I am the Entertainment Tycoon Chapter 979: A Night Relaxing Over Drawing Manga Panels

After finally wrapping up his extended afternoon at the gaming studio, Theo steered his car out of the Genesis parking lot and onto the streets of Elffire City. Tonight was a rare luxury as this Saturday was his night off from the high-octane kitchen of The Spark, granting him the precious freedom to enjoy his weekend exactly as he pleased.

For young people, Saturday nights were filled with the lively energy of their inner circle, but for Theo was different as the vast majority of his close friends were currently tied down by the dinner rush at the restaurant. Even his girlfriend, Ayia, was occupied, stepping up to confidently command the line as Head Chef in his absence. With the restaurant thriving under her capable hands and his little sister, Aurora, away for a girl’s night out at Carolla’s house, Theo decided that the ultimate indulgence for the evening would be pure, unadulterated relaxation back at his own estate.

As the vibrant city lights of Elffire began to blur past his windows, the quiet interior of the car felt a bit too still. Smiling, Theo tapped the steering wheel controls and dialed Aurora, eager to check in on his little sister and see how the student council crew was winding down after their hectic week.

"Hey, big brother!" Aurora’s cheerful voice instantly burst through the car’s premium surround-sound system, carrying the background ambient noise of distant giggles and pop music.

"Hey, A-chan!" Theo replied, his voice softening with genuine warmth. "Just driving home. How are things shaping up over at Carolla’s?"

"Oh, it’s absolutely brilliant!" she beamed over the line. "Vivian, Umaru, Carolla, and I are having a total blast. We’ve basically converted Carolla’s room into a beauty salon, and Umaru is currently trying to organize a karaoke tournament."

"That sounds like chaos, but the fun kind," Theo laughed. "Glad to hear it. Oh, by the way, did you see Carolla’s parents? Did you manage to hand them the gourmet gift box I packed for you?"

"Yes! And oh my gosh, Theo, they were absolutely thrilled," Aurora replied, her laughter echoing through the cabin. "They told me to tell you that they absolutely adore your cooking. In fact, Carolla’s dad playfully complained that he’s had to wait for ages just to secure a standard weekend reservation at The Spark. He wants VIP treatment next time!"

Theo let out a hearty laugh, a wave of professional pride washing over him. "Tell him I’ll personally look into the booking ledger and squeeze them into the chef’s table next month."

The siblings chatted for a few more minutes, exchanging lighthearted banter and casual updates about their respective days. Theo intentionally kept the conversation brief and sweet; he didn’t want to overstay his welcome or intrude too much on her well-deserved night out with her best friends. After exchanging affectionate goodbyes, the line clicked off, leaving Theo with a content smile.

Minutes later, the city grid faded into the lush, rolling greenery of the upscale residential districts. Theo guided his car up the winding, scenic mountain roads that led to his private property. Cracking open the security gates with a paired transponder, he smoothly swept down the long underground driveway and entered the expansive, state-of-the-art underground garage of his manor. The engine hummed to a silent stop.

He was finally back at his sanctuary after a long, exhausting day of creative orchestration at the gaming studio.

The moment he stepped into the ground floor of the house, a chorus of loud, demanding meows greeted him. Maya and Angel, his beloved black and white cats, instantly darted toward him, purring loudly as they affectionately rubbed their soft bodies against his legs.

"Such little cuties!" Theo exclaimed with a soft laugh, immediately squatting down to stroke their sleek fur and scratch them right behind the ears. "Did you miss me that much, huh?"

Theo spent a few quiet minutes indulging the two felines, completely melting away the lingering corporate stress of the day before standing up and heading upstairs to the privacy of his master bedroom. He was dying to wash off the day’s grime and change into something much more forgiving than his work attire.

Half an hour later, he emerged from his room completely refreshed. He was dressed casually in comfortable sweatpants and an oversized anime T-shirt, his long silver hair still damp and brushing against his shoulders from the shower.

Let’s head over to the drawing room, he thought, a faint smile playing on his lips as he walked down the dimly lit hallway.

Although Theo had dedicated the rest of his evening to pure relaxation, his personal definition of winding down was highly unconventional. He loved utilizing these rare, free nights away from the restaurant to personally draw the manga panels for his ongoing publications. After all, the flagship titles of his publishing company, Fuji Jump, were all legendary works adapted from his past life—meaning he was the only one in this world who held the blueprints and the artistic vision to bring them to fruition.

