This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist

Chapter 36: Stealing From Thirty-Seven Players at the Banquet

After wishing Zoey and Rick a happy wedding, Rita excused herself to leave. Zoey, clearly pleased with the wedding gift, personally escorted her to the door and even arranged for a Lopez family driver to take her home. It was evident that Zoey was not only satisfied with the gift but also appreciated Rita's tactfulness.

The next day, Rita was unexpectedly invited by Zoey to visit their new home—a villa within the Lopez family estate, which had been prepared as a marital residence for Zoey and Rick. Rita had previously assumed it was occupied by other members of the Lopez family and hadn't imagined it was reserved for the couple.

Upon entering, Rita noticed a faint blue light glowing beneath her feet, accompanied by the scent of revealing potion, though there was no visible mist. It seemed the Lopez family had upgraded their security system using advanced technology. Zoey casually explained, "Oh, don't mind it, it's just pressure sensors, no harm."

Rita understood immediately. Having spent most of September in Vancouver collecting weapons, she hadn't been to the Lopez estate in a while. She figured the entire main house must now be outfitted with such systems, and likely, the White family had also come up with countermeasures. Rita quickly decided she would avoid both the Lopez and White families for the time being.

After all, where there's detection, there's likely a corresponding capture system.

After a tour of the marital home and staying for a meal, Rita prepared to leave. She could tell how much Zoey appreciated the wedding gift.

Before departing, Rita told Zoey, "On your wedding day, I'll use my talent to boost your luck to full! Don't worry about a thing!"

Zoey's expression froze momentarily. Her luck had once been maxed out at 10, but mysteriously dropped to 8, which had led her to suspect everyone around her. She even investigated whether Rita, being a potential player, had some sort of **Divine Gift** that could curse people.

However, Zoey quickly adjusted her demeanor, smiled, and instructed the Lopez driver to take Rita home. She even had a second car follow behind, filled with gifts for Rita.

That evening, during dinner at the Wilson family villa, Rita showered Zoey with praise.

In the past, Rick would have jumped in and asked her to use her skill on him as well, with no concern about putting her in a difficult position after already promising Zoey. But now, still reeling from the loss of his **Divine Gift** from SS-tier to "SB-tier," Rick barely had the energy to attend the wedding rehearsal, let alone make requests.

Samuel sat at the table, mechanically eating his food, seemingly lost in his own thoughts, as if his soul had already left him.

Scarlett, although saddened by the loss of family treasures, didn't fully grasp their true value. Samuel had only shown her the collection once, so while she felt heartbroken, the blow wasn't as severe for her. She was a simple woman—if her husband, son, and daughter were well, she was content.

As a result, the dinner table was filled with conversation only between the two women, while the two men robotically stuffed food into their mouths.

On the day of the wedding, Rick sat in the master bedroom of his villa, waiting for Zoey to arrive and pick him up. Rita and Samuel had invited some members of the extended Wilson family to help hold off the Lopez family as a formality. After a brief "door-blocking" game, they let Zoey and her party through.

When using **Wheel of Fate**, you can choose whether or not to hide the target's altered luck. Normally, when doing something malicious, it's hidden, but when boosting someone's luck on a special day, of course, you want to show it off! Rita wasn't planning on causing trouble at the wedding anyway.

After all, Zoey and Rick, as protagonists, wouldn't face any serious bad luck even with low luck stats—Rick's luck had dropped to 1, but even then, the Gun King missed seven shots and only managed to slice off half of Rick's… well, you get the idea.

This time, the banquet had many more guests than the engagement party. Rita even spotted **Sanchez**, wearing a black glove that covered her right hand up to her upper arm—likely a prosthetic. She glanced at Zoey with cold, scrutinizing eyes.

In a world full of complex plots and schemes, Sanchez's mind was consumed with hatred. Even though her family and the White family had discussed the situation, logic dictated that Zoey wouldn't have acted directly. There was no deep enmity between the Lopez and White families, and only minor business disagreements.

Why would Zoey take such drastic action, especially against someone like Sanchez, with unknown abilities?

Moreover, if Zoey truly had orchestrated the attack, why had she only severed Sanchez's arm and spared her life? Why leave room for a confrontation with a cold, steely gaze?

Rita's casual glance at Sanchez seemed nothing more than idle curiosity toward the wedding guests. She kept her focus on the food, smiling and clapping at the appropriate moments, playing the part of an unassuming relative. Even though her maxed-out charm often drew people's attention, she remained low-key.

And yet… this inconspicuous relative with her unassuming demeanor managed to use her **Chávez watch's Insight** skill to steal from thirty-seven players at the banquet.

These were all "familiar faces" from her past life.

The more she stole, the angrier she became. Nearly every one of these people had crossed her before, making her wonder if she had some natural talent for attracting enemies.

Now, though, she understood—Rick had been using her as his **tank**, diverting all the aggro toward her.

By the end of the banquet, Rita had stolen **2 points of constitution, 2 points of strength**, and **1 point of intelligence**.

After the party, Rita tactfully escorted Samuel and Scarlett home. They didn't stick around to crash the wedding night celebrations. While the Lopez family could playfully harass the couple, if the Wilson family joined in, it would be seen as overstepping boundaries.

Lopez family members arranged for a driver to take them home. In the car, Samuel, who had kept up a cheerful facade all day, finally relaxed. He slumped in the backseat, staring emo-ly out the window.

Rita asked a few probing questions, but Samuel remained silent. Understanding his mood, she didn't press further.

Upon returning to her own villa, Rita prepared a feast for her backyard's "Cat Motel." Since gaining the **God of the Culinary Arts**, she had developed an obsessive compulsion when it came to cooking. If the ingredients weren't cut perfectly, it bothered her. If the heat wasn't just right, it irritated her. If the dish didn't score high enough, she felt like a failure…