"When are you heading to Penacony?"
After a moment of silence, Herta fiddled pointlessly with the Simulated Universe Device, asking Lumina in a deliberately nonchalant tone.
"When do you want me to go?" Lumina replied, her eyes twinkling. She'd seen right through Herta's act and knew she was only pretending to be calm. A playful smirk touched her lips as she tossed the question back.
"...Go whenever you damn well please." Herta visibly stiffened at Lumina's response, realizing she was being teased. She kept her expression neutral and replied flatly, her tone conveying a clear "None of my business."
"Herta, I'll do whatever you say. If you want me to go now, I'll go now."
"If you think it's better for me to stay at the Space Station, I can skip Penacony and remain here."
"Herta, I'll listen to you."
Lumina moved closer to Herta and crouched down, bringing her head level with the puppet's.
At Lumina's words, Herta felt the intense aura radiating from her and instinctively held her breath. Her hands, which had been feigning busyness, froze mid-motion.
After a moment, Herta regained her composure, inwardly relieved she was in her puppet body. The emotional fluctuations were much more subdued this way. Otherwise, her reaction just now...
...she would have made a complete fool of herself in front of Lumina.
Herta could feel the tingling sensation in her heart—the one Lumina always caused—growing stronger. If she let it continue to develop...
...perhaps one day, she'd lose control of her thoughts entirely and do things... things Herta didn't even dare to imagine.
She stole a glance at Lumina's breathtakingly beautiful face beside her, her mind racing.
Herta admitted it: she did have a little... just a little... fondness for Lumina.
Just a tiny bit. Not too much.
"Hmph..." Snapping back to reality, Herta stopped fiddling with the device. She crossed her arms, turned to face Lumina, and met her gaze directly.
Herta scanned Lumina from head to toe, scrutinizing her every expression and gesture. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, she spoke coolly, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "What? Don't tell me the great Saintess can't even form her own opinion and needs to rely on others for guidance?"
"Of course I have my own opinions," Lumina replied earnestly. "I just care about what you think."
"Care about what I think?" The words made the tingling in Herta's heart intensify. The fingers of her puppet body twitched uncontrollably.
"Yes, I care about what you think," Lumina continued, oblivious to Herta's twitching fingers and slightly strained expression. She explained her reasoning. "Look, I've already come all the way to the Space Station. It wouldn't feel right to leave without doing anything, would it?"
"?"
"What I mean is, Madam Herta, is there anything you need my help with? If there is, I'll stay here on the Space Station instead of going to Penacony." Lumina smiled, clarifying her point when she saw Herta's confusion.
"But," she added, "if Madam Herta doesn't need my help with anything, then I won't linger. I'll head straight to Penacony, the Sweet Dream Paradise, and have some fun with Robin and the others."
Based on Herta's previous behavior in Penacony, Lumina knew that Herta seemed a little bothered by her getting close to other beautiful girls.
This had been evident back on the Xianzhou Luofu, when Lumina video-called Herta with Ruan Mei. Herta's expression had been clearly off at the time.
Though Lumina didn't understand why Herta was so sensitive about her interacting with other beautiful girls, she didn't care enough to dwell on it.
All Lumina needed to know was that she could use this to her advantage and bluff Herta.
Since she had already chosen to come to the Space Station, she had no intention of going to Penacony. There was no real conflict between the two—visiting the Space Station didn't preclude a trip to Penacony.
But Lumina was lazy. The Herta Space Station and the Asdana Star System, where Penacony was located, were incredibly far apart. Even the Astral Express, traveling at full speed, would need a significant amount of time to cover the distance. It was hard to imagine just how vast the gap between them truly was.
Of course, this wasn't a real obstacle for Lumina. If she traveled at her full speed, she could reach Penacony from the Space Station in no time at all.
So, Lumina's reason, from start to finish, boiled down to one thing: laziness.
Plus a small, selfish desire...
It's been a while since I've seen Herta...
"Oh, is that so? Then go ahead and leave," Herta said. "I don't have anything I need your help with."
Hearing Lumina's words and seeing the smile on her face—as if she were waiting for Herta to beg her to stay—Herta immediately swallowed the words she had been about to say.
If she said anything that sounded like she wanted Lumina to stay, wouldn't she be falling right into Lumina's trap?
Herta refused.
She would rather let Lumina leave than fall for her trick.
...Right?
After saying this, Herta forced herself to tear her gaze away, fighting the itch in her heart. She turned back to the Simulated Universe device, raised her hands, and resumed her fiddling—actions that had absolutely no effect on the simulation.
Anyone with a discerning eye who knew anything about operating the Simulated Universe device could tell that Herta was merely pretending to be busy. In reality, her attention was entirely elsewhere...
For instance, right now, Herta's attention was actually completely focused on Lumina.
Her hands, feigning busyness, were merely a way to convey the message: "I'm busy, don't bother me, just leave."
"Well, I'm off then?"
Lumina knew a thing or two about operating the Simulated Universe device.
So, she naturally saw right through Madam Herta's current act. She knew Herta was pretending.
And if Herta was pretending, it meant she didn't actually want Lumina to leave.
She was just putting on this show, hoping Lumina would plead with her, begging Madam Herta to let her stay at the space station...
But Lumina, of course, had no intention of playing along with Herta's little game.
Hearing Herta tell her to leave, Lumina turned and walked away without a second glance, showing no hint of reluctance.
"?"
A faint, fragrant breeze brushed past as the warmth beside Herta vanished. Her puppet's body visibly stiffened.
If Lumina had been facing Herta at that moment, she would have seen Herta's feigned indifference shatter into pure astonishment.
It seemed Herta hadn't expected Lumina to leave so decisively...
"..."
Seeing Herta's body stiffen, Lumina's lips curled into a faint smile as she walked at a steady pace toward the office door.
Lumina was making a bet—a bet that Herta would ask her to stay.
If she won, she'd get to see the great Madam Herta humbling herself before her.
And if she lost? It didn't matter. She had plenty of other options...
She could just leave the space station and go hang out with Robin and the others in Penacony. What was the loss in that?
With this no-lose scenario in mind, Lumina reached the door step by step.
Scree—
With a soft mechanical whir, the door to Herta's Office slid open.
Glancing back at Herta, who still seemed frozen in place, Lumina stepped out without hesitation.
"W-Wait!"
"I... I just remembered."
"I... I do have something I need you to do."
Just as Lumina had fully stepped out of the office and was about to close the door, Herta finally let her desires triumph over her reason. She spun around and hastily called out, trying to make her stay.
Snap!
"Alrighty! Since my dear little sister Herta has spoken..."
"Then as your big sister, of course I won't leave."
The moment she heard Herta's words, Lumina broke into a triumphant grin. Her scheme had succeeded.
While it wasn't a top-tier masterstroke, it was a clever gambit nonetheless.
Herta didn't want to humble herself by begging her to stay, but she couldn't bear to see her leave, and she definitely didn't want her getting too close to other beautiful girls.
Faced with this, even a genius like Herta was forced into a dilemma.
Would she let Lumina go to Penacony to cuddle with other girls, enduring the pain of separation and jealousy? Or would she swallow her pride, ask her to stay at the space station, and endure the pain of being mocked?
Without a doubt, after a moment of internal struggle, Madam Herta chose the latter...
In this contest, Lumina was the victor