Chapter 515: I Have Wandered for So Long, and Riven Appears Again
The evening wore on, bathed in the rich, smoky aroma of sizzling fat and roasting spices. Leaning back in her chair, Justice was finally beginning to grasp the sheer, terrifying abyss that was Ren's alcohol tolerance. He was matching them drink for drink, effortlessly managing the grill, and showing absolutely zero signs of intoxication. Beside him, Modeus was the picture of devoted indulgence—slipping choice cuts of meat onto his plate and keeping his glass brimming with liquor.
"Ren, you're throwing those back like water," Justice laughed, genuine surprise coloring her voice. "How are you not even a little bit flushed?"
Ren offered a mild, easy smile, casually flipping a marbled slice of beef. "Maybe it's just a natural talent. Besides, didn't Lucifer warn you? Trying to drink me under the table is a losing game."
"I thought she was just joking and bragging about her man!"
Hiratsuka Shizuka rested her chin on her hand, casting a dry, sidelong glance at the demon. "Isn't he your boyfriend too, Miss Justice?"
Justice flashed a brilliant grin. "Of course! Ren is the first guy to ever catch my eye. Plus, this meat is absolutely killer. The texture is flawless!"
"He does run a restaurant, after all," Shizuka pointed out.
Justice chewed thoughtfully, swallowing before she spoke again. "Actually, that reminds me. Where's Cerberus?"
Lucifer swirled the wine in her glass, her posture the very picture of relaxed elegance. "She went with Mana to inspect the venue. You can head over and take a look if you're curious."
"Honestly? I'm more curious about who Mana and the rest of this crowd are than some venue." Justice listened as Lucifer gave a brief rundown of the others. She hummed, tapping her chin. "Guess I'll skip the tour then. They'll be back soon enough anyway. Still... Cerberus actually being here is a bit of a shock."
"My thoughts exactly," Lucifer murmured.
Justice leaned in, a playful, teasing edge to her voice. "You say that like you're acting perfectly normal yourself, Lucy. You know as well as I do—whenever you actually leave the office, something massive is going down. But this time takes the cake. You ditched the Underworld to find a man, and you dragged Pandemonica and Cerberus along for the ride. Truly, a model boss."
Lucifer's eye twitched. The elegant facade cracked. "Justice... that is quite enough."
"Hahaha! Don't get mad!" Justice waved her off, turning her attention back to the chef. "Hey, Ren. How do you usually coax her when she throws a temper tantrum?"
The entire table went dead silent. Every pair of eyes snapped toward Ren. Lucifer's hands balled into tight fists in her lap. She knew exactly what the answer was—she always came crawling back to him, completely devoid of her regal dignity, without him needing to lift a single finger.
Ren didn't say a word. He calmly picked up his tongs, adjusted the glowing coals, and flipped a searing piece of meat. The fat hissed.
Justice blinked. She waved a hand in front of his face. Still, Ren remained perfectly silent, his focus entirely on the grill.
"Wait, seriously?" Justice asked, thoroughly bewildered. "Why the silent treatment over one little question? Is that sentence cursed or something?"
Ren finally paused, glancing at her with a calm, understated gaze. "I already answered you."
Justice stared at him in sheer disbelief. "You didn't say a damn thing! My eyesight might be gone, but my hearing works just fine! Girls, back me up here. Did he say a single word?"
Around the table, the women shook their heads in unison. Justice scratched her head, looking utterly lost.
"Is this like that trick with the coffee again?" Justice asked.
"No," Ren replied smoothly. "This time, I gave you a perfect, one-to-one reproduction of exactly how I coax her."
He casually transferred the freshly grilled cuts onto Nami's and Shizuka's plates before laying fresh meat on the iron grate.
Justice crossed her arms, stumped. "I'm not following. What invisible sweet nothings did you just whisper?"
Ren let out a faint, amused breath. "I just demonstrated it. Did none of you catch it?"
Nami stared blankly at the grill for a long, quiet moment. Suddenly, her eyes lit up and she clapped her hands together. "Oh! I get it! Mr. Ren is saying that when he and Miss Lucifer fight, he apologizes through his actions! He actively cooks for her and serves her favorite food to win her over!"
