New York
One of the most dangerous cities in the Marvel universe.
A plane slowly landed at the airport. As the cabin door opened, Rimuru saw a blonde girl in an office suit and a chubby man waiting inside.
Of course, they were Tony's assistant Pepper Potts and his bodyguard Happy.
The moment Pepper saw Tony, her eyes turned red.
Even though she tried hard to hold it back, her face was almost entirely written with emotion—shock, relief, and concern—but she still couldn't hide it.
Rimuru and Ethan were both sensible enough to give Tony and Pepper their space and chose not to be third wheels.
Tony: "Your eyes are red. Were you that worried because your boss went missing?"
Pepper: "I'm just happy… I can finally keep my job!"
Even though he didn't mean to eavesdrop, their conversation still reached Rimuru's ears.
They're really bad at hiding it… these two are way too obvious!
That said, Tony and Pepper's relationship really was interesting.
Tony was a playboy. When Vanity Fair journalist Christine interviewed him, he was openly vulgar, making dirty jokes without restraint, and quickly managed to sleep with her.
But when facing Pepper, perhaps because he cared too much, he became awkward and speechless, unable to flirt at all.
As for Pepper, she was even more interesting.
Strictly speaking, she was the true heroine of the story.
If told from Pepper's perspective, Iron Man might as well be called "Iron Man: The Domineering CEO Fell in Love With Me," or "The Cute Wife of a Billionaire's Assistant."
A working woman fights her way up and wins the heart of her billionaire boss Tony Stark, eventually marrying into wealth.
A perfect "power romance" storyline—no matter how you look at it, it's inspirational.
Pepper: "Who are those two people?"
After briefly reporting to her boss, Pepper asked about Ethan and Rimuru—especially Rimuru, who worried her the most.
In other words, any woman near Tony automatically made Pepper alert.
That was the aftermath of her "counterattack." The gap in status between her and Tony was too large, putting her at a clear disadvantage in the relationship.
Tony could sleep around freely, while she would still have to clean up after him.
As long as Tony behaved slightly decently, he would instantly look like a "playboy who suddenly turned back."
Pepper's margin for error was extremely small. Even though she held a special place in Tony's heart, she was still, officially, just his assistant.
She remembered that in Iron Man 2, there was a scene where Natasha Romanoff infiltrated Stark Industries as Pepper's assistant, leading to complicated tensions around Tony, especially during his declining health. Pepper even considered firing her due to the chaos she brought.
From this angle, Iron Man 2 almost feels like a "war over marriage and workplace rivalry."
Still, that was just human nature.
Pepper could hold her ground—she was not lacking in looks, capability, or intelligence.
"Pepper, let me introduce you. This is Dr. Ethan. Without him, you might never see me again."
"Hello, Dr. Ethan. Thank you so much!"
Pepper shook his hand politely and sincerely.
It was genuine gratitude. Both she and Tony had once been wealthy but vulnerable people. Ethan had saved Tony—and indirectly preserved everything they had.
"And this is Rimuru… she is…"
Tony hesitated, unsure how to introduce her.
His hesitation immediately made Pepper uneasy.
What exactly was Rimuru's relationship with Tony?
Long blue hair, delicate features, fair skin, and a small, adorable figure—all signs of a very beautiful young girl.
If Rimuru didn't look so young, Pepper might have already suspected something inappropriate.
It wasn't unreasonable; Tony had quite the reputation.
Could she be his adopted daughter?!
Becoming a stepmother is no easy matter—this was an entirely new topic she didn't want to face.
If she seriously considered it, she'd probably feel dizzy just thinking about it.
Rimuru, despite not being very emotionally skilled, had extremely sharp perception and instantly noticed Pepper's unease.
So Rimuru spoke up:
"Hello, Sister Pepper. Nice to meet you. I met Tony last night in a terrorist cave, and this morning we fought our way out together. Strictly speaking, I'm also Tony's savior."
The amount of information in that sentence was huge.
She had only met Tony yesterday, which immediately ruled out any suspicious relationship.
And she was also his savior.
What should an assistant do when meeting her boss's savior? No need to teach that.
If an ordinary person said this, it might sound suspicious—but Rimuru looked so young and harmless that it was completely convincing.
Pepper was surprised.
Rimuru didn't sound like an ordinary child at all.
But in any case, her words greatly eased Pepper's concerns.
Pepper quickly warmed up to Rimuru, and the two began chatting enthusiastically, exchanging playful remarks, leaving Rimuru slightly overwhelmed.
Good heavens… Pepper is too strong.
Women really are born political fighters. You can't get angry… you really can't.
Three-dimensional humans are so troublesome.
Inside the luxury car
Happy asked, "Sir, where are we going?"
Pepper: "Take us to the hospital."
Tony: "No."
Pepper: "Tony, you need a medical check-up."
Tony: "I don't have anything I must do there. I was locked up for three months. Now I just want two things: a cheeseburger, and…"
He hadn't finished speaking when Pepper cut him off:
"You're so desperate?"
Tony's expression didn't change—he was clearly used to being misunderstood.
"That's not what I meant. I'm going to hold a press conference."
"A press conference?"
Pepper was shocked. What did he need to announce so urgently?
She wanted to object, but the car had already started moving, and she could only follow Tony's decision.
Sometimes, dealing with this kind of boss really felt… hopeless.
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