OLD-WORLD EXTRA

Chapter 151: Genuine Affection

Chapter 151: Genuine Affection

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Opening the door, Emir entered the apartment, with Mariane following behind him.

Laura was already prepared, a tea set ready at the table, with Lily sitting beside her, seemingly so engrossed in drinking tea that she failed to notice their entrance.

Seeing that, Laura tapped on her daughter's shoulder, bringing her to attention.

Lily gave a glancing gaze at her mother for a moment, and only after looking away did she notice that Emir was standing right in front of them.

Curious as always, she eyed Mariane with interest while she stood up and gestured for them to sit.

Emir raised a brow.

'Are they seriously going to keep up that act?'

With a chuckle, he sat in between both parties, acting as if he was a mediator, leaving the seat opposite his family for Mariane.

[Where are you right now?] He asked Lyra telepathically.

[On the way... Kiera and the rest asked more questions than expected, especially that Leo kid, too curious for his own good.] She replied

[Well, you've got one more to debrief, and by the way, I already told them about Mariane's great potential, but it seems like they've been taught quite a lot. Even someone as experienced as Mariane is stunned at how they're taking this.] He commented while silently watching Mariane's reaction in slowed time.

A giggle resounded in his mind.

[You aren't the only one growing, you know, although some of us are flashier than others. And just know that they're the ones who wanted me to teach them, so who am I to say no?]

[...Thanks for everything, Lyra. I can't imagine doing this without you.]

[...]

[Lyra?]

[I-I'm sorry, I just didn't expect you to say that...]

Sounding a telepathic chuckle, he said:

[I'm not blind, you know. Although I still can't trust you completely-to be honest, I don't know if I ever will-but I can still see your effort; it's making a difference.]

After a few moments of silence, he imagined that Lyra was standing in front of him, but soon he realized that she truly was there.

She simply connected to the projector of his augmented suit that showed his heads-up display right in front of his nonexistent irises.

Her beautiful face, combined with the rare combination of her flowing white hair and red smiling eyes, made her out to be otherworldly.

[I love you.]

Emir speechlessly grinned at the sight, as it easily dwarfed that of Mariane's.

[Thanks for that.]

Lyra's smile brightened, and she puffed her cheeks playfully, disappearing from his sight in a flash.

'Cute... Too cute.'

She was really making it hard for him to deny, or rather delay, her advances.

Letting go of those thoughts, time resumed its normal pace, and he focused back on what was happening in front of him.

Laura spoke, welcoming them:

"Thank you for coming here today. We have a lot to go through, so why don't you have some tea first?"

Mariane nodded.

"Thanks, Miss Laura. I've heard a lot about you on the way here, your son seems quite proud of you."

Laura's professional demeanor momentarily faltered, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she tried to suppress it.

Lily and Emir looked at each other for a moment, grins crossed on their faces.

Their mother finally gave up and said:

"You win... I guess it's too early for me."

Shaking his head, Emir cut in:

"Nah, Mom, you were doing fine, this falls on me for bragging about you so much."

Speechless, she stared at her son, her jaw nearly hitting the floor in surprise at his effusive praise.

Deep down, she recognized that while his words held a measure of sincerity, they were also exaggerated, all to present her in an even more flattering light.

Mariane joined the scene, swept up in the warmth of the familial atmosphere and their evident genuine affection for one another.

And as Emir observed this, he realized that his mission was accomplished.

With Mariane's guard down, Laura would likely negotiate a better deal for their company.

Rising from his seat, he announced:

"Alright, I'll leave you guys to it. I need to get back to work."

Mariane, understanding the implications of his words, asked:

"The Order?"

"Yes. We've already planned out our actions going forward, and as I said, if you want to know more... It's better if you ask Lyra about it later, Mom will give you her contact ID." He

answered with a nod.

Walking past her, he tapped her shoulder a few times as a sign of assurance and went on his way as three voices offered their goodbyes behind him.

...

Stepping into the upper district, Emir walked up to Lyra, who was patiently waiting for him just outside the academy's family residence area.

"Are you sure that Laura can handle Mariane? I get that we gave her the best possible start,

but all she knows is theory, she hasn't been in the field for long..." She asked as she naturally joined his right, walking side by side.

He stayed silent for a moment, observing the quiet streets surrounding them.

It was already nighttime, so he didn't have long before he had to bid Lyra goodbye.

Letting out a sigh, he said:

"Maybe she'll fail at getting a good deal, or she might pass with flying colors. But that doesn't matter, at the end of it, this will be a learning experience for her, something that she

needs, and I made sure that we wouldn't lose Mariane either way..."

A few moments of silence enveloped them until Emir broke it by asking:

"How long do you think it would take you to track target one?"

Her gaze dropped at that question, as it would be the first time she would be disconnected

from him entirely by choice, a prospect that filled her with extreme dread.

"I'm not sure, but if anything, I can only hope that I at least find something before our deadline, and I'm sure with Silent's help I could get to whatever planet the target is on

quickly."

"True. With him involved, we won't need to use the Gatekeepers, it'll help in hiding our tracks

from the Elite as well."

Perking up, she demanded, "Never mind that, I need you to give me a reward for all I did today, and I still have to talk to Mariane before leaving, so it has to be something worth it."

With a raised brow, he asked:

"A reward? I thought you liked helping me?"

Seeing her puff her cheeks in protest, he chuckled.

"Okay, okay, what do you want from me?"

Lyra straightened her back.

"Do you know how couples usually say goodbye to each other? When the husband goes away

for work, or what do they do when they haven't seen each other in a long time? Or when-"

Stopping her from rambling any further, he stepped in front of her, his eyes locked on hers.

"So a kiss?"

An audible gulp resounded as she silently nodded.

'She's really going after me this time, huh... And she is an AI, so her loving someone my age

isn't wrong, right?'

'And I guess we would have each other's first times, although I have memories with previous lovers, they are fabricated... So technically, I'm in a similar position to her.'

'I've got the knowledge but not any real experience.'

Letting go of those thoughts that bordered on how weird and nonsensical the situation was,

he went for it...

But just as he was about to, his terminal rang out.