Psychic Overlord

Kaizer walked over to the group with a neutral expression, nodding slightly at his father, who gestured for him to sit next to Sophia.

Rina’s eyes twitched, her gaze subtly lifting from her phone screen, her lips curling into a sly grin.

"Oh ho? Sitting beside her now?" She muttered just loud enough for the room to hear, not even looking up.

Charlene leaned slightly closer to her husband, her voice low but laced with an edge. "Keith, she’s pretty."

"Mhm." Keith sipped his tea thoughtfully.

"Poised, well-mannered, carries herself with elegance... she must be a strong esper, right?" Keith analyzed with a hint of praise.

Kaizer, who had just sat down, rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Dad, please don’t start a talent scouting session right now..."

"How strong are you, Sophia?" Keith interrupted cheerfully, ignoring his son.

"If you’re hanging around Kaizer, you’ve got to be something special, right?" He asked bluntly, indicating how highly he thought of his son.

Sophia, ever composed, simply placed her hands on her lap. "A-class esper with the power of Void Walking. I specialize in mobility, evasion, and containment tactics. I was assigned to Kaizer’s squad by my father."

Katherine nodded approvingly, eyes twinkling with maternal mischief. "I see, I see... so practical, so dependable. A reliable woman is always an asset to a man."

Charlene narrowed her eyes slightly, leaning in. "Not too reliable, I hope."

Sophia blinked, caught between them like a deer in headlights. "I...uh, no? I just... follow orders?"

Kaizer groaned internally.

"That’s right," Rina chimed in suddenly, putting her phone down as she gave Sophia a pointed look.

"She just follows orders. No independent thoughts. No intense gazes. No inappropriate side quests. Very safe." Rina added scathingly, not sparing her ’teammate’ in the slightest.

Sophia tilted her head slightly, confused. "Side quests?"

Kaizer coughed into his fist. "Ignore her. She thinks she’s funny."

Katherine, sipping her tea, was smiling like a fox. "You know, dear Sophia... Rina’s always been a bit reserved. She doesn’t open up to just anyone."

"Mom!" Rina hissed immediately, glaring.

"What? It’s true," Katherine said innocently.

"So when someone comes along who gets close to Kaizer, she tends to get a bit... possessive." Katherine added with a cunning glint in her eyes.

Charlene gave a thin smile. "Don’t twist it, Kat. My niece has standards. Some girls don’t mind sharing, but not mine."

Sophia blinked, still struggling to parse the conversation. "I-I don’t plan on taking Kaizer. He’s... my friend."

"Friend?" Charlene echoed, eyebrow raised.

"That’s what they all say." She added with a cold harrumph, clearly on Rina’s side till the end.

Kaizer leaned back into the couch, closing his eyes for a moment. "This is turning into some kind of romcom. I can hear the theme music."

"Oh? And who are the main characters?" Rina asked dryly, arms crossed.

Kaizer glanced at Rina askance. "The brooding sister and the clueless bodyguard."

Sophia looked between the two of them. "Wait. Who’s the bodyguard?"

Kaizer pointed to Sophia with his thumb, causing Rina to roll her eyes.

"Oh." Sophia lowered her gaze to her teacup.

"I guess... that makes sense..." She added helplessly.

Keith, meanwhile, chuckled heartily. "Well, I like her. She’s polite, strong, and handles all of you like a champ. If you ever want to settle down, my son..."

"Dad, no." Kaizer stood up.

"Nope?" Keith asked with a hint of sadness.

"Not happening," Kaizer confirmed cruelly, cutting off Keith’s last hope.

"Tsk, tsk, such a pity," Katherine sighed in a fake manner.

"I was going to start planning the wedding color scheme." She added with a foxy smile.

"Mom!" Rina shrieked again, grabbing a pillow and launching it at her mother, who ducked gracefully and continued sipping her tea gracefully.

Charlene smiled primly. "It’s fine. Sophia can visit... as a guest. I’m sure she knows her place. Don’t you dear, Sophia?"

Sophia finally placed her teacup down. "...Is this normal?"

Kaizer patted her shoulder gently. "No. Welcome to the Lunin family. Enjoy your stay, you’ll never forget it."

"Anyway, dad, mom, Aunt Katherine, we have to be elsewhere today." Kaizer announced, wanting to rescue Sophia quickly before their folks became more impertinent.

Rina humphed. "Tsk, hero saving the damsel~"

"Where are you off to?" Keith asked with curiosity.

"Anywhere but here," Kaizer thought to himself, but said something else.

"To run some esper-related errands. We should be back by evening time." Kaizer responded.

"Mm, be safe dear. There will be food for two when you come back, courtesy of your aunt and I." Charlene responded gently, not even looking at Sophia.

