Sirzechs stared at Yoru for a moment before letting out a hearty laugh.
"Good. That's quite the personality you've got—worthy of being part of the Gremory family."
His cheerful tone, however, carried implications that made Rias blush. Sirzechs openly acknowledging Yoru as part of the Gremory family was essentially the same as viewing him as Rias's future husband.
Yoru could only rub the tip of his nose in mild helplessness at the recognition. He didn't exactly dislike it, but he couldn't shake the feeling he was letting Canna down somehow.
"Lord Lucifer, there's something I need to correct. I'm not just a member of the Gremory family—I belong to the Sitri family as well."
Yoru said this with a calm tone. Sirzechs blinked in mild surprise, then chuckled and shook his head.
"You younger folks and your relationships… It's not my place to interfere. I won't ignore the fact that you're a servant of the Sitri girl. But for now, it's best not to make that public. Once you're confident enough to face any enemy, then you can reveal that connection. Until then, your identity must remain as Rias's sole servant."
Yoru nodded in agreement. He understood well that his current strength wasn't enough to face the top brass of the Angels or Fallen Angels.
As a powerful and potential-filled servant under Rias, the factions might be wary of him—maybe test him with younger generation fighters. But if they found out he was a monstrous anomaly born from eleven Evil Pieces, he might attract assassination attempts from cadres with eight wings, or even ten.
"I look forward to the day you've grown strong enough. The current peace among the Three Factions is only surface-deep… Below that, ambition stirs, and no one knows when war might erupt again."
Sirzechs sighed softly, as if speaking with deeper intent. But he said nothing more.
"Grayfia, take them to rest."
"Understood, my lord."
Grayfia gave a slight curtsy and escorted Yoru and Rias out of the room.
Not long after, Grayfia returned to Sirzechs's chamber. Despite being husband and wife, the air between them remained cold, almost as if they were strangers.
"Grayfia… What do you think of that young man?"
"Say no more. I am the maid who serves Maou Lucifer. In this life and the next, I belong only to Lord Lucifer."
Grayfia replied coldly, lifting her head to meet the surprised eyes of Sirzechs. Though her words were akin to an eternal vow, her eyes showed no trace of emotion.
"...I see."
Sirzechs nodded lightly, saying nothing more. The room soon fell into a deathly silence.
◇
After returning from the Underworld, the Occult Research Club spent several days in celebration. Perhaps as a way of making it up to Canna, Rias generously handed over custody of Yoru for half a month.
In other words, for the next two weeks at Kuoh Academy, Yoru would be considered Canna's servant, and Rias would not see him voluntarily.
As for the rest of her peerage, Rias came up with a random excuse.
Asia, Kiba, and Koneko all believed her easily. Akeno was a little suspicious, but chose not to question it.
"Congratulations. It seems Lord Lucifer now sees you as a future son-in-law."
In the Student Council President's office, Canna looked up meaningfully as Yoru walked in to report.
"Son-in-law? Come on, Canna—don't say weird things like that."
Yoru scratched his head awkwardly, not knowing how to comfort the obviously jealous girl.
"Yoru… Do you think my sister is… hard to understand?"
Canna suddenly asked this hesitantly. Yoru blinked in confusion, staring at her.
"Why would I think that? Lady Serafall is… cute?"
"Cute, huh…?"
Canna covered her face in embarrassment. One of the Four Great Satans being called cute—if her sister heard that, she'd probably be overjoyed. But Canna just found it incredibly shameful.
Her sister… was being called cute. As a Maou!
"Uh… is that a bad thing?"
"No, not really. Anyway, let's go over the recent workload. Because of your absence these past few days, Student Council duties have piled up."
In an instant, Canna returned to her usual calm and composed self, adjusting her glasses as she spoke.
Yoru found her reaction amusing. He stepped closer without thinking, gently taking her hand.
"Hey… you're jealous, aren't you, Canna-nee?"
He said this teasingly, deliberately dragging out the "nee" (big sister) part. Seeing her serious face flush with red, Yoru couldn't help but grin slyly and sit beside her.
"Ah—"
Canna let out a soft gasp as Yoru squeezed into the single-seater chair beside her. Naturally, it was cramped. She instinctively tried to push him away and protested.
"Don't mess around. What if someone sees us?"
"You're the president, and their master. Without your command, who would dare enter so casually?"
Yoru dismissed her worries with a carefree tone. Not only did he refuse to move, he even took it a step further by wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her onto his lap.
"There. Now it's not cramped anymore."
Resting his chin lightly on her shoulder, he inhaled the faint fragrance of her hair and spoke in a satisfied tone.
"You… I'm getting mad now, Yoru!"
The pace was fully under Yoru's control, and Canna couldn't keep up. Though she enjoyed this closeness, her natural shyness made her resist instinctively.
She didn't dare use force, so all she could do was lightly push at him. But to Yoru, it felt no different than playful flirting.
"Oh? Canna-nee, you're so dishonest. Your mouth says 'no,' but your body is surprisingly honest."
Canna was the complete opposite of Rias. Rias was bold and assertive, overwhelming Yoru with her passion. Canna, on the other hand, needed Yoru to take the initiative—to awaken the desire hidden deep in her heart.
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