Herta was a bit of a narcissist. Naturally, she preferred dolls modeled after herself, and whenever the mood struck, she'd casually grab one to play dress-up with.
She'd even prepared a whole wardrobe just for them. As for the dolls, they usually wore similar styles day to day.
Mostly because they couldn't bear to change out of the outfits Madam Herta had given them.
"Come to think of it, I still have a few styles Ruan Mei recommended. They lean more toward Xianzhou fashion. I don't wear them much, but you do resemble Ruan Mei a little. Might be worth a try."
Herta spoke as she picked up a long cross-collared dress of some elegant, old-fashioned design and held it up in front of Bai Ming.
It was obvious—she really wanted to see Bai Ming try it on.
"I thought it'd be a cheongsam. Didn't expect Ruan Mei to wear something like this."
Bai Ming wasn't too familiar with the names of these styles, but it looked like something straight out of a historical or xianxia drama—what a highborn young lady might wear. The colors were understated, adorned with delicate embroidery that lent it an air of purity.
"She does. But she thinks this kind of outfit gets in the way of experiments, so she usually goes with something more fitted. As for this one… Ruan Mei prepared it for you a long time ago."
"For me? When? Why?"
"A while back. As for why… go ask her. How would I know?"
With a dismissive wave, Herta refused to elaborate. Then she stepped closer, holding the dress up with a smile.
"Well then. Strip."
"—Huh?"
Bai Ming blinked, momentarily frozen.
"What 'huh'? Take it off and change. What, you're that attached to the maid outfit?"
"Attached? What are you even saying? If we're changing, we're changing. Why make it sound so weird? Where's the fitting room?"
She shot Herta an annoyed look, took the dress, and glanced around for somewhere to change.
But—
"What fitting room? This isn't a mall. Why would I build a fitting room inside a walk-in closet?"
…What?
Bai Ming slowly turned her head back, staring at Herta as if confirming whether she'd just heard correctly.
"Don't look at me like that. Just change here. I'm not asking you to strip completely. Why are you making such a big deal out of it? There's no one else around. If you're really that embarrassed, I can have the dolls step further away."
Has it ever occurred to you that the reason I'm embarrassed isn't the dolls—but you?
Clearly, though, Herta was in high spirits. Bai Ming's silence was taken as tacit agreement.
Herta reached out and placed a hand on Bai Ming's back. Her fingers slid down, and with a swift tug, the entire outfit came undone.
It had been a low-cut, off-shoulder design to begin with; once the fastenings were released, the smooth fabric couldn't cling to her equally smooth skin. It slipped down in one fluid motion.
In the end, all that remained on Bai Ming were the cute collar piece, her close-fitting undergarments, and the stockings hugging her legs.
She hadn't expected Herta to just… start undressing her.
Heat rushed to Bai Ming's face, her entire body flushing crimson. Before she could even speak, Herta noticed the transformation.
Then—under Bai Ming's utterly stunned gaze—Herta calmly undid her own dress as well. The fabric slid to the floor, leaving her in nothing but fitted underclothes and stockings.
She stood there without a trace of self-consciousness.
"Do you really have to be that embarrassed? This is how I change at home. And with bodies as perfect as ours, what's wrong with looking?"
Herta displayed herself openly, as if attempting to educate Bai Ming on the appreciation of beauty—free from worldly prejudice.
Unfortunately, Madam Herta's "comfort" had the opposite effect.
Bai Ming let out a sharp, piercing shriek.
It was hard to say whether Herta had done that on purpose.
She'd assumed Bai Ming would react like before—maybe blush, avert her gaze, clutch her clothes and tremble a little.
Instead, it seemed she'd overdone it.
Looking at Bai Ming—face burning, thoughts in disarray—Herta felt a strange sense of déjà vu. It reminded her of the very beginning, when she and Ruan Mei had first started researching Bai Ming.
The first time they'd captured her and dragged her into the lab, she'd reacted much the same.
But compared to back then… this version of her was far more delectable.
Herta thought she could push a little further.
Still, she knew better than to overdo it. Too much, and Bai Ming might bolt.
There was a limit to how far one could push past events to 'morally blackmail' her. Bai Ming wasn't some pliable pushover. Push too far, and she'd explode—and then Herta would be the one in the wrong.
So, seeing it through to the end, Herta grabbed a light outer robe and draped it loosely over herself—without much concern for how well it covered her.
Under Bai Ming's disbelieving stare, she unwrapped the dress in her hands and began helping her put it on, piece by piece.
During the process, Bai Ming gradually calmed down. The evasive look in her eyes softened, growing steady.
Herta noticed immediately.
She was getting desensitized.
Maybe that little "shock therapy" had worked.
Now, even as Herta's hands brushed across her body to adjust the layers—and with glimpses of pale skin visible beneath Herta's own loosely worn robe—Bai Ming no longer flushed scarlet from embarrassment.
In fact, she'd adapted so quickly that Herta felt a twinge of disappointment. She'd wanted to play a bit longer.
It seemed that unless she went all the way—crossed that final line in one step—it'd be hard to see Bai Ming fall into such flustered chaos again, letting out those sharp, overwhelmed cries.
Herta sighed inwardly.
"I owe you an apology. I moved too fast just now. I thought you were used to it… After all, when you let Ruan Mei and me study you before, I'd say it was far more thorough than this."
"…How can that possibly be the same thing?!"
"All right, all right. You're right. Now lift your arms—let's see if it fits."
