"This is..." Herta stared at the Little Swarm before her. Though she couldn't recall its exact appearance, the aura emanating from it felt strangely familiar. "Isn't this the Simulated Swarm King that released its aura at the Space Station?"
Herta quickly pieced it together. After sizing up the Little Swarm, she turned to Lumina with a look of utter disgust. "You fiend! I never imagined you'd stoop so low as to target even a simulated Swarm!"
"Absolutely depraved!"
Standing on her self-proclaimed moral high ground, Herta launched into a tirade of condemnation against Lumina.
But Herta overlooked one crucial detail: the target of her moral outrage had committed no actual wrongdoing.
Hearing Herta's words, Lumina slowly withdrew her hands, releasing the Little Swarm from her embrace. Under its lingering gaze, she pulled back her arms and smiled. "Madam Herta, what are you talking about?"
"The Little Swarm is a simulated being—it has no parents or family."
"As a Saintess who cherishes and respects life, how could I possibly ignore her?"
"Since she has no parents or family, I'll become her parent, her family."
"Madam Herta, do you have any objections?"
Lumina's gaze settled on Madam Herta's face as she crossed her arms and smiled slightly.
"...No objections." Lumina's words were flawless, and Little Swarm's condition was exactly as she described. Lumina's actions were not only free from reproach but even worthy of praise.
After all... she had merely patted the girl's head and given her a hug. There was nothing excessive or inappropriate; such gestures were perfectly normal between a mother and daughter.
"Hmm." Seeing Herta get the short end of the stick, Lumina's mood brightened considerably. She then turned her attention to Dan Heng and said:
"Ah, Mr. Dan Heng, there's no need to worry. I wasn't exiled from Penacony, nor did I leave for any dangerous reasons."
Noticing the concern and confusion in Dan Heng's expression, Lumina chuckled softly and offered an explanation.
Then, glancing at Herta beside her, she sighed, a hint of exasperation flickering across her brow. Her voice dripping with mock resentment, she declared, "It's all because of this troublesome Herta! Otherwise, I never would have left Penacony."
Herta: ?
What the hell? Didn't you want to leave in the first place?
"You're saying..."
Suddenly, a feeling of unjust blame fell on Herta, instantly infuriating her. She was about to retort and demand what Lumina was spouting nonsense when Lumina cut her off, blurting out the rest before Herta could even speak.
"Sigh... It's all because this one can't keep her hands to herself. Touching is one thing, but she has absolutely no restraint! She nearly sank Penacony earlier."
"And as a result, the great Madam Herta was expelled from Penacony by the Family."
"Though the Family of Harmony embraces all, they certainly won't tolerate someone like Madam Herta, who embodies Destruction. Nanook almost gazed upon her!"
Lumina sighed again, spread her hands, and wore an expression of helpless resignation, as if Madam Herta had genuinely committed such atrocities and been banished from Penacony.
"As for me, as Madam Herta's dearest friend and her guardian in Penacony, when she was expelled, I naturally had to follow her out."
Lumina fabricated her story with perfect sincerity, her flawless movements and expressions revealing no hint of deceit.
Well... perhaps not quite. After all, Madam Herta, standing beside her, looked ready to carve "I'll rip your mouth off" onto her face.
Though both Lumina and Herta were Emanators, each possessing absolute authority and status, if forced to choose between them, Lumina would undoubtedly be the preferred choice.
Thus, even though the others knew Lumina was almost certainly fabricating the story, they maintained a unified silence, adhering to the perfect philosophy of offending no one.
Even if Lumina and Herta were to start a feud over this, it wouldn't matter much, since Herta would almost certainly lose against Lumina anyway.
"Ah, right, right, right," Acheron, Black Swan, and the others understood the situation perfectly. Herta, equally aware of the charade, didn't bother explaining or retaliating against Lumina. She merely offered a few perfunctory nods, seemingly indifferent to Lumina's fabrication of facts and slander against her.
In reality, the opposite was true.
Herta's small fists were clenched tightly, her silver teeth gritted, and her cherry-blossom-pink lips trembled incessantly, resembling a tantalizing jelly that made one want to bite into it.
If not for the presence of others and her inability to defeat Lumina in a fight—a single punch from Lumina would likely result in her being counter-killed and subjected to unspeakable acts...
If not for these reasons, would a woman as proud as Madam Herta ever swallow such humiliation in silence?
"See? I wasn't lying. It's all Little Herta's fault for having no sense of restraint." Lumina watched Herta swallow her humiliation, noticing her subtle movements, and instead of backing down, she continued her slander.
"Ah... Little Herta... Even as the #83 seat in the Genius Society, some of her peculiar tastes are truly beyond my comprehension..." Little Lumina sighed dramatically, feigning helplessness, before continuing:
"For example, she enjoys drawing on people's faces. Or how she loves teasing beautiful girls. Oh, and she takes pleasure in mocking those who work tirelessly to make a living..."
"Just like that pointy Witch Hat on Little Herta's head. Though she's supposedly the Emanator of Erudition, she's actually a Witch with a truly nasty personality."
Herta: ?
Wait, buddy? You're completely upside down here!
These events sounded eerily familiar to Herta—weren't they the very things Lumina had been doing in Penacony? How could they possibly be pinned on her?
"You're so childish," Herta scoffed, rolling her eyes. She found Lumina both naive and utterly immature.
There are only a few of us here. Don't they know my personality and Lumina's by now?
How could they possibly believe this nonsense?
Even if they didn't, a quick investigation in Penacony would reveal the truth. This whole charade is completely unconvincing.
Besides indulging in some empty boasts, I can't see any purpose behind Lumina's words.
"Hmmph." Seeing their reaction, Lumina chuckled inwardly.
It was true that only a few people were present, and equally true that they wouldn't believe her words.
But who said these remarks were meant for those "present"?
Beyond the screen, there were hundreds of millions of viewers watching.
[Madam Herta...]