OLD-WORLD EXTRA

Chapter 273: Sweet Child

Chapter 273: Sweet Child

?

The man was Aquila.

Eagle's Leader.

He left his group after noticing that Evelyn had reentered the dining room by herself.

This was a chance for him to meet Emir privately.

After all...

Today wasn't only for celebration.

But business as well.

And it was the only reason why he was invited in the first place.

"So? Will you do it?"

Aquila looked up, his gaze meeting Faye's.

They exchanged warm smiles.

He then looked back down.

Emir's face was ice cold.

Quite the contrast.

"Yeah, your team looks up to snuff... I'm willing to place my bet on you."

"And I'm 'willing' to provide Alex's head."

||

||

"..."

They stared silently at each other for a while.

And Aquila was the first to blink.

How? Or rather, why?

Well, an Aether construct with the shape of a spear threatened to pierce his eyes.

It soon disappeared as Emir snapped his fingers.

"That's good."

Emir nodded at Aquila's words.

"It's good indeed; just make sure to frame the dog's death with him and his men as the assassins."

"Do you think it'd work, though?"

"Yes, while Alex's life signal was extinguished around seven months ago..."

The prince showed a twisted smile.

"Templar wouldn't know that, now would they?"

Aquila chuckled.

"Hopefully not... but honestly, I'm surprised you still have his head around after so long." Emir shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, we had it preserved for a day like this; the Liberation Army will pay for attacking us that day."

His eyes grew darker.

"And Templar will be our weapon."

The two men shared a nod as Aquila stepped back, returning to the dining room.

"I'll be expecting the good news soon."

"Don't worry, Emir, I'll be getting straight to work after today."

"Great, and Lyra will give you his head, so don't forget to take it with you."

"Yes, yes, yes."

Click.

The reinforced gate had closed.

And now it was only Emir and Faye standing outside.

"So what do you think, kid?"

"Business?"

"Yes, business."

She began to pat his head excitedly as if it were a drum.

"It's like Godfather!"

"Why's that?"

"Because it sounds so bad!"

'Hoh...'

Emir's face calmed once more as he set the little one down on the ground.

"Do you hate me for being bad?"

Faye immediately wore a look of absolute sorrow, as if she had lost all her loved ones.

"No!"

'Man, she's precious.'

A chuckling Emir kneeled until he reached her eye level.

"Longshot raised you well."

He then began a spree of squishing and pulling her cute cheeks.

"Schtop pease!"

"Ten more seconds."

"Okaaay!"

After having his fill, he stood back up and held her little hand.

He was going to escort her back to the dining room, but her next words gave him pause.

"Grandpa, you and Evy fight?"

"...No, no, we just straightened things out."

"Really? That's what Mom and Dad always did and it wasn't fun!"

Emir blinked.

"Do you miss your mama?"

While they talked, he hid his face from Faye.

"No, I love Grandpa's mama more."

He didn't want her to see his eyes.

"And what about Grandpa? You like him too?"

Ones that showed pity.

"A lot, hehe..."

"Grandpa likes you too."

Emir sighed while patting her head.

'If our fate comes to pass then who...'

'Who would be left to love you?'

'Take care of you?'

'You sweet, sweet, child.'

...

Once Emir sent the little one back, he bid his family goodbye and went up to his room.

He wanted to go to sleep.

His mind was exhausted.

He had gone through a lot in the last three days...

The memories, whispers, labyrinth, and inevitable truth.

The implication of Ragnar's existence, fate's intervention, and the many plans he kicked off.

Quinn Mercer's suspicion.

It all took its toll on him.

Even though the whispers left him, most of it at least, he could still feel their lingering

effects.

And he knew that sleep would be the best remedy for that.

Something he hadn't truly experienced for many months now.

And just as he relaxed on the bed...

Emir drifted into a deep slumber.

***

Knock...

Knock...

"You up?"

Lyra was outside Emir's room, checking to see if he was awake.

But even after a few more knocks, she heard nothing back.

So she entered the room, thinking that he had already gone to sleep.

And she was right.

'Finally... his mind can relax.'

Lyra smiled.

She then neared his bed, standing beside his slumbering body.

And unlike his, her body wasn't idle.

Her hands softly played around with his hair, as she took a few peeks at his hidden scar.

After she had enough fun, she adjusted the dark purple pillow under his head and the blanket

over his body.

Her smile brightened as she approached the other side of the body and laid next to him.

While doing so, she made sure that her movements were silent so he wouldn't wake up.

There was some missing logic there, but it wasn't the first time that she had lost it when he was involved.

Anyhow, Emir rarely slept, if not ever, so she definitely didn't want to disturb his comfort.

And unlike Lyra, he was human.

His mind needed to relax every once in a while.

Especially after what he had gone through in the test.

So she simply laid there, watching him sleep...

Like any maiden in love.

In times like this, she would usually turn off her systems and imitate sleep.

But she hadn't seen him for a while, and she missed his presence at every waking moment.

So... this today was an opportunity to get her 'Emir charge' up.

One that she would use to the best of her ability.

Like an addict, a chain smoker, lovingly looking at her last cigarette...

Lyra stared at Emir.

Unblinking.

Her ruby eyes reflected his face.

And her whispers were like those of a mother to her child:

"Sweet dreams... my dear prince."

***

[Good morning~.]

Just as Emir blinked his eyes open, he heard Lyra's voice echo next to him.

[...Good morning, Ly.]

He then sat up straight, rubbing his groggy eyes.

[Man... that was some good sleep.]

Lyra chuckled while pulling him back into bed.

[That's nice to hear.]

Emir didn't resist and relaxed next to her.

[What time is it?]

She gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

[5 am; you've got a few hours before class.]

[I do.]

Lyra climbed atop his body while remaining under the blanket.

[So what do you want to do?]

Emir immediately recognized her not-so-hidden intention to alleviate his stress through

intimate means.

"Sure, but why don't we talk for a bit before that?"

"Of course."

She nodded and brought herself closer to him.

"...Was it funny?"

Their bodies were now stuck together like glue. "Elijah's reaction, you mean? Or Ragnar?"

"Both, but mainly Elijah; I know you care for Ragnar."

His hands were on her back, gently patting it. "Right, but yeah, no... Seeing him break down like that was..."

Lyra finished his sentence:

"Uncomfortable."

"Yeah, uncomfortable... I guess I cared for him more than I thought I did."

"More than me?"

Emir chuckled.

"Do you want the truth?"

Her body flinched as she pushed herself off him.

"What?!"

They stared at each other.

"What do you mean, what?"

"You care for-"

Emir cut her off by closing her lips with his fingers.

"No, I was just teasing you."

She bit them.

"You a dog?"

Her teeth left his fingers as she lowered herself into him once again.

"Hehe..."

"Oh, and speaking of dogs, did you give Aquila Alex's head?"

"Yep."

"Good, good..."

Lyra then asked a question that seemed to have bubbled for a while:

"Do I match Ragnar?"

Emir thought for a moment and then said:

"You can think of it like this... He's my left, and you my right. So yes, you do."

Another giggle resounded as her hands began to move around his muscular body.

"You really don't care about the mood, do you?"

She gave him a few pecks on the lips. "No, I don't."

Emir turned off his augmented suit...

"Me neither."

And they began to play a game for adults.

One whose details were known only between them.