"You're leaving already?"
"What else?"
"Aren't you going to say goodbye to Screwllum and the Astral Express crew?"
After the opening ceremony of the Charmony Festival at The Reverie Hotel, Herta had no reason to stay on Penacony any longer and immediately prepared to depart.
"No need. A text message will suffice," Herta said flatly as she rose from the Dream Pool.
"Alright then," Lumina nodded slightly, not pressing further. "I'll see you off."
"Let's go." Herta wasted no time, striding purposefully toward the door and pushing it open.
Seeing this, Lumina hurried after her.
The pair walked in silence until they reached The Reverie Hotel's reception desk. Herta handed the room key to the clerk, completed the checkout process, and headed toward the exit.
-
Watching Herta's retreating figure, Lumina couldn't help but feel puzzled.
I didn't sense any negative emotions from her. Why has she suddenly become so withdrawn? Does she just not like talking much?
Lumina's eyes were filled with confusion and contemplation.
How do I break this awkward silence? Friends shouldn't just walk away in silence and wave goodbye...
The internet claims that true friends communicate telepathically—that even in silence, their heartfelt intentions are conveyed. A simple wave farewell, they say, carries more meaning than any words could.
But Lumina didn't believe in such nonsense. If you're saying goodbye, then say goodbye properly! What's with all the awkward silence? Are we just supposed to stare at each other like idiots?
"Um... Herta?"
With that thought, Lumina quickened her pace, swiftly closing the distance to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with Herta.
"Don't get the wrong idea," Herta said without breaking stride, her expression flat. "I just genuinely don't know what to say."
Partings had never been a big deal for Herta. Usually, it was just a casual "Oh, bye" and that was it. But with Lumina, she didn't want to be so dismissive.
Herta dreaded the separation, yet she couldn't think of anything meaningful to say. She'd originally planned to wait for Lumina to speak first, then follow her lead.
But Lumina had remained completely silent the entire walk from the room to this spot...
"Me too," Lumina admitted, visibly relieved to hear that Herta felt the same. "I don't know what to say either."
"You've parted ways with countless other beautiful girls before, but suddenly you can't think of anything to say to me?" Herta retorted, her playful tone suddenly gone.
"At the Space Station, you were chatting so happily with Asta and March 7th. Now you're telling me you don't know what to say? What's this? Playing favorites?"
Hmph!
Madam Herta grew increasingly irritated with each thought, finally letting out a cold snort and quickening her pace.
"Wait, wait, no, that's not what I meant!" Seeing her reaction, Lumina realized she had said the wrong thing. She quickly jogged after Herta and grabbed her small hand.
"Have you ever heard the saying—"
"Hmph, never heard it," Herta scoffed, her voice dripping with tsundere, but she didn't pull away from Lumina's grip.
In fact, instead of resisting, she seemed to relax slightly, making it easier for Lumina to hold her hand.
Lumina's initial flustered expression gradually smoothed out. A faint smile curved her lips.
Little Herta, Little Tsundere.
Tsundere isn't even top-tier in the current version anymore. It's going to fall out of meta, you know.
But this isn't just any tsundere. Given Madam Herta's stunning looks, isn't she essentially defying the meta?
Instead of tearing down Little Herta's tsundere facade, Lumina answered her earlier question: "When saying goodbye to a friend and silence falls, there are usually only two possible reasons."
Lumina held Herta's small hand with one hand, while the other held up two fingers and waved them in front of Herta's eyes.
"One reason is simply that I'm not very close to this friend, and I'm only seeing her off to fulfill an obligation."
"As for the other reason..."
Lumina turned her head, fully revealing her breathtaking beauty to Herta. "It's because I'm too, too close to this friend, and I'm afraid to say too much during such an important farewell."
"If I said something that could be misunderstood, and then we'd be separated for a long time, misunderstandings might fester into estrangement."
"That's why I've been silent, waiting for you to speak first, so I can follow your lead."
This was a half-truth.
Lumina wanted Herta to speak first mainly to maintain control and position herself as the "one being sought."
As for the rest of her explanation, it was also a mix of truth and falsehood.
Her relationships with March 7th and Asta were exceptionally close as well. So why did she react so differently with them compared to Herta?
The answer was simple: both March 7th and Asta had already been thoroughly manipulated by Lumina, to the point where they had no chance of turning the tables. Lumina could speak freely, without any fear of being outmaneuvered.
