Vol 4 Chapter 9 (1/2)

Lesson 9:  Aside from the good and the bad, there are the in-between

Translator: Laridae

Editor: Zephynel, Sora, Gaiseki

After reconciling with Gege and being promised that ‘you can do anything you want as long as you don’t get hurt,’ Daren told him everything: about accepting the princ.i.p.al’s five missions where the first one was to protect Lance, then agreeing to go to the Chinese opera a few days later, and finally Eloise wanting to go shopping for clothes which was why they went to the department store and ended up beating a bunch of terrorists. He relayed all his experiences to Gege like a story.

Devon had already known that Dar’s experiences would have definitely nothing to do with having a normal school life, but he never imagined that it would actually be this intense… Devon sighed. He had actually been hoping that his little brother would be living as a normal boy in school, but sure enough, it was just all his own wishful thinking. He had been blind and deaf, refusing to see nor hear, naively believing that Dar could live as an ordinary kid.

“Gege, I can continue to protect Lance, right?” Seeing Devon’s complicated expression, Daren anxiously added, “I already promised the princ.i.p.al that I would.”

Seeing his brother’s apprehension, Devon softened his expression to put Daren at ease. However, he was still unwilling of his precious brother protecting that La-whatever. Who the h.e.l.l was that guy anyways!? What right did he have to be protected by Dar?!

Although things were like this, he wasn’t all that angry; a more accurate way of saying it would be, he couldn’t get angry.

In times like this, would Dar really ever get to experience even a single day of being a normal teenager?

“Ai!” Devon sighed in desperation. Having no other choice, he patted his brother’s head, then emphasized, “Just remember that your life is ten thousand times more important than that what’s-his-face punk, got it?”

Gege actually allowed him to continue the bodyguard mission… After the initial surprise, Daren beamed and happily answered, “I understand, Gege.”

Upon seeing that smile, Devon’s heart warmed. He was about to ask if Didi was hungry, and if he wanted to eat a late night snack…

“He’s awake, he’s awake!”

Theodore barged in, yelling and jumping wildly.

Devon looked at him emotionlessly, pulling the BHP09 out from his torso holster.

“Gege!”  Daren hurriedly grabbed the BHP09, then shouted to divert his brother’s attention. “Papa, Papa! What woke up?”

“Yue Baylian!” Theodore’s two eyes were s.h.i.+ning as he said, “Yue Baylian woke up!”

Devon didn’t have much of a reaction to these news, for he’d already been informed about this matter. However, Daren was extremely shocked and blurted, “Wasn’t there no microchip?”

Theodore explained, “We used DSII’s microchip.”

Daren hesitated. They used DSII’s microchip? But wouldn’t DSII be…

The terrible DSII had disappeared. Yue Baylian, the person whom DSII had killed, had been saved. Logically, he should have been celebrating over this, but he still felt that something was amiss. If he really should have been celebrating, why did he feel such a tightness across his chest?

“Dar?” Devon noticed that his little brother’s expression looked troubled and dazed. In any case, it wasn’t a happy expression.

“Papa Avery, can you think of a way to save DSII?”

Daren still opened his mouth to ask, though when it came to the word “save,” he suddenly felt strangely awkward. DSII wasn’t human, so there wasn’t really any life or death to speak of, but he couldn’t think of any other word to replace it.

Theodore and Devon both fell silent for a moment, Theodore asked curiously, “Why? Didn’t you hate DSII?”

Daren himself didn’t understand the reason either. He hesitated, saying, “I, I’m scared of the thought that DSII will steal Gege, so I hate him for that. But if DSII dies, I, I wouldn’t be happy either…”

He didn’t know what to do with himself, being so full of contradictions.

“I won’t be taken away by DSII. Dar, what are you thinking?” Devon exclaimed angrily.

Theodore nodded thoughtfully. “It’s because DSII is too much like you; no, I should say that DSII is like the you with the emotional switch turned off. Abandoning him would be like abandoning yourself.”

After Papa Avery put it that way, Daren truly understood why he had such a strange reaction. He nodded, saying, “I used to be like DSII, but now I’m already more human...”

