Chapter Text
Fourth Mirror speaking.
Ah, the beautiful and intelligent Madam Herta. One could go on and on about her countless achievements and striking beauty, but alas, we must regrettably set that aside. Yes, there exists a phenomenon that stands equal with Madam Herta herself! We have an extremely important discussion to make. It will be an utmost secret, and I implore you to keep this information shut from the rest of the Herta Space Station. I fear for my safety... but I must report this fantastical development.
Allow me to bring you up to speed.
Lately, Madam Herta has been having trouble with her own time. She would often order her puppets around for menial tasks, obviously. But she seems... distracted. She had been placing less time on her experiments, instead setting off to the Herta Space Station. A suspicious amount of time over the phone. Giggling and smiling too frequently. Brewing tea instead of coffee. Small, incidental inquisitions here and there about biology, of all things? That is so unlike her.
And worst of all… Herta has been perfecting her baking! What in the world could have gotten to this flimsy cook that she, hand-made, created “plum-scented soybean cake”? And as a matter of fact, her bright and spacious kitchen in her manor is spotless, fraught from any strange objects and black soot all over the counters… and the final product also looks edible. Impressive indeed.
Now what could be the unfortunate cause of these symptoms?! The only plausible reason could be the infection of a memetic virus, but I heavily doubt it. I for one, cannot think of anything else that could come close to scratching the perfection of Madam Herta. Just what is going on with these drastic changes?!
The culprit, my dear audience... is none other than the cold and impassive biologist, Ruan Mei. The Genius Society colleague, Simulated Universe collaborator. She is unmatched in the field of life sciences, earning herself the nickname “Mad Scientist” from the society. Indeed, as you may have heard, whenever she busted an experiment of hers, Herta would come running just to congratulate her for her failure, stating that nothing is as precious as failures for a genius. But that's what she always says. Who's to say it's not just an excuse to see her, hmm? It is clear she had become the priority of Madam Herta! All those texts and calls have been the subject of Ruan Mei, the questions about biology are because of Ruan Mei, the pastries and beverages are the preferences of Ruan Mei!
Now, what would we make of the other party? Herta had, in turn, caught Ruan Mei's attention for a long time now. While she is not explicit about it, the biologist has been thawing her icy facade whenever it concerns the witch. The more time they spend together, the more she's opened up! She has been starting conversations herself with Herta, which is unbelievable. And no, we are not talking about research and any of its complicated jargon. No, Madam Ruan Mei has been telling her things like:
“How have you been, Herta?”
“Wouldn’t you like me to accompany you to the bakery?”
“Hehe. I like that about you, Herta.” ???
None of these are normal statements! Herta had taken a liking to discussing desserts with her, so they always talked about what they wanted to try next. As I have astutely observed through my own means, almost every experiment and a few papers so far have involved both of themselves. The two geniuses are collaborating on every single little thing! In fact, if you would inspect some research logs or random articles scattered around their offices, you will notice that Miss Ruan Mei has a habit of writing annotations. Now here's the catch – Madam Herta annotates her annotations. Why does she even do that? There was even a piece of paper about dessert recipes they went back and forth on as if they were texting each other. Unbelievable!
There used to be a boundary between them, I tell you. Did you know they weren't actually this close before, even though they seemed like good friends on the surface?
Speaking of boundaries, and, I am NOT making this up (not that I am making anything up); Herta likes to hold Ruan Mei's wrists during their little tea parties! Hmm hmm hmm, curious. And the fickle Ruan Mei, she is now regularly shirking the physical distance between them. She often gets close to Herta’s face just to smell what she baked! What?! She also likes to lean in to whisper a few things and Herta doesn't even bat an eye. This is not to say that Madam Herta isn't doing the exact same thing! What could this possibly mean for Madam Herta, my dear audience?! How much interest have they built up for each other?!
The tension is through the roof! Now, all of this evidence allows us to make a bold claim…
Clearly, Madam Herta and Madam Ruan Mei are entering a budding romance! Oh Aeons, I never thought this day would come. Another genius, walking side by side with Herta unto the cosmos… I wholeheartedly support it!
Now, you may have your doubts, your misgivings. “There is nothing in between them,” “Madam Herta only needs herself,” “They're just the best of friends!” True, it is by principle that we welcome counterarguments and different perspectives in research. Madam Herta tells me that much. But, let me reveal to you the worst offender of this all. Madam Herta likes to speak out her mind, especially if she's stuck with a stubborn question. One day on the Herta Space Station, she sought out one of her peers to ask one burning question…
You should thank me, because I happened to overhear that very conversation:
“Asta, let me ask you a question. Have you ever asked someone out?”
“Oh! Madam Herta? Uhm, what's with this topic all of a sudden?”
The witch sighs. “Come on girl, just answer me.”
“Well, uh… It was the other way around for me, actually. While I was working on a joint project in the past with the IPC and my family, I was an assistant manager to one of the logistics departments. There was an employee I chatted with regularly, but then one day he came up to me with a letter and a bouquet of flowers. I turned him down, though…”
“Oho? Well it makes sense that Asta gets suitors from time to time. You’ve got a pretty face, after all (and also some deep pockets).”
“Ah– tsk.” Asta swallows up her displeasure of hearing that remark, and says “Why don't you ask your coworkers here?”
“Screwy’s a robot. And I don't wanna assume anything about Intellitrons, but obviously he's not the best person to ask about this, don't you think? Stephen’s too preoccupied with his little games and I doubt that he cares about relationships.”
“Well, what about Madam Ruan Mei?”
Herta’s eyes dart around for a second, but she expertly recomposes her expression and swiftly answers:
“I… don't wanna bother. I already know her answer. I presume she would say something along the lines of ‘I’ve thought about it, but I’m not that interested in romance… It would only get in the way of my research.’ “
“Well, okay. This was really unexpected, Madam Herta. Perhaps even someone in your stature became interested in another person? You can always come talk to me about stuff like this if you want~”
“Nope. I asked for a friend. Okay bye.” Herta immediately walks away.
“Wait! Ugh…”
What else could that possibly mean?!
The stage is set. My dear audience, we are now at the heart of the problem. How will Madam Herta, the greatest genius of this era, navigate her heart…? How will she profess her feelings to her biggest admiration?!
Fufufu... Hahahahaha!
In the name of the Erudition, I dare say, there is no other question as elusive, exciting, and endlessly worth exploring! In her long and prosperous life, nothing has come close to toppling the genius witch over...
What is love, to the illustrious Madam Herta?!
A rustle far away can be heard on the recording, and a feminine voice is heard panning from the left side. There had been a lot of noise in the room in the Seclusion Zone that Fourth Mirror was clandestinely recording in.
It’s the puppets. They’re looking for me. I have to go. I would never put it past her to be unable to solve such a groundbreaking problem. We... shall find out her solution soon enough.
The recording ends abruptly.