Holding the white shirt made of extremely expensive fabric, Castorice and Hyacine both waited for the next garment to arrive.
But instead of the next garment, Herta pushed open the door and walked in.
"What are you two doing?"
Entering the dressing room, Herta saw the white shirts in Castorice and Hyacine's hands, and an expression of "just as I thought" appeared between her brows.
Without a doubt, the scene unfolding before her was exactly as Herta had predicted.
Although Lumina hadn't directly asked Castorice and Hyacine to wear that nightgown, she had indirectly made them wear a similar type of "nightgown."
If Castorice and Hyacine had actually agreed to Lumina's rude request, Herta had already thought through what would happen next.
When bathing, wearing this white shirt would be just like not wearing anything at all, leaving everything completely visible, just like the nightgown from before.
And after that?
Without a doubt, they would rise from the pool, wanting to quickly change out of this shirt.
But how could Lumina possibly allow such a thing to happen?
Getting out of the pool was fine, but changing was not.
To put it simply, if wearing this shirt was uncomfortable, they could just take it off.
But you absolutely cannot change out of it.
Either you wear it, or you take it off; on the surface, these are the only two options.
But in reality, it's nothing more than a single-choice question.
Because the next step is to go to bed and sleep.
What does it mean to go to bed and sleep wearing this soaked piece of clothing? Even if Lumina didn't mind, sleeping would be extremely uncomfortable.
In the end, forced by circumstances, they would have no choice but to obey Lumina's words, take off this piece of clothing, and go to bed and sleep.
With this, Lumina's entire plan would be complete.
After that, it would naturally be her time filled with joy and happiness.
Fortunately, Herta had already seen through this matter.
Since she already understood, she would absolutely not let this happen!
"Hmm?" Seeing the fleeting determination on Herta's face, Lumina lightly hummed, not caring in the slightest.
As expected, Little Herta was always Little Herta.
She understood Lumina, that was true, but she didn't understand Castorice, nor did she understand Hyacine.
Only understanding the "enemy camp" while not understanding "our camp" was even more serious than only understanding "our camp" while not understanding the "enemy camp."
Given Herta's current situation, to tell the truth, Lumina had ten thousand ways to make her suffer bitterly.
But for future sustainability, Lumina decided to choose the warmest method.
With a slight smile at Herta, Lumina strolled through the sea of clothes, eventually handing her a piece of clothing and a pair of undergarment "pants."
Both the clothing and the "pants" were a deep black. Even if they bathed in water and completely soaked their clothes, there wouldn't be any problem.
Well... at least you wouldn't be able to see the skin underneath through the dress.
"What about the other one?" Herta raised an eyebrow, looking at the two pieces of clothing in her hands as she questioned Lumina.
Although this was much better than the situation Castorice and Hyacine were in, Herta was still very dissatisfied.
"That's all. If you're going to bathe in the pool together, are you planning to be fully armed?" Upon hearing this, Lumina immediately asked back.
"...Then what about you?" Herta narrowed her eyes. She didn't dwell on it too much and tossed the question back at Lumina.
If Lumina were also dressed like this, Herta would wholeheartedly agree.
"Me?" Hearing this, Lumina pretended to be stunned for a moment, then spread her hands and said, "Of course I'm dressing like this too."
It's just... the way I'm wearing it is a little different.
Looking at Herta's currently heart-stirred expression, Lumina smiled inwardly.
-
"Really?" Seeing Lumina agree so decisively after only a moment's hesitation, Herta narrowed her eyes, feeling as if she had fallen into some kind of trap.
But after thinking carefully, Herta couldn't figure out where the trap could be.
After all, if she dressed this way, Lumina would also dress this way. No matter how Herta connected the dots, there shouldn't be anything wrong with it.
But Lumina... would she actually do something completely without issues?
Lumina held an absolute advantage. Would she truly take a step back to maintain the same level as someone in a disadvantaged position like her?
Herta didn't believe it.
Therefore, Lumina must be plotting something, and Herta just hadn't figured it out yet.
"Of course, would I ever lie to you?" Feeling Herta's gaze full of suspicion, Lumina waved her hand and asked back.
Was Lumina lying to Herta?