Upon saying this, he hesitated and glanced sheepishly at Gege and Papa Avery, seeking their approval. He was more like a normal human now, right? Just like how ordinary boys should be, as his brother always talked about.

“Nonsense, you already are human!” Devon’s voice almost jumped an octave higher.

Daren smiled, then went on to say, “Then maybe, DSII can also become human…”

“That’s impossible!” Theodore dismissed the idea at once.

Daren was momentarily stunned at the sudden rejection. He tilted his head to look at Avery, waiting for an explanation, and sure enough the latter explained: “Dar, you were human to begin with; it’s just that you had a microchip implanted in your brain. However, DSII is different from you. He is but a clone, and there has yet to be technological breakthrough which will counter the inherent flaws in their brains, which causes them to be unable to operate smoothly. In the first place, DSII doesn’t even have a brain: he only has a microchip.”

Theodore slowly explained, word by word, “DSII isn’t human, Dar. He’s basically no different from the love simulation game you play.”

Daren froze upon hearing this. DSII was the same as Xiao Ai?

“Then think of a way to put DSII inside Dar’s love simulation game, let it make friends with Xiao Ai, and everything will be resolved, right?” Devon couldn’t care a bit whether DSII disappeared or not, but if DSII disappeared, Dar would be sad. Due to this, DSII’s continued existence was necessary.

Theodore rolled his eyes. Besides being a doctor and blacksmith, now he even had to become a toy manufacturer?

“Is that okay?” Daren looked imploringly at Theodore.

Theodore hesitated for a moment. He looked from Daren’s hopeful expression, then to Devon’s deadly eyes which seemed to say, ‘If you can’t do it, I’ll kill you’. He then responded, “If it will only involve simple functions which do not include fighting or other complicated matters, then no microchip is necessary.”

“That’s great!” Daren hugged him, cheering, “Papa’s the best!”

“Hehe…” Theodore grinned. It seemed like Dar, in his happiness, had omitted the word ‘Avery’ and directly called him Papa.

Daren laughed and excitedly said, “Then let’s go see Yue Baylian now!”

“Oh!”

As if waking up from a dream, Theodore finally remembered his reason for coming here. He quickly turned to Devon and said, “I think he will want to see you. He just woke up. He’s mentally unstable and his memories are a bit muddled, so seeing familiar people will help his memory!”

“Mentally unstable?” Devon suddenly revealed an interested smile while his gaze drifted away, appearing as if he was pondering about something.

“...”

Theodore decided to pretended he didn’t see anything. Grabbing his life-preserver’s –– Daren’s –– hand, he mustered his courage, and said, “Let’s go!”

＊＊＊

“His eyes…”

Daren gasped upon seeing Yue Baylian who was lying in bed. When the latter turned to see the people who entered the room, the first thing he saw was Yue’s right eye which was completely made of metal.

“It feels like something has changed?”

Devon frowned while looking at the bedridden person who seemed to be in a daze. He looked like he was about twenty-years-old, and was extremely beautiful, but it was hard to tell if he was a man or a woman. He looked more like the Yue Ya-er1 of Devon’s memories; not like the evil Yue Baylian.

“Ah…does it?” Theodore asked guiltily.

Actually, there was. Knowing that the Solaris Emperor wanted Yue Baylian as his second all-around secretary, the latter would definitely have the chance to visit this house often. Since they would see each other often, Theodore had secretly modified Yue’s features a little bit while he was installing the eye. It would make him a bit more pleasing to look at, so it wasn’t a bad thing, right?

“Are you alright?”

Devon walked to the bedside while wearing a warm smile as he gazed at the person on the bed.

It seemed like the plan for getting Yue Baylian as the second all-around secretary is definite… Theodore got gooseb.u.mps when he saw the Emperor’s gentle smile. Pulling on Daren, the two moved back several steps, until they reached a far corner of the room.

Yue Baylian stared back at Devon as the corners of his lips curved into a smile. He looked as if he had seen an angel.

“Do you recognize who I am?” Devon asked softly.

