"Miss Lumina, what 'Miss Sparkle'? What buttons?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"I'm Robin, you must have mistaken me for someone else."
In Penacony's Golden Hour, the Robin Sparkle had conjured watched Lumina and the pile of buttons before her. Instead of answering Lumina's questions directly, she chose to play dumb.
"Shh, don't speak. I haven't mistaken you. You're the one I chose," Lumina insisted.
Sparkle's stubborn denial was entirely expected. Lumina cut through her nonsense, demanding she immediately choose one of the three buttons.
"Heh heh heh, Miss Lumina, you're truly amusing," Sparkle chuckled, covering her mouth with a hand. She then casually pointed. "Since you insist, I'll just pick one at random. How about the one on the left?"
"Miss Lumina, now that I've made my choice, can I leave?"
Though she had no idea what this Annoying Saint was plotting, finding an excuse to escape as quickly as possible was always the safest option.
Sparkle thought to herself, Since this Annoying Saint is completely disrupting the Script's influence and sabotaging my stage, I need to stay far away from her—preferably until the performance ends. I mustn't encounter her again.
"I have something extremely urgent to attend to that's about to begin. Please excuse me."
With that, the Robin Sparkle had conjured turned sharply and prepared to leave, eager to distance itself from the ill-omened Annoying Saint.
As for the buttons Lumina had retrieved, Sparkle decided to ignore them—out of sight, out of mind.It doesn't matter who presses them anyway; it's the same as letting Lumina keep them.
"Wait! You can't leave!"
But before the Robin Sparkle could take more than a few steps, Lumina called out, stopping her in her tracks.
Clutching a massive pile of buttons, Lumina once again blocked her path, gazing at the Robin Sparkle with a gentle, benevolent smile.
Seeing that perfectly polished Annoying Saint smile, Sparkle couldn't help but feel a chill crawl down her spine. Yet, mindful of the Annoying Saint's terrifying power, she forced a smile in return.
"Miss Lumina, do you require anything further?"
"I really am terribly pressed for time."
Sparkle reiterated that she was pressed for time, but Lumina clearly didn't believe her.
As if I wouldn't know whether you're really in a hurry, Miss Sparkle!
As soon as Sparkle finished speaking, Lumina ignored her and gently pushed the massive pile of buttons she was cradling toward the Robin form Sparkle had assumed. With a tender, compassionate, and serene tone, she said:
"Beautiful and honest maiden, despite such temptation before you, you haven't succumbed to greed and acted against your conscience. You've remained true to your heart..."
"Your sincere answer has moved me deeply. I've decided to gift you all the buttons on my left hand, my right hand, and every button on my body."
"Come, accept them quickly, beautiful and honest maiden."
"Those who are honest and kind deserve honest and kind rewards."
Sparkle: ...
Staring at the mountain of buttons before her, Sparkle thought: If I'd known honesty was a mistake, I would have lied like crazy... Well, I've been lying like crazy all along anyway.
Without further hesitation, her immediate priority was to escape the clutches of this Annoying Saint.
"Thank you, Miss Lumina, you beautiful and holy being. I accept your gift."
Sparkle forced a beautiful and dignified smile, reaching out to gather all the buttons before tucking them away.
Less than a tenth? A minor issue. It won't significantly impact the grand stage of Penacony...
"Miss Lumina, I'm short on time. I must be going—"
"Oh~ beautiful lady," Lumina interrupted, her voice dripping with exaggerated emotion. "Your smile has captivated me, etching itself deeply into my mind. I find myself endlessly entranced by it."
"To express my gratitude, I've decided—I will gather every button in Penacony and present them all to you!"
Having secured the buttons, Sparkle had intended to leave, but Lumina's dramatic interruption cut her off mid-sentence.
Hearing Lumina's preceding words, Sparkle couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly. Why do these Annoying Saints, just like The Masked Fools, insist on spewing such blatant nonsense with a straight face?
My smile captivated her and etched itself deeply into her mind? Who believes such drivel?
Go peddle this garbage to the Aeon of Elation! Only he and the gullible fools would fall for it!
Oh... there are still believers, like that person in Penacony wearing the pointed witch's hat, who shouldn't be here. The red light in their eyes seems about to burst out—I can't tell if it's directed at the Annoying Saint or at themselves.
Sigh, what a fool, believing such nonsense. Is there something wrong with their brain?
Sparkle couldn't help but feel a bit concerned about Herta's intelligence as well for hanging out with Lumina.
She thought the first half of Lumina's statement was absurd, but her expression shifted dramatically when she heard the second half.
"No! I don't want this reward!"
Sparkle, disguised as Robin, quickly raised her hand, trying to stop Lumina's actions.
But Lumina's entire purpose had been to do this. Why would she listen to Sparkle's "commands"?
With a grand wave of her hand, a green light enveloped the entire Golden Hour. The buttons Sparkle had distributed earlier were lifted into the air, one by one, under the shocked gazes of their recipients.
Then, a surge of green light flowed into each person's body, making their already active, smooth, and spirited bodies in the Sweet Dream even more spirited and active.
Once these actions were complete, all the hovering buttons dissolved into a single, vivid green light. This dazzling streak slashed across Penacony's dreamlike sky, leaving a bold, unforgettable mark in the "Unsolved Mysteries" recorded by the city's residents.
Sparkle: ...
"That damned Annoying Saintess!!!"
Watching the countless "green shooting stars" streak across the sky, Sparkle bit her lip hard, longing to smash the Annoying Saint into oblivion with a giant hammer, chanting "Die! Die! Die!" with murderous intent.
Unfortunately, after Lumina's earlier, humiliating manipulation of her, a direct confrontation was out of the question. Sparkle needed to find a shortcut...
What that shortcut might be required careful planning...
Lumina's actions had truly enraged Sparkle. After painstakingly deploying the buttons, Lumina had simply waved them all back with a single gesture. Who wouldn't be furious?