Theo walked into the drawing room and took a seat at his main desk, looking around with a deep sense of satisfaction. He had outfitted this specific space with the absolute pinnacle of state-of-the-art digital drawing tablets, ergonomic furniture, and premium art supplies—everything a master mangaka could ever dream of.

Flanked by the quiet, comforting company of Maya and Angel, who had dutifully followed him upstairs to curl up right next to his workspace, Theo looked out the massive glass window. Framed by a magnificent, panoramic view of the twinkling Elffire City lights below, he felt a profound sense of peace wash over him as he smoothly slid into the hyper-focused workflow of an artist.

Tonight, he decided to lose himself in the comedic, urban fantasy world of Hataraku Maō-sama!.

The scratch of his digital pen against the tablet screen became the only sound in the room for the next few hours. Theo completely lost himself in the chaotic world of Hataraku Maō-sama!, meticulously sketching the expressive, comedic faces of Sadao Maou and Emi Yusa. His focus was so absolute that he didn’t even notice the time slipping away until a low rumble from his stomach finally shattered his concentration.

He blinked, rubbing his eyes, and looked at the digital clock in the corner of his screen. It was already 9:30 PM.

"Time really flies when you’re drawing," Theo muttered, offering a lazy stretch that caused Maya to let out a soft, annoyed chirp from her spot on the desk.

Realizing he had completely bypassed dinner, and knowing it was far too late to start cooking a gourmet meal from scratch, he asked Sylph to order some food for him.

The ease of having a AI Butler was shown here, within twenty minutes, the food was delivered to Theo at the Drawing Studio by a robot, and he ate there while sharing a few small pieces of sashimi with Angel and Maya, who watched his chopsticks with predatory focus.

As he observed as a robot taking the empty containers, he glanced at his phone again. 10:10 PM.

A soft smile touched his lips. It was past closing time for The Spark. The intense weekend dinner rush was officially over, the kitchen line was being scrubbed down, and most importantly, his girlfriend was finally free.

Without hesitating, Theo dialed Ayia’s number. The phone rang twice before her face popped up on the screen via video call. She was sitting in the restaurant’s back office, her chef’s coat unbuttoned at the collar, looking a little exhausted but radiating the triumphant energy of someone who had just survived a massive Saturday night rush. Her beautiful purple hair was tied back, and a few stray strands framed her face.

"Hey, stranger," Ayia beamed, her golden eyes lighting up the moment she saw him. "Look at you, all cozy in an anime shirt. Don’t tell me you actually managed to relax tonight?"

"Hey, chef," Theo chuckled, leaning against his chair. "I did, actually. I spent the last few hours working on a new manga Chapter, and I just finished some delivery sushi. But more importantly, how did the shift go tonight?"

Ayia let out an excited smile, "The kitchen ran like a perfectly oiled machine. We broke our record for the truffle risotto tonight, and the line didn’t fall behind even once."

The two of the talked about the details of the shift, Theo knew that Ayia was an extremely professional and skillful chef, so he didn’t even worry what could happen as he knew that even if something happened, she was capable of taking care of it herself.

As they talked, Theo looked around his vast, quiet manor. The house felt entirely too large without his friends, without his sister, and especially without the person he wanted to see most. An idea instantly sparked in his mind.

"Hey, babe," Theo murmured, his eyes locking onto hers through the screen. "Don’t go back to your house. Why don’t you come over to my place instead?"

Ayia blinked, a soft blush creeping onto her cheeks, though a hopeful smile quickly followed. "To your place? Right now? Theo, it’s over 10:00 PM, and I smell like spices and cooking oil.""I don’t care about that," Theo laughed gently, his gaze filled with warmth and affection. "Come over. You can take a long, hot bath in my bathtub, I’ll massage your shoulders, and we can just lounge around and do absolutely nothing for the rest of the weekend. You worked incredibly hard tonight, and you deserve to be pampered. What do you say?"

The sheer tenderness in his voice completely melted any hesitation she had left. Ayia let out a soft, defeated sigh, her smile widening as she grabbed her car keys from the desk.

"You really know exactly what to say to a tired chef, don’t you?" she teased, her eyes sparkling. "Alright, you win. I’m leaving the restaurant right now. I’ll be at your gate in twenty minutes."

"I’ll have Sylph open the gates for you," Theo smiled. "Drive safely, babe. See you soon."

"See you soon, babe," she said with excitement before hanging up.

Theo put his phone down, a surge of eager excitement replacing his previous quiet solitude. He quickly walked back upstairs to prepare his bathtub for Ayia, highly looking forward to ending his perfect Saturday night with the best company he could ever ask for.