Yue Baylian opened his mouth imperceptibly. With a weak but clear voice, he said “Dev...”

As Devon sat on the side of the bed, he asked with great concern, “How do you feel right now?”

“A little hungry and very thirsty.” Yue Baylian answered, looking at Devon’s movements. As he watched, he felt a little happy, albeit a bit puzzled.

“I didn’t know Gege liked Yue Baylian this much!” Daren observed curiously.

“He likes Yue Baylian’s work efficiency,” Theodore muttered.

Devon gently said, “Then I’ll first get you a gla.s.s of water, and then I’ll tell the chefs to prepare a meal. You’re still recovering from a serious illness, so I think you should just eat congee!”

Yue Baylian nodded gently.

“He clearly isn’t sick; lying with his eyes wide open2…” Theodore whispered.

Devon stood up and walked over to a corner of the room. He picked the phone up and began to give Kyle orders. After ending the call, he immediately returned to Yue Baylian’s side.

Devon caressed Yue Baylian’s long hair, gently saying, “When you’re better, you can be my secretary.”

“But I…am not your secretary,” Yue Baylian said, although his expression looked as if he was quite confused and uncertain.

“You are,” Devon said with finality. He was clearly more confident about the answer, although he was the one who was actually lying.

“But I…”

Yue Baylian’s retort was interrupted mid sentence, for he was silenced—silenced by a kiss… He stared at the slightly trembling golden eyelashes in front of his eyes.

The love he’d waited for, for more than ten years...

Yue Baylian gently closed his eyes.

“What’s Gege doing?” Daren asked as he stared curiously at the couple who was currently kissing.

Theodore coldly observed, “Your brother is selling a kiss. One kiss has a base value of over ten billion, and the annual salary of an all-around secretary is around ten million.”

After saying this, he quickly turned to Daren and added, “Your Gege’s behavior is a bad example, you absolutely should not learn something like this!”

“Oh.” Daren nodded obediently.

Ending the kiss, Devon slowly raised his head. While still looking at Yue Baylian he gently said, “I’ll go to go see if the congee is done.”

Yue Baylian delicately opened his eyes and replied with a tender smile, “Okay.”

Devon left the room.

At this point, Yue Baylian suddenly noticed Daren. With a voice which no longer as frail as the one he was using before, he promptly asked, “Is little Shain3 all right?”

“…”

Theodore could only stare, dumbfounded at the sight of the suddenly sober Yue Baylian.

“Shain Baylian?” Daren tilted his head. “He’s very well. He even said he was going to avenge you.”

“Tell him not to be silly. I’m alive and well. Make sure he holds on to the Lunaris Alliance.”

Yue Baylian added crudely, “Go and tell him to access the computer in my study room. Tell him to open any word-processing software there and then type ‘Devon and Yue-er.’ The computer will show what I left for him.”

“Okay.” Daren nodded.

At this moment, Theodore finally found his tongue and asked in surprise, “You’re not delirious?”

Yue Baylian glared at him, but right then, Devon suddenly returned. The person who was supposedly ill immediately laid back on the bed and returned to a dazed and frail state.

“Devon…” Theodore wanted to warn him that Yue Baylian’s current condition was all just an act.

However, Devon only shot a cold glance back at him.

Theodore froze, unable to comprehend the meaning behind the gesture, but Daren drew closer within earshot and whispered, “It seems like Gege wants Papa to shut up!”

Upon hearing this, Theodore felt angry. Fine! Who cares about you, let him lie to you all you want!

“Come, Yue Ya-er, time to eat your congee.” Devon sat on the bedside again.

Yue Baylian glanced at the bowl in Devon’s hands and responded weakly, “But I don’t have enough strength to hold the bowl.”

“Then I’ll feed you.” Devon smiled, as his hand was already stirring the porridge.

“Fine, but before eating, could you kiss me again?”

“Hahaha!” As Devon carefully fed a spoonful of porridge through one side of Yue Baylian’s mouth, he gently said “Wait until you’re better so you can help me with my work, and then I’ll give you another kiss!”