Chapter 8 Engagement
Chris was finally discharged from the hospital before the date agreed with Nuhra, and returned to the Nar family mansion to live with the Nar couple.
Old Nall usually came home late, sometimes not at all. Every time the head of the family came home, the atmosphere in the house would become low. Mrs. Nall basically stayed at home, responsible for receiving all kinds of guests. More than once, Chris saw Mrs. Nall chatting with a group of strangers in the garden.
Every time this happened, Chris would choose to stay in the room to avoid direct contact with Mrs. Nar's guests. He felt it was better to keep a certain distance from people related to the Nar family.
But perhaps the original Chris was not interested in these social activities and would not participate in them... At least during the time when Chris was discharged from the hospital and returned home, Mrs. Nall never asked him to attend any social events.
Another thing that puzzled Chris was why he was not allowed to go back to school. He did try to test Mrs. Nall, but the answer he got was ambiguous.
"You've been hospitalized twice in the past three months, one of which was due to a teaching accident on campus. Just for this reason, we're not confident in letting you return to school directly. Please rest for a while longer." Mrs. Nar did not comment and directly rejected his request.
Chris felt something was amiss and decided to keep the matter under wraps for now. He settled for the next best thing and casually mentioned his desire to go out.
Mrs. Nar frowned when she heard this, and her tone was filled with distrust and faint worry: "Why do you have to go out?"
"Well... I just want to go out and relax." Chris didn't want to reveal that he was approaching Nuhra now, so he had to find a random excuse to get away with it.
Mrs. Nar was skeptical, and her suspicious eyes moved around him for a while. Finally, she reluctantly agreed: "You can do it yourself, and don't cause any more trouble."
Corris pretended to be obedient and nodded quickly. Mrs. Nar was not in a good mood at the moment, so she didn't say anything more. She waved her hand impatiently and asked him to leave.
Chris had achieved his goal, so naturally he didn't want to stay with Mrs. Nar any longer. The moment he turned around and left, he felt relieved and hurried back to his room to stay alone.
He knew that if he informed her in advance, Mrs. Nar would definitely take action and find a way to track him down on the day he left... But it was better to proactively explain the situation to her in advance than to have something go wrong just before he actually went out to meet Nuhra...
Time passed quickly, and the day Nuhra and Kris had agreed upon arrived. Kris dressed carefully, changing into a casual yet comfortable outfit, and before leaving, he took the handkerchief he was going to return to Nuhra.
It was unknown which noble's house Mrs. Nar had attended a tea party at today, while old Nar was working in the military as usual... In broad daylight, the house was empty and deserted with only a few servants and a busy robot butler.
Chris said something to the servant and boarded the maglev train once more. He set his destination to the address Nuhra had given him and then sat stiffly in his seat, not moving. After his previous allergic reaction to radishes, he no longer dared to touch the food on the train, fearing a repeat of the previous emergency.
The address Nuhra sent was an aerial tavern in the second block, not far from the military building in the first block and Nar's house.
This sky bar adopts a membership system. Before joining, you must make a one-time purchase of a huge amount of money in a high-end shopping mall of the same brand to obtain membership.
When Kris had looked up this tavern on Starnet, he'd been a bit stunned. Based on Nar's family situation, he'd guessed a high-ranking military official like Nuhra would be wealthy, but he hadn't expected him to be this wealthy... However, Kris knew Nuhra had invited him here more for the privacy of the tavern's private room, rather than to show off.
During the daytime working hours, there were fewer maglev trains on the road, and Chris quickly arrived downstairs at the Sky Tavern. As soon as he got off the train, a well-mannered android waiter came forward to greet him. "Hello, is this Mr. Chris?"
Kris nodded in agreement, and the android waiter led him to the dedicated elevator. The elevator moved quickly, and in no time, they reached the tavern at the top. After exiting the elevator, the waiter led him deeper into the tavern, until they reached a private room.
"Mr. Corris, Admiral Nuhra is already waiting inside," the android waiter gave him a standard smile programmed into his head. "If you need anything, just contact the intelligent system in this private room."
"Thank you." Chris was a little nervous. He smiled faintly at the waiter and watched him leave steadily.
