"Ugh..."
"What did you put in this thing?"
After wandering through countless Amber Eras, Lumina had experienced and witnessed a great many things: fragrant and foul-smelling, delicious and disgusting... She had tasted and smelled it all, and considered herself highly resilient.
Therefore, when faced with Herta's concoction, Lumina expected it to taste terrible, but she certainly didn't anticipate losing her composure on the spot.
She had severely overestimated herself. The mighty Emanator of Abundance, completely undone by a mere morsel? No one would believe such a tale...
It seemed Madam Herta, the Emanator of Erudition, truly lived up to her reputation.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Herta frowned, clearly displeased by Lumina's disheveled state and her inquisitive remark.
You were the one who asked me to make dessert. You were the one who wanted to eat it. And this is how you treat me?
If she weren't outmatched by Lumina, Herta would have knocked her unconscious with her Staff, tied her up, and force-fed her her own breakfast, lunch, dinner, and desserts daily until she died of overeating!
"Hmm... I just wanted to say, Madam Herta, your desserts are truly wonderful," Lumina said, regaining her composure. She gracefully conjured a green napkin, wiped the crumbs from her lips, and gave Herta a hearty thumbs-up.
At the same time, she added earnestly, "Madam Herta, your desserts are delicious, but... they might not quite suit my taste."
"Hmm... What I mean is, please don't make them again."
"Heh heh heh." At this, the corners of Madam Herta's lips curled into a warm, gentle smile.
The very next moment, Herta, moving with zero frames of hesitation, hurled the lump of dessert straight at Lumina's face.
"You Dunce Society member! Eat more of this!"
Herta barked the most ferocious words, yet her tone carried no real threat.
"Save me! Herta's trying to murder her own sister!"
Faced with Herta's sudden attack, Lumina reacted swiftly, dodging the dessert with ease.
She then seized Herta's wrist, redirected the dessert, and sent it flying toward Herta's own face.
"Hmph, Little Sister Lumina, remember to call me 'Big Sister' properly." Seeing this, Herta's expression turned icy. She swiftly sidestepped to evade Lumina's counterattack.
Herta then hooked her foot around Lumina's ankle, preparing to trip her in one swift motion. Her plan was to then forcefully shove the pastries into Lumina's face, ensuring she thoroughly enjoyed the "treats" Herta had prepared for her.
But Lumina was no pushover, and she certainly wasn't going to let Herta bully her. As Herta lifted her foot to trip her, Lumina reacted first, sweeping her own foot out to trip Herta instead, while simultaneously snatching the pastries and securing them firmly in her hand.
Watching Madam Herta sprawled on the ground, looking rather disheveled, Lumina felt an unprecedented surge of pride and accomplishment.
"Heh heh heh, Madam Herta, you wouldn't want your body to be covered in cake, would you?"
Overwhelmed by pride and self-satisfaction, Lumina instantly flashed a villainous grin.
Herta: ...
Originally, Herta had merely intended to teach Lumina a simple lesson. But upon hearing these words, her expression and gaze instantly turned glacial.
"Big Sister Lumina, I was wrong. Please forgive me," Herta pleaded in a voice that sounded somewhat pitiful, yet carried a strange, unsettling undertone.
"Little Sister Herta, admitting your mistakes and correcting them is a good habit," Lumina said, completely oblivious to the strange undertone in Herta's voice.
Hearing Herta's pitiful apology, Lumina relaxed her guard. She crouched down with a cheerful smile, placed the pastries on the ground, rested one hand on Herta's head, and pinched her soft cheek with the other, beginning to "enjoy" her "spoils of war" (scratch that).
!
But the very next moment, just as Lumina was about to "indulge," a foul stench suddenly assaulted her nostrils. Her heart jolted with alarm, and she instantly snapped to full alertness, pushing beyond her limits. With lightning reflexes, she barely managed to evade the attack!
"Tch..."
After narrowly dodging the sudden strike, Lumina immediately glanced back. She saw a small blob of pastry stuck to the floor where she had been standing, emitting a series of "enticing" fumes.
Seeing this, Lumina's expression instantly darkened, her gaze snapping to Herta.
The remorseful look that had been on Herta's face vanished completely, replaced by an expression of deep regret, as if she was lamenting that the attack had missed Lumina's face.
"Little Herta, if your goal was to provoke me, then congratulations, you've succeeded!" Lumina's dark expression, at first glance, did carry a certain domineering CEO aura.
But upon closer inspection, wasn't this just the face a little girl makes when throwing a tantrum?
Pfft... Hahaha! Seeing Lumina's face, Herta couldn't help but burst into laughter.
She slowly rose from the ground, brushed off nonexistent dust, leisurely straightened her clothes, and drawled, "Sister Lumina, has no one ever told you...?"
"That expression of yours makes you look like a little sister throwing a tantrum at her older sister?"
Herta covered her mouth with her hand, giggling softly.
Heh heh heh. Hearing this, Lumina snapped. With a swift lunge, she launched herself at Herta, ready to teach her a proper lesson in respecting her elder sister!
A glint of battle intent ignited in Herta's eyes.
Come on, Sister Lumina! Once a little sister, always a little sister!
Just like Lumina, Herta resolved to teach her a lesson too, to make her understand how to respect her elders in a normal relationship!
And so, the two kindergarten children reignited their second war.