I still couldn't wrap my mind around it…
Rias had lost. Haru had lost. I had lost.
We had all lost.
Because Riser had won, I would be forced to become Ravel-sama's servant. The only thing that remained was for Serafall and Ravel-sama to fill out the appropriate documents required to trade pieces (I'm only guessing since I honestly have no idea how it works). The wager between Riser and my foolish yet adorable master, Serafall, had been won by Riser. That cocky bastard… when I came trudging behind Ravel-sama, that arrogant smirk on his face made me want to smash his face in. It was so tempting. But that would be treason towards my own master who was Riser's younger sister. I had to obey her orders as her servant. Because of that, I had no choice but to come here… To this place…
To the bedroom of Ravel Phenex.
It was a nice and fancy room as one would expect of a person from a High-Class background. The whole room was rich with golden colors… I'm honestly not good at describing these kinds of things, so I'll do my best to give a scenario. You know how you expect those fancy rooms in well-maintained mansions to look? Really, the FANCIEST room you can think of. It looked kind of like that except with a few feminine touches. A desk devoted to cute, fluffy stuffed animals here, a bunch of frills on various objects and clothing there, not sure how else to describe it.
Just thinking that aloud made me feel nervous and embarrassed.
I know what one might think: I've seen girls naked before. I've made out with girls. I've groped girls. Hell, I've slept with a woman before. Why should me sitting in a girl's bedroom be any more embarrassing?
Well… it's more the atmosphere of a girl's room that made me feel embarrassed. Despite my long line of experience with women, I've never actually been alone in a girl's room before. Whenever I had done ecchi things with Ruruko or the others, I had always been at my house or in a hidden spot at school or somewhere else that was NOT their house. I have a knack for pissing off the fathers of women, ya see? Ruruko's father literally threw me out the window when a poor choice of words—Know what? It's not important. Point is, I've never actually been in a girl's room before. ESPECIALLY not on my own.
Ravel-sama had left to go fetch something, leaving me alone, sitting on the edge of her bed. Of course I took off my shoes so I didn't get it dirty. It was a soft material on the bed. Just being in contact with it made me want to take a nice, long nap. Part of me couldn't help but wonder if a light drowsiness spell was put on the sheets in order to aid the person in the bed to get to sleep. I honestly have no idea how Pure-Blood Devils live.
I wasn't even sure what to do here. Ravel-sama told me to just sit and wait for her return, but she didn't say what else I could and couldn't do. A part of me considered spending this time planning an elaborate prank on Riser as a sort of revenge for him just being a douchebag in general. Of course I would never carry it out. If I would be living in Phenex territory as Ravel-sama's servant, I would no doubt be in contact with him often enough… There would be more chances for revenge. So for now, I would simply plot.
My best idea yet was to take a pair of Ravel-sama's panties from the drawers and put them in Riser's room and then tell Ravel-sama what Riser did… Not very clever, but clever enough. Ravel strikes me as the type of tsundere who could have violent outbursts if the cause is severe enough. Thinking her brother was taking her panties might be enough to have her burn off his face a couple times.
If it were Haru, that pervert idiot would probably just take Ravel-sama's panties for himself. Neh. He'd probably go for the bras. That dumbass always liked…
I hung my head, curling into a ball and hugging my legs to my chest. "... Haru…" I hadn't been allowed to see him after the Rating Game. I wanted to make sure that he was alright, but Ravel-sama had ordered me to come with her immediately. Everyone had been unconscious, so I wasn't able to give a proper goodbye. I couldn't console any of them for their loss or Rias for her having to marry Riser. And now… I was alone. I wouldn't see any of them until the wedding between Rias and Riser (is it weird that I threw up a little in my mouth at that thought?). But it wouldn't be as my normal self. It would be as the Ruto who was the servant of Ravel Phenex. But still… to see that they were alright… that they were awake… that would be enough.
How awful it was of me that I actually COULDN'T wait for the wedding… Seeing my friends again was the only silver lining I could find.
"... I wonder how they're all doing…" I said to myself, seeing no point in only thinking my thoughts since no one was around to hear me talk anyway.
The wedding was in two days. Excluding the planning stages, I would have to wait until then. Despite the situation, I couldn't help but feel impressed by the Devils' ability to put together a fancy wedding in such a short amount of time.