The next moment, the door to the private room opened from the inside. Kris immediately spotted Nuhra's back. He was facing the large, transparent window, his back to the door, sipping his glass of wine.
"Hello, Kris," Nuhra heard Kris's footsteps and stood up on her own initiative. With a familiar polite smile on her face, she greeted him, "How is your recovery?"
"Thank you for your concern. I'm almost well now." Kris nodded politely and continued Nuhra's words. He knew he was definitely not as good at witty exchanges as Nuhra, so he didn't intend to initiate the conversation.
"Please sit down. What would you like to drink?" Nuhra pointed to the leather sofa on the other side and turned to walk towards the bar.
"I'm fine with anything..." Chris didn't know what he wanted to drink, so he gave a vague answer and let Nuhra decide.
Chris walked cautiously to the sofa and sat down. The sofa was very soft and almost made him sink into it. He could not help but put his feet together and tensed his body to control his balance. After finally sitting firmly, Chris had the energy to secretly look at the other person's tall and smooth back.
Nuhra poured himself another glass of wine at the bar and brought back a cup of warm tea. He placed the tea in front of Chris, shook the rich, aged wine mixed with ice in the glass, and said in a friendly tone, "I thought you might not be able to drink much, so I took the liberty of pouring you some scented tea."
"...It's okay." Chris smiled briefly, the corners of his mouth rising slightly before falling again. He rubbed the tabletop uncomfortably, looking down at the steam rising from the teacup.
"Why don't we get straight to the point?" Nuhra took a sip of wine, a teasing smile on his face. "It must be no small matter for you to contact me on your own initiative."
Chris felt somewhat embarrassed by the revelation, but he insisted on not showing any weakness first and forced the subject back. "...Since Admiral Nuhra, who is so busy with his affairs, is willing to meet with me, I guess you have something important to discuss with me, right?"
Nuhra was a little surprised by his words and turned her head to look at Kris. Kris was not to be outdone. He picked up the teacup in front of him with a calm demeanor, using the movement of drinking water to mask his true expression.
He raised his eyes silently and met Nuhra's inquiring gaze for a brief moment, then slowly put down the tasteless flower tea.
Since he had spoken back a little, Chris knew that he had to stop while he was ahead. After all, he was actually the one who needed help from the other party, so there was no need to make the atmosphere awkward.
He suppressed his previous arrogance, lowered his posture, and stated his request: "Admiral Nuhra, I would like to serve as your assistant. I implore you to give me a chance. I will cooperate with your work and share your worries."
Nuhra was not surprised by Corris's request. He knew that what he said in the ward that day had already had an impact on the young man in front of him, making him think about his situation in the Nar family.
He relaxed his posture, inching closer to Kris, and with a half-smile, asked the young man in front of him, who was barely concealing his uneasiness, "How can you ask me to agree to your request? Kris, I've seen your grades in the military academy. I'd say they were above average..."
All smiles faded, and Nuhra's golden-brown pupils stared at Corris in front of her, as if stalking prey. She continued, "Besides, you have a history of violent behavior. I can't trust someone with an unstable core."
"I won't agree to your request directly just because you are someone's son. In addition, for the assistant teaching position, I will organize a selection and admit the best candidates." Nuhra stopped looking at him and turned her gaze to the fully transparent glass window, looking towards the military building in the first block.
Chris knew this was Nuhra's usual tactic during conversations. Having been verbally oppressed by her last time in the ward, he'd been mentally prepared. Now, watching her pressing forward, he felt more confident.
"What you said is true. I admit it." Chris didn't even think about defending himself. He just sighed softly and began to analyze calmly and seriously. "If you need to conduct an assessment to decide on the teaching assistant position, I will prove to you that I am worthy of your trust."
"Secondly, regarding the matter of Rui Lei Si, I think I can help you." Corris's eyes were calm as he finally put his last and only bargaining chip on the table. "If you didn't need my help, I don't think you would have taken the initiative to tell me the truth about your allergy that day."
Seeing that Nuhra did not interrupt, Chris became more confident: "With your ability, I don't think you will do useless work." He looked directly at Nuhra who was leisurely tasting wine in front of him, nervously watching his next move.
