"What!!!"

Too shocked by the timer being displayed on the screen, I unknowingly let out a shout. I turned my eyes toward Viora, and she seemed to be even more dumbfounded than me.

The smile that was visible all day long faded, and her brows furrowed slightly. She must be confused by my sudden exclamation.

Well, I couldn’t do anything about it. After all, the system was basically counting the time of my death.

"Uh... I... I was just thinking about something, and without me knowing, the word just came out of my mouth by itself...."

I tried to give a valid excuse. "Sorry," and as I apologized for it, a small giggle escaped her lips.

"He... He... He..."

Once again, she turned back to stare at the ceiling. However, before drifting into her own imagination, she said one word that made my heart run fast and my mind freeze.

"Ke...ot..."

Cute? Cute?! CUTE?!

My mind couldn’t process this single word. In front of this word, the threat timer looked nothing more than a simple sentence.

Alongside my brain, my body was also kind of paralyzed. My eyes widened a little, and a smile was slowly surfacing on my face.

After a little bit of time, I surfaced from my frozen state. I was finally able to think again.

’She called me cute? Isn’t she the one who is... like really, really cute.’

And she is telling me that while she is cute in my eyes, I also am cute in hers? Now, that is a bit of an overstatement, but if she is saying so, then I think I am... just a little, maybe?

Without me realizing it, the terror and shock that I felt for a split second had vanished completely. Now, only the feeling of warmth, joy, and something I don’t even know were left behind.

But it didn’t take much time for all those feelings to disappear and the fear of looming death to resurface again.

I can’t just keep staying still and wait for the time to end. I have to do something. I have to make it stop somehow.

’System, show me the timer.’

[72 Hours Remaining.

Note: The Host has to ’Link’ a ’Wife’ before the time runs out. Otherwise....]

’Alright, alright, so having a wife will save me?’

I let out a heavy sigh and forced myself to calm down a little bit. The system is acting like getting a wife is as easy as buying groceries.

As much as I hate it, I don’t even have the courage to walk up to someone and ask them to marry me, let alone someone already suffering like Viora.

They will only think that I am saying that to insult them. I will probably get a slap on my cheek instead of, ’Yes, let’s get married!’

I don’t even know what the system will gain by setting me up with someone. Could the system somehow require emotional connection?

No... that sounded ridiculous. But then why else would it force something as specific as a wife? More importantly, a disabled one.

As that thought crossed my mind, my eyes automatically drifted toward Viora. She was still lying there peacefully. She wasn’t smiling anymore, but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t looking happy.

As I looked, my mind began to make up instinctive survival routes by itself.

’What if...’

Slap!

My hand met my face. Honestly, that slap was enough to stop those selfish thoughts from going any further, and I quickly turned my face away from her.

’No. No, no.’

What the hell was I even thinking? She is already suffering enough. She is blind, and she can barely speak. I can’t. I can’t take advantage of someone like her just to save myself.

’That would make me worse than I already am.’

I was trying to fight my own brain for those thoughts that dared to pop into my mind that I didn’t notice Viora had heard me slapping myself.

"Sl...ap..." She began. "Hu...rt...?"

Her peaceful and joyful expression changed in the blink of an eye. Hints of concern and worry began to appear on her face.

’She is asking if it hurts? Of course, it does. But I am not gonna tell her that.’

"No, it doesn’t hurt," I said, but I didn’t want to end it just there, so I continued, "Well, if you are wondering, I only slapped myself to keep from sleeping. There isn’t anything else to it."

Just what kind of magic or drug takes over me that whenever I look at her or talk to her, I don’t want to stop.

"O...ke..."

She closed her eyes and placed both her hands on her belly. "Gud... Ni...t..."

Good night? But the sun is still shining brightly in the sky. "Goodnight, but it isn’t the time yet. It is afternoon at most, and the sun is still shining."

For a few seconds, Viora remained still, and then she suddenly opened her eyes and pulled the cover over her face.

Through the fabric, I saw her face turn to the other side. ’Is she embarrassed?’

I wanted to chuckle at her reaction, but I forced myself not to do so. Or else, she will hear it. And she might not like it.

"Well, if you want to sleep, then you can. The sun has nothing to do with sleeping."

"..."

I also settled down on my bed and began to check every function of the system, which was basically NONE. Whenever I tried to see something, the same text would appear and then disappear.

[Status: Unmarried!]

[Status: Single!]

[Status: (...)]

’So to even check something, I need a wife? Hah, I thought I got the best cheat ever. But this cheat comes with a side effect.’