Chapter 102

It was winter. She withdrew her hand naturally from Joshua’s grasp as she accepted the glass of water Harry offered, a silent offering of comfort.

With his palm suddenly empty, Joshua felt a fleeting moment of frustration before quietly damning his hardened attitude. Now that he’d come to terms with his feelings, all that frustration seemed messy. But whenever he remembered the second time they met, he couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

“Treat you well, but don’t mistake it for affection,” he had said.

And now, the one who had fallen head over heels for Shermaine was Joshua himself.

As for Shermaine, she truly took his words to heart, keeping her distance and strictly minding the boundaries.

How the tables had turned. The irony hit him hard, but at least he still had a shot.

Henry, perceptive as ever, instantly recognized the signs. Joshua was falling for someone. He’d thought he’d never live to see the day Joshua actually fancied a woman, but Shermaine’s arrival unexpectedly fulfilled this wish.

However, judging by Shermaine’s attitude, Joshua still had a lot of work to do to win her heart.

After gathering his courage, Roy hesitantly approached Shermaine. Then, he lowered his head and said as loudly as he could, “I’m sorry, Milady! I shouldn’t have treated you poorly or spoken ill of you before. Please forgive me!”

Roy had never been this embarrassed in his life, but he had to face reality. Since Shermaine was Milady, he’d better give up on her. Good thing it was only a little crush.

Besides, he’d never go after Joshua’s woman. From now on, he would just admire her from afar, nothing more.

Thinking this way, Roy felt a whole lot better, like his shattered heart was finally starting to piece itself back together.

Shermaine set down her cup and said, “You’re pretty good at Heroic Epic, aren’t you?”

Roy was momentarily stunned, then puffed up with pride. “Of course! I’m the world’s best jungler.”

Although Shermaine played video games, she never followed esports events, so she was completely unaware of Roy’s reputation and standing in the sport world.

At this, Shermaine’s eyes lit up. “Let’s solo.”

Roy was impressed by her bravery. Even knowing he was the world’s best jungler, she was not intimidated at all. He instantly turned into a fanboy, stammering, “So… so if I win, will you forgive me?”

Shermaine tilted her chin slightly. “Beat me fast,” she said, “then we’ll talk.”

Roy was determined to win.

How could he possibly lose? His title certainly meant something. Besides, he was strong in all positions, basically a true all-rounder.

Roy brimmed with confidence. “I’ll definitely win,” he declared. Eager to show off his skills, he added, “Milady, come with me. The computers are over there.”

Following Roy’s gesture, Shermaine glanced over and stood up.

Shermaine remembered she’d only ever played on one server and had just one account, so she added, “I don’t have an account here, can I borrow one?”

Roy waved it off and said cheerfully, “Don’t worry, I’ve got accounts on other servers too. Just pick whichever you prefer, I’m fine with any.”

“The Rowndria server, then.”

When Shermaine first started playing Heroic Epic, she’d heard the Rowndria server was full of hidden pros, so she created an account there. After reaching the top of the ranked ladder, she barely had time to play anymore and never ventured onto any other servers.

The two settled in front of the computers. The machines booted up instantly, and soon they were logged into Heroic Epic on the Rowndria server.

Roy asked eagerly, “Milady, what’s your ID? Let me add you.”

Shermaine replied, “My ID is King.”

Meanwhile, Joshua noticed that Henry had already come up behind them, ready to watch.

Joshua wasn’t a gamer, but he understood what “solo” meant. Watching Roy get to play with Shermaine, a pang of jealousy crept in.

Roy found that ID oddly familiar. He leaned over to take a closer look at Shermaine’s screen, then sprang up from his seat. “Holy shit! You’re King?!”

Roy couldn’t believe his eyes. The legendary King, the one he’d never managed to run into, was actually right in front of him. And now, they were about to solo!