Sirzechs quickly regained his cordial smile, although the slight effort behind it did not go unnoticed. He tilted his head discreetly in acknowledgment.
"Yes..." He paused briefly, carefully choosing his words before continuing. "I understand that you have decided to terminate the agreement with the Gremory Family. However, as someone who was born and raised in that house, I feel I have a responsibility to intervene. Those territories hold enormous importance for the economic and political stability of my family of origin. Therefore, I would like to ask you to reconsider your decision or, at least, to be willing to discuss more favorable conditions for a peaceful transition..."
Grayfia remained silent beside her husband, but her expression stayed as cold as before. Her eyes remained fixed on Alear with an almost palpable intensity, as if she were analyzing every word, every gesture, and every reaction from him.
Alear leaned back in his chair calmly, interlacing his fingers in front of his face while observing Sirzechs with an impassive expression.
"I understand your concern for your family, and I can respect that. After all, a man who cares about his family is, at the very least, someone worthy of respect..." he replied, without showing any evident emotion. "However, the agreement with the Gremory Family has already been terminated. The territories of the Gäap Family now belong entirely to the Häagenti Family. That decision has already been made. Soon, the Agares Family will assume administration of the region, and I have no intention of going back on this decision..."
Sirzechs maintained his cordial smile, but his eyes revealed a slight gleam of contained tension.
"I understand your position, Alear-san. I imagine that going back now could affect your reputation, and that would certainly be a problem for someone in your position." He paused briefly before continuing, keeping a calm and diplomatic tone. "Even so, as a Satan, it is my duty to look after the balance between the noble houses of the Underworld. Such an abrupt transition may generate unnecessary instability. Perhaps we can find a middle ground that benefits all parties involved..."
Alear remained silent for a few seconds, his magenta-pink eyes acquiring a cold and evaluative gleam.
"I had thought you had come here as representatives of the Gremory Family..." he commented calmly, although his voice carried a subtle irony. "Why, then, are you using your position as Satan at this moment, Sirzechs Lucifer?"
Sirzechs maintained his cordial smile, but a slight stiffness appeared in his posture, especially in his shoulders.
"It is merely the perspective of a Satan, Alear-san..." Sirzechs replied, trying to maintain a conciliatory tone. "As someone who holds this position, it is my duty to look after the overall balance of the Underworld..."
Alear narrowed his eyes slightly, and the corner of his lips curved into a cold smile.
"Is that so?" He tilted his head slightly. "Then tell me... what would that middle ground be?"
Sirzechs gestured smoothly with his hand, as if proposing something reasonable and beneficial for everyone.
"Simply a consensus among the three parties involved. The territory of the Gäap Family naturally belongs to you, Alear-san, and the Agares Family has already been designated to administer it. However, completely removing the Gremory Family from the equation seems like an unnecessary waste. Why couldn't the two families administer the region together and work to expand the operations, generating even more profit for all involved?"
Alear placed his hand on his chin, pretending to ponder the proposal. After a few seconds, he nodded slowly.
"It's not a bad idea..."
Sirzechs seemed slightly relieved. Before he could continue, Alear interrupted him with a direct question:
"What would the percentages be?"
"Thirty percent for the Gremory Family, thirty percent for the Agares Family, and forty percent for you," Sirzechs replied with a more confident smile. "A balanced and fair division that would allow all parties to benefit..."
Internally, Alear found the proposal almost comical. The Gremory Family had previously shown willingness to accept much more modest conditions, but now, with Sirzechs representing their interests, they were trying to increase their share as if they had equivalent bargaining power. Even so, outwardly, his expression remained neutral and indifferent. He simply shook his head slowly.
"No...."
Sirzechs' smile froze on his face for a moment. A shadow crossed his gaze and, for a brief moment, the cordial mask he maintained seemed to crack. Beside him, Grayfia discreetly tightened her apron, and her expression became even colder and more hostile. Her voice came out low, yet sharp as a blade:
"Why are you being so stubborn? The Gremory Family is giving up a lot to continue managing the Gäap Family's territory. A territory that has been administered by us for hundreds of years without any issues. Isn't that reasonable?"
Alear raised an eyebrow, looking directly at her with an almost amused expression.
"Because I want to. The territory is mine, isn't it?" he replied simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Or do I need permission from the Gremory Family to decide what to do with what belongs to me?"
Grayfia's expression grew even colder. Her eyes shone with evident irritation, and the atmosphere around them seemed to grow almost suffocatingly heavy.
Sirzechs raised his hand calmly, lightly touching his wife's arm to calm her.
