The Silver-Haired Queen of Annihilation stood tall and regal, her expression calm yet unreadable as she took in the scene: Rias standing flustered in her nightgown, Silas half-naked and lounging on the couch with an unbothered smirk still playing on his lips.
Grayfia's silver gaze flicked between them once, then settled on Rias with quiet authority.
"Lady Rias," she said, voice smooth and elegant, "your father and elder brother would be quite disappointed if you tried ending the engagement like this."
Her sharp eyes then landed on Silas, scanning him from head to toe with clinical coldness.
'Hmm… he must be the anomaly we picked up,' she thought, noting every detail the half-naked, the relaxed posture on the couch, the confident smirk that hadn't faded even under her scrutiny.
She couldn't deny that he was strikingly handsome in a raw, dangerous way; the kind of looks that stirred something unwelcome deep in her chest.
A faint, unfamiliar warmth flickered inside her before she ruthlessly pushed it down. She looked away and faced Rias again.
"Especially with this commoner," she continued, the word delivered with polite but unmistakable disdain.
Rias frowned deeply, her crimson eyes flashing with irritation, but she let out a long, resigned sigh.
She knew arguing with Grayfia, especially when she spoke on behalf of the family. rarely ended well.
"My chastity belongs to me," Rias replied firmly, lifting her chin. "There's nothing wrong with giving it to whomever I wish to."
Grayfia simply closed her eyes for a moment, almost sighing herself.
"Be that as it may," she said calmly, "please conduct yourself with a higher degree of dignity. Baring yourself before the eyes of men… is unbecoming of the heir of the House of Gremory."
Rias didn't respond immediately. Instead, she took a small step forward, her nightgown shifting softly around her legs.
"Was it my elder brother who sent you here?"
"No," Grayfia answered calmly. "It was a decision made by all of us. I am simply the messenger."
She turned her attention to Silas once more, her silver eyes cool and assessing.
"Oh, where are my manners," she said, offering the faintest nod of greeting. "My name is Grayfia. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
Silas didn't speak. He simply gave a slow, single nod in return, his expression unchanging, almost bored by the sudden intrusion of Underworld politics.
Rias turned back to him, her face softening with regret.
"Sorry about tonight," she said quietly. "I'll see you later. There… I'll explain everything."
She leaned in, the faint scent of roses brushing against him as she pressed a soft, lingering kiss to his cheek. Her lips were warm, the contact brief but gentle.
Then she stepped back and moved to stand beside Grayfia. A new magic circle, crimson mixed with silver formed beneath their feet, glowing brighter and brighter until it filled the room with blinding light.
In an instant, both women vanished, leaving only the faint afterimage of the circle and the lingering scent of magic in the air.
Silas remained seated on the couch for a long moment, staring at the empty spot where they had stood.
'I should get back to dancing,' he thought, shaking off the interruption with a small shrug
.....
The next morning.
He arrived at the Occult Research Club pretty late, since he had been up all night dancing music still faintly echoing in his head, much to his downstairs neighbor's annoyance.
As he stood outside, he sensed far more energies inside than usual, thick and layered behind the door, pressing faintly against it like heat.
' They're here already?' he thought as he stepped inside.
He reached the door and slowly pushed it open, the hinges giving a soft creak. Immediately, everyone's gaze snapped to him.
The room was packed to the brim, bodies crowding every corner, expensive fabrics brushing against each other, the air warm and stuffy with a mix of perfume and something heavier.
Riser sat in the middle, blond spiky hair catching the light, one leg crossed over the other. A lazy grin rested on his face, but it slowly dropped the moment he saw Silas standing there.
Behind him was his peerage, entirely women, all poised and polished, their eyes sharp as they studied Silas. Silas could practically feel the jealousy radiating from Issei from across the room, almost like a physical thing.
" It smells in here," he said.
