After Castorice and Hyacine went to the dressing room to change, the room immediately fell into a brief silence.
But before long, Lumina's gaze fell upon Herta.
She took a few steps forward, leaning close to Herta's body.
Feeling the dense, extremely comfortable fragrance wafting from Herta, Lumina made no attempt to hide it. She took a deep breath, instantly revealing an expression of enjoyment and comfort.
A smile once again appeared on her lips as a result.
The process of Castorice and Hyacine changing their clothes would surely still take some time; it would not be finished so quickly.
After all... they weren't just changing their clothes.
They also needed to carefully organize the emotions that had arisen in their hearts because of just now.
Then they would be ready, ready to bathe together with her...
To them, this must still be somewhat difficult, I suppose.
Recalling the reactions the two of them had when they heard "take off your clothes" just now, Lumina could almost be certain, certain that the two of them had already put themselves on the right track.
The right track of being kept firmly in her grasp.
And next, it would be the Little Herta before her, who looked as if she reigned supreme over all.
After inhaling and savoring the fragrance emanating from Herta, Lumina clasped her hands behind her back, leaned forward slightly, and smiled tenderly at Herta. "So, Madam Herta, what is your verdict? What is your opinion?"
Herta: ...
Faced with Lumina's question, Herta did not immediately reply.
It wasn't because she was throwing a tantrum and refusing to answer or ignore Lumina, but because... Lumina's gesture and that gaze had instantly captivated Herta's thoughts.
Like the "White Moonlight" that lives in the hearts of every adolescent boy, she was beautiful and pure, exuding a youthful and vibrant aura that instantly pulled Herta's thoughts back to a summer during her own adolescence, countless years ago...
How wonderful it would have been if I had met Lumina back then.
Herta sighed inwardly.
No... no, no, I absolutely could not have met Lumina back then.
But Herta quickly denied the exclamation in her heart.
If she had met Lumina during her youth, she would probably be in the same position as those two little ones, Castorice and Hyacine, being easily manipulated by Lumina's few gentle and ambiguous words... Herta would never allow such a thing to happen.
Meeting Lumina now, after achieving fame and success and possessing powerful intellect and status, was the best kind of "encounter."
Hmm... Of course, there was an even better one.
That would be meeting Lumina when she was a child, while I remained as I am.
This way, by training her... no, by raising her from childhood, she would belong exclusively to me...
Although that was an impossible matter.
Ceasing her thoughts and recovering from Lumina's unforgettable posture, Herta suppressed her constantly pounding heart, took a deep breath, and replied to Lumina's words with a calm expression: "Verdict? Opinion? What verdict? What opinion?"
"What else could the verdict and opinion be?" Lumina smiled, having witnessed Herta's momentary daze, her mood brightening again.
Then, withdrawing her gesture, her gaze fell upon the bathtub in the room as she gestured to Herta: "Hey, this is the verdict, this is the opinion."
"The verdict and opinion on whether you will take off your clothes."
"Will you take off your clothes and bathe with us in the hot spring?"
Lumina's words were still very easy to misunderstand; if someone else heard them, they would think it was a "group naked bath."
"..." Herta didn't dwell on that point.
If it were really a completely naked bath, Lumina would be the one in a hurry.
Judging by her reluctance to even engage in a simple "kiss," a completely naked bath would be far too much for her to handle.
So, from the moment she heard that phrase, Herta understood that Lumina was just playing around. What she actually meant was merely taking off her clothes, changing into swimwear or a yukata, and bathing in the same pool.
She had no intentions of doing anything of that nature.
If she did, Herta would be more than happy...
Multiple people... then multiple people... it's fine.
Anyway, Castorice and Hyacine, those two little ones, didn't really count as "people" in Herta's eyes.
"Little Herta, do you want to bathe with us?" Seeing that Herta had yet to give a reply, Lumina reached out her hand to Herta and asked again.
If Herta could come, that would certainly be best.
If Herta couldn't come, it wouldn't matter either, because she already had Castorice and Hyacine.
Lumina was a "super easy to satisfy" person.
She wouldn't be greedy.
"Of course, why wouldn't we?" Herta crossed her arms, replying to Lumina's words with a calm expression.