"Grayfia, please..." he said in a low tone before turning his gaze back to Alear, maintaining his diplomatic posture. "Indeed, you have every right to decide the fate of the territories that now belong to you..."
Alear let out an almost imperceptible sigh and spoke in a calm and definitive voice:
"Exactly, and that has already been decided. Therefore, there is no longer any reason for this meeting to continue..."
He made a motion to stand up, as if ending the matter irreversibly.
"Wait, please..." Sirzechs interrupted quickly. "Is there really nothing I can do to make you reconsider? Give me a chance, Alear-san. As a Satan, I am willing to fulfill three conditions that you deem reasonable. Anything within my reach..."
Grayfia, beside him, looked visibly perplexed. Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second, clearly shocked by her husband's willingness to make an offer of that level. However, part of her felt some relief upon hearing those words. After all, any minimally ambitious noble devil would be extremely tempted by such a proposal. A Satan held immense political weight within the Underworld, leading one of the most influential factions of the demonic race and directly contending for authority with the Great King Faction. Moreover, the young man before her was already engaged to Serafall Leviathan. If he accepted Sirzechs' offer, he would gain the political support of two Satans simultaneously — something capable of drastically elevating his influence, strengthening his position among the other noble houses, and making him an even more difficult figure to confront in the Underworld's political scene...
Alear stopped midway through the movement and sat back down. His gaze slid slowly over to Grayfia, fixing on her with an almost amused expression. From the subtle change in her posture and the momentary relief that had appeared in her eyes, he could easily imagine what was going through her mind. She probably believed the situation was practically resolved. After all, from her point of view, few nobles would be able to refuse such a generous offer coming directly from a Satan. But he had no interest...
In truth, there was something about Grayfia that deeply bothered him. That cold, almost unshakable pride, the posture of someone who seemed to consider herself above most people, and the absolute confidence she displayed in her own position. Curiously, that awakened an unusual emotion in him. Part of him felt a strange desire to see her lose that impeccable composure, to break that mask of perfection and pride she displayed all the time. For someone who normally faced the world with relative indifference, that feeling was almost a novelty. Perhaps it was the influence of his demonic nature. Perhaps not...
But, in any case, a small idea had emerged in his mind. He wanted to test something. More specifically, he wanted to plant a 'seed of hope' in the mind of that proud woman, to see how far that impeccable composure would truly hold when put under pressure.
He tilted his head slightly and asked, in a soft voice laden with irony:
"Does that include a night with your wife? Perhaps I could reconsider if that happens..."
The air in the room froze.
"..."
"..."
Grayfia became completely paralyzed. Her normally impassive face lost all color for an instant. Sirzechs, for his part, as soon as he understood the meaning of the question, released a fraction of his Demonic Power. An overwhelming and suffocating pressure filled the office, directed straight at Alear. The temperature seemed to plummet, and the air became so heavy that even breathing became more difficult.
"Hahaha..." Sirzechs said, letting out a laugh that did not reach his eyes. "Don't make that kind of joke, Alear-san... Even if you are an Archduke, there are limits that should not be crossed..."
Alear did not move. He didn't even blink. He held Sirzechs' gaze with absolute indifference, as if the Satan's demonic pressure were completely irrelevant. After a few seconds of tense silence, he replied in an equally ironic tone:
"I apologize if I was rude..." He rested his chin on his hand. "I really thought you would be like your father. After all, Zeoticus practically sold me his own wife without batting an eye. I thought the son would follow the same path... but apparently, you are a much prouder man than he is..."
The words landed like a slap in the face.
Grayfia visibly stiffened, while her expression darkened. After all, regardless of the context, she was being treated like a bargaining chip in front of her own husband. For a woman as proud as her, that was a humiliation difficult to swallow. In her entire life, very few people had dared to provoke her in that way...
Sirzechs, for his part, was no longer smiling. For the first time since the beginning of the meeting, his expression became genuinely serious. In reality, part of him was pragmatic enough to consider practically any option if it meant preventing the decline of his family of origin — even accepting something as absurd as seeing his wife sleep with another man. However, he knew Grayfia better than anyone. Regardless of the political or economic benefits that might arise, she would never agree to something of that nature. Her pride, her dignity, and her personality simply would not allow it. For that reason, his reaction was not only because of the proposal itself. That boy had been testing his patience from the start of the conversation, deliberately provoking him, questioning his authority, and even bringing up his parents in an extremely disrespectful manner. The remark about Grayfia was simply the last straw. Moreover, there was a much more practical reason for him to show indignation: if he even considered accepting such an idea, he would probably spend the next century sleeping on the couch. And, knowing Grayfia, that would only be the beginning of his problems...
