The small family made their way down to the hotel lobby, and Mark could see many people stopping what they were doing as they saw him coming out from the elevator.
"That's GHOST, right? The SOVEREIGN?"
"Yeah, I still can't wrap my head around the fact that he's a high school student! It makes no sense!"
"Look at that girl. It's GHOST's girlfriend, Arit. What did I tell you before? Her chest is an absolute work of art."
"Hah~, I want a high school girlfriend too."
"Do you want to go to prison?"
It was no longer news that Mark was the newest member of the SOVEREIGN, and ever since that news came out, it seemed that everyone around him started to exercise a lot more restraint. They were still gawking and staring, but they were no longer running up to him and asking for autographs at every turn. The reason for this was simple.
The American government warned all the citizens in the country regularly not to approach any member of the SOVEREIGN if they valued their lives. The incident between Gunter and the reporter was always used as an example of what could happen to a regular person if a SOVEREIGN was sufficiently annoyed.
And since the government was never going to imprison a SOVEREIGN that could be useful on the battlefield against Anima, the people were just going to become statistics while the SOVEREIGN would easily get away with the murder.
Although this memo was released long before Mark became a SOVEREIGN, and the people knew that Mark was the weakest of the SOVEREIGNs, it was already ingrained in the minds of almost every civilian that they shouldn't approach any SOVEREIGN, so they did not bother trying to approach Mark either.
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Mark made it out of the hotel and thanked the valet as he took his car key from him. Arit went around to the passenger seat, and Mark helped Talia into the back with her teddy before they went off to school.
As Mark drove through the city on his way to school, he couldn't help but notice Talia looking a little sad in the back seat. He asked her what was wrong, and Talia shrugged.
"What if the kids at school don't like me?"
Mark chuckled.
"You're a ray of sunshine, I don't think there's anyone that won't like you."
Mark had to constantly scare away most of the superhumans who were trying to get too close. He didn't want them to get in their way. After he was sure that no one would try to come kiss his ass, Mark turned to Talia.
"You want us to walk you inside?"
Talia's eyes widened as a look of horror appeared on her face! Walking her inside! No way! That would be social suicide!
"No! Big brother, I'm fine! I can handle it!"
Mark immediately knew that Talia just didn't want to be seen as a little kid by the others in the school. Having your parent walk you into the school would be the same as saying you were nervous to be there alone, so the other kids might look down on you as a crybaby. Mark couldn't stop the small smile that appeared on his face.
He felt proud that she was prepared to go in alone even though she was actually nervous.
Mark bent to a knee and brought Talia closer before kissing her forehead.
"I know you'll do great. Go get 'em, tiger."
Talia blushed as she kissed Mark on the cheek, and Mark stood up and leaned on his car beside Arit as they watched Talia cross the road and enter the school gates alone. Just before she entered the main building, she turned around and dropped her lunchbox before waving at them.
"Bye-bye!"
Mark raised his hand with a smile, and Arit raised both hands into the air and waved them with a wide smile on her face. Talia then picked up her lunchbox again and disappeared into the school.
"Sniffle~!"
Once she was gone, Mark was stunned to hear the sound of sniffling from beside him, and he turned to see Arit with her hand covering her mouth and tears in her eyes.
Oh, come on, seriously?
Mark gave Arit an incredulous look of pure disbelief, and Arit waved him away as she tried to clean her tears.
"She is growing up so fast. Sniffle~! I'm so proud of her."