By the time I had finished, Mey-Rin was sitting in a plush chair, her cleaning duties forgotten. The amazement in her eyes was fascinating, and sadness stabbed at me for a moment as I remembered this was a special case, and I wouldn't be able to see that look from anyone else. My being was to remain a secret. And over the last few months, I had learned the hard way as to why.

"That's amazing, yes it is!" the maid exclaimed, jumping from her seat. "You're really Sebastian's daughter?"

I nodded, suddenly feeling a bit sheepish. "I am. I wish I was anywhere near as amazing as he is, but I'm not. I'm just me."

Mey-Rin frowned. "What do you mean? From what you just told me, you're extraordinary, yes you are!"

"What part of that was so amazing? I didn't do anything special. Everyone always had to save me. And I can't even remember what happened before I fell ill for a week."

"And no one will tell you?"

I shook my head.

"Then I'll help you fill it in, I will. You did something truly amazing and saved yourself and your friends, you did."

I stared at her, confused. "How do you know that?"

She smiled. "I don't. But it is better to think positively than to not. I wouldn't dwell on too much."

I returned her smile. "You're right. Thank you."

"I hear a lot of talking coming from in there."

Mey-Rin and I both jumped at the sudden voice, and I quickly folded my wings into place as the door to the room opened.

I sighed in relief when Alex walked in.

"What's been going on in here?" he asked as he closed the door behind him. He was clearly trying to act superior, but he was failing at hiding his small smile.

I relaxed my wings as I answered. "I was just catching Mey-Rin up on everything that had happened since I'd left her and the estate to go find Mom. I figured I owed it to her, seeing as how she already knew I wasn't human."

Alex eyed me for a second before nodding. I didn't know whether or not he knew she had patched me up the day I had been attacked upon arriving here, but he trusted me. That was enough.

"Anyway," he said after a moment, "I heard you both chatting and figured I should check in. You definitely don't want Ciel to find you slacking now that he's aware of what we are."

I lowered my head. "You're right. Thank you. I guess I got a little carried away. I'm just so excited. I'm not sick anymore and I have new friends. I never imagined my life would end up like this when I left home to find Dad. I'd just been bored and lonely for nearly two years. Now I have a life worth living."

Alex smiled at me. "It's always worth living. Now it's just going to be a lot more fun."

I returned his smile and nodded, feeling much lighter. Throughout our adventure, I'd felt like so much of a burden to everyone. I hadn't wanted to live if that was going to be my life. I was going to either go join my mom in the world between life and death or hope my illness took me quickly. Even in those times, I had been surrounded by people who loved me. And now that I was better (for the time being, of course), I could see brighter days ahead of me, and I knew what my brother was telling me was the truth. Life is always worth living.

"Well, I suppose I'll let you both get back to it. I have my own chores to do, unfortunately." Alex stepped out of the room and waved to us. "See you later," he said as he shut the door behind him.

I looked to Mey-Rin, who was still sitting in the same chair, seemingly frozen from being caught slacking. "Come on, let's finish this up and move on to the next room. At this rate, it'll take us the rest of the year to finish dusting everything."

She quickly shook her head, breaking herself out of whatever trance she'd been in, and jumped to her feet. "Right!" she exclaimed as she started wiping things down with her rag.

I giggled softly at her enthusiasm, then joined her in cleaning.

That night, when I finally returned to my room, I was surprised to find I still had energy left. I hadn't had to work this hard before I became ill, so I wasn't used to working for a full day and not collapsing into bed. I finally felt like I was who I was meant to be. I wasn't a human that was tired at the end of the day. I was half demon and half angel, and sleep was a luxury. This was something I could get used to. Although boredom could become a potential problem.

As I let myself fall back onto the bed, I smiled. I'd been through so much in the last few months, I hadn't thought it possible for me to ever smile again. I'd become deathly ill, lost my mother for good, and run from people trying to hunt me down and kill me. And while I couldn't get my mom back, I had made some incredible new friends, discovered a medicine for my illness, and met my brother. It had been a crazy adventure, and I was happy it was finally over. Now, I get to stay at the Phantomhive Estate with my father until his contract is over, I get to love Finny, and I get to live in a way I had never thought possible for me. I'll never be rid of the scientists and hunters, but I no longer had to face them alone. I have a family that will back me up every step of the way, and I'm ready for whatever the future may hold.