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Chapter 421: - She Lives Alone

He checked his phone and saw a bunch of messages from different people. One by one, he started reading through them.

Lily had said she\'d be home late because Uncle Ben was picking her up from school. Wait, what? Why wasn\'t he invited? Leon was a bit surprised.

It\'d been a while since he last saw Uncle Ben. Maybe they should plan dinner together soon. But Uncle Ben had always had a habit of taking either Lily or Leon out separately, for some special bonding time like he used to.

There was also a message from Hazel, asking when Leon would be doing Kenjutsu practice again. He replied that it wouldn\'t be today, maybe tomorrow.

Olivia had asked if he had plans for tonight. Well, yeah, he had already made plans with Charmelyn. He\'d be heading over to her place soon.

And... where was Freya? Usually, he\'d see a few messages from her every time he logged off the game.

Leon quickly got ready. Since he still had some time to spare, he decided to take a soak and enjoy the amenities in his hotel room.

It had been almost four months since he started staying at this hotel, and, yes, that was a third of the time given to him by the Golden Age Company to use all the facilities they provided. Maybe, while he still had time, he should focus on saving up more money to find a new place to live once this arrangement ended.

After his bath, he went to his wardrobe to pick out an outfit. And, yeah, he now had quite a collection of new clothes, many of which he hadn\'t even worn yet-especially after Hazel helped him pick out a bunch recently.

He then grabbed a $1,000 watch he\'d bought just because he liked its blue color. It was, honestly, the first luxury item he\'d purchased with his own money. Well, to be fair, there were plenty of more expensive luxury goods out there, but was this too much? No... it was still within reason, considering how quickly he was earning money these days.

Once Leon was ready, he headed out in his Northstar EV. He figured he wouldn\'t be able to log into the game until the reset at midnight, and he had already planned to take a break from it for a bit and focus on some real-world things. Maybe this weekend he could take Lily on a trip, and invite the others too?

Laura was now living in the same house she had shared with her father. The same house from when she was in school, though Leon had never visited her there back then. This would be his first time.

He drove into the neighborhood where Laura lived, and just as he parked, she stepped out of the house. Her wavy blonde hair stood out, even though today she was just wearing shorts and a t-shirt.

"Hey, Leon..." she called out, running towards him. Leon smiled and followed her inside.

The evening was colder than usual, with snow starting to fall as night settled in.

It was a small house, really-not nearly as large as Hazel\'s. But Laura had chosen it for a reason. She had explained before that this house made her feel connected to her father. Even though she could easily afford a bigger place now, given how much money she was making from the game.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Leon, I\'m still finishing up the cooking... sorry, you\'re not hungry yet, right?"

"No, that\'s fine. I don\'t have any other plans tonight," Leon replied with a smile.

He followed Laura inside, even into the kitchen as she hurriedly checked on the food. Leon took a seat at the kitchen table, glancing around.

"Do you live here alone, Laura?" he asked.

Laura turned, smiled, and nodded. "Yes... the place is small, so it\'s not too hard to manage." Leon looked around, noticing how clean and neatly arranged everything was. Even though she lived alone, between her college studies and her time spent in the game, it was clear she made a special effort to keep the house well-maintained.

Leon walked closer, curious about what she was cooking, especially since the aroma filling the room was really tempting.

"I\'m trying out an Asian dish... this is Chinese food," Laura said with a small giggle.

Leon nodded and smiled. "It smells great."

"You don\'t mind eating Asian food, do you?"

"No, actually, I can eat just about anything, especially when it smells this good," he replied with a chuckle.

A few minutes later, Laura began setting the dishes on the dining table. Leon watched as each dish was brought out, and Laura took the time to explain what she had made.

"Please tell me if it doesn\'t taste good..."

"From the smell alone, I\'m sure it\'s delicious."

"Do you eat rice?"

"Yes, like I said, I\'m fine with anything, Laura," he chuckled. "Honestly, I used to just eat whatever I could get, so having a meal like this feels special to me."

They started eating together, and Leon genuinely enjoyed the food. It was a mix of chicken, seafood, and vegetables in a rich sauce, and it was definitely flavorful. He ate it with the rice Laura had prepared, appreciating the effort she\'d put into the meal.

As they ate, they chatted about campus life, things Leon might have missed. He realized he had been skipping class more than he should.

"As long as I can still graduate, I think I\'ll be fine," he joked with a grin.

Leon had spent a lot of time with Laura in the past. Their closeness now, and the ease of their conversations, felt natural and comfortable, yet he couldn\'t shake the feeling that something about her had changed.

The Laura he used to know was more tomboyish, bolder, and louder. She used to chat easily with everyone and wasn\'t afraid to speak her mind. But now, she was much quieter, more feminine. It wasn\'t just how she was in real life either-her in-game persona as Charmelyn had that same reserved nature.

Curious, Leon bluntly brought up the topic with her, making Laura laugh.

"Really?" she giggled. "That\'s how you see me, Leon? You\'re making me embarrassed... Was I

really that much of a tomboy?"

"I\'m not teasing, you know."

"No, it\'s okay," she said, smiling. "Maybe a lot has happened that\'s changed me a little. But, which version of me do you like better, the old me or the current me?"

After saying that, Laura fell silent, as if she regretted the question, like it had slipped out unintentionally.

"The old Laura is a friend of mine, and the new Laura is my friend too," Leon replied, his answer making her giggle and breathe a sigh of relief.

And so, dinner came to an end, and Leon got ready to leave. Laura waved as his car slowly

pulled away.

"Has Lily come home yet?" That was the last question on his mind. He intended to spend the evening with his sister, but she was probably still with Uncle Ben, right?