Chapter 40: Your Sister Got 'Done' by Someone! (Patreon)

Night in the human world is also night in the Underworld.

At the same time Hanakain Fubuki was dealing with a certain cat girl's arousal issues back home, within the Gremory family territory in the Underworld...

Rumble—

With a slight tremor of the ground, the main gate of the castle slowly swung open.

A red carpet stretched from the main entrance inward. Thirty-six massive Roman columns stood resolute on either side of the grand hall. Bright light shone down from a huge golden crystal chandelier at the highest point of the dome, bathing the entire hall in resplendent golden light.

Lining both sides of the red carpet was a contingent of maids in uniform attire, perfectly aligned in a single row, hands clasped before them, heads bowed, eyes closed in silent reverence.

And standing precisely in the center of the red carpet was a woman with gentle features, a graceful figure, and short brown hair.

Such a formation, by all appearances, seemed arranged to welcome the triumphant return of the lord of the domain.

Soon, as the castle gates opened completely, a tall, upright figure outside gradually came into view.

He passed through the gates and stepped onto the red carpet. The black cloak representing his status as a Devil King draped behind him, its corners swirling with the breeze, never touching the ground. His long red hair and handsome features bore a striking resemblance—about seventy percent—to Rias.

He walked steadily forward, arriving before the brown-haired woman in the center of the carpet, smiling slightly as he lowered his head.

"I'm home, Mother."

"Mm~ Welcome home, Sirzechs. We've been waiting for you for so long."

The brown-haired woman smiled in return, reaching out with hands covered by long formal gloves, and directly patted her son's waist, disregarding the presence of others.

"Honestly, Sirzechs, I feel like you've gotten a bit thinner since the last time you were home. Is the work of a Devil King really that demanding? If this continues, Mother will start to worry."

"Hehe, I suppose so," Sirzechs chuckled softly, hearing his mother's concerned tone. "After all, it's still the early period after taking office, and many things require my personal attention. But it should get better once we get through this phase."

"Uh-huh, uh-huh, 'it'll get better once we get through this phase' again, hmm?" Venelana pouted dissatisfaction. "Sirzechs, you said that last year, and the year before. How many years has it been, and you're still in the 'early period'? If this keeps up, Mother will worry herself to death. If it's really too much, you could just stop being the Devil King, you know~"

"Well... it probably hasn't reached that extreme yet," Sirzechs said with a smiling shake of his head.

He knew his mother said these things out of concern for him, but he also understood they were just words spoken in the moment.

Since his father's passing, the Gremory family line had been dwindling. Although this generation had him and his sister Rias, Rias was still young and attending school, while he himself, as the Devil King, was constantly busy making decisions on various matters. So, for these past years, his mother had essentially been supporting the entire Gremory household almost single-handedly.

But precisely because of this, he needed to consolidate his position as Devil King even more firmly. Only then could the Gremory family maintain its unwavering status among the 72 Pillars Nobles. After all, the 72 Pillars were not a monolithic block. Who knew how many pairs of eyes, driven by undercurrents of ambition and desire, were currently watching the Gremory family, just waiting for an opportunity to pounce like a pack of wolves and devour them completely?

This was something Sirzechs, as the Gremory family's only male descendant now, absolutely would not allow.

"Lady Venelana..." A voice came from behind. Turning, they saw a maid, bowing low with respect. "Dinner is ready and can be served at any time."

"Yes, understood." Venelana nodded in acknowledgment, then turned back to her son. "By the way, Sirzechs, did you come back alone this time? Where are the others?"

The young Devil King shook his head helplessly. "It couldn't be helped. Everyone else still had things they were busy with, so I came back alone."

"Is that so..." Venelana murmured, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

It was understandable. Since her husband's death, she had been mostly alone in this house. Her son was busy with work, her daughter was studying in the human world, and it had been a long time since more than two people sat with her simultaneously. So, whenever her son returned, she always treated even his retainers as part of her own family. It was inevitably disappointing that the others hadn't come back with him this time.

But it was alright. At least her son was back.

With this thought, Venelana cheered up, her smile returning. "Alright, now that you're finally back, let's not just stand here. Let's go in and eat. You must be hungry coming back so late, right?"

"Mm~ Just a little, perhaps," Sirzechs smiled as well.

Only here, in front of the mother who had raised him since childhood, could he truly set aside the mask and burden of the Devil King.

...

The scene shifts to the dining room.

Complementing the castle's grand scale, the dining room was equally luxurious and spacious. A long table, capable of seating dozens simultaneously, stretched from one end of the room to the other, adorned with lit red candles in golden candelabras.

Just looking at this setup, one could imagine the prosperity and liveliness of the Gremory family during its peak.

Yet now, only the solitary mother and son sat at this table, which spanned over ten meters long.

Venelana stirred the hot soup in her bowl with a silver spoon and took a sip. "Speaking of which, it must be almost summer in the human world now, right? In just over two months, Rias will be back for her summer vacation."

"That's true..." Sirzechs put down his silver spoon and turned to look at his mother beside him. "Mother, regarding Rias's marriage engagement with the Phenex family, do you remember it?"

"...I remember." After a brief silence, Venelana's faint smile faded. "Although it was for the continuation of the Gremory family, it's undeniable that it was the only wrong decision your father ever made. I heard Rias's fiancé, the third son of the Phenex family, is a playboy, known for acting arrogant and domineering. Knowing Rias as her mother, I understand there's absolutely no way she could possibly like him. If Rias is truly unwilling when the time comes, Sirzechs, you..."

"Of course." Giving a definite answer to soothe his mother's worries, Sirzechs nodded. "To be honest, part of the reason I came back this time was to discuss this matter with you, Mother. I've already sent Grayfia to the human world beforehand to gauge Rias's attitude. If Rias genuinely doesn't approve of him, then as her older brother, I certainly won't let my sister suffer any grievance."

"Mm, hearing you say that puts my mind at ease," Venelana's gentle face broke into a smile again.

But before she could continue speaking, the glow of a red teleportation magic circle suddenly appeared near the dining room entrance.

From within the magic circle, the figure of a certain silver-haired maid materialized.

"Lord Sirzechs, Lady Venelana." She bowed respectfully, greeting the two at the dining table.

"Grayfia-chan?" Venelana raised her eyebrows in surprise, her tone slightly pleased. Although it was likely a coincidence, Grayfia arriving now meant one more person to share dinner with.

Sirzechs, however, seemed less surprised. "How did it go, Grayfia? Has my sister made her decision?"

"Lord Sirzechs, your sister... has indeed made a decision. It's just that..." For some reason, the usually composed and capable silver-haired maid began to stammer.

It's just that?

Though the specific reason was still unclear, seeing his subordinate acting so out of character, the young Devil King's keen intuition told him that something beyond his expectations had unfolded.