GREMORY MANSION – GASPER'S ROOM
Morning light partially crossed the window, creating a soft contrast inside the still-silent room, while the environment remained stable after the previous night.
Gasper opened his eyes slowly, without moving his body immediately, keeping his breathing controlled as he absorbed the current state around him before taking any action.
On one side, Rias remained close, her body partially resting against his, her steady breathing indicating she was still deeply asleep, with no sign of alertness or tension.
On the other side, Akeno was also close, maintaining the same natural proximity, as if the position had been held without interruption since the moment she fell asleep.
Their presence wasn't unstable.
It was consolidated.
Rias moved slightly first, adjusting her body position without waking up, unconsciously reducing the distance even more, as if reacting to the presence beside her without needing to open her eyes.
Akeno responded next, the movement more subtle, but still clear enough to adjust her own position on the bed, maintaining the balance between proximity and comfort without breaking her state of sleep.
The space between the three ceased to exist.
Gasper didn't move.
He simply observed.
'It was a good night…'
The thought came directly, without the need for further analysis, because there was nothing there that needed to be reinterpreted or questioned.
'Maybe this is it…'
He kept his gaze fixed on the ceiling for a second before closing his eyes again, letting the conclusion form naturally, without effort.
'The meaning of life.'
The residual taste of blood still lingered, mixed with his own breath, while the energy inside his body remained high, stable, and active, without any sign of decline after the previous night.
That wasn't just satisfaction.
It was fuel.
He could get up at that moment and make use of the time before class, but the weight of the two over his body imposed a direct limitation, not physical, but of decision.
Rias remained pressed against one side.
Akeno on the other.
Moving them now meant waking them up.
He wouldn't do that.
The activation came effortlessly.
The flow of time around him froze instantly, interrupting any movement before it could complete, creating a static space under the absolute control of his gaze.
Gasper moved.
Carefully, he removed his own body from between the two, adjusting his position with precision so as not to displace any detail beyond what was necessary, keeping everything exactly as it was before leaving.
He left no flaws.
The bed remained stable.
After getting out, he repositioned both of them naturally, ensuring that the proximity between them was maintained without tension, as if there had never been any change.
The control ended.
Time resumed.
Their breathing continued at the same rhythm, uninterrupted, without any sign that anything had happened.
'Great… now I can go train before school.'
He turned toward the door and left the room without hesitation, keeping his movement quiet enough not to interfere with the environment he left behind.
The door closed.
On the bed, without his presence, Rias and Akeno instinctively moved closer, reducing the distance between them until contact was restored, as if the empty space had been automatically filled.
Neither of them woke up.
___
UNDERWORLD – GREMORY MANSION
The main room was silent, arranged for a conversation that allowed no mistakes, while the two women positioned themselves face to face without the need for extra formalities. Lady Phenex remained upright, maintaining control of her posture, while Lady Venelana observed her with enough attention to understand that this visit was not social.
"Thank you very much for receiving me, even with everything you need to organize for tomorrow."
Lady Phenex kept her tone steady, without exaggeration, making it clear that she acknowledged the moment without trying to soften her intent.
"No need to thank me." Venelana kept her voice calm, analyzing the other with precision. "I was also curious to know what you want."
The response wasn't just cordial.
It was direct.
Lady Phenex didn't take long to understand that there was no room for detours, and adjusting her approach at that moment was more important than any formality.
"I came to discuss a matter involving Gasper."
Venelana didn't interrupt.
She simply kept her gaze fixed, absorbing the choice of name even before the proposal was presented, because that alone already indicated the level of the conversation.
"My daughter has made a decision." Lady Phenex continued without hesitation. "She wants to become his fiancée… and join the peerage he will form."
The silence that followed wasn't long.
But it was enough.
Venelana didn't react immediately, because the proposal was not common, and the context made it even more sensitive than the sentence itself suggested.
"Are you sure about this?" Venelana tilted her head slightly, without softening her tone. "Right after what happened in the Rating Game?"
The question didn't carry direct judgment.
But it didn't hide the weight of what was being placed either.
