Jiang Mo smiled faintly. Without giving Herta a chance to speak, he turned and left the dining room, heading straight for the room the butler robot had assigned to him earlier.
Watching his figure gradually disappear down the corridor, Herta frowned slightly, clearly displeased by his act of "disobedience."
To her, the only thing in this world that truly mattered was the "problem." Everything else was just an accessory, something trivial and disposable.
What one ate wasn't important. As long as it provided enough energy to continue her research, that was enough.
"The facts will prove… I'm right," she murmured, voice low and cold.
Her expression slowly returned to its usual detached state. Then she, too, rose from her seat and exited the dining room.
…
Lying on the bed, Jiang Mo stared up at the white ceiling, silently reflecting on Herta's behavior.
Just as he had sensed in the dining room, this version of Herta seemed different from the one he knew in the real world.
Yes, the real Herta was still obsessed with "problems"—but she had quirks, odd habits, even the occasional smug smile.
This one, however, felt different. Detached. Hollow.
It was as if nothing in the world mattered to her except solving equations and unraveling mysteries. No curiosity, no interest in people, not even in herself.
If the Herta he knew could be described as an "eccentric genius," then this version was more like a "cold, mechanical problem-solver."
"If I were dealing with the former," Jiang Mo muttered, "I might have a chance. I could bait her with puzzles, appeal to her pride, maybe even crack through that logic-heavy brain of hers..."
"But if she's really just a machine, emotionless and indifferent, would that even work? She didn't show the slightest reaction earlier."
He sighed and rubbed his temples in frustration.
"I can't possibly force her… right?"
Instantly, Jiang Mo thought of some rather evil methods.
For example, tie up Herta's limbs with chains, drag her into a dark basement and play with her until her rationality slowly collapses.
But these thoughts were immediately suppressed by Jiang Mo himself.
If he were asked to have this idea about the Herta doll, he might actually do it. But this Herta is real and a kid.
Having desires for children is already beastly but isn't it even worse to actually put it into practice?
Jiang Mo shook his head slightly. He couldn't come up with a better plan for now, so he could only stick with the old one and feel things out as he went.
"Let's hope tomorrow gives me a chance…"
…
Early the next morning, Herta sat idly at the dining table, watching the two figures moving about in the kitchen. She yawned, visibly bored.
To her, any problem without suspense didn't require effort to analyze. From the very beginning, the conclusion had already been determined.
Same ingredients, same cooking method. Logically speaking, there should be no difference in flavor. That was the rational truth.
But in Herta's mind, proving this wasn't particularly meaningful.
Cosmic Fried Rice didn't require rare materials, and preparing it didn't interfere with her research into "problems." It was trivial.
However, if this new private tutor failed to meet her expectations, she wouldn't wait for him to burn out or resign. She would simply throw him out herself.
What she needed were intellectual challenges, not domestic trivialities.
Before long, two plates of Cosmic Fried Rice were placed before her by the butler robot, accompanied by its soft, synthesized voice.
"Miss Herta, the plate on the left is the usual version I've prepared. The one on the right was made by the tutor. Please enjoy."
"To ensure the accuracy of this experiment, the tutor used identical ingredients and followed the same recipe precisely."
Having said that, the robot stood quietly by the table, awaiting further instructions.
Herta gave a small nod as she looked at the two plates in front of her. Then, without expression, she picked up a spoon and began tasting them one by one.
The plate on the left was exactly as she remembered plain, mechanical, and flavorless. Familiar.
But she didn't rush to try the second. Instead, she looked up at Jiang Mo, who was watching her with a calm, confident smile.
"Up to this point, I still don't see how your so-called problem even exists."
"Just try it and you'll see," Jiang Mo said. "To you, only robots are capable of cooking fried rice, right? Not humans?"
Herta paused for a moment, briefly stunned. Then she nodded, took a spoonful of the second dish, and brought it to her mouth.
The moment the rice touched her tongue, her entire body froze.
But only for a second.
Then came the second bite. Then the third. And before long, she had finished the entire plate without a word.
After setting her spoon down, Herta looked up at Jiang Mo with a confused expression.
"The ingredients and cooking method were the same so why does it taste so different?"
Just as Jiang Mo was about to answer, a red, translucent screen appeared in front of him without warning.
[Faced with the curious little girl before you, your response is:]
[1. It's drugs. I added drugs.]
[2. You want to know? Fine. As long as I'm your tutor, you must obey me without question. Do what I say.]
[3. Curious? Then follow me to the basement… Let me "discipline" you, intensely.]
Jiang Mo twitched at the sight of the absurd choices suddenly floating before him.
'Aha… you never miss a chance to stir up chaos, do you…'
Sighing inwardly, he made his choice.
"You want to know? Then as long as I'm your tutor, you'll do exactly as I say. Drop the smug employer act and listen."