"Emilia, why didn't you talk to her about taking care of those bullies?"
Emilia sighed.
"Because there's no need."
Cynthia couldn't help but be confused. Didn't Emilia say earlier that the bullies might have some help for them to be so courageous so soon? Wouldn't it make sense to take precautions then?
Emilia knew that her poor airhead system couldn't figure it out, so she could only helplessly explain.
"Didn't you think it was strange that she kept asking me about 'trouble' and 'school'? Besides, her reactions to my responses made it pretty clear that there was something going on around me that she didn't want me to know of. She thinks of me as a little child to coddle, so it's very easy to read her like an open book."
"So then…"
Emilia smiled. "Since she wants to take care of it herself, might as well let her. It's less trouble for me."
Cynthia hummed, curiously watching her partner enter the walk-in wardrobe. Is she going to pick out clothes for the party? But isn't that supposed to be tomorrow night?
"Emilia~ Are you good with fashion?"
"Hmm, if I know what people like to see and the general trend, it's not very difficult to make myself look good, is it?"
"Oh, but your body right now isn't that jaw dropping beauty you're used to, you know. I mean, Danielle's form is cute, but not everything will work for her, you know?"
"And 'you know', I can see what I look like in the mirror, and adjust things till I look good, can't I?"
"Oh…"
Of course, Cynthia was skeptical, but decided to just wait and watch first.
Anyone can tell what looks good and what doesn't, but not everyone has a good sense of what to wear themselves to bring out the best of their charm.
How could Emilia, who had a body that would look good even in a torn newspaper, know how to make someone else look good?
Unlike her system, Emilia was confident.
There were many things about her that Cynthia didn't know. And there were many things that she would rather forget.
Maeve had zero sense of how to dress and how to style her hair. How could Emilia have just let it be? When she had just met her, the girl was in a traditional lady baker's clothing and an irregular boyish haircut.
By the time she had stabbed Emilia on the terrace that day, she dared to say there was not a single person in the kingdom who could say she looked anything less than a princess.
So all Emilia needed to know now was the basic aesthetic sense of the people, and she could customize her own style from there. As for the clothing itself, there was more than enough in the walk-in closet.
Cynthia couldn't help herself after she saw Emilia walk back and forth in the closet for the third time.
"I think you should just take your sister up on her shopping offer. My villainess must look dazzling and fabulous on her debut! How could you humiliate me so by wearing old clothes? Unacceptable!"
"Calm down, Cynthia. If I really need to, I can just shape shift into whatever I want, clothing and all."
It would certainly feel weird, since she would just look clothed but be technically naked, but those were small details.
"Kyaa! Emilia is really shameless! You're even thinking about going to a party naked!"
Emilia's smile twitched.
"Oh my, I almost forgot about someone who was due an ass beating!"
Cynthia had already long forgotten about her past transgressions, or she would never dare poke her partner at this time. Now that she remembered, it was like cold water had been poured on her head.
'I-I'm screwed! No, damage control, quick!'
"I-I meant to say, ahem, m-my villainess is so smart and diabolical, she can even humiliate other party goers without them even knowing!"
Emilia nodded, looking 'pleased'.
"I see, I see. What you're saying is that gazing upon my ugly form couldn't possibly be flattering huh, it could only be humiliating. Hm… so that's how my partner thinks?"
Cynthia almost fainted from fright. Just how is it that she's making it worse with each word?
"Aiyaah! Emilia~ Forgive me okay, I'm dumb, I'm an idiot! I don't know what to say, so… uh, stop picking on me, pretty please?"
There was a long pause from her partner, and the poor system waited anxiously for her mercy.
"Oh, so I'm being a bully, huh?"
"Uwaaah!"
Emilia smiled at the sorrowful wail from her partner, then she picked out a long green shawl from one of the racks before heading to the empty space in the center.
Ding!
—Follower Summoning: Cynthia!
—Cynthia's projection can be sustained for: 7 hours 16 minutes 31 seconds.
'Oh no! Punishment time?!'
Cynthia closed her eyes tight, expecting to be bullied. The poor airhead did not even realize she was summoned 'unprepared' once again.
