A young boy lay still on a massive king-sized bed. The linens covering the mattress were made of fine material, countless high-quality threads woven to provide maximum comfort.
The boy had his head covered by a sci-fi-looking white helmet, hiding his features.
After several silent minutes, the boy moved. He lifted the helmet from his head, revealing the silky brown hair beneath. His dark eyes blinked open, gazing into space.
"Haa. What a crazy experience." Timothy sighed as a grin stretched across his face. Timothy lay the helmet next to him, jumping onto his feet.
Timothee gently pat the sci-fi helmet, whispering sweetly. "Shhh… Don't worry, Daddy will be back soon." He jumped off the large bed with a bounce, landing clumsily onto the wooden floor.
Timothee excitedly ran out the bedroom door, entering a brightly lit hall. He greeted the servants as he ran past, heading toward a large kitchen.
Timothee entered the kitchen, humming a soft tune. The boy couldn't hide the bright smile on his face.
Timothee walked up to an older man with a white goatee. The man was standing over a burning stove. The smell of delicious food wafting from his position.
Timothee's stomach hungrily rumbled as he smelled the delicious food. And, seeing a semi-complete plate of food on the counter, Timothee began to sneak forward.
Once Timothee was close enough to practically taste the food, he stealthily reached his hand out and…
Pa!
The sound of a light slap rang through the kitchen air, followed by a man's hearty laughter. "Haha. And just what do you think you're doing, Young Master?"
Timothee pulled his hand away, cradling it while trying to rub away the lingering stinging. If the wrong person saw this scene, the older man would be in huge trouble. Fortunately, there were only two people present in the kitchen.
A devilish grin stretched from one of Timothee's ears to the other. "That food's mine, old man!"
Timothee's hand shot out, faster than before, reaching for the plate.
Pa!
Another slap sounded out. "Haha!"
Timothee jumped back, changing the angle of his attack before dashing in for another attempt.
Pa!
Timothee made several attempts in the following moments before finally snatching the plate and pulling it into his embrace.
"Hahaha! Success." Timothee laughed in joy. "You never stood a chance, old man!" Timothee turned, dashing out of the kitchen before the older man could reply.
The man watched the young boy running away, a gentle smile lighting up his face. His gaze lingered on the doorway for a few moments before he shook his head and returned his attention to the stove.
Timothee beamed as he walked toward the massive dining hall. On his way there, Timothee was picking up the food with his fingers before stuffing it into his mouth. By the time Timothee made it to the hall, half the food was gone, and his fingers were covered in sauce.
Timothee carefully peeked his head around the corner, scoping out the hall. "Whew, looks like I beat mom here."
He came out from behind the door, wandering into the and setting his almost-empty plate on the table. Timothee slid out a chair before plopping himself down and finishing his meal.
Timothee ate alone for a few minutes, finishing what was on his plate. Just as he was finishing his meal, a woman entered the hall.
The woman was middle-aged and pretty with a cold expression and dark hair tied up in a bun. Her piercing blue eyes softened when she saw the young boy sitting alone at the large table. Her always cold expression broke, replaced by an overwhelming gentle smile.
Timothee beamed, waving to the woman who just walked in, his mouth still filled with the last of his food. "Hi, Nana!"
"Hello, Young Master." She bowed her head slightly, the gentle smile growing on her lips. If anyone who knew the woman saw this, they would be shocked speechless. The always-cold woman could show such a gentle expression?
The woman Timothee called 'Nana' walked up to his chair. "Hands."
Timothee grinned, lifting his sauce-stained hands from under the table. "Can't hide anything from you, Nana."
Nana shook her head, keeping the tender expression. She gently grabbed Timothee's hands, wiping them off with a black cloth napkin.
As Nana wiped his hands, Timothee began excitedly narrating his day. "You wouldn't believe it, Nana! The Annex headset is incredible!"
"Oh, is that so?"