But Herta was different. Lumina hadn't completely gained control over her yet, and with her brilliant mind, Lumina dared not make any rash moves.
What Lumina hadn't anticipated was that Herta had also considered the same idea...
Truly befitting the Emanator of Erudition! She lives up to her reputation as a genius!
"Is that so?" Herta clearly didn't believe Lumina's response.
If even half of what she said was true, I'd have to thank the heavens.
And she has the audacity to claim we're "far too close"? As if I'm a fool!
Based on Lumina's earlier conversation with Asta and March 7th at the Space Station, her situation couldn't be much better than mine.
Letting the matter drop as their parting approached, Herta couldn't be bothered to expose Lumina's little schemes.
Though Lumina's motives remained impure, after this exchange, Herta's anxiety eased. No longer feeling constrained to wait for Lumina to initiate the conversation, she maintained a calm expression but spoke with a hint of amusement in her tone:
"Our next meeting will likely be at the Space Station."
"I've truly enjoyed my time on Penacony."
During her stay on Penacony, aside from the incident on Sunday, nothing particularly significant had occurred. Yet Herta couldn't suppress the joy bubbling within her.
Perhaps it was because Lumina had been by her side almost the entire time.
"I'm so happy too. Thank you for keeping me company in Penacony, Madam Herta," Lumina said, holding Herta's small hand, her face beaming.
Although Herta's actions bordered on insubordination and even heresy, there was no doubt they had made her extraordinarily happy.
The only slightly unsettling memory was what Herta had done to her in the room that time...
But thankfully, Herta remained unaware that she hadn't been asleep at all.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Lumina stopped dwelling on it. The Reverie Hotel's grand doors loomed ahead, signaling that her time with Herta was nearly over.
"I hope you have a great time on the Luofu... um, I wish you safe travels on the Luofu," Herta said, her eyes betraying a hint of reluctance as she gazed at the doors and felt Lumina's presence beside her.
She had almost wished Lumina could have as much fun on the Luofu as she had in Penacony. But remembering the true source of Lumina's "happiness," Herta abruptly retracted the sentiment.
"I also wish you success in whatever you're pursuing," Lumina replied, oblivious to Herta's sudden change of subject.
"Mm, thank you for your blessing. I'll make sure she succeeds," Herta nodded, a knowing smile playing on her lips.
Taking Lumina's words as an auspicious omen, Herta resolved to initiate her long-cherished plan upon their next meeting.
By then, she wouldn't be as gentle as she was now...
White and black might merge, but black never turns white. White, however, always succumbs to black.
Herta lowered her head slightly, her sidelong glance lingering on the small hand Lumina held. A villainous glint flashed in her eyes.
"We're here," Herta announced shortly after, gesturing toward the approaching Starship. Her gaze lingered again on Lumina's hand.
"Mm," Lumina replied, reluctantly releasing her grip.
Herta took a few steps forward, then turned back to face Lumina, like a maiden.
A faint smile graced her lips as she studied Lumina's features, saying nothing.
Lumina mirrored her gaze, studying Herta's face in turn.
They stood locked in this silent scrutiny, as if trying to etch each other's features deep into their hearts.
After a long moment, Lumina broke the gaze.
She produced a purple-green ring and, smiling, offered it to Herta.
Herta's eyes flickered with delight upon seeing the ring, but she didn't take it. Instead, she blinked and extended the back of her hand, signaling Lumina to complete the gesture properly and perform the subsequent steps.
Without a word, Lumina smiled slightly, pinched the ring, and slipped it onto Herta's finger.
"This is for you," Herta said after admiring the ring for a moment, handing Lumina a key-shaped pendant necklace.
Seeing this, Lumina mimicked Herta's earlier gesture, blinking and tilting her head, returning the gesture.
The next moment, a fragrant scent filled the air, strands of hair tickled her face, and a few fingers brushed against the skin of her neck.
As the scent faded, the key-shaped pendant necklace was secured around her neck.
"Not bad, not bad," Herta nodded in satisfaction after completing the exchange. With a casual wave, she bid a simple farewell:
"Goodbye, Little Lumina."
Lumina paused slightly, her cheeks a bit puffy. Then she chuckled softly, mimicking Herta's wave:
"Goodbye, Little Herta."
It turned out that Herta's earlier words weren't just a trick or a lie—they were genuine.
For true friends, a simple "goodbye" and a wave of the hand can speak volumes more than any flowery speech.