He exhaled softly, his eyes narrowing slightly.

'Status Window.' he thought.

Immediately, a set of translucent tabs shimmered into existence before his eyes, floating in a neat, organized layout that displayed his current stats.

[Status Window]

[Name: Damien Cross]

[Class: Unawakened]

[Physique: MILF Hunter]

[Health: 300/300]

[Mana: 400/400]

[Strength: 40]

[Agility: 30]

[Stamina: 40]

[Endurance: 30]

[Perception: 40]

[Charm: 57]

[Intelligence: 45]

[Hunter Points: 9280]

Damien's lips curved into a faint smirk.

His eyes lingered on the number of Hunter Points at the bottom of the status window, and he couldn't help but feel a bit satisfied at the number.

*

Minutes later…

The faint aroma of cooked meat lingered in the air, intermingling with the warmth of the sunlight spilling through the windows.

Damien, Claire, and Nora were all seated on the floor in the living room.

Their positions formed a loose triangle, with plates placed carefully in front of them.

Each plate bore a large mound of steaming rice, fluffy and aromatic. Thick stew glistened above it, rich and inviting, its aroma curling upward in soft waves.

Dominating each plate was a huge piece of meat, cooked to perfection, thick and succulent, with juices still shimmering faintly on its surface.

The steam rising from the food carried a rich, comforting scent, filling the room with warmth.

Nora's eyes widened immediately, bright and sparkling as she stared at the plate in front of her.

Her lips parted slightly, and a faint trail of saliva glistened at the corner of her mouth. Her small hand trembled slightly as she reached for a spoonful of the rice, lifting it carefully before bringing it to her lips.

She bit down and chewed slowly, deliberately, and her eyes widened further at the taste.

'Finally… good food!' she thought to herself, her eyes almost tearing up from the taste alone.

After that first spoon, she took another, then another, completely engrossed in the food before her.

She also made sure to bite chunks of the meat in between each spoon, not even caring for her table manners in the slightest.

Damien and Claire exchanged quiet, subtle smiles at the sight.

Claire's face, however, flushed a deep shade of red, the warmth creeping across her cheeks as she quickly turned her head away.

She pressed her palms lightly to her cheeks, biting her lower lip softly, the faint echo of the tension from earlier still lingering.

Damien's gaze lingered on Nora for a moment.

A strange glint flashed in his dark eyes, sharp, calculating, and faintly amused.

His eyes followed the smallest details of her movements: the way she held the spoon, the tilt of her head, the deliberate care in each bite, the small shifts of her shoulders as she leaned toward her plate.

'She changed her shirt… I wonder why,' he thought silently.

The white shirt she had been wearing earlier was gone, replaced by a thick red one. The fabric clung lightly to her frame, outlining her curves subtly without revealing too much.

The bright red contrasted sharply against her pale skin, catching Damien's attention in a quiet, internal flicker of recognition.

He remembered the way she had acted when she first came out of the room.

There had been a subtle change in her posture, a quiet hesitation in her steps, and a faint shift in the way she moved.

Damien had observed it immediately, noting how her hands adjusted the fabric of the shirt, how her shoulders shifted ever so slightly, and how her eyes occasionally flicked toward him and Claire.

Every action had been deliberate, subtle, but noticeable to someone watching closely.

Damien turned his attention back to his own plate. He lifted the spoon, scooping up a portion of the steaming rice and stew, and brought it to his mouth.

The first bite slid easily across his tongue, warm and rich.

'It's delicious indeed,' he thought, his lips curling into a faint smirk. 'As expected of Claire's cooking.'

The combination of flavors, the tender texture of the meat, and the careful seasoning all met his exacting standards.

He chewed deliberately, savoring the taste before swallowing and taking another bite, the spoon moving with steady precision.

Within a few minutes, their plates were emptied. The rice, the stew, and the large pieces of meat had all disappeared.

Nora exhaled softly, leaning back slightly as she looked at her now-empty plate. Her eyes shone with delight, reflecting a mixture of satisfaction and lingering energy from the meal.

She turned her gaze toward Damien. The moment their eyes met, a sudden hesitation overtook her. Her lips parted slightly, then quivered as she struggled to find the words.

A faint blush spread across her cheeks, coloring her face with a warm, deep hue.

She cleared her throat, forcing herself to speak.

"Huh… never mind…" she murmured, the words small and uncertain, her eyes flicking downward briefly before returning to his.

Damien raised his brows in subtle confusion. He tilted his head slightly, his eyes sharp as he silently wondered what she had wanted to ask.

Claire's voice cut through the brief silence, firm and sharp. "Are you not going to say thank you to him?" she asked, glancing pointedly at Nora.

Nora's face went redder still, and she nearly choked at the words.

"W-what?" she stuttered, her fingers curling slightly in reflex. Her small body tensed as she tried to comprehend the situation, feeling the weight of her elder sister's expectation pressing down on her.

After witnessing the events of that particular night, she still wasn't sure how to face Claire. The intensity of what she had seen left her uncertain, hesitant, and uneasy.

And with Damien present, it was even worse. His quiet, commanding presence amplified the tension, and she felt the weight of both their expectations pressing down on her shoulders.

Damien chuckled lightly, the sound low and deliberate.

"There's no need for that…" he said smoothly, his tone calm and measured, his expression composed but faintly amused.

Claire frowned, her dark eyes narrowing slightly as she crossed her arms.

This little actions of her pushed out her huge breasts, making her look even sexier, however, she didn't seem to notice.

Damien gulped as he saw this, but forced himself to calm his dirty thoughts down.

"No… she has to at least show appreciation," she said firmly. A trace of lingering irritation colored her voice; she was still a bit angry at Nora for her usual inattentiveness.

Nora's habitual behavior had always been to drink quietly with whatever little she had, paying little attention to how others fared at home.

All she did was come home to eat then go on to continue living her reckless and shameless lifestyle.

It got to the point where it was extremly rare to see her without a bottle of alcohol in her hands, which she mostly bought on credits since she had no job.

These debts were usually settled by Claire, and she would usually be forced to use out of the little meant for their daily feeding.

To make it worse, Nora never once appreciated her for her efforts, and instead continued doing whatever she wanted.

Claire's eyes softened only slightly as she glanced at Damien.

She felt strongly that Nora should be more like him—observant, attentive, and aware of the small but important matters at home.

She wanted her younger sister to recognize that caring for others, even in minor ways, was a necessary part of living together.

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