Transmigrated Into The True Heiress-Chapter 76: Nothing Good

Or maybe he knew and just didn’t want to tell her.

As this thought crossed her mind, she stared at Lyle unblinkingly, as if she could gaze into his soul and extract the truth. Lyle, on the other hand, held her stare, but for a totally different reason. Her presence seemed to calm the storm of chaotic, violent emotions raging within him, settling the vicious thoughts that often plagued his mind. Unknowingly, his usually indifferent expression softened.

He could stare at her like this all day.

Eira didn’t know how long they had been staring at each other, nor did she care to notice. All she could think about was how beautiful his eyes were, especially with the sun reflecting off them.

Then, Eira’s phone dinged with a notification, breaking the spell and pulling both of them out of their trance.

Looking away, she pulled her phone from her pants pocket and tapped the screen. A message notification from Malia appeared.

BFF: Hey, Orla, Cyran, and I just agreed to have an evening study session starting tomorrow—Sunday through Friday—after tests are done to prep for the exams. We didn’t see your messages, so I figured you weren’t online. Reply when you see this, okay?

Eira raised a brow. A study session in the evening after writing tests? Only Malia would come up with something like that. Still, she wasn’t opposed to it.

Ephyra: Sure, count me in, but I’m sorry—I won’t be available tomorrow. See you on Monday!

With that, she turned off her phone, slipped it back into her pocket, and, without being prompted, said, "That was a friend. She was asking if I’d be available for a study session."

Lyle stared at her for a moment, wanting to tell her he hadn’t asked, but he thought better of it. Instead, he asked, "Your exams are in two weeks, right?"

"Yes, they are. Why’d you ask?"

"Do you need help?" Lyle’s expression was neutral, but his tone betrayed a hint of genuine concern.

Eira furrowed her brows, unsure of what he was getting at. "Help?" she repeated before shaking her head. "I don’t—" Then, realization dawned on her, and surprise coated her features.

For a moment, she didn’t know how to respond. Did he really just offer to help her study? The feared and enigmatic Lyle?

A small smile unknowingly formed on her lips as she leaned back. "Do you mean helping me get a tutor? Or... you helping me study?"

"I was talking about the former, but if the latter is what you want, I guess I can help you study."

"As not-so-tempting as your offer is, I’ll have to decline because I don’t need help. I’m more than sure I can ace this test myself. But thank you for offering." Eira’s words were laced with subtle defiance, yet there was an unspoken gratitude hidden beneath her tone.

Lyle’s lips quirked upward in the faintest of smirks, as if he found her confidence both admirable and amusing. "Suit yourself," he said, leaning back in his chair. His fingers tapped rhythmically against the polished desk. "But if you change your mind, you know where to find me."

Eira couldn’t tell if he was serious or just teasing her. It irked her that she couldn’t read him as easily as she could others, especially now that he could feel her emotions. Lyle Aelion was an enigma—a puzzle she wasn’t sure she wanted to solve, but felt drawn to anyway.

"Noted," she replied curtly, crossing one leg over the other and folding her arms. "Now, back to what I actually came here for. Is it true you can feel my emotions and that calming me down simultaneously relieves you?"

"Yes."

"H-how? How do you feel it? How does it work? I don’t understand." She stared intently at him. "You know that’s not supposed to be possible, right?"

"I’m sure you know by now that things pertaining to me aren’t supposed to be possible—and yet, they are."

"I know, but that doesn’t make it any less surprising or disconcerting. What I really want to know is how. How is it possible?"

Lyle leaned forward. "Do you think if I knew, I wouldn’t tell you?"

Eira scoffed. "You’re asking me that? Well, my answer is yes. Did you think I’d say no? Because I wouldn’t. You haven’t exactly been transparent. So just tell me how you can feel my emotions."

Lyle’s expression turned indifferent. "Believe it or not, I don’t know, Ephyra."

