“That’s one expensive trip. I’ll make sure Dad’s little vacation ends qui―”

I couldn’t finish my sentence.

Once again, my body was flung through the air, hitting the ground and rolling several times. I glared at the figure responsible, unable to even feel the pain.

The Demon King had returned.

“Damn daddy’s girl.”

His red eyes burned so dark and menacingly that they looked black. He was angrier than before, as if our earlier, endearing conversation between a doting father and daughter had thoroughly soured his mood.

Dusting myself off casually, I got to my feet, brushing away the dirt on my clothes. It was almost laughable—someone who had just shown such tender concern for me had now thrown me aside like a ragdoll.

What a bizarre experience, the kind you couldn’t buy even if you wanted to.

But more importantly, I was starting to grasp the Demon King’s current condition.

“Judging by this, it doesn’t look like you have the strength to kill me, even as the Demon King.”

If he tried to kill me, Dad’s soul would resurface and take control of his body.

Though Dad couldn’t stay in control for long, he seemed to be able to seize the upper hand during critical moments.

For now, at least.

I continued speaking confidently.

“The one who stopped Aldred from killing me just now was my dad, wasn’t it?”

The Demon King stepped closer, his fury intensifying.

“Silence. That fool daring to use my body without permission ends today. He’s grown weak because of you, overextending himself to the point of foolishness.”

His voice dripped with mockery, as if it was all going according to plan.

But I refused to be swayed, responding nonchalantly.

“Really? My dad seemed pretty strong to me. He’s not someone who’ll go down easily. He might bend, but he’ll never break. Right now, he’s just lying low. Ignore him, and you’ll regret it.”

The Demon King’s brow twitched with irritation.

I seized the moment.

‘Now’s my chance!’

Spinning around, I hurled Pinky at Aldred with all my might.

I had picked it up earlier, near where I had landed when the Demon King first threw me.

One absolute rule of dungeons: killing the dungeon’s master is the only way to return to the human realm.

The blade pierced Aldred swiftly, exiting through the other side of her body. Her figure slumped lifelessly to the ground.

Aldred had lost consciousness.

Though the intent had been Dad’s, the Demon King’s strength had taken her by surprise, leaving her defenseless.

Attacking someone unconscious might be cowardly, but I had no choice.

Survival came first.

The Demon King’s narrowed eyes flashed with irritation as his brow furrowed. Yet, he made no move to save her—clearly, he had no interest in rescuing a mere demon subordinate.

Taking advantage of the moment, I sprinted toward where Meteor had disappeared.

“Meteor!”

Frantically, I dug into the soil. Soon, I uncovered Meteor, buried under a mound of dirt. Though unconscious, he was still breathing.

Relieved, I began clearing away the skeletal bindings that had ensnared him.

“Get lost, you filthy things!”

Meteor had to survive—he just had to!

Despite the urgency, the Demon King didn’t come after me like before.

Was it possible that Dad’s interference was bothering him more than he let on?

At that moment, a nearby exit appeared. With Aldred dead, the bones no longer attacked us.

Grabbing Meteor’s arm, I began dragging him toward the portal.

The Demon King clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“A useless effort. You’ll die soon enough—it’s only a matter of time.”

“Yeah, we’ll see about that. Dad! Can you hear me? I’m leaving now! Take care until we meet again!”

“Stop calling me that!”

The Demon King roared, clearly disgusted at being addressed as "Dad."

It must have been unbearable for him.

Ignoring him, I leapt toward the exit with Meteor in tow.

Catching Pinky midair as it returned to me, I turned back to offer a cheerful farewell.

“Bye, Dad!”

Grinning, I waved at the Demon King, who glared at me murderously.

His figure grew smaller as the distance widened.

But I knew Dad was still watching me from within.

I wasn’t looking at the Demon King—I was looking at my father, Lloyd, beyond him.

‘Dad, let’s both endure and grow stronger. I’ll become stronger too, so your efforts won’t be in vain. I’ll find a way to bring you back, no matter what.’

That was the only path to saving our family and restoring peace to the world.

Finally, I landed in the garden of the Pluto Ducal House.

We had made it home safely.

***

Multiple pairs of eyes surrounded me. Still dazed, I sprang to my feet.

How much time had passed?

It was still nighttime, so it couldn’t have been too long.

Yet, in that short time, the Pluto household had already realized that Meteor and I were missing.

Cardinal Reuben, his face filled with shock, asked me urgently.

“W-where did you go? Don’t tell me… was it the Demon Realm?”

“Well, that’s…”

“Meteor!”

At that moment, Miles rushed toward Meteor. Cradling his dirt-covered face, he called out repeatedly.

“Meteor! Wake up, Meteor!”

“Oh, my goodness…”

Lady Rearwin’s face had gone pale.

The others around us were similarly frozen in shock, their faces ashen.

It was no surprise that the members of the Pluto Ducal House were shaken—Meteor, of all people, had ended up in such a state.

They were collectively gripped by panic.

Meteor had been caught up in the Magi because he was with me.

Guilt weighed heavily on me as I carefully opened my mouth to speak.

“Meteor will be okay. He lost consciousness because he overexerted himself amplifying his strength. He should wake up after some rest.”

“….”

I avoided meeting anyone’s eyes, gripping Pinky tightly in one hand.

The situation itself felt like it was accusing me. Maybe it was all in my head, but the guilt was undeniable.

The Demon King wanted to kill me because of Dad.

Aldred had summoned me to the Demon Realm for that exact reason. There was no guarantee other demons wouldn’t attempt the same in the future.

I was effectively a magnet for high-tier Magi now.

Anyone near me could be in danger at any moment.

After a brief pause, Rearwin finally responded to my words.

“S-something like that happened… Quickly, move Meteor inside! Summon potions and the healing priests too!”

“Yes, Madam!”

At Lady Rearwin’s command, the servants scattered.

Miles hurriedly carried Meteor in his arms and rushed off.

Rearwin looked between me and Meteor before speaking urgently.

“Father, please take care of Centi. She also needs treatment—bring her to a room right away.”

“….”

Reuben didn’t respond, his gaze fixed on me. His eyes lingered on my neck.

Had the Demon King left visible marks from choking me?

Most likely, the wounds were unsightly.

In the meantime, Rearwin had followed her husband and disappeared from view.

Reuben remained silent, studying me for a moment before asking softly.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes. This saved me.”

I showed him the family heirloom he had given me and added.

“Thank you for it.”

The blade shimmered with a faint pink glow.

He had given it to me just this evening during dinner.

Though it hadn’t been long, thanks to my practice with Meteor, I had managed to adapt to the heirloom quickly.

Reuben must have deduced as much.

“Good. The important thing is that you both returned safely. Go inside and have yourself examined. We’ll talk more once you’ve recovered.”

“Understood.”

I answered lightly, forcing myself to sound calm, and started walking.

Reuben slowly walked alongside me.

Being alone with the cardinal felt a little awkward.

“Are you sure you can walk? After all you’ve been through, your appearance is quite… rough.”

“Well, you know. A demon tossed me around a few times.”

“….”

Reuben fell silent.

Had I been too blunt about the rough treatment I’d endured from the Demon King?

For someone as seemingly delicate as me—at least outwardly—it really was excessive abuse.

As the awkward silence dragged on, I cleared my throat.

“…You might have broken a bone or two,” Reuben muttered.

“No way! I’m fine,” I replied quickly, waving both arms as if to prove I wasn’t injured.

Even if my bones were cracked, I was determined to act as though they were completely intact.

Then, unexpectedly—

“Get on my back.”

“Pardon?”

Before I could fully process what he’d said, Reuben crouched in front of me, turning his back.