Justice nodded slowly, looking impressed. "Ah... that makes sense. Ren is a man of action. Is that it?"
Ren didn't even look up. "Obviously not. This little queen just isn't that hard to coax."
Lucifer puffed out her cheeks, letting out a sharp, indignant snort before aggressively stuffing a piece of beef into her mouth.
For the first time in a long while, Justice looked genuinely baffled. "Then how exactly do you do it? Seriously, teach me. If a trick works on the Queen of Hell, it's gotta work on anyone."
Ren flipped a mushroom, his tone entirely casual. "I just ignore her. I don't say anything, I keep doing my own thing, and eventually, she calms down and comes back on her own."
A heavy, deep silence fell over the table. Everyone slowly turned to look at Lucifer. The expressions varied from pity to sheer disbelief. The terrifying CEO of Hell was completely, utterly whipped. She had zero spine when it came to this man.
Pandemonica pushed her glasses up her nose, muttering under her breath. "As expected of the boss... No... As expected of Ren..."
Justice burst into laughter. "Lucy, you never cease to amaze me! Are you really that easy? Where's your pride?"
Lucifer flushed, glaring at the grill. "Ren is just too cunning! He always makes me lose!"
"Lose what?"
Ren sighed, shaking his head with dry amusement. "You were the one who declared you wouldn't speak to me for a set amount of time. So, I just went about my day. And then you broke your own rule and came over to me anyway."
"Hmph! Cunning, I say!"
"If you say so," Ren murmured, plating another round of food. "Though, to be fair, you haven't thrown a fit like that in a long time."
Lucifer lifted her chin, adopting a haughty, aristocratic air to mask her embarrassment. "You have been behaving yourself lately. Consider this my reward to you—allowing you more of my precious time. You should be finding a quiet corner to smile with gratitude!"
"Right, right. Just eat your food. The beef back ribs are going to get tough if they get cold."
Justice leaned on the table, a wicked smirk on her lips. "So, Lucy, if you're really that easy to win over..."
Lucifer's crimson eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. Her voice dropped to a soft, chilling whisper. "That is a privilege reserved exclusively for Ren. I was merely afraid he wouldn't be able to bear the silence and would lose our little bet. I am simply taking care of my man."
The underlying threat in her tone was crystal clear, translating perfectly to everyone present: 'You are not my man. If you provoke me, give me the silent treatment, and expect me to come crawling back, I will reduce your soul to ash. Only Ren gets away with this.'
Justice chuckled, entirely unfazed by the demonic aura. "Is that so? Still, I really didn't expect you to be such a softie, Lucy."
"Hmph!" Lucifer turned her nose up, pointing a delicate finger at the grill. "Ren, I want the secret recipe pork belly!"
Miles away from the lively, smoke-filled warmth of the barbecue, the atmosphere was entirely different.
A lone figure trudged through a desolate landscape. She was a young woman, her clothes caked in layers of grime and dust. A heavy, worn backpack was slung over her shoulders, and her right hand gripped the hilt of a massive, shattered greatsword.
The girl paused, squinting up at the harsh, unforgiving sun. Spotting the shaded mouth of a shallow cave, she dragged her exhausted body toward it and collapsed against the cool stone. She wiped a streak of sweat and dirt from her brow, her trembling fingers digging into her bag to retrieve a battered canteen.
She gave it a gentle shake. It was less than half full.
A heavy, ragged sigh escaped her lips. "To think I would end up in a place like this... What a bizarre journey..."
Tilting her head back, she drained the last drops of the clear water, letting the cool liquid soothe her parched throat. She leaned her head against the rocky wall, her pale hair falling over her eyes. Slowly, she raised her hands, staring at her calloused palms. They were stained with old blood and the relentless grime of the road.
A bitter, hollow smile touched her lips. "Are these hands... stained with so much blood and filth... still beautiful...?"
Her vision began to blur as exhaustion finally overtook her. "How long have I been wandering...? How much further must I walk... until I find my home...?"
With those final, whispered words, the girl let her heavy eyelids fall shut, slipping into a deep, dreamless sleep. She had no idea what world she had stepped into, but at the very least, it was quiet here.
Oh, right. Her name was Riven.
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