Chapter 12: Rich Lady, Hungry, Feed Me, Wuwu
"March, Dan Heng. Thank you for your hard work."
Himeko offered a warm, elegant smile, smoothly pivoting away from Leon to focus her gentle gaze on the two Express members. Getting too entangled with a self-proclaimed Masked Fool was a surefire way to become the punchline of a cosmic joke. Even though Leon had vehemently denied the affiliation, the literal comedy mask that had conveniently slipped from his pocket earlier made his protests incredibly hard to swallow. In that case, maintaining a polite distance was definitely the safest choice.
Leon watched her subtle retreat. He let out a long, exaggerated sigh.
Why was telling the truth in this universe so difficult? Where was the basic trust between fellow humans? Dropping his head, he let out a theatrical, entirely fake sob.
"Ah... Himeko! It would have been so great if you had gotten here earlier!" March 7th's shoulders slumped, all her usual boundless energy draining away like a deflated balloon. She let out a listless sigh. It was the first time she had ever felt this level of sheer, unadulterated mental exhaustion. Clearly, she was usually the one bouncing off the walls!
"Now you finally understand what it feels like to carry a troublesome teammate in the group, right?" Leon chimed in, leaning against the wall with a lazy smirk.
March whipped her head around, glaring daggers at him. "You actually have the nerve to say that?!" she snapped, rolling her eyes so hard it hurt. "Who exactly do you think is the troublesome one here?!"
"Ehe!" Leon grinned, playing completely dumb.
"What do you mean, 'Ehe'?! Why does that sound so incredibly punchable?!" March threw her hands up in defeat.
Forget it. She wasn't going to lower herself to this Masked Fool's level. She had probably just served as his daily dose of Elation again. The more she replayed the events in her head, the more her blood boiled. Himeko was still the best. Himeko, let's cuddle.
"The last wave of the Antimatter Legion was practically swarming us like locusts!" March threw herself into Himeko's welcoming embrace, burying her face against the older woman's shoulder. "I use a bow, you know? Do you have any idea how much work it takes to clear a whole field of them?" Her voice took on a soft, milky, coquettish tone that was exceptionally cute.
Himeko gently patted March's back, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. "Even if I had arrived earlier, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been of much help on the ground." Her posture remained perfectly poised. "While my Orbital Cannon is excellent for clearing out an entire area, if Herta came back and saw her precious Space Station blown to pieces, she would definitely have a bone to pick with us."
Releasing March, Himeko turned her gentle gaze toward the two newcomers. "Hello, it is a pleasure to meet you both. I am Himeko, the Navigator of the Astral Express."
"Simply put, where the Express goes and how it gets there—it's all completely up to her!" March chimed in, her enthusiasm instantly returning.
"I hope little March didn't cause you two too much trouble along the way?" Himeko asked, her eyes crinkling with amusement as she looked at the lively pink-haired girl.
"Hey! You'd better think very carefully about how you answer that." March puffed out her cheeks, trying her absolute best to look threatening.
"She's a very lively girl," Stelle replied, a faint, polite smile touching her lips.
"Exactly, exactly. Her mouth didn't stop moving for a single second the entire trip," Caelus nodded solemnly, his tone deadpan.
"But that's exactly where March's charm lies," Leon sighed, placing a hand over his heart in mock sincerity. "Who wouldn't like such a lively, cute girl?"
March scratched her cheek, trying to maintain her glare, but the corners of her mouth betrayed a pleased smile. "Hehe, well, I am young, after all! I should be full of vigor and charging straight ahead! And don't think just because you complimented me a little that I'm going to let you off the hook!"
'Oh well, since he put it that way... I guess I can reluctantly forgive him!' she thought to herself.
Dan Heng stood quietly to the side. The corner of his mouth twitched, a faint, almost imperceptible smile breaking through his usual stoic expression.
"Young people really do hit it off easily. It seems you've all become quite familiar with one another," Himeko noted warmly. "Let's get moving. Asta is still waiting for you in the Master Control Zone, and she's been worried sick."
Himeko smilingly ushered the group forward. Soon, they spotted Asta standing near the central console, frantically issuing commands to the remaining staff.
