Rita was already on the verge of laughing as she asked them, "Have you thought of a name for the baby?"
Samuel hadn't stopped smiling since he arrived, not even using his skills, as his "blue bar" hadn't moved. He was clearly too happy to even think about it: "How about Riley? Rita, Rick, Riley—it sounds perfect, like they're all siblings. Plus, 'Riley' works for both boys and girls."
Rita had no interest in having a younger sibling; she only cared about one thing: "Does my brother know?"
Why call the baby Riley? Given the sensitive timing of this pregnancy, "Yuxunsi" (a term implying suspicion or plotting) might be more appropriate.
Obviously, Samuel and Scarlett were aware of this as well. Their smiles froze on their faces, but they couldn't act too strangely. After all, Rita still didn't know about Rick's condition, and they dared not mention it. If Rick found out, who knows how he'd react.
Rita tried hard to suppress her grin, but it was no use. She couldn't hold it back.
She decided to just smile brightly, showing eight teeth: "I'm really happy for you two!"
Seeing Samuel's blue bar starting to drain, Rita looked at him and Scarlett, repeating each word clearly: "Dad, Mom, I really am happy for you!"
She would bet all of her 2 SS and 1 S, plus 1 A Divine Gifts, that this baby was never going to be born.
Samuel and Scarlett had arrived with smiles and left with frowns.
Rita, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. She opened the door with a grim face but laughed heartily as she watched them leave. She could still hear their conversation from afar.
Samuel: "Do you think he'll believe us if we say it was an accident?"
Scarlett: "How could that be an accident? We've been cruising smoothly for over 20 years, and now we suddenly crash into a pregnancy? Would you believe it?"
Samuel: "Shh! Quiet down, we're outside! Don't say such vulgar things. Don't you feel embarrassed?"
Scarlett: "Alright, alright."
Eavesdropping Rita: ???
Samuel: "How about we just say you cheated? We can hire some young guy and pay him to act the part."
Scarlett stopped in her tracks, slapping her thigh with joy: "Good! Good! That's perfect! Let's do it!"
Judging by his back, Samuel was visibly upset, his finger trembling like it had been electrocuted as he pointed at Scarlett.
Rita leaned against the gate, laughing uncontrollably before finally heading back to the house. She left Nivalis to watch over the place, instructing her to notify her through the contract if any visitors arrived.
She had discovered this ability during her alchemy test when she'd completely forgotten she had someone waiting for her at home. Suddenly, she'd heard Nivalis's voice asking why she'd been away for so long, and that's when she realized she'd forgotten about her.
At that moment, her emotions were complicated. She had fumbled a simple alchemical potion in her surprise, but she wasn't upset.
Today, Rita was going to visit Apache at Lania Kaia. After the exam, Apache had told her to go home and rest and that once she was ready, she could return.
Rita had been looking forward to this visit ever since she woke up.
Would there be a reward? A legendary cauldron? An epic potion? Maybe a magical robe?
Surely it wouldn't be another piece of burnt alchemical residue, right? That stuff had no use other than lowering the quality of her cooking, and Nivalis was now using it as a chew toy.
With anticipation, Rita headed to the alchemy shop in Lania Kaia to find Apache.
Surprisingly, Apache wasn't brewing potions today. She looked at the little goblin, who was smiling so widely that her whole face wrinkled up. Holding a cigarette between her fingers, Apache pointed to a chair: "Sit."
Rita obediently sat down. She had already prepared herself for disappointment, thinking that if she did receive another piece of residue, she'd just auction it off to one of Apache's fans at Lania Kaia's auction house.
Apache: "Do you know that your Disguise skill is quite special?"
Rita was momentarily surprised. She hadn't expected Apache to bring this up first, but she nodded: "I've had some suspicions."
She'd been wondering about this skill for a long time. It seemed too ordinary. Compared to the other three skills under her Thief God Divine Gift, or compared to other S-rank Divine Gifts like "Breath of Winter," "Holy Light," or "Water God," this skill felt underwhelming.
Disguise had a short duration and long cooldown, and it didn't seem rare—certainly not unique to her.
When she first visited Lania Kaia with Special Affairs Bureau, someone in the bureau could transform into different creatures, guiding them out of the Dark City. Compared to that, her Disguise skill hardly felt worthy of an S-rank.
But Rita had always suspected there was more to it.
The skill description for Disguise was simple: "Summon your disguise! After activation, you can briefly alter your appearance, shape, and scent. You cannot be seen through by any items or skills."
She once used Disguise while undergoing a DNA test. It had completely transformed her into another person, down to the genetic level.
That's when she began to suspect that the real value of the skill wasn't in its ability to change appearance, shape, or scent, but in the fact that it couldn't be seen through by any item or skill.
Even modern technology seemed to be categorized as "item or skill."
So, what about divination? Prophecy? Divine Gifts? Did these fall under that category too?
Thief God was about theft. The other three skills were related to stealing, but Disguise stood out as different—it was a survival skill.
If used well, no one in the world would ever know Thief God's true identity. If used properly, not even those with tracking Divine Gifts could find her.
Only by staying hidden in the shadows and surviving could one earn the title of Thief God.
If she were killed halfway, she'd just be a petty thief.
But she had no way to test these theories. Special Affairs Bureau controlled certain unique skill stones, including those for the "Pickpocket" ability that could steal Divine Gifts. Clearly, the bureau was managing things carefully.
Now, hearing Apache's words, Rita's suspicions grew stronger.
Apache continued: "For those of us with a certain level of strength, Disguise skills below B-rank are meaningless. The magical auras and fluctuations of the 12 Sacred Races are all distinct. Even higher-level Disguise skills can be seen through with prolonged exposure. The outward appearance may change, but no one can fake the customs, manners, or habits of a species."
"But your Disguise skill is clearly different. If it weren't for a lucky coincidence that led me to discover you were from Blue Star, I would never have suspected a thing. You even had the greed of a real goblin."
"Transforming into an animal was a clever move. But recently..." Apache paused, coughing as if she'd choked on her smoke. She nearly let slip something that would have branded her a traitor to Lania Kaia.
Rita's eyes widened. "Recently what?!"
"Teacher, say something! I've hardly ever been human while in Lania Kaia!"
Apache finally finished coughing and addressed Rita again: "Anyway, from now on, when you come to class, don't transform into a cat anymore. Blood elves, night elves, undead, sea witches, moon foxes—any of those are fine."
Rita: Why not just say you want me to look prettier?