Bully Lord

Part-27

Lily set down the knife and reached for a plate, her movements slightly robotic.  She then pulled out another plate and began to cut the cake in half.

As she took a bite, she glanced at James, her eyes sparkling with a mixture of amusement and suspicion.

"So," she began, her voice dripping with feigned sweetness, "where exactly did you get this cake, James?"

"Uh, it's from… from a girl," he blurted out before he could stop himself.

Lily's eyes widened in surprise.  The playful smirk vanished, replaced by a look of genuine shock.  Her brother, the shy, invisible James, who wouldn't even make eye contact with the girls in their class, was claiming to have received a cake… from a girl?  Could it be… was he finally coming out of his shell?  A sliver of a smile tugged at the corner of her lips, a mixture of amusement and unexpected pride.

But then, a wave of suspicion washed over her.  James and girls?  It was a concept so alien, so outside the realm of possibility, that it almost felt like a prank.  Lily narrowed her eyes, studying her brother with a newfound intensity.

"A girl?" she repeated, her voice barely a whisper.  "Did you… did you make a girlfriend, James?"

The question hung heavy in the air, a challenge and an opportunity rolled into one.  James squirmed under his sister's scrutiny.

"Uh, well," he stammered, his voice cracking slightly.  "It's not really a girlfriend.  More like… a classmate.  We were just talking, and, uh, she offered me some cake."

Lily's eyebrow shot up.  This explanation was even more bizarre than the first.  James and a classmate… talking?  Offering cake?  The entire situation defied logic.  Yet, as she looked at her brother's flustered face, a tiny seed of doubt began to sprout in her mind.  Could there be more to this story than he was letting on?

Lily's playful smirk returned, tinged with a hint of knowingness. "Alright, alright," she said, waving her hand dismissively. "I won't pry any further. Just remember, James," her voice turned serious, a glint of wisdom in her eyes, "whatever you do involving girls, be careful. In this world, women are a double-edged sword. They have the power to build a man's life up, or tear it right back down. So, tread lightly, little brother."

James blinked, surprised by the unexpected seriousness in his sister's tone. He'd never really considered Lily a source of advice, especially when it came to girls.

"I… I will," he relied with wary smile.  Lily's words echoed in his mind – a double-edged sword.  

Lily finished her cake, a satisfied smile playing on her lips.  The tension seemed to have dissipated, replaced by a newfound sense of understanding between the siblings.  She ruffled James' hair playfully.

James let out a nervous laugh, relief washing over him. He'd managed to escape the slap (for now) and even gained a sliver of unexpected advice from his sister.  He wasn't sure what the future held, with the Bully System and these newfound abilities, but at least he wasn't alone.

**Mission Complete!**

**Reward: +1 CON**