GREMORY MANSION – UNDERWORLD
Zeoticus was already in the hall when he heard footsteps on the stairs, raising his gaze with an immediate smile as he recognized who was coming down alongside Rias, while his relaxed posture made it clear he had already been expecting it. The provocation came effortlessly, loaded with intent, and the atmosphere shifted instantly.
"Who's coming down the stairs… if it isn't my future son-in-law?" he rested his chin on his hand, watching the two with open interest.
Rias reacted immediately, her face turning slightly more serious as she looked directly at her father, leaving no space for that provocation to grow further.
"Dad, stop that." she answered firmly, lightly squeezing Gasper's hand.
Gasper kept an awkward smile for a moment, adjusting his own rhythm before finishing his descent, without letting go of her hand, which made it clear there was no retreat in the situation. He stopped in front of Zeoticus and gave a slight nod.
"Good morning, Lord Gremory."
Zeoticus didn't let it pass, his smile shifting slightly as he crossed his arms, as if he had been waiting exactly for that choice of words to continue.
"No." he replied immediately. "For you, it's Zeoticus… or father, whichever you prefer."
Gasper didn't respond right away, his gaze turning neutral for a second as he evaluated the best way to answer without unnecessarily escalating things. The choice came simple.
"I think I'll call you Zeoticus."
The reaction was immediate, and Zeoticus's face changed at once, his expression visibly dropping, enough to break the flow of the conversation for a second. Rias looked at him without hiding her reaction, while Gasper held his gaze, not backing down from his decision.
Zeoticus sighed softly, adjusting his posture before responding, as if accepting it with a certain weight.
"Hmm… interesting." he tilted his head slightly. "Vanelana told me you called her mother yesterday… but with me it's going to be this treatment?"
Gasper stayed silent for a second, the thought coming directly before the response, unfiltered.
'I called her… why did I do that again…'
He didn't let it linger, answering in the same rhythm, without changing his tone.
"That was a different moment." he kept his gaze steady. "But I think I'll call her Vanelana as well."
The reaction was instant, and this time Zeoticus truly got agitated, his body leaning slightly forward as he raised his hand as if to stop that before it even happened.
"No, please, don't do that." he replied too quickly. "If Vanelana finds out you changed because of me, she'll get irritated… and you'll find out how dangerous the women in our family are."
Rias let out a light sigh, bringing her free hand to her forehead as she looked at her father with some weariness, already used to that kind of situation.
"Dad, you're going to end up scaring Gasper."
The response didn't come from Zeoticus.
It came from behind.
Vanelana was already standing there, arms crossed, watching the scene in silence long enough to understand exactly what was happening, and the slight smile didn't hide her interest in the conversation.
"So I'm dangerous, dear?"
Zeoticus turned instantly, his body freezing for a moment before reacting, clearly caught off guard, while his expression changed too quickly to hide anything.
"Dear…"
Vanelana didn't move immediately, maintaining her posture as she analyzed the three of them, letting the silence weigh for a second before responding, her soft tone not hiding her control.
"I came to see why you were taking so long…" she tilted her head slightly. "And ended up hearing you talking badly about me."
Zeoticus raised his hands slightly, trying to soften the situation without much success.
"It was unintentional."
Vanelana didn't respond right away, letting the silence last just enough to reinforce the weight of her presence before completely shifting the focus of the conversation. Her gaze went straight to Rias and Gasper.
"Rias, dear, take Gasper-kun to the breakfast table." she spoke naturally. "He has a lot to do today."
Rias nodded without hesitation, pulling Gasper's hand more firmly, already understanding that was the best way out before the situation escalated unnecessarily.
"Let's go, Gasper."
Gasper didn't resist, following the movement while still casting one last glance at Zeoticus, who remained standing in the same spot, now under Vanelana's direct attention, making it clear that conversation wasn't over for him yet.
The two walked down the hallway toward the dining room, the atmosphere becoming lighter as they moved away, while the sound of their footsteps faded and the heavy mood stayed behind.
Rias kept a steady pace while still holding his hand, her gaze forward, but her expression carried a slight annoyance from the previous situation, which made her let out a short sigh before speaking without slowing down, maintaining control of the situation.
"Sorry about my father, Gasper-kun. He exaggerates… especially in the morning."
Gasper kept up without resistance, his gaze returning to her for a moment before responding simply, without giving weight to what happened, making it clear he didn't see it as a real problem.
"No, it's fine."
They reached the dining room right after, finding the table already set, with all members present being served by the staff, which indicated they were already late compared to the others, and that was enough to immediately draw attention.
Akeno noticed right away, a smile appearing effortlessly as she watched the two approach together, clearly interested in the situation.
