Chapter 20 Clumsy Tactics to Win Favor
At last, Tessa saw Felix’s face.
Finished
The man on the video screen bore a striking resemblance to Alexander. Both uncle and nephew had the rugged, chiseled features characteristic of Caucasians–sharp, well–defined facial contours, deep–set eyes, broad shoulders, and the upright posture typical of soldiers.
Compared to Alexander’s golden hair, Felix’s black hair gave him a calmer, more composed appearance. His demeanor exuded maturity and steadiness. Yet, contrary to Tessa’s expectations,. he looked incredibly young–so young, in fact, he seemed more like Alexander’s older brother than his uncle.
Even though their first m
Even though their first meeting
was taking place under such awkward circumstances, Felix remained composed. After a brief pause, he bowed slightly. “Good evening. I am Felix Lyon. Please forgive my earlier offensive remarks. I will handwrite a 3000–word letter of reflection and send it to you along with an apology gift.”
Tessa was stunned and quickly bowed back in return. There’s no need for that,
really.”
For a moment, the two of them bowed at each other like a couple performing a marriage ceremony.
Feeling that something was off, Tessa straightened up first. Only when Felix rose as well did she exhale in relief.
When he’d bowed to her, her heart had nearly stopped. After all, this was the Empire’s marshal- the highest–ranking officer in the entire military–and Alexander’s elder. For someone of his status to bow to her, let alone offer to write an apology letter, seemed beyond reason. Besides, she wasn’t even offended.
Still, she felt the need to defend herself. “I’m not the type to be fickle or quick to abandon others. I’m very loyal. I’ll take responsibility for my future mate and won’t leave them for someone else.”
Felix gazed steadily at her delicate, porcelain–doll–like face. After a long silence, he asked, “Aren’t you upset at all?”
He had never encountered such a gentle and forgiving female before. Her presence reminded him of a soft, white rabbit–warm, tender, and utterly unthreatening. With just one brief interaction, he immediately understood why Alexander had fallen for her at first sight.
Tessa shook her head. “Not at all. I understand that you’re only concerned about Alexander. You’re a good uncle.”
Pausing for a moment, she added, “I’ll try to talk to him, too. He deserves a better female than
me.”
At the brightly lit military headquarters, a subordinate approached Felix’s office, documents in
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Chapter 20 Clumsy Tactics to Win Favor
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there. But upon opening the door, they nearly jumped out of their skin to see Felix seated at his desk.
Delivering the documents as quickly as possible, the subordinate left with their heart still racing.
They had never seen the marshal sitting there, staring off into space.
What’s gotten into the marshal?
The video call had long since ended, yet Felix remained lost in thought.
He raised a hand to his chest, feeling the odd rhythm of his heartbeat. Tessa’s soft, gentle voice echoed in his mind, each word replaying itself over and over.
She said she wouldn’t be fickle or abandon her mate… and that Alexander deserves a better female than her. A better female than her… Does such a female even exist?
It was only after hearing Felix mention it that Tessa realized someone had captured her interaction with the black mamba therian and posted it on the Galaxy Net, leading her follower count to skyrocket as a result.
When she opened her HoloCore and glanced at the numbers, she discovered that her followers now outnumbered the entire population of Earth.
Tessa stared blankly at the screen. What have I done to deserve this?
Her account was completely blank–not a single post–and yet fans were showering her with rewards, flooding her account with more money than she could spend in several lifetimes.
The thought lingered with her even as she tried to sleep that night, keeping her awake for the first time since arriving in this world. And once insomnia set in, it stuck around for several days. She had no desire to become an internet celebrity, but ignoring her fans‘ enthusiasm felt a little impolite.
After days of hesitation, Tessa finally rose early one morning and approached Jacob and Alexander. “I’d like to try livestreaming.”
Even if she didn’t want to be a celebrity, the least she could do was thank her fans.
Livestreaming meant she couldn’t just say a quick thank you and be done with it—she needed something to do during the broadcast. Since Alexander had yet to make breakfast, Tessa gathered some ingredients, deciding to demonstrate how to make a classic dish from Earth’s Sinae: meat buns.