He took a deep breath, regaining control with visible effort. The cordial smile returned to his face, although it now looked more like a carefully trained mask than a genuine expression.
"My father is a man who always puts the interests of the family above everything else. Besides, he and my mother have a... complicated marriage. So it's not exactly strange that he gave the wrong impression. Perhaps you, as a young devil full of hormones, let certain desires speak louder and ended up interpreting it that way..."
He paused briefly, trying to ease the tension in the room.
"But, returning to the subject... what do you think of my proposal, Alear-san? You can ask for anything. I will do everything within my reach..."
Alear raised an eyebrow slightly, staring at Sirzechs with a calm and indifferent expression.
"Oh? Really?" He tilted his head a little, displaying a subtly ironic smile. "I already stated my condition a moment ago. Although... perhaps it is exactly as you said — maybe my desires really are speaking louder right now... Aside from that, I have no interest whatsoever in receiving any kind of favor from a Satan..."
The words were spoken with absolute calm, almost as if he were commenting on something trivial, like the weather.
Sirzechs' smile froze for a moment. Beside him, Grayfia gripped the apron so tightly that the fabric creaked. She had to gather all her willpower to restrain herself, avoiding acting impulsively and teaching that arrogant boy a lesson right there.
"I see that we cannot reach an agreement... you are quite a stubborn boy. I hope you are also smart, since refusing the outstretched hand of a Satan can bring disastrous consequences." Sirzechs said calmly, with a now colder expression.
Alear showed no reaction. He simply crossed his legs calmly and replied in the same calm tone as before.
"I don't see it as an outstretched hand. I see it as an attempt to interfere in internal affairs using the weight of the Satan position. Although you made it clear that you came here to renegotiate on behalf of the Gremory Family, your own posture contradicts that. The initial offer you made me when you arrived was already worse than the one your father offered me yesterday, and that only makes it even more evident that you overestimated your importance in the political scene without considering your position as Satan and all the factors involved..." He paused, before mocking: "You are, at most, a former heir of the Gremory Family acting excessively arrogantly in front of an Archduke. Did you not even receive proper education, or was your head kicked by a donkey?"
He shook his head negatively and explained:
"The position of Satan is indeed the highest in the Underworld, and you are probably the strongest devil currently alive, but so what? Has arrogance clouded your judgment? Did you inform yourself about the conditions your parents offered me previously? This is exactly why I did not accept your initial offer — it gave the impression that if I gave you a hand, you would try to swallow my entire arm. You must have thought that, because of your status as Satan, I would fawn over you, and even after being put in your place several times during the meeting along with your wife, you didn't even think about changing that offer... So now you offer me conditions using your position as Satan while you are here in the position of heir of the Gremory Family, since you came to negotiate on their behalf, trying to buy me with favors in exchange for my territory..."
"Is that called pride? Arrogance? Probably you would have tried to pressure me with your power if you didn't know that Serafall has recorders scattered throughout the mansion, in addition to my untouchable political status. It would be like poking a hornet's nest. For a devil, that kind of proud temperament is even common, considering you are also the strongest among the living demons… but even the proudest of them needs to maintain proper etiquette when in the presence of someone of higher status than their own."
"I am a Satan!" Sirzechs frowned, with a clearly unpleasant expression on his face. "I have a superior status to yours, you brat! So aren't you contradicting yourself?!"
"Yeah… with that, I'm sure. You're not exactly very smart, are you?" Alear replied calmly, without changing his tone. "Indeed, you are a Satan. But it seems you forgot what I just said. You came here to interfere in the affairs of the Gremory Family, which places you, in this context, as an heir acting on behalf of the family — someone who has not even officially assumed the position of lord. You are not here as a Satan. You are here only as an heir representing another party… Huh? Are you going to say that an heir has a superior position to the lord of an archducal family? I don't think so, right? With all that said, if you really wish to help your family of origin, I suggest you find another way. Because, as I said… the decision regarding the territories of the Gäap Family has already been made."
Grayfia immediately took a step forward, her voice as cold as ice.
"You are being insolent…"
"Grayfia..." Sirzechs interrupted her firmly, although without raising his voice. Then he turned his gaze back to Alear: "I understand. It seems we will not reach an agreement today. I apologize for the inconvenience."
He stood up and walked toward the exit, visibly tense, with his expression hardened by frustration, and Grayfia followed him, still casting a glacial look in Alear's direction.
"Let's withdraw..." Sirzechs concluded.
Before leaving, he stopped for a moment at the door and looked back.
"I hope you do not regret this decision, Alear Gäap Häagenti."
The door closed with a soft click, leaving the office enveloped in deep silence.
_______________
(A/N: Want to get ahead?
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