The Game Is Mine

There was no love in his eyes, only mockery.

It was as if he were waiting to see a good show, waiting to see how I wouldn’t leave even after knowing the child wasn’t his.

I smiled, ignoring the milk in his hand, and turned back to my room to pack my things.

Perhaps because I no longer had any expectations, my whole body felt much lighter.

Instead, his hand froze midair, his body stiffening noticeably.

-

The door opened, and a woman walked in. She wore a pale yellow dress and moved with graceful elegance.

The woman looked exactly like Shane's deceased wife, and for a moment, I even believed that she'd come back to life. Even her gaze and expressions were oddly similar.

"Let me introduce you. This is Eve Schubert. From now on, she'll be my personal secretary.

"If there's anything, just tell her."

Eve sat delicately on the sofa, but I registered the arrogant glee in her eyes from where I stood just fine.

I chuckled without much of a care. This wasn't the first woman he brought back, and it wouldn't be the last.

Not long ago, he brought three women back with him and ordered me to bathe them, and even to teach them positions that he liked. Then, he told me to stand outside the door as he exchanged intimate words with them.

Another time, while he was accompanying me to the hospital, he spotted a woman that looked like Celine. He immediately threw me out of the car and ordered me to walk all the way to the hotel where they checked in, to wait.

Every time, after it was all over, he would say sweet words to me, "If we're talking about resemblance, you're still the most similar to her."

After that, I'd have to hide my sorrow and stay by his side, time after time. For the sake of my mission, what choice did I have other than swallowing my pain and suffering, helping him to take care of each woman he brought home?

This time was no different.

"She's young, so you'll need to teach her about… those matters.

"Also, she's allergic to dust, so you have to clean every corner of the house. It'll break my heart if she has an allergic reaction."

Shane's arm was wrapped around Eve's waist, his gaze gentle.

Eve lowered her head bashfully. "I only sneezed a few times because of dust, and you remembered!"

"When I saw how uncomfortable you were, I was frantic inside. I couldn’t bear to see you suffer like that."

I almost laughed at the irony as I witnessed this.

There was no way there was dust at home. After all, I was allergic to dust too.

Once, because I accidentally broke a cup his late wife had used, he locked me in the garbage room overnight. My allergies spiked violently, and it was only until the second day that I was sent to the hospital by the cleaning staff who found me.

"Any later, and she would have died!" The doctor said, but Shane replied nonchalantly, "Oh, stop exaggerating. She's tough, so she wouldn't die."

Yet, now, he remembered Eve's discomfort so clearly.

I dug my nails into my arm to steady myself.

Even though I told myself it didn’t matter, I still couldn’t suppress the tearing pain in my heart.

After confirming the System’s next assigned mission, I prepared to return to my room to shower, only to see Shane and Eve, naked and tangled together in bed.

The look in his eyes as he gazed at her was terrifyingly gentle.

So this was what he looked like when he truly loved someone.

I froze on the spot, and I couldn't help but mock myself.

Meanwhile, Shane said, "Eve wanted to take a look at your room. I figured you wouldn't mind.

"Sleep in the living room tonight. Oh, Eve also needs milk before bed, so warm it up and bring it over later."

Eve wrapped her arms around Shane's neck, her face glowing with happiness.

That smile pierced straight into my heart. I immediately lowered my head, unwilling to look at them.

"Aw, you remembered that I drink milk before bed? I'm so happy!"

"Something this small makes you happy? You’re too easy to please, Eve."

Shane's indulgent words made my chest ache. I sniffed quietly, refusing to let the tears fall.

Not hearing the answer he expected, Shane looked at me in displeasure.

"Do you even remember what I said just now?"

"Yeah, I do."

Seeing my calm expression, he stepped toward me, wanting to ask something, but Eve deliberately cried out, "Ahh, there's a bug! What if I get an allergic reaction?"

Shane could only turn around and scoop her into his arms, though his gaze lingered on me just the same.