The next morning, Celia rose early and left the house to settle her affairs.

Her death had been abrupt, and it wasn’t until last night, after hours of searching online, that she realized how many loose ends needed tying up.

But now that Lucas had someone he wanted to build a new family with, as his adopted daughter, she felt like nothing more than a burden. She didn’t want to leave him with the trouble of dealing with her aftermath.

At the registry office, when she explained that she wanted to terminate her own records, the clerk was incredulous and confirmed with her repeatedly.

“Miss, a record can only be terminated when someone passes away. Are you sure about this?”

Celia forced a wry smile and nodded. “I’ll be gone from this world in six days.”

Hearing this, the clerk assumed she had been diagnosed with a terminal illness. They gave her a look of pity, then glanced at her file and shook their head regretfully.

She was only eighteen.

The clerk didn’t press further and proceeded with her request.

After canceling her records, Celia arranged for a memorial portrait, purchased a casket, and even picked out a funeral outfit for herself. At each stop, she encountered curious or pitying looks, but she paid them no mind.

Her only thought was to ensure everything was arranged perfectly, so Lucas wouldn’t have to trouble himself with any of it later.

By the time she returned home, it was already evening. As she stepped through the door, she spotted Yvonne in the kitchen, wearing an apron and busying herself with dinner preparations.

Yvonne greeted her warmly as she walked in. “Celia, you’re back! I cooked tonight and was waiting for you to eat together.”

Noticing the bags in Celia’s hand, Yvonne’s curiosity piqued. “What did you buy?”

Celia shook her head without answering and headed upstairs to put her things away. Once everything was stored, she came back down and joined Yvonne in the kitchen.

“Let me help you.”

The two worked together in the kitchen for a while, chatting pleasantly. When Lucas returned, the villa was peaceful. There were no arguments or tense silences, only a surprisingly harmonious atmosphere.

Seeing this, Lucas couldn’t hide his astonishment. He knew Celia’s feelings for him all too well—her emotions were always written plainly on her face. In the past, she would never have gotten along with Yvonne so amicably.

Now, dinner was ready, and the three of them sat down at the dining table. They began their meal together in an unexpectedly calm and cordial manner.

During dinner, Yvonne remained exceptionally warm and attentive, frequently adding food to Celia’s plate.

“Celia, try this shrimp. It’s especially tender. I made it just for you.”

As her plate piled high with food, Celia hesitated. Though she now had a physical form, she was, after all, no longer among the living.

When she struck her deal with the King of the Underworld, he explicitly told her that during these seven days, while she could remain in the mortal world, she was forbidden from consuming human food.

Her hesitation was obvious, and she continued to avoid eating the dishes Yvonne served her.

Seeing this, Lucas noticed Yvonne’s growing awkwardness. His gaze hardened as he shot Celia a warning look.

“Yvonne made this for you. Eat it,” he ordered, his tone sharp and commanding.

Celia stayed silent but eventually picked up her plate, forcing herself to eat the food in front of her.

The moment the food slid down her throat, a searing pain erupted in her stomach as if her insides were being scorched by fire. Unable to endure it, she bolted for the bathroom, retching violently until the pain subsided slightly.

The sudden commotion left Yvonne teary-eyed, her voice tinged with grievance as she turned to Lucas. “Does Celia not like me?”

At her words, Lucas’s expression darkened. He patted Yvonne’s hand in reassurance. “Of course she likes you. Let me check on her.”

He stood and followed after Celia.

In the bathroom, Celia leaned against the sink, the pain in her stomach gradually easing. She glanced at her pale reflection in the mirror and exhaled softly.

It seemed her condition wouldn’t allow this after all. Perhaps she should find an excuse to leave the table soon.

With that thought, she turned and opened the bathroom door, only to find Lucas standing outside, his expression stormy.

Celia froze, assuming he was there out of concern. Gathering herself, she spoke up. “Uncle, I’m not feeling well. You should go back and finish dinner. I’ll just head upstairs to rest.”

She expected him to return to Yvonne after her explanation.

Instead, his face darkened further, and when he finally spoke, his words left her stunned.

“When I saw you and Yvonne getting along earlier, I thought you’d finally learned to behave. But it turns out you’re still up to your old tricks—throwing tantrums just to embarrass her.”

