Chapter 460 - 213: Honored Guest

Howard felt he had really made the right friend in Sean.

He wasn’t just generous and a good fisherman—he also shared Howard’s taste in food.

Good thing he wasn’t a real "NPC." Otherwise, Sean, as a "Player," would be watching the affection meter over Howard’s head shoot up right now.

Sometimes, friendship between men was just that simple.

A single shared hobby was enough for them to talk about anything and everything.

"So, should I order for you what I was just about to get?" Howard asked.

Sean: "Sure."

Howard snapped his fingers.

"Ms. Waiter."

A waiter hurried over. "Sir?"

Howard said, "Please bring two orders of sugar-glazed salmon for my friends."

"Extra sugar, hold the fish."

Sean: "?"

"Wait a minute."

"Hold the fish??"

Howard chuckled and explained, "Relax, it still has fish. I just say that so the chef understands how much we love sugar."

Sean had a bad feeling. "How much?" he asked.

Howard declared, "As sweet as you can get it without killing us!"

Sean: "..."

’Whatever.’

’Let it be sweet.’

’I’ll just think of it as replenishing the calories I just lost.’

The restaurant wasn’t very crowded at this hour.

This was the VIP area, and the VIPs were almost all Wizards. They typically preferred to perform their Meditation right before bed, as it was more convenient. They would lie down, and if they could enter the right state of mind, they would begin their Cultivation. If not, they would simply go to sleep. Either outcome was acceptable to them. Consequently, many Wizards didn’t have the habit of eating late-night snacks. Some didn’t even eat dinner. It was only natural that a restaurant specializing in late-night meals would be empty.

But having fewer people had its advantages.

It was quiet, and the food arrived quickly.

Before a few minutes had passed, the waiter brought over the sugar-glazed salmon.

To be honest, Sean had never even heard of this "dessert," but its presentation was quite impressive. The chef had shaped the fish into a rod, garnished it with green vegetables, and presented it to look like a half-peeled banana.

For some reason, a blush crept onto Elise’s cheeks.

"Go on, try it," Howard said to Sean. "You have to eat it while it’s hot. That’s when the texture is best."

Sean cut off a small piece with his knife and put it in his mouth.

As he cut into the "banana," it pulled apart with fine, sugary threads like melted cheese, a testament to its sugar content.

But the flavor was surprisingly good.

Sean nodded as he savored it. "Interesting."

It looked like a banana and even had the texture of one, but it also had the savory sweetness of ocean fish. Blended with a special syrup, and despite being overwhelmingly sweet, Sean could actually discern distinct layers. The sweetness was progressive, and at the very end, he could taste a hint of sour lemon that served as a clean finish, preventing it from being cloying in the slightest.

Sean now understood why food critics on TV could always come up with so many flowery adjectives.

A truly good dish is inherently rich in flavor. The critics weren’t just showing off their expertise; they were simply stating facts.

This dessert was absolutely delicious.

And this was where Elise had miscalculated.

She, too, had a sweet tooth.

Most girls have an innate love for all things sweet, after all.

But Elise hadn’t touched her fork. Sean was nearly finished, and she was still just "staring into space."

"Miss Elise, why aren’t you eating?" Howard asked, noticing the untouched salmon on her plate. "Is it not to your liking?"

"Shall I have the chef prepare you a new one?"

"Thank you, Mr. Howard, but there’s no need," Elise said with a smile. "I wouldn’t be able to eat it even if you had them make another."

Howard paused, confused. "Huh?"

’Surely not everything on the menu is disagreeable to her,’ he thought.

Of course not.

Elise shot Sean a look, her eyes glinting with a hint of playful resentment. "I was already full before we got here," she said.

She really hadn’t expected Sean to have... so much. It was almost enough to make her choke.

Sean looked completely innocent. "You can’t blame me. You were the one who wanted it."

"Yes, yes, yes," Elise huffed, her face flushing. "I brought this on myself. I got what I deserved. But so what?"

"I liked it."

"I love it, it’s delicious, and I’ll have it again. Hmph."

"Pfft... COUGH, COUGH." Sean nearly choked. ’There’s a next time?!’

Now they were even.

Howard was completely lost. One minute, she was full. The next, she said she’d brought it on herself. At first, it sounded like they were talking about food, but then it didn’t. What on earth were they talking about?

Howard didn’t get it, but he didn’t press the issue.

This was a private matter between Sean and Elise. As a new friend, he knew he had to respect their boundaries.

When you can’t follow a conversation, the best thing to do is change the subject.

"By the way, Mr. Sean."

Howard said, as if suddenly remembering something, "Two hours ago, I got a call from my family. They said a big shot is coming to the Golden Coast and told me to hurry back and prepare for a banquet."

"Let me guess."

Howard gave Sean a knowing look, wiggling his eyebrows. He said, half-jokingly, "This big shot... it wouldn’t happen to be you, would it, Mr. Sean?"

Sean: "..."

’He actually was a big shot.’

’But no one knew he was going to the Golden Coast—except for Anna and Hoyev.’

"It’s not me," Sean said, shaking his head.

Howard wasn’t convinced. "Really?"

Sean found this a little funny. "Do I look like a big shot to you?"

"Don’t you?" Howard retorted. "I doubt most big shots have your kind of presence, Mr. Sean."

He was referring to the deep-sea Shark Bone soup from earlier that evening.

Such precious Alchemy Materials weren’t something even his Viscount Grev Family could obtain on a whim; it all came down to a stroke of luck. Yet Sean had casually used it to make soup. Howard suspected that even a Duke Family couldn’t afford to be so extravagant.