The Student Council room at Kuoh Academy was filled with the rustle of papers and the glow of late afternoon sun spilling through the windows. Sona Sitri sat at her desk, glasses perched firmly in place, but her pen barely moved across the page. She was waiting.
The door creaked open.
"Kuoh Academy really is peaceful," came the familiar, self-assured voice. "Almost makes me forget the flames I stirred up."
Sona's pen froze. She looked up, her eyes narrowing behind her glasses as Riser Phenex strode into the room with all the casual confidence of a man who had just set the Underworld ablaze.
"You—" she stood, her composure already cracking. "Do you even realize what you've done? The chaos you've caused? The nobles are in uproar, my family is swamped with letters, and the Gremorys…" she trailed off, her voice tight. "You've insulted them beyond repair."
Riser just chuckled, placing a hand over his chest like a knight dismissing a court scolding. "And yet, here I am. Still breathing. Still unburnt." His smirk softened slightly as he met her gaze. "Sona, when I made the decision, I considered all of it—the consequences, the whispers, the fury. I still chose you. Because I knew one thing…"
He stepped closer, voice dropping, sincere in a way that disarmed her. "…If I didn't, I'd regret it for the rest of my life."
Sona's lips parted, ready to argue further—but her heart betrayed her, stuttering in her chest.
Riser tilted his head, suddenly letting the tension ease. "But forget all that." He leaned in, voice playfully low. "I missed you, Sona. After visiting your home… it's been too long. Did you miss me?"
Her composure wavered. The great Sona Sitri, ever the calm and calculating, glanced away, her cheeks tinged pink. "…A little," she admitted softly, almost inaudible.
Riser grinned like a man who had just won a battle without lifting a sword. "Cute. I knew you did."
Before she could retreat into her mask again, Riser moved boldly, scooping her up with ease and settling into her chair, placing Sona squarely on his lap.
Her glasses nearly slid off as her face turned crimson. "R-Riser! What do you think you're doing?!"
"What I want," he murmured, arms loosely around her waist. "I missed you. And I want to spend more time with you—closer this time."
Her breath hitched. She wanted to stand, to scold him, but his warmth beneath her made her heartbeat betray her stern façade.
That's when the door swung open.
Tsubaki, Reya, and Momo froze at the entrance. Their eyes widened in unison at the sight of their dignified King sitting in Riser Phenex's lap, her cheeks burning scarlet.
Riser didn't flinch. He looked over at them with a perfectly calm smile. "Good afternoon, ladies. Don't mind us. She's cute when she's flustering, isn't she?" He poked Sona's cheek with one finger as if to prove his point.
Sona's entire body tensed, and she swatted his arm in mortification. "S-stop it!"
The peerage members exchanged glances—half stunned, half… impressed? Their usually composed master reduced to a shy, flustered girl in love.
Riser let out a laugh, releasing her just enough to let her sit upright on his lap. His voice softened. "As much as I enjoy seeing this side of you, I didn't come just to tease you." His amber eyes gleamed with something warmer than arrogance. "I came because I want a date."
Sona blinked, thrown off balance. "…A date?"
"In the human world," Riser clarified, leaning back as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "I've never really spent time here. You can show me around. But more importantly…" His smirk faded into something surprisingly honest. "…I just want to be with you, Sona. No politics. No noble eyes. Just us."
Silence fell in the room, broken only by Sona's quickened heartbeat echoing in her ears.
Her glasses slid a fraction lower, hiding her eyes, but not the blush burning her cheeks. "…You're impossible," she muttered, though there was no bite in her voice.
Riser chuckled, brushing a strand of her hair back into place. "And yet, you don't hate it."