Chapter 35: Big Sister Grayfia Is Watching!
Moreover, the rooms here were cheaper than those in tourist areas, and the amenities were all-inclusive: spacious, soft, springy beds; warm, dim lighting that set an amorous atmosphere; and a discreetly placed lit cabinet at the entrance displaying "protection" prominently, just in case you missed it.
It was... suggestive, to say the least.
Although Rias hadn't explicitly explained her intentions, from her demeanor and previous actions, Keikain Fukuki could already piece together the situation.
And so, the scene shifted inside the hotel, where they had booked a single room with a king-sized bed.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, illuminated by the soft glow of a bedside lamp, Rias twiddled her fingers, her cheeks flushed. Her legs swung lightly in the air, her heels occasionally brushing the floor and making faint sounds.
"Umm... Fukuki, do you want to... take a shower first or something?"
Perhaps influenced by the room's atmosphere, her voice was soft, almost a whisper.
It was hard to believe this was the same girl who had boldly pulled Fukuki's hand and escaped the school gate under everyone's watchful eyes.
"No rush. I didn't sweat much today," he replied, his voice coming from the other side of the room near the window.
At that moment, Fukuki was placing an electric kettle filled with water on the counter and turning it on. The kettle was the type that automatically stopped boiling when done—perfect for leaving unattended.
Once he confirmed it was heating properly, Fukuki walked around the foot of the bed and sat down beside Rias.
"So, this 'favor' you wanted to ask... is it about...?"
"Yes."
Her soft affirmation interrupted him. Rias's face flushed even deeper as she brushed a stray strand of crimson hair behind her ear with her pinky.
Her legs shifted slightly under her skirt, brushing against each other as she turned her shoulder toward him, giving him a playful nudge.
"Don't say it so directly! I... I'm already embarrassed enough, idiot."
But after taking a deep breath, it seemed like she made up her mind.
"Alright, let's just get started."
Standing up, Rias turned to face him, placing her hands on his shoulders. Slowly, she leaned forward, her right leg bending as her knee pressed onto the mattress.
But then, her movements suddenly froze.
Keikain Fukuki had reached out, one hand wrapping around her waist, the other hooking under her bent leg.
The unexpected physical contact made Rias shudder slightly.
"W-Wait! Fukuki, what are you doing?"
"Hmm?"
He paused and looked up at her, puzzled.
"I'm just helping you up. How else are you supposed to get on the bed? Is something wrong? Hmm... could it be—Rias, is this your first time—"
"Of course, it's my first time!"
Rias's face turned a vivid shade of crimson.
Although she was a pure-blooded devil with an almost infinite lifespan, spending so much time living in the human world had started to influence her worldview.
An 18-year-old high school senior, still a virgin... and not even having been in a relationship? By modern Japanese standards, wasn't that kind of... embarrassing?
"Ah, no, I mean you have some understanding of that kind of thing."
Fukuki deliberately chose a more tactful way to phrase it.
Yet, it still elicited a strong reaction from the red-haired girl.
"Id-idiot! Of course, I haven't done anything like that!"
Although the basics of baby-making—like what goes where—were covered in biology class at school, the finer details, techniques, and guidance were certainly beyond the curriculum.
And as for learning on her own...
That was even more impossible!
As the future head of the Gremory family, being caught indulging in such material would spell the end of her reputation as a noble devil.
Having this rare gap in her knowledge suddenly exposed, Rias could only cough lightly, trying to mask her embarrassment.
"An-anyway, let's take it slow. There's no rush, after all."
No rush, huh?
Fukuki glanced at the clock hanging on the hotel room wall, shaking his head slightly in his mind.
It was already past three in the afternoon when they had left school. By the time they arrived at the hotel, it was close to half past three.
If they were to finish everything within an hour and a half, "no rush" was far from accurate.
With that thought, he decided to act promptly. Fukuki gently placed an arm around the girl's waist, guiding the now thoroughly flushed Rias into his lap.
"Shall we begin?"
"Mhm..."
Hearing his words, Rias shyly bit her lip, nodding slightly.
Just as their lips were about to touch, a sudden red glow illuminated the room. It appeared out of nowhere on the empty floor, rapidly forming a familiar teleportation magic circle with the Gremory family crest at its center.
"Hm?"
Fukuki stopped in his tracks.
At the same time, Rias sensed the surge of demonic power behind her and turned her head. Her emerald-green eyes wavered slightly at the sight, betraying her inner turmoil.
Under the watchful eyes of the two, a familiar figure slowly emerged from the teleportation circle.
When the silver-haired maid opened her eyes and took in the scene of the two embracing on the bed, her expression remained calm.
"Grayfia... Why are you here?"
Rias murmured softly.
"You could say it's a coincidence or that it was intentional," Grayfia responded calmly.
"Last Friday, I noticed something unusual in your emotional state when discussing topics related to your 'engagement.' Although I didn't leave any familiars to monitor or eavesdrop, I decided to keep an eye out and specifically chose this evening to check in."
And her suspicions proved correct.
The silver-haired maid sighed faintly, tinged with a trace of helplessness.
"I've mentioned this before, Lady Rias. If you truly do not wish to accept the engagement with the Phenex family, you can request Lord Lucifer to intervene. No matter how much he embodies the role of the Maou, he is still your older brother. There's no need to resort to methods like this..."
An engagement? And she doesn't want to accept it?
Ah, so it's that kind of clichéd drama.
Fukuki raised an eyebrow knowingly. He had already pieced together this narrative the moment Rias had dragged him into the hotel, but the accuracy of his guess—down to every detail—still surprised him.
"It's not like that, Grayfia!"
Hearing the words "methods like this," Rias, who had been flustered from being caught, suddenly gathered her courage and vehemently refuted.
However, her voice quickly softened.
"I just... I just..."
"Just sincerely like him?"
Grayfia's gaze shifted past the girl's shoulder and landed firmly on Keikain Fukuki.
"Keikain Fukuki, correct?"
"!"
As if triggered by a keyword, Rias suddenly lifted her head.
"Grayfia, how do you know his name!?"
She knew full well that Grayfia and Fukuki had never met before, and this was their first encounter. Yet, Grayfia had called out his name so precisely.
There was only one explanation.
"I apologize, but I went through your diary, Rias."
Although the words sounded apologetic, her tone held no remorse. Instead, it felt exceedingly calm, akin to an elder sister scolding her younger sibling for a poor test grade.
Grayfia then turned her focus to the boy on the bed and politely bowed.
"Keikain Fukuki, please release Lady Rias immediately. This is no longer a matter a human can meddle in. If you wish to avoid bringing ruin to yourself and your family, you should step away."
"Oh!"
Fukuki's tone rose with mild amusement.
But instead of arguing with Grayfia, he directed his gaze toward the red-haired girl in his arms, who was nervously biting her lower lip.
"So, to summarize—Rias, you're asking me to crash this marriage, correct?"
"…Yes."
Rias nodded, her arms around his neck instinctively tightening slightly.
Her smile carried a faint trace of melancholy.
"Though now it seems… it might be too late."
"Who said that?"
Fukuki's single statement shattered the somber mood that had been carefully building.
Before the dazed Rias could react, he swept her into his arms and, under Grayfia's watchful eyes, pulled the bed curtains shut as he laid her down.
"Wait! Fukuki, what are you—Grayfia is still—mmph!"