Jacob helped her set up the HoloCore. There was no need for extra cameras or complicated angles–simply activating the HoloCore allowed her to interact with viewers through a holographic screen.
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could even get a proper look at her reflection on the screen–the display was instantly flooded with countless messages.
I knew it! Early birds really do get the best treats!”
‘She’s livestreaming! I can’t believe I made it in time!”
‘Good morning, sweetheart!
‘Is this real? I thought I was hallucinating from waking up too early…”
‘Good morning, good morning! Is this a kitchen? How can they let a young female into the kitchen?‘
I remember she mentioned cooking for a male back at Celadon House. She’s not actually going to cook, is she?”
‘Letting a female do manual labor? Her male must have some nerve! Reported.
‘Report +1
At first, Tessa thought they were joking–until she spotted the official account of the Federation. for Female Welfare, marked with a verified badge, entering the livestream.
Stunned, she raised both hands as if surrendering. I’m not the one cooking! Alexander’s the one making breakfast.”
They had already divided the tasks: Alexander would follow her instructions to steam the buns, while Jacob acted as the livestream moderator, managing the chat.
With her wide eyes and raised hands, she looked like a startled little rabbit—so much so that another wave of comments flooded the screen. Even Jacob, unable to resist, reached out and ruffled her hair.
Tessa’s eyes squinted slightly from the affectionate gesture, but she didn’t dodge. Instead, she tilted her head up, offering Jacob a sweet smile.
Ever since Jacob had explicitly stated that they were family, their relationship had grown closer. With him being a few years older, she regarded him as an older brother. And having her brother ruffle her hair like that felt warm and reassuring–she liked it.
Alexander, watching from the sidelines, felt a pang of jealousy. He reached out, hoping to pat her head as well, but Tessa subtly shifted closer to Jacob, avoiding his touch.
Though Alexander’s disappointment was obvious, she steeled herself and pretended not to
notice.
Unlike with Jacob, Alexander’s feelings for her were romantic–he had already confessed as much. Since she couldn’t give him a clear answer, it was best to avoid any physical contact that might give him false hope.
Chapter 20 Clumsy Tactics to Win Favor
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between them. She only stepped closer when they needed to adjust the filling’s seasoning, but even then, she discreetly avoided any accidental touches.
The comments rolled in.
‘It’s obvious Tessa likes Jacob more. Females always prefer the gentle type.”
Yeah, herbivore types are naturally more popular. Even though Jacob isn’t exactly a herbivore, he seems gentler than Major General Lyon. Females like gentleness.
“What, are military’s carnivore–types doomed to be unloved?!”
‘Come on, Major General Lyon… you’re making us look bad.
Focused on instructing Alexander, Tessa missed the comments. However, Jacob, acting as moderator, saw every one of them clearly. Hidden behind the lenses of his glasses were his eyes. glimmering faintly with amusement.
Leaning slightly toward Tessa, he draped an arm lightly over her shoulder. “Teach me, too.”
As someone who had barely passed his culinary courses, Jacob naturally couldn’t match Alexander–the top scorer in those classes. So, it was perfectly reasonable for him to ask the young female to teach him hands–on, right?
Tessa, oblivious to Jacob’s subtle scheming and the growing tension in the kitchen, earnestly demonstrated the proper way to knead the dough. She adjusted his hand movements, correcting his technique–only to be interrupted by a soft hiss from Alexander’s direction.
Startled, she glanced up and gasped. “Did you cut yourself?”
Without thinking, she abandoned Jacob and rushed over to Alexander, standing on tiptoe as she grabbed his bleeding hand. “Let me see!”
The chat exploded with question marks.
“What? Who cut their hand? Who’s that clumsy? Alexander?‘
‘If I remember correctly, Alexander is the reigning champion of the Empire’s Cold Weapon Combat Tournament–he’s held the title since he was 17. He’s more skilled with a blade than with an energy gun. And he cut himself while chopping vegetables?‘
“Such a pathetic attempt to win her attention. Who does he think he’s fooling?‘
There was shock among the commentators.
“What’s happening? Wait–does the young female actually believe him?”
“He totally did that on purpose! How can she not see through it?”