Sophia’s lips twitched as she stood up and followed Kaizer and Rina out.

"Are you going like this?" Rina asked Kaizer, who was wearing just a black t-shirt and black shorts along with half-sandals.

"Why not?" Kaizer asked with puzzlement as they reached the garage.

Rina and Sophia shared a look, strangely in agreement over the need to remain silent on this.

Damn, men are so lucky! They can just wear any nonsense and go out!

Rina herself was wearing her usual black crop top that fit snugly and highlighted her midriff, along with a white cropped jacket with a slightly oversized fit, long sleeves, and utility-style pockets on the sleeves.

Down below, she had high-waisted, black, glossy leggings that were form-fitting and emphasized her silhouette, especially her surprisingly thick thighs and wide hips. On her feet were a pair of white sneakers that were laced neatly.

Sophia felt Rina looked trendy and fashionable. Kaizer felt like Rina looked extremely tasty in that outfit, but he wouldn’t say that out loud.

Kaizer opened the garage while thinking this, slipping into the driver’s seat of his newly bought sleek black Bentley Continental GT that was meant to replace the BYD that exploded on the highway.

The luxury coupe hummed to life like a contented beast as Rina hopped into the front passenger seat, legs folded up childishly as she resumed her mobile game.

Sophia quietly entered the back seat, adjusting her skirt with textbook elegance before settling in.

Kaizer glanced at both women through the rearview mirror, a flicker of dark premonition crossing his mind.

"Let’s just get to the mall and come back in one piece." He muttered, knowing that it would be futile.

The moment they left the gates of the estate and turned onto the main road, the battle began.

"So, Miss Royal Void Walker," Rina began, eyes still glued to her game screen.

"How does it feel tagging along like a third wheel?" Rina asked with a mocking tone.

Sophia blinked. "I was invited... by your brother."

"Exactly, you were only ’invited.’ That doesn’t mean you actually belong." Rina said sweetly, finally glancing over her shoulder with a smirk.

Sophia’s brows furrowed slightly. "You’re misunderstanding. I’m here as a companion for errands, not for emotional companionship."

"Mmm, yes. And that blouse you’re wearing wasn’t carefully chosen to make you look like someone’s ideal daughter-in-law, right?" Rina retorted with disdain.

Kaizer’s temple twitched, veins beginning to throb.

"You’re wearing eyeliner, Rina. You don’t need eyeliner for errands." Sophia pointed out calmly.

"Mine’s waterproof. Yours probably smudges when you cry after Kaizer ignores your texts." Rina responded as she laughed.

Kaizer’s hand gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"Can I exchange you both for a GPS that doesn’t sass me?" He asked the dashboard sincerely.

"Not unless the GPS has better legs than Sophia," Rina replied immediately.

Sophia flushed slightly. "That’s... unfair."

Rina made a gesture of mock pleasant surprise. "Aw, are you blushing? Cute. Does Void Walking help you escape embarrassment too?"

Kaizer sighed deeply as he turned onto the city highway. "I’m going to drive us into a lake."

"Not with this car, you won’t," Rina said with mock horror.

"Do you know how expensive Bentleys are? It’s not like your previous oriental washbasin." Rina tore into Kaizer’s preferences cruelly.

"Yeah, but I bet he’d consider it just to get some peace and quiet." Sophia muttered.

Both women paused... then burst into quiet giggles, the tension thinning just a little as Alpha City’s skyline came into view.

The towering glass buildings shimmered beneath the late morning sun, their exteriors animated by digital ads and vibrant projections.

Autodrones zipped overhead, some delivering packages, others just playing ads for the latest VR gear or music tour.

"Alpha City really is something," Sophia murmured, watching a holographic display showing a giant koi fish swimming through the sky.

"Yup, it’s the perfect place for us to let off steam." Rina said, kicking her feet onto the dashboard and ignoring Kaizer’s glare.

"You mean for you to start a street brawl in front of a bakery again?" Kaizer decided to fight back as he sneered.

"That was once!" Rina defended.

Then she pouted and folded her arms. "And they insulted Kaizer’s eyebrows."

"I have very reasonable eyebrows," Kaizer agreed, turning into the parking lot of the Silvergate Mega Mall.

The car slid into a VIP parking space with grace as the engine cut off.

Rina stretched with a satisfied groan. "Alright, let’s do this. Time to blow Kaizer’s money on totally unnecessary things, my favorite hobby."

Sophia adjusted her blouse. "I only need new gloves."

"Spoken like a woman who’s never discovered retail therapy." Rina retorted with a side glance towards Sophia.

Kaizer sat back in his seat, watching them bicker as they stepped out into the sunlight, feeling himself aging by a hundred years on the spot.