"Left or right? Get ready, I'm about to reveal the answer!"
"Oh~ I almost forgot to ask which side you chose. But it doesn't matter, because..."
In the corridor of The Reverie Hotel, Lumina's lips curled into an almost imperceptible smile as she listened to the voices drifting from a room with its door left ajar.
"Acheron, it seems your room has been occupied by someone else," Lumina said, pointing to the wide-open door from which male and female voices mingled. She glanced at Acheron with a playful smirk.
"Mm-hmm," Acheron nodded, seemingly trusting Lumina implicitly. Without hesitation or contemplation, she strode directly toward the room.
Why did Acheron believe Lumina so readily, without any doubt or deliberation?
The answer was simple: Acheron knew Lumina was lying. Though she had a poor sense of direction, she wasn't blind. The room number on the door clearly didn't match the number on her room key.
However, since Acheron had already been planning to investigate the situation inside, Lumina's words conveniently aligned with her own heartfelt intention.
"Friend, the game has begun. Let's make a deal."
"You can't refuse. There's no reason, no room for negotiation..."
In the room, a man and a woman gradually drew closer. No—it was the man relentlessly closing in on the beautiful girl, a cryptic smile playing on his lips. As he pressed closer, he began stripping off his equipment, his intentions clear: he was about to engage in something intimate.
Witnessing this scene, Acheron and Lumina exchanged glances. To these two righteous enforcers, the man's behavior already warranted a death sentence.
Lumina nodded to Acheron and stepped back, signaling him to act freely.
At this signal, Acheron's expression instantly turned glacial. Standing in the doorway, he declared:
"Hey!" Acheron called out. "What are you doing in my room?"
Hearing Acheron's words, the man in the room paused, but his face showed none of the awkwardness one might expect from being caught in the act. Instead, his gaze sharpened as he retorted, "Your room? Are you sure this is your room?"
"..."
Acheron didn't answer. She merely glared coldly at him.
"Hahahaha! Impressive, my friend! You've only just arrived on Penacony, yet you've already recruited someone to join you," the man burst into laughter, praising Stelle under Acheron's piercing stare.
Then, shifting his gaze back to Stelle while glancing sideways at Acheron, he chuckled softly and offered a well-meaning warning: "But I must remind you, Penacony isn't as simple as you think. For you on the Astral Express, this will be far from a simple, leisurely, and joyful vacation."
"Don't misunderstand," the man said with a smile at Stelle, then turned to Acheron with another smile before gracefully departing with a wave, leaving behind a trace of awkwardness. "I just wanted to say, remember to be careful. For example... remember to close the door."
"Hmm?"
Just as he reached the door, the man noticed Lumina standing quietly to the side, observing and listening to the "drama."
He clearly recognized Lumina, and his heart tightened instantly. He had considered the possibility of her being here, but never imagined she would actually come and eavesdrop at the door...
This hardly aligned with the rumored descriptions of Lumina...
Lumina's presence, eavesdropping no less, clearly caught the man off guard. Adding to his unease, she seemed to have arrived with the purple-haired woman...
This is going to be troublesome...
The man sighed inwardly, a sense of unprecedented difficulty flooding his mind.
Oh well, all or nothing!
Though his thoughts churned like a tempest, the man maintained an impassive facade. He smiled and executed a graceful bow:
"Miss Lumina, I'm Aventurine from the Strategic Investment Department of the Interastral Peace Corporation. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Strategic Investment Department? Aventurine?" Lumina murmured, feigning confusion.
Then, a smile devoid of warmth flickered across her face. "I never imagined that Mr. Aventurine, one of the Strategic Investment Department's Ten Stonehearts, would forget to close the door while teasing a beautiful girl."
"I'll return your earlier advice verbatim, Mr. Aventurine."
"Remember to close the door."
Lumina's face remained wreathed in smiles, her tone gentle, devoid of blame, contempt, or mockery.
Though her words contained no vulgarities or outright insults, their impact was devastating. Even Aventurine, a man as resilient as Preservation itself, nearly lost his composure. His carefully maintained facade almost crumbled, but his iron will allowed him to suppress the urge.
"Hahaha!" Aventurine burst into laughter, then explained, "Miss Lumina, you've misunderstood. I merely represent the Strategic Investment Department of the Interastral Peace Corporation and wish to discuss a potential partnership with Ms. Stelle."
"The IPC aims to reclaim Penacony. As a mere employee, arriving here isolated and without support, I have no choice but to seek assistance from the Astral Express."
Composing himself, Aventurine spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness, sighed, and offered a wry smile, directly revealing his purpose and predicament in Penacony.
After all, almost everyone knew it already. Even those who didn't could easily uncover it with a little investigation, so there was no harm in admitting it openly.
Moreover, after meeting Lumina, a daring idea had taken root in Aventurine's mind... He wanted to test whether he could draw her into this conflict as well.
Of course, such a move bordered on suicidal recklessness.
But considering how Aventurine had gotten this far, had he ever really avoided courting death?
It was just that this time, the object of his self-destructive tendencies was far more formidable than all his previous adversaries combined.
Still, courting death was one thing, and acting on such impulses was another.
Lumina's appearance might indeed introduce some complications to his plans, but that remained a mere possibility.
Aventurine would never take such a reckless step unless his entire plan truly collapsed.
"Reclaiming Penacony, huh..." Lumina nodded slightly, offering no further comment.
The IPC's objectives, whether they could successfully reclaim Penacony, or whether Aventurine could realize his scheme—none of that mattered to her.
From the beginning, Lumina had cared only about one thing:
Making friends with all the beautiful girls.
And if she could forge close bonds, perhaps even find a soulmate or adopt a daughter, that would be even better! o( ̄▽ ̄)ブ
In her heart, Lumina thought with smug satisfaction, already imagining her blissful life after the Penacony Charmony Festival concluded.
"Miss Lumina, I have some urgent matters to attend to. Please allow me to take my leave."
Seeing Lumina's complete lack of reaction to the IPC's intentions, Aventurine's unease deepened.
He wasn't afraid of Lumina siding with Penacony, nor did he mind her remaining neutral. His only fear was her complete lack of reaction—no opinion, no stance, leaving him utterly unable to decipher her thoughts.
Aventurine dreaded the possibility of inadvertently offending her, which would truly complicate matters.
In the IPC's eyes, which was more important: reclaiming Penacony or forging an alliance with Lumina?
Without a doubt, ten Penaconies couldn't compare to a single Lumina.
According to normal logic, the wisest course of action would be to abandon the plan to reclaim Penacony entirely and focus solely on cultivating a connection with Lumina.
However, the IPC doesn't operate on normal human logic. Their likely plan is to both reclaim Penacony and cultivate a relationship with Lumina.
Their ambition sounds good in theory, but it's going to make things difficult for themselves, Aventurine thought, sighing inwardly.
But his rich inner thoughts didn't translate to an equally expressive facade. His surface remained unchanged, his signature flawless smile betraying no vulnerabilities.
He waved a simple yet courteous farewell before departing.
"Goodbye, Mr. Aventurine," Lumina responded with equal politeness, waving back.
Once Aventurine's figure had completely vanished from sight, Lumina conjured a small notebook. She began scribbling in it, her pen moving swiftly across the page, writing who-knew-what.
Lumina's Grand Plan for Penacony:
1. Get Acheron to tell me her name herself (still needs work)
2. Break Aventurine's composure (almost achieved)
3. ?