When the bell rang, signaling the end of class, Zaydas, who had just packed his materials, was about to head home when Rias stopped him.

"Zay-kun, wait." Placing a hand on her hip, she asked, "Are you busy? If not, how about coming to my Occult Research Club? He wants to see you."

Akeno stood beside Rias with a smile. She looked like the ideal model of a Yamato Nadeshiko.

Even if she just stood there smiling, she didn't merely blend into the scenery.

Turning his gaze to Rias, Zaydas replied, "Sorry, a lot of things happened, you know. Maybe next time."

Rias nodded. More than anyone, she understood his situation. However, it was precisely because of that that she wanted to have a proper conversation with him, mainly to talk more about the Evil Pieces.

But it wasn't an urgent matter. Although she didn't understand why her brother had waited so long to hand over the Evil Pieces to Zaydas, she respected her brother's decision, knowing there must have been a reason for it.

"All right, then," Rias said with a small smile. "Take care on your way back. And don't ride that bike too fast."

"Mm," Zaydas nodded.

"See you later, Zaydas-sama~" Akeno winked at him, turning as she walked away with Rias, deliberately swaying her hips, fully aware of how charming she was and the effect her figure had as she departed.

***

***

"Is this your bike?"

Looking at his fiancée and seeing a pink helmet with a phoenix sticker, he thought: 'She came well-prepared, huh?'

And the fact that she even knew he came to school by bike was a mystery to him.

'Did Dad sell me out this much?' Zaydas didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He knew it could only have been his father, as his mother wouldn't have done something like this.

Putting those thoughts aside for now, Zaydas nodded, getting on the bike. "Yeah, want a ride?"

Her smile blossomed as she lowered her head timidly, agreeing. "Yes, please!"

Seeing her struggle to figure out how to use the helmet, Zaydas sighed softly. Getting off the bike and standing in front of her, he said, "Let me do it."

"P-Please..." she stammered, handing it to him while bowing slightly with her hands outstretched.

"No need to be nervous. Relax, relax." Zaydas spoke gently, with a subtle tone of amusement. "I've told you before, you don't need to feel pressured or anything like that. Just take it one step at a time, okay?"

Looking up at him while still slightly bowed, she seemed a bit surprised but nodded nonetheless. "Yes, I'll do my best."

"It seems you didn't quite get it... Never mind~" Zaydas took the helmet, approached her, placed it on her head, and fastened it. "There. It's securely fastened. By the way, have you ever ridden a bike before?"

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She seemed uncertain as she answered, "No, my first time will be with you, Zaydas-sama."

A pair of girls passing by overheard Ravel's words and blushed furiously.

In Zaydas's peripheral vision, he noticed what was happening and had an ironic smile as he saw them running away, screaming hysterically as if they had heard something they shouldn't: 'Forget it, I don't think this will be a problem...'

"Okay, I'll explain now. It's not difficult," Zaydas said. "When you get on the back of my bike, hold on to me tightly and don't let go, or else you might fall. By the way, where are you staying?"

"At your house," she replied, blushing again.

"Oh, at my house... Wait, did you say you were staying at my house?" Zaydas thought he had misheard.

On the other hand, Ravel was still processing what he had said about having to hold on to him from behind and not letting go, letting her colorful thoughts wander far...

'Fiancée, living together... What's next?' Zaydas wondered.

[Answering: Marriage, children?]

"..."

Zaydas was speechless. Now even the Great Sage was making fun of his situation?

Getting back on his Yamaha VMAX after lowering the footrests, Zaydas said, "Shall we?"

Snapping out of her daze, Ravel nodded.

With a simple jump, she got on the back seat.

She then adjusted her position, wrapping her arms around Zaydas's waist.

'So firm...' she thought. 'So this is what it feels like to hug a boy. His body is so warm too...'

Unlike her soft and fragrant form, he was more solid to the touch. The sensation was new and strange to her. However... she didn't dislike it. Blushing slightly, she rested her head on his back, which now seemed incredibly broad like a wall, allowing herself to savor the moment.

As the engine roared, Ravel's heart raced in sync with the bike.

When the motorcycle left the school grounds and picked up speed, a completely new sensation washed over her.

