My Dad, the Demon King, Is a Big Problem-Chapter 100

"Aren’t you getting on?"

Meteor tilted his head slightly, his indifferent eyes fixed on me.

I glanced back and forth between his face and the hand he held out.

Sharing a horse with him felt a little awkward, but hesitating any longer would have been even stranger.

"Alright."

I forced myself to respond casually, deliberately bypassing his hand as I mounted the horse on my own.

I didn’t need help for something as simple as getting on a horse. I could do it with my eyes closed.

In a moment, I was seated securely, and Meteor withdrew his hand, gripping the reins. Just before we set off, he spoke.

"Hold on tight."

"Okay."

I lightly grabbed hold of his waist.

That was the best I could manage for "holding on tight."

The horse began to move, but as if reluctant, it slowed down almost immediately.

Wondering what was wrong, I peeked over Meteor’s shoulder.

"If you hold on so loosely, you’ll fall off and crack your head open."

“....”

What a charming way to put it.

As if a knight-in-training like me would fall and smash my head while riding a horse.

"Got it."

Resigned, I reached forward and wrapped my arms firmly around his waist.

I could feel his solid frame beneath his training uniform.

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Isn’t this uncomfortable for him?

I didn’t want to hold on like this, but you told me to, so don’t blame me.

Grumbling internally, I barely had time to adjust before the horse picked up speed.

It galloped through the forest path.

To my surprise, I found myself impressed.

The ride was incredibly smooth. Despite the horse’s speed, there was no jarring motion, and I felt stable the entire time.

What the...? He’s an amazing rider.

How was he making the horse move so fluidly?

Now that I thought about it, this was my first time sharing a ride with Meteor.

Wide-eyed, I focused entirely on the horse’s movements. Meteor and his white steed moved as if they were one, their synchronization flawless.

It was like gliding through the air, weightless and surreal.

How much practice would it take to reach this level of skill?

A newfound admiration for Meteor crept in, and I felt myself relax.

This feels nice....

It was just horseback riding, yet I felt as if all the tension in my body and mind was melting away.

Like sipping a warm, sweet hot chocolate, my nerves unraveled, and I closed my eyes.

Riding like this, it felt as though all my worries and burdens were being left behind.

After about an hour of riding without a break, the horse finally came to a halt.

I lifted my head and looked around. In front of us stood a mansion, surrounded by a well-kept garden.

Why are we here?

Whose house is this?

"Get down," Meteor said.

"Alright."

We dismounted in sync, and as always, Meteor headed straight for the mansion. Following behind him, I asked, "Are we going here?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

As I trailed after him, I glanced around at the garden and the house.

The garden, filled with blooming wildflowers, was charmingly quaint. The mansion itself was neither too large nor too small.

Though modest by noble standards, its well-maintained exterior exuded an air of history and refinement.

"This is your new home," he said abruptly.

"...?"

I blinked, wondering if I had misheard.

"Whose home?"

"Yours. I’ve already hired staff to take care of it."

"...I don’t need a house."

Even if I did, there was no reason for Meteor to provide one for me.

How could I accept such a favor from him?

If I had wanted a house, I would’ve bought one myself long ago.

Meteor stopped walking and turned to look at me. I met his gaze with a faintly sulky expression.

His voice was firm as he explained, "This isn’t for you. If someone adopted by the Pluto family gets disowned and ends up homeless, what does that say about our family’s reputation?"

"...."

Ah.

So that’s why.

It made sense.

If word spread that a child once adopted by a prestigious family like the Pluto household was left to live in a dormitory after being disowned, it would damage their reputation.

It would make them seem cold and heartless for abandoning a former lady of their house.

"So, even if you don’t need it, stay here for the time being."

"Alright."

Left with no other choice, I reluctantly agreed and trudged forward.

So I’m no longer a lady of the house?

One moment, I was a duchess, and now I’m back to being a commoner.

But strangely, the realization didn’t bother me much.

Meteor and I resumed walking.

"Now that news of your disownment will inevitably spread, there will be talk about you. But at least your name won’t show up in newspapers or gossip columns," he said.

"...."

"Even though you’re no longer a member of the family, the Pluto household will continue to treat you as a lady of their house."

That must be Rearwin’s doing.

Even now, she seemed determined to show me every consideration. The thought made my chest tighten.

"...Thanks. Please thank your grandfather and parents as well."

"There’s nothing to thank me for."

His words were as icy as ever.

For a while, the only sound was the soft crunch of our footsteps on the well-tended path.

We were nearly at the mansion when Meteor spoke [N O V E L I G H T] again.

"Crescent."

"Yeah?"

"...You’re the Demon King’s daughter. Why do you have holy power?"

His voice was quiet, like a breeze brushing past.

I hesitated, unsure how to answer.

I didn’t want to make up another lie, but I wasn’t sure how to explain the truth in a way he would understand.

After a brief inner conflict, I replied simply, "Because I’m human."

It was a straightforward answer, one I doubted he’d accept.

But it was the only thing I could say.

Meteor didn’t argue, nor did he respond.

Maybe he’d decided it wasn’t worth the effort to dispute it.

***

"Here, this is the room for the owner of the house."

"Thank you."

"Well then, I’ll be on my way."

Meteor escorted Crescent to her new room and left without lingering.

It didn’t take long.

He introduced her to the staff and showed her to the room designated for the house's owner.

With his responsibilities fulfilled, he said his goodbyes and began descending the stairs alone.

Yet, as he walked, a strange emptiness settled over him.

Why was that?

Meteor rested his hand on the railing and stepped onto the next stair. His movements were uncharacteristically slow, his body weighed down by his thoughts.

"Disowned...."

The reality of Crescent’s disownment hit him only after seeing her settled into her new home.

It stirred him almost as much as the day she had been adopted.

The realization that they were truly severed now struck him deeply.

Is this what it feels like when someone who was once a part of your family is gone?

If even he felt this hollow, he couldn’t begin to imagine the feelings of his mother or grandfather.

"No. I can’t let myself feel this way."

Meteor clenched his hand tightly around the railing.

Crescent was the daughter of the Demon King.

Disowning her was the bare minimum.

He should want her gone, wish for her to disappear completely. Feeling this emptiness over something as trivial as her disownment was absurd.

Resolving himself, Meteor quickened his pace down the stairs.

He headed toward the kitchen, where he had one last task to discuss with the head maid.

As he walked through the corridor, voices from the staff reached his ears.

"Honestly, the head maid is too much. Why assign us to serve some commoner girl?"

"Exactly. She’s a commoner like us. Why would she need people waiting on her anyway? It’s suspicious, especially since we don’t even know why she was disowned."

"Maybe she tried to seduce Young Master Meteor or steal from the family. Either way, she mostly lives in the dormitory, so we can take it easy here and just relax...."

For a moment, Meteor’s mind went blank.

It was as if a void had swallowed his thoughts, turning everything pitch black.

He didn’t even register the rest of their words.

But his body moved on instinct, his steps deliberate and unyielding as he approached the source of the voices.

With a fire blazing in his chest, he spat out his words like venom.

"Silence. All of you, shut your mouths."