Souls Online: Mythic Ascension
Chapter 157: She Knows. She Knows

Chapter 157: She Knows. She Knows

For the second time in 24 hours, Rachel found herself kneeling on the floor, this time it was Leo who was standing above her with his arms crossed in annoyance.

"So you set up a surveillance network around our house and you were keeping it a secret from us why?"

"I didn’t think you would notice...and It was on a need to know basis?"

"Ahh?!"

Leo’s expression worsened and a drop of cold sweat ran down Rachel’s spine. She cleared her throat and tried to straighten her posture, though she still kept kneeling in place

"Look, it’s not like I had bad intentions. I just thought it would be better to keep an eye on things. You know, in case something weird happened."

"Something weird like a speeding psycho niece tearing down the road?"

Leo asked, voice flat.

Rachel gave a weak smile.

"That was... unexpected. But technically, the system did do its job."

Leo pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "You don’t get points for that. You should’ve told us."

"I was going to! Eventually. Probably."

"Probably?"

Rachel winced.

"I mean, sooner or later. Maybe after a week. Or two."

"You’re unbelievable,"

He muttered while Rachel shifted awkwardly.

"I really thought you wouldn’t notice."

"Well we did now because of you. I will give you one warning and one warning alone. If I find even a single spy camera in the bathroom, there will be Hell to pay! Do I make myself clear?

Rachel nodded quickly, her eyes wide.

"Crystal. Like, sparkling spring water clear."

Leo narrowed his gaze.

"Good."

He turned to walk away, only to pause a moment later and speak over his shoulder

"I appreciate you trying to look out for us but you need to trust us more. We are friends, right?"

He just kept walking, most likely to get changed.

Rachel slumped slightly, her arms dropping to her sides.

She sat there for a few seconds, the silence lingering like a heavy curtain. Then she exhaled as she shifted into a sitting position and let her head fall back with a soft thunk against the wall behind her as she muttered

"Friends. Right. I’m great at that. It was just some totally reasonable shadow operatives monitoring every entrance and exit like a casual neighborhood watch. Nothing wrong with that."

’Who am I kidding? Even I know that is a stretch at best.’

Just as Rachel was about to start kicking herself over being stupid, footsteps approached. She didn’t even bother to look up. She recognized the lazy rhythm immediately.

Lily.

The girl flopped down onto the floor beside her with zero grace, sipping from a juice box that she had taken from the fridge at some point.

"You know, for someone who didn’t want us to know about the surveillance thing, you sure gave it away fast."

Lily remarked with a casual but cheerful tone that didn’t seem to judge the other girl and Rachel couldn’t help but feel a little bit grateful for that as she closed her eyes.

"It slipped out. I panicked."

"Mmhmm,"

Lily hummed, legs stretched out in front of her, back against the wall.

"Totally normal conversation starter. ’Yes, Leo, I installed a full surveillance grid around the house.’"

"Hah. I guess you’re right. That is an awkward way to start a conversation."

Lily giggled softly before taking another sip of her juice box.

"See. I can understand why you didn’t say anything but Leo was right, you know. You have to trust us, even if you have ulterior motives."

Rachel’s eyes widened in shock at Lily’s words

’Does she know? If she does, how much?!’

Lily however remained relaxed as the sound of an empty juice box rang out

"No need to look at me like that. I won’t say anything to anyone. I just hope that you will tell the others the truth one day. I am sure they will come to accept whatever it is you are hiding."

Lily stood up with a stretch, crushing the empty juice box in one hand before lazily tossing it at the nearby trash bin. It missed terribly and was not even close but Lily pretended like she didn’t see it as it would ruin her moment of being cool.

Rachel didn’t move. Her eyes stayed fixed on the floor, still processing what Lily had said.

"You’re... a lot sharper than you let on,"

she muttered.

Lily gave a small, knowing smile.

"Probably. But being underestimated is nice sometimes."

Rachel looked up at her, uncertainty flickering in her expression.

"Why are you being so calm about this?"

Lily shrugged, arms folded behind her head as she wandered a few steps away.

"Because we’re all kind of messed up in our own ways. Yours just happens to come with a hidden surveillance network and a few skeletons in the closet. No big deal."

"No big deal?"

Rachel echoed, incredulous.

"Okay, it’s a little deal. Maybe even medium. But like I said, I won’t rat you out. That’s not what friends do." Lily grinned.

Rachel hesitated, then exhaled slowly, a tension she hadn’t realized she was holding bleeding out of her shoulders.

"Thanks, Lily. Really."

Lily’s grin became a wide grin as she flashed Rachel the peace symbol.

"No problem~! Though I am going to go change my clothes, I won’t tell you how to dress but do you really want Adam’s niece to have that sort of impression of you?"

Lily motioned with her eyes to Rachel’s attire which the latter had originally had worn in an attempt to get Luna angry. Glancing down Rachel couldn’t gelp but blush, the shame of it was only hitting her now.

It was at that exact moment that Adam left the kitchen and saw the two most chaotic girls in the house talking and having a moment. When he saw Rachel blush, he felt like his jaw was about to hit the floor.

He threw both his arms into the air and practically shouted

"Ladies and Gentleman! Rachel has Limits!"

"Luna! You got coffee on my wings!"

From the depths of the kitchen, loud sputtering noises drifted out shortly followed by Aria’s complaint. Clearly Luna was taken back by Adam’s declaration as she shouted in utter disbelief

"What, really?!"

Rachel hearing all of this felt extremely aggrieved while Lily could barely contain her own laughter.

"Follow me. I think I can find some clothes for you to wear."

Rachel took Lily’s hand and they walked off together before Luna could get a look.