No one in the box spoke, except for the crisp clinks of the liquid in Nuhra's glass hitting the wall. Nuhra set the glass down, a smile finally appearing in his eyes. He shook his head and said, "Don't be nervous. You're actually smarter than you think... I'll wait and see how you perform."
Chris didn't react for a moment, tilting his head in confusion, his lips unconsciously parted slightly. He replayed Nuhra's words in his mind several times before realizing she was referring to the assistant coach. Nuhra meant that if he met the requirements, she would consider him!
Only then did the anxiety that had been building since he entered the box ease a little. But he knew this didn't mean the end of today's conversation—Nuhra hadn't yet stated his request.
Corris did not get carried away. He took the initiative to bring up the topic again: "So, Admiral Nuhra, what do you want to talk to me about?"
Nuhra said nothing, simply handing Kris a micro-terminal loaded with a holographic contract. Confused, Kris opened it without warning, only to discover it was a marriage agreement with Nuhra's signature already on the bottom.
Corris's expression suddenly changed. He looked up at Nuhra, losing his usual composure. "What does this mean?"
"Literally." Nuhra stood up again, walked to Corris, and looked down at him with a faint look. "You and I, forming a marriage relationship, this is what I want to talk about."
"I won't agree." After the initial shock, Chris felt a surge of anger in his chest after hearing Nuhra's words that no longer respected his personal wishes.
He wouldn't let Nuhra humiliate him in such a condescending manner. Kris stood up, glaring at the man before him with wide eyes, and uttered through clenched teeth, "You'd better find someone else to handle this matter." Then, without mercy, he turned and walked away.
"What if I tell you, 'Marry me,' and I'll help you break free from your family?" Nuhra stood there, her gaze fixed on Corris's stiff back as he paused. "Besides, this marriage agreement isn't permanent. It will automatically end once the Rui Leisi investigation is complete. At that time, you'll receive a substantial fortune and the freedom to be independent of your family."
"You must be having a hard time living in Nar's house. Old Nar always forces you to get close to me and keeps tabs on your whereabouts... Can you really continue to endure such a life?" Nuhra's leather boots stepped on the carpeted floor without making any sound, but Coris could feel that he was approaching him.
"Besides, you came to me today, essentially wanting to rely on me to get rid of your family, right? Now there is a better plan in front of you, what will you choose?" Nuhra had already stood behind Kris, so close that Kris could smell the perfume coming from the other person - an aggressive mixture of wood and liquor, just like the posture he was posing.
Nuhra extended her hand from Kris's side, made a handshake gesture, and waited for Kris' response.
Kris clenched and unclenched his fists at his sides, taking a long, sluggish breath, trying to calm his anger. He kept reminding himself over and over again that his primary goal was to protect himself and stay away from the Nar family. Everything he did now was for his own goal.
After a few breaths, Corris had calmed down a bit. He knew that what the other party said was right, and the conditions offered were very tempting... But he also knew that this matter was definitely not that simple. Nuhra herself was evasive and did not provide any further information.
If he had to choose between the Nar family and Nuhra, it was obvious that Chris would choose Nuhra... but that didn't mean he would allow Nuhra to talk to him in such an unequal manner.
Chris did not immediately hold Nuhra's hand, but turned around calmly and forcefully, looking straight at Nuhra with eyes that were a mixture of anger and struggle.
He said calmly and firmly: "If you really want to marry me, please respect me, even if it is just to achieve your own goals." Then he stuffed the gift bag that he had not had the chance to give to Nuhra into her hands and turned away without looking back.
Nuhra glanced down at the item in his hand and raised an eyebrow, finding Kris even more interesting. He casually opened the gift bag Kris had unceremoniously handed him, only to discover that it was the white handkerchief he had given out in the ward that day.
He took the handkerchief out of the bag and casually put it back into his pocket. Nuhra thought for a moment, took out the terminal, and sent a text message to Corris.
[Nuhra: I solemnly apologize to you for my attitude.]
[Nuhra: Can you forgive me and go pick out an engagement ring with me?]
[Nuhra: Even if it's a fake marriage, a real ring is still necessary, right?]
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