[BL] Transmigrated as the Villain CEO's Mermaid Secretary

Chapter 438: Julius Came Back

"It seemed that someone didn’t want us to communicate outside," Ciel said.

That was when Sarah really lost composure. She didn’t scream but let out a soft, alarmed little eep sound as she lurched up off her cushion.

Sarah ducked behind the nearest available object to ’protect’ herself. She might be an alpha, but she wasn’t as accustomed to these life-and-death scenes as most of the people in here.

That ’object’ happened to be Ciel.

Ciel, who was approximately the size of an average fourteen-year-old, looked down at Sarah, who was now huddled behind his shoulder blade, baffled.

"...why," he said, "are you hiding behind me?"

"Aren’t you from the military?" Sarah hissed, gripping the back of his shirt. "You tell me!"

"I am literally the smallest person in this room."

"So? Someone from the military is still someone from the military!"

"Sarah, the table probably would be able to offer you more cover than I do—"

"Doesn’t matter, a table wasn’t even breathing. You tell me, does it even train? Can it keep me safe?

"It can certainly absorb some bullets for you."

"Yeah, absorb and then bore a hole that could pass through even my body. You’re alive, you can help me dodge with your training. That’s a lot better."

"That is — that is not how training in the academy works—"

"Shush!" Sarah said and gave his shoulder a little shake.

It was like she was trying to force him to be quiet and protect her at the same time.

Ciel turned his head slowly toward Pete. He was desperate to convey with his drowning expression his misery at the panicked grip of Sarah. He even mouthed help me just to make it even clearer.

However, Pete just gave him a serene, unhelpful smile. He really didn’t plan to help him at all.

In a corner of the sofa in the living room, Thiago turned slightly away from the group. He had his light brain open, pressing it close, clearly talking to someone.

Pete thought, I don’t know what he did, but it was impressive that he managed to reach anyone at all. Now, we could have some hope.

Thiago exhaled slowly, shoulders loose, with an expression still looking troubled. He turned back toward the group.

Pete looked at the group and discreetly approached Thiago. He leaned slightly to one side and tapped Thiago’s elbow, then jerked his chin secretly toward the far wall.

Take it over there next time. The angle’s better. No one would be able to notice you there.

Thiago dipped his head a little in—thanks.

The lights flickered in the pitch darkness outside. Then the lights turned into a soft dim and brightened, repeated a few more times.

Iris flinched against Bryan’s chest.

Sarah let out another little eep and gripped Ciel harder.

The holographic projection above the table stuttered, rendering the rendered mecha pixelating for a second before snapping back to life.

Neville’s mecha had just landed a clean hit on Lilianna’s shoulder plating, and the simulation’s score counter dinged victoriously.

Pete looked at the ceiling and the faint glow of the estate’s barrier in the far distance.

The estate’s barrier was getting hit. Hard.

Meanwhile, Thiago was taking a call, staring at the floor, feeling the small, negligible tremors on the ground.

Down in the basement, Thiago thought, things were almost certainly not going well.

Bryan noticed Pete and Thiago’s gazes and was in deep thought.

Whatever Grayson was holding off out there, it had escalated past quick handle and into dig in. If the former General was taking this long to wrap up a situation, the situation was not good for everyone.

And for that, he could only think of one enemy that could match this description.

A high-ranking Zerg.

Bryan watched the way the lights stuttered and the way the sounds kept getting louder and louder.

He could even faintly see the faint glow outside; it seemed that the barrier was also up.

Meaning there could be more enemies outside.

Bryan looked at Iris and Sarah and pursed his lips. He bent his head slightly and murmured into Iris’s hair.

"Iris. Listen. I need you to do me one favor."

"What?" Iris looked at Bryan, eyes wavering as she was having a hard time making eye contact with him.

"Stay on this sofa and don’t move, no matter what."

Iris tilted her head back to look at him. Her dark violet bob was mussed against his collar, with eyes wide and bright.

"What are you going to do?" She asked cautiously.

"Just gonna check something," Bryan said lightly as he shrugged.

"Bryan."

"I love you," he said, with the same lazy fox smile when he was trying to charm his way out of a situation. "Just stay on the sofa, hmm?"

Bryan kissed the corner of her mouth. He untangled himself from her grip with an apologetic squeeze. He stood up and walked away without letting anyone notice where he was going.

Then the doors from the garden suddenly opened, and Julius walked back in.

He had his vacation jacket off, slung over one arm. His sleeves were pushed up. There was a thin smear of something dark across his knuckles.

Thiago quickly identified it as an Insectoid’s hemolymph. It was the type that had nasty greenish-purple blood that stained anything it touched.

Julius’s expression did not change. He did not explain anything nor raise his voice to say something. He simply walked to the center of the living area, set his jacket down on the back of the sofa, and calmly.

"Everyone. Listen up."

Everyone was quiet, attention directed at Julius. Even the holographic projection, which had been chirping out a FLAWLESS DODGE! notification a half-second earlier seemed to dim into the background.

"We have a situation outside."

Julius said with an unreadable expression, but with a voice filled with authority.

"It’s being handled. But I need everyone to stop moving toward the windows and the doors. Keep the group intact, don’t shout or talk too loudly, and attract unnecessary attention. Prepare yourselves as quietly as possible."

Colonel raised an eyebrow when he heard that. Because Julius didn’t mention that there was one enemy currently running rampant inside.

But why? Did he think that it was going to be solved that easily with Grayson and Chronos there?

How naive.

Just from how long it was taking, it’s clearly a high-ranking zerg. Had he forgotten the dreadful days in the military, that he was losing touch with how to gauge a serious situation?