"Ara ara… look who finally left the room to meet her boyfriend." she tilted her head slightly, making the provocation clear.
Rias reacted instantly, without being shaken, but without backing down either, keeping her gaze directly on her while pulling the chair to sit, responding in the same tone without losing ground.
"Yeah, good thing I locked the door well." she answered naturally. "Because someone tried to mess with it last night."
Akeno didn't back down, her smile growing more evident as she accepted the provocation without losing control of the situation, clearly more interested in continuing the game than ending it there.
"Ara ara… so you gave yourself away."
Gasper sat beside Rias, ignoring the direct exchange between the two, but keeping enough attention not to lose the rhythm of the conversation around him, which allowed him to notice Asia's immediate reaction as she raised her head, even with the evident tiredness.
"Good morning, Buchou… good morning, Gasper-kun."
Rias responded first, her tone returning to normal, but her gaze still maintaining lateral attention on Akeno, as if she hadn't completely ended that exchange.
"Good morning, Asia."
Gasper looked more closely at her face before speaking, noticing clear signs that something wasn't right, which made the question come out directly, keeping focus on her.
"Good morning, Asia… what happened to your eyes?"
Asia hesitated for a moment, bringing her hand to her face unconsciously, clearly not realizing how obvious it was, before answering honestly, without trying to hide.
"I… couldn't sleep well." she looked away slightly. "The bed was too big… I'm not used to it yet."
Gasper kept his gaze on her for a second longer, processing the answer without reacting outwardly, while a thought passed directly through his mind before being dismissed, maintaining control of his expression.
'I could have told her to sleep with me… better not.'
Before the conversation could continue, a short sound interrupted the moment, drawing attention in the same direction and breaking the natural flow.
CRECK.
Saji shifted uncomfortably in his chair, his face still showing clear signs of exhaustion as he tried to adjust his posture, which justified the immediate complaint.
"I didn't sleep well either."
Gasper turned his face toward him without changing his expression, responding immediately, without any filter or softening, which caused an immediate reaction in the room.
"I can beat you until you pass out." he kept a neutral tone. "That way you'll sleep well."
Kiba couldn't hold back, letting out a low laugh as he watched Saji's immediate reaction, who raised his hands desperately, shaking his head before anything else could continue.
"No, forget that!"
Koneko didn't lift her gaze from her plate, but responded anyway, without changing her rhythm, making the judgment clear without effort.
"Idiot."
Kiba rested his arm on the table, still laughing lightly before looking at Saji naturally, shifting the tone to something more direct and functional.
"I'll sleep with you next time."
Saji froze for a second, clearly surprised, before reacting with a mix of relief and confusion, not hiding his reaction.
"Really? You'd do that for me?"
Kiba nodded without hesitation, keeping his tone simple and direct, leaving no room for doubt.
"Yes. We're friends."
Saji let out a breath, relaxing completely for the first time since arriving, a sincere smile appearing as a direct consequence of the answer.
"Thanks, man."
Gasper watched the scene for a moment before letting out a low laugh, not hiding the thought that passed directly through his mind, making it clear the kind of read he had of the situation.
'Quite a… close friendship waiting for you, Saji.'
Akeno pulled the focus of the conversation back right after, her gaze returning to Gasper while her smile remained light, but filled with intent, regaining control of the interaction.
"Ready for your big day, Gasper-kun?"
Gasper answered without hesitation, keeping his tone direct as he started eating, not opening any emotional space for the provocation.
"Yes, I am."
Akeno tilted her head slightly, taking advantage of the opening to provoke once more, but this time with a more playful tone than direct confrontation, keeping the atmosphere light.
"After sleeping with Rias, you must have forgotten all your problems."
Koneko responded before even looking, cutting it off sharply while continuing to eat, maintaining an indifferent posture.
"Pervert."
Asia reacted instantly, clearly uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation, her gaze going straight to Gasper, as if expecting a different answer.
"Gasper-kun…"
Gasper didn't look away, responding in the same rhythm, not backing down from the provocation, keeping a logical and direct tone.
"Rias was there too." he kept his gaze steady. "Why am I the only pervert?"
Koneko didn't respond this time, completely ignoring it while continuing to eat, making it clear she didn't intend to prolong it, ending her participation.
Rias let out a light sigh, adjusting her posture before cutting the situation directly, without raising her tone, bringing control back to the table.
"Don't talk about unnecessary things at the breakfast table, Akeno."
Akeno just laughed, without resistance, keeping her smile as she accepted the cut, but without really ending the teasing atmosphere that still lingered lightly in the room, making it clear it could continue later.
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