This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist

Rita's first thought was to use her Sleight of Hand skill, but then she reconsidered. "Was it taken using a skill crystal? Something related to a Divine Gift skill?"

Hannah nodded. "That's the initial suspicion, though we don't have concrete evidence yet. Our internal analysis suggests it's possible there's a Divine Gift skill that, when someone repeatedly borrows another's skills or items, they can eventually claim ownership of them. Of course, other possibilities exist, but we're preparing for this one."

Since the incident, the buying and distribution of skill crystals had become much stricter.

Rita's brows furrowed as she asked, "I have a skill I regularly sell to the Special Affairs Bureau. Is there any chance my skill could be compromised?"

Hannah reassured her, "No, don't worry. Ever since this incident, we've been careful. Any skill crystals you sell to the Special Affairs Bureau are handled only by trusted personnel. When a buyer purchases one, they schedule a time to use it, and our staff performs the skill application."

Rita smiled on the outside, saying she felt reassured. But internally, she'd already decided to stop selling the Feeling Blessed skill crystal. Once she returned on the 15th and delivered the last of the skill crystals, she planned to visit Lania Kaia to exchange for some gold, then discuss clearing her accounts with the Special Affairs Bureau. Afterward, she'd share the gold exchange method with them and cease selling Feeling Blessed.

Who knew what conditions might trigger a skill theft? What if it depended on forming a connection, randomly selecting the skill afterward? Or, to think even further, what if the problem lay at the source? What if the person who produced the blank skill crystals had a hidden ability undetectable by the Special Affairs Bureau?

For safety, Rita decided she wouldn't sell Feeling Blessed anymore, nor would she make any skill crystals for her key abilities.

Now that she had Nivalis and her position on the Honor Roll for protection, she didn't need to rely on selling skill crystals for self-defense anymore.

After pushing these thoughts aside, Rita asked, "If I wanted to buy a skill crystal, what would the conditions be? Can I buy them from you?"

Hannah replied, "We can sell to you, but both parties need to register the transaction with the Special Affairs Bureau. How many do you need?"

Rita asked, "How many can I buy?"

Hannah hesitated. "…Three?"

Rita replied, "Only three? What's the price—equipment or gold?"

Nivalis, lifting her head from her meal, joked, "How about dragon dung? Freshly produced."

Hannah and the others stared in stunned silence.

Rita quickly pushed Nivalis's head back into her bowl. "Potions work too."

With Eleanor present, Rita wasn't worried about being taken advantage of. Given Eleanor's Divine Gift skill and her no-nonsense attitude, these people wouldn't dare cross her. Rita took off a ring Rick had given her and handed it over. "How many can I get for this?"

Hannah examined the ring's properties. "Four. Just a moment." She turned to a nearby woman, who promptly handed over a crystal.

After obtaining four blank crystals, Rita displayed a variety of potions, covering the table with rare options, including Damage Delay and Sixth Sense. "Are you interested in any of these?"

Over the next few minutes, the others sold their blank crystals to Rita. Altogether, she acquired fifteen crystals, and the transaction was completed smoothly.

Eleanor didn't say a word throughout but noticeably slowed down her eating when Rita proposed the trade. Her silent support was all the endorsement needed.

…

Rita didn't linger long at Eleanor's house. The skill crystal issue had to be addressed quickly. Whether it involved delivering crystals or negotiating with the Special Affairs Bureau, Rita couldn't afford to delay.

After staying only two nights, Rita and Nivalis prepared to depart on the evening of the 19th. Before she left, Eleanor gave her the upcoming Special Affairs Bureau rewards in advance and even prepared a two-page training regimen. When Rita reached the outlined goals, Eleanor would provide the next steps.

As a token of gratitude, Rita enlisted Nivalis's help to leave behind two large boxes of dragon dung at Eleanor's place.

As she walked out of the alley and turned the corner, Rita looked back one last time, catching a final glimpse of Eleanor standing by the courtyard gate. Only when she could no longer see her did Rita open the game interface, sending Eleanor fifty bottles of various rare potions.

Curious, Nivalis asked, "Why didn't you just give them to her directly?"

Rita replied, "It's… too sentimental…"

Nivalis was baffled. "What's sentimental about it? That's so strange."

Rita thought, How could it not be sentimental? Remembering the words the elder once said offhand and carefully living by them all these years—that's sentimental.

Back at the courtyard gate, Eleanor paused, opening her game inbox. She looked at the potions Rita had sent, remained silent for a moment, then smiled.

Always that kind of person, needing to immediately return any favor or kindness shown to her.

At least, Rita still remembered those unconventional teachings Eleanor had shared with her in her younger years.

On the drive home, Nivalis kept pestering Rita for stories about Pasta Princess.

Rita sighed, "Didn't you say you only cared about the strong?"

Nivalis replied confidently, "Yes, but she won me over with her cooking."

Staring down the endless highway, Rita revisited buried memories, slowly savoring them. After a long pause, she finally spoke, "You know I always keep something hidden, right? No matter who I meet or what happens."

Nivalis nodded. "I know. Even I don't know everything about you."

Rita chuckled at Nivalis's slightly wounded tone. "That's right. No one knows all of me, but you are, without a doubt, the one who knows me best."

Nivalis perked up, satisfied. "Then?"

Rita continued, "The reason I keep things close to my chest… my grandmother, or Pasta Princess, taught me that."

Like in her past life—no matter how moved she was, no matter how much she trusted Rick and the others—she would never give Samuel, Scarlett, or Rick everything of herself.

Whether it was sharing only part of her earnings before the game's invasion or keeping certain opportunities from Rick after, her cautious approach was rooted in Eleanor's teachings.

Samuel had often looked at her with disappointment, wondering why her heart seemed so cold.

Countless times, Rita had been thrown into self-doubt by his words, questioning if she was truly that heartless. But whenever she felt tortured by these thoughts, she would remember Eleanor's words, spoken while standing in the shade of a tree.

Eleanor had told her, "If someone treats you with 5 points of kindness, give them back 6. Even if you only return 5 or even 4, that's still more than enough."

A young Rita had asked, "Why be so stingy? I could give them 10 points of kindness."

Eleanor had replied, "Don't do that, Rita. Never do that. Keep at least 4 points of goodness for yourself."

Young Rita had protested, "But… when someone is good to me, I want to be good to them in return. Isn't that right?"

Eleanor had asked her, "Do you know how to play poker?" Stay tuned for updates on empire

Rita had nodded. "Yes, Scarlett taught me during the New Year."

Eleanor had then explained, "Good. Listen to Grandma. I can't always be with you, so I'll teach you a basic rule. Even if you don't understand it now, keep it in your heart.

"Think of your life as a game of cards. Everything you have, including your emotions, is part of your hand. Don't reveal your cards easily or team up with others too soon. Wait for others to make the first move. If they play one card, you play one card. If they play a pair, you match them. Treat others as they treat you.

"Never let anyone know all the cards in your hand. Save your bombs for critical moments, and hold onto your jokers. Those are your trump cards. Unless you're sure that playing your jokers will let you win against everyone at the table, keep them hidden.

"If there's a secret you don't want others to know, don't tell anyone—not even your father, mother, or brother."

Young Rita had hesitated. "Can I tell you, Grandma?"

Eleanor had smiled gently. "No, not even me. If you must trust someone unreservedly, that person can only be yourself."