Akeno and Asia giggled behind Rias, hands lightly covering their mouths, while Koneko simply smiled faintly, her eyes narrowing just a bit. Rias smirked as she looked at him, clearly amused.
He chose to leave the door open as he walked in, the cool hallway air slipping in behind him. Moving toward the window, he slid it open, letting a stream of fresh air cut through the heavy atmosphere, curtains shifting slightly with the breeze.
" Who in blazes is he!" Riser demanded angrily as he stood up, his chair scraping sharply against the floor.
Rias stood her ground, completely unfazed. " That's Silas, my boyfriend," she replied.
The whole room went silent, the words hanging thick in the air—shocking Silas just as much. ' Since when!' he thought.
A few of Riser's peerage exchanged glances, whispers barely contained, while Issei froze entirely, his expression cracking.
' How bold, Rias,' Grayfia thought as she glanced at her from the corner of her eye, her composed expression not slipping in the slightest.
Hearing that, Riser began to chuckle. " You expect me to believe that!? This nobody dating the high and mighty Rias Gremory? I've heard it all—even that puny Pawn of yours would be an even better option."
Silas simply stayed silent, hearing that, still wondering when did him and Rias start dating. Before he could say anything.
Riser turned to him. " Get him out."
His peerage moved immediately. Shuriya and Mira, his pawns, stepped forward in a dash, heels clicking sharply against the floor. As they attempted to attack him, Yuuto stepped in their path without hesitation.
" I can't let you do that," he said with a calm smile, hand resting lightly on his sword.
" You protect him?" Riser asked, turning to Rias, one brow raised. " Perhaps he really is your lover. Have you told him about us though?" he added with a smirk.
Hearing that alone, Rias's skin began to crawl. " I've said it enough! I will not marry you!" she shouted.
Immediately, a red aura flared around her, crackling faintly as her wings spread open behind her.
Riser stepped forward, his own wings unfurling as a fiery glow surrounded him, heat rippling through the already heavy air.
" Oh? Rias Gremory stepping up to me!?"
Akeno stepped up beside Rias, lightning faintly dancing at her fingertips, and so did Riser's Queen, Yubelluna, her gaze sharp. Koneko moved forward as well, low and ready, while Riser's rooks stepped in with heavy, grounded presence. Even Issei, whose gauntlet appeared the next moment with a flash, took a step forward despite the tension in his shoulders.
Riser's little sister, Ravel, simply sighed, fanning herself lightly. She briefly glanced at Silas, who wasn't even paying attention to the rising tension, casually leaning by the window as he looked down at his phone.
' How can he be carefree in this situation? Isn't he just a normal human?' she thought.
Grayfia walked forward, her heels making a soft, deliberate sound. Immediately, both parties pulled back, their movements halting as her aura alone pressed down on the room, cold and absolute.
" Now we have no reason to turn to violence. Not here anyway."
Riser threw his hands up. " Alright, I yield for now, that is," he said, dropping back onto the couch with a lazy exhale.
His peerage returned behind him, only Yubelluna and Ravel taking their seats beside him.
Rias and her peerage did the same, the tension easing but not disappearing. She glanced at Silas, who was still at the window, quietly aura farming like Sakamoto, completely unbothered by everything that had just happened.
She smiled slightly, something Riser noticed, and it struck a nerve deep in his pride.
In a blink, Riser raised his hand and fired a fireball at Silas. The sudden shift snapped through the room, eyes widened in shock, bodies tensing too late to react. Even Grayfia was slightly taken aback, her gaze sharpening.
The blazing sphere tore through the air, heat trailing behind it. Silas watched it approach, the glow reflecting faintly in his eyes as it closed the distance. He didn't even flinch.
It hit him. In a burst, he was swallowed whole by flames.
Bwoom!
The impact rattled the windows, the curtains snapping violently as a wave of heat spread across the room.
Riser threw his head back and chuckled. " Ahahaha, there goes your so called lover, Rias Gremory!"
TO BE CONTINUED