“Uncle, I wasn’t…” Her face grew even paler, a sharp ache spreading through her chest. She forced a faint smile, trying to explain herself, but he coldly interrupted her before she could finish.

“I don’t care what your excuse is. You’ll go back and finish that meal.”

Without another word, Lucas grabbed Celia’s arm and dragged her back to the dining table, firmly seating her in a chair before returning to Yvonne’s side.

Celia glanced up at him, watching as he tenderly soothed Yvonne. When he noticed her gaze, he turned to glare at her, a silent warning in his eyes.

Swallowing her bitterness, Celia picked up her plate and, despite the searing pain in her stomach, forced herself to eat every bite.

Tears fell silently onto her plate as she lowered her head. Each mouthful felt like swallowing fire, the burning sensation crawling down her throat and mingling with the salty sting of her tears. She couldn’t tell which hurt more—her stomach or her heart.

The meal dragged on in strained silence, with Celia enduring her agony while Lucas and Yvonne shared their intimate exchanges.

Finally, it was over.

Just as Celia set down her utensils, the sound of a car pulling up outside broke the tension.

“That must be my things arriving!” Yvonne exclaimed with a bright smile as she rushed toward the door.

Lucas turned to Celia, his tone flat but firm. “From now on, Yvonne will be living here with us.”

He watched her closely as if expecting an outburst or a refusal. His expression seemed to say he wouldn’t tolerate any objection.

But Celia, who had already cried herself dry earlier, had long since calmed herself down. She nodded calmly. “I understand.”

Her composed reaction took Lucas by surprise, leaving him unsettled. A strange unease crept into his chest, but before he could dwell on it, Yvonne returned, naturally slipping her arm through his.

“Lucas, which room will I be staying in?”

Snapping out of his thoughts, Lucas offered her a doting smile. “Let me show you around. You can choose any room you like.”

The three of them went upstairs, accompanying Yvonne as she picked a room. After asking where Lucas’ bedroom was, she walked straight toward the room next to his.

Watching her head toward that direction, Celia felt a sudden sense of foreboding and hurried after her.

When she stepped into the room, she saw Yvonne looking around before heading straight to the wardrobe.

“Lucas, I think this room is perfect. I’ll take it,” Yvonne announced, her hand reaching for the wardrobe door.

Panicked, Celia rushed forward, blocking her movement before she could open it.

“No! This is my room. I won’t allow it.”

Seeing Celia’s intense reaction, Lucas frowned instinctively and scolded her. “What’s with this reckless behavior? If Yvonne likes this room, just let her have it. I’ll have the staff clean out another room for you.”

But no matter what he said, Celia stayed put, her back pressed firmly against the wardrobe, refusing to give in.

Frustration flashed across Lucas’ face as he forced himself to suppress his growing anger. “I swear, I’ve spoiled you so much you’ve forgotten your place!”

The tension between them grew, neither willing to budge until Yvonne finally intervened to diffuse the situation. “It’s alright, Lucas. If Celia doesn’t want to give it up, I’ll just choose another room.”

Lucas glanced at Celia, still stubbornly guarding the wardrobe, and let out a cold laugh, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Fine. If she won’t give it up, then you can just stay with me.”

Hearing that, Yvonne blushed and shyly buried her face against his chest. Without another word, Lucas wrapped an arm around her and led her out of the room.

As they left, Celia caught a glimpse of Yvonne glancing down at her hand, puzzled. “That’s strange. There’s blood on my hand, but I don’t think I’m hurt…”

Moments later, Lucas ordered the staff to move Yvonne’s belongings into his room. The house buzzed with activity as staff members carried luggage back and forth, but Celia paid no attention. Her hands trembled as she quickly shut the wardrobe door again.

Only Celia knew where the blood on Yvonne’s hand had come from— it was from the wardrobe.

Inside the wardrobe was her own lifeless body.

Celia locked the door to her room and pulled out a roll of duct tape, securing the wardrobe tightly shut. The King of the Underworld had warned her: if her body was discovered before her seven days were up, she would vanish prematurely.

Once everything was sealed, she let out a shaky breath and went to the living room to pour herself a glass of water.

On her way back, she passed Lucas’ room. Through the slightly ajar door, she glimpsed Lucas and Yvonne locked in a passionate kiss.

She froze for a moment, her grip tightening around the glass. Closing her eyes, she turned away, unwilling to look any longer.

Walking straight to the calendar on the wall, she tore off another page of the countdown.

