Chapter 112-Fake acceptance

Chapter 112: 112-Fake acceptance

Aymara wanted to die after learning the truth about Roa. Not a painful death, of course. If possible, she would prefer a peaceful disappearance, one in which her body turned into a puff of smoke and vanished without leaving a single trace behind.

Unfortunately, the universe seemed determined to keep her alive.

Worse still, Nathaniel was right beside her, looking at her with an expression that suggested he had just discovered the most entertaining secret in the world.

"Aymara," he called softly.

She refused to look at him. ’Just stay still...don’t react.’

"Aymara Ellington," he said her full name, tone full of teasing.

Still, he got no reaction from her. Aymara was determined to act like she had suddenly become invisible. She wished she had the camouflage feature like the ship.

"Mara, are you planning to pretend you can’t hear me?"

"No..." She trailed. "I can hear."

"Then why aren’t you looking at me?"

"Because I’m admiring the wall," she said, eyes fully focused forward.

Nathaniel glanced at the wall beside them. "Is there something particularly fascinating about it?"

"Yes. It’s quiet, doesn’t ask embarrassing questions, and doesn’t laugh at me."

His lips twitched. "I see. Perhaps I should ask the wall to explain why you were jealous of my artificial intelligence."

Aymara immediately snatched a cushion from the sofa and hurled it at him. "Don’t you dare!"

Nathaniel caught the cushion against his chest, laughing so hard that his shoulders shook.

The sight of him laughing so freely made Aymara pause for a moment. He had always been gentle around her, but there was something especially wonderful about seeing him this relaxed.

His usual reserved demeanor had given way to an almost boyish delight, and the fact that she was the reason for it only made the situation more complicated.

Unfortunately, that realization did nothing to save her dignity.

"It’s not funny!" she protested, reaching for another cushion.

"Of course it isn’t." Nathaniel pressed his lips together, making a heroic attempt to control his laughter. "It’s a very serious matter. My dear friend has mistaken an artificial intelligence for a romantic rival."

"Nathaniel!"

"And apparently, she was prepared to fight for my attention. A battle of..."

"I’m going to throw you overboard!" Maisa’s threat cut in.

"We’re currently surrounded by mutated sea creatures, and you’re threatening to throw me into the ocean?" He raised an eyebrow. "How reassuring. I feel very loved."

Aymara stared at him, her cheeks burning.

This man was becoming increasingly difficult to tolerate.

When she had first approached him after her rebirth, she had expected to spend her time protecting him, spoiling him, and ensuring that he would never suffer the way he had in their previous life.

She had not anticipated that the supposedly frail man would eventually turn the tables on her and use her own feelings against her. Perhaps she should have known better.

Nathaniel might have a weak body, but his ability to tease her was remarkably robust.

"Fine!" she declared, throwing the second cushion onto the sofa. "Laugh all you want. I admit I was mistaken. Are you satisfied now?"

"Not quite."

Her eyes narrowed. "What else do you want?"

Nathaniel tilted his head, pretending to consider the question. "I was wondering what you would have done if Roa had actually been a woman."

Aymara’s expression changed and for a moment, she seriously considered lying.

She could have claimed that she would have accepted the situation with grace, welcomed Roa into their lives, and generously offered to share Nathaniel’s attention.

Then she remembered who she was speaking to. Nathaniel knew her too well for such a ridiculous performance to work.

"I would have investigated her," she answered. What she meant to say was, investigated how to kill them in this lawless world.

"Investigated her?"

"Thoroughly," she added, ideas appearing in her head.

"How thorough are we talking?"

"Her identity, her background, her relationship with you, and whether she had any intention of interfering with us." Aymara lifted her chin. "If she turned out to be harmless, I would have tolerated her existence."

"Tolerated?" Nathaniel didn’t like the sound of that at all.

"Yes," she said with a straight face.

[Host, your idea of tolerance is truly amazing.]

The familiar mechanical voice sounded in her mind.

[How can you look your beloved in the face and tell such bold lies?]

Aymara bit her lips and glared at the empty space above her head. She was already dying of embarrassment and this annoying system had to show up and make things worse.

’What lies have I told?"

[You claim you would’ve accepted the other woman to his face while imagining the many ways you’d send them to their maker.]

[So fake!]

[Tsk! Beloved deserves better!]

’At this point...’ Aymara couldn’t hold back her anger. ’Why don’t you come out and marry "beloved" yourself?’

The system went quiet and Aymara couldn’t tell if it was still hovering or it had left.

’Tsk!’ she inwardly clicked. ’So loud and yet not bold enough, huh!’

She was pleased to win against the biased system for once. That system always acted too smart for it’s own good.

"And if she wasn’t harmless?" Nathaniel fired, testing the lines.

Aymara smiled sweetly. "Nathaniel, darling, you don’t need to worry about such unnecessary details."

He stared at her for a moment before breaking into another laugh.

Aymara folded her arms, feeling that her answer had been perfectly reasonable. She had already learned what happened when she allowed another woman to take priority in a relationship. She would never again sit quietly while someone made a fool of her.

However, there was one important difference between her previous life and this one.

Nathaniel wasn’t Dylan.

Nathaniel had never demanded that she abandon someone to prove her love. He had never asked her to sacrifice everything for his convenience. Even when she had turned her back on him in their previous life, he had still tried to save her when she needed help most.

Perhaps that was why the thought of losing him frightened her so much.

She had already lost him once, even though he had survived.

This time, she wanted to keep him close enough that neither of them would have to wonder whether the other would still be there when everything fell apart.

Nathaniel’s laughter gradually faded as he studied her face. "Mara."

She looked at him.

"You don’t have to fight anyone for my attention," his voice was quiet now, stripped of its earlier amusement.

Aymara’s fingers curled against her sleeves. "I know."

"Do you?" He reached for her hand, gently threading his fingers through hers. "Because if you ever feel uncertain about something, I’d rather you ask me than spend the entire day imagining the worst."

She lowered her gaze to their joined hands. "I wasn’t planning to spend the entire day worrying."

"No?"