Of course not. Lumina was telling the truth.
Whatever Herta ended up wearing, Lumina planned to wear the same.
Based on Lumina's familiarity with Herta, the absolute limit Herta could accept should be this.
A shirt and a pair of "pants."
A pair of perfectly flawless, long legs were completely exposed, and the shirt, soaked by the pool water, revealed...
Lumina felt that wearing one more piece of clothing wouldn't work, and Herta felt that wearing one less piece wouldn't work.
This was the best possible outcome.
"..." Hearing this rhetorical question, Herta did not immediately answer, but carefully observed Lumina.
From top to bottom, from bottom to top, she continuously observed Lumina's every move at this moment, but after observing for a long time, she still couldn't figure anything out.
"Alright, alright, stop staring. As your older sister, how could I ever harm you, my younger sister?" Lumina was neither annoyed nor impatient, letting Herta observe her freely for a while.
Seeing that Herta still hadn't figured anything out, the corners of her lips curled up slightly.
But to prevent her plan from failing, Lumina quickly pulled the corners of her mouth back down, returning to normal.
"...I refuse. Hurry up and give me the underwear."
Although it was only for a moment, Herta still caught that fleeting smile on Lumina's face.
In an instant, alarm bells rang loudly in Herta's heart, and all her programs were activated.
At this moment, even if a huge benefit were placed right in front of her, Herta would absolutely not fall for it.
"Hmm..." Seeing Herta refuse her so firmly, Lumina wasn't surprised at all. She waved her hand and said with a hint of moral blackmail in her tone, "Everyone else is not wearing any, but you're the only one who is. Isn't that... a bit awkward?"
Lumina actually disliked moral blackmail. After all, while she was "treating" people all over the galaxy, she had been subjected to various forms of moral blackmail, both big and small, which she found extremely irritating.
I'm not the Aeon of Abundance. The galaxy is so huge, how could I possibly care for every single place?
If the Interastral Peace Corporation hadn't intervened forcefully back then, this kind of moral blackmailing online environment would have persisted for a while longer.
Though Lumina didn't really care whether they blackmailed her or not.
But the resulting annoyance was still quite significant.
At the very least, it made Lumina feel a deep-seated hatred for this kind of behavior.
But as the saying goes, "Let the other Daoist die, not this humble Daoist."
If she was the one doing the moral blackmailing, then Lumina felt there was absolutely no problem with it.
After all, this moral blackmailing was to secure benefits for herself.
If there were benefits, if she could obtain benefits, then Lumina didn't care whether she hated this so-called moral blackmailing or not.
As long as it's useful, she loves it.
If it's not, then Lumina finds it even more loathsome.
Of course, even so, even if she loathes it to this extent, if she later encounters a situation that requires her to take action, Lumina will still continue to use it.
As for right now...
It probably won't be successful.
"Don't try to morally blackmail me. What you guys are wearing is your business, what does that have to do with me?" Herta sneered coldly, not being morally blackmailed as Lumina had expected.
How could the fiercely independent Herta ever be morally blackmailed by something like that?
Hmm... within the entire Genius Society, the most susceptible to being blackmailed is Little Herta.
But the current situation is the lowest level of moral blackmail.
This kind of moral blackmail can only be used on those innocent little cuties like Castorice and Hyacine. For someone like Herta, a more advanced level of moral blackmail is needed.
But Lumina couldn't think of any.
With Lumina's little head, she couldn't think of what kind of moral blackmail could make Herta obediently surrender.
Generally speaking, for someone like Herta, one could only blackmail her with the lives and disasters of the entire Okhema, the entire Amphoreus, or even the entire galaxy.
But obviously, Lumina would absolutely never do such a thing.
Setting aside the fact that Lumina could never bring herself to do such a thing, even if she could, why wouldn't she just be direct, straightforward, and decisive? Why not just restrain Herta on the spot and throw her onto the bed... ?
Wouldn't that be much more efficient?
The main reason was that Lumina "respected" Herta and "respected" all her thoughts, which was why she wouldn't do such a thing.
If Lumina "disrespected" Herta, she would have already started preparing for their tenth child.
Ceasing her thoughts, Lumina's originally gentle tone now turned somewhat flat.