It was the first time Bai Ming had ever seen Herta admit fault so readily. And personally help her change clothes, at that.
The Herta—helping her dress.
It felt… oddly subtle.
And maybe she had overreacted earlier.
It wasn't as if they'd been completely bare, and it wasn't even her first time facing a woman in such ambiguous proximity.
The only reason she'd reacted so strongly with Herta was because of all that ridiculous buildup beforehand—it had made her tense.
If Herta had simply brought her to the wardrobe and told her to change without all the nonsense, she wouldn't have screamed like that.
While reflecting on her own overreaction, Bai Ming cooperated as Herta adjusted the layers.
After turning her around once and smoothing everything into place, Herta looked her over from head to toe.
"Mm. My taste is excellent. It suits you."
She tidied the collar with care, nodding in satisfaction—complimenting herself in the process.
Compared to the refined elegance of the dress, Bai Ming's loose hair looked a bit too casual.
"Let's do your hair too. I think I have some hairpins around here…"
Herta turned toward a cabinet, rummaging through a mountain of odds and ends with obvious enjoyment.
After dressing her dolls so many times, having a new model was refreshing.
Of course, it helped that Bai Ming's face bore a slight resemblance to her own.
Herta's narcissism extended by association. If Bai Ming hadn't shared that similarity, no matter how stunning she was, Herta would've simply packed the dress into her arms and sent her off.
She certainly wouldn't be this invested in treating her like a dress-up doll.
Or this enthusiastic about styling her hair.
As for Bai Ming—
Watching Herta carefully arrange her hair, she felt a swirl of complicated emotions. Herta's willfulness really was as constant as ever.
Once she was done, Herta changed into a similar violet dress herself and styled her hair with a hairpin to match. Her excuse? The outfit happened to be nearby.
After everything was finished, Herta sent a call request to Ruan Mei.
The call connected, and Ruan Mei's holographic projection appeared.
Her surprise was visible at first, quickly replaced by a gentle smile.
"These two outfits suit you perfectly."
She looked at Herta. "So you finally decided to wear it. I thought it would end up on one of your dolls."
"As if I'd let a doll wear it. I just felt awkward wearing it alone when you'd prepared one for Bai Ming too, so I left it until now."
Herta shot back while pulling Bai Ming forward by the arm.
"Forget me. Your taste really is good. It suits her. Did you somehow predict she'd turn out like this?"
"Of course not. I simply felt that, given Bai Ming's preferences and aesthetics, the temperament she would eventually display would match this outfit."
After explaining briefly, Ruan Mei studied Bai Ming again.
"What do you think?"
"It's beautiful. Just… not very practical. The skirt's too long, and the sleeves are too wide."
Bai Ming admitted it was gorgeous—but hardly convenient for daily activity. The sleeves were even wider than the formal gowns Herta usually wore.
"Heh."
Ruan Mei chuckled. The reasoning sounded familiar.
Herta, on the other hand, would never abandon a beautiful outfit over inconvenience. She'd find a way to fix the practicality without compromising the design.
"By the way, Herta—did you contact me just for this?"
"There's something else. And it concerns Bai Ming."
Herta pointed at her, earning a curious look in return.
Ruan Mei glanced between them. Bai Ming herself didn't know? Interesting.
Herta didn't beat around the bush. She went straight to describing the sensitivity Bai Ming had shown toward physical contact.
And she didn't even bother omitting the more shameless remarks she'd made earlier.
Standing there, Bai Ming could practically feel the amused smile in Ruan Mei's gaze without even looking. She wished the floor would swallow her whole.
"...In short, I originally thought Bai Ming's condition would be similar to when I control my dolls. But it's clearly not."
"I don't think her reactions can be explained purely by heightened perception from changing bodies."
Herta saw no issue with stating it outright.
She thought it, so she said it. Simple as that. Bai Ming's reaction was her own business.
And who was she? The one and only genius Herta. Was there anyone in this universe who wouldn't like her after getting to know her?
Impossible.
Narcissistic and willful to the core—utterly heedless of anyone else's suffering.
Like Bai Ming. She might still be standing there, but spiritually, she'd died several times over.
She even suspected that if Screwllum were present, Herta would only omit the most private details—everything else would still be laid bare.
So as Herta and Ruan Mei discussed her, Bai Ming didn't even attempt to join in.
Ruan Mei, watching her flushed and mortified expression, curled her lips slightly.
She had no particular opinion about Herta's subtle display of territoriality. After all, she didn't mind. She had her share in researching Bai Ming, and Bai Ming herself hadn't stated a position yet.
As a genius, if Herta was curious about Ruan Mei, could Ruan Mei not also be curious—care, even want to keep Bai Ming by her side? Still, Bai Ming's reactions were rather entertaining.
She'd intended to ask what happened the next time they met. Herta had saved her the trouble.
"…So you think this state suggests Bai Ming is truly starting to integrate with us?"
"Who knows. It could just be an ability-related issue. She never had a body before, so maybe she never noticed."
Herta shared this because she knew Ruan Mei would figure it out eventually. There was no point hiding it; better to discuss it openly.
Besides, because of Bai Ming, she'd grown used to consulting her fellow geniuses when encountering problems. She enjoyed the clash of brilliant minds.
Ruan Mei nodded. With the current information, there wasn't much to conclude.
"As you said, it's worth investigating. Bai Ming, come to my side later for a thorough examination."
"…Huh? Oh—sure."
Bai Ming, who hadn't actually caught most of their discussion and only registered the word "examination," nodded reflexively.
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T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL