[It would be beneficial for Host and his wife to begin developing a proper family relationship.]
Dan sighed. ’You’re really using the apocalypse as an excuse to push us together, aren’t you?’
[System is simply fulfilling its purpose.]
Dan rolled his eyes. ’Of course you are.’
His gaze remained fixed on the dark house. After a moment, his expression became more thoughtful.
’As much as I’d like things to be that simple, it’s going to be difficult.’ He paused. ’We genuinely loved each other once.’
The words came more naturally than he expected.
’We never officially started a relationship, but we were close. Really close.’
Dan’s eyes remained on the house. ’I even celebrated her birthday with her at her place. We had drinks and everything.’
He frowned slightly. ’Back then, I honestly thought I was the only one.’
His voice became quieter in his thoughts. ’If she’d been seeing another guy, wouldn’t he have been there?’
Dan shook his head. ’I can’t remember everything that happened that night. I remember us drinking, but after that... things get blurry.’
His expression darkened slightly. ’Then Sophie started acting strange. After that, she disappeared for weeks.’
He paused. ’And the next time I saw her, she was pregnant.’
Dan let out a slow breath. ’You can’t imagine how devastated I was.’
The system remained silent. For once, it didn’t interrupt him.
Dan continued staring into the darkness. ’I wasn’t devastated because she was pregnant. I had no right to be angry about that.’
He paused. ’It was because I thought whatever we had between us had meant something. Then suddenly she was with someone else, and I didn’t even know what had happened.’
Dan lowered his gaze. ’And now, years later, we’re somehow married.’
The system was genuinely the first person he had ever been this open with. He had never told anyone any of this before.
Oddly enough, its silence made Dan feel more comfortable. It was as though someone was actually listening rather than simply waiting for their turn to speak. For once, he didn’t feel like he was talking to an AI devoid of any trace of humanity. Somehow, the silence made it feel almost... human.
Dan eventually let out a quiet sigh. ’Maybe you’re not an AI after all.’
A brief pause followed before he continued.
’And I have nothing against Lily.’ His expression softened. ’I genuinely love that little girl.’
He looked toward the darkened house again. ’Even though she’s not mine.’
Dan’s voice became quieter. ’But with everything between Sophie and me... even though we’ve both accepted becoming husband and wife, it’s going to be difficult to suddenly act like we’re a proper family.’
The system remained silent for a few seconds. Then a notification appeared.
[While the relationship between Host and Sophie may be complicated, System can assure Host that Sophie genuinely cares for Host.]
[She is also highly compatible with Host’s Ultimate Family.]
[System considers her an appropriate choice for Host’s First Wife.]
[Host can trust her.]
Dan’s eyes narrowed. ’Whatever.’
He wasn’t convinced. ’I don’t trust you.’
Just then, movement caught his attention. Dan’s gaze immediately shifted toward the house.
A familiar shadow had appeared outside. Someone had stepped through the front door.
Dan’s eyes narrowed slightly. ’She’s coming.’
The system responded almost immediately.
[It is only natural that Host’s wife would seek her husband’s assistance when encountering difficulties.]
[The members of the Ultimate Family should support one another.]
Dan rolled his eyes. ’You really don’t waste any opportunity, do you?’
He reached for the window and slowly closed it. Then he waited. He already knew who was coming.
And judging by the timing, he had a pretty good idea why.
A few moments later, Dan stood quietly inside his room, waiting for the inevitable knock on his door.
He didn’t have to wait long because soft knock came from the front door a few seconds later.
Dan already knew who it was so he stepped out of his room and crossed the quiet apartment, his footsteps echoing faintly through the otherwise silent space.
Another knock sounded before Dan reached the door and opened it.
For a moment, neither of them said anything. Sophie stood outside, illuminated by the soft glow of the hallway light.
She looked as though she had just finished showering. Her long, loose blonde hair draped naturally over her shoulders, with a few damp strands clinging to her forehead and the side of her neck. She wore no makeup, leaving her delicate features completely natural.
Under the motion-sensor light, her fair, smooth skin seemed almost luminous. Her clear blue eyes were slightly lowered, framed by long lashes that rested softly against her cheeks. Her oval-shaped face carried a naturally refined beauty, with sharp yet delicate features and soft, well-defined lips.
She was dressed simply in loungewear; an oversized cotton T-shirt that slipped slightly off one shoulder and a pair of loose shorts. Even in such casual clothes, her feminine figure was difficult to overlook.
From this angle, he could see the gentle curve of her figure beneath the loose fabric, the narrow dip of her waist, and the rounded line of her hips. Her long, shapely legs completed the relaxed yet striking appearance.
Dan had known Sophie for years, yet somehow, she still managed to catch him off guard.
Every time his gaze landed on her, he found himself thinking the same thing.
She was beautiful. Insanely so.
They held each other’s gaze for a brief, awkward moment, neither seeming to know what to say first.
The situation itself was strange enough. Only a few hours ago, they had been neighbors.
Then, somehow, they had become husband and wife through a supernatural system neither of them understood.
And now, in the middle of the night, her entire apartment had suddenly lost power while every other house around them remained lit.
Dan’s gaze flickered toward the hallway behind her.
He already had a pretty good idea why she had come. But hearing her say it would be another matter entirely.