***

***

Even after arriving and getting off the bike, Ravel felt like she was still on it, unable to forget the sensation... Now, whether it was the feeling of riding the bike or hugging Zaydas from behind... only she knew~

"Let's go inside," Zaydas said to her.

"Y-Yes!" she replied nervously.

'In some situations, she seems incredibly brave, but in others, she's quite shy...' Zaydas smiled with mild interest.

"I'm back!"

"Welcome home, Zaydas-sama."

Standing before him was a beautiful woman in a blue maid outfit with white accents.

"Grayfia-nee?" Zaydas smiled. "What a pleasant surprise. What brings you here today?"

Grayfia was a stunning woman with a voluptuous figure, silver hair cascading down her back with a long braid on each side tied with small blue ribbons at the ends, while the rest hung loose, ending in twin braids, and silver eyes.

Smiling politely, she replied, "I'll be under your care for a while. Your parents asked me to let you know they had urgent matters to attend to in the Underworld, so I'm here."

"Just like that?" Zaydas asked.

"In your father's words..." Grayfia changed her expression, mimicking Sirzechs with a playful look: "He's an adult now; he doesn't need to be under his parents' care all the time. It will be good for him to live a bit beyond our wings."

"... That's just like him," Zaydas said with an ironic smile.

Still, he wasn't unhappy. In truth, he hoped that being busy was just an excuse for his father to spend more time with his mother. They deserved it, after all.

"I see that Ravel-sama is with you," Grayfia said with the same smile. "Don't linger at the door, come in. I baked a cake."

"Cake?" Ravel's eyes lit up slightly.

Although she didn't know much, she had heard about Grayfia's culinary feats. In addition to being a powerful Devil, Grayfia was an exceptional cook.

However, Ravel didn't let greed take over. Clearing her throat, she said, "Thank you for having me~"

"Make yourself at home," Grayfia replied.

Zaydas had already switched his shoes for slippers and noticed that a pair had been prepared for Ravel—not the ones used for visitors. They were light purple with a golden phoenix embroidered on them.

'This must have been Mom's doing, right?' Zaydas guessed.

Minutes later, they were in the spacious, modernized living room. Everything seemed perfectly planned, from a simple cabinet to the intricately designed plaster ceiling, which looked like a work of art.

Even though it was her first time in a house like this, her own home was luxurious and several times larger. After all, she essentially lived in a castle with endless corridors, rivaling the Gremory estate in this regard.

As they chatted, Zaydas revealed the reason he hadn't known about their engagement.

"So you didn't know about your parents until recently?" Ravel asked incredulously.

"Although it's not quite that simple, yes," Zaydas nodded.

"And you're okay with that?" She furrowed her brow.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Zaydas shrugged, speaking casually. "It's not like my life was one of those stories where a rich family hides their wealth from their child and makes them live in poverty. I still knew I was a Devil, learned to fight with my father, and use my demonic powers, like the Power of Destruction. Not to mention I've had an enviable life in the human world. Basically, if I wanted something, my parents gave it to me. Do I really have a reason to complain?"

"Yes, but..." Ravel seemed to feel something was off but couldn't pinpoint it.

"I think what Ravel-sama is trying to ask is whether Zaydas-sama harbors any resentment," Grayfia said as she served them tea. "If you had known the full truth earlier, your life might have been different—or perhaps even better than it is now."

"Oh... I don't care about that~" Zaydas laughed. "If that were the case, I wouldn't be me anymore, you see?"

"Huh?" Ravel looked confused.

"Look." Zaydas explained, "The way you're raised shapes you. If I had been raised differently, my memories would also be different. In other words, I wouldn't be me anymore. Wanting to have lived differently is basically denying myself. But I love being me. So why would I want to change? Resentment? No, I don't feel that—I'm truly grateful to my parents."

"Urgh... It sounds a bit confusing, but I think I get it more or less." Ravel pondered. "And I can see that you had a very good life in the human world." She smiled.

Grayfia, who had finished serving the tea, paused for a moment, then looked at Zaydas with a surprised expression.

'This kind of mindset...' She was at a loss for words.

Soon, an even gentler smile than usual appeared on her face.

***

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