The raven-haired girl blinked her eyes open in disbelief as she felt a cloth wrap around herself and a soft palm rest atop her head.
Emilia's gaze on her was gentle. She had not shifted back to her original form, but somehow Cynthia could see the illusion of her arctic blue eyes contradictorily projecting warmth. It was a strange, incomprehensible feeling.
"Why are you so silly, Cynthia? C'mon, help me pick some things out?"
The emerald eyed girl blinked. "Y-You're not angry?"
Emilia smiled. "Should I be?"
Cynthia bit her lip as she looked away. She was used to doing things at her own pace, simply following her whim. It's not like she had to care for anyone else before.
"I-I mean, I did make you slip up in front of the heroine earlier, and I tease you all the time, but I'm really sorry, okay! I'll try not to do it so much from now. So… forgive me, Emilia?"
Emilia sighed as she squeezed the 'younger' girl's cheeks. She wished they were a little chubbier, but hey, she'll make do with what she had.
"You silly goose, why are you being all serious now? Do I look like I mind?"
"Wuu… stahp…"
Cynthia rubbed her now reddened face aggrievedly. How come she was always the one being bullied by her villainess?! Why can't she bully others too? Worst of all, she still had to apologize!
But who told her to get attached to her villainess?
"Just so you know, I do get irritated when you keep piling it up, but that doesn't mean I want you to change. So if I get angry, don't mind that much."
"That's great! I'll definitely keep annoying you, don't worry! I won't change!"
Emilia's lips twitched. Her system really was talented at ticking her off, huh.
"Sure, sure. Keep being yourself. Oh, but if I really get angry, I'll just spank you a few times, and we'll be even. No harm done."
Cynthia's jubilant mood immediately disappeared as she stomped her feet in anger.
"What 'no harm' done?! What about me getting beaten up, that's definitely harm done!"
Emilia chuckled. "It's not like you'll get a swollen butt after being unsummoned, right?"
How could the system accept that, however? It's bad enough to bully her like this, but she definitely can't let her partner deliver corporeal punishment. That's humiliation on a whole new level! Complete disgrace!
"But I've never ever been spanked, it would be such a disgrace, absolutely shameful! I refuse to allow it!"
Emilia tapped her chin thoughtfully, her smile turning mischievous.
"Hoh. That's all the more reason for me to do it, isn't it?"
And Cynthia finally exploded, stomping her feet in anger as she whined.
"Y-You villainess!"
Emilia smiled. Truth be told, she really did feel slightly hurt when Cynthia kept being mean earlier, or she wouldn't have slipped up like that. But after she calmed down and thought about it, wasn't it for the best to just let her be?
If Cynthia stopped calling her 'my villainess' so endearingly because of a spanking, wouldn't it be sad?
So it was better to just get used to it. Besides, it was definitely better to be villainous partners in crime with Cynthia than to be a heroine of justice all alone.
Perhaps this way she could finally attain that ever elusive lifelong happiness she had always sought.
----------
The next day, Samantha gazed at the apartment complex in front of her with a crowbar in her right hand and a silencer equipped gun on the left.
"Miss Samantha, I highly recommend you let us clean them up first. Even we cannot guarantee where a stray bullet can go, and your life is too precious to take such a risk needlessly."
The one imploring her so earnestly was a gray-haired female bodyguard who normally also worked as her secretary.
"Have you forgotten who I am, Noelle?"
"Young miss, don't tell me you think you're some superhero who is immune to bullets and bombs? I thought you got over that in fourth grade."
Samantha's cheeks immediately turned red.
"Y-You idiot! Didn't I tell you to never mention that again?!"
"Oh, I'm sorry."
Of course, she did not look sorry at all.
"Ahem, anyway, have you made sure none of them can escape?"
"Of course, for just thirty four unruly thugs, we have over three hundred high level professionals on site, all fully armed. Nothing can go wrong, except..."
Samantha's brows furrowed. "Except?"
"There's a destabilizing factor in the mission. Someone who can end up causing the whole thing to turn on its head."
"What?! What the hell, Noelle, I told you to take care of everything, how can you make a mistake like that? C'mon, get rid of them, I don't care who they are!"
"Oh, good."
And so, Noelle dragged Samantha away, kicking and screaming.