"Yeah, they didn't lie. It really feels like another world! Everything was so real, at times, even better than reality. The air felt so clean and refreshing; just breathing was exciting. Haa." Timothee sighed. "It's nothing like the other VR games."
"You say that every time, Young Master." Nana chuckled softly, wiping the last of the sauce from his hands.
"No, no. This time I mean it, Nana! You just need to see it! It was incredible! The NPCs I met felt like real people, just like Annex claimed. If an NPC stood side to side with a player, you wouldn't be able to tell them apart. I even found a bunch of people that I really like hanging out with."
"Well, I never worry that you won't make friends. You are such a charming young man, just like a prince." Nana smiled, wiping the sauce from around Timothee's mouth with her apron.
"Mhmm, mhmm." Timothee nodded sagely as his face was covered by the apron.
Once he was freed from the apron, Timothee jumped straight back into his narration. "All of them are super cool! Well, everyone except that old hag~." When he spoke about the 'old hag,' Timothee's mouth curled like he ate something sour.
Seeing his expression and hearing the frustration in his tone, Nana raised her eyebrow. "Oh? And who is this 'old hag?'"
Timothee deeply cringed, like he was recalling a dark memory. "I tell you, Nana. That girl is even worse than Delmond!" Timothee vented excitedly. "Her name is Aisha, and she sucks the fun out of everything! No alcohol! No peeking at girls! Be careful not to get hurt! Be responsible! Bah! I tell you, Nana. Next, that girl is gonna ban breathing!"
"Oh, is that all? Haha." Nana chuckled softly, pretending to think hard about what Timothee said. "I'd love to meet this woman; she sounds interesting."
"Yeah, then you could play the game with me!" Timothee's excitement quickly turned serious. He looked at Nana like he was about to impart the greatest life advice. "But, trust me, Nana. That hag is pure evil." Timothee cringed. "Alright, enough talking about it. Even when that creature isn't here, she's still bringing down my good vibe."
Timothee's eyes burned with a curious light as he glanced around the room. "Nana, where's mom? She said she was coming home today. I can't wait to tell her all about my day!"
Nana's steel heart broke as her eyes flashed with sorrow. She glanced at the young boy, at his small figure sitting alone in the massive hall. His eyes were glimmering with excitement, but she knew of the loneliness that always threatened to crush his soul.
"I'm sorry, Young Master. Your mother wanted to be here. But, some business came up. She won't be home for at least a few more weeks."
Nana's voice was overwhelmingly gentle, like she feared that her words may break the small boy.
Timothee's expression broke, replaced by a deep sadness that didn't belong in such a young boy.
Timothee's eyes glazed over, becoming lost.
Nana watched in silence, looking at the deep emotions in the boy's dark eyes. Without saying anything, Nana grabbed a chair sitting down beside Timothee.
She covered his small hands with hers, trying to bring the boy some comfort.
At the contact, Timothee snapped out of his sorrowful state. The lost expression on his face was quickly replaced by his always excited smile. "That's okay. I'll just have to get more stories to tell mom when she comes back!"
Nana watched the immediate switch in the boy's expression, rubbing the back of his hand gently. "I'd love to hear of your adventures, Little Timmy."
Timothee beamed a smile that seemed to be fighting away the darkness. "Of course, I'll tell you, Nana! Well, it all started with this old dude…."
Nana listened to the young boy's exploits for the next several hours, the gentle smile never leaving her face. His excitement warmed the woman's cold heart.
…
Nana looked at the young boy breathing rhythmically on the large bed. Her usually cold features were unbelievably gentle as she gazed lovingly at the sleeping boy.
Leaning forward, Nana placed a gentle kiss on the boy's forehead. "Sleep well, Young Master. I hope, with all my heart, that you find happiness in your dreams." After whispering into the darkness, Nana stood quietly exiting the room.
Laying alone in the room, Timothee stayed asleep. His breathing was rhythmic, and his eyes closed. But, when there wasn't a soul as a witness, a small tear rolled down the boy's cheek, landing silently on the pillow.