March 7th's face slowly turned red. Given the current situation, it was impossible for her not to let her imagination run wild. After all, innocence didn't equate to ignorance—in fact, March understood far more than the average person. At this moment, her mind was already completely filled with vivid, blush-inducing imagery.
"Wait… are you guys from the Astral Express?!"
Topaz froze for a moment, her tone laced with surprise. She had once glimpsed this pink-haired girl in the company's records. Though she hadn't memorized the girl's exact name, there was no doubt she was a member of the Astral Express.
"You know us? Oh—right, Yun Fan told you, didn't he? After all, you're sleeping in his room…" By the end of her sentence, March 7th's lips curved downward as if weighed down by two soy sauce bottles. Her voice dripped with sourness. She was here first, yet now some random person had swooped in and taken her spot… Ugh…
Listening to March 7th's words, Topaz's mind raced. From March's tone, it wasn't hard to deduce Yun Fan's relationship with them. In other words, the guy who had lured her to Jarilo-VI using "underhanded" methods and forced her into becoming his maid… was a member of the Astral Express.
But wasn't this guy a Masked Fool?
Topaz had some understanding of the grudges between the Astral Express and the followers of Elation. Would they really allow someone associated with the Path of Elation on board? That seemed highly unlikely.
As Topaz pondered, Bronya—who had been silently observing their exchange—finally spoke up hesitantly: "Um, Miss March and Miss Topaz… you don't know each other? I thought you were both from the Interastral Peace Corporation?"
"Topaz is from the IPC?" March 7th's expression stiffened, and Stelle behind her reacted the same way. What was going on? Had their little charade just run into the real deal?
"Yes, I'm Topaz, currently serving as the leader of the Special Debt Inspection Team in the Strategic Investment Department of the Interastral Peace Corporation. It's a pleasure to meet you all from the Astral Express." Topaz extended a friendly hand toward March 7th—though whether her goodwill was genuine remained to be seen.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Topaz. I'm March 7th, and this is Stelle. We're both members of the Astral Express. These two are…" After shaking hands, March 7th introduced Stelle and the others to Topaz.
Once the introductions were over, March 7th couldn't help but glance at the disheveled silver-haired beauty before her, who looked like she had just gone through a passionate encounter, and finally blurted out:
"So, Miss Topaz… what exactly is your relationship with Yun Fan?"
The moment those words left her mouth, everyone present—including Lynx—subtly perked up their ears, eagerly awaiting Topaz's response.
Stelle was purely here for the gossip. She didn't have any particular feelings toward Yun Fan—at least, not yet. Bronya didn't either, but her mother had once told her that Yun Fan possessed the power to save Belobog from calamity and lead it back to prosperity. If that were true, then making some personal sacrifices might be necessary.
As for Lynx…
"Ah, I'm just Yun Fan's little maid. Due to certain circumstances, I'll be staying by his side for the next two months. Please take care of me." Topaz shrugged, putting on a helpless expression.
"I see… a maid…" March 7th's expression turned slightly awkward. If Topaz was a maid, then staying in her master's room wasn't unusual—but something still felt off to her.
"Miss Topaz, if you don't mind me asking… what exactly does this maid job entail?"
"Hmm… cooking, laundry, cleaning."
"That's it?"
"…And sharing his bed."
Everyone: "..."
———————————
"So, this is why you two were making a ruckus outside my door first thing in the morning?" Yun Fan stared expressionlessly at the two girls he had tied up and hung from the ceiling, then let out a yawn, his face darkening.
"Mmph—mmph—!" March 7th, her mouth stuffed with an apple, tried to protest, but the fruit blocked her airflow, reducing her words to muffled whimpers.
Whap—! Yun Fan promptly gave her a light but firm slap.
"Speak properly. What's with all the whimpering?"
"Mmph! Mmph! Mmph—!!"
March 7th was utterly stunned by Yun Fan's shamelessness. After a brief moment of shock, she let out even more frantic muffled screams, laced with fury and embarrassment—as if saying, Just you wait, you're dead when I get out!
"Tsk, you think I can't handle you?" Yun Fan snorted lightly, then turned his gaze toward Stelle. The moment their eyes met, Stelle shuddered. But she mustered her courage and glared back at him defiantly.
Unfortunately for her, that glare only made things worse. Yun Fan raised an eyebrow, then stood up from the couch and took two steps toward her. He reached out, gently cupping her face with one hand.
"Stelle~" Yun Fan called her name softly, his voice dripping with tenderness. But to Stelle, it sounded like a thunderclap on a clear day. Her entire body trembled slightly. In all their days together, this was the first time she had ever heard Yun Fan speak so gently. And that was precisely why she couldn't stop shaking—her instincts screamed that something unexpected was about to happen.
"Stelle, there's something I've always been curious about. You've got a Stellaron inside you, right? So… if you had a child, do you think they'd have a Stellaron inside them too?"
Stelle froze, then followed Yun Fan's train of thought. Huh… he's right. Would my kid also have a Stellaron?
Seeing Stelle lost in thought, Yun Fan smiled.
"You're curious too, aren't you? Well then… why don't we test it out?"
Test it out? How?
Stelle was baffled at first, but realization soon dawned on her. She began struggling violently, but no matter how hard she thrashed, the ropes held firm.
"Relax, relax. It'll be over soon." Under Stelle's terrified gaze, Yun Fan…