"Sister Herta, surely you haven't forgotten about me…"
"Sniff… sob sob, this is just too heartbreaking."
Clara watched Herta's cold, indifferent expression as she ignored her, then wiped away the completely nonexistent tears from her eyes.
"Fine, fine. It seems this little sister's devotion was misplaced, after all."
"Sister already has her own life now. Forgetting about me, her little sister, is only natural."
"It's okay. I won't blame you, sister."
"Since you're here now, I'll just take my leave."
"Goodbye, sister… Sigh, when it comes down to it, I suppose I was just being sentimental on my own…"
Having said her piece, Clara released her hold on Herta, let out a sigh, and prepared to walk away with a dejected look.
Herta: …
Listening to Clara's little speech, the corner of Herta's mouth twitched uncontrollably. Internally, she was utterly exasperated.
Watching Clara's retreating back as if she really intended to leave, Herta decided to play along with the little act:
"Alright, alright, I remember you. Of course I remember you."
Herta took a few small steps over to Clara and grabbed her by the arm.
"It's truly wonderful that little sister Sparkle could come to the space station, and even dealt with the Doomsday Beast, the greatest threat we've faced. I really don't know how to thank you enough."
"Heh heh." Finally hearing the words she wanted, Clara gave a little laugh and turned back, her face the picture of earnestness:
"What are you talking about, sister? You're my sister. It's only right and proper for your little sister to help you."
"How could I possibly ask for any reward?"
Hearing this, Herta actually felt the Clara before her seemed a bit unfamiliar.
Logically speaking, after what she'd just said, shouldn't this girl have seized the opportunity to freeload as usual?
But looking at Clara's utterly serious expression, which didn't seem the least bit deceitful, Herta's eyes filled with confusion.
Was the person in front of her really Clara?
Noticing Herta's puzzled look, Clara leaned close to Herta's ear and whispered slowly:
"Ah, I only said all that for the benefit of the others. Don't take it seriously."
"As for the reward, that's absolutely non-negotiable."
"After all, fighting that Doomsday Beast was really exhausting, okay?"
Herta: …
There it was. That familiar flavor. It was definitely that shameless little black-haired brat.
"Haa…" Herta took a deep breath. Although she'd only known Clara for a few days, she'd already gotten a pretty good sense of what kind of person she was.
So, regarding the reward Clara mentioned, Herta wasn't worried in the slightest.
At most, she'd probably just make this puppet put on a maid outfit and serve her… right?
Well, it's just a puppet anyway. No big deal.
As if reading Herta's thoughts, Clara said with a giggle:
"I'll drop by to visit your real self sometime."
Herta: Please, for the love of all that is logical, do not.
Herta gave Clara a faint side-eye, silently complaining to herself.
Of course, Herta didn't actually believe Clara could find her.
Hmm… though if she did manage to find her, that would be a different story.
Asta, having recovered from her earlier fright and seeing that Herta and Clara's conversation had wrapped up, quickly spoke up excitedly: "Ms. Herta, you're finally here!"
"Although Miss Sparkle has resolved the greatest danger from the Antimatter Legion, there are still many Fragmentum creatures that have infiltrated the station. We—"
"Stop."
Before Asta could finish, Herta raised a finger, cutting her off.
"That's not why I'm here."
"The Doomsday Beast is gone. The remaining small fry aren't worth mentioning."
"So, the matter of the Antimatter Legion invading the space station is already in the past."
Herta spoke with an utterly casual air, clearly not giving the Fragmentum creatures left on the station a second thought.
Then she turned her gaze towards Stelle, a slight smile curling her lips. "I'm very interested in you."
"I have an experiment that requires your cooperation."
"The experiment poses no harm to your body, so you can rest assured."
"I refu—" Upon hearing Herta's words, Stelle showed not a hint of hesitation and was about to refuse.
"Don't be so quick to reject," Herta interrupted Stelle calmly, having anticipated this response.
"The Stellaron inside you is my property. By common logic, you have absolutely no right to refuse me."
Stelle took a deep breath upon hearing this. "You can't find happiness by forcing me!"
Everyone: ?
"Hey, what are you talking about?" March 7th quickly nudged Stelle. Weren't you just scared earlier? How did you become so brave all of a sudden?
"Oh ho, little gray-haired one, quite the silver tongue. I'm impressed." Clara walked over to Stelle's side, reached out, and gave her shoulder a couple of playful pats in agreement.
"Don't worry, I'm on your side this round. Herta can't force you."
"If she dares to force you, I'll give her little butt a spanking."
Herta: …
The moment Clara's words left her mouth, everyone present except for Stelle and Herta was utterly stunned.
Who was Ms. Herta? An Emanator of Erudition, a member of the Genius Society. And here was someone, right in front of Herta, saying she'd spank her…
Even if they seemed to be friends, that was still a bit… you know.
But surprisingly, Herta paid no attention to the comment. Ignoring the giggling Clara, Herta's eyes swept over Stelle, appraising her from head to toe.
"Originally, you couldn't refuse. But I've reached an agreement with a certain someone."
"If you're unwilling, I won't force you."
"Then I refu—"
"Could you let me finish speaking?" Herta glared at Stelle, making her laugh awkwardly.
"The experiment involves researching your body, studying the stability of the Stellaron inside you."
"Although you seem perfectly fine now, and the Stellaron appears very stable within you…"
"There's always the potential for hidden issues."
After saying this, a meaningful smile appeared on Herta's face:
"Miss Stellaron, you wouldn't want to be walking down the street alone one day when the Stellaron inside you suddenly goes out of control."
"And then boom~, blowing you to smithereens without a trace left."
Hearing this, Stelle pictured the scene Herta described and shivered from head to toe.
Then she quickly scurried over in front of Herta, bent down, and respectfully took Herta's hands in hers, her face filled with grave sincerity.
"Please, by all means, conduct the experiment on me thoroughly!"
…
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