"Just how many fish have you been raising, you monster?!"
In Penacony's Dreamscape Reef, Madam Herta glared at Robin, who was acting like an obsessive fan before her. A flicker of anger crossed Herta's brow.
The Astral Express crew—Stelle and March 7th—the Self-Annihilator Acheron, and even Lumina herself, all reek of The Masked Fools and Memokeepers...
And Lumina took the Aventurine Stone primarily to create a legitimate reason to approach the remaining two female Ten Stonehearts sent by the IPC, didn't she?
Could this girl be planning to build a massive aquaculture farm here in Penacony?
If Penacony alone was this entangled, Herta couldn't even imagine what Lumina had gotten up to elsewhere.
Herta now suspected that Lumina's wanderings across several Amber Eras were primarily driven by her fish-raising obsession, with practicing the Path of Abundance as merely a secondary goal.
"Little Herta, stop letting your imagination run wild! Robin and I are just normal friends, close girlfriends—nothing as complicated as you're thinking!"
Watching Herta's ever-shifting expressions, from her initial glare to shock, and finally to a gaze that seemed to pierce through everything, Lumina felt utterly speechless. Her lips twitched uncontrollably.
Though she couldn't know exactly what impolite thoughts were swirling in Herta's mind, the changing expressions and the shifting gaze clearly indicated something unfavorable—a misunderstanding about Lumina's actions!
"Ah, yes, yes, exactly! Just ordinary friends, ordinary besties. You and Acheron, March 7th, Stelle, that Masked Fool, and that Memokeeper—all just ordinary friends, ordinary besties. Whatever you say is right."
Upon hearing Lumina's words, Herta nodded, expressing sincere agreement.
Whether this agreement was genuine or feigned remained anyone's guess. After all, Madam Herta's thoughts were utterly unfathomable.
Lumina: ?!
Wait, girl, what kind of nonsense are you even thinking?!
While Lumina had initially been uncertain, she was now absolutely sure: the thoughts swirling in Herta's mind likely revolved around Lumina's interactions with various beautiful girls.
Could Herta possibly think I'm building a harem everywhere I go? Lumina muttered to herself, suddenly realizing the crux of the problem.
Surely not. Herta isn't that dense, is she?
But a moment later, Lumina dismissed the thought.
Herta and I are just sisters, plain and simple. How could she possibly think that way? The way I interact with other beautiful girls isn't much different from how I interact with Herta. If she actually thinks that way... would that make her part of my harem too?
Shaking her head, Lumina refused to dwell on it further. A genius of Herta's caliber wouldn't waste her mind on such trivialities.
Huff...
Taking a deep breath, Lumina placed her hands firmly on Herta's shoulders, leaned in close, and fixed her with a sincere, earnest gaze. Her earnest expression and genuine sincerity filled Herta's entire field of vision.
"Little Herta," she said earnestly, "though I don't know exactly what you've misunderstood, I can assure you it's nothing like what you're imagining."
"I, Lumina, am a model citizen!"
Lumina's expression was so earnest, her gaze so sincere, and her words so solemn that anyone else facing such a situation, even with the deepest doubts, would likely hesitate for a moment.
But Herta was different. Lumina's actions did nothing to shake Herta's earlier suspicions.
Because Herta's attention wasn't focused on Lumina's words at all. It was completely captivated by the look in Lumina's eyes, her flawless face, the faint fragrance drifting from her nose, and the occasional warm breath that brushed against her cheek...
"Hmm... you're right. It's... it's probably just my overthinking."
Herta's expression remained unchanged, but her tightly clenched hands, gripping the hem of her dress, betrayed her inner turmoil.
Lumina, however, didn't notice this. Relieved to have cleared up Herta's misunderstanding, she let out a sigh of relief.
Though she still didn't know exactly what Herta had been misunderstanding, letting the misperception fester could only lead to trouble.
Therefore, whatever the issue might be, Lumina resolved to nip it in the bud!
"Little Herta, please remember, if you have any concerns, you must voice them. Don't keep them bottled up inside, or misunderstandings will arise!"
Lumina delivered this final, earnest reminder before withdrawing her hands from Herta's shoulders. Her cheek, which had been pressed intimately close to Herta's, also naturally retreated.
As Lumina's lingering warmth slowly faded from her cheek, Herta couldn't help but feel a flicker of regret.
"Madam Herta, Sister Lumina definitely isn't the way you're misunderstanding her," Robin interjected quickly, eager to act as a witness.
"Mm, don't worry. I haven't misunderstood anything," Herta replied, nodding to reassure Lumina that her misunderstanding had been resolved and that she wasn't harboring any wild thoughts or misjudging Lumina.
Yeah, right!
Lumina's earlier actions had only confirmed Herta's suspicions: Lumina was definitely playing the field!
Or rather, Lumina was playing the field without even realizing she was doing it!
Lumina's intentions might have been innocent—simply wanting to cuddle with a beautiful girl, without any further implications.
But she had clearly forgotten her own allure. While she herself might not have such thoughts, others certainly might.
Take Robin, for example...
"Hm? Madam Herta, is something the matter?"
Herta's gaze suddenly fixed on Robin. Sensing the intense scrutiny, Robin smiled warmly and responded with grace.
"Nothing," Herta replied curtly, shaking her head.
That Robin, March 7th, and whoever else... they definitely have ulterior motives toward Lumina!
Madam Herta thought to herself, convinced of this conclusion.
But this time, the exceptionally brilliant Madam Herta was clearly mistaken.
March 7th's feelings for Lumina were like a daughter's affection for her mother, and Stelle felt the same way.
As for Robin, her feelings were one-third fan adoration for an idol, one-third younger sister's affection for her older sister, and one-third daughter's love for her mother...
And what about Madam Herta's own feelings for Lumina?
Most likely, those of an older sister for her younger sister...