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.

When Celia saw the items on the floor, her heart skipped a beat.

She had hidden them so carefully—how had Lucas found them?

For a moment, panic flickered across her face. It took her a moment to collect herself before she stammered, “Tomorrow is the anniversary of my parents’ passing. I bought these as a way to honor their memory.”

Hearing her response, Lucas hesitated, the odd tension in his chest easing slightly. After a moment, he said, “I’ll go with you to visit them tomorrow.”

“There’s no need, Uncle,” she replied quickly, shaking her head. “You should focus on spending time with Yvonne and handling work. I’ve caused you enough trouble in the past. I won’t be a burden to you anymore.”

Lucas had been prepared for her to accept his offer with gratitude, but her unexpected refusal left him stunned. Shock flickered in his eyes as Celia turned and left without giving him a chance to respond.

Once back in her room, she silently tore another page from the calendar, shredding the piece into tiny fragments and tossing them into the trash.

Only four days left.

As Lucas watched her retreating figure, her words echoed in his mind. Before he could stop himself, he murmured, “You were never a burden to me, Celia.”

His voice was soft, barely above a whisper, and by the time he spoke, Celia was already in her room, unable to hear his words.

On the fourth day of her countdown, Celia visited her parents’ grave alone. She walked to their headstone, gently placing a bouquet of flowers in front of it. Her gaze lingered on their photographs engraved on the stone—familiar, gentle smiles that seemed frozen in time.

Sitting down between the two graves, she let herself imagine she was once again nestled between them, just as she had been as a child.

“Mom, Dad,” she began softly, “I don’t know if you’ve already reincarnated by now. Please don’t be angry at me for being selfish—trading my soul for seven days just to settle things.

“For so long, I envied others for having parents who loved them, but not anymore. I had Uncle Lucas. He cared for me, protected me, and gave me all the love in the world. And I—I fell in love with him, despite everything.

“But now, I see that my existence has only ever been a burden to him. He’ll have a new family someday, and I’ll always be the outsider. From the beginning to the end, I am destined to be alone.

“Life here... it’s not so good. I’ve decided that I won’t come back in my next life. I don’t regret my choice, but it’s a little sad. I never got to experience what it’s like to truly be loved before I died.”

Celia stayed at the cemetery, talking to her parents for a long time. When she finally finished, she didn’t leave immediately. Instead, she found the cemetery’s caretaker.

After some discussion, Celia made arrangements to purchase a burial plot beside her parents’ graves. This way, she thought, when the time came, she’d have a place to belong, one close to them.

After leaving the cemetery, Celia sold off her parents’ inheritance and every gift Lucas had ever given her, converting it all into a significant sum of money.

This money, she decided, would go back to Lucas as repayment for the ten years he had spent raising her.

Celia transferred all the funds into a single bank card and returned to the villa late that evening. Lucas wasn’t home, which worked perfectly for her plan.

Quietly, she slipped into his study, hiding the card in one of the desk drawers. Just as she was about to leave, her gaze fell on the disarray in the room—likely left behind from his rush to finish work.

With a sigh, she decided to tidy up the space. She carefully organized the scattered documents, but as she worked, her hand accidentally tugged open one of the drawers.

She was about to close it again when something inside caught her eye, freezing her in place.

Inside the drawer was a thick stack of letters. Love letters.

Celia’s breath hitched as she stared at them in disbelief. Without thinking, she reached out and picked them up, a mix of curiosity and astonishment flooding her mind.

Could Lucas have written these?

Lucas... writing love letters?

To whom?

Questions swirled chaotically in her head, tangling her thoughts. Lost in her confusion, she didn’t hear the sound of footsteps until it was too late.

Lucas had returned and now stood at the doorway. His sharp eyes immediately landed on the letters in her hands, and his expression shifted dramatically.

“What are you doing going through my things?” he demanded, his voice cold and laced with a rare tremor of panic.