The first meeting on the bed was behind us, and now it was dinnertime.

The resplendent dining hall was filled with lavish dishes and elegantly dressed individuals.

Meteor, however, refused to even glance in my direction, clearly displeased with my comment about his heart-shaped lips.

I had managed to ruin my first impression with the male lead right off the bat.

When I stole a glance at him, Meteor noticed my gaze and pressed his lips together tightly, as if to hide them.

A bitter taste filled my mouth.

‘Ugh. Of all things, I had to mention how his lips looked like a heart because I thought it was interesting.’

But Meteor acted as if I had said something unforgivable.

Despite being only nine years old, it seemed his male pride had already been wounded.

"Hoho, how delightful that our Metty and Crescent have already met," Lady Rearwin said cheerfully, causing Meteor to frown slightly.

“Yes. I nearly lost my new bedroom to her,” he replied dryly.

“Oh, it must have slipped my mind. But she’s practically like a little sister now, so be nice to her.”

“A little sister…?”

Meteor repeated the words as if they were absurd and shook his head in disbelief.

At that moment, Duke Reuben Pluto’s sharp voice cut through the conversation.

“She is merely your ward, Rearwin. Do not overstep.”

All eyes turned to the Duke. I alternated glances between him and his son, Marquis Miles Pluto.

Seeing them again, their appearances felt almost unreal.

‘They’re like the embodiment of Divine Power….’

Meteor’s divine and radiant appearance had left me speechless earlier, but his father and grandfather were just as extraordinary.

Perhaps it was the overflowing Divine Power in their bloodline.

Both men, like Meteor, had dazzling silver hair and serene blue eyes, yet each carried a unique aura.

Duke Reuben Pluto radiated a solemn, unapproachable dignity, while Marquis Miles Pluto exuded a saintly reverence, as if he were an apostle of the gods.

The Duke spoke again, his tone cold.

“She is merely your ward. She has no ties to the Pluto family.”

Lady Rearwin frowned slightly, glancing at me before responding with an air of indignation.

“Father-in-law, there’s no need to say such things in front of the child.”

“This will be her last time dining with us.”

‘…Ahem.’

This was what one might call walking on eggshells.

However, it wasn’t entirely unexpected.

Families like the Pluto Ducal House, blessed with Divine Power, tended to place great importance on bloodline. It was unlikely they would accept an orphan like me as one of their own.

Even being taken in as a ward and referred to as “like a little sister” must have been grating on the Duke’s nerves.

I understood this well enough.

At that moment, Marquis Miles Pluto’s gaze landed on me, and he spoke in a measured tone.

“Still, it is curious. I never thought it possible for a child resembling Rearwin to exist.”

Lady Rearwin’s face immediately lit up.

“Right? She could easily pass for my daughter! How heartbreaking it must have been for Crescent’s parents to leave such a beautiful child behind….”

Her joy, however, was short-lived, as her eyes welled with tears, and she dabbed at them with a napkin.

Adults often reacted this way upon learning I was an orphan.

But why focus only on the parents’ heartbreak?

What about the child who lost such wonderful parents?

‘…Exactly. This poor daughter, who had to say goodbye to her amazing, kind, and incredible father, feels her heart breaking too….’

Just as I had become an orphan, my father was practically one as well.

A somber expression naturally settled on my face.

Lady Rearwin quickly turned to me with a gentle smile.

“Still, don’t worry about a thing. Your parents in heaven will rest easy knowing you’ll be well cared for here. Besides, my husband and father-in-law are usually at the Holy Palace, so you won’t have to see them often.”

She winked playfully, her words clearly intended to reassure me.

It was her way of saying, Don’t worry about your disapproving grandfather—you won’t have to deal with him much.

Hearing this, Duke Reuben Pluto sternly called her name.

“Rearwin.”

But Lady Rearwin continued eating with a bright smile, unfazed.

The Duke let it slide and resumed his meal as well.

Judging by this exchange, it seemed they had a good relationship, even if they didn’t always agree.

Taking advantage of the mention of the Holy Palace, I cautiously brought up a question.

“By the way, do the Holy Knights… reside at the Holy Palace?”

My eyes sparkled with curiosity.

For a moment, Duke Reuben Pluto glanced at me, seemingly surprised by my sudden interest in Holy Knights.

Lady Rearwin, on the other hand, lit up as if something had just occurred to her.

“Oh, I did promise to show you the Holy Knights training, didn’t I? Of course, we’ll go soon. It’s quite the sight to behold.”

“Thank you. Hehe….”

I beamed, and Lady Rearwin’s laughter grew even brighter.

***

Dinner concluded before long.

Duke Reuben Pluto left without so much as a farewell, taking his son and daughter-in-law with him. His indifference and curt words didn’t bother me in the slightest.

In fact, I felt a bit guilty.

‘I’m sorry. I am, technically, the Demon King’s daughter, but I’m here to secretly work toward his downfall. One day, I’ll make up for it by ensuring the Demon King is truly vanquished.’

Still, deceiving them left me feeling uneasy.

Just as I stood to leave the table, a voice called out.

“Crescent, was it?”

“?”

I turned to see Meteor, who had stayed behind in the dining hall. Determined not to let my eyes wander toward his lips, I looked at him carefully.

As if sensing my unspoken question, Meteor continued.

“By now, you must have realized after meeting my grandfather and father.”

“Realized what?”

“Don’t get your hopes up about being recognized as a member of this family.”

I hadn’t even considered such a thing!

Was this family exceptionally good at jumping to conclusions?

I glanced around awkwardly and replied.

“I don’t have any expectations of becoming part of the family….”

“What?”

“But there’s something I really want. I want to become a Holy Knight.”

As I spoke, my eyes sparkled faintly.

Meteor looked completely taken aback.

“What? A Holy Knight?”

Understandably, he was probably bewildered by the idea of an eight-year-old girl aspiring to become something typically reserved for men.

“Do you think anyone can just become a Holy Knight? What’s your surname, anyway?”

“Huh?”

“Your full name.”

“Oh, my full name?”

I had a fake surname prepared for occasions like this.

Using my real surname, Delight, wasn’t an option.

After all, there was a chance the truth about my father’s time as a human could one day come to light.

Thanks to the Patron Wish Ticket, everyone in the human realm had forgotten about me and my father, but rumors could still spread from the Demon Realm.

On top of that, the surname Delight was virtually unheard of in the human realm.

I gave him the fake name I had prepared.

“Crescent Dallas.”

“Dallas?”

Meteor furrowed his brow slightly, as if deep in thought, before speaking again.

“That’s the first time I’ve heard that surname… It sounds like cotton candy.”

“Huh?”

I was momentarily stunned into silence.

Meteor’s words were identical to something he had said when we first met during the tutorial.

‘…What’s your name?’
‘I-I’m Dallas.’
‘…Dallas. I see. It sounds like cotton candy.’

How could he say the exact same thing?

Was it because, despite the age difference, the Meteor from the tutorial and the Meteor from this second life were ultimately the same person?