"Lumie, Hertie, I am truly, truly grateful for your help today."
A short while later, Hyacine returned with two plates of food for Lumina and Herta.
She placed the plates on the dining table in front of them and then thanked them both with utmost earnestness and solemnity.
"If not for your help, I'm afraid the entire Twilight Courtyard would be in complete chaos right now."
Hyacine didn't hurry to serve herself before sitting down at the table.
As she recalled her arrival at the Twilight Courtyard and the sight of so many "patients" inside, Hyacine couldn't help but shudder.
Too many... there were simply too many of them. With the manpower Okhema's Twilight Courtyard had, it would be nearly impossible to conduct examinations on each one of them individually.
But not conducting examinations was completely out of the question, either.
After all, those people... were all members of The Grove.
They were all "heroes" who had fallen in The Grove...
They had just endured a life-or-death battle, and the very next moment, they found themselves before the gates of Okhema City. Their minds and spirits must have been in a state of... extreme terror, confusion, and anxiety.
If left unattended, without proper examinations and spiritual stabilization, they would likely fall into madness within a few days.
As for how they had suddenly appeared before the gates of Okhema, Hyacine couldn't even begin to fathom it. The mysterious arrival of so many people at the city gates was nothing short of a divine miracle.
"It's alright. As a Physician, it's my duty to help everyone," Lumina said with a gentle smile, signaling Hyacine not to overthink it. She was simply fulfilling her professional obligations.
"Besides..."
"Won't Hyie give me a thank-you gift?"
"If I get a thank-you gift personally delivered by Hyie, I'd say I'm the one profiting," Lumina added, winking at Hyacine without any reserve.
"Ugh..."
Lumina's beauty was beyond question, and so was the effect of her wink.
The wink manifested as a heart-shaped light that slowly floated through the air before directly imprinting itself into Hyacine's very being.
For a moment, Hyacine felt her heart race. With her face flushed, she quickly averted her gaze, unable to meet Lumina's eyes.
Lumie is so beautiful... so adorable...
Hyacine had to admit—no, she could only admit—that Lumina was the most beautiful, most adorable person she had ever seen. Without exception. Without a single doubt.
Lumina radiated a dazzling light, her presence warmth personified, her personality a constant source of kindness... At least from Hyacine's perspective, Lumina had no flaws.
She was composed of nothing but strengths, each one shining brightly.
And even if Lumina did have flaws, Hyacine would only see them as unique quirks that added to her charm, not as imperfections.
On someone who was otherwise perfect, a flaw wasn't a flaw at all—it was another strength.
Because it transformed her from an untouchable god of perfection into a relatable human being... someone with both strengths and weaknesses. It closed the distance, making her feel approachable, endearing... and so easy to fall in love with.
After all, someone too perfect can only make others feel inferior and out of reach.
And yet this "perfect" person had just given her a blatant wink, and Hyacine's heart skipped a beat instantly.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
A blush gradually spread across Hyacine's pale little face, her earlobes turned red, and her crystal-clear lips gradually flushed a deep red, making one want to lean in and take a bite.
The sound of her heart beating echoed clearly in Hyacine's ears, and the image of Lumina's wink lingered in her mind, unable to fade, continuously stirring Hyacine's soul.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Another sound like a heartbeat rang out.
But this time, it wasn't actually a heart beating.
It was the sound some beautiful girl was making while "eating."
"Hmm?"
Hearing the sound, both Lumina and Hyacine turned in its direction with confusion.
"Heh."
Seeing the source of the sound, Lumina chuckled softly.
Herta, her face devoid of expression, was holding a knife and fork, forcefully "cutting" the food on her plate, making a series of loud clanging sounds.
"Hmm..."
Noticing Lumina and Hyacine's gazes fixed on her, Herta's expression remained unchanged as she placed her knife and fork down expressionlessly.
She turned her head to glance at the two of them and said with a hint of apology in her voice, "Sorry, I've never used a knife and fork before, and I'm just not quite used to it yet."
This was a lie.
How could Madam Herta possibly not know how to use a mere knife and fork?
Herta simply wanted to make some noise.