She spoke calmly, saying, "Then if you're not wearing this, I won't wear it either."
"Oh, if you don't want to wear it, then don't." Hearing this, Herta's heart stirred, but she didn't think much of it, and her tone was also very flat as she gave her reply.
Castorice, Hyacine: "?"
"Um, Hyacine, are Sister Lumina and Big Sister Herta talking about something very profound?" Castorice, taking in the scene before her, suddenly leaned closer to Hyacine and asked in a soft voice, "Why is it that I can understand every single word, but I still can't understand it when they're put together?"
"I... don't know?" Hearing Castorice's words, Hyacine shook her head, indicating that she was also very confused and desperately wanted to know the answer.
Lumie and Hertie, why does it feel like they're about to start fighting for no reason?
Looking at the atmosphere that had formed around Lumina and Herta, Hyacine tightly hugged the only shirt she had in her arms, and such a thought suddenly popped into her mind.
"Ugh... Hyacine, Hyacine, what are you thinking!"
"Lumie and Hertie get along so well, outsiders can only be envious, how could they possibly fight?"
The moment this thought surfaced in Hyacine's mind, she immediately rejected it.
No matter how she looked at it, even if she and Lumie fought, Hertie would absolutely never fight with Lumie!
Although she herself would absolutely never fight with Lumie either... Even if we did fight, it would be because I, Hyacine, accidentally did something wrong!
Lumie is absolutely not at fault!
And she couldn't possibly be wrong!
Hyacine was so resolute in her heart about Lumina and herself.
Like a believer who had entered an evil cult and was eventually brainwashed by it...
"There... shouldn't be any problem, right?" Although Castorice also firmly believed that Sister Lumina and Big Sister Herta couldn't possibly fight, and it was even more impossible for a problem to arise, she still had a tiny bit of worry.
And... the longing in her heart seemed to outweigh the worry...
She hoped a little... hoped that Sister Lumina and Big Sister Herta would really fight, causing their relationship to break.
Then... then she could take advantage of the situation and replace Big Sister Herta's position, becoming the most important person in Sister Lumina's heart.
Castorice knew that this thought was extremely rebellious and utterly despicable, but, but in her heart, she couldn't help but give birth to such a thought.
Even if, even if this thought was very small...
But just by giving birth to this thought, it meant Castorice had considered it, which meant she was a bad woman...
Thinking of this, Castorice pressed her lips tightly together, and tears seemed to shimmer in her eyes.
Castorice felt deeply self-reproachful for her identity as a bad woman.
But...
But if something really happened,
and Sister Lumina and Big Sister Herta truly fought and broke up, causing their relationship to collapse completely.
Then Castorice would proactively comfort Sister Lumina and comfort Big Sister Herta, trying her absolute best to help them get back together.
But if... if it still collapsed, then Castorice, Castorice would act as this bad woman, taking, taking Big Sister Herta's place...
"Castie? What's wrong? Why is your face so red?" Hyacine, noticing something amiss with Castorice's face, asked with some confusion.
"Are you sick? Do you want me to help you look?"
Seeing her flushed face and red ears, Hyacine focused all her attention on her, her exquisite and fair little face full of worry and concern.
"N-No, I'm fine." Hearing this, and having her abnormal state noticed by Hyacine, Castorice's face became even more flushed.
Having an improper thought in her heart, and then having her own best friend discover it, made Castorice extremely embarrassed.
Fortunately, fortunately, this scene had not been discovered by Polyxia.
Otherwise... otherwise Castorice would really want to dig a hole on the spot, and then bury herself in it.
"Are you really fine? But I see you..."
"I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm really fine."
Hearing Castorice's words, Hyacine was somewhat unwilling to believe it, and just as she was about to say something, she received Castorice's very firmly worded confirmation.
"Alright then." Since Castorice said so, Hyacine could only withdraw her gaze.
And then she turned her attention back to the two people, Lumina and Herta, in front of them.
And then Hyacine discovered that the gazes of the two were both fixed on her and Castorice...
"..." In an instant, Hyacine's face also became as flushed as Castorice's.
"L-Lumie, Hertie, what... what is it?"