Her calm expression and tone made it seem as if she were describing something extremely common and simple.
This calm reply immediately made Lumina think more highly of Herta.
Lumina had thought that even if Herta wouldn't refuse, she would still agree in a bashful and hesitant manner.
As a result, she never expected Herta to agree so straightforwardly.
She had clearly rejected her bath requests several times before...
This behavior was somewhat unexpected for Lumina.
But it didn't matter, because it was a good thing for her anyway.
It seems that to deal with Herta and make her obediently comply, external stimulation is still needed to interfere.
Lumina sighed in her heart.
This also served to solidify the plan she had originally customized for dealing with Herta.
Creeak—
Before Lumina could say anything more, the door to the dressing room was gradually opened.
The next second, two beautiful young girls with half of their snow-white skin exposed slowly walked out with their faces covered in blush.
Both of them had red faces and lowered their heads, their steps gentle, making no sound when they stepped on the ground.
"!"
Taking in the appearance of the two, Lumina's eyes instantly sparkled with several small stars.
Although Lumina didn't have any deeper thoughts regarding beautiful young girls, she still had an appetite for this kind of visual treat.
The beautiful girls wore one-piece swimsuits, exposing a large area of skin to Lumina's eyes. They lowered their heads in shyness, one hand covering their chests while the other occasionally tugged at the swim skirts that were even shorter than miniskirts. Their perfect, shyly blossoming postures made Lumina feel as if she wanted to act like a pervert, drooling over the screen.
Of course, this thought was only a fleeting one.
After all, Lumina didn't need to drool over a screen like a pervert; she could just go right up to them...
Since she could go right up to them, how could she be a pervert?
Could a pervert ever share a bath with the goddesses of his dreams?
Definitely not, right?
"You both look lovely," Lumina said with a smile, praising Castorice and Hyacine.
"Mm..." The two turned their heads and gave a soft hum, their faces flushing even redder.
Castorice didn't know why, and Hyacine didn't know why either.
Clearly, this was an extremely normal outfit, and it didn't expose any private parts. The swimsuits were even on the conservative side, revealing only their necks and limbs...
Well, calling them conservative was a bit of a stretch. The swimsuits Castorice and Hyacine were wearing could just as easily be called children's wear.
Logically speaking, it was absolutely impossible for such... shy, awkward, or unnatural feelings to arise.
But... but both Castorice and Hyacine felt these emotions unexpectedly in their hearts.
"Herta and I will go change clothes first. You two can go soak in the bath without waiting for us."
Before the two could even figure out why they felt this way, Lumina's gentle smile interrupted their thoughts.
She pointed to the bath in the room that could accommodate a dozen people, gesturing to Castorice and Hyacine.
"Mm..." Castorice and Hyacine nodded with the same expression as before, then walked toward the bath together.
Castorice slowly stepped into the bath, the blush on her face now looking much more natural.
Meanwhile, Hyacine carefully stood on tiptoes, lightly and slowly tapping the water's surface.
To Hyacine's surprise, the temperature of the water wasn't uncomfortable at all; instead, it was incredibly warm.
This warmth surged into her body from her toes, instantly spreading throughout her entire being, making her feel exceptionally comfortable.
"Hah..."
Sinking into the bath, the spring water submerged most of her body, leaving only her cute little head as she took a deep sigh of relief.
"Alright, Little Herta, let's hurry up and change clothes."
Looking at the two currently soaking in the pool, Lumina tempted to skip the changing process entirely and dive straight in, grabbing one with each hand.
But she quickly dismissed the idea.
Bathing is still best done in specialized attire. With my current outfit, if I really went in for a soak, it would all be "exposed"...
"Go together?" Hearing this, Herta tilted her head and asked back in confusion.
"What else?" Lumina huffed softly, then added: "Don't worry, I just told Little Sister Castorice and Hyie that there are small rooms inside the changing area. You can just change in those rooms."
"Of course~" At this point, Lumina suddenly changed her tone, glanced at the two sitting quietly in the pool, then leaned forward, pressed her head to Herta's ear, and whispered with a hint of temptation in her voice: "If you want to change in front of each other, that's not impossible either."
