Chapter 9

  Rias Gremory was doing everything in her power to ignore the nagging feeling in the back of her mind. Recently she had to think about the unpleasant topic of her fiancé more often than she wished to. It was making her more withdrawn, occupying her thoughts with the situation she did not have a solution for, hanging around her neck like a sword of Damocles, poised to strike at any moment.

  Fortunately, her peerage was always there to take her mind off the unpleasant man and situation she found herself in, so she treasured moments like the one right now, where she could forget all about Riser and just enjoy something she liked. If she could explain the deeper insights of anime that she and Kairos were now regularly watching, all the better.

  "So you see? Senku does not actually use any power to enhance his memory; his ability to recall every detail is actually a result of intense, lifelong study and constant mental exercise," said Rias, as she finished explaining that little detail to Kairos. She had a satisfied smile because she managed to impart another piece of wisdom to the uninitiated.

  With a smile she turned to look at Kairos, only to find his eyes closed and leaning slightly to the side of the couch. Rias squinted her eyes at her pawn and moved closer, poking his cheek with a finger, but the only reply she received was an almost silent snore from the young man.

  Mou, he fell asleep during the best episode; this was a setup for the finale …

  Getting back to her seat on the couch, Rias let out a small huff, but she could not keep the smile from her face. Kairos has been a most diligent servant. Training every day, fulfilling contracts and always ready to pester her peerage for advice in training and spars. She could not fault him for being too tired and falling asleep tonight.

  She leaned back into the cushions; Kairos has been everything she could have wished for in a servant and then some. She knew that she would not be taken seriously without power, and for devils, the power came from two sources: personal strength and strength of your followers.

  With the onset of Evil Pieces and the ability to reincarnate devils, Peerages have been transformed. Where before a devil's peerage was a collection of vassals and devils sworn to their lord, now the peerage was a structured part of the noble's retinue, bound to them by more than just oaths and tradition; the members of the peerage were directly connected to each of their devil masters through the Evil Piece they carried. It was for this reason that the importance of strong peerage became even more acute for Rias.

  She liked to think she was no slouch when it came to demonic power, having been born already powerful and mastering her Bael clan trait with the help of her mother, but it was just that Riser was older than her. Older and more experienced in battle as a devil, having already competed successfully in multiple Rating Games.

  The thought of her fiancé's previous Rating Games sent a wave of unease through the devil heiress.

  Unlike her, Riser had a full peerage. He was also quite potent as a fighter, leveraging his clan trait in his rating games, following in the footsteps of his elder brothers, both accomplished rating game champions themselves.

  These thoughts made Rias nervous again, and she brought her nail to her lips, only to stop herself before she could begin biting on it, a bad habit that she thought she got rid of during her childhood.

  She sighed and stood up, looking for a blanket for her cute servant.

  As she covered Kairos on the sofa, she could not help but take a good look at him. If someone had told her just a five weeks ago that a demigod Longinus user was going to present himself to her and ask to join her peerage, she would not have believed them; such things were too good to be true.

  And yet, here we are.

  She could not help but smile again; just watching Kairos go day to day, seemingly very satisfied with his new life as a devil, made her genuinely happy. He was always so eager to share his opinions, unafraid to disagree with her. It was something she did not know she missed until she met him. Her peerage members were her beloved family, but they have been part of her peerage long enough to take a certain amount of deference to her.

  The closest she came was with Akeno, but her queen has been with her too many years, learning at the hands of her mother and Grayfia; the young, spirited girl she was when Rias first met her was now a more mature person, focused more on her duties as Rias's right-hand woman. She still loved her as a sister, but there was a defined position between them now.

  Perhaps it was because she did not know Kairos for such a long time that she felt this way. The way he always managed to come up with ways to use his power by using anime or movies was just something that intrigued Rias on a very deep level. He might not act like it, but he was honestly such a nerd.

  Just yesterday he asked Akeno if she could teach him how to summon lightning. If Rias's geek radar was correct, Kairos just wanted to learn it so he could act like a Sith, as the lightning didn't suit the fighting style he has been developing for himself. The idea to just learn a type of magic so he could, for lack of a better word, cosplay as someone from a movie made her laugh when she heard it from Akeno. It reminded Rias so much of herself.

  With a sudden mental jolt, Rias realised she had been standing over Kairos, just watching him sleep, lost in her own thoughts. The way he could just make her forget about Riser ignited something warm in her chest. She grabbed some of the cushions on the couch and arranged them so he could get some more sleep. Gently lowering him to a better sleeping position to not wake him up, she left him there, the television turned off and curtains drawn.