I had been waiting for Maou-knows-how-long when the door to the room finally swung open, revealing the satisfied-looking Ravel.
"Good evening, my Queen." She giggled to herself. It wasn't the cocky, arrogant giggling of a Pure-Blood Devil who won a wager, but rather, the excited, cheerful giggling of a teenage girl who had gotten a present she really, REALLY wanted.
I bowed my head respectfully. "Yes, Ravel-sama?"
"I have spoken to Otou-sama and Oka-sama regarding your living arrangements. A part of Phenex territory is being set aside to act as your permanent residence, but until then you will be living here." I looked around, examining the room once more. Here I was thinking it was Ravel's.
"Huh. I could chill here." I admitted before laying back on the bed.
"E-EEEEH!?" Ravel-sama let out a loud shriek of surprise, her face turning a deep shade of red. "N-No! Not here! I meant you'll be living here as in living in this same building!" A part of me knew that, but I just wanted to mess with her a little. Realizing her embarrassed appearance, Ravel quickly crossed her arms and looked away, smirking to herself. "While it's to be expected for my new servant to want to be as close to his master as possible, it hardly seems appropriate for us to sleep in the same room together! Please, it's not as though the thought of that makes me happy in the slightest! It's simply my duty as a [King] to keep my [Queen] close at all times!" For someone who says they're not happy at all, you sure are smiling a lot, Ravel-sama.
I shrugged before taking one step off her bed. "Alright then. Just tell me whe—"
Then I got a small push that forced me to sit back down on the bed. Ravel-sama quickly crossed her arms again, attempting to hide the fact that she had pushed me back down. Her face was even redder.
"Alright! You've twisted my arm quite a bit here, so I'll let you stay in my room, you pervert!" … Despite the fact that I miss Serafall, Ravel is indeed a cute tsundere.
… Mmmmm… Serafall…
The very thought of my lover's name brought a new kind of sadness…
"Anyway, the final exchange with Leviathan-sama is still not official." Ravel-sama explained. "It's mere formalities by this point, so you're still my servant in all but name now. From this point forward, I do hope we can get along. Even if we do not, I fully expect you to hear and obey my orders, understand?"
I nodded. It was a no-negotiation arrangement. I would not possess the same freedom I possessed as Serafall's servant. One step out of line and I would be branded as a Stray Devil and put down like a rabid dog just like Vizor. That psycho got lucky with a relatively clean death by Rias' hands. There would be no telling who would hand down my death penalty. I had to live. Even if the situation seemed hopeless at the moment, I had to keep living. Keep living until an opportunity presents itself to change my current situation. Ravel-sama was more empathetic than her older brother, but she was still a High-Class Devil who would not tolerate insubordination.
Well… may as well make the best of it.
I got onto the ground and knelt before Ravel-sama. "What would be the first order you would ask of me, master?" With this offer, I hoped she would get the humiliating tasks meant to break me down into her willing pet out of the way.
"Well, I…" She trailed off, her mouth hanging open. Then she closed her mouth, thinking. "I-I… I don't know. I guess I never really thought about what I would do if I were to get my own servant. The house servants and Onii-sama's servants always catered to my whims so I never really pictured myself needing to order around my own servant."
Wow, she is unbelievably honest. She truly never even considered what she would do after she won the wager and got me as her servant.
"Well… what do you want at this moment?" I asked, my amusement and desire to tease Ravel convincing me to help her figure out what she wanted. "Do you want me to cook dinner? Clean your room? Clean the house? Wash your clothes? Get in the bath with you and wash your back?"
Ravel spoke while counting off my questions. "Respectively, my answers are: It's too late for dinner. My room is already in pristine condition. The household servants take care of housecleaning. And-And what's with that last question, pervert!?"
I shrugged. "I dunno, I was told that Rias bathes with her servants, so I wasn't sure if that was something all or most Devils did with their servants or if it was just a Gremory thing."
Ravel-sama's face turned red again, instinctively covering her breasts with her arms as if she were afraid I would somehow see through her clothes. "Who-Who told you something like THAT?!"
"My best friend, Haru. He's a real pervert most of the time, but he's a great guy deep down and…" I really couldn't go five minutes without making myself depressed, could I?
I sat back against the side of Ravel-sama's bed, resting my hands in my lap.