She wore a uniform distinct from the standard researchers. The elegant hemline of her dress paired perfectly with black and gold leg rings, while her well-designed small high heels struck a balance between aristocratic grace and practicality. The girlish skirt layered beneath her coat and her cute leather shoes subtly highlighted an irrepressible blend of refinement and youthful playfulness.
"Station Master Asta! We're back!" March waved her arm energetically.
Asta spun around, letting out a long breath of relief. "Phew... Thank goodness you've all returned safely." She took a step forward, preparing to mention that Arlan had already reported in from the Storage Zone.
Before she could finish her sentence, Leon suddenly stepped forward. He threw his arms wide open, aiming straight for Asta.
"Rich lady... I'm hungry... Feed me... Wuwu..."
Leon blinked his eyes rapidly, intentionally drawing out his vowels as he approached her with open arms, looking exactly like a pitiful, abandoned puppy begging for treats.
"Eh?!" Asta gasped, completely derailed by the sudden approach. She stumbled half a step back, her cheeks flushing a bright crimson as her hands nervously clutched the fabric of her skirt.
Himeko silently raised a hand to her face, massaging her temple.
Dan Heng simply closed his eyes and looked away, refusing to acknowledge the scene.
Stelle and Caelus, however, had stars in their eyes. "Wow... taking notes, taking notes!" they muttered in perfect, eerie unison.
Caelus whipped out the small notebook he carried everywhere and began scribbling furiously: 'Social Skills: Appropriate displays of weakness and pathetic onomatopoeia can effectively close the distance with wealthy individuals.'Somewhere far away in the cosmos, a certain Stellaron Hunter suddenly felt a chill.'Oh no,'Kafka thought.'The two kids are going to learn how to be abstract.'
"Ugh! Leon, stop acting crazy! You're scaring Asta!" March lunged forward, grabbing Leon by the collar to drag him back. "Can't you just talk like a normal person?!"
"I can't help it," Leon replied, instantly dropping the puppy-dog act and standing perfectly straight. His tone became deadpan and solemn. "I don't know how to say charming words, but a charming man is currently speaking."
Himeko stared at him. It was a very good thing Leon hadn't tried this routine on her earlier; otherwise, maintaining her signature elegance would have been a genuine struggle.
Stelle and Caelus felt as though the grand gates to a brand-new world had just been kicked open. They hungrily absorbed this forbidden knowledge, their eyes locked on Leon. 'Write it down, write it all down!'
"Is... is this person from your Express?" Asta asked tentatively, forcing an awkward, polite smile.
She had originally felt that the Space Station's security was lacking, and she deeply envied how highly skilled and professional the Astral Express crew was. But looking at Leon... perhaps applying a mandatory psychological evaluation for new hires was far more critical than combat training.
"He's definitely not from our Express! We found him right here on your Herta Space Station," March clarified defensively.
"Huh? From our Space Station?" Asta froze, looking as if she had just been struck by a bolt of lightning.
'In the future, I absolutely must strengthen the employee recruitment assessments! Definitely!'
"Wuwuwu, Station Master Asta, you're looking down on me..." Leon instantly reverted to his heartbroken, teary-eyed persona, clutching his chest in agony.
"Ah... no, you..." Asta stammered. Seeing that genuinely devastated expression on Leon's strikingly handsome face, and recalling his pathetic 'rich lady, hungry' plea from earlier, her cheeks flushed slightly again. Her voice softened. "Actually, I don't look down on you at all..."
"Asta, be careful! Don't let him fool you!" March hurriedly grabbed Asta's hands, pulling her away from the danger zone. "He just likes to tease people like this. I'm telling you, it's highly likely he's a Masked Fool!"
"Ah?" Asta blinked, stunned. "There's a Masked Fool on the Herta Space Station?"
"Alright, alright. I've said it before, I'm really not a Masked Fool," Leon declared, his expression turning entirely serious once more. "But I'm indeed not a researcher for the Space Station, either. I was teleported here by Aha."
"Huh? Teleported here... by Aha?!"
A thin layer of cold sweat broke out across Asta's forehead. Her voice trembled, laced with a genuine, rising panic.
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