"That little bird kept saying she needed our permission, but she already had her people lurking near the Radiant Feldspar."
"Looks like she was absolutely certain you'd agree."
"I'm actually a bit curious now—what kind of expression would she have made if you'd rejected her request?"
Penacony, Radiant Feldspar
Herta snorted coldly, watching the bustling activity on the Radiant Feldspar. A swarm of workers was busy arranging and decorating the ship.
Their journey to the Radiant Feldspar had been uneventful, allowing them to arrive swiftly after parting ways with Robin.
Yet these workers were already onboard, preparing the ship.
If Robin had only notified them after receiving Lumina's approval, such rapid deployment would have been impossible.
The answer was simple: these personnel had either already boarded the Radiant Feldspar before Robin even obtained Lumina's consent, or they had been waiting fully armed outside, anticipating a positive response.
It was fortunate Lumina had a good temper; Herta would have flown into a rage immediately.
You've already started doing it, and now you're asking if you're allowed to do it?
"What does it matter?" Lumina didn't seem particularly bothered. "This just proves how urgent the matter truly is."
"It matters a lot."
"Oh? How so?"
"For example, one day in the future, you might be tricked out of everything you own—right down to your underwear." Herta spoke in a flat tone, as if stating a simple fact.
"Literally, not even your underwear."
As if realizing her words might be misinterpreted, Herta added a clarifying remark.
Judging by Lumina's previous behavior, she had no romantic or sexual interest in those beautiful girls. But the girls themselves might not feel the same way.
If they were even slightly assertive, thought more clearly, and planned a foolproof "trap"...
Given Lumina's complete lack of suspicion toward beautiful girls, she would undoubtedly walk right into it. Then, some hehehe and aaaaah things would happen.
That was Herta's explanation. There was no deeper meaning, just the literal meaning:
Literally, not even your underwear left.
"Do you really think I'm that naive?" Lumina retorted, completely misunderstanding Herta's intention and the implications of her words. All she understood was that Herta seemed to be underestimating her.
Deeply dissatisfied, Lumina retorted, "What do you mean by 'left with nothing but my underwear'?"
Lumina understood this to mean being deceived by them—tricked out of money, embraces, and head pats.
How could such a thing ever be okay?
Lumina had been vigilant against such intrusions from the very beginning. To this day, Herta had only patted her head a handful of times.
And even those pats had only occurred with her explicit consent.
If I don't allow it, who could ever dare to cross that line? Lumina thought fiercely, her resentment toward Herta's words growing.
"None of the beautiful girls you've interacted with were truly innocent," Herta persisted, undeterred, offering the reminder earnestly.
Whether it was Asta, March 7th, Stelle, Robin, Black Swan, Acheron, Sparkle, or any other beautiful girl Herta didn't know—none of them seemed genuinely innocent in the truest sense.
Even March 7th and Stelle, who might have once been considered innocent, had gradually lost that naiveté through their interactions with Lumina... at least, that's how Herta saw it.
After all, their stunning appearances spoke for themselves...
Herta glanced sidelong at Lumina's profile, a strange glint flickering in her eyes.
From any angle, it was an immaculate, captivating face, one that could easily make someone lose themselves.
Herta averted her gaze, the peculiar glint in her eyes gradually fading.
Foolish Lumina, she thought. If you continue like this, one day you'll shed tears of humiliation.
"How could that be? Little March is so pure!" Little Lumina, still misunderstanding Herta's true meaning, stubbornly countered.
"Stelle is pure too, and so is Asta."
"And Acheron! Don't let her Self-Annihilator title fool you—she's actually a remarkably pure person at heart!"
Lumina ticked off each example on her fingers, explaining them one by one.
"Yes, yes, they're all so pure," Herta mumbled, too impatient to argue with Lumina, who was so deeply immersed in the situation she couldn't see the obvious.
So pure, huh? Just wait until they've stripped you bare. Let's see how pure you still are then!
Herta snorted coldly, as if relishing the thought of Lumina being taught a harsh lesson by the very "innocent" people she defended—a lesson that would leave an indelible, unforgettable mark on her heart.
But despite these thoughts, Herta would never allow such a thing to happen.
She might wish for Lumina to be harshly reprimanded, but she certainly wouldn't want someone else to do it.
To put it bluntly, Herta wanted to be the one to teach Lumina a lesson, leaving a deep and unforgettable impression on her heart.
"Sigh, you wouldn't believe me anyway."
"You've barely interacted with them. How can you judge their true nature based solely on superficial impressions?"
Seeing Herta's dismissive attitude, Lumina sighed and shook her head in exasperation. She felt a pang of frustration at Herta's tendency to judge people's character based on mere surface impressions.
Herta: ...
Herta rolled her eyes in exasperation, realizing they were on completely different wavelengths. Forcing the issue would only lead to Lumina refuting her claims. So she clamped her mouth shut, unwilling to waste energy arguing.
I'll just teach her a proper lesson later, she thought. That'll make her remember.
Hmm... but would her remembering really be a good thing for me?
Herta sank into thought.
After a moment, an idea struck her, and her expression gradually returned to normal.
One successful strike is all it takes, Madam Herta declared to herself.
"It's so lively now! When I came here before, it was deserted, like a ghost ship," Lumina remarked, unaware of Herta's inner turmoil.
Seeing Herta fall silent, Lumina didn't press the matter further.
As she boarded the Radiant Feldspar and took in the bustling scene, Lumina couldn't help but sigh in awe.
"Do you enjoy this lively atmosphere?" Herta asked.
"Hmm, I suppose I do and I don't," Lumina replied, nodding slightly. "It's not the liveliness itself that I appreciate."
"What I truly enjoy is seeing people gather peacefully, creating this vibrant atmosphere together."
"That certainly fits your personality," Herta chuckled softly. Lumina's answer was exactly what she had expected.
"Let's go. We should conceal our presence slightly," Lumina said, taking Herta's small hand and leading her toward the Divergent Universe.
"The Charmony Festival is imminent. If our presence disrupts them and forces a postponement, that would be unnecessary."
"We'll mind our own business, and they can mind theirs. Why bother concealing our presence?" Herta protested, though her body obediently followed suit and suppressed her aura.
Seeing Little Herta's tsundere act, Lumina smiled.
I need to clarify my earlier words.
This Little Herta before me is truly such an innocent soul.
Herta: ?
If Herta knew what Lumina was thinking, she would undoubtedly give her a thumbs-up.
Innocence is such a virtue. Innocence is such a virtue.
Once you let your guard down...
Once I've gotten my hands on you... let's see how innocent you remain.