185 You will understand

When dawn came, Riser let go of Akeno. While he could continue, he was afraid that she would break, especially when he was so violent with her. 

He knew that he might have said this before, but he had this violent tendency where he often lost his reason when he had sex. 

While some females loved it, others preferred the gentle one like his wife. 

However, Akeno seemed to love it due to her preference as a masochist. 

Nevertheless, the fire in his heart had subdued, and he just needed to wait until that day. 

"Riser..." 

"You are not sleeping?" 

He looked at Akeno, who seemed to be struggling. She was exhausted and sleepy, but she endured it as she had something to discuss, but she hesitated. 

"What's wrong?" 

"I..." In the end, she shook her head. "...it's nothing." She was afraid that the moment she said it, he would leave her. She didn't doubt it as she knew while he might seem crazy about her, she could feel that he was distant and wouldn't let her enter his heart, so she was afraid that if she talked about her past, he might not be able to accept it. 

"Tell me." 

He hugged her from behind as he whispered those words. 

Her body shivered due to the sudden pleasure. "Wa-Wait... It-it's really a bit too much for me... I-I am going to die~!" 

"Then, tell me." 

"I..." She turned worriedly, yet she was surprised as he welcomed her with sincere eyes. She felt like she wanted to cry for some reason, but in the end, she talked as if she didn't wish to deceive him. 

"You... you should know what Kokabiel said before, right?" 

"What did he say? To be honest, he was so weak that I forgot about him, and most of the things which he said were unintellectual, so I didn't bother to remember them." 

Riser only remembered that Kokabiel said, "Die," before Kokabiel died. As for the matter of the God who passed away, what did it have to do with him? He didn't care whether God died or not, as it didn't bother his life. Moreover, Kokabiel had died. For those who had died, what did they have to do with him?

Overthinking would lead him to worry, and it would destroy his peaceful life, so he had never had a hobby of overthinking. 

"....." Akeno. 

Watching him, she knew that he didn't lie since she could see that he really didn't have an interest in Kokabiel. In the end, she decided to be truthful. 

"I... you might not know, but I am the descendant of a fallen angel." 

"Oh? Are you Azazel's daughter?" 

"No!" Akeno quickly refuted him, but then, she didn't want a misunderstanding to happen. "My father is a fallen angel, and his name is Barakiel." 

"...Barakaqiel." Riser murmured and thought about the strongest fallen angel that faced him that day. He still recalled the holy lightning that struck his body that day. There was no doubt that among all the fallen angels he faced that day, Baraqiel was the one he remembered the most, as Baraqiel was the strongest and the most courageous. 

"Isn't he one of the Cadre of the Grigori? Why did you become a devil then?" 

"....."

Akeno was in silence and stared at Riser in a daze. 

"Why were you looking at me like that?" Riser was confused. 

"...you don't hate me?" 

"Why should I hate you?" Riser was even more confused. 

"Be-Because I am the descendant of the fallen angel! Don't you hate them? Especially when they have given you so much trouble and fought you that day." 

"So that's what makes you worried about." Riser nodded and understood why she looked at him with that expression. 

Akeno's heart was far from calm as she wished to hear an answer from him. 

"If you are worried about that, you don't need to worry. I don't hate fallen angels. Moreover, isn't I the one who had defeated them before?" 

"But..." 

"No, but." Riser stared at Akeno and asked, "Or do you want to leave me? Is that what you want?" 

"No! I don't want to leave you! I want to be with you forever!" 

There was no way for her to wish to leave him. 

Her wish was simple, and that was to be with him. 

"Then, you don't need to worry since I won't leave you." 

He hugged her in his arms gently. 

"Hmm..." 

Those words eased her, and she slept as she hugged him tightly, wishing that everything wasn't a dream. Yet, what she didn't realize, his eyes flickered for a moment before he closed his eyes to sleep after he kissed her soft, beautiful black hair. 

---

On the next day, they wake up quite late. 

Nevertheless, while Akeno was slightly tired, she woke up to prepare breakfast for the two. 

As for him, he just lay on the bed and continued to sleep as he hadn't taken a break after he went back from Italy. 

Akeno didn't wake him up, but when she was about to go to the kitchen, she saw a petite figure who seemed to be sleeping in the corridor. Her expression became subtle and awkward, but then, when she thought about what would happen if her relationship was known... her eyes were unshaken and firm as if she had made up her mind. 

"Koneko." 

"—?!" 

Koneko opened her eyes, startled as she saw Akeno, who was looking at her kindly. She quickly realized that she had been found out and cursed herself as she had slept during the dawn, so she was unable to go back to her room before Akeno woke up. 

"Did you see us?" 

"....." 

Koneko felt her heart stop when she heard that question. 

Not only did she watch them, but she stared at them until dawn! 

Yet, could she say that?

In the end, Koneko could only acknowledge. "...yes, Akeno-san." 

"I see..." Akeno sighed, but then she showed a gentle smile. "Can you keep this a secret from Rias and others, Koneko-chan? You should know what kind of trouble might befall us if the others know." 

If Rias was also his harem, then there might not be trouble, but that wasn't the case, especially with how tense the relationship between Riser and Sirzech was. 

While the relationship between the House of Phenex and the House of Gremory was okay due to an apology from Lord Gremory and Lady Gremory during Riser's promotion to the "Ultimate-Class Devil," it was a different case with Sirzech. 

Sirzech clearly showed his attitude when he didn't come during Riser's promotion. 

While Sirzech and Rias were different, they were still a family, and it was impossible for Akeno to date Riser openly and announce that she was his woman. 

"Ye-Yes!" 

Koneko agreed as she didn't want trouble to befall Akeno. 

"Thank you." Akeno smiled kindly as she gently caressed Koneko's head. "You must be hungry. I will cook breakfast soon." 

"Tha-Thank you." Koneko thanked Akeno, but then, she couldn't hold her curiosity. "Um, Akeno-san, can... can I ask you something?" 

"What's wrong?" 

"Why... why did you do it?" 

"You mean, why did I date him?" 

"Um..." Koneko nodded as she waited for an answer. 

Akeno smiled and said, "It's because I am weak, Koneko." 

"...weak?" 

"Ah, please don't think of anything weird. I know that my feelings will do nothing but bring him trouble, but I just can't endure it and seduce him. But he is just different, and I love him so much. 

"That's probably the reason why I want to be with him, even if I know that our relationship might burn the two of us. It might be hard for you to understand, but..." 

Akeno suddenly approached Koneko and whispered, "If you get close to him, you will understand, Koneko." 

"Wh-What do you mean, Akeno-san...?!" Koneko blushed due to the hidden implication behind those words. 

"Fufufu... you are still young, so you might have a hard time understanding, so just learn everything slowly, Koneko. I will make breakfast first." 

Koneko didn't stop Akeno and watched her leave the kitchen as she thought about her previous words. 

'If I get close to him, I will understand?'