The defeat of House Phenex was still recent, and the political impact of it hadn't disappeared.
Venelana was right.
The Phenex house had been exposed.
The marriage contract had been publicly terminated.
And the one directly responsible for that was the same man now being placed at the center of that proposal.
Lady Phenex didn't look away.
"I am."
The answer came without hesitation, even knowing that all of that was true.
She wasn't there to deny what happened.
She was there to act after it.
'I will never forget those black flames…' the thought came directly, without interruption. 'They pierced my son's regeneration as if it didn't exist…'
She didn't change her expression.
But the decision was already consolidated.
"This isn't about pride." Lady Phenex kept her tone firm. "It's about positioning."
"So it was your daughter's decision." Venelana calmly folded her hands. "And you're here representing it."
"Yes."
Lady Phenex didn't try to soften it.
There was no reason to.
"I have nothing against it." Venelana replied without changing her tone. "But Gasper does not belong to me."
The pause was brief.
But clear.
"He is a member of my daughter's peerage." She continued. "And decisions involving him… go through her."
Lady Phenex absorbed the response without showing immediate reaction, because that was already expected.
The negotiation wouldn't be with Venelana.
It would be with Rias.
"I understand."
Venelana nodded slightly, acknowledging that there would be no attempt to force progress at that moment.
"Then attend the ceremony tomorrow with your daughter." She kept her gaze firm. "And speak directly with Rias."
Lady Phenex didn't insist.
"I will do that."
She stood up right after, maintaining her controlled posture as she ended the visit without prolonging something that had already been defined.
"Thank you for the opportunity."
Venelana observed for a second, evaluating the unnecessary formality for someone she had known for so long, and saw no reason to maintain that within a scenario that was already clear between them.
"There's no need for that." Venelana made a slight gesture with her hand, ending the formality. "We both know exactly what's going on."
Lady Phenex nodded subtly, acknowledging the statement without turning it into another empty protocol, and then turned to leave without prolonging the moment.
The door closed behind her.
Silence returned to the room, but it wasn't neutral, it carried the direct consequence of what had been decided there, because now the matter was no longer the proposal.
It was the reaction.
Venelana remained standing, quickly organizing the scenario forming, because the next variable was already defined before it even happened.
Rias.
The mere thought was enough.
She knew exactly how her daughter would react, and there was no doubt that it would not be accepted calmly, not at that moment and not in that context.
"She won't like it…" Venelana murmured, crossing her arms with slight tension. "Not at all."
The reaction wouldn't be just negative.
It would be possessive.
Rias had already demonstrated that before, and now the situation placed a direct target within the space she considered hers, which made everything more predictable.
Venelana let out a small laugh.
Not out of disregard.
But out of familiarity.
"It'll be interesting to see how she tries to deal with it."
The statement came low, almost casual, but carried enough understanding to know that this wouldn't be just an emotional conflict, but something that could escalate depending on how it was handled.
She turned toward the window, already adjusting the next step in her mind, because the ceremony the next day stopped being just a formal event.
Now, it was a collision point.
And she had no intention of interfering before seeing how everything would unfold.
___
GREMORY MANSION GARDEN
Lady Phenex left the main structure and stopped a few steps ahead, observing the garden without moving immediately, keeping her gaze fixed as if evaluating something beyond what was visible.
The environment was stable.
But the situation was not.
She let out a slow breath, maintaining her posture as she acknowledged the weight of what she had initiated, without allowing it to alter the decision already made.
'This isn't something I would normally do… but it's no longer about pride.'
The memory of the flames didn't come as an image, but as a sensation, enough to reaffirm the reason she was there and what was at stake.
'If this guarantees safety… then it's worth it.'
She closed her eyes for a moment and opened them again, adjusting her stance clearly, because at that point there was no more room for doubt or retreat.
'I need to convince Rias.'
The decision stopped being reflection.
It became execution.
She knew she would face resistance, but she also knew that conversation needed to happen and that failure was not an option, so she turned without hesitation and moved forward, certain that the ceremony would define the next move.
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