"You know what that ans, right?
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Alia’s eyes stared at the screen, wide-eyed.
"I-I lost.", Alia thought, embarrassnt churning in her chest.
She looked at Noah, who was regarding her with the sa calm, knowing smile.
He didn’t need to say it. The bet hung in the air between them.
"So, what’ll it be?" Noah leaned back in his chair with a soft smile plastered on his face.
"Sothing you’ve never told anyone. or do I get to make you do whatever I want?"
Alia’s face turned red again, at the thought.
"This isn’t happening," she thought, her mind racing with what he might ask her to do.
But even though she was embarrassed, there was a strange thrill behind it all, a spark of excitent that made her stomach twist.
She looked away for a mont, biting her lip. There was no way out of it. She had made the bet, and now she had to pay the price.
But what was worse? Telling him sothing deeply personal... or giving him the power to make her do anything?
Her heart raced as she looked back at him. "I’ll... I’ll tell you sothing."
Noah raised an eyebrow, clearly curious. "Oh? So you are going to tell , sothing no one else knows?"
She nodded, her hands clenching into small fists as she prepared to reveal sothing she had kept hidden for so long. "I—"
Alia shifted in her seat, her hands twisting in her lap as if gathering the courage to say sothing she had buried for years.
She kept her eyes downcast as if avoiding Noah’s gaze would make it easier to let her emotions out.
"No one really sees ," she began, her voice soft but tinged with a sadness that caught Noah’s attention imdiately.
"Not the real at least. To everyone, I’m just General Adam’s daughter... and the Admiral’s granddaughter."
"I feel like I’ve been living in their shadows my entire life."
Her words hung in the air, the weight of years of internal conflict finally surfacing.
She sighed as if letting the words escape took a piece of her strength with them.
"People respect , but it’s not really they’re looking at. It’s my family’s titles, their reputation. I try so hard to stand out on my own, to be seen for who I really am, but... sotis, it feels impossible. Like I’m invisible without their nas."
Noah listened carefully, a faint frown forming on his face.
"Alia..." he began gently, leaning a little closer. "I had no idea you felt this way."
His voice was warm, full of empathy. His eyes softened as they locked onto hers, and he could see the vulnerability she had hidden so well.
She had always carried herself with grace and poise, but now Noah could see the cracks beneath that perfect exterior.
He knew exactly what it was like to feel unseen, although his reasons were far different.
"You don’t need to prove yourself to anyone," Noah said, his tone firm but comforting.
"You’re not just ’their daughter’ or ’their granddaughter.’"
"You’re Alia, and you’re more than enough. People who can’t see that, well... they’re legally blind."
Alia blinked, her lips parting slightly, taken aback by the sincerity in Noah’s voice. His words hit her harder than she had expected.
She had always been surrounded by people who saw her as an extension of her family’s power, never as her own person.
But Noah was telling her sothing different. For the first ti, soone was acknowledging her.
"Thank you," she whispered, her voice catching in her throat. "That... that ans a lot, more than you think."
Noah gave a small smile, but internally, he was already processing sothing else.
This was the perfect mont. His hand moved subtly under the table as he activated his Talent Finder skill.
A faint, inaudible ding echoed in his mind.
[Ding!]
Na: Alia
Age: 20
Talent Grade: A
Talent: Strear/Gar, ???
Description: Alia has a natural gift for online streaming and gaming, with an innate ability to engage audiences and excel at competitive gaming. Her charisma shines in any space, especially the digital space, allowing her to build a dedicated following effortlessly.
For the first ti in a while, Noah felt a surge of genuine surprise as he read through the details.
"She has an [A talent?]" He thought, his mind racing.
His mom had been the only other person who had even co close to this level, and she had an A-grade talent. But Alia... Alia was on another level. The A ranking was nearly unheard of, and it wasn’t just that.
The mysterious second talent... the one even the basic talent finder couldn’t identify.
"What could it be?" Noah’s curiosity had increased.
The fact that the system couldn’t even reveal the full scope of her potential ant there was sothing extraordinary about her.
He glanced at her, keeping his expression neutral.
"She might be worthy..."
Noah took a deep breath, forcing himself to focus.
"She isn’t just any girl... This girl..."
Alia was soone who had the potential to be far more than he had anticipated.
If he played this right, her talents could beco a valuable asset, and their connection could evolve into sothing much deeper than he planned.
"You know," Noah said, his voice casual as if they were rely continuing the conversation.
"It sounds like you’ve got a lot more going on than anyone gives you credit for. I an, from what I’ve seen, you’re talented, charismatic, and honestly... kind of amazing."
Alia blushed at his words, her eyes widening slightly. Amazing? No one had ever said that to her, at least not in a way that felt so genuine. There was a flutter in her chest, and she couldn’t quite shake the feeling that Noah was seeing right through her walls.
"I-I don’t know about that," she stamred, trying to downplay the complint.
Noah’s smile widened. "I’m serious. Have you ever thought about becoming a strear? I really think that people will love you for who you are."
"Online, people don’t know your family’s status, nor do they know you are of significant background. Yet I still think, you will shine like a diamond in the dark."
Alia’s eyes flickered with uncertainty, but there was also a glimr of hope.
She had spent so long trying to carve out her own identity, trying to be more than just a daughter or a granddaughter.
But Noah’s words felt like a lifeline, sothing she didn’t even realize she needed.
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