After a night of hard work, I finally stepped out of the Divine Church, feeling like a completely different person.

Bishop Corlmo left separately with Mistflower; they had other matters to attend to. I sat in the carriage, my mind still lingering on Featherwing's figure. Why could she say such things? How could I become like her—a qualified Angel?

"How do you feel?" Father Sir spoke to me, seeing my silence and assuming I wasn't adapting yet. "By the way, I quite like your new name, Lerfu. It sounds similar to our family name."

"Yes, Father Sir. Lord Deseli hopes I can continue the family's glory," I replied absentmindedly, my answer perfunctory.

"The family's glory? Now that you've become an Angel, it certainly benefits us. You must be mindful of your image. After all, you might be a symbol in others' hearts."

"That's not what I meant." I blurted out my thoughts somehow. "I don't want to stand there as a mere ornament. I want to be a true Angel—to truly help the family, or rather, to share burdens with you."

"Oh, so you mean to truly serve the family, to achieve great deeds?" Father Sir grew slightly more serious. "This isn't simple. The old you wouldn't have brought this up. What spurred you on?"

"Yes, actually..." I slowly told him what happened at the Divine Church, especially about Senior Featherwing. "Is Senior Featherwing truly as powerful as she claims?"

"Hahaha, so Featherwing spurred you on. I suppose it makes sense. I'm glad you've set her as your goal; even my little rascal grows up someday. Yes, she's powerful. Frankly, I don't hold much hope you'll catch up. But if you achieve half her success, I'll be happy."

He paused, lost in thought, then spoke after a long while: "Now I should call you daughter. Bloodwise, we're no longer related—you're an Angel who joined our family. You know that, right?"

"I already know. No matter what, I won't change our past relationship. You're still Father Sir to me, and the same for Mother and my sister," I replied without hesitation.

"Hmm, I expected no other answer. But you're no longer the young master. That means you can't inherit my estate," Father Sir said the crucial words, watching my reaction.

I fell silent. Truthfully, I'd vaguely sensed this, but hearing it clearly still struck me a little. Yet this wasn't what truly mattered. Inheriting the family was irrelevant to me.

"Yes, I have no objections. The future heir will be my sister, right?"

"Good. I don't want conflicts over inheritance later. So I must say this plainly: promise you'll never harm your sister."

Father Sir was right—countless noble families saw brothers turn against each other over such disputes. But I had no ambitions there.

"I will never harm her. And I swear by the Breath of the Sun to protect and help her with all my strength."

Genuine relief finally appeared in Father's eyes. He patted my head, then gently stroked my wings along with my hair.

Back home, gardeners still pruned sunflowers, servants bustled about—but this time, Mother waited at the entrance.

I thought she'd be startled by my new appearance. Instead, she rushed up and hugged me tightly, squeezing me uncomfortably.

"You're finally back! Not bad—you've become truly beautiful." She clearly knew about my rebirth. "Ah, I have another daughter now. May the gods bless us."

"Mother, do you prefer daughters over sons? Wait, don't touch me—don't pinch!" I hadn't finished speaking when she started poking and prodding me.

"Well, sons are fine, but daughters are more fun to play with. Don't hide—let me touch your wings." Play? What kind of play? Terrifying. She'd never treated my sister this way. And my wings were absolutely off-limits.

I ran straight into the house. I wouldn't face her again until she calmed down.

"Hmm? Who is it?" A pleasant voice came. Weihui stood at the staircase landing, posture perfect. "Miss Angel, are you Father Sir's guest?"

Unlike Mother, Weihui didn't know I'd been reborn as an Angel. I was about to explain when her expression shifted.

"Wait—who are you? Why do you smell like my brother?" Ugh, I didn't know I had a special scent.

She approached, little nose twitching as she sniffed me, her puzzlement deepening.

"This scent... this posture... Brother, is it you?" She looked utterly incredulous. Her girl's intuition was terrifying—I hadn't spoken, yet she guessed.

"It's me. What do you think of Brother's new body?" The awkwardness made me joke, but she ignored me, scrutinizing me head to toe.

"So this is Mother's 'good method'?" She seemed downcast. "The old one was better..."

She whispered so softly only a Rebirth Angel could hear. Did Weihui really prefer the old me?

"How did you recognize me? I thought the changes were huge," I said helplessly, trying to change the subject.

"The way you entered, your expression seeing me, your scent, your posture, and—"

Enough. Women are scary. Time for serious talk.

I told her Father Sir's decision: the family would pass to Weihui, our roles swapped—I'd now support her. He'd confirmed it at that afternoon's family meeting.

Weihui stayed silent throughout. Only when I pressed her did she softly reply, "I understand."

A week later, at a banquet, Father Sir announced his eldest son, Wald, had lost inheritance rights due to a mistake and been exiled to a southern island nation. His daughter, Weihui, would be his heir.

(End of Volume 1)