Sparkle watched from afar, as despairing as a defeated, overlooked heroine. With all of Yu Qingtu's memories and part of Herta's, she felt an inexplicable stabbing pain in her heart, as if she had lost two unspeakably precious things at once.
Why... why is this happening to me, Sparkle—a Fool personally blessed by the Aeon of Elation? Why did I have to lose?!
Her mind was a tangled mess, her composure shattered, her reason nearly consumed by rage. How did Ruan Mei recognize the real Herta? I played the part better than Herta herself! And even Nous declared me the real one—why didn't she believe Nous either?
Question after question raced through her mind, yet none of it changed the outcome.
Finally, she reverted to her original form as Sparkle.
Herta cast a victorious sidelong glance at her, as if to say: Sparkle, you're just a Masked Fool. What more is there to say? A loss is a loss.
Furious, Sparkle stormed forward and demanded, "Ruan Mei, how could you not trust Nous? And I should have replicated everything about Herta perfectly! Personality, appearance, attitude—all of it was Herta. How did you tell the difference?"
Ruan Mei gazed at the now almost incoherent Sparkle with her cool, ethereal eyes. "Sparkle, do you know Polka, Genius Society member #4?"
Sparkle paused. Drawing on Yu Qingtu's memories, she easily recalled Polka. "Polka? That woman erased many Genius Society members. Why bring her up now?"
Ruan Mei gently stroked Herta's head and answered softly. "Herta's research has always been about pursuing the essence of Paths, slowly finding answers about the origin—even the rules of the universe itself. That is directly contrary to Nous's attitude toward the universe and the Path of Erudition. Polka's existence is to carry out Nous's will—to erase those geniuses who break the rules. Herta is one of the most prominent among them. In known history, Polka has almost never failed. Those geniuses she erased had overstepped the boundaries that Nous did not want to see violated."
Sparkle listened in silence. Though she had all of Yu Qingtu's memories, she was not a genius after all. She only half understood, grasping at vague meanings.
"And that's why you don't trust Nous?"
Ruan Mei sighed softly and looked up at Nous. "In the real universe, unless we choose to follow the rules like Polka, no matter how many resources we spend, Nous will most likely not allow me or Herta to seek another audience."
Sparkle stood frozen. The Genius Society had long been split into two factions—one led by Herta, the other by Polka.
Ruan Mei continued, "So, in other words, this 'Nous' was actually a different Aeon from the very beginning, wasn't it? Aha."
The figure of Nous in the starry sky dissolved into streams of light, accompanied by the laughter of circus clowns. Aha had arrived. Their original purpose had been simple: to mislead, to make the real Herta seem false and Sparkle seem real. If that had happened, Ruan Mei would have made the wrong choice. Herta would have fully succumbed to darkness, causing all the curios in the space station to collapse and annihilate, plunging the universe into a catastrophe—thereby invalidating the Finality's prophecies, ruining Erudition's calculations, and bringing Destruction.
Their intention had been to toy with two geniuses for amusement, but in truth, They had been mocking the other Aeons. Yet with Ruan Mei's choice, Aha found that Their plan had failed. Still, seeing Their own Emanator Sparkle so incoherent and broken—wasn't that its own form of amusement?
Fools, geniuses... they're more entertaining than those Mourning Actors.
With laughter, Aha faded away.
Ruan Mei closed her eyes, speechless. In reality, she had sought an audience with Nous only once. Now, she had seen Aha three times. What a strange twist of fate.
Herta shot Sparkle a cold glance, crossing her arms in disdain. "Sparkle, I admit—you are one of the few worthy opponents I, the great Madam Herta, have encountered in my life. But now that Aha is gone, you've lost completely. Are you coming back to Herta City with me quietly? Don't worry, I'll have Herta Ninety-Nine take good care of you, you unruly Fool."
Sparkle gritted her teeth, glaring at Herta. Then she looked down at the Sea of Quanta. "Herta, I admit I lost this time. But don't expect me to go to Herta City! No one in this world can make me, Sparkle, truly surrender. Not you. Not Aha. In this broken world, I will rise again. Herta, Ruan Mei—I'll be back. I will definitely come back!"
She took one last look at them. She had no desire to watch a happy ending where she played a bystander. With a great laugh, she leaped down into the legendary Sea of Quanta.
I, Sparkle, will redeem myself. Ruan Mei, Herta—just wait. When I return, I'll bring even more absurd, outrageous, and amusing entertainment!
---
Three days after leaving the audience chamber, Ruan Mei was already living in Herta's seaside mansion on the blue planet.
That morning, a gentle sea breeze carried the warmth of sunlight. Ruan Mei slowly opened her eyes. Several Herta sprite puppets flew in, carefully helping her change and arrange her hair, terrified that she might show even a hint of displeasure—for if she did, Madam Herta would surely fly into a rage and send them straight to formatting.
When everything was orderly, the sprites breathed a sigh of relief and quickly flew out.
Herta stood nearby, her eyes smiling, as if she were about to announce some great joy.
"Herta, what's wrong with you?"
Herta coughed mysteriously. "Ruan Mei, I have something very important to tell you. Guess what it is."
Ruan Mei handed her a violet orchid cake. "Did the new Simulated Universe yield some research results?"
Herta shook her head directly. "Not the Simulated Universe, and not research related to Paths. Something about a major event in our lives. Guess again."
Ruan Mei leaned against Ruan Mei Cake and studied Herta, then closed her eyes and yawned lightly. "Is it our wedding?"
"As expected of you—correct! I'm planning to hold our wedding on the thirteenth of next month. Is that acceptable?"
Ruan Mei opened her eyes slightly and carefully observed Herta. Joy? Surprise? "Why not the thirteenth of this month?"
Herta explained with proud aloofness, "My wedding needs to invite all the important figures in the universe. The Seven Arbiter-Generals and Six Edicts of the Xianzhou. The head of the Interastral Peace Corporation—like Diamond. The Genius Society members I'm still in contact with... Also, the venue arrangements, gifts, officiant—many things need preparation. In short, this wedding will be the most magnificent, the most unsurpassable, and the most memorable wedding in the history of the universe."