"Cough, cough..."
Felicity clutched her stomach and temporarily returned to her room at the space station.
Although the Astral Express still had vacant rooms, preparing them for habitation would require considerable time, so Felicity had no choice but to return to the space station for rest.
Feeling the bitterness in her throat that still hadn't dissipated, Felicity sighed and shook her head, recalling the scene from earlier.
After she and Stelle had pointed at each other, Himeko had comforted them by saying:
"You don't have to force yourselves if you don't want to drink it."
Though she said that, her forlorn expression didn't seem like she was truly indifferent.
Felicity was hesitating when Stelle, unable to bear seeing Himeko like this, decisively picked up the coffee and took a small sip.
Felicity caught the rich aroma of coffee wafting from Stelle's direction. She watched as Stelle sat upright, slightly closed her eyes, and tilted her head upward like an elegant tea connoisseur.
Stelle took another small sip.
The fragrance seemed to possess some kind of magic, continuously bewitching her thoughts - she appeared to have stopped thinking altogether.
Another small sip.
Stelle gently placed the cup back on the table, her entire being seeming to turn ashen gray, with a death-defying smile still hanging on her face.
She gave Felicity a thumbs-up.
What did the thumbs-up mean!?
Felicity was nearly driven mad, but Himeko's expectant gaze soon fell upon her. A cup of coffee, completed at some unknown moment, was carefully placed before her.
Pale white mist rose from the dark brown coffee, and getting closer, one could still feel its residual warmth. It emitted a rich, aromatic fragrance through which one could sense the maker's heartfelt expectations.
The atmosphere seemed to be telling her:
We've come this far, my friend!
Felicity swallowed hard, as if finally making up her mind. She picked up the coffee and took a large gulp.
The bitterness of coffee dominantly occupied her mouth.
It was nothing short of an invasion - the bitter taste rudely flooded her taste buds, swept past her throat, and charged toward her stomach acid.
So much so that she almost failed to notice the Abundance's blessing automatically manifesting on her.
"Ugh, I'm dying, and it's all your fault."
The memory was interrupted as Stelle, walking beside Felicity, complained discontentedly.
She seemed to have just regained her senses, having followed Felicity in a daze all this way.
Just as Felicity was about to retort, her glancing gaze fell upon Stelle's face. Seeing that still completely expressionless face, a mischievous idea suddenly occurred to her.
"This is the first lesson I'm going to teach you."
Felicity said with a serious expression.
"?"
Stelle tilted her head slightly, as if trying to express her confusion through this gesture.
"—Choice. The power of choice lies in your own hands. Use your own will to achieve the outcome you desire, an outcome you won't regret."
Felicity spoke with utmost seriousness.
"??"
Stelle's eyes widened, revealing undisguised shock. She furrowed her willow-leaf eyebrows, pondering the connection, feeling that something wasn't quite right.
"In short, when you have the opportunity to make a choice, don't let yourself regret it."
Finally seeing a change in that expressionless face, Felicity nodded with satisfaction, then extended her hand toward the other girl, saying:
"Now, let me teach you the second lesson."
"???"
Stelle stood bewildered, still processing Felicity's earlier nonsensical ramblings when she was abruptly dragged away by the determined girl.
...
Inside Herta's office.
"Herta! Can you hear me? Hey—!"
Felicity leaned close to the ear of Herta's puppet in the office before suddenly shouting.
As everyone knew, Herta didn't pay much attention to the space station, and most of her puppets remained idle for long periods. But Felicity knew the puppet in Herta's office was an exception.
"I'm here. Keep it down."
Just as Felicity predicted, Herta "awakened," wearing an irritated expression.
"The puppet you asked for is being prepared. It'll be packaged and sent to you tomorrow. If there's anything else, say it quickly. My time is precious."
Herta glared at Felicity as if warning her that failing to provide something interesting would have consequences.
"Ta-daa~"
Felicity smiled mysteriously, then pulled Stelle out from behind her, deliberately drawing out her words with excitement:
"Stel—lar—on—Ves—sel~"
"????"
Stelle's eyes widened in shock.
"Didn't you ask me to bring her here in exchange for a Curio? Come on, hand it over."
Felicity cheerfully stretched out her hand, demanding the reward from Herta.
"...You actually brought her."
Herta massaged her temple with a hint of headache. Though it was unclear what purpose rubbing a puppet's head served, she did it anyway.
Truth be told, she had considered contacting the girl directly, but she wasn't sure if Stelle would come—or if she'd come alone, especially since Herta had previously declared her intention to conduct research experiments on the girl.
So, she took a roundabout approach. Since Felicity mentioned boarding the Astral Express anyway, she had Felicity trick Stelle into coming. Besides, Felicity was already well-acquainted with the affairs here.
"You may pick one Curio from my collection. As for you..."
Herta's gaze lingered on Stelle.
"Let me make one thing clear—whatever experiments you plan to conduct must have her consent."
Felicity suddenly interrupted Herta, speaking with unusual seriousness,
"Not everyone has the spirit to dedicate their life to Lady Herta like I do."
"Silver-tongued flatterer. I know."
Herta rolled her eyes and ignored Felicity, turning her attention to Stelle instead. After a brief pause, she spoke unhurriedly:
"I'll cut to the chase, Stelle. My colleagues and I are working on a major project. If successful, we could solve the ultimate mystery that has perplexed us for millennia: the secrets of the Aeons."
"Now, I invite you to assist us in unraveling this mystery. Don't worry—it won't take much of your time, I guarantee you won't suffer any losses, and I'll pay you handsomely~"
Stelle froze for a moment, instinctively casting a pleading glance toward Felicity.
"Remember the first lesson I taught you."
Felicity patted Stelle's shoulder and gave her a thumbs-up,
"The power of choice lies in your hands. And now, it's time for the second lesson."
She gave a light cough and quietly retreated several steps, all the way back to the doorway.
"The second lesson is—harbor no ill intentions toward others, but never let your guard down."
Click.
The office door was completely shut.
Stelle was utterly astonished.