When Meteor regained consciousness, stability returned to the Pluto Ducal House.

With a lighter heart, I enjoyed my meal and downed the potion provided by the healing priest.

Of course, I never doubted Meteor would be fine, but I couldn’t deny how anxious I’d been.

Now that I could finally relax, I let out a small sigh.

“Phew…”

Seriously, every single day of my life feels so precious now.

Who knows when I’ll have to cheat death again?

At that moment, a knock came at the door. Turning around, I saw someone enter my room in a hurry.

It was Rearwin.

“Centi!”

“Madam.”

As I tried to get off the bed, she quickly stopped me.

“No, Centi. Stay right there and make yourself comfortable.”

Before I could even step down, Rearwin approached me, a bright smile spread across her face. It was clear her joy stemmed from Meteor’s recovery.

Sitting beside me, she said, “I’m so relieved that both you and Metty are safe. Really, it’s all thanks to you. Thank you.”

“Oh, no. It was just a coincidence—”

Rearwin shook her head.

“Not at all. I can’t thank you enough for being there with Meteor last night. I don’t even want to imagine what would have happened if you weren’t there.”

“I’m just grateful I could be with him. He was actually teaching me how to use that heirloom at the time.”

“Yes, that was a fortunate coincidence indeed.”

Rearwin gave me a slightly sorrowful smile.

It was easy to see how much anguish last night’s events had caused her.

Suddenly, her gaze fell on my neck.

Her expression made me feel a bit awkward. The marks left by the Demon King choking me were still quite vivid and unsightly.

‘I should start wearing a scarf,’ I thought to myself.

As that thought crossed my mind, Rearwin looked up at me with sorrowful eyes and asked, “Have you been taking your potion properly?”

“Yes, I drank every last drop.”

“Well done.”

Rearwin smiled warmly and patted my head gently.

“But is it true?” she asked abruptly.

“Huh?”

Her face suddenly brightened.

“Did Father really carry you from the garden to the mansion yesterday?”

Oh.

So Rearwin had heard about that, too. Well, it was certainly the kind of thing that would make anyone curious.

I quickly added, “I’m so sorry. I refused multiple times, saying I was fine, but I couldn’t stop him. How could I, a mere child, let a cardinal carry me like that?”

“No, no, that’s not what I meant. Of course, it’s fine! More than fine! Aren’t you like a daughter to me? Still, I never imagined Father would go so far as to carry you himself. He barely ever carried Metty or even our twins!”

“M-Maybe he thought I was badly injured…”

“No way. Absolutely not. Our father was always so strict with his children. Even Miles was shocked when he heard about it!”

“...!”

Wow.

So it really was that rare of an occurrence.

Knowing that made me feel even more burdened.

In her excitement, Rearwin clasped my hands tightly.

“Centi, this is no ordinary event. It’s proof that Father holds you in high regard. He’s never had a daughter or granddaughter, and here you are—a charming child with divine power who saved three of our family members! Even Father’s iron heart must have melted. I’m sure he wants to take you in as his granddaughter.”

“R-Really?”

Thinking of me as a granddaughter wasn’t that far-fetched.

After all, I was young enough to be one. I was also her ward and lived in the same household.

Though Duke Reuben Pluto initially treated me like an unwelcome intruder when I arrived, he no longer did.

But Rearwin went beyond that.

“Of course! I’ve told you before, haven’t I? He might even formally adopt you.”

“But he said adoption was only possible for distant relatives—”

Rearwin cut me off with a firm expression.

“No. You have something stronger than blood ties. Just wait. Father will do everything in his power to adopt you and provide for you. You’re the benefactor who saved three members of the Pluto family.”

“…Oh.”

I didn’t know what to say, so I just opened and closed my mouth like a fish.

Rearwin beamed, but internally, I wanted to cry.

‘I’m the last person who should be seen as a benefactor!’

How did I end up saving three members of the Pluto Ducal House?

I couldn’t ignore the looming possibility of my identity as the Demon King’s daughter being exposed.

Sure, I was merely sharing a body with the Demon King, but who would care about such nuances?

If I were formally adopted into the Pluto family, their eventual sense of betrayal would be indescribable.

Blissfully unaware of my inner turmoil, Rearwin clasped her hands together as if in prayer, her face brimming with anticipation.

“If you’re officially registered as a member of the Pluto Ducal House, your life will change completely. You’ll be treated like royalty—better than any princess in the kingdom. Isn’t that an incredible thought?”

“Y-Yes…”

I barely managed to respond.

Could the day really come when Reuben formally adopted me?

If that happened, I’d become Meteor’s legal sibling. Meteor would probably throw a fit, saying it was absurd.

Honestly, the idea of suddenly gaining an older brother and younger siblings felt strange to me, too.

As these thoughts swirled in my mind, I shook my head.

There was no way I’d actually be adopted. I was letting my imagination run wild.

Shortly after, Rearwin left my room, urging me to rest.

I fell into a deep nap and didn’t wake up until the afternoon.

I felt fantastic. My stomach was comfortably full, and my body was light. Sleeping in the duchy’s bed seemed to speed up my recovery more than my dormitory ever could.

“Ahhh.”

Stretching with satisfaction, I climbed out of bed.

I wondered how Meteor was doing.

‘Not that it matters. He’s probably recovering just fine without me worrying about it…’

Still, I felt it was only proper to check on him at least once.

It wasn’t concern. I had enough on my plate to worry about without fretting over someone like Meteor, a divine power prodigy.

He was probably already back to normal by now.

With that thought, I casually wrapped a scarf around my neck.

But just as I opened my door—

“!”

I nearly screamed in surprise.

Meteor was standing right there, his hand raised as if he was about to knock.

“What are you doing here?”

At my question, he lowered his hand and replied, “Just checking on you. We went through the Demon Realm together, after all. I couldn’t just ignore you.”

“Oh, I just woke up from a nap, so this works out. Come in?”

“Sure.”

Meteor answered nonchalantly and followed me inside.

We sat facing each other on the sofa, an awkward silence hanging in the air.

I noticed he avoided meeting my eyes. After a moment, he cleared his throat.

“Are you okay?”

“Huh? What do you mean? Oh, my body? Of course! The healing priest said my bones were cracked like an earthquake hit them, but they’re all healed now!”

“…You weren’t okay at all.”

Meteor’s eyes narrowed slightly.

But he quickly shook his head, as if brushing off his concern.

“Well, since you’ve been treated, you should be fine now. A little later, and we both might’ve died.”

I shrugged, not denying his words.

He was right.

The demon ranked 161st in the Demon Realm, strengthened by abnormal magic, was still beyond our current level.

“At least we survived, and the Aldred family’s heiress is dead. I’d call that a victory.”

I puffed up my chest, feigning confidence.

But Meteor didn’t seem in the mood to play along.

“No. I lost. And you saved me. That shouldn’t have happened…”

“Uh? I just got lucky—”

“Doesn’t matter. Someone saved me. I can’t afford to be that weak.”