"Or... we could help each other change~"
"As long as Madam Herta nods in agreement, I will satisfy you no matter what it is."
After speaking, Lumina even gently breathed a puff of warm air.
The warmth brushed against Herta's ear, causing it to gradually flush red.
"Alright, let's help each other change."
But soon, after only a few seconds, the flushed ear returned to normal almost in an instant.
Even Lumina couldn't help but marvel in her heart at such a recovery speed.
Could it only be said that she truly lived up to the name of Madam Herta?
"Alright, alright, I know you're definitely unwilling."
"In that case, there's no need to dwell on this point."
"After we go in and pick out our clothes, we can just choose any small room to change in."
Before Herta could say anything more, Lumina very naturally took Herta's small hand and led her toward the changing area.
Looking at Herta's expression...
Lumina felt that if she pushed her too far, she might actually be able to do something like that...
Although it was only an "if," although it was only a "might," Lumina didn't want to take the gamble.
Even though it wouldn't matter if she lost the bet, it would just be more time spent "playing the rogue."
But that would undoubtedly lower her standing in Herta's heart, which simply wouldn't do.
So, just as this thought was about to take root in Herta's mind, Lumina quickly cut it off.
Without giving her any time to think, she pulled her straight into the dressing room.
Creeak... Thud.
With the sound of the door opening and then closing, the figures of Lumina and Herta completely entered the dressing room.
"Hyacine... Is it a bit inappropriate for us to bathe with Sister Lumina and Big Sister Herta...?"
In the bath, Castorice asked Hyacine beside her, her voice tinged with worry.
Sister Lumina and Big Sister Herta are a couple... Wouldn't it be a bit awkward for others to join in a bath between a couple?
"Hmm? Why would it be inappropriate?"
Hyacine didn't know what Castorice was thinking, let alone the misconception she held about Lumina and Herta's relationship. Hearing her words, Hyacine tilted her head in utter confusion.
Sister Lumina's earlier statement was correct: bathing together is a custom in Okhema. Hyacine herself often bathed with Lady Aglaea and Lady Tribbie, and never found anything wrong with it.
Um... The only thing that feels wrong is... me.
Hyacine muttered silently to herself.
My heart is racing so fast... so fast... Hyacine wondered why.
But she could guess that all of this was perhaps related to Lumie.
"It's... It's the relationship between Sister Lumina and Big Sister Herta!"
"The relationship between Lumie and Hertie?" Hearing Castorice's words, Hyacine snapped back to reality.
After carefully chewing over the words, the confusion on Hyacine's face grew even more pronounced.
"The relationship between Lumie and Hertie... Aren't they friends? Best friends?" Hyacine asked back in confusion.
"Of course they aren't!" Castorice vehemently refuted Hyacine's statement.
"Mm..."
But the next second, realizing her voice had been a bit too loud and her emotions seemed a bit too intense, Castorice quickly covered her small mouth with both hands.
After waiting nervously for a moment, and seeing that she hadn't disturbed Sister Lumina and Big Sister Herta, Castorice finally let out a sigh of relief.
Looking left and right, as if she were a thief, Castorice whispered to Hyacine: "Sister Lumina and Big Sister Herta... they're actually... a couple!"
"You know, like boyfriend and girlfriend."
"Ah?" Hyacine froze on the spot, blinking her cute little eyes, seemingly shaken by what Castorice had just said.
"Um..." After coming back to her senses, Hyacine lowered her head in thought for a moment.
Then she shook her head: "That's impossible, isn't it? Lumie and Hertie, although they are a little close, they don't look like a couple at all no matter how you look at it."
Although Lumina and Herta were very close, in Hyacine's eyes, they had not reached the level of a couple.
To put it in simpler terms, the relationship between Lumie and Hertie was probably the kind that was more than friendship but less than love?
"Eh? Is it?" Hearing Hyacine say this, Castorice also became a little unsure.
Um...
Briefly recalling the intimate interactions between the two.
Castorice found that what Hyacine said seemed very correct?
The relationship between Sister Lumina and Big Sister Herta might really not be what Castorice had imagined in her heart...