Columbina came out of Sandrone’s house, but she didn’t feel very happy.
Of course, she wasn’t unhappy either.
Just a little…
Especially strange.
Even though Sandrone had basically agreed to everything she had asked to discuss and do, she didn’t feel the happiness she had expected.
Was it…
the pressure The Doctor had put on them?
Columbina didn’t have an answer.
she walked aimlessly through the vast Winter Palace, thinking about this question as she walked.
As the core of Snezhnaya, the Winter Palace naturally had extremely frequent daily patrols, but none of the patrolling soldiers felt it was strange when they saw Lady Damselette, and there was almost no stopping to salute as a subordinate would to a superior.
Because almost all Fatui Soldiers were used to it.
Lady Damselette was different from other Harbingers; she didn’t seem to have things she must do, nor did she care about the Tsaritsa’s great cause.
So, if one were to ask these soldiers which Harbinger they saw the most, their answer would basically always be the same person.
Lady Damselette.
Since a long time ago, passed down by word of mouth from who knows how many generations of predecessors, Lady Damselette had always been like this, always alone, wandering the various corridors in the Winter Palace.
From respect, awe, curiosity, and doubt, to the habituation of today.
The thoughts of a Harbinger were not something these ordinary soldiers could fathom.
Because Columbina often wandered aimlessly in the Winter Palace like this, by the special order of the Tsaritsa and the nod of Damselette, all Fatui Soldiers and officers did not need to salute when they met her.
If not for that, having to salute every few steps, every day, would slow down the operation of this heart of Snezhnaya.
Columbina expressed understanding.
And also expressed that she didn’t care.
Walking and thinking, Columbina suddenly stopped.
It wasn’t that she had figured out the problem that troubled her, but that she suddenly didn’t want to stay in the Winter Palace anymore.
Before, because she felt she was a Harbinger, it was her duty, and she couldn’t leave the Winter Palace without the Tsaritsa’s order, needing to stay here ready to wait for orders.
But today, she wanted to go out and see.
Columbina raised her head, “looking” toward the outside of the Winter Palace.
Having been in Snezhnaya for so long, besides occasionally going to The Hearth in the city with Rosalyne and Sandrone, she rarely went out.
Then let’s go to the city and take a look, and by the way, go to The Hearth again.
Maybe changing the place would allow her to figure out the reason for the strange feeling in her heart.
Having figured out what to do next, the face of Columbina, which had been under a faint haze, suddenly bloomed with a moving smile.
The Winter Palace had never been her cage; now, she had things she wanted to do himself.
Columbina began to walk toward the gate of the Winter Palace.
…
Snezhnaya City.
Columbina walked slowly alone in front of various stalls and shops.
When she went out with Rosalyne and Sandrone before, they almost always walked straight towards the direction of The Hearth; today, being alone, she finally had a chance to take a good look.
Only…
she needed to solve a trouble first.
“Heh, an industry under Childe, seems to be to maintain the persona of a ‘toy salesman’ in front of her younger siblings?
I really didn’t expect that you would be interested in these childish toys, Lady Damselette.”
she had just walked to this shop and felt the toys here were quite interesting, and was just preparing to play for a while, but the person who ruined the mood always picked the time to appear.
A good mood was gone.
“The Doctor.”
There wasn’t much emotion in Columbina’s voice, but it was a bit different from usual; specifically…
there was a hint of hidden killing intent.
The Doctor heard it, of course, but she still didn’t care, chuckling: “Why are you angry, Lady Moon Goddess?
I have only been pushing forward the experiment step by step according to the Tsaritsa’s orders recently, and don’t seem to have done anything out of line.”
Columbina didn’t intend to continue talking to The Doctor; she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to resist killing her.
From the moment this Doctor appeared, Columbina had sensed it; it was the slice that was neither weak nor strong, and in terms of strength…
if talking about the seat of a Fatui Harbinger, it was about the same as the Seventh Seat.
No, it should be a little weaker than the Seventh Seat.
But for the sake of the big picture, Columbina couldn’t do that.
First, it would alert the enemy, and second, she couldn’t explain it to the Tsaritsa.
Now, Columbina didn’t intend to leave the Fatui yet.
So she decided to ignore her and prepared to leave.
“Wait, Lady Moon Goddess.”
Columbina didn’t intend to really do what The Doctor said.
Since she couldn’t beat The Doctor in terms of schemes and language, it was better to speak with strength.
Although she couldn’t compare strength right now, she chose to avoid the sharp edge.
The Doctor was helpless and had to follow her and continue talking.
“I’m very curious.
It seems that overnight, your personality has changed a lot, and your hostility toward me also seems to have appeared out of thin air.
It’s really strange.
Can Lady Moon Goddess enlighten me?”
Columbina still didn’t speak.
she really didn’t want to say even one more word to The Doctor.
Any kind of pretense didn’t exist.
Although The Doctor was quite difficult to deal with, Columbina didn’t feel she needed to go to that extent.
Did she still want her to continue helping The Doctor research the Lunar Rectangular Force, or rather, research himself?
Since they were enemies, what else was there to say.
Columbina left, and the expression of The Doctor who remained in place also gradually became cold.
Columbina’s hostility toward her was actually a very normal thing.
Rather, it should have existed long ago.
But the problem was not this, but that kind of “suddenness”.
How could an ignorant god suddenly become…
slightly aware?
Or was the previous ignorance just her disguise?
The Doctor had intended to probe, but unfortunately, Columbina used the simplest and most effective method—ignoring her, so she didn’t get her answer today.
In any case, the experiment had a new variable, and the plan needed to be modified.
Sigh, it meant another batch of people would die.
The logic of the world, life and death, time and space…
Heh.
…
On the other side, disturbed by such a thing as The Doctor, the good mood that Columbina had just raised also dissipated.
Forget it, no mood to go shopping, go directly to The Hearth, and by the way, see if Arlecchino is there.
I haven’t really seen her properly since I returned to the present.
Let’s go.
Columbina thought about the route for a while, adjusted her direction, and walked toward The Hearth.
“Miss, would you like to come over and take a look?
Miss?”
After walking about four-fifths of the way, Columbina stopped, turned around, and headed toward the direction the voice came from.
“Are you calling me?”
Columbina pointed at himself.
“Yes,” a woman of about twenty, seeing that she had finally attracted a customer, hurried up, “Miss, are you interested in coming in and taking a look?
Our shop has many light novels!
Whether it’s classical or trendy, Snezhnayan or foreign, we have them all!
Now the new store is open, two books are 10% off, five books are 20% off, and ten books are half price!”
Ten books are half price?
Columbina calculated in her heart.
Seems very cost-effective.
And…
remembered that just now Sandrone had suggested she go read a few light novels that weren’t about transmigration.
Although those things weren’t written by himself, but…
As for Sandrone’s words, she should listen.
“Okay, take me in to see.”
“Alright!”
The shopkeeper was about to cry.
Today was the first time her bookstore was open.
She thought there would be many people visiting, but it had been almost half a day and not a single person had come.
She had spent a lot of money to learn the business secrets of a successful businessman!
This set of promotional words was taught by that successful businessman.
As a result…
she couldn’t attract customers at all.
She was almost doubting if she had been deceived, and whether she should go back early to inherit the family business, but fortunately, a customer had finally arrived!
She was full of energy again!
“Please come in, Miss!”