This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist

As soon as Rita asked about the pregnancy, Samuel and Scarlett's expressions turned sour. Scarlett, rubbing her belly, forced a smile and said, "Not yet. He's been busy lately, so we haven't had the chance to tell him."

Ah, as expected, they were fretting over Rick.

Scarlett looked at Rita hopefully, "Darling, do you have any friends abroad? I was thinking about going overseas to take care of the pregnancy. What do you think?"

*Oh, how modern—planning to run away while pregnant?*

Rita shook her head. "You can't leave the country. Direct relatives with *Divine Gifts* at B-level or higher aren't allowed to go abroad right now."

This wasn't just a domestic policy; countries around the world were restricting high-level talent. With the game invasion going on for so long, governments had realized that if dungeons weren't cleared in time, monsters could escape into the real world. Every country urgently needed high-tier warriors or those with special *Divine Gifts*.

Anyone leaving the country had to be inspected alongside their direct relatives. If a direct relative had a B-level or higher *Divine Gift*, they couldn't leave. After all, if they were taken hostage, it could be used to manipulate these precious players.

Even setting the *Divine Gift* issue aside, with Rita owning a dragon, not just Scarlett, Samuel, or Rick would be grounded—anyone close to her wouldn't be able to leave the country.

*Oh, but I don't have friends. So, no problem there.*

Scarlett frowned, about to say something else, when the doorbell rang again.

Today was turning out to be busy. Rita opened the door… and there he was—the beggar had arrived.

Rick held up a gift high above his head, grinning, "Ta-da~! Rita! I came to see you~"

Rita, for once, wasn't annoyed by Rick showing up uninvited. She couldn't even suppress her smile. "Perfect timing. Mom and Dad are here too."

She didn't even have to call out—Samuel and Scarlett had already heard Rick's voice and were standing at attention.

Samuel maintained a somewhat serious expression, but Scarlett looked visibly tense and uneasy as she glanced at the sibling duo who had just entered.

Rick's feelings were mixed when he saw his parents. After kicking them out of his leveling party as a punishment, he hadn't spoken to them in a while, and surprisingly, they hadn't sought him out either. He wasn't sure what to say at first. Of course, he was still resentful; there had been a time when he'd seriously thought about passing his illness on to them.

But perhaps deep down, there's a part of everyone that holds back. He realized he couldn't quite bring himself to go through with it…

Even Rick was surprised to discover he had a conscience.

Rick didn't jump straight into talking about the Special Affairs Bureau's training program. Instead, he eyed Samuel and Scarlett, whose whole demeanor screamed tension and guilt. They were clearly feeling remorseful about how they had treated him… His icy heart softened a bit.

Rick gestured to the couch with a smile. "Have a seat!"

Rita put a cold soda in front of Rick, stifling a laugh, and added, "Yeah, sit down. Make the most of these good days while they last."

Samuel and Scarlett sat down obediently, as meek as quails. Scarlett even tried to appear more casual, in stark contrast to how cautiously she had been protecting her belly earlier.

Rita grinned, "Mom, Dad, didn't you have some good news to share with Rick? Come on, tell him~!"

Time to hit Rick with a little emotional shock!

Rick looked at his parents curiously, "Good news? What is it?"

Samuel & Scarlett: "…"

They stood there in awkward silence for a moment, then suddenly, as if struck by a bolt of realization, Scarlett blurted, "Oh! I just remembered—I left something cooking on the stove! We should get going. Rita, don't tell your brother yet; I want it to be a surprise for him! Rick, I'll tell you next time, okay?"

Samuel nodded hastily, "Yes, yes, let's all have dinner together sometime soon. Your mother and I have been thinking about you."

Without another word, they hurried out the door with unnerving speed.

Find exclusive content at empire

Rita stood there, dumbfounded. She muttered under her breath, "Weren't we supposed to have dinner *here*?"

Rick's face had gone cold. He realized immediately that his parents were hiding something from him, something they knew would make him furious. Only Rita was unaware of the gravity of the situation, and to her, it seemed like good news.

Taking a deep breath, Rick suppressed his anger.

No need to blow up now. That could tip off Rita that something was wrong.

Rick forced down the rage and bitterness inside him, then turned to Rita with a smile. "They probably just wanted some alone time."

Rita sighed, "That's probably it. So, why'd you show up all of a sudden?"

Rick's expression became complicated, a mix of frustration, vulnerability, and stubbornness. But when he looked at Rita, his eyes were filled with trust and hope.

He sure was good-looking, Rita had to admit. Even with those conflicting emotions on his face, he didn't seem out of place. In fact, his soft, melancholic air suited him well. A true "little white flower" type.

But Rita wasn't impressed. Seeing a 6'2" guy acting all pitiful was just… awkward.

*Zoey, Sanchez, Camila, Taylor—your tastes are something else.*

Rick let out a long sigh. "Ah…"Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Rita couldn't take it anymore. "Just say what you came to say."

Rick finally explained, "Zoey went to the Special Affairs Bureau's training camp, but she didn't take me… She said they wouldn't accept me."

Rita nodded. *As expected, here to beg for help.* She offered, "Well, their requirements are pretty strict. If you're not part of the Bureau, a lot of the benefits are pay-to-access. And some core programs, you can't even buy your way into. Do you have any special items or equipment? I could put in a word for you."

Rick shook his head. Every item or piece of equipment he acquired had to be approved by Zoey first. Breaking that contract would instantly alert her. If he violated the agreement, a random attribute point would be deducted and transferred to her. If the contract wasn't honored within 24 hours, it would start eating into his maximum health.

Rita sighed. "Then there's nothing I can do. To be honest, the Bureau doesn't really care about potions or engineering— they have their own professionals for that. Of course, if you can offer an irresistible amount of gold, that might work too. Do you have any? I can ask for you."

Rick shook his head again, speaking in a low voice, "I have to report all my spending to Zoey. If I pay my way into the training camp after she said no, that's like slapping her in the face. She'd get mad."

Rita, barely able to contain her laughter, smacked her leg. She almost lost it. "Why should she get mad? And so what if she does?"

Rick looked down, his voice breaking with emotion. "She'd whip me. She'd beat me until my health drops to 5%, then heal me, and start over. One time, she couldn't stop herself and got me down to 3%... Rita! My life is miserable!"

Rita: "..."

Don't laugh, Rita! You can't laugh!

*Think about last life. How can you laugh at this!?*