The smoke from the invasion had not yet fully dissipated, and the Main Control Room was filled with a feverish atmosphere of survival.
The researchers were excitedly analyzing combat data and discussing the “miraculous” predictive capabilities of the defense system, every face filled with admiration for Herta.
According to custom, this big shot from the Genius Society should have rushed to the Laboratory immediately to study the precious remnants of the Legion and extract new knowledge from them.
But today, Herta’s behavior defied everyone’s expectations.
Ignoring all the reports and cheers behind her, she stood up from her throne.
Her magnificent skirt swept across the floor, her high heels clicking with a clear, rhythmic sound as she moved through the excited crowd with a clear objective.
People made way for her one after another, their eyes following her movement, curious about where she was going.
Then, they saw it.
Herta walked straight to the silver-haired little girl who had been by her side but had always lacked a presence.
Lilith was still in the corner playing her aloof persona of “minding her own business,” but inside, alarm bells were already ringing wildly.
‘She’s coming over, she’s coming over!
What does she want?
To silence me?
Or expose me in public?’ [Host, calm down!
Maintain your persona!
You are now the mysterious Prophet who sees through everything, not a fraudster waiting to be judged!] Just as Lilith was in a mental tug-of-war, Herta was already standing in front of her.
Under the gaze of dozens of eyes in the Main Control Room, she leaned down.
Lilith’s heart leapt into her throat.
The next second, she felt her body lighten as she was picked up by a pair of strong arms.
It was that kind of…
posture for holding a child.
“Hey!!” Lilith’s brain instantly short-circuited, and all the cool lines she had prepared were stuck in her throat.
She instinctively struggled a bit, but was held even tighter.
The entire Main Control Room instantly became silent.
All the researchers stared dumbfounded at this bizarre scene.
Lord Herta, who always treated others as if they didn’t exist and considered saying one extra word to anyone a waste of time, actually…
actually held that little girl in her arms like she was holding a daughter?
Herta completely ignored the dropped jaws and shattered glasses around her.
Holding the stiff, red-cheeked little thing in her arms, she turned and walked back to her main seat.
She didn’t put Lilith down, but walked to the wide control console and gently placed Lilith directly onto the experimental table.
At this height, the sitting Lilith could look the standing Herta right in the eye.
An unprecedented sense of pressure washed over her.
“Alright, now there’s no one else here.” Herta spoke.
Her voice wasn’t loud, but it clearly overrode all the noise in the room, as if an invisible barrier isolated them from the outside world.
She reached out her finger and gently pinched Lilith’s cheek, which was slightly puffed out from shock and embarrassment.
The touch was soft and elastic, making her feel inexplicably pleased.
“My little charlatan,” Herta’s purple eyes were full of playful and inquisitive smiles.
She deliberately lowered her voice and asked in a volume only the two of them could hear, “Just how many things…
are you hiding from me?” It’s over!
She’s settling the score now!
Lilith’s brain whirred rapidly, forcing herself to calm down from the shame of being picked up in public.
She knew that she absolutely couldn’t back down now!
Once she showed weakness, her persona as a “God-tier Roleplayer” would completely collapse!
She jerked her head to the side, dodging Herta’s finger with an extremely arrogant posture.
“Hah?” She lifted her chin, her crimson eyes filled with the displeasure of being offended.
“I just’saw’ some annoying noise, that’s all.
The commotion of you mortals is truly both boring and noisy.” She paused and added in an even more critical tone: “And your hands are too cold, don’t just touch me whenever you want.” This tsundere speech, remaining stubborn even at an absolute disadvantage, did not anger Herta; instead, it deepened the smile in her eyes.
This feeling…
was too interesting.
It was like teasing a kitten that was clearly scared to death, yet still desperately bristling its fur and baring its teeth in a bluff.
So cute…
that it made her want to bully her even more.
“Heh…” Herta let out a very light chuckle.
The laughter was full of pleasure and doting, giving Lilith goosebumps.
‘What is she laughing at?
Does she think I’m easy to fool?’ [No, Host.] The System’s voice sounded a bit complex.
[According to my emotional module analysis, the way she’s looking at you now is like looking at an out-of-print, limited-edition cupcake that jumped into the bowl by itself.] ‘Doesn’t that make it even more dangerous?!’ The last trace of doubt in Herta’s heart completely vanished after Lilith’s textbook tsundere performance.
She no longer obsessed over the principle of the “prophecy.” That wasn’t important.
What mattered was that this unique “treasure” who could bring her infinite surprises belonged to her.
That was enough.
“Alright, since you think it’s noisy,” Herta straightened up, her tone becoming lighthearted, “then we’ll change to a quiet place.” She turned to the control console and issued a series of commands, dumping all the follow-up cleanup and data analysis work onto her subordinates.
Then, she turned to Lilith again and naturally reached out her hand.
Lilith looked at her warily: “What?” “Your ‘research’ isn’t over yet,” Herta said as a matter of course.
“From today on, my private Laboratory is also for your use.
I’m quite curious what kind of interesting things someone who can’see through’ my designs can come up with using my equipment.” In her words, there was no longer the initial scrutiny or testing.
It was a posture almost like showing off her favorite toy to a companion.
From then on, Lilith’s life underwent an earth-shattering change.
She was no longer a “sample” restricted to a certain room, but had gained free access to Herta’s Laboratory.
The daily routine between the two also changed from an “evaluation” full of interrogation to an “interaction” full of ambiguous push-and-pull.
When Herta was conducting complex research, she would naturally pick Lilith up and place her on the chair beside her.
Claiming it was to “prevent you from running around and causing unnecessary trouble.” When Herta fell into deep thought, she would unconsciously reach out and rub Lilith’s silver hair, which was as soft as moonlight, as if it were some kind of switch that could spark inspiration.
Lilith would resist fiercely at first, but each time she would be suppressed by Herta’s superior strength, and in the end, she could only let her have her way while puffing out her cheeks in anger.
Once, in order to calculate an extremely complex formula, Herta even picked Lilith up from her chair and placed her on her own lap, letting her lean against her chest, and then immersed herself completely in her work.
Warm body heat came through the fabric, and a cool fragrance lingered at the tip of her nose.
Lilith’s entire body froze, her mind going blank.
She could feel that beneath Herta’s brain, which was hailed as the smartest in the universe, a terrifying attribute called “daughter complex” was uncontrollably and wildly awakening.
And she was the sole trigger.
Herta tapped on the light screen, suddenly stopped, looked down at the motionless little thing in her arms, and asked, “What’s wrong?
Uncomfortable?” Lilith raised her flushed little face from her arms, bit her lip, and after a long while, squeezed out a sentence.
“You…
you’re poking me.”