Forget that for now, the real question was, could I actually raise his favorability all the way to one hundred percent?
If what Madeline said about my face—or rather, Helcia's face—was true, then how was I ever supposed to win Lando's heart? Even if he was desperate, he grew up surrounded by the rich, where beauty itself was often used as a weapon to gain power and money.
So honestly, I wasn't sure he could ever fall for me or even spare me a glance if I looked too "hideous."
[Do you want to see your face, Host?]
I hesitated, then nodded. "Yes."
A second later, the hologram panel in front of me shifted into a mirror, reflecting my current face.
"What … the hell is this?" I swallowed hard, almost unable to believe what I was seeing.
No, no, no, I wasn't reacting that way because I thought I looked awful. It was actually the opposite.
This face … it was so beautiful I couldn't believe Madeline had the audacity to call it ugly.
Sure, my forehead was wrapped in bandages and I had a few cuts on my cheeks and chin, but even through all that, the beauty was obvious. This face had the kind of potential that could easily belong to a goddess.
My old face had been pretty too, but Helcia's face had a rare kind of beauty. It wasn't the type you could buy or copy, it was one-of-a-kind, impossible to recreate, even by the best plastic surgeon.
Her skin was fair and smooth like porcelain, her nose was delicate, and her lips were naturally full and rosy, the kind that curved into an effortless pout.
But what completely stole my attention were her eyes. She had big, almond-shaped eyes, and when the light touched them, her blue irises shimmered with a faint purple glow, almost as if she had violet eyes.
Still … as breathtaking as her face was, what the hell happened to her hair?
I clicked my tongue in irritation, twirling a few strands between my fingers. They were dry, brittle, and lifeless, clearly the result of being fried by straighteners one too many times.
And to make things worse, she had dyed it blonde. Blonde! When it was obvious her natural hair was black.
Oh, for fuck's sake.
Why would anyone ruin beautiful black hair by turning it into this fried mess of yellow? It was like watching a priceless masterpiece get vandalized.
Maybe … she was trying to look like Madeline. After being constantly called ugly by her sister, maybe Helcia started to believe it and tried to change herself, starting with her hair.
I let out a harsh sigh, realizing that words truly were a powerful weapon, one that could break someone into pieces without spilling a single drop of blood.
On top of that, the constant bullying must have made her feel so worthless that she resorted to extreme dieting.
How did I know that? Well, when I looked down, my hands and legs were so thin they almost looked fragile, the kind of thin that only comes from malnourishment.
Oh, what a poor woman.
She probably died without ever getting the chance to release all that anger at the family who had neglected her for years.
I swore on my own name I would make that family regret ever wasting a diamond like her.
I would make sure they never treated Helcia Orzsebet—which is me now—like their doormat ever again.
Well, I guess I could make that happen if I completed enough quests from the system and earned plenty of money.
Once I cleared my main quests, no one would ever dare to look down on me again, not Helcia's family, and not the people who ruined me in my past life.
But before I could even think about completing my main quests, I needed to get better first.
[The system will not provide you with any weekly quests until your body reaches minimum health, Host.]
At least it was understanding, unlike my old agency, which kept pushing me to work even when I was burning with fever.
They even had the nerve to call me "unprofessional" just because I wanted a day off when my asthma got bad.
Oh, that damned DN Entertainment, just thinking about their name was enough to make my blood boil all over again.
• • •
One week later, my body had finally recovered, healing even faster than the doctor thought possible.
"Ms. Orszebet, I must say your recovery has been going really well." The doctor looked over my chart, then gave me a kind smile. "If this keeps up, you should be able to leave the hospital tomorrow."
Tomorrow, huh? Finally.
I'd had enough of staring at white walls and smelling disinfectant every day.
More than that, I would finally have a chance to earn some money from the system. I couldn't wait to find out what kind of quest it would give me.
[Do you want to hear it now, Host? After checking your health, the system has decided you are ready to receive your first quest!]
The moment the doctor left, I sat up straighter. "Yes, please."
[Mission of the Week (1/2)]
[Mission: Refuse the Trash Label.]
[Goal: When a Davenport family member calls you 'trash' or 'illegitimate,' talk back at least once instead of staying silent.]
[Reward: $1,000]
[Time Limit: 3 days.]
A thousand bucks? Not bad for my first paycheck. Considering Helcia was drowning in a mountain of debt—one million dollars, to be exact—I needed to cling to every single cent this system threw at me.
Honestly, I still had no idea how she managed to rack up that kind of debt in the first place.
The system said her memories would slowly drip into my mind, but after a whole week, I was only getting random fragments, so I barely knew anything about her.
"What if her family suspects I'm not really her?" I asked.
[Don't worry, Host. Helcia rarely interacted with her family. So if your behavior is different, they probably won't notice or they'll just assume you've lost your mind.]
That was … depressing, yet kind of convenient at the same time.
After a moment, I finally asked, "So, I see that you have a time limit … but what if I can't finish the quest before it runs out? What happens then?"
[The system would deduct 50% of your failed reward from your account.]
My eyes twitched. My current balance was barely sixty bucks, and if the system deducted $500 from my account, that meant my debt would just keep piling up.
[Oh, don't worry, Host. The system truly believes you can finish every quest it gives you!]
[And lucky for you, the main quests don't have a time limit. So do your best, Host!]
I let out a long sigh. "Yeah, yeah."
At least I was sure I could handle this first mission without too much trouble.
The next day arrived faster than I thought. After packing my things and slipping into the clothes the nurse had left for me, I was finally ready to leave the hospital.
Of course, none of Helcia's so-called "family" bothered to show up. There was not a single flower, not a single call, not even a fake "get well soon" card.
The best they could do was send a driver. How considerate.
The ride didn't take long. Before I knew it, the sleek black car rolled up to the Davenport estate, a massive mansion with towering gates that screamed money and power.
Once I stepped out, I looked around, stunned by how vast their property was. The distance from the gate to the main house alone would take at least thirty minutes on foot.
Unfortunately, before I could admire the house any longer, I saw a familiar face, the one that often appeared on television, storming out of the mansion and shouting at me, "Why are you just standing there like a stupid dog?!"
She was Addison Davenport, Madeline's mother, or more precisely, Gideon Davenport's oh-so-proper legal wife.
She marched toward me, her eyes filled with hatred and disgust. I hadn't even said a word yet when she grabbed my wrist and yanked so hard it made me wince.
"Your crippled fiancé has been waiting for you!" Addison hissed at me, though she kept her voice low, maybe she was afraid someone from the Brixton family might overhear her.