21 Chapter 20

"The dolls don't give off heat, so they won't warm the bed," Herta said matter-of-factly.

Adonis shrugged and replied, "That's alright, they make good throw pillows."

Herta pondered for a moment and then added, "Being able to observe you up close is a benefit. I'll head back now. I promise to send your supplies, and they'll arrive in less than a week."

With those words, the Herta puppet's light disappeared in an instant.

"That sounds nice," Adonis said as he gazed at the puppet, which looked just like a real person, and sighed.

Cocolia, who had been listening quietly in the background, finally chimed in, "It must be pretty good to have such a small girl warming your bed..."

"If you're jealous, you can come—" Adonis quipped, but he quickly regretted it, "Actually, never mind. If you join me in bed, it might turn into an icebox."

Cocolia huffed, "Hmph, so you do understand." She then went back to working on the documents in front of her.

...

A cute and beautiful girl entered the administrative building, and in no time, the news had already spread throughout the area. Of course, Bronya, upon hearing this, headed straight to Adonis's office, although she had other matters to report as well.

She gently knocked on the door and announced, "Lord Guardian, it's me, Bronya."

"Ah, come in," Adonis's voice responded from behind the door.

Bronya entered the room, her eyes first falling on the lifeless puppet standing near Adonis. However, she quickly turned her attention to her report.

"Lord Guardian, after the outsiders left with the Stellaron, the rift creations have become much weaker than before, we're also pushing back against them currently," she informed Adonis.

Adonis nodded and instructed, "Continue to monitor the situation. If you're confident in dealing with them, then gather the troops and head out of the city to handle the situation."

"Yes, Lord Guardian," Bronya saluted before directing her attention to Herta, the little girl standing behind Adonis. She couldn't help but inquire, "If I may ask, who is that little girl behind you?"

Adonis turned to look at Herta puppet and explained, "A genius created this puppet. Apparently, her objective is to observe me for a while."

Cocolia chimed in with a mischievous tone, "Also for warming the bed."

Bronya's eyes widened in surprise, and she stumbled slightly at the revelation. She scrutinized Herta doll with cautious curiosity. "I never thought I'd see such a realistic doll. When I first saw it, I thought it was a real person."

However, Bronya couldn't help but look at Adonis with an incredulous expression. "But, Lord Guardian, do you really intend to use her as a... bed warmer?"

Adonis simply glanced at Cocolia, what is this woman saying in front of her daughter?

Adonis let out a sigh and clarified, "She's just a puppet; she doesn't have that function." Bronya visibly relaxed upon hearing this.

She stared at Adonis for a moment, her lips twitching as if she had something to say. Eventually, she averted her gaze and spoke softly, "In that case, Lord Guardian, I will take my leave."

Adonis acknowledged her departure with a nod, and Bronya exited the office.

Another period of time passed.

Seele and Clara arrived at Fort Creeper, resembling Anna Kushina in the chat group with their white hair and red eyes. Clara, dressed in a red cotton jacket, was of similar height to Seele, but she exuded a timid and cute aura.

Upon their arrival, both Seele and Clara cast a cautious gaze at Herta puppet.

Adonis: "…..."

Adonis remained silent for a moment, recognizing the need to clarify the presence of the Herta'spuppet to the Beloberg residents. He then turned his attention to the two girls.

"Seele, Clara, could you please fill me in on the situation in the lower district?" Adonis inquired.

Seele explained, "Lord Guardian, Clara mentioned that she had an urgent matter and needed to see you, so I brought her up."

Adonis turned his attention to Clara and asked with concern, "Clara, what's the matter? Has someone been bothering you?"

Clara hurriedly shook her head and clarified, "No, no, Brother Adonis... I mean, Lord Guardian, I haven't been bullied. It's just that Mr. Svarog found a peculiar robot. It appears to have developed its own consciousness, and Mr. Svarog and I are unsure about how to handle it. So, I wanted to seek your advice."

Adonis smiled and replied, "Clara, this decision is ultimately up to you. Do you want to keep the robot as it is, or do you think it's better to reset it?"

After contemplating for a moment, Clara expressed her thoughts, saying, "I can't help but feel that resetting it would be a bit cruel."

However, Clara also continued in with a different perspective, saying, "However, both Svarog and I believe that the robot is an unstable element."

Before they could discuss further, Herta, who was standing behind Adonis, offered her input, saying, "You can simply add an algorithm to it to eliminate any potential risks."

Seele and Clara turned to look at Herta in surprise. Seele questioned, "Lord Guardian, didn't you mention that she's a puppet?"

Herta clarified, "Indeed, I am a puppet. I can remotely control this body when the topic interests me."

Herta directed her gaze towards Clara's body and inquired, "Has the robot you found recently awakened its consciousness, or has it been conscious for a while?"

Clara pondered for a moment and replied uncertainly, "I think it's been about a month or two, I think?"

Herta nodded in understanding, saying, "That's relatively recent. Wait for a few more days… Never mind, bring it over tomorrow. I'll install an algorithm, and the problem should be easily resolved."

Clara nodded appreciatively, tilting her head and hesitantly adding, "Thank you, um... Sister?"

However, there was no response from Herta, who had disconnected once again. Adonis couldn't help but smile and suggested, "Clara, you can call her 'grandma.'"