When will the Herta's Magic Kitchen ever get Herta to willingly cook breakfast, lunch, dinner, and midnight snacks for me?
Looking at Herta's stunningly beautiful face on the video thumbnail, Lumina couldn't help but let her mind wander.
[Heart-shaped breakfast, lunch, and dinner?]
"What kind of nonsense is that? Do you think I, Lumina, am that kind of person?"
"Isn't it perfectly normal for friends—besties—to cook meals for each other?"
"Why must you always jump to romantic conclusions?"
"My feelings for Herta are purely platonic friendship."
Seeing these words appear on the system screen, Lumina frowned and retorted earnestly.
[Can you honestly say that with a clear conscience?]
In response, Lumina placed her hand on her chest and declared solemnly, "I, Lumina, have only pure friendship with Herta!"
[Do you even have a conscience to touch?]
Lumina: ...
Knowing the Little Rookie System was deliberately trying to provoke her, Lumina decided not to argue. After all, her own conviction was all that mattered.
[12+ Age-Appropriate Content]
Ignoring the System, Lumina clicked directly on the "T H E H E R T A'S M A G I C K I T C H E N" animated short.
As a "12+" rating appeared on the screen, the video began to play.
The opening scene showed several tiny Little Hertas dragging a phone over to Herta, who had just woken up. She was wearing a white pajama set, her hair slightly disheveled, and a hint of sleepiness still lingered in her eyes.
"She looks less like a genius and more like a stay-at-home girl," Lumina mused, a tender, maternal smile spreading across her face as she gazed at Herta's disheveled appearance.
It was clear she adored Herta in this state.
Hmm... Of course, if I could share a bed with Herta looking like this, I'd love it even more.
[Still insisting you're not craving Herta's body?]
"Can't you keep your thoughts out of the gutter?" Lumina retorted, tossing her hair. "Sleeping together between close friends, occasionally kissing or hugging—isn't that perfectly normal?"
Anticipating a retort from the System, which always loved to pick a fight, Lumina preemptively muted its commentary.
Continuing to watch the video, Lumina's beautiful jade-green eyes flickered with a strange emotion as she watched Herta prepare a grand gift for Ruan Mei.
The video finally got to the main point, revealing Herta's Magic Kitchen to Lumina's eyes.
Hmm... This Magic Kitchen seemed a little different from what Lumina had imagined.
In Lumina's mind, a Magic Kitchen would use magic for everything—flame magic, ice magic, levitation magic, self-cooking magic, and even self-creating food magic... the works.
But the Magic Kitchen in the video completely upended her expectations.
Because the "magic" in this so-called Magic Kitchen actually consisted of thousands of Little Hertas, Tiny Hertas, and even Miniscule Hertas...
Wait a minute... Can I report Herta for employing child labor?
That tiny, teeny-tiny Herta in the video clearly wasn't an adult. Even if it's just a puppet, it's still a person, right?
Shouldn't puppets be protected under child labor laws too?
Okay, maybe the laws don't technically apply to Herta's puppets, but that's fine. The next time I see her, I'll stand on the moral high ground and give her a serious dressing-down for exploiting child labor!
Further into the video, Herta was shown using bizarre contraptions and Curios to utterly obliterate her Magic Kitchen.
"Alright, I admit I might have raised my voice a bit earlier," Lumina muttered, her lips twitching as she watched four massive explosions erupt in just over ten seconds.
The final scenes showed Ruan Mei scrolling through Herta's various failed creations on her phone, then leaning in close to Herta, sniffing the burnt smell clinging to her. With a sharp click, Lumina slammed the video shut.
Pulling out her phone, she immediately sent Herta an inexplicable message:
[Lumina:] I want snacks!
[Herta:] ?
Perhaps Herta was free at that moment, because she replied almost instantly:
[Lumina:] I want snacks!
Lumina offered no explanation, simply repeating the five words.
[Herta has sent you 10 million Credit Points.]
[Herta:] Go buy them yourself.
Unsure of Lumina's motives, Herta simply sent her 10 million Credit Points to brush her off.
[Lumina:] I want you to make them!
[Herta:] ?
[Herta:] Stop acting crazy.
[Lumina:] I want sweets! I want the sweets you make!
Despite having scammed Herta out of ten million Credit Points, Lumina remained true to her original goal.
[Herta:] ?
[Lumina:] I want sweets!
[Herta:] Fine... fine, I'll make the sweets first, then go to Penacony.
[Lumina:] ( ̄▽ ̄)
[Herta:] [The Pride of a Genius from The Herta.jpg]
In the end, through Lumina's unwavering persistence, she finally got what she wanted.
Setting down her phone, Lumina couldn't help but smile.
Hmm... she's laughing so happily now. Just wait until she actually tastes the sweets—then she'll be crying her heart out...