The wedding banquet was originally scheduled for the first Saturday after the ceremony. Now that the wedding hadn't happened, all the lavish food was supposed to be donated to the orphanage. Early in the morning, Elise arrived at the hotel to check the quantities with the staff, while Braden stood beside her, waiting for the final tally.
There were twenty tables' worth of food, and the amount was overwhelming. Even with Baden's help, there was still too much. Despite driving two cars, they couldn't fit everything, so Braden called a friend from high school to assist—Nathanael Haney.
"Every time you call me, it's never for anything fun," Nathanael joked, pushing a flatbed cart loaded with a square box that filled the entire surface.
"You don't have a girlfriend, and no one to hang out with on your days off. When I ask you out, you should see it as a blessing—luck is on your side," Braden teased his friend.
"You're such a jerk," Nathanael lowered his voice, but his curiosity couldn't be suppressed. "I remember you and Elise have always been pretty close. Be honest, have you ever liked her?"
"If I liked her, I'd call you Dad." Baden's expression didn't change. What kind of stupid question was this?
"Damn, forget it." Nathanael rubbed his arms, goosebumps forming from fear. He clasped his hands together above his head and pleaded, "Please, don't do this."
"Good to know you're scared." Braden stifled a laugh, closing his eyes and tilting his face upward to the sky. "Dad, he says he's sorry. Please forgive him."
Nathanael fell silent, terrified that Braden's father, who had been a heavenly angel for years, might come after him for payback.
Walking behind them, Elise kept her head down, eyes glued to her phone.
"Do you have a direction for the dual protagonist setup? I think we can have a male and female lead each with their own storyline." That's what the message from Mylee read.
It was the message Mylee sent after their first meeting. Elise had only replied that she was still thinking it over, and that was it.
Elise was completely absorbed in her own little world, sorting through her thoughts and mapping out potential storylines for the game in her head. She didn't hear a single word of Braden and Nathaniel's ridiculous banter.
"But if you're really not interested, I think she's cute. So, does that mean I can…?" Nathanael grinned mischievously, crossing his thumb and forefinger to form a heart.
"Keep dreaming." Braden shot him a cold glance, and the temperature around them seemed to drop.
"You sure you don't like her? You can't even take a joke." Nathanael smirked, his tone dripping with mockery.
"I never realized you were so eager for me to call you Dad." Braden couldn't be bothered to argue anymore, letting Nathanael say whatever he wanted.
After all, there's no reasoning with an idiot.
"Braden, Mylee asked me about setting up dual protagonists, one male and one female. What do you think?" Elise finally reconnected with the outside world, turning around and raising her voice to ask Braden, who was walking behind her at a distance.
Braden thought for a moment before replying, "Basically, whatever suggestions you have, we'll go with. After all, we're the B side, and you're the A side."
Elise took quick steps toward the two men who had been behind her. "But I've read her storylines for other games, and I really admire her ability to write dialogue. She's very talented. I'd love to meet her someday and learn from her."
"You're not lacking in talent either. But... Mylee can sometimes be a bit set in her opinions. You might want to keep that in mind when working with her. It's nothing personal, she just tends to be very assertive. If you don't have to, maybe don't get too close to her." Braden seemed to be trying to convey something, but he didn't say it outright.
"Not get too close? How can you maintain distance in a working relationship? You're so weird." Elise fiddled with her earring, her deep eyes turning thoughtfully. In her mind, she'd already decided Braden was a weirdo.
Baden's brows furrowed slightly, his voice dropping an octave as he repeated, "Remember, don't get too close to Mylee."
Elise was left confused by what seemed like a warning. In her understanding, meeting someone stronger than herself was an opportunity to learn, so why was he telling her to keep her distance?
Nathanael was equally puzzled, but he played it safe and followed orders, obediently pushing the cart and catching up with Braden.
"He's acting weird, huh?" Elise leaned closer to Nathanael, speaking quietly just for him to hear.
"I have no idea, and I don't want to get involved in any of this." Nathanael said, grabbing the cart. With his long legs, he took off like a track runner, racing ahead.
Elise blinked in surprise, pausing for a moment before coming to a new conclusion: Nathanael was acting strange too.
They spent almost the entire day visiting several orphanages, from sunrise to sunset. With the help of Braden and a very disgruntled Nathanael, Elise finally donated all the food from her wedding banquet and even received a certificate of appreciation from the orphanage.
Nathanael massaged his sore, tense shoulders, mentally warning himself that next time Braden called, he absolutely wouldn't answer. Or better yet, he should just change his number and avoid becoming a free servant again.
"Nathanael, thank you for helping out today. I couldn't have distributed all the food to the orphanages so quickly without you." Elise smiled, leaning forward slightly and giving a small bow, expressing her sincere gratitude from the bottom of her heart.
"Oh, it's nothing, really. Helping others is what makes life fulfilling!" Nathanael scratched the back of his head with his right index finger, feeling shy as a blush spread across his cheeks.
"Elise, you're only going to thank him?" Braden crossed his arms over his chest, his tone carrying a hint of complaint.
"Fine, thank you too." Elise straightened her back and bowed formally to Braden.
------
After returning home from the orphanage, Elise went straight to her room and didn't come out, not even for dinner. She stayed focused on her new project.
"Most fantasy games involve slaying demons and monsters. So, is the main character super skilled from the start, or do they begin as an ordinary person? Is the romance strictly limited to humans?" Elise held her pen, rubbing her head lightly as she brainstormed character settings.
Inspiration was nowhere to be found, and as she struggled with her next decision, a message from Mylee popped up unexpectedly.
Elise read the message. In short, Mylee wanted to write the female parts, while Elise would handle the male characters.
Being easy-going and always considerate of the bigger picture, Elise quickly made up her mind and replied to Mylee, agreeing to the proposal.
"The male lead's name will be... Carson Knight?" Elise doodled little clouds in her notebook with the tip of her pen.
"Elise, come out to the living room for dinner. It's almost nine o'clock. It's bad for your health if you don't eat," her mother said, tapping the door lightly twice.
Elise opened the door and replied, "I'm thinking about work. I'll be out in a bit."
Her mother nodded quickly. "Alright, I won't disturb you anymore. Just remember to come out soon."
After ending the conversation and closing the door, Elise sat back in her chair, continuing to think about the male lead's background, his mindset when facing difficulties, and how his personality would unfold.
In the past, when she encountered a bottleneck while writing, her boss, Jakob, would always provide timely suggestions.
Jakob was about her age, with a deep sense of conversation and always polite to others. He was an easy-going supervisor and often her best work partner besides Evelyn. His ideas were always unique, sparking her creativity and inspiring even more great ideas.
She thought, since the plot was to be written from a male perspective, it would be best to consult a man directly. With that in mind, she called Jakob.
