The morning after the dam incident found Cecilia seated in a temporary apartment within the Hunter Association’s secure facility, watching Damon Iondora’s press conference on a wall-mounted screen.

The man was still reading and explaining the ground report as he promised on the screen, while Cecilia started to lean back on the sofa.

She was waiting for the Saintess to have her free time to talk. Which would be... in quite a while.

The living quarters were comfortable. Perhaps far more comfortable than she had expected, with clean lines and soft lighting. It was giving an anonymous luxury of a space designed to house important guests without offending them.

She had been given a change of clothes by one of the Association’s assistants, a brisk, efficient young woman named Cha SoHee who had introduced herself with a firm handshake and immediately begun taking notes on a tablet.

"What would you like to eat, Lesser Goddess? The kitchen can prepare anything within reason. We have a full staff on standby."

"Anything with meat," Cecilia said, her eyes still fixed on the screen where Damon was starting to calmly deflect a journalist’s question about the Kraken-like creature.

Then she paused. Blinked. Looked down at her stomach wryly. It was a bit hard to learn how to distinguish her own cravings from those of the tiny, calcified tyrant growing inside her.

She listed some supplements and vitamins instead. Calcium, iron, and some prenatal formulations Lazuardi prescribed.

While gulping, she also told SoHee some menus Oathran usually cooks for her. Vegetable soup with cream swirl, seared fish with citrus, and porridge with... Cecilia gave up describing and messaged Oathran to send the recipe instead.

SoHee’s stylus flew across her tablet as she noted everything.

"Also, Lesser Goddess, the board of world leaders and their diplomats will be ready for a meeting this afternoon. They are very eager to speak with you."

Cecilia nodded, already mentally preparing for the political gauntlet ahead, when the apartment door swung open.

Three men entered. Guess who.

They were carrying boxes and bags, and... what appeared to be rolled up sleeping bags. Also a collection of throw pillows and blankets that had definitely come from their own couch.

"Good morning."

Eastiel was hauling an enormous duffel bag over one shoulder and groceries in the other.

"Don’t mind us."

While Arkai balanced a stack of containers that smelled unmistakably like meal-prepped breakfast.

"Hello."

Oathran brought up the rear with a small forest of potted plants, as though moving half their apartment into a government facility was the most natural thing in the world.

SoHee stared. Her tablet hung forgotten at her side. "I—I need to confirm whether you are allowed to be here—" She reached for her phone, her fingers moving frantically, just realized her briefing was woefully incomplete.

"Mr. Iondora didn’t inform me—there is no protocol for—"

She looked at her phone. Looked at the three men who were already unpacking their belongings as though they owned the place, then looked back at her phone.

Her expression shifted from professional alarm to helpless realization. These men were going to do whatever they wanted, and no amount of protocol was going to stop them.

Cecilia sighed. This was coming and she knew... "What are you doing?"

Arkai set down his stack of containers and turned to her matter-of-factly. "Since you can’t come home with us for a while, we will be the ones staying here with you."

"That’s good enough, right?"

"Arkai, help me bring the karaoke machine. Let’s go." Eastiel spun on his heel and marched back out the door, and Arkai followed without protest.

Meanwhile, Oathran checked his phone and nodded. Cecilia’s message from just a moment ago had entered his inbox. He rummaged through his bag, producing a leather notebook.

He held it out to the bewildered assistant.

"This is my pregnancy journal. Important lists and recipes are inside. Return them soon after you take pictures of what you need."

"Y-yes..." SoHee accepted the notebook with both hands. She had been given so much new information in the past five minutes that her brain had simply stopped processing.

She looked down at the journal, looked up at the dragon who had just handed it to her, and looked back down at the journal. "I will... take pictures..."

"What is her agenda for today again?" Oathran asked.

"Uh... ah... w-world leader meeting..."

Cecilia chuckled from her position on the sofa, her legs tucked beneath her.

She watched the others bustle about, Eastiel and Arkai maneuvering a karaoke machine through a doorway that was definitely not designed for karaoke machines, Oathran calmly issuing dietary instructions to a woman who looked like she was reconsidering her entire career path, and felt something warm settle in her chest.

They were stubborn, as expected.

She turned back to the TV screen, where Damon was still standing at the podium. She listened with half an ear to what he had to deal with.

That was when her phone made a meowing sound.

Cecilia raised her eyebrows, reaching for the device on the cushion beside her.

The meowing was deliberate. She had changed the notification tone because the System’s default chime was far too similar to the phone’s factory settings, and she had spent an embarrassing afternoon jumping at every email alert as though the gods themselves were trying to reach her.

A cat’s meow, she had decided, was perfect.

She was about to open the email that had just arrived when, speak of the devil—

DING!

[You have succeeded in the Rank 2 task: Escape completely from CEO Husband!]

[Reward Rank 2]

[Cosmetic Skin Packs for all Love Interests!]

DING!

[Unlock Rank 2 of all Love Interests’ Scenario to gain this reward!]

[Would you like to roll?] 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Cecilia stared at the transparent screen floating before her eyes. Then, slowly, she looked down at the email that had triggered the meow.

The subject line was brief. It was, as expected—

The Divorce Decree.

Hmm.

Did Damon actually pull those strings...?