"H-Hey! What is with that sudden depressed reaction? It was just a misunderstanding. I'm not mad or anything." Ravel-sama meant well, but she completely misunderstood my reaction of sadness which was for the fact I would not be able to see my friends. Then Ravel-sama clapped her hands. "Anyway, now that you're here, we had best find you an outfit to wear for the wedding. You certainly can't attend in that outfit."
Oh right… I was still wearing the strange uniform Serafall gave me… I suppose I should consider this her final present to me. Now that I realized this, I didn't really want to take it off anymore. It would be like I was truly giving up on all my memories with her.
Ravel-sama clasped her hands together, wearing an expression as if she had come to a decision. "It's decided. As a present to welcome you as my new servant, I will have a whole new wardrobe made for you. I'm afraid we don't have any sleepwear for you tonight, so you will have to make do with what you have for tonight."
I nodded, looking down at my outfit. Well, I could always take off the unnecessary stuff like the jacket and the belts. Why I needed three belts, I had no idea.
"Very well, Ravel-sama."
"..."
"..."
"Well?" I blinked at Ravel-sama's sudden expectant look.
I stared back. "'Well' what?"
Ravel-sama began undoing her dress, entering an adjoined room which I suspected to be a bathroom in order to change into her own sleepwear. "Prepare for bed. We have much to do tomorrow."
I blinked several times, processing and understanding. "Oh. OH! You were serious about sleeping in the same room?"
Ravel-sama poked her head from behind the door, shooting me a dangerous look, blushing slightly. "Oh? Is there something wrong with sleeping in the same bed as your new King?" I quickly raised my hands in surrender.
"No no no! It's fine. It's just that I never thought a beautiful maiden such as yourself would grant me the honor of sleeping in the same room let alone the same bed!" I said with a smooth voice. "I had surely thought you were jesting."
"O-Oh!" Ravel-sama's face flushed again as she stuttered. She turned away, still blushing. "W-well I would n-never be that cruel! N-Not even towards a servant!" She was smiling again. "I—Just give me a second!" Then she disappeared into that room again.
I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. I almost felt bad about how easy it had been to appeal to her vanity. I'm not calling Ravel self-centered. Everyone's vain. It's a natural part of every living being. Some people are just more easily flustered by praise and compliments. Ravel was actually pretty okay compared to others. That is why I felt bad.
But I couldn't hesitate. I didn't have Serafall to hold my hand anymore. If I wanted to survive the world of Devils, I had to be serious.
No matter what happens, I will return to your side, Serafall.
I slowly began undressing myself. After I took off my jacket, belts, and other various apparel, I was wearing nothing but my hakama. I was tempted to sleep in my undergarments, but… if I was sleeping in the same bed as Ravel, it would be best if I maintained as much modesty as possible. True, I would use my charm and emotional manipulation abilities to get more power until I was able to regain my place at Serafall's place, but I draw the line at using that to manipulate a woman. There are many lines I will cross, but that would never be one of them. I would never be able to face any of my friends ever again if I did.
"Alright, I'm coming out."
I was snapped out of my thoughts by the voice of Ravel-sama who came out of the adjoined bathroom. What Ravel-sama came out wearing made me blush deeply. The girl stepped out shyly, clearly never having worn something like that before despite how badly she tried to play it off.
The Phenex girl was dressed in an incredibly light pink nightdress, light enough that her darker-colored bra and panties were visible underneath. While a long-shot from being stark naked like Serafall, Asia, or (dare I say it aloud?) Jack, this was definitely considered bold for Ravel Phenex. I just stared.
"W-WELL!?" Ravel-sama became even more flustered at my silent stare. I quickly raised my hands in surrender.
"W-Well it's just that you look kind of sexy in that! You know how awkward that is to say aloud?!" I questioned her. More playing on her vanity to earn her affection.
Her face began steaming again before she turned away. "Pervert! You could put a bit more tact in how you talk!" She pulled at the edges of her skirt nervously, doing her best to avoid direct eye contact. "Well… uh… I… I guess we should go to bed now."
I bowed, showing respect to my new master. "As you wish, Ravel-sama."
Compared to other girls who've directed their affection towards me, Ravel-sama became bolder than most girls did when they first met me. She was actually kind of cute and I respected her for that…
DAMN YOU, GUILT! No! I will not succumb to my conscience! I am determined in this! I will be of the Lawful Evil alignment! I may be usually Lawful Neutral, but for Serafall, I will be Lawful Evil!
