...…

Real World, Soaring Continent, Eastern Sea Region

While Shin and the others were busy inside the game, David was currently 'suffering' in the real world.

"Tsk! Tsk! I am getting tired of running errands for these so-called grown-ups! Talking to them is really hard to bear!" complained David as he walked back towards their house.

A few moments later, he stopped in front of the door before ruffling his hair furiously. "Ah!!! Why do I have to suffer instead of these young 'uns! This is supposedly the job of their parents! Why the heck Master dumping it to me!?"

After that, he opened the door and entered.

"I'm back!" he said right after entering. But no one replied to him which meant that the others were still inside the game. "Eh!? They are still online. Tsk! It is already dark yet they are still playing that game. If they have a lot of free time, then why not put it on training their skills instead?"

He was dragging his exhausted body when suddenly heard a female's familiar voice. "Or they are probably sleeping already."

"Huh!?" Hearing that voice, David couldn't help but turn his head towards the unexpected guest.

"Oh! It's you. Why are you at the boys' house at this hour? Don't you think it is quite improper even if your brothers live here?" said David with an exhausted tone before sitting on the sofa across Shiella.

Shiella raised her eyebrows a little when she saw David's current attitude. 'Huh? It seems like he is not in his 'usual state'. Or is it because he is too tired?'

First impressions last forever, so in her eyes, David was still that perverted guy that she met in their resort before. It still held true even if she knew to herself that he was actually not a bad guy given the comments that she heard from their family servants at home; he stayed in their house for a few days after all.

After staring at him for a few moments, Shiella turned her eyes back to the virtual screen in front of her, reading the reports about their family business.

But she still replied after a brief moment of hesitation. "I'm planning to have my dinner here but I discovered that Shin didn't prepare anything. And I also have no idea that he invited you to stay with them."

"Figures, that kid's cooking skills are really good after all despite his young age," said David as he leaned his back on the sofa while also resting his neck on it.

"And it is not just me staying with them here, they also invited two of their friends inside the game," he added after remembering Jerimiah and Vincent; Lawless and Faker inside the game respectively.

"I see," replied Shiella in a nonchalant tone without taking her eyes away from the reports on the virtual screen.

Then an awkward silence descended on the room as both of them remained quiet.

Seeing that there was no point staying here, David could only release a helpless sigh, especially that he could feel that Shiella had no interest in chatting.

If only he was not tired from talking with Joaquin Geovanni while enduring the pressure that the latter was releasing the entire time then, then he might force himself to initiate a conversation with her.

Unfortunately, he really was too exhausted right now.

Grr~!

He was in the middle of standing up when his sharp hearing picked up a faint sound of rumbling stomach.

"Eh!?"

Hearing that, David couldn't help but pause his actions and look at Shiella with a weird expression on his face.

Meanwhile, Shiella was still maintaining her poker face while continuing to review the reports on her virtual screen.

'Are my sense playing on me or-… Nah~! Let's forget it,' thought David to himself before planning to go to his room, so that he could finally have his well-deserved rest.

Grr~!

But just like earlier, he heard the rumbling sound before he could even leave the living room. And this time, the sound was much louder than the previous one that he heard earlier.

Naturally, David would turn his head at Shiella to see how she was going to react. But the girl was still maintaining her poker face just like earlier.

Seeing that, David couldn't help but chuckle a little at Shiella's effort to maintain her ice-cold attitude. "Alright, alright! I get you, Ms. Ice Queen. So, what do you want to eat?"

Shiella was planning to ignore David, trying to maintain her image. Unfortunately, her stomach betrayed her once again and seemed to be revolting with the sounds that it was making.

But she was still unwilling to bend, especially in front of someone like David. "And who says that I will eat anything that you are going to prepare? I'm not the type to eat food prepared by anyone."

David was unable to hold his laughter any longer when he saw Shiella still unwilling to concede defeat. "I apologize for not being as good as your brother, Young Miss. But with all due respect, I am still quite confident with my own cooking skills. After all, I live on my own while I'm traveling around the world."

"Moreover, I also pick up quite a few skills along the road and learn a thing or two from different cuisines," he added while making his way towards the kitchen.

"As I said-…!" Shiella wanted to reject his offer but she immediately shut herself up when her empty stomach complained once again.

Left with no other choice, Shiella could only clear her throat before accepting his offer. "Alright, if you really insist, then I'll give you a chance to prove your skills."

"But! You better make sure that it is good enough to be served to me!" she warned while throwing a sharp glare at David.

David chuckled a little more when he heard her reply. "Yes, Ma'am!"

It didn't take long for David to prepare a decent but light dinner for Shiella.

"I'm suspecting that you haven't taken your lunch yet, so having a light dinner is better for you since it will make you full without having an upset stomach," said David before sitting across Shiella.

'Quite thoughtful, huh?' thought Shiella to herself before frowning her eyebrows. "Are you planning to watch me eat?"

"Eh!?" David was taken aback by what she had said before smiling embarrassedly while planning to stand up and leave.

Seeing his actions, Shiella further frowned and asked. "Where are you going? I'm asking you if you are not going to join me with the meal. From what I can see, you haven't eaten your own dinner yet, right?"

"Ah! You got me," said David as he sat back on his seat. "Then let's share-…"

"To make myself clear, I'm asking you to serve your own and join me. Don't tell me this is everything that you have prepared," said Shiella, making David's smile turn stiff.

"Ah-… Yeah, that is actually the reason why I'm planning to stand up earlier," replied David embarrassedly.

...

The two eat in silence as David felt that there were some needles on his chair, feeling uncomfortable. Though, he was at least thankful that Shiella didn't insult his cooking skills.

And when they were done, David hesitated for a moment before offering Shiella some desert. "Would you like to have some sweets? I think I saw a cake there earlier," as he cleaned the table.

Shiella thought for a moment before nodding her head in agreement.

This time, David initiated a conversation instead of letting the awkward silence surround them once again. "I heard from Junior Brother that there are strong people playing «Destiny's Fate», is it true?"

'Junior Brother?' Shiella knitted her eyebrows when she heard those words but she still replied nonchalantly regardless. "I guess yes. There are a lot of players that I still can't defeat inside that game after."

She then hesitated for a moment before quickly adding. "Even those boys may give me some trouble if I fight them," while pointing at the second floor where Shin and the other's rooms were.

"Oh~! Is that so? I guess this game may be really different compared to the previous ones," said David with pursed lips while serving a slice of a cake to Shiella.

Meanwhile, Shiella slightly knitted her brow when she heard those words. "You also played virtual games before?"

"Yeah, a couple of them. Though, I also quit playing when I started traveling since I don't have the time for it anymore," answered David instantly as he sat across Shiella once again.

Hearing that, Shiella turned silent for a moment while looking at David with a slight frown. And after a few moments, she suddenly asked. "What kind of games have you played before?"

"Huh!?" David was taken aback by her sudden change of attitude which was why he couldn't give her his reply immediately.

On the other hand, Shiella misunderstood his silence and asked something else instead. "How about your in-game name then?"

Though, that question was much personal than the previous one.

Sensing that there was something odd from her questions, David didn't want to answer her. 'It's clear that she is scheming something.'

But after a brief moment of hesitation, he still decided to overlook it since he was confident that he could handle it anyway. "My in-game name back then is-… Khing."

...…