Chapter 2

“System, I’m abandoning the mission.”

“If the host chooses to abandon the mission, you will be erased by the system. Do you confirm?”

A bitter laugh escaped my lips as I listened to the system’s cold, mechanical voice. "I confirm."

Just as I came to my senses, the hospital room door burst open with a kick.

Eleanor walked in, leaning on Liam, her voice like shards of ice. “Liam is still sick, and you’re making him cook you porridge! You really think you’re something, don't you?!”

I couldn’t even bothered to lift an eyelid, scoffing, “Liam is someone my family pays to work for us. If he doesn’t cook, do you expect me to trouble your highness, Miss Eleanor, to do it herself?”

Then, I looked at Vivian and Chloe, who stood a little further from my bed. “Or… do you two sisters want to step in?”

My subtly mocking words instantly made their faces fall.

Vivian got angry, pointing at me as she harshly rebuked, “Julian! All we’re asking for is one of your kidneys!”

“You won’t die without one kidney, and this one is to save Liam’s life!”

I was so furious, I laughed.

To get a kidney for Liam, they had knocked me out and dragged me to the hospital.

If I hadn’t woken up on the operating table in time, my kidney would probably be inside Liam right now.

I scanned the three of them, a slow smile forming on my lips as I articulated each word. “Please get this straight, all three of you. First, you are my arranged marriage partners, not Liam’s.”

“Second, I am the primary heir of the Hayes family. Liam is just a staff member. How dare he take my kidney? Are you out of your minds?”

Liam carefully brought a thermos to my bedside, his eyes red as he said, “Master, I know my place. How would I ever dare to take yours…”

I impatiently waved him off. “Get that away from me. I wouldn’t dare drink anything from you!”

The next second, Liam unexpectedly stumbled and fell to the floor, the scalding hot porridge spilling all over him.

He shrieked sharply, “It’s burning! Ah!”

Eleanor reacted first, rushing over to embrace Liam with a heartbroken expression.

Vivian and Chloe also anxiously crowded around him.

Watching this scene, I froze.

I hadn’t even touched Liam. How could he have fallen?

But in that brief moment of stunned confusion, Eleanor immediately rose.

She furiously grabbed my neck, her voice razor-sharp, “Julian! Why did you hurt Liam?!”

I choked, struggling to pry Eleanor’s fingers off. “Let… go. I didn’t touch him! He himself…”

Just as the words left my mouth, Liam surprisingly knelt in front of the spilled porridge, his hands trembling as he scooped it up and fed it to himself. “Master, I just cooked this porridge this morning. I truly didn’t do anything to it…”

“Please, don’t kick me out, okay? This is the only job I have to support myself!”

Liam’s actions completely ignited Eleanor’s rage. Her eyes practically wanted to gouge me out. “Julian! Today, you’re drinking this porridge whether you like it or not! Otherwise…”

“I will break off the engagement with the Hayes family!”

Vivian and Chloe echoed her with harsh voices, “If Eleanor doesn’t want you, then we won’t marry you either!”

A searing pain suddenly shot through my chest.

I swallowed back the tears threatening to spill, gritting my teeth as I said, “Do you really think you three are the only ones I can marry?”

Before I could finish, my arms were pinned down by Vivian and Chloe, one on each side.

Eleanor went back, scooped the porridge from under Liam into a bowl, and once again seized my jaw.

My body instinctively recoiled from the bowl of porridge. My pupils constricted, and I yelled, “Eleanor! Stop! Don’t you know I’m allergic to yams?!”

Eleanor’s hand visibly paused, a flicker of doubt in her eyes.

But Vivian and Chloe didn't believe me, scoffing with disdain. “Stop lying! We’ve never heard of you being allergic to yams!”

An expression of disbelief slowly spread across my face.

How was that possible?

In the first year after my rebirth, I had clearly told them all three about my yam allergy.

They were so worried the staff might make a mistake that they had even written it down themselves on a sticky note on the fridge.

How could they not know? Unless…