."
After taking a moment to collect herself, the previously tense Lunelle finally relaxed from that strange anxiety.
Though she had no clear memory of it, a lingering feeling in her heart did seem very nightmare-like, so Lunelle gave a slight nod, tacitly agreeing with Himeko's guess.
"Have you been overworking yourself lately, spending every day busy with research in the lab?"
"The weather seems quite nice today, little one. If you don't have anything urgent, why not take a day off? Give yourself a proper break and relax."
Seeing little Seele so obedient and sensible, Himeko couldn't help but recall how the girl buried herself in the lab nearly every day, never seeming to take a single day off.
The thought that this adorable little Seele was actually under seventeen, yet already acting like a corporate drone, made Himeko's heart ache—just a 'teensy' bit—for Lunelle.
After all, in her heart, Himeko already saw and was nurturing little Seele as her future bride-to-be.
And a wife should be pampered, especially a fiancée as illegally cute as little Seele, who broke all the rules with her looks and charm.
"Huh?... B-but... according to the rules, isn't Seele only allowed to move within headquarters grounds?"
Hearing Himeko suggest she take a break, Lunelle tilted her adorable little head in confusion.
After over a year of simulation training under 'Snake,' Lunelle had long been conditioned into a seasoned workaholic.
Compared to the early days under her 'Snake-wife,' where she normally worked non-stop around the clock...
There were even times she had to bury herself in the lab for seven days and nights straight, conducting endless experiments.
It was only later, when her workstation was forcibly relocated to her Snake-wife's lap, that Lunelle would occasionally be allowed to take a 'break' mid-work—usually when Snake-wife, feeling 'well-fed and warm' and consequently having 'some rather impure thoughts,' permitted it.
Though this so-called 'break' naturally involved certain activities everyone in the know would understand—typical 'secretary' behavior in Mobius's lab.
Only after poor little Seele had been thoroughly cuddled and pressed against by her Snake-wife would Lunelle be released, her body feeling even weaker and more drained despite the 'rest.'
Forced to nestle in Snake-wife's arms, continuing to be clung to while mustering the energy to keep working overtime.
So, to Lunelle, now long accustomed to being an overworked drone, her current situation—working a mere dozen hours a day without pay—felt almost trivial.
Though when she went home to rest at night, if Himeko was free, she'd still be pulled into a tight embrace for intense cuddles and kisses, much like with Snake-wife.
Well, with Himeko, there was the added 'special service' of being forced to use the big sister's ample bosom as a personal pillow.
With such bittersweet experiences in her past...
If Lunelle had to rate the intensity of her research work at the Australian branch, she'd say it was so easy she sometimes wondered if she was even doing enough!
"And according to the rules headquarters set, Seele mustn't appear in public voluntarily, mustn't initiate contact with others... mustn't..."
So, faced with Himeko's suggestion of a break, Lunelle's first instinct wasn't to accept it gladly.
Instead, thanks to her photographic memory from the simulations, she reflexively recalled the restrictive clauses headquarters had forced on her when they dumped her here, meant to limit her movements.
Seeing the cute little thing seriously trotting out that nonsense from those damned headquarters, trying to lecture her—famously unruly and disobedient—Himeko was so amused and exasperated she nearly laughed right then and there!
Trying to lecture me, the most rebellious branch director there is, about rules set by headquarters?
Sweetheart, are you asking for a spanking or what!?
"Mmph!!!"
And so, little Seele, who was still muttering about headquarters' regulations, found herself physically and thoroughly silenced by Himeko before she could finish her sentence.
Since Lunelle had been startled awake from her nightmare not too long before Himeko's usual "work" time, their morning was somewhat truncated.
After savoring a reluctant, ten-plus-minute morning kiss, Himeko—aware that any further dallying would make her late—struggled free from little Seele's tender embrace.
But the sight before her was truly something: the girl's nightgown in disarray, her delicate face flushed and eyes slightly dazed from their kiss, her entire being radiating a terrifyingly alluring aura.
Tsk! She's just... so adorable it nearly drives me wild! But there's still over a year to go. For now, I've got to hold back!
"Remember to rest well today, my sweet little darling~"
Knowing the time wasn't yet right to claim her darling for herself completely, Himeko had to forcibly suppress the increasingly uncontrollable urge to cling and cuddle.
Then, afraid she might truly take advantage of the situation and do something reckless, Himeko acted like a heartless cad after the fact.
She left the utterly languid, adorable little Seele right there on the bed.
Without a shred of modesty, she tossed her intimate garments haphazardly around the room, finally fishing her formal office attire from the wardrobe.
In a rush, Himeko changed, left the messy room behind, and headed off to work without a care.
What she didn't realize was that in an unnoticed corner, a certain furtive, pink-haired, plump girl had once again sourly witnessed the entire process of her beloved little Seele receiving morning affection from the stunningly curvaceous beauty, Himeko.
Sniffle... Whether it was getting to know little Seele or hugging her for the first time... I was the one who did those things first.
So why... why did things turn out this way?
For who-knows-which time, watching her favorite little darling get fondled by another girl while she could only shrink back and watch, Elysia's gaze now smoldered as she stole a glance at the seductive figure collapsed on the bed.
For reasons you can well imagine, a distinctly murky "❤︎" flickered unconsciously in the depths of her eyes.
Clearly, constantly being forced to watch her little darling get close to and be "bullied" by other beauties, while she herself could do nothing... had taken its toll.
This endless internal torment had, over time, caused Elysia's longing and thoughts toward little Seele to ferment, showing clear signs of becoming "just a tad" morbidly twisted!
And the crazier Elysia's craving for little Seele grew, the more extreme the dangerous actions she might take upon contacting her would inevitably become.
So, to prevent herself from truly committing such utterly outrageous and beastly behavior, Elysia had no choice but to deliberately increase the "safety distance" between herself and little Seele, again and again.
Not only that, but now Elysia didn't even dare meet Lunelle's gaze.
Although little Seele's eyes were so gentle, so pure and lovely...
Due to a principle similar to "a corrupt mind sees baseness everywhere" or "beauty is in the eye of the beholder," in Elysia's current view, Lunelle's gentle, adorable gaze somehow always seemed like a deliberate attempt to seduce and provoke her.
Even a one-second exchange of glances from three or four meters away was enough to make Elysia's heart race uncontrollably, instantly plunging her into a certain indescribable "you-know-what" state.
This complete avoidance naturally caused the intimacy between her and Lunelle to regress drastically.
From the closeness they shared when they first met—hugging, holding hands—they had now deteriorated to Elysia consciously maintaining a distance of at least three to four meters.
It even got to the point where Lunelle herself couldn't help but feel hurt, doubting her own feminine charm as Seele's "main wife," or wondering if she'd done something wrong to make her "wife" Elysia suddenly start disliking her.
Just as today, Elysia was watching little Seele's bewitching posture from afar, feeling herself on the verge of losing control again, and was about to find a deserted corner to "address some physiological issues" with the help of little Seele's beautiful photos...
"Huh? My dear Eden has been busy with her concert lately, hasn't she? What brings her to contact me out of the blue today?"
A rather unexpected communication request suddenly came through.
Looking at the caller ID on her communicator, a still somewhat feverish Elysia answered the call instantly.
"Hello~ My dear Eden... calling me so suddenly, is there something you need my help with?"
After all, chatting with her best friend Eden was a good way to distract herself and temporarily suppress the evil thoughts swelling in her heart.
"Elysia... I've arrived in Australia now. As I recall, you mentioned before that if I ever had time to come to Australia, you could introduce me to 'Seele-sensei.' So, I was wondering, does that promise you made still stand?"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.