Chapter 65: I’ll Be Yours

Lyra remained turned away from him, her face still burning with embarrassment.

After a moment, she finally spoke.

"Don’t go back on your word, okay?"

Arthur smiled.

"Not quite my style."

Lyra finally turned back toward him, clasping her hands together with a soft smile.

"Good."

She stared at him for a few seconds, as though trying to make sure he wasn’t joking. Then her expression softened.

"I’ll remember that."

Arthur nodded.

Arthur let out a soft sigh.

"So... I guess we should return now." He said awkwardly.

He was about to leave when Lyra suddenly grabbed him by the wrist.

"Wait."

Arthur froze.

Oh no.

He had been trying his best to keep his cool, but he still couldn’t believe he had actually kissed her.

He had did it impulsively because he was trying to calm her down, but now he was starting to regret it.

He glanced at Lyra with a mild blush on his cheek.

...I wonder if she’s okay with that.

He hoped she wouldn’t mention it.

Because, honestly, he was feeling pretty embarrassed about the whole thing.

Instead, Lyra looked at him seriously.

"I’m going to send you all my Cadet Points."

Arthur blinked.

"All of them?"

Lyra nodded.

"Why?"

"So you won’t have to rely on anyone else again."

Arthur stared at her.

Lyra’s expression softened.

"I want you to rely on me... Ok?"

She paused, then leaned in toward him.

"On me and me alone."

Arthur felt slightly unsettled by the way she emphasized those last words.

Me and me alone...

He wasn’t entirely sure what to make of that.

Still, he decided not to question it.

"You don’t have to worry abou—"

Before he could finish, his Neural Link sent a notification.

〘Cadet Points Received〙

〘Sender: Lyra Evergreen〙

〘Amount: 300 Cadet Points〙

Arthur stared at the notification.

He slowly turned toward Lyra.

She smiled innocently.

"There. Now you don’t have to rely on anyone else."

Arthur was silent.

She really sent all of them...

For some reason, he suddenly had a feeling that accepting those points might have come with conditions he hadn’t been informed about.

Arthur stared at the notification for several seconds.

Then he looked back at Lyra.

"You really gave me all of them?"

Lyra nodded.

"Of course."

Arthur frowned slightly. "But you need Cadet Points too."

She tilted her head to the left. "I’ll earn more."

"That isn’t the point."

Lyra tilted her head.

"Then what is?"

Arthur hesitated.

He wasn’t sure how to explain it without sounding ungrateful.

"You shouldn’t just give away everything you have."

Lyra smiled.

"Why not?"

"Because..."

Arthur looked at the notification again.

"Because they’re yours."

Lyra stepped closer.

"And now they’re yours."

Arthur stared at her.

Lyra smiled softly.

"I told you. I want you to rely on me."

Arthur sighed.

"Lyra, you don’t have to prove anything to me."

"I know."

"Then why do this?"

"Because I want to."

Her answer came without hesitation.

Arthur fell silent.

For some reason, he couldn’t argue with that.

Then Lyra suddenly reached out and grabbed his hand with both of her hands and lifted it up.

"Besides, didn’t you just tell me you’re mine? Then if you are... what’s yours is also mine."

Arthur’s expression flushed slightly.

"Not... Like this. This isn’t what I meant."

Lyra smiled.

"Nuhhh uhhh. You won’t go back on your word, remember? Let me take care of you, okay?"

Arthur looked away with mild embarrassment.

...I’m starting to regret saying that.

Arthur sighed.

"Ugh, alright, fine. Do whatever you want, okay? But since we’re finished with all this... we should head back."

Lyra’s eyes widened slightly when she noticed his expression. She looked away, blushing.

"You can go back without me."

Arthur blinked, turning to face her.

"...Huh?"

"I’ll be there in a moment," she added.

Arthur was a little puzzled by her response, but he didn’t think much of it.

"Alright, then."

He turned around and began walking back toward the cafeteria.

Lyra watched him disappear down the hallway.

The moment he was gone, her expression completely changed.

She placed one hand against the wall to steady herself while the other pressed against her chest.

Her eyes widened as she felt her heartbeat pounding against her palm.

Her face slowly turned bright red.

...The hell did I just do?!

She had confessed how she felt.

She had kissed him... No, Arthur had kissed her, but she was too happy to say anything about it.

...He made a move on me... He actually did!

And then, in all that excitement, she had practically claimed him.

She remembered the words she had said.

You’re mine.

...Let me take care of you.

...Rely on me and me alone.

Lyra covered her face with both hands.

"Ahhhhh..."

Her heart was beating so hard that it felt like it was going to burst out of her chest.

She couldn’t believe how boldly she had acted.

Just a few minutes ago, she had been worried that Arthur might find someone else.

Now she had somehow gotten him to say that he was hers.

And he had actually agreed.

Lyra slowly lowered her hands and stared at the empty hallway.

"...He really said he’d be mine."

Her face became even redder.

She could hear her own heartbeat getting faster in her ears.

She immediately placed a hand over her chest again.

"Calm down... calm down..."

It didn’t work.

Her heart only seemed to beat faster.

She leaned her forehead against the wall and quietly groaned.

"I can’t believe I actually said all that..."

For someone who had been terrified of losing him, she had certainly acted with an astonishing amount of confidence.

And somehow...

She liked it.

At least what came of it.

A small smile appeared on her face.

"...He’s mine."

She giggled softly.

...I wonder if we’ll get to kiss often.

Her cheeks burned.

"Ah!"

She immediately covered her face again.

"What am I even thinking?!"

Meanwhile, completely unaware of the chaos he had left behind, Arthur continued walking toward the cafeteria.

Genesis appeared beside him.

〘Master, I believe Lyra is experiencing significant emotional distress.〙

Arthur frowned slightly.

"Really?"

〘Yes.〙

Arthur glanced back toward the hallway.

"Should I go check on her?"

Genesis paused.

〘...I recommend against it.〙

"Why?"

〘Because I believe you have already done enough damage for one day.〙

Arthur’s expression twitched.

"...That’s fair."