Under the Heiress' Facade
Chapter 486

Hera coughed and confessed, "You kept complaining about getting sick before you went online. Three years ago, you told me you couldn't mentor me anymore because of your health. You even wanted me to hone my skills alone.

"You hardly went online after that. I thought you were close to kicking the bucket."

Tyler did not look amused. "I told you I was sick because I was swamped and needed an excuse to stay offline! As for what I said three years ago, I reckoned you were good enough that you didn't need my guidance anymore..."

At the time, he had just joined Astral Nova and had been swamped with work. It didn't help that the grandmaster often sent him on missions to some rural place with no reception, which prevented him from going online.

However, Tyler had to keep these a secret from Hera. With a flap of his hand, he said dismissively, "Oh, forget it. I thought you were a cloistered bumpkin, and I was annoyed when you kept pestering me to take you under my wing back then.

"I only agreed because you proved to be talented and a fast learner. I guess we're even."

Hera shot him a withering look.

Tyler added, "Had I known you were such a babe, I would never have made up the final two rules of our arrangement." The rules were that they would not look into each other's background and that they would never meet in person.

He continued shamelessly, "If fantasy tropes have taught me anything, it's that we'd make a good couple-a mentor and his protégé, one falling in love with the other and all that jazz. I can overlook your previous bad relationship choices as long as you come back to me."

She speechlessly listened to his nonsensical rambling. She would never have believed that the playful man who had a tendency to run his mouth was the legendary S if he hadn't told her things only the both of them knew.

He had seemed so cool and aloof online, save for the countless times he playfully warned her not to fall in love with him just because he was kind.

"I thought of you as a father figure after you took me under your wing," Hera said, declining his offer. "I'd probably take care of you in your old age, but I've no interest in dating you."

"Tsk. Ingrate," Tyler grumbled, though he dropped the topic after that and changed the subject. "Anyway, why did you show up here? You're risking discovery."

"I came to see someone," Hera explained.

"Who?"

"Vulcan."

Tyler frowned at the name. "Why do you want to see him?"

"I need him to recover lost data," she answered frankly. If even the

infamous Raven could not retrial nee

the lost data, there was little hope for anyone else.

Still, Tyler pressed, "Why didn't you come to me?"

"You said we couldn't meet in person. It's one of your rules," Hera reminded icily.

"The rule's been abolished!" he declared.

"Oh," was all she said, letting him have his way simply because he was her mentor.

"Show me." As he said this, he sat down before the office computer desk.

Hera hesitated for a moment and did not move. After all, he had forbidden her from looking into the Killians before.

When she did not budge, Tyler did not press further and said, "Well, if it's nothing urgent, how about you come with me to meet the Deputy Commissioner of the National Space Administration? He'd like to meet you."

Hera would be granted diplomatic immunity if the National Space Administration recruited her.

happened, Miridian would gi

up on

their hunt for her.

Nodding, Hera agreed and left the office with him.