"Tsk, you really are a siscon. Look at you, all quiet now."
Yuki Suou snickered, a teasing glint in her eye as Adrian remained silent.
He shot her a glare, clearly annoyed. "Seriously, are you done yet? I don't recall accepting a cheeky little sister who doesn't respect her big brother."
He reached out and gave her soft cheek a pinch before stepping aboard the train, shaking his head in exasperation.
She followed right after him.
"You're not heading home? Planning to tag along with me now?" Adrian asked without turning.
At that, Yuki immediately perked up, her voice taking on a dramatic flair.
"I'm a helpless young girl, you know! I've just gone through something terrifying. My heart is traumatized—surely it's not too much to ask if I stick with you a bit longer? Also… I'm kind of curious where you live."
Adrian ignored the entire preamble and locked on to the last sentence.
"Oh? Curious about where I live?" he smirked and pulled out his phone, tapping into the map of Kuoh Town and marking his address. "Right here."
Yuki took one look, straightened her posture, and intentionally pushed out her already well-developed chest.
"My place is just four stops away. Next time, I'm coming over to visit, Onii-chan~"
She gave him a cheeky wave and stepped off the train with a satisfied smile.
Adrian raised an eyebrow, visibly surprised. "Huh… she really does live nearby. Barely a ten-minute ride."
He paused, stroking his chin in thought. "Wait a sec… have I seen her somewhere before?"
Memories fluttered through his mind—fragments and flashes until, suddenly, one surfaced.
It was from fifteen years ago. He had been only three months old at the time.
Even with memories from a past life intact, his infant body had limited cognitive function—he might've been more mature than most babies, but he was still, at the end of the day, a baby.
"Hisss… yeah, I think I did meet her before. But it's all way too fuzzy."
The recollection faded before he could make sense of it.
—
Meanwhile, Yuki bounced her way home, practically radiating sunshine.
Her mother, Yumi Suou, noticed instantly.
"You're all smiles today, Yuki. Did something good happen?"
"Mom! I met this amazing guy—his name's Adrian Blake. He actually saved my life today!"
"Saved your life?!" Yumi's expression turned stern in an instant.
As the current head of the Suou family and mother to its sole heir, Yuki's safety was paramount.
Yuki gave a slightly edited version of the day's events—leaving out the part about Rias—but did show her mom a selfie she'd taken with Adrian.
Yumi studied the photo. Her expression shifted from surprise to realization.
"A rogue devil, huh? I didn't know things in the hidden world had escalated that far. Looks like it's time I told you a bit more."
She paused. "Adrian Blake… now that name rings a bell. His parents… they're from our extended family. Technically, he's your cousin."
Yuki blinked.
"You actually met when you were babies. He even confessed to you back then. Of course, you were only three months old. It was adorable."
There was a full three seconds of silence before—
"EHHHHHHHHHH?!"
Yuki shrieked so loud the neighbors probably flinched. "He's my cousin?! And he confessed to me?! When we were three months old?!"
Yumi, slightly taken aback, blinked. "Uh… yeah? Is that a problem?"
Yuki just stood there, mouth open, brain lagging.
Yumi chuckled. "Well, he's done pretty well for himself. Maybe you two should reconnect. I'll go pay him a visit myself—"
"No!" Yuki cut her off, panicked. "I—I'll go thank him myself. Personally!"
Yumi narrowed her eyes. The change in tone, the sudden urgency… very suspicious.
But she gave in with a sigh. "All right. If you insist."
The moment her mom agreed, Yuki lowered her head and whispered a gleeful "Yes!"
—
"Achoo!"
Back at his place, Adrian sneezed out of nowhere.
He rubbed his nose, shivering slightly. "Ugh… why do I feel like someone's talking about me behind my back? Yuki Suou, is this your doing?"
He activated Clairvoyant Hearing, tuning in to her location out of sheer curiosity.
What he heard made him pause.
"Heehee~ You can't run from me, Onii-chan~!"
"Oooh, the taboo love between cousins! Delicious!"
"This makes us equals now. No—this surpasses equality!"
"…What the hell is she even saying?"
Adrian listened for another ten minutes, trying to parse the chaotic mess of nonsense she was mumbling to herself.
Words like "equal," "transcendence," and "forbidden love" floated around aimlessly.
He gave up, muttering to himself, "What the hell kind of weird energy is that girl on…? Hopefully she's just enthusiastic. Not… psychotic."
With that, he dismissed the connection and opened his front door.
"Welcome back, Adrian!"
"W-Welcome home… big brother."
The voices came from two girls waiting for him—Maria and Mio Naruse.
Maria stood proudly, waving a spatula and wearing a frilly white apron.
Her petite figure was framed perfectly by the apron's lace accents, giving her an oddly sensual allure despite her childlike charm.
Meanwhile, Mio was trying desperately to hide behind her, wearing a similar apron—but on her, it barely covered anything.
Her figure was impossibly voluptuous, and the apron clung to her like a second skin.
"D-Don't look at me… big brother…"
Mio's face turned beet red, and she dropped into a duck-like crouch, hands on her knees as she tried to shrink from view.
Adrian immediately felt a surge of heat rush to his head. He shut his eyes tight.
"Why… why are you both dressed like this?!"
"Um… well… Maria said you'd like it this way…"
Mio mumbled the words, voice barely a whisper, cheeks burning.
She'd been completely bamboozled into wearing it.
Maria, meanwhile, grinned like the little devil she was. "Come on! Admit it—doesn't it work?"
And with that, she gave Mio a shove straight into Adrian's arms.
The moment they touched, Mio squeaked—and Adrian's thoughts flew right off the rails.
Yeah. The "effect" was undeniable.
Too effective, in fact.