Frank returned to his room, noticing a wilted bouquet in the trash. "Did someone visit?" he asked Gordon.

"No one important," Gordon replied smoothly. "I sent them away."

Xenia entered, thermos in hand. "Frank, try my congee. Better?"

He took a bite. "Much better, Xenia. Thank you." But Noelle's congee flooded his memory. He'd taken her for granted. Regret gnawed at him.

Noticing his distraction, Xenia said, a hint of resentment in her voice, "Frank, Noelle's streaming."

"Streaming? Earning money?" Frank felt a pang of sympathy. She deserved better.

"On Firestum," Xenia hissed, "Lucas Starlight's competitor! Imagine his fury!"

"Serves him right," Frank muttered. "He's the reason—"

Xenia was stunned. She'd expected anger, condemnation, even interference. Instead, Frank's unexpected defense left her speechless. She'd worked so hard for his affection, while Noelle… "But Frank," she stammered, "working for Firestum is against the family…"

"Noelle can choose her platform," Frank interrupted firmly.

Xenia fell silent, uneasy. Frank had changed. Lucas's earlier comments felt like a slap, shattering her illusions. She wasn't truly part of the family.

Back in her apartment, Noelle ate a solitary meal prepared by the housekeeper. Cedric and Alfred were absent. After dinner, she logged into the game to repair her equipment before the Player Kill matches. A message popped up: "Who the hell are you?!" from Lucas.

She knew this was coming but chose to ignore it, grinding dungeons alone. Invitations to join teams flooded in. She randomly accepted one, surprised to see Lucas's name.

"You have time for dungeons but not my messages?" he accused.

Noelle ignored him, focused on the raid. Lucas persisted, his desperation growing. "What's your deal? What more do you want?" He needed teammates, and his temper frayed. Didn't he care about being recognized?

Another voice cut in. "Isn't that Team Luminask's leader? If you want to recruit someone, be nice!" Then, "Noelle, consider Team Celestial! Great perks."

Lucas exploded. "She's not allowed to!"