The next morning, Celia woke up early and headed to the dining room, only to notice someone already in the kitchen.

It was Lucas, wearing an apron as he prepared breakfast, with Yvonne wrapped around him from behind. He didn’t push her away.

Instead, he would glance back at her occasionally, his expression soft with affection, even smiling indulgently.

Their intimacy played out clearly before Celia’s eyes, bringing a sudden wave of memories from the past.

Back then, the house was full of staff, but Lucas was always too busy working late into the night and often not coming home. The staff, seeing her as just a helpless child, took advantage of the situation by neglecting their duties, sometimes even withholding her meals.

When Lucas discovered their behavior, he fired every single one of them. Determined to care for her himself, he learned to cook and handled every meal for her, three times a day with no detail overlooked.

But now, she couldn’t let herself love him anymore.

If Yvonne was the one who could bring him happiness, then all she could do was offer them her blessing.

Celia quietly shifted her gaze away, walking once again to the calendar without realizing it.

Yvonne, at some point, had stepped out of the kitchen and noticed the calendar. Her curiosity was piqued, and she suddenly asked, “What’s with this countdown calendar? Why does it only have a few pages?”

Hearing her question, Lucas instinctively looked over, his attention also landing on the calendar.

Seeing both of them focused on it, Celia paused and came up with a quick excuse. “I saw it while out with a friend the other day. I thought it was interesting, so I bought it.”

It was a weak explanation, but Lucas didn’t press further and instead changed the topic. “I’m taking Yvonne out for a date today.”

His words were blunt as if gauging her reaction. He expected her to protest or create a scene, but to his surprise, she simply nodded obediently. “Have fun.”

The lack of a response left Lucas momentarily at a loss. He should’ve been pleased, but as he looked at Celia, a strange heaviness settled in his chest, inexplicably stifling.

The atmosphere grew awkwardly quiet until Yvonne suddenly broke the silence. “If you’re going to be alone here, why not come with us?”

Celia hadn’t expected Yvonne to invite her along, and for a moment, she froze. But she quickly shook her head. “I have plans. I promised to meet up with some friends to say goodbye, so I’ll pass.”

With only half a month left before college started, the gathering was filled with her friends’ excitement for the future. But Celia sat alone on the sidelines, silent and withdrawn.

After all, she only had five days left. Five days before she would vanish completely, leaving no future to dream about.

Noticing her quietness, someone approached her with a teasing grin.

“Celia, you like your uncle, don’t you? Why not make a move before the summer’s over?”

“Exactly! They say it’s hard for a guy to win over a girl, but for a girl, it’s easy as pie. You’re not even blood-related. Why not go for it? Stop being so shy and make your move!”

The mention of Lucas sparked a lively buzz among the group. Ideas flew as they excitedly egged her on, some even joking about taking drastic measures. But Celia simply shook her head, her expression calm.

“No. I can’t and won’t like him anymore.”

The gathering didn’t last long, and when it was time to leave, Celia made her rounds to say goodbye to each of them.

“Lila, congratulations on getting into the school you wanted. I’m sure you’ll have a bright future ahead of you.”

“Sophie, you need to take better care of yourself. You’re always skipping breakfast—you have to start taking your health seriously.”

“Annie, Sarah, I’ll always miss you both.”

One by one, she hugged them, her demeanor serious and sincere. Her unusual solemnity made the others laugh, brushing it off as a quirky show of sentimentality.

“Celia, your goodbye is way too formal, like we’ll never see each other again. Don’t worry, just because we’re going to different colleges doesn’t mean we’ll forget about you.”

After bidding farewell, the group gradually dispersed, leaving Celia as the last to leave.

She watched their retreating figures, a faint sadness welling up in her heart.

No, they would never meet again.

“Goodbye, my friends.”

When Celia returned home, Lucas was already back. The moment she stepped through the door, she saw him sitting on the sofa, his expression dark and stormy.

Her gaze swept the room, but Yvonne was nowhere to be seen. She casually asked, “Where’s Yvonne?”

“She’s on a business trip.”

Accepting his answer without much thought, Celia nodded and was about to head upstairs when Lucas’ cold voice stopped her.

“Hold it!”

She turned to see him pulling out several items, his face etched with displeasure.

“Care to explain these?” he demanded, holding up a collection of things—a receipt of her purchased casket and funeral outfit.