This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist

Rita, realizing she couldn't push people too hard, finally responded in the group chat.

**Rita**: "So, how's the bed working for you?!"

**Rick**: "Not bad."

**Rita**: "See? Good stuff doesn't just fall from the sky. How do you expect me to find great news all the time?"

Samuel and Scarlett both asked what bed she was talking about.

Rita shared the information about the bed, explaining it was the wedding gift she'd given.

**Scarlett (Blissful Scarlett)**: "Is there more? Mom wants one too. Your dad could use it!"

**Samuel (Depressed Samuel)**: "???"

**Rita**: "You think these beds grow on trees? They're insanely expensive! Dozens of gold coins! Have you seen how much it takes to trade for 1 gold coin nowadays? You'll understand how pricey that bed was."

Samuel, having kept up with recent news, knew that silver coins were now going for 10,000 each, and gold coins were even crazier.

**Depressed Samuel**: "I heard it takes a million to get just one gold coin, but no one's actually done it yet."

**Blissful Scarlett**: "A bed that costs millions?! That's outrageous! You won't splurge when you should, but now you're splurging on this!"

**Rick**: "@Rita Thanks, sis~ If you come across anything similar, buy it for me first. I'll pay you back."

**Rita**: "@Blissful Scarlett For a rich lady, that bed is worth more than a house! People who get it, get it."

Scarlett stayed quiet after that. Rita, of course, had no plans of finding her another bed. She kicked herself for not stockpiling more of those beds when she had the chance! Once the game invaded and the auction house opened, she could've made a fortune flipping them.

Closing her phone, Rita felt a fleeting moment of happiness, one that almost made her question whether her past life had just been a nightmare. Had it not been for the agony of being bled out and nailed to the ground as she waited for Rick, or the vision of that book in her dying moments, even in this life, she might have believed them.

They seemed like such a normal, happy family: a mother with a quick temper but easily contented, sometimes even endearingly naive; a gentle, kind father; and a pair of children treated equally. The parents gave all their savings to their daughter, and when she earned money, she gave back to her family, providing for her parents and brother. The brother, in turn, saved up and bought her a villa.

After the world changed, the brother would even bring his sister along to join his wife's powerful clan in dungeon raids… Even when his wife's family hunted her, the brother still took risks to secretly warn her.

In her last life, Rita had been blinded by this false sense of happiness, leading her to endure all those injustices.

Staring at the chat for a long time, Rita finally snapped back to reality. She realized she had been calmly chatting with these people for so long—revenge had indeed mellowed her out. Back when she first returned to this life, no matter how much she tried to convince herself to stay calm, her attitude had been terrible.

After stowing her phone in her game bag, she headed out for more shooting practice.

Now, she wore a sports bra and a fitted top with tight pants, carrying a small four-slot pouch in her pocket that held two beginner healing potions, a roll of bandages for sustained healing, and her phone. Her two larger 36-slot bags, the potion bag, and other tools were stored in her **Magician's Fake Tooth**.

Most importantly, her **Chávez Watch**, which was now bound to her, hung openly around her neck, tucked into her top for safekeeping.

Once bound, the watch couldn't be lost or stolen. Anyone who touched it would feel nothing but air, as it was only tangible to its owner. To others, it seemed like she was simply wearing a silver necklace, and even if someone brushed against her chest, they wouldn't feel anything unusual.

Just as she was about to begin, Rita paused mid-motion, her coach eyeing her curiously. She smiled and explained, "Just thought of something."

For a moment, she had sensed someone attempting to divine her information, but the **Chávez Watch** had blocked it. Through the fog in her mind, it felt like she could peer through space and time to see the person trying to uncover her— a young man with a buzz cut.

After her session, Rita headed to a nearby restaurant for a meal. Whether it was due to her maxed-out charm stat or everything she had experienced, she now carried an aura far more captivating than before.

There was a mystique about her from **Thief God**, a coldness from **Immortal**, the sharpness of **Master Archer**, and the warmth and approachability of **God of the Culinary Arts**—all layered over her natural restraint and madness. Combined with her already refined and gentle appearance, Rita had become the kind of person people couldn't help but stare at.

In fact, she had noticed this at Zoey's wedding. Even though she had tried to keep a low profile, she still caught the occasional glance. Of course, most of the guests that day were wealthy and prestigious, so they kept their distance during the event.

But after the wedding, Rita had essentially "disappeared." She spent her time either training or cooking at home, ignoring unknown calls and rejecting friend requests from strangers.

There were times when she could sense people secretly taking pictures of her while she ate, but such was the reality of this era.

Ever since she had left the entertainment industry, and with no rivals stirring up controversy, people online were genuinely supportive of her. Most comments were positive, and occasionally, she would trend briefly. But since she didn't engage with the attention, her popularity would eventually fade again.

Unexpectedly, **Amelia** reached out to her, hoping to collaborate once more and stage a comeback in the entertainment world.

Rita had nearly forgotten about that snake. After using **Insight** to confirm Amelia wasn't a player, Rita unceremoniously kicked her out and hit her with **Wheel of Fate**, reducing her luck to 1.

The investigation into **Robinson**'s murder was still ongoing, as they sifted through his enemies. Although the discovery of the game had cleared Amelia of suspicion, no one suspected Rita either. Robinson hadn't had a chance to harm her yet, and they had no visible conflict. As for Amelia, she had been a convenient scapegoat.

But if Amelia were to die, things might change.

Rita hadn't hired a chef to teach her cooking. She had never been a fan of cooking, but now, with the in-game cooking skill, she didn't mind preparing her own meals. The detailed cooking videos attached to each recipe were enough, and many methods differed from real-life techniques. There was no need for a teacher.

More and more stray cats came to her villa for food, though, especially now that autumn and winter were settling in. Luckily, her villa was in a secluded area, so no one noticed the growing feline population.