After receiving a brief explanation from the system, I finally learned that my soul had been transferred into the body of Helcia Orszebet, the illegitimate daughter of Gideon Davenport.
The moment I found out, I smacked my forehead so hard I nearly knocked myself out. Thankfully, I didn't hit the wound on my forehead, or I might have died a second time.
"Of all the bodies out there, why this one?" I groaned, letting out a heavy sigh before staring blankly at the ceiling.
[The system has transferred your soul into an available body, Host.]
So, in other words … it was a random choice.
Whenever I hear the word 'random', I immediately imagine the worst possible outcome.
I mean, seriously, I'm the kind of person who always rolls a one on dice or pulls nothing but useless double cards in gacha games.
No surprise I ended up stuck in this body, the body of some illegitimate daughter whose name I had never even heard online.
Gideon Davenport, though? Oh, I knew that name all too well. He was the founder of DN Entertainment, the damned company that used to manage me.
The same agency that dropped me like garbage the moment the media storms got too wild. They threw me to the wolves, let the scandals tear me apart, and left me with no choice but to fight back on my own!
I could still remember the press conferences, the flashing cameras, the endless headlines dragging my name through the mud, all while DN Entertainment stayed silent after tossing out a few cold statements, pretending I had nothing to do with them anymore.
"Fucking hell!" I kicked the blanket off and threw a tantrum on the bed, anger boiling in my chest. Why the hell was my luck always this rotten?
But after a minute, I stopped because my head was spinning again, and my strength was fading until even breathing felt like a struggle.
"If you really wanted to give me a second chance," I panted, "then why the hell would you dump me in a half-dead body?"
[The system has calculated that survival is still possible with this body, Host.]
"Possible?!" I barked out a laugh that sounded more like a wheeze. "Look at me! I can barely sit up without feeling like the world is spinning! If this is what you call possible, then I don't even want to know what impossible looks like."
Besides, didn't Madeline say that I was just hit by a truck? How the hell is this body still functioning after being run over by a truck?!
[Host, please calm down. The system exists to help you.]
[The system only transfers souls into bodies that died from a heart attack, because it can only restart a stopped heart.]
[For your information, Helcia wasn't actually hit by the truck. She managed to dodge, but ended up falling and slamming her head against the asphalt instead.]
[You feel weak right now because your body is still healing, but the system believes you'll be able to run in no time!]
In other words, Madeline had exaggerated the story.
Speaking of her, I finally remembered who she was.
She was Madeline Davenport, the one and only daughter of Gideon and Addison Davenport.
If I wasn't mistaken, she had just debuted as an actress this year. Her movie didn't do well, and people said her acting was mid at best. But with that pretty face and her "innocent" charm, she got showered in spotlights, and brands lined up to make her their ambassador.
Though honestly, I'd bet half of those opportunities came from her father's connections.
Because let's be real, without that backing, no newbie actress gets to be an ambassador for so many brands in such a short time. It even took me almost five years to finally get recognized by the public.
Unfortunately … all of that hard work of mine disappeared in an instant because of some stupid fake rumors.
I let out another sigh, heavier this time. "I literally just celebrated my thirty-second birthday last week."
I guess people were right when they said death loves hanging around birthdays.
"Can you explain this … money-making system to me?" I asked.
Not long after, I heard the system's voice in my head again.
[The Money-Making System will provide you with various missions. Complete them, and you'll earn money system that can be exchanged for real money, resources, or even valuable assets!]
"Did you just say real money?"
[Yes, Host! Cash, gold, stocks, properties, businesses, whatever you desire. As long as you have enough money, it can be yours!]
My jaw almost hit the floor. In my past life, I worked myself to the bone and still ended up broke, accused, and slandered, and now this system was offering me money on a silver platter?
"This isn't some scam where you promise to make me a millionaire, then suddenly I owe you interest, right?" I asked suspiciously.
[Of course not, Host! The more missions you complete, the richer you'll become.]
[Every week, you will receive two missions. Complete them, and you will earn money that can be transferred into your real bank account!]
[More than that, if you can complete two main quests, the system will guarantee you an unlimited source of money!]
UNLIMITED MONEY?!
"L-let me see the main missions again," I said with a trembling voice. Earlier, I hadn't read the main quests carefully since I was still too confused by the whole situation.
[Main Quest:
Become the Nation's Treasure (0%)
Earn 100% of Lando Brixton's Favor (0%)]
"What?"
My eyes widened as the glowing screen flashed in front of me. Even though I could now process the words, I was still completely baffled.
Become the Nation's Treasure? What was I supposed to be, some museum artifact on display? And besides that, who the hell was Lando Brixton, and why did I have to earn his favor specifically?
Wait … was he supposed to be my future husband? But if that's true, then why was his favorability sitting at a solid zero?!
[You and he will marry because of a family arrangement, Host.]
Great. So not only was I stuck with a husband who didn't love me, but it was also a forced marriage?!
Hold on … the surname Brixton did ring a bell in my head.
Holy shit!
"Wait … don't tell me he's from that Brixton family?" I asked the system.
[Yes, Host! He is from 'THAT' Brixton family.]
I almost dropped dead on the spot when I heard those words.
The Brixtons weren't just some wealthy family living in the capital, they were one of the most influential dynasties in all of Velmont Country.
Their influence stretched from entertainment to politics, and just hearing their name was enough to shut an entire room into silence.
However, I didn't remember the Brixton family ever having a son named Lando.
Didn't Madeline say he was a cripple? Was that why his family kept him hidden from the public eye?
[Host! You're the first Host who's ever managed to piece things together this quickly!]
[But that's not the only reason, Host! He was kept hidden from the public because he's the illegitimate son of Victor Brixton!]
[Isn't that adorable, Host? His situation is exactly the same as yours right now!]
I was left speechless after hearing the system's overly cheerful but completely unhelpful comment.
Adorable? Seriously? What's so "cute" about being the illegitimate child of a powerful family?!
At best, the only thing people like us could do at family gatherings was sit in the corner and cry together!