Honey : The Empire's Treasure 365 Red-Handed

"Was she upset with you?" He hugged her close.

"No...not necessary…" Mika said into his chest.

"Then what happened? Why do you look down?" He released her from his arms, to stared into her eyes.

"My mother wants me to set up a date for you two to meet."

"Okay, so what's the problem there…? It's natural for the groom to meet his fiancée's parents." Ailwin smiled at the anxious expression on her face.

"....My mother doesn't like you." Mika explained.

The small smiled fell from his lips as he realized that Mika was serious.

"Doesn't like? She hasn't even met with me yet, how can she not like me?"

"Don't take it personal…" 

"How can I not take it personal?… Is the reason why she doesn't like me, due to you leaving the academy for the last couple of days...if that's the case then it's understandable that she would be mad…" Ailwin reasoned, assured that could be the only possible excuse why Lady Lyra didn't like him.

"It's not."

"Then why!? Other people's Mothers tend to like me even over my brothers…" 

"Well, obviously... The other Princes are either manics, who kill people just because they can or a degenerates, who goals in their lives are to sleep with everything on two legs, maybe four, and waste money." Mika pointed out to him.

"Are you saying it's only by default that I'm so well liked by people…?" Once more, Ailwin couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth. "I'll have you know Mika, that any of the soldiers abroad this carrier, will be willing to give their life for me…."

"Well, yea.... If they don't then they would be stuck with General Gilwenys as their Commander…" Mika mumbled.

"Mikaela! Braeden is not a bad person.…!"

"I never said he is a bad person….I'm just saying he is an irritating one." 

Ailwin looked Mikaela up and down, "...and you think you're a well liked person?"

*Sigh* "Ailwin...it seems you have mistaken me for someone who cares about what people think…" Mika shook her head at Ailwin before lifting her chin and walking back into the office.

Of course, a person who is willing to lick a cake and a sword in a room full of people would say that...

Ailwin followed right behind her as she entered the office.

"Then when do you want to set the meeting?"Ailwin asked taking a seat in his chair.

"What is our destination?" She forgot to ask him where he was heading after boarding the carrier.

"Home. My home." Ailwin just realized this will be the first time Mika will step foot in the residence she will soon be sharing with him. He is eager for her to see it.

"Okay, how long will it take us to get there?"

"At the pace we are going, maybe….two weeks?" Though they were taking the scenic route, the speed they are traveling is much faster than the speed they took to reach Rowood City.

"Then it will probably take about another two weeks before we can get back to the academy if we leave from your home…" Mika was thinking of the best location for the meeting.

Should we have it at the academy....?

"En...I was originally going to dropped you guys off somewhere in the halfway. It would be easy to get back to the academy like that."

Mika thought for a moment, "Let's ask what the rest of them want to do...things aren't as simple as going back to school anymore."

"Okay...Let's call the everyone in now then…" Ailwin comm Kaze and Braeden asking them to come to his office. 

"I forgot my wristband in your room..." Mika said after he was done talking.

"No problem, I can locate them and tell them." Ailwin left the room, leaving Mika alone.

By herself in the office, Mika didn't know what to do until everyone shows up. Catching a glimpse of the monitor screen, she saw that Ailwin hadn't shut it off. 

I must withstand the temptation…

The next minute, Mika was at the monitor hacking into the Shadow Wolves' mainframe.

Who am I kidding? My resistance level is not even one.

Within five minutes Mika was in. It was easier for her to hack into the army's mainframe than it was to get into the city's.

Tch...No wonder there are so many spies in his army.

On the terminal deck, the chief technician was speaking with Ailwin when a soldier ran over, interrupting their conversation. 

"Sir, someone has infiltrated our mainframes!"

Thinking they might have been caught by his enemies, Ailwin had chief technician stop looking for Mika's friends on the ship's surveillance and put his attention on finding the enemy aboard their ship.

"Where is the leak coming in from?"

"Your office, sir!"

"…...." Ailwin froze, "Where?"

"Your office, sir."

"We should send soldiers over there immediately, Commander!" The chief technician said, getting ready to order and group of soldiers to Ailwin's office.

"Wait!...let me check something first." Ailwin walked away from the group to a secluded spot to call his own office's comms.

"Hello…?" Mika answered.

"Mika, are you alone in there?"

"Ailwin…?" Mika looked around the room, "...yea, I'm alone."

"…...Then do you care to explain why I am viewing someone logging into my army's mainframe from that room!?"

"...No." Mika looked down at the monitor and didn't think that Ailwin would be at the terminal deck.

"Log out, now. We will talk about this later…" Ailwin hung up from Mika.

"It's a false alarm chief, I believe I asked General Gilwenys to check on some files for me."

"….Yes, sir." The chief technician didn't want to tell Ailwin that he watched General Gilwenys leave the sick bay just two minutes ago.

"You can go back to the task I asked of you."

"Oh! Yes, they are in the cafeteria, sir."

"Thank you." Ailwin nodded, and left the deck.

Chapter end