This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist

By the time Rita arrived at the hospital, it was already too late. The baby in Scarlett's womb had mysteriously vanished, as if swallowed by something, and no examination could determine the cause. The strange status effect Scarlett had experienced that morning, called [Law of the Jungle], had also disappeared.

Scarlett lay in her hospital bed, eating fruit, showing no trace of sadness; instead, she seemed almost relieved. Eleanor, too, looked calm. When Rita entered, Eleanor was just getting ready to leave, with her purse in hand. She looked Rita up and down before saying, "You're here?"

Even after the game's invasion, Eleanor still kept up her meticulous appearance. Her top was a simple, almost unattractive leather armor, while her pants were black with white magical patterns, styled like loose, comfortable trousers. Somehow, she had draped a linen coat with a Lania Kaia design over the leather armor, accessorized with trinkets matching the pants, including all sorts of dangling items that didn't look cluttered but rather like a carefully cultivated aesthetic.

Even her handbag matched her outfit, and with her silver short hair and light makeup, she looked at least a hundred times more fashionable and cool than Shadow.Q.

Rita suppressed her swirling emotions and greeted her with a smile, "Grandma."

Eleanor nodded, setting her purse back on the coffee table before sitting down again.

Rita didn't see Samuel around, so she moved to the bed and took out some of Scarlett's favorite dishes. "What happened? How did it just… disappear?"

Scarlett gently patted Rita's hand with a smile. "It's gone, and that's that. I'm honestly fine, Rita. This child didn't matter much to me. Having you and Rick is enough. It's your father who's upset."

Rita sometimes wondered if Scarlett had any worries at all. No matter what happened, she always seemed so cheerful, in both this life and the previous one. She had always been the happiest person in the family.

Despite Samuel's selfishness, his ingrained disregard for women, and Rick's cold detachment, both men had always treated Scarlett quite well.

Even people like Zoey Sanchez and Camila… well, they'd like Scarlett's posts on social media.

Scarlett eagerly pulled out her phone, her eyes darting around. "Where's Nivalis? Where's Nivalis?"

Invisible, Nivalis tugged at Rita's ear.

Inwardly, Rita said to Nivalis, "I may have a grudge with her, but I don't mind if you want to play with her. Last time, I was just… just a bit jealous. Go ahead. See, I'm even chatting with her. It wouldn't be fair if only I got to play with her. If you enjoy talking to her, go for it."

Nivalis responded with surprise, "Jealous? I only like you the most. Who could you possibly be jealous of?"

Rita, slightly embarrassed, said, "… Go on, go play!" The sweetness was too much for her to handle.

With a grin, Nivalis appeared, flying over to Scarlett and posing for photos.

With Scarlett distracted by her dragon friend, Rita sat beside Eleanor and placed the gifts she had brought on the table. "Grandma, these are for you."

Eleanor didn't hesitate. After handing over some cooking supplies she had prepared for Rita, she began inspecting the bags of rice Rita had brought. "These are rice? I've never seen anything like them."

As she spoke, she brought each one to her nose, savoring the unique fragrances.

Rita began introducing the different types. "These are all from Lania Kaia. This triangular one is a bit bitter but has a cooling effect; it's very calming to eat. The donut-shaped one has a texture like snow—it won't lose its shape no matter how long you cook it, but it melts in your mouth…"

Eleanor listened with rapt attention, occasionally tasting a single grain to appreciate the flavors. She was more intrigued by their taste than by any effects they might have.

Even Hannah and Harriet, standing nearby, were captivated. Though both were familiar with all kinds of rare ingredients, they'd never seen rice like this from Lania Kaia. It wasn't even listed in the exchange catalog.

While Scarlett and Nivalis were thoroughly engrossed in taking photos and editing them, Samuel entered the room. He didn't look distressed; aside from the faint sorrow etched by recent misfortunes, his expression remained largely unaffected.

Respectfully, he placed some food in front of Eleanor. Though she couldn't even be bothered to speak to him, he still wore a respectful smile. He then went over to Scarlett's side, doing his best to play the role of a devoted husband.

Seeing Samuel drained Eleanor's enthusiasm. After exchanging a few more words with Rita, she stood up to leave, inviting Rita to stay at her place that evening.

Before she left, Eleanor also informed Samuel and Scarlett that, after today, they shouldn't come to her home anymore.

The two had differing reactions: Samuel looked relieved, while Scarlett seemed somewhat disappointed.

Samuel had brought Scarlett to Eleanor's home to avoid Rick. Now that the baby was gone, they had no reason to stay. Although Eleanor had let him inside, he knew she did it only to better reprimand him.

She had allowed them to stay solely because Scarlett was pregnant.

Eleanor would never forgive him. She wasn't the type to endure hardship for the sake of receiving others' admiration or praise. Even if the one causing her distress was her own son, it made no difference.

Perhaps in the early years, if Samuel had come back and apologized, Eleanor might have given him a second chance. But he had left for nineteen years without a backward glance…

Now that he wanted to return, Eleanor would only make him pay dearly for it.

Rita didn't object to staying with Eleanor. Her main purpose for coming to B City had already been accomplished. Staying at Eleanor's place not only allowed her to avoid unnecessary trouble but also gave her the opportunity to learn more about cooking.

While Rita had resolved to keep her relationship with Eleanor cordial but distant, she wouldn't decline an invitation now that she was in B City, especially since she had brought meaningful gifts.

Currently, Rita's cooking skills rarely surpassed a score of 85—good enough for tasty dishes but still far from national banquet standards, where dishes could add attribute points.

Eleanor was most skilled in baking, though her other culinary skills were also impressive. Decades of experience far outstripped Rita's year and a half of learning. While Rita's baking and cooking were both decent, they were essentially amateurish, picked up from Lania Kaia's chefs. Eleanor's guidance would be invaluable, even if only to help Rita refine her direction for improvement.