"And you expect me to believe that? From the start, we made a deal, but you didn’t tell me everything. You only told me what I was supposed to do and what would happen to you if I did it. I agreed because it was about you. And even though I was curious, I kept it to myself. But this? This isn’t just about you—it’s about me too. You can feel everything I feel. Do you know how that makes me feel? It makes me feel fucking—"

"Vulnerable," Lyle cut her off, his voice quiet but firm.

The single word hung in the air between them, heavy and sharp. Eira froze, her breath catching. Vulnerable. Yes, she realized, that was the word. But hearing it aloud from him made her chest tighten. It was as if he’d reached into her thoughts and plucked out the truth she didn’t want to admit.

"Yes," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "It makes me feel vulnerable. Like you’re inside my head, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t shut you out. I fucking hate it. I fucking hate being vulnerable because nothing good comes out of it."

Lyle studied her intently, his violet eyes gleaming with a strange mix of understanding and something she couldn’t quite place—

Knock, knock.

"Master Aelion, Miss Ephyra. Lunch is ready," the familiar voice of the butler interrupted the charged atmosphere, pulling them both out of the intensity of the moment.

Eira turned her gaze to the door, grateful for the distraction. She needed a moment to collect herself, to build her walls back up before she revealed too much.

Lyle, on the other hand, seemed unaffected—or at least, that was the mask he chose to wear. He leaned back in his chair, his expression returning to its usual composed state.

"We’ll be there shortly," he said, his voice smooth and controlled.

The butler’s footsteps retreated, leaving them in silence once again.

Eira stood, smoothing down her pants as she tried to avoid Lyle’s piercing gaze. "I should go," she said lightly, as if nothing significant had just transpired between them.

Lyle rose as well, walking around the desk to stand closer to her. She felt his presence like a weight, drawing her attention whether she wanted it or not.

"Ephyra," he said softly, his voice carrying an edge that made her pause. "You may hate feeling vulnerable, but it’s not weakness. And it’s not something to fear. But if you see it as a weakness... then you also have my weakness."

Eira’s jaw tightened, her hands balling into fists at her sides. She wanted to snap back, to tell him he had no idea what he was talking about. She’d been vulnerable once, and she’d paid a heavy price for it. But the sincerity in his voice disarmed her.

Instead, she turned away, heading for the door.

"I’ll see you at lunch," she said curtly, not looking back.

As she stepped into the hallway, her heart was pounding in her chest. She hated that he had this effect on her—that he could strip away her defenses with just a few words. But what infuriated her most was the tiny part of her that didn’t entirely hate it.

Was it because he had been sincerely helping her? Because it made her feel protected by him?

The fuck?! Why the hell was she just realizing this?!

Behind her, Lyle watched her leave, his expression unreadable. His fingers flexed at his sides, as if resisting the urge to reach out and stop her.

Eira hurriedly made her way to the dining room, determined to push the conversation from her mind.

Jania and Han were the only ones there, so she took the seat by Han’s side, farthest from where Lyle would sit. The maids began serving everyone.

Realizing that she couldn’t hear Juan and Allesandro’s voices, she looked around. When she didn’t see them, she turned to Jania.

"Where are Juan and Allesandro?"

"They left," Jania said as she started eating.

"Really? Why didn’t they leave before having lunch?"

Jania stopped eating and stared at Eira. "They can only enter the mansion after getting Master Lyle’s permission or if they have something important to report to him."

"I see." Eira nodded before focusing on her food, just as Lyle entered the room.

|Thirty Minutes Later|

Eira stood by the open door of the backseat, with Jania in front of her.

"I forgot to tell you," Jania said, "Miranda’s words aren’t enough to prove that Myra isn’t your father’s daughter. A DNA test will be needed."

"So that means we’ll have to get something from them," Eira replied.

"Yes," Jania nodded. "Blood, saliva, hair. Though in most cases, blood is the best option."

"It will be simple enough to get Myra’s hair, but not her blood. As for my father..."

"I can help you get your father’s blood."

Eira raised a brow. "How?"

"I have my ways. Just make sure to get Myra’s blood." ƒгeewёbnovel.com

Eira sighed. "Alright. I have to go," she said as she got into the car. Jania helped close the door.

Waving at each other, Eira’s car drove out of the compound.