Chapter 24: A Robot?

A young man moved out of the abyssal core guild, a grin on his face as he dragged two suitcases out of the place.

With all the equipment obtained, Khan was ready to go through even hell.

"But, tch, tch..." Khan clicked his tongue twice in as he looked at the briefcase.

The total amount of money given to him for being a recruit was 3500 star coins. Having procured all the Techtools for the mission, he was only left with 500 Star coins.

Arriving at the highway, a sports car blitzed past him blowing his dress chaotically, as his tie floated in the air for three seconds straight.

He looked at the car, not retracting his gaze for almost three seconds before muttering

"I miss my car..."

Behind the sports car that blitzed past him was a yellow-colored taxi that stopped in front of him.

Immediately he opened the back space sitting comfortably while placing his suitcase at the back of his seat.

"The nearest junction to the Abyssal Core guild Mansion..."

"Yes sir..." The middle-aged man replied before driving forward.

-- -- --

Khan looked through the glass, brimming with light, so much there was almost no difference between day and night.

Hoverboards flew past, cleaning robots passing through the streets, flying cars wheezing with speed above them. Stalls were arranged at the safe limit of the highways as traders hawk their wares getting quite the amount of customers.

It was all familiar yet different. His hands hugged the suitcase tighter as he looked at the golden necklace on his neck.

"Don't worry. I'll find you..." Khan muttered as his eyes slowly zipped to a close.

-- -- --

Khan finally arrived before the gigantic gate with the large mansion he slowly opened the gate before entering.

Knocking twice on the door, he waited patiently, and soon the door clicked open as Khan entered into the door, his gaze meeting that of a woman who had an incredibly bright smile on her face.

"Mrs. Sophia..." Khan greeted, with a smile on his face but it only made her burst into laughter.

"You don't really know how to replicate the smiling well, do you..."

"What?" Khan asked slightly shocked but only drew even more laughter from Sophia.

Gently, she locked the door when he was still looking dazedly...

"You were late for dinner by 30 minutes. But don't worry, I'll prepare you one..." Sophia said as the sound of the suitcase falling to the ground rang out.

Khan quickly regained himself picking up his suitcase before giving her a bow.

"Don't bother yourself, Mrs. Sophia. I've already had a little something on my way over..." Khan said with an appreciative smile.

"Oh, You have?" Sophia asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course..."

GROWL

The thunderous growls of tigers rang through the place as Khan's stomach growled intensely.

"You really have eaten a little something on the way over..." Mrs Sophia ruthlessly mocked him as Khan scratched the back of his head.

"How about helping me prepare dinner instead..." She offered something that sat well with Khan as he dropped the suitcase on the glass table before following behind her.

-- -- --

The sweet aroma of food wafted through the kitchen as two figures could be seen one cooking with the pot while the other was dicing the various vegetables.

"I'm guessing you got all the recruitment process done, right?" Sophia asked as Khan diced tea vegetables in his hands gently and with familiarity. Being a person who preferred to make his meals the majority of the time. He was a truly good chef!

"Yes," Khan replied curtly.

"You know, ever since Aurelia came home after her expedition to Suicides city. She changed..." Sophia said with a slight chuckle.

"Changed? In what way?" Khan asked with not a single change in his expression.

"She had been, positive. Happy, more relative with others, and also blushing a lot more. But she suddenly came home today, all sober, and didn't even come out of her room to eat dinner, no matter how much I nudged..." Sophia said and Khan could pick up slight worry in her voice which he didn't quite understand the reason for.

A silence ensued in the kitchen as Khan walked towards her with the diced vegetable in his hands before pouring it into the frying pan.

A spoon was stretched towards him as Khan collected it and gave the regular polite smile, a "thank you" escaping his lips.

"And who taught you to do that?" Sophia suddenly asked.

"Do what?" Khan asked, flicking the vegetable around with his spoon.

"To smile like that?"

"Am I not doing it right?" Khan asked with a raised eyebrow.

He knew when one smiles at you, he must smile back. When talking to someone old, he must smile politely back. When given help, he must say thank you and politely smile back.

But strangely, Mrs. Sophia wasn't giving the natural reply to his smile.

"When you smile, it is because you feel truly grateful within your heart. Because something excites you..." Sophia lectured but was shocked when she saw the blank look In those golden eyes.

"Noted," Khan replied before continuing his cooking.

'He..he truly didn't understand!!?' Mrs. Sophia thought speechless. Something she couldn't wrap her mind around.

It was like he was a....robot!

"So did anything go wrong during your small outing?" Sophia asked curiously.

"I don't think so. She was strangely over excited but then there this young man named Sir Andrea of Starlight entered. Ever since his arrival, she had suddenly changed..." Khan said, pouring the vegetables onto a plate.

"What changes?"

"She had slight perspirations. Her hands twitched twice faster. Her voice quivered and she suddenly had this prideful gaze in her eyes, much like her unusual self! And when Sir Audrey left. It was like she was relieved of a mountain pressing down on her..."

"And?" Sophia asked, looking at him quite seriously.

"I asked what was the deal about him and she said matters of royalty are not something a commoner like me should interfere in..." Khan asked as a small gasp escaped Sophia's lips.

"I apologize for anything she might have done wrong..." Sophia said, bowing her head to which Khan raised an eyebrow.

"Did she do something wrong?" He asked curiously.

'What!!?' Mrs. Sophia was given her second shock for the night.

"So you don't want to know of her strange change in personality?" Sophia asked curiously looking intently at his expression.

"Um, is it something I should know?"

"Um, never mind..." Mrs. Sophia said with a smile which Khan returned politely.

-- -- --

30 minutes later...

"Thank you for the meal, Mrs. Sophia..." Khan said with a smile drawing an even brighter smile from her.

"Sleep well, Khan..." She said before moving up the stairs.

-- -- --

Khan slowly walked towards the living room where he placed his suitcase but the sight before him made him raise his eyebrow as he slowly raised both hands into the air.