From Villain to Virtual Sweetheart: The Fake Heir's Grand Scheme(BL)
Chapter 37: A Sluggish Start and a Legendary Gamer

Chapter 37: A Sluggish Start and a Legendary Gamer

The next morning, Micah overslept. When he finally opened his eyes, sunlight streamed through the curtains, glaring at his face. He groaned, burying his head under the pillow and kicking one leg off the edge of the bed in protest. His entire body felt sluggish, utterly unwilling to move.

But his stomach had other plans. It growled like a feral beast.

Dragging himself out of bed, hair tousled and shirt sliding off one shoulder, Micah went downstairs in mismatched slippers, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.

He greeted others groggily.

"Morning..."

Aria, seated cross-legged on the couch with a bowl of grapes in her lap, took her gaze from the TV and said.

"What morning? It’s noon, Sleeping Beauty!"

Micah scratched his head like a confused puppy and replied.

"Ohh... right."

At that moment, Jacob Ramsy emerged from the study, flipping through papers in his hands. He didn’t even look up before asking.

"What time did you come back last night?"

Micah yawned into his palm.

"Past midnight... but I stayed up late to play games..."

Micah mumbled, walking toward the kitchen like a zombie.

Jacob shook his head in disapproval and sighed.

"Don’t eat anything," he added firmly, folding the papers and tucking them under his arm.

"We are going to the main house for lunch."

Micah froze mid-step, hand halfway to the fridge, grabbing eggs and bacon. He turned, displeased.

"But I am starving!"

Just then, the front door opened, and Willow entered, arms loaded with shopping bags. She kicked the door shut behind her with her heel.

"You are up?! Just eat a piece of fruit or something. Grandpa and others are waiting for us." Willow said, putting the bags down.

"What did you buy?"

Micah looked at her older sister, confused.

Willow was not someone who liked to go shopping.

"Some nutritional supplements for grandma and grandpa."

Willow replied calmly.

Micah nodded and grabbed a banana. He peeled it with one smooth move and devoured it instantly.

With a satisfied sigh, he patted his stomach and asked.

"Where is Mum?"

"She went ahead earlier to help them set up."

Jacob replied while checking his watch.

"Now go change. We are late already!"

Micah groaned dramatically and dragged his feet up the stairs. "Fine, fine... I’m going. We saw them just a few days ago... what’s the rush..."

He grumbled all the way.

The moment he disappeared, Aria leaned toward Willow and whispered.

"Ah! That was close! Lucky he was still groggy, or he surely would find it suspicious."

"Yeah. If he opened even one... he would know they are all for a teenage girl!"

Willow agreed, glancing at the shopping bags.

"Anyway, just put them away. He will definitely sneak off again after lunch. We just go from there. He probably assumes we are still in the main house."

Jacob said, his expression was thoughtful.

Soon after Micah reappeared in a crisp, cream-coloured loose shirt and jeans shorts. He ran a hand through his still-damp hair, looking somewhat presentable. Together, they headed toward the main house, just behind their own

As they stepped inside, laughter and overlapping voices greeted them.

Everyone had gathered there. His aunts, uncles, and cousins. The house was full of noise.

Micah spotted his grandma and darted straight toward her.

"Grandma! I didn’t know you to be here today! If I’d known, I would’ve come earlier."

"Yeah? Who are you trying to fool, silly boy? Four days ago, you vanished from the banquet I hosted for you!"

Grandma Zhou said with a smile in her eyes, amused.

Micah exclaimed.

"How did you know?! Who rattled me out?"

"Micah! Speak properly!"

His grandfather said sternly, the warning in his tone was unmistakable.

Micah straightened immediately.

"Sorry grandma, grandpa..."

He dropped his head, Seeing Albert’s frowning brows.

"I won’t do it again."

"No one told me anything, dear. I just guessed. With your track record, how could I not?"

Grandma Zhou chuckled, waving off his apology.

"You know me too well, grandma!"

Micah grinned sheepishly.

Right on cue, his stomach growled loudly, causing a ripple of laughter across the room.

Grandma Zhou stood up, linking her arm through his.

"Come on then, let’s get you fed before you mistake us for food."

Lunch was a lively affair. Dishes covered every inch of the long table.

Micah devoured everything in his sight until he felt full and satisfied.

But as the meal went on, everyone realised Elina did not say a word to Micah.

Vivian could not hold her tongue and asked.

"Micah, what did you do to Aunt Elina?!

Micah looked up in mid-chew, blinking.

"Ha?!"

"Come on, just confess. I doubt anything you say will surprise us at this point."

Vivian pressed.

"Did you break her favourite vase?"

Arlo asked, mouth full of rice.

Micah shook his head.

"Not everyone’s as clumsy as you, Arlo,"

Jemima muttered with a roll of her eyes.

"If you did not break something, so did you say something thoughtless again?"

Aunt Mabel asked, looking at Micah.

"No, Aunt Elina had long since built an immunity to his sharp tongue."

Vivian shook her head.

"Is it because of the banquet, Elina?"

Aunt Felicity said while feeding her son, Arlo.

Across the table, Elina finally spoke.

"No, he doesn’t like to talk, so I am accompanying him."

"Talk about what?" Vivian frowned.

Before the interrogation could continue, Albert cleared his throat.

"Enough. Eat your food. Whatever it is, they’ll resolve it themselves."

With his words, no one dared to pry into the mother and son quarrel.

Later, After the meal, Micah found his cousin Cora leaning against the garden wall, munching on a cookie.

"Hey, Cora, do you know all the top-ranked players in LOJ?"

She looked at him sideways, crumbs clinging to her lips.

"Yeah, mostly. Why?"

Micah hesitated.

"Do you know someone named DarkVyne?"

Her eyes widened.

"Are you kidding? Of course! He is practically a legend! The guy was the dark horse of the game, jumping from silver ranking to platinum just in two days! Everyone was talking about him. Super mysterious too. No one knows who he really is or why he didn’t try for grandmaster."

Micah hearing the first half, felt a bit proud. Darcy, with his fame, had spent two hours playing with someone like him without putting on airs.

"Hm? Wait, what do you mean???"

Micah asked, confused about the latter words.

"Everyone loves to become a grandmaster and get a pass to open a guide. The amount of fortune and fame they will get would be doubled. But this DarkVyne was still at diamond level after one year. Some say he is a spoiled rich kid who pays people to play in his place. And because he did not have skills, he is afraid of opening a guide."

"What? How could they?! He is actually amazing"

Micah exclaimed, offended on Darcy’s behalf.

"Exactly. They are just some jealous dudes!"

Cora agreed, popping another cookie in her mouth.

Micah thought for a moment and then asked.

"Does opening a Guild cost money?"

Cora nodded. "Yeah, registration, maintenance, setting up the guide house, everything costs."

Micah felt a pang in his chest, realising why Darcy had not done it. It would be a luxury for Darcy to spend money on a game.

"So why suddenly the sudden interest?" Cora squinted at him.

"I teamed up with him accidentally!"

Micah smiled.

"What?" Cora yelled, choking on her cookie.

She grabbed Micah’s shoulders and shook him hard.

"You teamed up with DarkVyne and didn’t tell me?! I could have gotten numerous followers playing with him!"

"Sorry! I didn’t know he was some big shot!" Micah yelped.

Cora let go with a groan.

"You’re the worst! Give me back the time and dignity I spent on you to level up!"

Micah just laughed, "Really? Should I go tell Vivian how badly I wronged you?"

"Ahhh...Get lost!"

Cora wailed.