Inside Herta Space Station, a cacophony assaulted the ears.
“Certain, ♪ Actually not yet certain, ♪ Just a palpitation when our eyes meet, ♪ If I don’t see you, I miss you, ♪ Searching for you in the crowd, ♪ Finding you, then pretending not to look.
♪” A vein throbbed on Herta’s forehead as she stared at the Emanator of Beauty version of herself standing before her, whose eyes, brows, and facial contours were identical to her own; her head buzzed, and her headache was about to explode.
“Enough!
Stop singing!” She gritted her teeth, spitting out each word one by one.
Kazuki, however, completely ignored her, his tune becoming even more cheerful as he continued to sing: “Must maintain charm, ♪ Now far, now near, ♪ Cannot offer favors too easily, ♪ Must be as sweet as a peach, ♪ Read more books, ♪ Enrich yourself to be more perfect.
♪” As he sang “Magic of Love” while keeping the beat, he winked at Herta.
Despite being interrupted, he wasn’t annoyed at all; instead, he placed his left hand over his chest, extended his right hand toward the sky, closed his eyes, and spoke with a solemn, sacred expression, as if preaching: “Do you admit that Ms.
Herta’s beauty is unparalleled?” Furious, Herta grabbed her staff and slammed it against the alloy floorboards with a series of loud thuds, nearly denting the floor.
“I admit it!
I admit it, okay!
Ms.
Herta’s beauty is unparalleled!
So, can you please stop using my face to pull these stunts?” Upon hearing this, Kazuki immediately stopped his beautiful singing, pulled out his phone, held it above his head, flashed a sweet smile at the camera, and made a peace sign next to his face.
“Click.” The moment the photo was taken, he forwarded it, along with the recording of his singing, to Asta.
Suian: Extra treat for you today.
Asta replied instantly: Aaaaah!
It’s actually Ms.
Herta!
ど ⁰ ̷ ̴ ͈ ꒨ ⁰ ̷ ̴ ͈ う ♡ Asta: How did you do that?
Didn’t Ms.
Herta go to catch you?
To think you could make her show such a cute expression, hehehe.
Asta: You are too kind!
( * ¯ ㅿ ¯ * ) Suian: Small matter.
I’m a guy who values loyalty and friendship above all else.
( ˵ ¯ ͒ ♦ ¯ ͒ ˵ ) Watching him ignore her entirely and focus on chatting happily on his phone, Herta felt her liver ache with anger, and she gritted her teeth, retorting: “With a weirdo like you around, the galaxy is in for a major change.” Kazuki immediately looked up, looking unconvinced: “Hey!
Is that any way to insult someone?” After saying that, he lowered his head and continued chatting with Asta, not sparing her a single glance.
…
Time rewinds to a little while ago.
Kazuki’s conversation with [Emanator of Beauty Herta] lasted only a few sentences.
The moment he exited the Card Space, right in front of Herta, he shifted his thoughts and transformed directly into the appearance of [Emanator of Beauty Herta].
Herta was stunned on the spot, and the witch hat on her head fell straight to the ground with a “plop.” Especially the surging power of the Path emanating from him—it was genuine, authentic Emanator-level power!
Kazuki raised his hand to lift his own chin, leaned forward, and got right up close to her, his tone dragging out long, like a weasel asking for a blessing: “Tell me~ how much do I look like Herta?” The dignity and elegance Herta had maintained shattered into pieces at that moment.
Like a cat whose Tail had been stepped on, she instantly flashed back outside the hotel.
Kazuki was not polite at all; he bent down, picked up the witch hat from the ground, brushed off the non-existent dust, and placed it on his own head, where it fit perfectly.
Just then, the voice of [Emanator of Beauty Herta] rang in his mind, the Tail end of the sentence carrying a hint of satisfied laughter: “Even after walking the Path of Erudition and becoming an Emanator, the other me still maintains such a unique aesthetic?
Hmm~ Not bad, not bad.” Herta stared at the guy in front of her who was wearing her face and tilting her witch hat with a bit of charm.
The energy of the Path of Erudition crackled and popped at her fingertips.
It took her a long while to swallow the curse words on the tip of her tongue, and she gritted her teeth, spitting out the words one by one: “Give.
The.
Hat.
Back.
To.
Me.” Kazuki floated directly above the hotel.
Not only did he not let go, but he hooked the brim of the hat with his fingertip, spun it around, and plopped it back onto his head securely.
The Herta Puppets below were also dumbfounded.
He deliberately stepped forward, imitating Herta’s signature arrogant drawl, his voice rising with a curve at the end: “Oh?
Is this the attitude of Genius Society member #83, Herta?” The [Emanator of Beauty Herta] in his mind laughed with such contentment, purely enjoying the show: “Little one, try harder!
What is the point of that boring, tedious Erudition stuff?
Let her see for herself what the charm of The Beauty is all about!” Herta’s face turned so dark it could drip ink.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t tried to take action, but the restraint program she had tentatively released, upon touching the authentic Emanator-level power of The Beauty on Kazuki’s body, melted away like a snowflake hitting a furnace, vanishing without a trace.
What gave her even more of a heart attack was that this guy was wearing a face identical to hers.
If he wandered outside for even one second longer, tomorrow’s headline across the galaxy would definitely be [Genius Herta Betrays the Path of Erudition and Joins the path of beauty].
Even if the content wasn’t true, she didn’t want to immediately receive teasing from Ruan Mei or inquiries from Screwllum.
“Come back to Herta Space Station with me.” Herta gripped her staff tightly, her knuckles turning white, and squeezed the words out through her teeth: “I want to thoroughly investigate this damn ability of yours and see what is going on.” Kazuki immediately jumped back two steps, shaking his head like a rattle-drum: “Not going, not going!
If I go, won’t I become a lab rat on your chopping block?
Do you think I’m stupid?” “You’re not going?” Herta narrowed her eyes instantly.
The threat was just on the tip of her tongue when Kazuki blocked it completely with one sentence.
“If you dare to put a bounty on me, I dare to use your face, in the identity of the Galaxy’s Number One Beauty and the Sole Designated Emanator of Beauty, Ms.
Herta, to put on a debut show for the entire galaxy!
Then I’ll head over to Penacony to issue a declaration of The Beauty, shoot a photo album with the theme of The Beauty, and have the Interstellar Peace Corporation release it as a limited edition across the galaxy.” Kazuki said this with a straight face, even raising his hands to make a frame gesture: “By then, the whole galaxy will know that Ms.
Herta is not only beautiful and sweet-voiced but also yearns for The Beauty.
I guarantee there will be countless MCN companies fighting to send you signing invitations.” Herta was so angry she nearly ground her back teeth to dust, squeezing out a sentence through her teeth: “What exactly do you want?” “Simple.” Kazuki snapped his fingers.
“If you want me to go to the Herta Space Station with you, that’s fine, but you have to agree to one condition.” Herta stared at him vigilantly: “What condition?
Clear it up first, and don’t try any tricks on me.” “What’s the rush?” Kazuki waved his hand.
“I won’t say what the specific condition is for now.
Wait until I get to the Herta Space Station, and I’ll tell you once I’ve thought it through.
You just need to promise me now that you won’t go back on your word, and you won’t use that convoluted genius logic of yours to trap me.” “I agree!” Herta took a deep breath and replied after regaining her composure.
Kazuki’s eyes lit up instantly.
He made an OK gesture, then finally took the witch hat off his head and handed it back to Herta with both hands.