Chapter 783 --783

Chapter 783: Chapter-783

She narrowed her eyes.

"Is there something you’re hiding from me?"

The system immediately began fidgeting.

"I-I mean, Host, wouldn’t it be a good idea? The original owner wanted you to find a partner, didn’t she?"

"Yes, she did."

Heena nodded calmly.

"But she also wanted me to fulfill her wishes, not rush around blindly doing things without considering the circumstances. She asked me to find a partner. She didn’t tell me to run straight to the marketplace and buy a husband like I was shopping for vegetables."

The system opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Heena returned to her work, seemingly satisfied with her explanation.

But the system wasn’t ready to give up.

After a brief hesitation, he muttered, "But... you could just buy a man from the slave market."

Silence.

The system froze.

Heena slowly lifted her head.

Her gaze settled on him, and for the first time that day, there was no trace of amusement in her eyes.

It was a death glare.

The system’s entire body stiffened.

Oh, no.

He had said it.

He had actually said it!

Heena put down the ingredient in her hand and turned to face him fully.

"Did you just refer to the people in this world as NPCs? As though they’re nothing more than paper figures in a game?"

The system trembled.

"H-Host, I..."

"Little boy," Heena interrupted, her voice dangerously calm. "Do you genuinely believe these people are nothing but paper figures? That they don’t have hearts, minds, feelings, or their own lives?"

The system lowered his head, unable to answer.

Heena took a slow breath, trying to suppress the irritation rising in her chest.

She had traveled through enough worlds to know how cruel a person could become when they stopped seeing others as human beings. She had seen people treat others as disposable tools, sacrifices, and stepping stones simply because they believed their own goals were more important.

And now, her own system was suggesting the same thing.

Just because she needed to complete a mission, was she supposed to march into a slave market and purchase a man as though he were an object?

Was she supposed to drag someone into a marriage simply because the original owner had wished for a partner?

What kind of ridiculous logic was that?

Heena’s gaze sharpened.

"Just because I want to complete the mission, you expect me to rush to the market and buy a man? Do you think I should force someone into a relationship just because it would make my task easier?"

The system trembled even harder.

Heena leaned back slightly, her expression growing colder.

"Tell me something. If these people are merely NPCs to you, then what exactly am I?"

The system’s eyes widened.

For the first time since their arrival in this world, he realized that he might have pushed his host too far.

And judging by the look on Heena’s face, she wasn’t going to let him get away with it this time.

The system stared at Heena with wide eyes, his little hands twisting nervously in front of him.

"I-I didn’t mean it that way, Host!"

"Oh?" Heena raised an eyebrow. "Then what did you mean?"

The system opened his mouth, only to close it again.

For once, the usually talkative little fellow couldn’t find a single convincing excuse.

Heena crossed her arms and waited patiently.

She wasn’t in a hurry. After all, the powder wasn’t going to run away, and she had already decided that she wouldn’t tolerate this strange behavior any longer. If the system had something to hide, then she would find out what it was, even if she had to interrogate him for the entire night.

"Host, I just thought..." The system swallowed nervously. "I thought that since you have a mission to complete, finding a partner quickly would make things easier. The original owner wanted to get married, and you need to fulfill her wish. So, if you find someone suitable from the slave market, wouldn’t that solve the problem?"

Heena stared at him for several seconds.

Then she let out a short laugh.

It wasn’t a particularly happy laugh, though.

"Suitable? You want me to find someone suitable from a slave market?"

The system nodded hesitantly.

Heena rubbed her forehead.

"Let me explain something to you, little fellow. A person isn’t an object that you can purchase, use to complete a mission, and then discard when you’re done. Marriage isn’t a box I need to tick off on some checklist."

She paused, looking directly into his eyes.

"And what makes you think that buying a man from a slave market would automatically make him a suitable partner? What if he’s cruel? What if he hates me? What if he has someone he loves already? Or what if he simply doesn’t want to marry me?"

The system’s expression gradually changed.

Heena continued before he could interrupt.

"Would you expect me to force him to stay just because I need to complete a mission? Would you expect me to ignore his feelings because the system has decided that his existence is convenient for me?"

"N-no, Host..."

"Then don’t make such ridiculous suggestions."

Her voice wasn’t particularly loud, but every word carried enough weight to make the system lower his head.

Heena sighed and turned back to her work.

Honestly, she had expected many things from this world, but she hadn’t expected her own system to suggest something so absurd.

She had no problem with finding a partner. If she met someone she liked, someone who respected her and whom she could trust, she wouldn’t necessarily reject the possibility of marriage.

But that was an entirely different matter from purchasing a stranger and expecting him to become her husband.

Besides, she hadn’t even settled down properly yet!

She still needed to improve the kitchen, find a better way to store food, get some decent furniture, and earn enough money to support herself. She hadn’t even figured out everything that was wrong with this body.

And this little fellow wanted her to get married already?

Does he think I’m here to collect husbands instead of completing missions?

Heena shook her head in disbelief.

Meanwhile, the system remained unusually quiet.

That alone was enough to make her suspicious again.

Normally, the little fellow would have argued with her by now. He would have tried to justify his suggestion, complained about her attitude, or started listing the advantages of completing the mission early.

But this time, he simply stood beside her, staring at the floor.

Heena’s hands slowed.

Something wasn’t right.

She had initially thought that the system was simply behaving strangely because of some new mission requirement. But now, after hearing his suggestion, she was beginning to suspect that there was more to it.

Perhaps the original owner’s wish wasn’t as straightforward as it appeared.

Or perhaps the system knew something about this world that he wasn’t telling her.

Either way, she intended to find out.

"System."

The little fellow immediately straightened.

"Y-yes, Host?"

"Look at me."

He slowly raised his head.

Heena studied his face for a moment before asking, "Is there something about this mission that you haven’t told me?"

The system’s expression stiffened.

"No!"

The answer came so quickly that Heena almost laughed.

Almost.

She tilted her head.

"I haven’t even finished asking my question, and you’re already denying it?"

The system froze.

Heena placed the prepared ingredients aside and wiped her hands with a cloth before turning to face him properly.