"……."

I couldn’t find the words to respond, only blinking in stunned silence.

I wasn’t a descendant of the Pluto family.

Yet Reuben was giving me an heirloom, something he said he had intended for the family’s descendants.

The implications of that statement made it hard for me to breathe.

Could it be that he was recognizing me as part of the family?

I recalled something Rearwin had said to me not long after I first arrived at the Pluto Ducal Estate.

“Who knows? After all this, Father might even officially adopt you…. You’re no ordinary child.”

“Adopt me? Officially?”

“Yes. Then we’d be real family. Not that I think of us as fake family now, of course.”

Could it actually happen? Could I really be adopted into the family?

I sincerely hoped that wasn’t the case.

Reuben couldn’t possibly think of me as similar to one of his descendants just because of this incident.

He was probably only impressed by what I had done—enough to give me an heirloom. This was simply recognition of my abilities as a knight. Nothing more.

While I wrestled with my thoughts, unable to say anything, Rearwin smiled.

“Just accept it, Centi. If Father is giving it to you, it’s because you’re deserving of it.”

“…Oh, um, thank you,” I stammered.

Finally, I bowed politely toward Reuben. Refusing the gift outright would have been discourteous.

Rearwin’s clapping sounded distant, almost surreal, as I tried to process everything that had just happened.

***

‘…Wow, no matter how many times I look at it, it’s absolutely stunning.’

Under the night sky, dotted with stars, I sat in a quiet corner of the Pluto Ducal Estate’s garden, unable to take my eyes off the dagger.

The beautifully crafted, wave-shaped dagger was not only mesmerizing but also an heirloom of the Pluto family.

Had I just come into possession of something far too precious?

I couldn’t quite believe it was truly mine, something that I would own from now on.

At the same time, my chest swelled with pride, as if I were floating on a cloud.

‘Yes, it’s mine! I have this beautiful weapon now!’

I was so thrilled!

Holding the dagger in both hands, I lifted it toward the moonlight.

It meant more to me than any jewel-encrusted accessory ever could.

“What should I name you?”

It was a special weapon, so it deserved a name.

As I racked my brain for suitable options, the transparent gemstones embedded in the dagger flickered as if they had come to life.

Startled by the sudden glow, I brought the dagger closer for a better look.

“What was that just now?”

At this close range, the diamonds reflected the pink of my eyes, creating a mystical effect.

As I admired the sight, the gems began to fill with an even deeper pink hue.

Shocked, I dropped the dagger and watched it from a safe distance.

“What the…?”

The once-transparent stones were now entirely pink.

At the same time, I could feel holy power radiating from the blade—my divine power.

Could the gems have taken on their pink hue because of the color of my eyes?

“That’s the heirloom recognizing its owner.”

Startled by the voice, I looked up to see Meteor standing a short distance behind the bench.

In his casual attire, he looked completely different from how he appeared at the Holy Palace. Here at the estate, he gave off the impression of a prince from a greenhouse rather than a holy knight.

When had he arrived?

Smiling warmly, I greeted him by name.

“Metty!”

“Metty?” he repeated, incredulous.

Leaning against the back of the bench, I clasped my hands together and stared at him with sparkling eyes.

Meteor shook his head and approached me.

“The only person in this house who calls me that is my mother.”

“Can’t I call you Metty too? It’s so much cuter than Meteor.”

“Ugh.”

Meteor grimaced as if I had said something profoundly offensive.

“Do I need to be cute?”

“I like it,” I replied with a cheeky grin.

“…Do whatever you want,” he said, clearly indifferent about how I addressed him.

Meteor came closer and sat down next to me on the bench.

I held the dagger out to him.

“It feels like it absorbed my divine power.”

Taking the dagger, Meteor examined it carefully, flipping it back and forth in his hands.

“The diamonds have changed color to match your eyes. They’re exactly the same shade of pink.”

“Really? I thought it might be something like that, but it’s amazing to hear it confirmed.”

“Yeah.”

He handed the dagger back to me, his expression serious.

“This weapon is said to change ownership if someone else holds onto it for too long. If you bond with it and handle it properly, though, it shouldn’t switch easily.”

“Oh, I see.”

As I took the dagger back from him, I realized he had probably come here to tell me about the weapon.

Being a long-cherished heirloom of his family, Meteor likely knew a lot about it.

“Then I really should name it. I’ve been trying to think of a good name for it since earlier. Hmm, since it’s the same pink as my eyes, how about ‘Pinky’?”

Meteor’s face twisted in disapproval.

“I doubt the dagger would ever approve of that name. It’s an ancient heirloom. If I were this weapon, I’d want something more elegant and dignified—”

“Decided! From now on, you’re Pinky!”

I sealed the decision with a quick kiss on the weapon’s surface.

I could feel Meteor’s exasperated gaze on me, but I chose to ignore it completely.

It wasn’t his dagger, so what did he care about the name anyway?

Eventually, he shrugged and changed the subject.

“Do you even know how to use this weapon?”

“Hmm. Well, it looks like a dagger, but it doesn’t seem like it’s just for stabbing, like normal ones.”

Examining the weapon closely, I tried to figure it out.

Without a handle, it seemed like it might be designed for throwing.

But was a uniquely shaped dagger like this really meant to be thrown?

It was hard to imagine how to use it effectively.

Since I wasn’t yet skilled with regular throwing knives, this would definitely be a challenge.

My swordsmanship had only recently reached a level just above beginner, which was laughable for a Holy Knight.

‘Still, I’ve improved a lot since the beginning. There’s a long way to go, though….’

Without the extra training I’d done with the constellations, my skills would’ve been even more embarrassing.

After all, back at Count Ismir’s zoo, I’d shredded Evan’s clothes instead of landing proper strikes.

If this throwing dagger became part of my arsenal, I’d probably end up tearing through more than just clothes.

As if reading my thoughts, Meteor said, “This is meant to be thrown. It’s a rare weapon, almost unique, with a boomerang-like return feature.”

“Wow, really?”

A weapon like this was truly special!

No wonder it was considered an heirloom.

Meteor stood up from the bench and walked a short distance away before turning back to face me.

“Throw it at me. I’ve trained with a similar weapon before.”

“Oh, really?”

This was perfect—I’d been needing a training partner.

And it was Meteor, no less!

If the other trainee knights found out I’d trained one-on-one with Adamas-tier Meteor, they’d be green with envy.

As I stood and faced him, he called out, “Don’t hold back. Aim to hit me. You have to be bold—”

Swoosh!

Before he could finish speaking, I hurled the dagger straight at him without hesitation, determined to hit my mark.

Even if he hadn’t told me, I’d already planned to aim directly at him.

After all, the difference in our skill levels was massive, given how much longer he’d been training.

But as soon as I released the weapon, I was startled by the sensation.

‘What was that? It feels like I just unleashed my divine power!’

So this was what it meant for the weapon to react to divine power—it was incredible!

As I marveled at the weapon, the dagger shot toward Meteor with a trajectory and speed that seemed far beyond my own skill.

It must’ve been the weapon’s inherent abilities and the divine power boost.

In a split second, the dagger would reach him. At this speed, it looked like it could pierce right through a person.

But Meteor didn’t move to dodge or raise a weapon. He simply stared at the blade as it hurtled toward him.

Right before it made contact, my heart dropped.

“Meteor—!”

At the last second, he crouched low and planted his hands on the ground.

Almost simultaneously, he sprang upward, twisting his body to evade.

For a brief moment, his sharp blue eyes flashed like steel.

Even more astonishing, the dagger altered its trajectory mid-flight and continued to chase him.