At first…
Celine didn’t mind Xing calling her “Auntie.”
Nor did she object to the girl curiously touching her hair…
Or poking at the joints of her puppet body.
However…
The moment Xing’s restless little hand reached toward the right eye hidden beneath her bangs…
Celine’s heart immediately tightened.
(…Not that.)
She wasn’t ready to reveal that secret yet.
Smack!
A light, crisp sound echoed through the alley.
Celine calmly raised her hand…
And lightly smacked away Xing’s wandering hand.
“Ow!”
Xing yelped.
Immediately letting go of Celine.
Celine landed lightly on the ground.
Steadied herself.
Then calmly looked at Xing, who was rubbing her wrist with a slightly aggrieved expression.
“Hmph.”
Her voice remained as calm as ever.
Though anyone listening carefully could hear the faint warning beneath it.
“You certainly have quite the adventurous spirit.”
“Don’t you know…”
“There are places you shouldn’t touch?”
“Umm…”
“Auntie~”
Xing puffed out her cheeks.
Trying to smooth things over with an innocent smile.
“I was just curious…”
“Curious?”
Celine slightly raised an eyebrow.
“If you’re curious…”
“Ask Herta to give you one of her puppets to study.”
“Aren’t you helping her test the Simulated Universe?”
“As your employer…”
“Didn’t she give you any decent compensation?”
“She did!”
Xing immediately forgot all about her sore wrist.
She perked right up.
“She asked me what reward I wanted!”
“So I asked for a baseball bat first!”
“And then?”
“And then…”
Xing proudly puffed out her chest.
“I asked for permission to search every single trash can on the entire space station!”
Celine: “…”
For perhaps the first time…
A visible crack appeared in her perfectly calm expression.
“…Huh?”
She looked at Xing’s face…
Which wore the expression of someone who had just won the lottery.
“…You’re really that interested in trash cans?”
“Of course!”
Xing nodded vigorously.
Her eyes sparkled.
“As everyone knows…”
“Trash cans contain treasure!”
As she spoke…
She proudly took several glittering Star Jades out of her pocket.
Holding them out toward Celine.
“Look!”
“I found all of these inside different trash cans!”
“…Hmm?”
Celine’s gaze shifted from Xing’s excited face…
To the Star Jades in her palm.
Then…
Without warning…
She casually flipped her hand over.
Stacked together.
Shining brilliantly beneath the moonlight.
Xing froze.
Her breathing stopped.
The excitement in her eyes instantly transformed into overwhelming desire.
“AUNTIE!!”
“GIVE THEM TO ME!!”
She immediately pounced toward Celine.
More accurately…
Toward the Star Jades in Celine’s hand.
Celine had already anticipated it.
With a simple sidestep…
She effortlessly avoided Xing’s attack.
Thud!
Xing landed face-first on the ground.
Kicking up a small cloud of dust.
Yet she immediately climbed back to her feet.
Not even bothering to dust herself off.
Her eyes remained completely fixed…
On the Star Jades.
Filled with one unmistakable word.
Want.
Watching that expression…
Celine couldn’t help feeling both amused…
And a little helpless.
“You know…”
She casually tossed the Star Jades in her palm.
They produced a series of crisp, pleasant chimes.
“…What are these used for?”
“I don’t know.”
Xing honestly shook her head.
Her eyes faithfully followed every movement of the gems.
“Then…”
“Why collect them?”
Xing tilted her head.
Thinking very seriously.
Before finally answering.
“I just feel…”
“If I collect enough of them…”
“Something good will happen.”
“I see…”
Celine nodded thoughtfully.
She looked at Xing once more.
Then slowly closed her hand around the Star Jades.
“Do you want them?”
“Yes!”
“Yes!!”
Xing nodded so hard it looked as though her head might fall off.
Her eyes practically glowed.
“Then…”
“Do me a favor.”
“If you succeed…”
“Every single one of these…”
“Will be yours.”
“Okay!”
Xing agreed instantly.
Without even asking what the favor was.
“What is it, Auntie?”
“Just tell me!”
Celine leaned closer.
Speaking quietly enough that only the two of them could hear.
“Help me…”
“Get Bronya and Seele together.”
Xing: “…Huh?”
“I know who Bronya is…”
She scratched her head.
Looking completely confused.
“But…”
“Who’s Seele?”
“I haven’t even met her.”
“You’ll meet her soon enough.”
Celine answered with complete certainty.
As though simply stating a fact.
“So.”
She tilted her head slightly.
Looking calmly at Xing.
“Will you help?”
“I will!”
Xing answered without the slightest hesitation.
Putting aside the temptation of all those Star Jades…
Simply because…
It was her aunt asking.
As for what “playing matchmaker” actually meant…
Or how she was supposed to do it…
She figured things would work themselves out eventually.
“Good.”
Celine lightly flicked her wrist.
The entire handful of glittering Star Jades flew toward Xing.
Like a shower of tiny stars.
“Waaah!!”
Xing hurriedly scrambled to catch them.
Holding the cool, heavy gemstones tightly against her chest.
Her face overflowed with happiness.
“Remember your promise.”
Celine casually reminded her.
“And now…”
“Go back to sleep.”
“You all have important things to do tomorrow.”
“Yep!”
“Got it, Auntie!”
“No problem, Auntie!”
Xing loudly patted her chest.
Her face was filled with satisfaction.
Then she happily skipped all the way back toward the inn.
Celine quietly watched her disappear into the distance.
Moonlight gently illuminated her peaceful profile.
…
Later…
Selene turned everything that had just happened…
Into a hidden Easter egg.
The trigger conditions were very simple.
After meeting with Wildfire…
And learning that the player needed to discuss plans with them the following day…
Instead of immediately choosing the “Sleep” option…
The player had to wander around Boulder Town…
Searching through trash cans.
Only then…
Would they encounter Celine.
…
Real world.
Black Cat’s livestream.
“AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!”
A heart-wrenching scream suddenly erupted from Black Cat’s microphone.
It was a mixture of regret…
Pain…
And utter despair.
The viewers nearly jumped out of their seats.
Just moments earlier…
Black Cat had finished speaking with Oleg.
She decided to head to Natasha the next morning…
To continue the main quest.
So…
She immediately chose to return to the hotel and sleep.
Then…
She noticed a comment in chat.
“If you don’t sleep immediately…”
“And instead go search the trash cans around Boulder Town…”
“You’ll trigger Celine’s hidden Easter egg.”