I came back to the Gremory estate with a strange weight on my shoulders.
The moment I stepped through the gates, I knew.
Rias was waiting.
She stood at the entrance of the main building, posture straight, hands neatly folded in front of her waist. Her expression was calm—too calm. The kind of calm that only existed when she already knew everything and was deciding how angry she was allowed to be.
…Yeah. She definitely knew.
"Hallo, Rias," I said lightly, raising a hand in greeting.
Her crimson eyes narrowed just a fraction.
"Don't you 'hallo' me," she replied sharply. "What did you say to Sona?"
Straight to the point. No warm-up. No escape route.
I blinked once, then glanced past her shoulder toward the garden. "Oh? Look at that. Such a beautiful, vast estate. I don't remember seeing this part of it before."
Her eyebrow twitched.
"Don't change the subject."
Caught instantly.
I sighed, shoulders relaxing as I accepted defeat. "Alright, alright. That was fast. Did Serafall tell you, or did Sona?"
Rias stepped closer. Each step was measured and controlled—but her aura pressed down unmistakably.
"Your face already says enough. And Mother was smiling again. That's never a good sign."
…Fair.
I scratched the back of my head. "Nothing inappropriate happened, if that's what you're worried about."
"That wasn't my question," she replied coolly.
I met her gaze properly this time. No dodging. No jokes.
"She challenged me to chess," I said. "I won."
Her eyes widened slightly before she could stop herself.
"…You won?"
I nodded. "Apparently, that was a condition set long ago. Whoever defeats her earns the right to… well." I exhaled. "To marry her."
Silence fell between us.
Rias stared at me, searching my face for hesitation, guilt, or something worse.
"And?" she asked quietly.
"And I told her parents the truth," I continued. "That I'm already with you. That I won't hide that, no matter what."
Her expression softened—just a little—but the tension didn't fully disappear.
"And Sona?" Rias asked.
"She didn't deny it," I said honestly. "But she didn't demand anything either. I think."
Rias looked away, fingers tightening slightly.
"That's just like her," she murmured.
I stepped closer, lowering my voice. "Rias, I didn't go there intending for any of this to happen. I went because I promised her a chess match. Nothing more."
She turned back to me, eyes sharp again. "And yet, it did happen."
"…Yeah."
Another pause.
Then Rias let out a slow breath.
"You really are troublesome, Ise," she said, rubbing her temple. "Without trying, you walk straight into the hearts of people who don't even intend to fall."
I gave a wry smile. "I also didn't think I had that kind of power."
She huffed, then—unexpectedly—reached out and grabbed the front of my shirt.
"But remember this," she said firmly, pulling me closer. "No matter what happens with the Sitri household, with Sona, or even with Serafall… you are my servant. My partner. Don't forget where you belong."
"You know," I said lightly, trying to ease the weight in the air, "Sirzechs told me I could become a high-class devil one day. Form my own peerage."
"I."
Rias gave me a look. The kind that could pin a dragon in place.
"I know, I know." I raised my hands in surrender. "I belong to you. I'm not arguing that. But tell me—how did you know about Sona's situation so quickly?"
Rias let out a quiet sigh and loosened her grip on my shirt. She turned and walked a few steps ahead of me, then stopped near the window, sunlight brushing against her crimson hair.
"Sona called me," she said calmly. "The day before you left for the Sitri household."
"…She did?"
Rias nodded. "She told me everything. About the chess condition. About her parents. About what she was planning to do if you won."
I couldn't help but wince. "She really went straight to you, huh."
"She said she didn't want to move forward without facing me first," Rias continued. "That's the kind of person she is. Honest to a fault." A faint smile crossed her lips. "She even apologized to me. Can you believe that?"
Well, she kind of needs to. Because she was going after her best friend's boyfriend after all. Not that I was saying I didn't like it.
"And that's not all," Rias added. "Her mother contacted my mother soon after."
"…Venelana-sama?" I muttered.
"Yes." Rias's lips curved in a slightly exasperated smile. "Apparently, the two of them had quite the discussion. Formal greetings, polite smiles—and a lot of things being 'understood' without being said out loud."
That explained the smile.
"I wanted to go with you," Rias admitted softly. "To the Sitri household. I didn't like the idea of you walking into something like that alone."
I looked at her. "Then why didn't you?"
She shot me a sideways glance. "You remember, don't you?"
Ah.
—Rias, dear, I need you to help me with something in the house.
—Right now.
—No, it can't wait.
"...Yeah," I sighed. "How could I forget?"
"My mother stopped me," Rias said, half-pouting now. "Very deliberately." Then Rias looked at me. "But for you, you are one step closer to becoming a harem king, right?"
Hearing that, I just looked at Rias. "Harem King?"
"Ise, you sleep and talk a lot. In fact, everyone sleeping with you knows you wanted to become a harem king."
Goddamn it.
~~~
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