"That Sigurd! To think he'd mess with a girl's precious hair! Someday, I'll make him pay— Argh, I'm so mad!"
On the deserted balcony plaza, Wendy sat in a corner under the setting sun, clutching her hair. Staring at the uneven, messy ends of her locks, she muttered tearfully to herself.
"You say that, but if you could muster even half that resolve to decisively win him over, wouldn't that be better?"
From Wendy's perspective, she could see a black-dressed girl floating lazily before her. The girl bore the exact same face as her own but had glowing green eyes exuding a mysterious and dark aura. Her expression was one of disinterested indolence.
"Shut up!"
"Why are you yelling at me? You've made no progress after all these years. If you keep this up, you'll end up like those high school girls in their senior year—just a fleeting memory in his life once this phase passes."
Inner Wendy pointed at her counterpart with a French fry before casually tossing it into her own mouth, crunching it loudly.
"…Why are you eating fries?"
"This is the mindscape, duh. Everything's possible here. If you need anything, just let me know—I can whip up a dream tonight where Sigurd does everything you say. Anything goes~"
"No, thanks. Something so unreal has no meaning."
"Then you're already aware, huh? Reality is what counts. Daydreaming by yourself here accomplishes nothing. So why not just go for it and try to win him over? Why are you holding back so much?"
"…If it were that simple!"
Wendy hugged her head, pouting in frustration.
After all, she's a girl. She had to maintain some dignity. Plus… Sigurd was such a thick-headed, unresponsive block of wood! How on earth was she supposed to win him over? She had absolutely no clue!
And that was the fundamental difference between a tsundere and a pragmatist.
"Fine, keep sulking. I won't waste my time with you— Oh, by the way, this new hairstyle of yours? Ugly-cute. For once, I think Sigurd did a fantastic job. 👍"
"What did you just say?!"
Poking right at her sore spot, Inner Wendy vanished before Wendy could unleash her fury. No matter how much she called out, there was no response.
Staring at the empty air, Wendy let out an exasperated scream:
"Arghhh!!!"
<+>
Elsewhere, Sigurd was walking leisurely, nodding back at the occasional salutes from passing Anti-Entropy members while absentmindedly tapping on a virtual screen, remotely controlling a swarm of bees to weave something intricate.
Pat-pat!
Two synchronized, light footsteps suddenly echoed from behind him.
"Guess who?" x2
Two hands reached out from behind to cover Sigurd's eyes. A cold, emotionless voice and an energetic, cheerful one spoke in unison.
Sigurd paused mid-step, a slight smile tugging at his lips.
"Is it… Seele and Wendy? No playing tricks now."
"Wrong!" x2
"Then… Kiana and Sin Mal? Don't get cheeky, or I'll hang you both up again."
"Still wrong!!" x2
"Then… Mei? Eliza? Florence? Little Lisa? Or maybe Nunnally?"
"…" x2
Rozaliya and Liliya withdrew their hands simultaneously. From behind Sigurd, two small heads—one pink, one blue—peeked out on either side, tilting up to look at him.
Rozaliya puffed out her cheeks, already chubby with a hint of baby fat.
Liliya's expression was unreadable, but her eyes conveyed a trace of dissatisfaction.
"Not playing anymore?"
"Brother Sigurd is mean! You knew it was us all along!"
Liliya said woodenly, while Rozaliya nodded vigorously, pointing at Sigurd with a puffed-up, indignant look.
"Exactly! And what's with those names earlier? Lisa, Eliza, Nunnally—who are they? Since when did you secretly meet so many girls?!"
"No idea, just made them up," Sigurd replied nonchalantly. He reached out, placing both hands on their heads and giving them a light but deliberate rub.
"Hehe!"
"Stop laughing, Rozaliya, our hairstyles are getting messy."
Sure enough, when Sigurd let go, their meticulously styled long hair had visibly turned messy, adopting a homely and adorable vibe—a charming shift from their polished, screen-ready look.
"So, what have you two been up to all this time?" Sigurd asked.
The other girls who came by always had legitimate tasks, but these two idol hopefuls still seemed more like freeloaders. Sigurd never bothered asking how Bronya managed to rope them into this.
"Hehe! We've been comforting the warriors and disaster victims!"
"Exactly! Liliya and Rozaliya have already held seventeen Vodka Sisters concerts here, spreading blessings to everyone working so hard. It's the righteous path of idols."
Rozaliya beamed with pride, while Liliya raised a finger, her expression serious as she explained. Pride radiated from both of them.
Sigurd patted their heads again.
"That's excellent. You've done something meaningful."
For the disaster survivors and soldiers, material needs were well-covered, but emotional relief and stress alleviation were paramount.
Though their singing was already quite good, what mattered most was the splash of color and joy they brought to this post-calamity land. For the survivors and stationed forces, their performances were a rare treat.
Trust Bronya to be thorough—whatever ulterior motives she might have had in sending them, it was still genuine work.
Then Sigurd noticed the stage outfits the two were wearing and the fatigue evident in their expressions.
"Just finished a performance?"
Rozaliya: "Uh-huh!"
Liliya: "Yes."
"Go take a shower and rest. We'll have dinner together later."
"Yesss~" x2
After one last affectionate head pat, the sisters hopped away cheerfully.
Watching their retreating figures, Sigurd shook his head with an amused smile.
Seventeen concerts in half a month—more than one per day. That was a grueling schedule, yet until today, they hadn't reached out to Sigurd to brag or complain even once. Clearly, they had devoted all their energy to the performances.
Such dedication wasn't merely out of love for their idol careers; it also reflected a sincere desire to help others.
That thought warmed Sigurd's heart.
…
Once the sisters vanished down the path, Sigurd looked up, shifted directions, and headed toward the high balcony.
There, Wendy was still huddled in a corner, wallowing in self-pity. She was even drawing circles on the ground in frustration.
Suddenly, a shadow loomed over her.
"Ah!"
Startled, Wendy toppled sideways onto the ground. After a moment, she touched her head and felt a soft, wide beret.
"It's light blue—matches your Herrscher outfit perfectly. It's nice for everyday wear and can cover your current hairstyle. It's made from special materials, resistant to Honkai energy, and offers extra head protection."
A calm, familiar voice that sometimes even echoed in her dreams spoke from beside her, carrying a detached yet soothing tone.
Wendy looked up.
Under the dim glow of the setting sun was a side profile carved with sharp, striking features. The breeze ruffled his silver short hair and white coat as he rested his hands on the railing, gazing down at the scenery below.
His commanding presence was unparalleled—like a powerful piano composition resonating in a silent hall, vivid and poetic.
<+>
Tn: If you want to see more chapter of this story, please go to my Patreon[1], just for $5 each month, you can read till the latest chapter.
Latest Chapter in Patreon: Chapter 307: This Is a Coup[2]
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[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/95348?view=expanded
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/honkai-strijder-131269637
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/honkai-strijder-131269637
[4] https://www.patreon.com/collection/95348?view=expanded