"Yes, turn there. That's very good. You're learning very quickly." Venelana spoke as she was dancing with Haru in the Annex.
Haru was kind of going on instinct as he was slightly distracted by the beauty of the woman he was dancing with. Though, unlike before, he was not obviously drooling over her. Tannin and Ddraig made sure to lessen his open perversion, saying it would make people take him less seriously and only think him a fool. He still really liked girls but toned it down to focus on other things in his life.
"Now, shall we take a break?" Haru took the option and sat on the nearby chair with a slightly out of breath expression.
After regaining his breath he turned to the brown headed Rias with a question. "Venelana-sama, can I ask you something?"
The woman sitting next to him looked to him. "Hm? Yes, what is it?"
"Did Kiba and Gasper go through this kind of stuff before?" He wondered.
The mother nodded. "Kiba Yuuto-san has already mastered these sorts of techniques. To be expected of a Knight really. Gasper-san is a member of a very distinguished Vampire family. While he acts unreliably, he at least knows etiquette. The problem is you, Haru-san." Venelana ignored Haru slightly sulking at her indirect insult.
"It can't be helped really because you are a commoner from the human world, but you need to know proper etiquette beyond a certain point. You'll eventually have to make an appearance with Rias in high society. You have to remember customary practices, even a little, during your time here." She finished her explanation.
"I see." Haru nodded in understanding until her words fully sunk in his head. "W-What? W-Wait, what do you mean I have to make an appearance with Buchou in high society eventually?" He asked with a blush. And it was again, that he felt this sharp pain in his heart when he saw the smile. Damn it! What's going on? He asked himself in annoyance.
Venelana just shifted a little and placed her hand over her mouth. "... Oh dear, I carelessly let something slip. That kind of talk is still needed for what may happen." She whispered to herself but Haru still picked it up and it made him confused. "Leaving that aside, calling her 'Buchou' all the time will just not do." Haru's eyes widened a little at that.
"This isn't a school so you have to address your master by her name properly. Not to mention, Rias is…oops, nearly let it slip out again." She chastised herself once more.
"S-So you mean I have to call her Rias from now on?" Haru asked with a slight blush at the fact she called her by her first name. He tried to ignore the twinge in his heart the second time but he just couldn't.
The mother seemed a little happy at that and nodded. "Correct. Or you can call her master. Though, you can call her differently in private as well."
"Y-Yo-You mean she wouldn't mind it if I called her Rias all the time now?" Haru asked with a blush as he understood the meaning of this. S-S-She likes me? He thought with hope. Haru had liked Rias for a long time, but Raynare and what she did to him has caused him to be reluctant about doing anything. It was also something else, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. Maybe…it's because of that smile? The redhead thought to himself of the smile that had been appearing whenever he had thought of the girls he likes.
"Yes! Yes! Just call Rias by her first name! She wouldn't mind at all!" She seemed positively giddy at the fact this boy seemed to get her words.
Haru blushed more before scratching his head in embarrassment. "B-But I thought it would be wrong to call her that."
"True but you and her are different." Haru looked back up at her with understanding eyes.
"A-Ah! D-Do-Does that me…she liked me?!" He asked with a giant blush as he hoped she said yes.
Venelana looked a little conflicted but decided to make him go on the offence. "That's for you to find out. Just think: do you truly care for Rias?" And with that this particular discussion ended.
The reason he came here was now at the forefront of his mind. "Is Koneko-chan alright? I'm very worried about her. She's been acting very strange these past few days." He stated his worries to his master's mother.
The brown haired version of her daughter let out a sad sigh. "That girl is doing her best to face her own existence and power right now. It's a very difficult problem. However, she won't be able to recover and advance if she doesn't find the answer herself."
"… Her existence and power?" Haru asked with a bewildered expression.
"… Now that I think of it," The beauty spoke up after a moment of inward debate. "You haven't been part of Rias' group for too long. It's only natural you don't know. Let me tell you a little tale. A tale of two cat sisters."
Haru was listening in attention as the woman described two cat sisters who were always together. They ate, slept, and played together. Their parents died one day and were left on their own. Then, one day, the two were picked up by a wandering Devil. The older of the two became part of the peerage, so the little sister was able to live with them. Finally thinking they had a family, they let their guard down… that would be their mistake.
Something unusual had begun to happen to the elder of the two. She appeared to achieve mass amounts of power. Her hidden talent had awoken as she was reincarnated. The two cats were a species of yokai that naturally excelled in Youjutsu and Senjutsu.
Then came the part of the story that kind of made Haru suspicious that this was not all it was said to be. The elder cat had become mad with power and slaughtered her Devil king, becoming a stray Devil. She had demolished a squadron of Devils that made her infamous as the SS-Class Black Cat. The younger sister was left behind to fend off the anger the elder Devils had because of what the elder cat had done. "This cat will eventually turn mad with power as well. It will be easier if we just get rid of her now." Is what they had said.
That was when Sirzechs had arrived and pleaded that the younger girl was innocent of crimes her sister had committed and did not deserve to be punished. The situation ended with the devil king saying he'd watch over the abandoned girl. The girl, however, was crushed that her older sister, the one she had relied on for her whole life, had abandoned her in an instant. As she was about to lose every fiber of her being her son had looked to her with a smile.
He took the cat sister who lost her smile to his younger sibling, Rias. As time marched forward the little neko began to pick up little bits of her emotions and heart. Rias had given this mending cat a new name…
That was when Haru spoke with a sad expression. "Koneko." Venelana only nodded sadly as well. Standing tall he started walking out of the Annex but not before speaking. "I'm going to Koneko-chan." He never saw the smile the woman gave the strong boy.
"Such a sweet boy. I can see why Rias cares for you so much." The lady of the house mused to herself with a smile.