Herta simply noticed that Lumina and Hyacine were in a strange state and wanted to create a little noise to stop them from developing further.
Of course, Herta stopped the two of them mainly because of Hyacine.
Given Hyacine's state just now, if Lumina had any ideas, wouldn't they probably end up in bed tonight?
Hmm...
Alright, it was mainly because of Lumina.
"Ahem, Hertie, wait for me. I'll go get some food and then teach you how to use a knife and fork."
Although Herta did it for her and for Lumina, it had to be said that her action really helped Hyacine a lot.
If it were up to Hyacine alone, without any external interference, who knows how long it would take for her to recover from Lumina's soul-piercing wink.
After speaking to Herta, she hurriedly rose from her seat to get food for herself.
"I~ have never used a knife and fork before~"
"For a moment~ I'm just~ not quite used to it~"
Watching Hyacine's slightly flustered figure escape, Lumina smiled.
Then, she turned her gaze to Herta and immediately repeated the words spoken just now, saying them with a somewhat sarcastic tone.
"What, the great Madam Herta has become a fool from vacationing in Amphoreus?"
"Have you forgotten how to eat, and how to use a knife and fork?"
Lumina waved her hand and chuckled.
Obviously, Lumina knew very well what Herta's intention was.
"..."
Upon hearing this, Herta did not reply, instead skillfully picking up the knife and fork and taking an elegant bite of the meal.
"Sigh..." Seeing Herta's expressionless face, not reacting at all to her words, Lumina sighed secretly in her heart.
The child has grown up and is no longer as easy to fool or tease as before.
At this moment, Lumina was like an old person who had watched Herta grow up from a child, letting out a sigh of weathered lament.
As for this sigh, Herta still paid it no attention.
Seeing this, Lumina immediately felt bored.
"Hmm..."
But very soon, Lumina found new fun.
She looked at the food on her own tray, then at the food on Herta's tray, her pupils slightly turning as she thought of something unknown in her mind.
The food on the two of them's trays was identical, four meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, one drink, one dried fruit, and one salad.
The combination of four meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, one drink, one dried fruit, and one salad was already the top-tier meal at the Twilight Courtyard.
After all, this was a medical facility, not some high-end establishment.
There was half a piece of some kind of fish, a meat cutlet, honey cake, and another meat dish that Lumina couldn't identify.
Lumina also didn't know what kind of vegetable the side dish was, but its color looked good, so the taste should be decent.
Without overthinking, she picked up her knife and fork and stabbed the half-fish.
She lifted it up and shook it slightly.
Then she gestured to Herta: "Hey, Little Herta, do you want to eat this fish?"
"Yes."
Hearing Lumina's words, Herta didn't hesitate, immediately using her own fork to snag the half-fish from Lumina's fork and placed it onto her own tray.
Lumina: ?
Looking at her fork, which now only held a bit of juice, Lumina froze on the spot.
She suddenly fell into a deep silence.
Wait, this isn't how the story was supposed to go!
According to the normal plot development, shouldn't you say "No thanks"?
Then I'd take the half-fish from your tray and secretly laugh at your confused expression, right?
Why has it reversed now?!
The script is reversed! The script is wrong! The script has completely collapsed! Ellio, come save me quickly!
Lumina screamed repeatedly in her mind.
"Hmph."
While Lumina was questioning her life, Herta, sitting beside her, let out a soft hum of satisfaction as she ate the fish she had "taken" from Lumina's fork.
It wasn't that the fish tasted particularly good, but that seeing Lumina flounder had given Herta immense pleasure.
Especially the fact that she had personally caused this frustration.
In an instant, Herta's mood improved significantly.
The resentment and annoyance she'd felt watching Lumina and Hyacine interact earlier vanished completely.
"..."
Coming back to her senses, a hint of contemplation flickered in Lumina's eyes once again.
Mere Little Herta... you only won this once because I was "distracted."
I've been suppressing you too much, so letting you win this once is my "reward" to you.
But...
Reward or not, even if it was a reward Lumina "intentionally" gave to Herta...
Lumina still couldn't swallow this defeat in her heart and wanted to "get it back."
