CHAPTER 134: THE HUSBAND WHO ALWAYS SAYS “IT’S ON ME”

"I wasn’t thinking anything bad," he said quickly, looking away. "Alright, if you’re really sure, then go ahead. I’ll keep an eye on the share movement. If it drops too much, I’ll tell you so you can pull out right away."

I nodded immediately because I knew he understood this world far better than I did.

[Ding! Ding!]

[Retracted $312,988 from Host’s account!]

[Remaining Balance: $312,988]

Not long after that, Penny made another announcement.

[Congratulations, Host! You’ve successfully completed your mission: Planting Seeds Before Launch!]

[Reward: $75,000 has been credited to your account.]

[Remaining Balance: $387,988]

I bit the inside of my lip when I saw how drastically my money had dropped.

[Ding! Ding!]

[Random Quest!]

[Quest: Make sure Addison Davenport comes to the trial!]

[Reward: $175,000]

[Time Limit: 8 days.]

I blinked several times when I saw the quest appear on the hologram panel. I hadn’t even heard anything from Ethan about the trial yet, but since Penny had given me that kind of quest, he would definitely contact me sooner or later.

Right as I thought that, Lando’s phone—which was on the table—buzzed, and the screen showed the name "Ethan Rowell."

At this point, instead of a money-making system, I was seriously starting to suspect that Penny was actually a future-sight system.

"Yes, Mr. Rowell?" Lando answered as he lifted the phone to his ear. But a moment later, he set it back on the table and pressed the speaker button.

"Good afternoon, Miss Orszebet," Ethan greeted politely.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Rowell," I replied. "Do you have any updates regarding the trial?"

Ethan hummed thoughtfully before speaking. "I’ve already registered your case with the court, and the summons has been sent to Mrs. Addison Davenport. If everything follows the schedule, the trial will be held in five days."

"This trial is very important, so you are required to be present in court," he added. "Will you be able to make time for it, Miss Orszebet?"

I clenched my fist tightly—finally, this moment had come. I truly couldn’t wait to see Addison’s face in court.

"Of course, Mr. Rowell. I’ll make time for it," I said confidently.

We then discussed several matters, such as what documents I needed to prepare and what I had to do to increase our chances of winning.

In short, Ethan told me not to speak unless he gave me permission during the trial. That way, I wouldn’t accidentally say something outside his control.

Of course, I would obey. It would be foolish to ignore the advice of a lawyer.

After about twenty minutes of discussion, the call finally came to an end.

"Alright then, Miss Orszebet," Ethan said, "I’ll contact you again if I need anything from you."

"Yes, thank you for your hard work, Mr. Rowell," I replied.

Lando reached forward and tapped the screen to turn off the speaker. For a moment, the room fell quiet, the only sound coming from the faint hum of the air conditioner.

I let out a slow breath I didn’t realize I had been holding.

"Five days," I murmured. "It’s finally happening."

Lando looked at me, studying my face carefully. "Are you nervous?"

"A little," I admitted. "But I’m more excited than anything. Addison has been running her mouth for too long. It’s time she finally takes responsibility."

She was the main reason Helcia felt like she had been living in hell all the time. I could understand why Addison behaved that way, but still... directing your anger at a child was something completely beyond reason.

"I guess it’s time for me to go home." I put all my things into my bag. "I don’t want to bother you any longer."

Since the game would be released soon, I was sure he still had plenty of work to do besides that one-hour meeting.

He didn’t try to stop me either, which was a sign that he really was busy.

"Helcia," he called out right as I stood up. "Once Addison receives the court summons, she might try to contact you. Or worse, she might even try to harm you. That’s why... let me hire some bodyguards for you, at least until the trial ends."

I looked at him in disbelief, but after thinking it through, it didn’t sound unreasonable. After all, better safe than sorry.

I nodded. "How about I pay 50% for the bodyguards?" I asked. "And I’ll pay the rest after I get my fee."

Lando frowned. "Why would you pay? It’s on me. You don’t have to worry about that."

"You don’t have to worry about that."

I had no idea how many times I’d heard Lando say those words to me.

Back then, I always handled everything by myself because I truly couldn’t rely on anyone else. Maybe that was why I lived with so much stress all the time.

But ever since I started living with Lando, my stress had decreased drastically, and every time I heard him say that I didn’t have to worry about anything, I really stopped worrying.

Sometimes, I was scared that I would become too dependent on him, and if one day he decided to abandon me, I wouldn’t be able to live on my own anymore.

But like Penny said, no one knows the future, so maybe I just needed to cherish this moment while it lasted.

"Thank you, Lando." I bent down and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. "You’re such a great husband."

His ears turned red almost instantly, and not long after that, I received a notification from Penny.

[Lando’s favorability has increased by 2%]

[Host, if you stop kissing him on the cheek and land your kiss somewhere else, his favorability will definitely rise drastically!]

[You can try it now if you—]

Before Penny could finish her sentence, I rushed toward the door and said, "Bye, husband! Good luck at work!"

[Host, you’re such a coward!]

Shut up! I yelled at Penny in my mind, already feeling annoyed because she kept telling me to kiss Lando somewhere else.