It took only a few casual remarks from Herta to make Ningguang visibly uncomfortable.
Though Herta hadn't spoken bluntly, Ningguang could hear the condescension dripping from every word.
Ningguang—Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing being looked down on?
What a joke.
Or rather, what a humiliation.
"Honestly, if you want a rich woman, can't you pick someone decent?"
Herta jabbed mercilessly.
"Topaz may not have red eyes, but in what way is she worse?
She even looks younger than this one."
To Herta, Ningguang had no special charms whatsoever.
A wealthy person on a tiny primitive planet?
Laughable.
Estelle could casually buy a few dozen planets without batting an eye.
This woman wasn't even the wealthiest on her world merely one of several.
And her looks?
Average at best.
(According to Herta.)
"Hey now—don't bully my future rich woman so badly she develops mental trauma,"
Su Ran warned.
"Otherwise I'll bill you for damages."
Ningguang was his person.
He had to protect his investment.
"It's just money," Herta snorted.
"Ask Estelle."
Then she narrowed her eyes.
"So what's so special about this planet?
Why're you obsessed with it?
When are you coming back to the space station?"
Compared to Teyvat, Herta cared far more about Su Ran.
Even the Trailblaze Aeon hadn't been here yet to her it looked completely ordinary.
"Why so impatient?" Su Ran shrugged.
"I transported this puppet here so you can visit me anytime.
Isn't that nice?"
"No.
This isn't my turf—
wait."
Herta frowned.
"You blocked all external signals?"
Coordinates couldn't be scanned.
Only this puppet could connect.
Meaning… no other method could reach here.
"Of course I blocked them.
Otherwise you might fly a planet-buster right over.
Teyvat is just a little world it can't survive your tantrums."
Su Ran spread his hands.
This level of caution made Herta pout.
You're a Genius Society-level brain and a Wise Aeon's Envoy, and you still act scared?
Even the IPC would think twice before provoking someone with two Aeon Ambassadors under his control.
Who in the universe besides an Aeon could threaten him?
"Please. Even if I brought a planet-buster, you wouldn't be scared,"
Herta muttered.
A star destroyer only worked on primitive civilizations.
Against a Wisdom Envoy?
It'd be dismantled before it could even fire.
Her attention shifted again.
The little figure in Raiden Makoto's arms.
"Is that also a puppet?
Let me see!"
Though the nanobot construction intrigued her, Herta wasn't in a hurry to study them.
People—or puppets—were more immediately interesting.
Especially the tiny one with surprisingly expressive eyes.
As another doll maker herself, Herta was immediately drawn in.
"This isn't just a puppet she's my younger sister."
Makoto held Ei tightly, refusing to let her be inspected.
Especially not by an alien genius.
"Sister?
So you are also a puppet?"
Herta poked Makoto's arm.
Human skin texture.
"Your dolls can grow?"
Two puppets, two completely different sizes.
Impossible in her system.
Her eyes sparkled.
Could inorganic bodies grow like living beings now?
Madness.
"No. They just use puppet bodies,"
Su Ran explained.
"They're actually over two thousand years old beautiful girls, apparently."
"…"
Herta rolled her eyes.
Two thousand years old and you still call that a "girl"?
"So you're into older women?
No wonder you rejected Topaz."
She clicked her tongue.
Topaz had advantages Ningguang didn't except for the cursed "not-red-eyes" flaw.
"You misunderstand.
I like pretty."
"Then you should've accepted my marriage proposal ages ago,"
Herta replied casually.
Everyone froze.
Su Ran was… proposed to?
"He will NOT accept that!"
Ei snapped instantly.
The moment she heard another woman wanted Su Ran, she bristled like a territorial thunder-cat.
Foreigners only came to steal him.
Locals were acceptable.
But outsiders?
Absolutely not.
"...And who are you?"
Herta blinked at the tiny doll.
"Raiden Ei!"
If not for being stuck in this miniature body, Ei might've been more imposing.
Instead she just looked furious and adorable.
"Never heard of you," Herta shrugged.
"Anyway, whether he accepts or not— what's it got to do with you?
Are you his mom?"
Makoto placed Ei on the floor, and suddenly Herta could look down at her fully.
Ei barely reached her knees.
Even Herta's puppet—under 1.5 meters—could look down on Ei's even smaller form.
"Come on now," Makoto coaxed gently.
"We're all adults.
There's no need to argue with a child."
Both Ei and Herta froze.
In Ei's mind:
Herta is obviously a child.
In Herta's mind:
Ei is obviously a child.
Thus— both silently decided to drop the argument…
…because neither wished to stoop to the other's level.
"Let's not be so tense," Yae Miko interjected.
"Aren't we all Su Ran's friends here?"
Friend?
Herta didn't deny it.
She didn't mind Su Ran being her friend especially if he'd let her study him someday.
Ideally naked.
For science.
"I only brought your puppet here so we could study things together later,"
Su Ran said, reaching out to pinch her cheek.
"The puppet shares all sensations with my real body, you bastard!"
Herta barked, baring her teeth.
"Oh, I know."
Su Ran smirked.
"I've used your puppet before, remember?
You can't fool me, Herta"
Herta: …WHY DID I LINK SENSORY FEEDBACK AGAIN?!
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