Ravel-sama walked rather slowly to the bed, placing a hand over her heart, no doubt trying to calm it. She slipped into her bed, under her sheets before I even reached the bed. She didn't lay down, however, as her face was still burning red. She stared down at her hands in her lap.
Feeling equally awkward, I made my way to the other side of the bed, sitting down above the bedsheets and laying my head back on the pillow behind me. When I brought my legs onto the bed, I noticed Ravel-sama still glaring at me.
This time, I had no idea what I did… Waaaaiiit. Never mind. I realized my fuck up.
I quickly stood up, bowing in apology. "Ah! Forgive me, master! I misunderstood your statement of allowing me to sleep in your bedroom tonight for being allowed to sleep in the same bed!"
Ravel-sama shook her head, crossing her arms. "N-No! I-I mean… I guess you can't sleep on the floor…" Her tone made it sound as though she was irritated about something else. I had to watch where I stepped. This was a tsundere. There was no telling what their trigger would be. "S-So don't be afraid to sleep under the same sheets! A Queen should be as close to their King as often as possible!"
OH! She was irritated because I showed hesitation in sleeping under the same sheets as her…
Hmm… I was going to need to be much more careful. There was no telling how clever or bold Ravel-sama was. For all I knew, she was a playgirl who hid under a shy exterior. To sleep under the same sheets would be to remove all boundaries between man and woman. They would truly sleep as a pair with incredible closeness.
"Is it an order, my King?" I said, regaining my previous charming demeanor. "Personally, I would prefer to refrain from obeying such an order. I would not wish for baseless rumors to slander the reputation of my adorable master. As I am now your servant, my first and foremost duty to you is your well-being and your reputation."
"H-Huh?!" I hit every single "target" in Ravel-sama's heart, appealing to her vanity while feigning serious care for her well-being. "D-Dummy!" She was smiling again. "I-I understand th-that you don't want your beloved master to be put in harm's way, but my reputation would only be further d-damaged if I were to allow my own Queen to easily catch a cold simply because I w-would not share the warmth of my bed! S-So it's fine if you sleep next to me!"
I found myself smiling. In a way I don't quite understand, Ravel kind of makes me think of a tsundere-Asia… with slightly larger breasts.
"As you wish, master." Maintaining any and all dignity I could, I slipped into the same bed as my new master, making sure not to bump up against her or disturb her in any way. As I laid there, feeling odd in my hakama, I closed my eyes and pretended to go to sleep. There was no point in drawing out this situation for any reason other than to get a laugh out of watching how adorably Ravel-sama reacts to my charm and teasing. I made sure to stay deathly still so as to make sure that Ravel-sama didn't suspect me of being awake.
Through sheer focus, I managed to calm every last bit of my body. The only part that dared betray my commands was my fast-beating heart.
The only thing that was left to do was to get some rest and prepare for tomorrow. I had to begin my plans to gain further political power if I wished to ever return to Serafall's side.
So… until tomorrow.
*CHU*
I felt soft lips suddenly press against my cheek.
E-Eh?!
I really hoped my blush wasn't too apparent on my face. What the Hell was that?!
"... I'm really happy." I heard a soft whisper from Ravel-sama. "Until tomorrow, my personal prince. How great it would be… for it to be just like in those stories…"
And that was the final blow. The last one that I could take. My conscience couldn't take it anymore. She was undoubtedly prideful and mildly arrogant like other Purebloods, but when she speaks so softly about such sweet dreams, I can't even imagine any chance of deceiving her!
"Hmmm…"
GREAT! And now she's snuggling against my chest!
DAMN YOU CONSCIEEEEENCE!
I sighed. OK… maybe I can gain political power WITHOUT manipulating Ravel-sama. That was probably a bit much to begin with. In the world of Devils, political power and physical power go hand in hand. If I just become a lot stronger, then there's no way I COULDN'T get the power to bring myself back to Serafall's side.
… Auuu. Now I feel bad. I'm gonna have to make it up to Ravel-sama for my attempted deceptions.
And if I know anything about apologizing to women, then I know that there is only one way that is a sure-thing:
Cooking!
Just wait, Ravel!