  Rias needed some time to think; her parents have been pestering her with questions that they undoubtedly thought were subtle, but she could tell they were trying to nudge her more towards Riser. The deal the Gremory family had with the Phenex clan was clear: she would be allowed to finish her studies in the human world up to a university degree, but it was starting to look like one of the families may be pushing the issue. She has been invited for tea with her parents over the upcoming weekend, and she had a bad feeling about what they wished to actually discuss.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Rias wanted to scream, she wanted to break something, and she wanted to curl into a ball. Twin feelings of frustration and desperation gnawed at her mind. As she stormed out of the tearoom in the Gremory family mansion, Rias could feel the walls closing in on her. She was running out of time and options.

  Just moments ago, her parents informed her of the change in date for her and Riser's marriage. The way her mother spoke about how Lady Phenex and her both wished to speed things up to seal the alliance with the Phenex family drove Rias to anger. Her father wasn't any help, saying he and her mother both wished what was best for her, completely ignoring her own feelings on the matter. Words like 'it will get better' and 'we also started this way' offered nothing to her, least of all the consolation that her parents thought it would.

  She couldn't take it anymore. Despite all her etiquette lessons and the way a woman of her station was supposed to behave, she stormed out of the room in a hurry. Her parents would surely send someone after her; she had to act quickly.

  There was only one option left. Riser, being the self-centred man he was, would not consent to marrying her if he perceived her as sullied. This is not how she wanted it to go. Tears threatened to break out of her eyes, but she suppressed the feeling as best as she could. She was Rias Gremory; she would not break down. Not now, not ever.

  There was only one person who always managed to brighten her day, to disperse the dark clouds that gathered over her own mind just by his presence by her side. She needed to hurry; there was not much time.

  With a determined gaze, she entered her own chambers in the mansion, locking the door, hoping she could delay anyone her parents sent by pretending she was sulking in her rooms. Adding a sound barrier to the door to sell the illusion, Rias teleported back into the human world, to the place of one man she could rely on in this. To Kairos.

  …

  Appearing in the apartment just next to hers from the magic circle bearing her family crest, Rias looked around the studio, trying to keep all her emotion in check. She found Kairos sitting on a couch with a book in his hand. Her dear pawn was already setting it down as soon as he saw her, looking at her with a concerned look on his face.

  Of course he could tell something was wrong with me. Rias thought with a bitter smile. Kairos had a good read on her character, and she was unsuccessful at hiding her anguish from him.

  No turning back now.

  "Kairos, I need your help."

  Come on, Rias, this is it; he won't refuse you. She steeled herself.

  "I need you to take my virginity. Please."

  The concerned look her cute pawn wore turned into something more baffled. He stood up, the book forgotten on the small table next to the couch.

  "Rias, what brought this on? This isn't like you, tell me what is wrong, please."

  Rias shook her head and took a step forward, her hand already moving to the buttons of her blouse.

  "I don't have time, please, Kairos, just do this for me."

  Coming closer to him, she lightly shoved him back into the couch, straddling his midsection, her blouse open. The crimson lingerie she liked to wear visible underneath. It instantly drew in Kairo's gaze, flooding Rias with a warm feeling. Knowing she was desired by the man who she enjoyed spending time with, who became her friend, made her feel just a tad better about what she was asking of him.

  Moving her hands towards the straps on her back, her arms were stopped in the middle of their movement by a set of firm hands.

  She turned to look at Kairos. Rias was not a short woman, but Kairos was still taller than her, so she had to look up. For a precious few moments, she allowed herself to study his face. His dark hair falling in gentle waves just slightly above his neck. The duskiness of his skin, harkening to his Mediterranean heritage. The pleasing symmetry of his face. His amber eyes filled with concern, looking at her intently, holding her gaze.

  Sudden embarrassment flushed through Rias; she thought of all the different times she would make fun of Kairos, waking up naked in his bed, the light teasing, and the way he became flustered. She always felt in control then. And yet, right now, she felt vulnerable. Vulnerable and bare before him. She was acutely aware of the tightening in his trousers, feeling it from the way she straddled him. The calluses of his hands that held her arms. The intensity of his gaze. All of these sensations screamed at Rias. Her usual easy confidence was nowhere to be found.

  "Rias, it is alright; I am here." He said, locking his gaze with hers, his arms easing their grip, letting her arms slowly descend back and rest in her own lap. His palms falling over hers and offering a reassuring squeeze.

  "Please, tell me what is wrong."

  The tears she felt when she fled the Gremory mansion threatened to return, but she suppressed the feeling again. Instead, she focused on her servant, the partial cause of her current inner torment.

  "I … I just don't know what to do."

  He squeezed her hands again, and his thumbs circled gently on her own hands, a small smile dancing on his lips.

  "Then say nothing; just lean on me. It will be all right; we will figure it out."

  In that moment, Rias, the heiress to the Gremory family, dared to hope, and she believed him.

  AN: This story is being cross posted on AO3, WebNovel, Questionable Questing and Royal Road. Updates will be regular every Saturday at minimum. It is possible I will be able to write faster, if that happens I will post the chapters sooner, but 1 chapter per week is guaranteed.

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