Chapter 277 | I’m The Handsome Escort!

Chapter 277: 277 | I’m The Handsome Escort!

Dexter rotated his shoulder. "Much better."

Lyra stared at him and Dexter grinned. "See?"

She slapped his arm again.

"Ow."

’Stop smiling!’

"What should I do? Cry?"

Lyra looked exasperated, and Dexter laughed before his expression became more serious. "Lyra." She looked at him. "Don’t tell Mira and Selene."

Lyra blinked. ’About what?’

"The ambush and the injury."

Her expression changed as she frowned. ’What? Why?’

Dexter continued before she could protest. "Today was supposed to be a happy day." He looked back toward the distant festival where faint music drifted through the trees. "Mira and Selene were having fun while you almost emptied the candy store." His expression softened.

Lyra looked offended by the last accusation, and Dexter ignored it. "I don’t want them spending the rest of today worrying."

’But...’

"I’m healed." He showed his shoulder. "Mostly." Then his bandaged forearm. "And this will be fine soon."

Lyra remained hesitant, and Dexter smiled. "Just for now, when we get home, we can tell them everything, together.."

Her violet eyes narrowed. ’You’re asking me to lie.’

"Not really, just avoid saying somethings."

Grandma Lucy snorted. "That’s still called lying."

Dexter looked at her. "Whose side are you on?"

"My own."

Lyra folded her arms, but she reluctantly nodded her head in understanding. It had been three years since any of them had fun last, the fact that Dexter was still thinking about them at this moment made Lyra’s heart tighten and her face warmed involuntarily.

Dexter smiled. "Good girl."

Lyra immediately glared at him but didn’t refute as her face burned even more.

Dexter flipped his hand and his spatial ring opened. A fresh outfit appeared in his hand, it was a black shirt with long sleeves.

Perfect.

Dexter changed behind a large tree while Lucy and Lyra waited, and when he returned, the bandages around his forearm were completely hidden, his shoulder looked normal, his trousers were clean, and his hair was... acceptable.

"How do I look?"

Lyra stared. ’Suspicious.’

Dexter frowned. "How does someone look suspicious?"

She pointed at the clean shirt. ’Different clothes.’

Dexter looked down. "...Right."

Lucy laughed. "Your wives aren’t idiots."

He smiled bitterly but his chest puffed with pride. " know."

"Then this should be entertaining."

Dexter sighed. "Let’s go."

...

The festival was exactly as they’d left it. Children ran around, music played, the artificial waterfall glittered beneath the afternoon sun, and families continued exchanging food.

Nobody knew that more than a mile away, a section of forest had nearly been flattened.

Dexter walked beside Lyra with Grandma Lucy following several steps behind them. As they approached the picnic area, Dexter immediately saw Mira was seated in her wheelchair already with a terrible expression while Selene stood beside her and Tessa sat nearby. Nobody was eating.

Dexter frowned and increased his pace.

Mira saw him, and her shoulders visibly relaxed.

Selene heard the approaching footsteps turned and she sighed in relief once she saw Dexter and Selene walking toward them.

Mira looked through Lyra first then only then did she look at Dexter and her eyes immediately narrowed.

Dexter frowned slightly and asked. "Why aren’t you two eating?" But they didn’t say anything.

Dexter looked between them. "What?"

Selene brows furrowed as she approached him. "Did something happen?"

Dexter chuckled. "What could happen?"

Selene stopped in front of him. While her eyes couldn’t see details clearly, but she could perceive his general shape.

She tilted her head, and Dexter suddenly remembered something unfortunate. Selene didn’t need eyes to examine him. Her ears were becoming terrifying. She could hear his heartbeat.

He kept his expression relaxed. "Nothing happened."

Mira looked at his shirt. "You changed clothes."

Dexter looked down. "Oh."

Mira waited, and Dexter’s brain moved quickly. "Lyra went to the restroom." Silence. Tessa blinked. Mira stared. Dexter continued. "I escorted her so she wouldn’t get lost."

Mira’s eyes narrowed. "And that explains your shirt?"

Dexter paused. "No."

Selene’s lips twitched, and Dexter cleared his throat. "There was... water."

"Water."

"Yes."

Mira stared. "A lot of water."

"At the restroom?"

"Near it."

Mira looked toward Lyra, and Dexter also looked toward Lyra.

Lyra froze as everyone stared at her. She swallowed, and her mental voice entered their minds. ’Y-Yes.’

Dexter almost closed his eyes. Terrible. Absolutely terrible.

Lyra couldn’t lie. ’It is true.’

Mira’s eyebrow rose, and Selene slowly turned her head toward Dexter but he simply smiled.

Nobody believed them and not even Tessa.

Tessa’s father looked away, probably because he didn’t want to become involved, and Old Lady Lucy returned to her place and calmly picked up her bowl.

Mira looked at her. "Grandma Lucy?"

"Hm?"

"You went after them."

Lucy took a spoonful. "I went for a walk."

Dexter stared at her. ’Really?’

Lucy didn’t look at him, and Mira’s eyes narrowed further but she didn’t push.

Selene stepped closer to Dexter and inhaled slightly. Dexter froze.

"You smell like smoke."

"...Festival."

"There’s no smoke here."

"Grilled meat."

Selene tilted her head. "And something else."

Dexter remained silent as she reached toward his arm. He casually moved away and grabbed a pastry. "Hungry?"

Selene’s expression changed as Dexter bit into it. "Mmm. Good."

Mira stared while Lyra looked guilty and Lucy ate peacefully. Finally, Mira sighed. "Fine."

She looked directly at him. "We’ll talk later."

Dexter suddenly preferred fighting the two Peak Ultra Realm experts. "About what?"

Mira smiled, and nothing about that smile was friendly. "Later."

Dexter swallowed. "Right."

---

Fortunately, the festival provided an excellent escape.

After another 10 minutes of eating, talking, and pretending nothing unusual had happened, Dexter stood. "All right."

Mira looked up. "What now?"

Dexter pointed toward the amusement area. "We didn’t come here just to eat."

Lyra’s eyes immediately brightened, and Selene smiled while Mira leaned back. "What are you planning?"

Dexter looked across the field and pointed at a particular section. "That."

Mira followed his gaze, and her eyes widened slightly. "Paintball?"

"Paintball."

Selene was silent for several seconds, and then she shook her head. "We don’t have to do it anymore."

Dexter’s eyebrows furrowed. "Why?"

"We’ve already done plenty." Selene smiled. "I had fun."

[A/N: Should he have told his wives about what happened? Or was his decision to tell them later correct?]