[Ding! The World choice is detected...
Selection function is triggered...
Please choose one of the options...
• [1] Explain the situation and hand over the check to Grace.
Reward: LV 50 Pseudo-Immortal Martial Art skill.
• [2] Tell her the truth that you spent those 5000 UC to trigger her hidden talent.
Reward: God-Level Business skill.
• [3] Deny giving her money and tear the check.
Reward: -20 favorability of Grace for you (Current 75) & Increase +50 favorability towards the protagonist. (Current 0).]
'Huh!? Why is the 3rd option always like that? Wait! How can Grace's affection for the protagonist increase?'
Alex was once again dumbfounded by the third option's stupid choice. It was the same thing for Rose; now it's happened again with Grace.
He wanted to complain, but he noticed the 3rd option reward. This system would not do the blood-boiling thing as sending a woman to the protagonist.
So the only explanation is that the protagonist will appear to help her, which means the plot is changing. What he feared the most.
After all, currently, his knowledge of the plot is his best weapon against the protagonist after the system.
[Ding! Host, you don't have to worry. There will be minor changes in the plot, but the main plot will not change. This is just a world that will try to recover the plot.
But it's the limit of the world's will to make this small change in the world. It cannot interfere with the main plot and the people, so the host doesn't have to be afraid of being struck by heavenly thunder.]
Seeing that Alex misunderstood, the system quickly explained it.
The world's will is like the rule of this world, whose job is to protect and maintain the protagonist, but because it is a rule, then it can't be too partial. That's why, at best, it can push some plot ahead of time, but it can't directly interfere with it.
'Okay!? So I don't have to worry about the will of the world? That's good.'
Hearing the explanation of the system, Alex sighed in relief. Other than plot changes, he was most worried about the interference of the world's will.
But now, he could openly oppose the protagonist without worrying about anyone. He just had to make sure he was careful enough to do it because, even without the interference of the will, the protagonist still had a lot of luck.
Although luck is an invisible thing and can't be trusted too much, it did affect a person's life. This effect is enough to tilt the favor of the life and death of a person.
"System, I choose the 2nd option."
Alex decided to think of that later. At this moment, Grace was waiting for his answer.
"Ohh, th-that, I already spent 5000 UC."
So after selecting the 2nd option, he said these words to the eager Grace.
He didn't lie; old Alex already had spent all those 5000 UC in a day. After all, in his mind, he was the boyfriend of the Exotica company president. The company which comes in the top 3 beauty companies in the state.
The only reason he was taking money from his spare tire was that Alia gave him cash. She could buy him what he wants, but that too with her card. She didn't give him any credit card like ML gives to FL in the novels.
"What!!! Did you spend it? Th-Then you don't have any money?"
Hearing Alex saying this thing in a casual tone, Grace felt like something had broken in her. The hope that just rose had fallen once again.
This news hurt her the most. A feeling of dread spread in her heart, and the helplessness of this situation hit her heart.
After all, it was not the real hopelessness when you didn't have hope, but it is when you saw the hope but lost it, when you are very close to being able to escape from your despair. That moment, a person really falls into the abyss, the void of any hope, a true hopelessness.
"Yeah, I treated my friends to dinner in a good restaurant."
Alex continued talking in a non-caring tone as if he didn't see the despair in her eyes. He let god-level acting do its job. It's really a blessing to get this skill; if not, he really couldn't act like the brain-dead tsundere. From the 3rd perspective, he saw how much his words hurt her. He saw the shine of her eyes dim, visible to the naked eye.
To be honest, he kinda felt guilty for putting her through this, but he couldn't help it. His life was on the line. The protagonist of this novel was meant for that. So there were lots of crazy things given to him by the stupid author.
All kinds of super powerful stuff from heaven and earth to stupidly powerful superpowers, and of course, on each turn, there would be a woman who helps him in his conquest.
You could say that the protagonist didn't even let go of the female dog. Each and every beautiful woman had to be in his harem. That's the iron rule of this novel. If it was a novel he was reading before he transmigrated, he should have loved this type of novel, but the problem is that he was in this novel as a villain.
