"So, you're actually with Anti-Entropy? And you were the focal point of the Second Honkai War battlefield?"
"Mmhmm."
"And that white-haired lady is the real, genuine Cecilia?"
"It's definitely her. Even though she was forced to switch bodies, she's absolutely the same Cecilia from back then."
"And you came all the way to Oceania just because someone might target me, so you're specifically here to protect me?"
"Correct. And they'll probably make their move within the next few days."
"Hmm…"
After listening to the girl's explanation of the entire situation, Wendy, sitting across from Lynelle, couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
Honestly, things developing like this was truly beyond her expectations.
After all, her initial goal was just to save Lynelle, who she suspected was about to become a delinquent girl.
Who would have thought it would end up dragging out all these subsequent events?
"But then, why isn't Schicksal taking action? Anti-Entropy and Schicksal do cooperate to some extent, right? If you passed this intel to Overseer Otto…"
"My dear Wendy…"
Lynelle said with some helplessness, "Is it possible that you being attacked has always been happening with Otto's tacit approval?"
"But, where's the proof?"
Though she wasn't old, Wendy wasn't a fool who understood nothing.
Her past days of being bullied in Oceania had caused this once very naive girl to mature a great deal.
As much as she wanted to believe Lynelle, she truly did need some convincing evidence.
"There are two pieces of evidence. First, if Schicksal, or rather Otto, were really as wonderful as you imagine, then… why did both Cecilia and Siegfried defect to Anti-Entropy? And why do two former members of the Snowwolf Squad now find themselves at odds with Schicksal?"
"As for the second… even if you don't believe me, you must believe Ragna, right? I came to Oceania through Ragna's channels."
"If I were really that suspicious or intended to harm you, Ragna would never have agreed to let me become your personal assistant."
"As for more evidence… I really can't produce any. Because me staying here is purely a precaution for your safety, so…"
Lynelle closed her eyes.
"I've already told you everything I can and can't tell you. Next, if you believe me, we'll carry on as usual until the crisis is resolved."
"If you don't believe me… handing me over to Ragna, or doing whatever you want is fine. But if you try to hand me over to Schicksal, I can't promise I won't run away, you know?"
"And regarding World Serpent's plan, don't worry. No matter what you choose, I'll protect you according to the original plan."
"Really… such an idiot."
Looking at Lynelle, who wore an expression like a martyr facing execution, Wendy muttered under her breath.
"Since you've said all that, what else can I do?… It's not like I can actually report you to Otto. I haven't forgotten who it was that sent me to Oceania in the first place…"
"But…"
Perhaps because the atmosphere, intensified by their proximity and the restraints on Lynelle, had reached a certain ambiguous level, or perhaps because Lynelle had broached that dangerously suggestive and tempting topic of 'I'll leave myself to your mercy,' Wendy, as if guided by some whimsical impulse, pushed her wheelchair closer to Lynelle.
"Letting Lynelle off just like this… feels like I'm letting a huge advantage slip away…"
Gazing at the girl's soft, alluring white-clad jade-like legs and the perky chest that perfectly complemented her figure, it was as if two little versions of Wendy appeared in her mind, one on the left and one on the right.
"Wendy, what are you waiting for!"
The little devil Wendy on the left, representing desire, spoke with an extremely seductive voice: "Lynelle, burdened by guilt over deceiving you, has delivered herself right to your doorstep."
"Are you really going to pass up this chance? Even if you don't do anything too extreme, just getting a little handsy, experiencing the Lynelle-brand body pillow, should be fine, right?"
"That's right, that's right!"
The little angel Wendy on the right, representing reason, clasped her hands together: "This is a gift from the Lord herself! It'd be a waste not to accept it!"
"Alright!"
After a "fierce" internal struggle between reason and desire, Wendy finally made a "difficult" decision.
She swallowed hard and slowly reached her hand towards Lynelle, who had her eyes closed and looked somewhat tense.
And then…
"Wendy, where are you! I messaged you earlier to tell you and Lynelle about the meeting, but you didn't even reply. The door's locked too—don't tell me you're still sleeping…"
The room's window, along with the curtain, was yanked open with external force as Ragna pulled it aside from outside.
Wendy, who had practically plastered her entire body against the bound Lynelle, instantly froze solid.
The atmosphere in the room immediately became profoundly awkward.
"S-sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you two!"
Half a second later, a blush instantly rose to Ragna's cheeks: "A-after you're… finished, remember to come find me. I'll give you a briefing on the meeting contents."
Slam!
The poor window, after being violently opened, was shut again with even greater force.
"…"
"Ahhh—This is so mortifying! It's all your fault, your fault, your fault!"
Wendy, evolving at lightning speed into a blushing steam-kettle, entered a state of full-blown, shame-induced rage.
"C-can you really blame me for this…?"
Lynelle looked utterly wronged. "You were the one who got so excited you turned off your airflow detection without noticing…"
"It is your fault! Why do you have to be so darn cute? How was I supposed to resist the temptation!"
Wendy fiercely buried her face into Lynelle's chest, rubbing it revengefully as hard as she could.
"How am I supposed to face Ragna later… She's definitely going to think I'm some kind of bad kid with weird tastes!"
"Uh…"
Glancing down at the master-level rope work that perfectly accentuated every tempting curve of her body, Lynelle felt as if a few cold sweat drops were rolling down her forehead. "Aren't you, though…"
"Gah! I'm gonna bail!"
Wendy simply buried her head in the blanket and started complaining. "Decision made! Lynelle, you're going to the meeting for me later!"
--+--
Two hours later, a deeply concerned Lynelle returned to the dormitory.
Although she had endured some teasing from Ragna in the interim, perhaps because she was already mentally prepared for the nature of their relationship, or perhaps because the main focus of the meeting was truly serious, Ragna didn't spend much time dwelling on the whole 'Wendy and Lynelle stack-a-roo' incident.
"Good news. Ragna didn't comment on our situation at all. It seems she was already mentally prepared for your… deviancy, Wendy."
"What kind of good news is that?!"
"The bad news is, the Honkai beast monitoring systems all over Oceania have been reporting extremely bizarre abnormal activity recently—if I had to guess, World Serpent is probably about to make their move."
"Let them come!"
Wendy, now on the verge of tears from sheer embarrassment, gritted her teeth. "I was just worried I had nowhere to vent my anger!"
"Lynelle, bring me my [Deadzone]!"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.