Intergalactic conquest with an AI

Chapter 139 Luxury Cruiser.(2)

Carlos gestured subtly with his chin toward a group of elegant women nearby, their flowing gowns shimmering as they chatted amongst themselves. Their laughter was melodic, their presence exuding an effortless confidence that only came with wealth and nobility.

Rex sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "

Carlos, those 'high-end butts' you're ogling are probably nobles. You do know what happens if one of them hears you, right? Nobles don't take kindly to being disrespected. They'd send assassins after you just for looking at them wrong."

Carlos shrugged, completely unbothered.

"Worth it. At least I'd die with a great view."

Rex rolled his eyes, about to respond, when Carlos elbowed him lightly.

"Come on, Rex, take a look. I know you're curious. Don't leave me hanging here."

Rex hesitated for a moment before giving in to the temptation.

"Alright, fine. What are you talking about?"

He began to turn his head to see what Carlos was looking at.

Before he could even get a good glance, Ys suddenly leapt onto his back like a playful predator, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist to keep herself from falling.

"Nope! Not happening!

" she declared, her tone light but possessive.

"Ys, what are you doing?!

" Rex asked, startled as she clasped her hands over his eyes, blocking his view.

"You can't look at them, darling,"

Ys purred, her voice dropping to a sultry whisper as she leaned close to his ear.

"If you want to see something beautiful, you don't need them. I can show you something much better later... tonight."

Rex froze, his face immediately turning several shades redder.

"Ehem,"

he coughed, clearing his throat and attempting to regain composure.

"Carlos, you... uh, enjoy the view. I'll handle the suitcases and wait for someone to show us to our rooms."

Ys giggled softly, still clinging to his back. Rex stood stiffly like a soldier, trying to endure the situation without further embarrassing himself. Her hold on him tightened playfully, and Rex realized he wasn't going to win this particular battle anytime soon.

Meanwhile, Cleo, who had been silently observing the scene with her usual composed expression, finally spoke up.

"If the two of you are done being ridiculous,"

she said dryly

"The concierge bot will be here shortly to escort us. Rex, perhaps you'd like to... I don't know; set a better example for Carlos."

Rex sighed heavily.

"Noted."

He stood straighter, his hands now clutching the handle of one of the suitcases as if grounding himself.

"Ys, seriously, can you let go? People are starting to stare."

Ys leaned her chin on his shoulder, her voice teasing.

"Let them stare. I don't mind."

Carlos, who had been thoroughly entertained by the whole situation, leaned back against one of the luggage carts and grinned. "

This is the best vacation ever, and we haven't even left the station yet."

Cleo shot him a warning look. "

Carlos, if you keep this up, you're going to spend the rest of this trip locked in your room. And trust me, I'll make sure you don't have any 'views' to enjoy."

Carlos immediately straightened, though his grin didn't disappear entirely.

"Alright, alright. I'll behave."

As if on cue, a sleek concierge bot floated toward them, its polished silver surface gleaming under the lights. It projected a soft blue holographic interface above its head as it stopped in front of the group.

[Welcome aboard, esteemed guests,]

the bot said in a pleasant, melodic voice.

[Please allow me to escort you to your private suites. Your luggage will be transported separately.]

"Finally,"

Rex muttered, shaking his head. He glanced over his shoulder at Ys.

"Are you going to let go now, or do I have to carry you all the way to our room like this?"

Ys smirked, resting her cheek against his back. "

Hmm, tempting. But I suppose I'll let you off the hook... for now."

With a graceful hop, she released him and landed lightly on her feet.

Rex straightened his jacket and grabbed the remaining suitcase, muttering something about how he needed to rethink this whole vacation idea.

As they followed the concierge bot toward the private suites, Carlos leaned toward Rex and whispered,

"You know, you're really bad at pretending you're not enjoying yourself."

"Shut up, Carlos,

" Rex muttered, though a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

After several minutes of walking through opulent hallways and taking a few elevators lined with gold accents and glowing energy panels, the group finally arrived at their private suites. The concierge bot hovered politely as it handed over keycards and verified their room assignments.

