Chapter 68: For Me, By Me, and Only Me [2]

Lyra took in a deep breath as her shoulders stiffened. She was seated on the floor opposite Huey and had her head timidly lowered. She was quiet, but her mind was racing. Why was Huey here? What did he want to talk about? Would he finally abandon her? Was this the end?

"No!"

Before she could let Huey begin, Lyra spoke first. "It's been a while since we got the chance to talk like this, just the two of us." She forced a smile that came out beautifully and continued, "I've heard about what you did and what you did for me." She took a deep breath, her fake smile fading from her lips. Then her voice became softer as she lowered her head.

"I've only been a burden for someone like you. You had no reason to help me that day, and even less of a reason to let me come with you. Ever since then, I've been unable to do anything that could amount to being useful, and I've only dragged you down. Even now, you could have let me die, but you gave me a core." As she said this, she lightly touched the back of her neck, her fingers tracing her bandaged nape.

"I would understand if you're willing to cut me off, but I also can't let you do that!" she said all of a sudden, looking up at the dumbfounded expression on the usually aloof Huey's face at the moment.

"Eh?" Huey muttered, staring at her incredulously.

"Wh-wh-wh-what?" Lyra stammered. Strangely, she began to feel embarrassed and even more anxious for some reason.

Huey's expression crumpled into confusion as he looked closely at her. "What are you talking about? You're not mad I got you the Organic Core and that I dragged you along with me this far? You're not mad that now your entire life has changed and will never be the same? You've heard about the massive risks from now on, right? You're not mad about that either?" he asked in rapid succession, immediately seeking clarification.

Lyra, still a little anxious and embarrassed, shook her head and said.

"No. Quite the opposite, actually. I see all that you've done for me as a chance to have something better than my previous life. And I feel this can only continue for me as long as I'm with you," she explained, her tone and voice growing stronger from there.

The intensity of Lyra's emotions increased. From anxiousness to fear, to desperation and longing. The longer she remained, the more she felt she'd drown and run mad with all the emotions swirling in her mind, and even more if Huey were to turn her away at this point.

"Th-that is why I'm willing to do anything for you not to abandon me. Anything at all! J-just please don't leave me. I'll do anything. I'll get stronger; I'll do better not to be a burden."

Lyra knew something was off with her emotions by this point, but at the same time, she couldn't care. Instead, she laid out all of her feelings bare right there, and at that moment. At the very least, she would find closure at the end of it. That was what she thought.

Huey, meanwhile, was different. He was slightly confused, but his mind was contrastingly calm and measured. He silently managed to quickly recompose himself and sort out his thoughts. Internally, he gave a sigh of relief.

"It was just a big misunderstanding!"

And even more so, Lyra doesn't seem to have realized. Which means...

"I still have a good chance to maintain my grand image! She mustn't know that I've been thinking about her leaving me instead! Nice, this is good. I'll just shrug everything off and be casual about it. Or should I continue to go down the cold and aloof route and say something cool? No, no, no. That can be too risky. That's what brought me to this point..." Huey seriously pondered.

This was his way of hiding his embarrassment for falling for such a cringe-worthy misunderstanding. Huey Blade never falls for a misunderstanding!

But he also felt there might be a way to use Lyra's current feelings towards him. Weren't they too emotional and intense? He knew this was because of the Core, but Huey had always been a shrewd person, even since the early days.

He was constantly thinking about how to utilize certain opportunities to make the best out of them. It was only until he was transported to the Red World and back that he abandoned that type of mentality. After all, it was cruel savagery and strength that allowed a creature to survive there.

Since he returned to Earth some time ago, Huey had changed. He was powerful. Why bother too much with shrewd calculation and manipulation when you possess raw power to topple anything? That was his mentality.

But now he was having contrasting feelings. Maybe there was a way to use her emotions. He had heard enough from Hathaway about Lyra's potential and future prospects, so she could be useful in the future.

"Doesn't this make me seem like a bad guy?" he thought wryly.

"Fine. Let's do this instead," Huey made up his mind and nodded internally. Under the confused and anxious gaze of Lyra, he stood up and walked closer to her.

Then he abandoned his fake mask, smiled broadly at her, and said with a sigh, "What are you even talking about? Man, you're such a baby. In that case, I won't leave you." He sat directly before her, still smiling, and looked directly into her shaky eyes.

Lyra blinked, still emotionally unsteady. "But... But I've got nothing to offer. Even Tyla's much better than me." Now she was even contradicting herself a little.

But this was it. This was what Huey was waiting for.

Calming his thoughts, Huey gave a soft and simple smile. It was warm and kind, and Lyra felt some of her unease wash away just from seeing it. Huey had never looked at her this way before.

Then he raised his hand slowly and gently patted her head. Her hair felt soft and nice to the touch in his hand, and Huey silently enjoyed the feeling without letting it show. But that was beside the point.

Still smiling nicely, he leaned closer to her, his red eyes gleaming and deepening. Lyra felt like she had fallen into a trance as she stared at them from such close proximity. Her breathing became ragged, and her head felt hot.

Then Huey delivered the final blow. His deep voice sounded like a sweet symphony to her.

"Then get stronger. Get stronger by me, for me, and only me. Let me be your only reason. Continue to get stronger to stand by my side, and I will never leave you... and you also never leave me."

Lyra's mind blurred and her eyes gazed as if in a trance for one second. Then she uttered in a very soft voice that was so faint and shaky with Huey's deep gaze maintained on her body all throughout.

"...yes."

Masking his thoughts with a gentle gaze, Huey Smiled.

And that was how Huey acquired his most loyal and formidable piece.

***

A/N: That's today's chapter. Three Bonus Chapters left to go.