"Hmm, isn't that Miss Black Swan?"
In Penacony's Golden Hour, on the upper level near Clockie's statue, Lumina and Acheron passed by and looked down. Below, in front of the Clockie statue, Black Swan was locked in a standoff with a trash can.
"Hmm... it seems so." Watching Black Swan facing off against the trash can, Acheron's impression of her elegance diminished considerably.
Acheron didn't deny or judge this; it was simply... seeing the epitome of grace, Black Swan, act in such a manner felt slightly incongruous.
If Stelle had been in Black Swan's place, it would have seemed far more fitting.
"Who would have thought? The impeccably elegant Miss Black Swan has such a fondness for trash cans."
"What was that saying again? 'You can know a person's face, but not their heart.'"
Lumina sighed beside her, voicing Acheron's unspoken thoughts.
"Since we've already seen her, let's go down and say hello," Lumina said, grabbing Acheron's wrist and leading her down the stairs to the floor where Clockie's statue stood.
Acheron: ...
Though separated by a layer of fabric, Acheron could still feel the warmth radiating from Lumina's slender hand holding her wrist.
Thus, Acheron neither struggled nor felt any displeasure at Lumina's touch.
"Hi~ Miss Black Swan! I didn't expect we'd meet again so soon. What a coincidence!"
Lumina silently led Acheron to stand before Clockie's statue. Noticing Black Swan's youthful figure deep in thought, Lumina's eyes twinkled with mischief. She first suppressed her and Acheron's presence before stepping forward and gently tapping Black Swan on the shoulder.
"!"
Everyone knows: when someone is deeply immersed in thought, you should never make a sudden, loud noise without warning... Otherwise, you'll not only disrupt their train of thought but also risk scaring them half to death.
Even someone as elegant as Black Swan was no exception. When Lumina's hand gently patted her shoulder a few times, Black Swan's spirit jolted so violently she nearly leapt to her feet.
You see, even when deep in thought, the refined and cautious Miss Black Swan maintained a constant spiritual vigilance over her surroundings, safeguarding against any surprise attacks or intrusions.
Therefore, when Lumina bypassed Black Swan's perception completely silently and patted her shoulder while she was lost in contemplation, Black Swan was immediately struck by a wave of unprecedented terror.
Fortunately, others were present. Otherwise, Black Swan would have definitely let out a few goose-like honks...
"Heh heh ha... Miss Lumina, Miss Acheron, I didn't expect we'd meet again so soon," Black Swan said with an awkward smile, attempting to mask her recent fright. She waved stiffly, her elegant demeanor betraying a hint of rigidity as she greeted them.
"Yes, what a coincidence! Penacony is so vast, yet we've met again after barely half a System Hour apart," Lumina said with a gentle smile. Black Swan couldn't discern her true thoughts beneath that serene facade.
As for Lumina's talk of fate and coincidence, Black Swan believed it to some extent... though how much remained uncertain. After all, Lumina seemed far from the innocent and kind-hearted person she appeared to be on the surface.
Seeing Black Swan ignore her words, Lumina turned her gaze to the blue-haired man beside her, offering him a soft smile. "Hmm... hello, you must be a friend of Miss Black Swan?"
"I'm Lumina, just an ordinary little Physician~"
"?" The blue-haired man clearly recognized Lumina. Her eccentric self-introduction startled him momentarily before he recovered with an awkward laugh. "Ha ha ha... I am Sampo Koski. Please call me Sampo, Lady Lumina."
"As for the matter of friendship... I wouldn't exactly call myself Miss Black Swan's friend. At best, I'm a partner who was forcibly dragged along while delivering a message for a friend and ended up working with her."
Sampo spread his hands, his expression full of helplessness.
"I see," Lumina nodded, not dwelling on the matter.
Her gaze drifted to the overturned trash can beneath the Clockie statue, and she cast an ambiguous glance at Black Swan. "I never imagined someone as elegant as Miss Black Swan would have such... unique interests."
"Miss Lumina, you misunderstand. I—"
"It's alright, Miss Black Swan. I understand, I understand."
Black Swan tried to interject with an explanation, but Lumina, whom no one could select, cut her off.
"Everyone has the right to choose their own interests freely. Miss Black Swan, if you like trash cans, then like them with all your heart!"
"Don't worry about what others think. Be brave and be yourself!"
"Don't worry, Miss Black Swan! No one needs to know you like Trash Cans!"
Lumina spoke with the fervor of a life coach, dispensing platitudes like spiritual chicken soup. Well, if you ignored the fact that her voice grew increasingly loud and impassioned...
By the final sentence, Lumina was practically shouting, ensuring everyone near the Clockie statue heard her declaration.
Hearing Lumina's words, all eyes turned to her.
For a moment, the entire area around the Clockie statue fell into a deathly silence.
Then, it erupted:
"Lady Lumina! ❤ Lady Lumina! ❤ Lady Lumina! ❤ A-ha... A-ha..."
"Hiss... I never imagined such an elegant diviner would have such an... unconventional interest."
"It's alright! Whether you like Trash Cans or want to become one, Harmony will grant you the utmost tolerance!"
"Miss Diviner, in the Dreamland of Penacony, feel free to do whatever your heart desires!"
Lumina's resounding shout immediately drew the attention of everyone present, thanks to her immense popularity.
At first, all eyes were captivated by her peerless beauty. Then, recalling her earlier words, they shifted their gazes to the elegant Miss Black Swan and offered her encouragement.
Black Swan: ...
Hearing the surrounding crowd's murmurs and seeing their encouragement, even the composed Black Swan nearly lost her composure.
If not for the fact that Black Swan couldn't defeat Lumina, she would have added Lumina to her blacklist long ago.
"Miss Diviner, please... Eh, strange, how did I suddenly get so close to Clockie's statue?"
"Hmm... Weird, I just remembered I need to hang my laundry out to dry at home..."
But soon, the crowd that had been closing in on Black Swan all stopped in their tracks, their faces clouding with confusion.
They then resumed their earlier tasks and dispersed, as if Lumina and her companions near Clockie's statue had vanished from sight.
"Phew..." Black Swan sighed in relief. Lumina might be a bit of a brat, but at least she wouldn't go too far.
If she hadn't slightly hindered my efforts to erase the crowd's memories earlier, who knows what this place would have become...
She's quite similar to that little rascal Sparkle, Black Swan mused inwardly, her opinion of Lumina improving ever so slightly.
Hmm... From -100 to -99.9... That's still a fraction of an improvement, isn't it?
But this fleeting improvement vanished in an instant.
A sinister smile, like a villain seizing leverage over the heroine, curved Lumina's lips as she sidled up to Black Swan, their bodies pressed close.
An Image Stone materialized in her hand, which she held up before Black Swan. Leaning close to her ear, she exhaled warmly and chuckled, saying:
"Miss Black Swan, you wouldn't want the contents of this Image Stone to spread throughout the Cosmos, would you?"
Black Swan: ...
Staring at the contents of the Image Stone, Black Swan fell into a stunned silence.
The Image Stone contained a complete recording of her initial conversation with the Trash Can, followed by the entire process of her using her [Memory] powers to erase the crowd's memories...