Carlos, unsurprisingly, claimed his own VIP room, a sprawling space with a king-sized bed, private balcony, and even its own mini-pool. Rex, on the other hand, found himself sharing a suite with Cleo and Ys, much to his quiet dismay.

The tension between the two women was palpable, both of them clearly determined to not let the other have any extra alone time with him.

This

"living arrangement"

Enjoy new adventures at empire

had become increasingly common ever since Ys had picked up the faint, lingering scent of Rex on Cleo's physical body after they did it. From that day forward, Ys made it her personal mission to stick to Rex like glue, leaving Cleo little room to monopolize his attention.

As Rex hauled the last of the luggage into their shared suite, he glanced over at Carlos, who was lounging against the doorframe of his own room with an easygoing grin.

"So, Carlos, what's the plan for you tonight?"

Rex asked, brushing some imaginary dust off his hands.

Carlos pushed off the doorframe and grabbed a nearby suitcase to help Rex.

"You know me,

" he said, puffing his chest out a little.

"

I'm either hitting the pool or heading straight for the nightclub. Unlike you, I don't have anyone to 'keep me company,' so I'll be putting this rugged charm of mine to work, seducing some of these rich girls!"

He finished his declaration with a proud, almost heroic pose, his hands on his hips.

Rex burst out laughing, shaking his head.

"Rich girls? Seriously? You do realize everyone on this ship is either filthy rich or nobility, right? Both options come with... complications. Dangerous ones."

Carlos grinned and waved off Rex's concern. "

And that's exactly why I'm going for it! Think about it—these 'daddy's girls' are probably bored out of their minds. They're used to the same old polished nobles and spoiled trust-fund types. But me? I'm something they've never seen before. I'm wild. I'm rugged. I'm unpredictable!"

He struck a pose again, running a hand over his completely bald head.

"They won't stand a chance against my raw charm."

Rex leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed, trying not to laugh too hard.

"Right. I'm sure your lack of hair will have them swooning in no time. But hey, good luck with that. Just try not to get stabbed by one of their bodyguards, or worse, assassins sent by their fathers."

Carlos smirked and clapped Rex on the back.

"I'll take my chances, brother. What about you? What's the plan for tonight?"

Rex glanced back at the shared suite where Ys and Cleo were already unpacking, well,

arguing

while unpacking. Cleo appeared to be organizing her belongings with precision, while Ys was casually tossing her things into a pile on the bed and looking unimpressed by Cleo's fussiness.

"T

he girls want to hit the casino tonight,"

Rex explained.

"They've been bickering about the best strategies to win big all day. And, well… I've never been to a real casino before, so I thought I'd check it out too."

Carlos blinked, his expression turning incredulous.

"What are you talking about? We have been to a casino before. Back when we were slaves, remember? We used to sneak out at night and gamble to save up money for our freedom."

Rex frowned, scratching his head.

"That wasn't a casino, Carlos. That was… pretty sure that was an illegal betting den. I just realized that last night while Cleo was explaining how casinos work."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "

Still, I guess it did the job back then."

Carlos folded his arms, leaning back with a nostalgic grin. "Ah, the good old days, huh? It might've been illegal, but those nights were fun. Just a couple of kids, making bad bets and dreaming of freedom."

"Yeah,"

Rex said, his tone softer now as the memories came rushing back.

"We've come a long way since then, haven't we?"

Carlos smiled, but then his grin widened again as he slapped Rex on the back.

"Damn right, we have. Now get out there, brother, and enjoy yourself. Don't let those two fight over you too much, alright?"

Rex snorted.

"Easier said than done. Anyway, I should go get ready for the casino. Good luck out there with your... wild charm strategy."

Carlos gave him a mock salute.

"And good luck surviving those two."

He turned and disappeared into his VIP room, already muttering something about needing to pick the right outfit to dazzle the nobles.

Rex returned to the shared suite, opening the door to find Cleo and Ys still bickering over something trivial, probably which dress would look better in the casino. He shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips despite himself.

After a few hours of preparations, they were finally ready for the big event. The casino was one of the most anticipated attractions aboard the luxury cruiser, and Cleo, ever meticulous, had made sure that their night would be nothing short of perfect.

"Here we go,"

Rex muttered under his breath.

"Let the games begin."