Chapter 7: The Fake Husband

After her son entered the bathroom, the sound of running water trickled out softly.

Nakano Risa hummed an off-key tune as she cleaned the dishes in the kitchen, her movements light and brisk.

But the moment she placed the last plate into the cabinet—

A thought pierced her mind like an icy needle.

Wait…

She froze abruptly, fingertips resting against the edge of the cabinet door.

She was someone who had a “system.”

When she faced the repairman Saito Mao earlier, the system had precisely displayed his affection level and background.

When she looked at her son Shinjin, it had also immediately provided detailed notes.

But only… when it came to her husband, Nakano Masao—

There had been nothing.

No prompt.

No data.

Not even the most basic affection bar.

At first, she had thought it was a system delay, or that she had been too flustered at the time to notice.

But thinking back now… this wasn’t an oversight.

This was an anomaly.

“Could it be… the system is broken?” she murmured.

Yet deep down, she already sensed something was wrong.

Just as she was about to actively question it—

The air before her suddenly distorted slightly, and the familiar semi-transparent interface silently appeared:

【Target: Fake · Nakano Masao】

【Affection toward you: 20 (Indifferent)】

【Note: None】

Nakano Risa’s pupils shrank, her heart nearly skipping a beat.

“Fake · Nakano Masao”?

She stared at those words as if they might leap out of the screen and strangle her.

Why “fake”?

Who was the “real” one?

And… why was the note “none”?

Even the repairman had five lines of introduction.

Her son had an entire backstory of family trauma.

But when it came to this so-called husband—

There was nothing but a blank void.

“System? System!” she called anxiously in her mind.

“Explain this! What do you mean ‘fake’? Who exactly is he?”

Only silence answered her.

The interface hovered quietly for a moment before fading away, as if it had never appeared.

She stood frozen in place, her palms slowly dampening with sweat.

Deep within her, alarm bells were already blaring deafeningly.

If what the system said was true—

Just like how she had taken over the identity of the original Nakano Risa—

Then the current “husband” was also an outsider, wearing human skin, hiding inside this body.

That was why the system couldn’t identify him at first, labeling him only as “fake.”

That was why there was no data—

Because what it faced was an unknown entity.

The thought that she had just been under the same roof with such a “thing,” eating, talking, and even…

Sleeping in the same room—

Made every hair on her body stand on end.

Her fingers unconsciously rubbed her arms, as if trying to dispel the chill crawling up her spine.

‘So scary…’

Even more terrifying—

Had he already realized that she wasn’t the original wife either?

She didn’t dare think further.

But one thing she was absolutely certain of—

From now on, she had to be even more careful.

Every word, every action, every expression—

Had to be flawlessly performed.

At that moment, she heard the bathroom door slide open.

Nakano Shinjin walked out, wrapped in a towel and wearing shorts.

Risa turned her head and smiled, asking, “Finished washing, Shinjin?”

The boy responded with a simple “Mm,” then turned and headed upstairs, clearly having no intention of further conversation.

“He hasn’t even started middle school yet and he’s already in a rebellious phase,” Risa muttered, shaking her head.

Her voice was neither loud nor soft—anyone within a few steps could hear it clearly.

Thanks to years of watching anime, novels, TV dramas, and movies, she knew one thing well—

If you wanted to survive, you had to assume the unknown enemy was extremely powerful.

That’s right.

If possession was possible—

Then placing a ghost nearby to monitor her every move didn’t seem far-fetched at all.

And reality was just as Risa imagined.

A round, pufferfish-like yokai floated above her head, occasionally turning its pale belly toward the light, reflecting a ghostly glow.

A little while later, the sound of water in the bathroom stopped.

Nakano Risa stood in the kitchen, absentmindedly wiping an already spotless countertop.

She heard the bathroom door slide open, followed by the soft sound of slippers against the floor.

Then her husband—

Or rather, the entity occupying her husband’s body—

Walked into the living room.

Her heartbeat quickened uncontrollably.

Risa suddenly realized—

They would be in the same room tonight.

The original memories told her that this couple had slept separately for years.

The husband took the bed, while she slept on a futon on the floor.

But that was before—

When the real Nakano Masao was still here.

Now that it was this “fake husband”—

Who knew what he might do?

What if he insisted on sharing the bed?

What if he made certain demands?

She was his “wife”—

Legally and socially.

If he chose to exercise a husband’s rights, she would have little room to refuse—

At least not strongly, or it would raise suspicion.

Nakano Risa took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.

She put down the cloth and walked out of the kitchen.

In the living room, the man was drying his hair with a towel.

He wore only a bathrobe, slightly open at the collar, revealing his collarbones and part of his chest.

Droplets of water fell from his hair, glinting faintly under the light.

Risa’s gaze unconsciously drifted to his upper body.

Unexpectedly, despite his seemingly slender frame, he actually had quite a bit of muscle.

At least more defined than her previous life.

After staring for a few seconds, she suddenly felt her body heating up.

Damn it!

Is this really the time to think about that?

Not to mention whether he was dangerous—

He was a man.

And before transmigrating, she had also been a real man.

There was no way she should be having such absurd thoughts.

Risa swallowed and forcibly shifted her gaze away.

“Dear, would you like some water?”

“No need.” He set down the towel and glanced at her.

“You should go wash.”

His tone was completely normal, just like countless nights before.

But Nakano Risa felt that there was something in his eyes… observing her.

She nodded and turned toward the bathroom.

After closing the door and leaning against it, she finally let out a breath.

The bathroom was still filled with warmth and steam, and the air carried the scent of body wash—

Lavender, the original owner’s favorite.

But for some reason, it now felt strangely unsettling.

She quickly took a shower.

Though the process was somewhat intoxicating—this new body’s sensations were unfamiliar yet mesmerizing—

The danger outside forced her to restrain herself.

After drying off, she changed into conservative pajamas.

Long sleeves, long pants, buttons fastened all the way to the collar.

Standing before the mirror, she looked at herself—

Wet hair draped over her shoulders, cheeks flushed from the heat, eyes unable to hide her tension.

“Relax,” she told herself.

“Act like the original owner always did.”

But how could it be the same?

The original owner had been just an ordinary housewife.

But now, through the system, she knew—

She was sharing a room with a non-human entity.

And that entity might expose her at any moment—

Or do something far worse.