This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist

Chapter 44: The Value of the "Wheel of Fate

It wasn't just Rita who had grown accustomed to these dinners—so had Scarlett and Samuel. Each time, Samuel would bring out a bottle of his latest liquor, claiming, "This is the good stuff your uncle's been saving for special occasions. Since you're Rick's friend, I'll treat you like a son. Come, let's have a drink together!" The cups and the lines never changed.

As expected, when Rita entered the private room, she saw Julian, whom she had met not long ago in City B. But now, he looked worn out, as though he was about to break apart.

Although his eyes lit up briefly when he saw Rita, his mood quickly sank again. Lately, Julian had been incredibly unlucky—he hadn't won a single game, not even when the odds were in his favor. The situation with his fans had blown up, and the people he had offended in City B had come after him. Even staying home doing nothing, he would choke on his food...

When everyone sat down, Rick seemed more anxious than Julian himself, immediately pulling out a five-pound gold bar and handing it to Rita. "Sis, please help my friend out. He's had the worst luck recently."

Rita didn't bother with modesty. She was wary that if she refused, Rick might take back the gold brick without further insistence. She skillfully dodged Scarlett's elbow jabs, pocketed the gold bar, and then used her skill on Julian.

It didn't take much thought for Rita to realize what had likely happened: Julian had probably eaten food Rick had made, but hadn't paid for it.

With Rick's dishes, it wasn't just about skipping the bill—Rick secretly cooked and served people without letting them know they needed to pay! By paying Rita to boost Julian's luck, Rick was doing him a favor, adding a sweetener to build more trust and gratitude.

This was a tactic Rick had used on her in the past.

But now, seeing Rick manipulate a brother who had once been his trusted companion, Rita only felt validated in coming to this dinner—she could probably eat an extra two bowls of rice with this new insight.

Rita decisively boosted Julian's luck to 10, letting him experience the charm of **Another Happy Day**. From Rick's attitude, it seemed like Julian would likely become a regular customer of her services in the future.

Even when the game invaded reality, this skill would be a goldmine.

When defeating a boss and opening a treasure chest, wouldn't **Another Happy Day** be essential?

Rick, on the other hand, found no issue with Rita's attitude. In fact, this suited his plan perfectly—her indifference only highlighted how good a friend Rick was to Julian.

When Rita finally got home, it was late, but she still spent another hour preparing food for the cats in her yard.

The weather had turned colder, and more and more cats were seeking refuge in her yard. Rita had a custom pet house built, installed heated mats, and arranged it all inside. There were so many cats now that she couldn't bear to see the weaker ones freezing outside while the stronger ones slept comfortably.

She even installed a motion-sensor faucet, so any passing cat could have fresh water whenever they needed it.

That was as much as she could do for them.

Rita squatted by the floor-to-ceiling windows, facing the yard, where a calico cat was pawing at the door, wanting to come inside.

She wagged her finger at it, saying, "Not a chance."

—"Meow~"

"Impossible," she replied coldly, getting up and walking away.

Over the next few days, Rita continued upgrading the cats' backyard. She bought some cat toys and climbing frames and even installed a retractable canopy that could shield them from the rain while still letting in sunlight.

She justified her actions by telling herself that she was merely ensuring the cat bed would mutate after the game's invasion—not because she was softening up to the cats.

As she busied herself, she kept pondering the pricing for **Wheel of Fate**. The more she thought about it, the more she realized her paranoia was flaring up again. The skill was just as dangerous as **Roleplay**.

A Divine Gift that could alter luck and swap attributes wasn't rated **B-class** for no reason.