He was just glad that the protagonist didn't possess the system, or he couldn't even imagine what kinda powers it would pull out of it.
"Y-You don't have any mo-money on you now?"
Grace tremblingly asked. She just wanted to hear that he was joking and pulled out the cash, but that didn't happen.
"Not really, I have a few hundred bucks on me."
Seeing that it was not enough emotional impact yet to trigger her talent, he had to continue with this thing. Just give her hope in the first half of the sentence and take it away in the other half.
"That—"
As he predicted, hope ignited in Grace's heart hearing his first words, but that again died down hearing his last words.
[Ding! Raider target lost -10 favorability for the host. Currently 65.]
[Ding! Target goes through a lot of emotional stimulation. Successfully unlocked her hidden talent.
The 2nd selection option is complete, and rewards are being distributed...
• God-Level skill is rewarded.]
As the system's voice fell, Alex felt lots of information related to business appear in his mind. Some additional things appeared, but this time, there was no time for him to look into them.
"Is that so... Don't worry about it, Alex. I will arrange something."
Grace felt a bang in her mind and felt a little pain in her brain, but she ignored that. At this moment, the pain in her was too much.
She felt a mixture of feelings. On one hand, she felt betrayed and thought Alex was playing with her, but on another hand, she was glad that he at least owned up to it. She knew it would take a lot of courage to admit something like this.
As for his rude and uncaring words, she ignored them. In her mind, he was someone who was not able to notice emotions quickly, so she thought he just said those words without thinking about it.
"Oh... I almost forgot because of you. Here, this is for Aunty Gloria. You don't take it the wrong way."
After completion of the task, he decided not to play with her anymore and quickly handed over the check, of course without breaking his character.
"What is this—What!!!? This is too much money. You, how—No, I can't accept this much money, Alex. I just needed 5000."
Grace half-heartedly opened the "paper" in her eyes, but as she saw what it was, her eyes almost fell out.
This was a check for the exact amount of the fees needed for the surgery of her mother. Holding the check, she at first felt unreal, but after she saw the name of the giver, the Exotica company, she believed it was real.
She knew Alex was the boyfriend of Alia, the president of the Exotica company.
After all, Alia was personally warning her to stay away from Alex, but she too was stubborn. Once she likes someone, she would not give up easily. So a cold war was happening between them.
"Take it or not; it's not up to you. Did you not hear? I said I gave this money to my beautiful aunty, so use it now. If something happens to her because of your stupid pride, I will never spare you."
Well... He spoke the standard words of a tsundere. After all, this kinda setup she likes to eat. She also falls for the protagonists in the plot because of this trait.
"Th-Thank you. I will never forget this, Alex."
Grace was overwhelmed with emotions. There was huge guilt that she doubted him, and there was the relief of getting money for the surgery. There was also another strong emotion which she dared not show yet.
So she was able to speak only these few words in a trembling tone. She made a pact in her heart that she would never doubt him again.
[Ding! +30 favorability increased for you by Raider target. (Current 95)]
"Yeah, yeah. Hurry up and submit that check. Banks will close soon."
Alex acted as his character and asked her to leave and submit that check. It was now close to evening. If she did not hurry up now, banks would close.
"But—"
"Don't worry; I will be here to take care of my aunt. You go and come back quickly."
Grace wanted to be worried about no one being here to respond to any emergency calls, but Alex already knew what she would say, so he volunteered to stay there.
Of course, there was a different motive behind it too. He wanted to check if he predicted right and the protagonist does show up here.
"Okay. Thank you once again. I will be coming back very soon."
Grace just wanted to hear these words, so after getting his confirmation, she hurriedly left the ward. But unlike before, this time there were no tears in her gem-like eyes, but a sweet smile adorned her slender soft lips.
"Sorry, sir; that's the private section of the ward. You can't enter it without the visiting pass."
After Grace leaves, the sound of an argument falls on Alex's ears. At first, he ignores it, but then very familiar words are spoken by the other party.
(A/N: Yoo, guys. How are you? Also, there will be a lemon that will start soon after chapter 10.
Point out the mistakes in the grammar if you find any.
Like always, thank you for reading and have a good day 😁.)