So, after a moment's thought, Lumina slowly said, "Herta, do you want..."
"Sorry, sorry for making Lumie and Hertie wait so long."
Just as Lumina was about to speak and launch a series of attacks against Herta, Hyacine happened to finish getting her food and returned with her tray.
After placing the tray on the table, she apologized with an apologetic expression.
"..."
"No need to apologize, you've come at just the right time."
Unlike Lumina, who had fallen into silence once again, Herta suppressed a smile and gestured to Hyacine.
Herta knew Lumina's temperament and knew she couldn't stomach this defeat and was plotting how to "get it back."
Because of this, Herta had made ample preparations in advance.
If Hyacine didn't show up, Herta would use some movements to stall for time until Hyacine arrived, interrupting Lumina's words and forcing her to swallow the rage rising in her throat, letting her suffer a loss by not being able to speak.
This was Herta's plan, and indeed, events played out exactly as she had imagined.
When Hyacine arrived, the words Lumina had already partially spoken came to an abrupt halt.
The remaining words were forced back down her throat.
"..."
Fine, fine, just this once. Let her gloat a little, lest she lose too miserably later and have her Dao Heart shatter, causing her to distance herself from me.
After a moment of careful consideration, Lumina successfully convinced herself.
After all, this is just a trivial little episode. It won't have any impact on the overall "Great Work" at all.
Since that's the case, it doesn't matter if Herta gloats a little, or feels a bit proud of this.
As long as she's happy.
My main target right now is still Hyacine...
Realizing this, Lumina fixed her gaze on Hyacine, a serene smile returning to her face as if nothing had happened just now.
"Uh..."
"Am I... interrupting you two?"
Feeling the gazes of Lumina and Herta, Hyacine sat down at the table, sensing something was slightly off.
"Not at all. Herta and I were both waiting for you to come back."
To prevent Herta from saying anything reckless, Lumina cut in and answered before Hyacine could even finish her sentence.
"I see."
Since Lumina had already spoken, Hyacine didn't ask any more questions. She nodded slightly and turned her gaze to Herta.
Hyacine remembered clearly what she had said before leaving.
Hertie was a guest and a benefactor. She didn't know how to use a knife and fork, so Hyacine had a duty to teach her.
"Hertie, let me teach you... huh?"
Hyacine's words came to an abrupt halt. She realized that Herta, who supposedly "didn't know" how to use a knife and fork, was now using them with great skill to eat the fish on her plate.
Wait... why are there two half-fish?
Did Lumie give her one?
It seemed their relationship was much closer than Hyacine had imagined.
After inwardly envying the friendship between Lumina and Herta for a moment, Hyacine asked with a mix of surprise and confusion, "Hertie, you know how to use a knife and fork now?"
"Yes, thanks to Lumie's guidance." Herta turned her head and gave Lumina a small smile.
"Not at all, it's just that Hertie~ is absolutely brilliant, she learned it in just one look."
Lumina covered her mouth and laughed, starting a round of mutual praise with Herta.
"You two are so close." After seeing their interaction, Hyacine couldn't help but sigh with admiration.
"Yes, yes." Without denying it, both Lumina and Herta agreed.
"Oh, right." After taking a couple of bites of food, Hyacine remembered something and said to the two of them, "Lumie, Hertie, regarding everyone's matter at the Twilight Courtyard, I am really, really grateful to you both."
"Do you have any gifts or rewards you'd like?"
"As long as it's something I can do, I'll agree to it."
Hyacine wasn't particularly familiar with either Lumina or Herta.
Instead of obsessing over what to give as a thank-you gift, it was better to just ask directly.
Even if she didn't get a specific answer, she would at least understand the general direction.
"I..."
"I have something, I wonder if Hyie can help."
Upon hearing Hyacine's words, Lumina immediately showed a hint of eagerness.
But before she could say anything, Herta cut in and spoke first.
"If I can do it, of course I will, Hertie, please speak."
"This matter is very simple, that is..." At this point, Herta paused, glanced at Lumina, and continued:
"That is, cancel the thank-you gift for Lumina."
Hyacine: ?
Lumina: ?