Author's note:
Sigh… sorry for the delay. Real life decided to be a bit of a bitch. I think I mentioned before that my grandma was visiting my family for about a month, and she ended up falling ill. Hospital stay ill. It's been rough.
It was some kind of stomach infection, and since she's pretty old, it hit her hard. Thankfully, she's back home now and things are looking better, but seeing her in that state honestly killed my motivation to write for a while.
Hopefully she continues to improve over the next few days. I'll write when I can and get chapters out as soon as I'm able. Thanks for your patience, and for sticking around. Love you all.
A Marvelous Devil.
Chapter 10: A Dance with Demons.
Rias Gremory.
Sitri Mansion.
Holding a cup filled with wine made from the apples of the Bael territory, I sighed.
I loved Sona. She was my best friend since I was little, and seeing her turn eighteen was a once-in-a-lifetime moment, but I still regretted coming to this party.
I was tired. Tired of acting like I was having fun. Tired of acting like I liked everyone here.
Because I wasn't having fun. I preferred staying in the human world, with my peerage, the school, and everything humans did to pass the time.
There, I could just be Rias Gremory, one of the great beauties of the school.
Here, I couldn't.
Here, I was Rias Gremory, the little sister of the Satan Lucifer, the heir to the Gremory family.
For as much as such a title meant. Or how long I'd have it.
It was no secret that many devils wondered if little Milicas would be more suitable than I.
Not that my brother would ever allow that. And my relationship with my parents wasn't at that point yet, but every day felt closer.
That was why I was here. To act like a proper devil and squash any rumors of me preferring the human world.
A foolish thought. I was a devil through and through. I would always choose the Underworld. People just disliked that I was out 'playing human' instead of being the devil they wanted.
In a way, I was jealous of the devils who weren't invited tonight. The devils who didn't suffer under the expectations of the masses. Those that barely mattered in the grand scheme of things.
The truly free devils, in my opinion. Those whose actions weren't studied under a microscope like mine. Those who could make their own decisions instead of having everything chosen for them.
Which was why I didn't understand Dante Andromalius's actions. And yes, I already knew about him even before returning to the Underworld. He was famous for the wrong reasons, and I couldn't help but sympathize with him.
Maybe I was wrong, but I couldn't shake the thought that his father was doing something like mine, with one key difference. Hadrian Andromalius looked like he was genuinely trying to do what was best for his son's future, instead of forcing him into something that would bring no advantage for his family.
So unlike my marriage contract. Why marrying a third son entered my father's mind was beyond me. Yes, the Phenex were rich, but so was my family. And the tears were important, but Father relationship with Lord Phenex should have been more than enough.
Maybe that was why I pushed Sona to use his gift.
I wasn't expecting much, to be honest. Sona was very… close-minded, and she had some kind of bias against Dante even before she met him.
I was the same. From what the picture painted, he looked like he was going to do his utmost to gain Sona's favor in hopes of earning her backing. Much to my surprise, he didn't do anything embarrassing.
Sona thought that even before her parents alerted her about the very late invitation, and she wasn't very excited about it. A bit hypocritical, in my opinion.
She always tried to hide her jealousy of me, how every piece was 'handed' over to me. My peerage was probably the one with more potential in the whole Underworld, so I understood the jealousy.
I never said anything against those rumors, even when I disagreed with them. Koneko was the only piece of my peerage that was gifted to me. All the others were simply luck.
But that wasn't important. Sona never managed to hide her jealousy, and now that she was getting handed something on a silver platter, she was against it?
I loved my best friend, but sometimes, despite her acclaimed intelligence, she was a bit dumb.
Or prideful. I didn't know which was worse.
So I decided to give a little nudge in the right direction, and I wasn't prideful enough to admit that Dante had surprised me.
I had absolutely no idea where he managed to find such a chess set, and I knew the best stores in the Underworld.
None even came close to what this set could do.
I almost squealed the first time it started talking. It was so similar to an AI that I couldn't help it. I wondered if he could get some anime figures that could talk like their characters.
My curiosity was piqued by the heir of the extinct house right then, but it didn't compare to watching him almost beat Sona.
He might have gotten lucky, since Sona ended up winning, but he got closer than anyone tonight. No, closer than any time I even remembered.
Close enough that Serafall was biting her nails in the background. Who knew, he might have won if he hadn't gotten nervous because of my comment. I regretted opening my mouth, but in truth, I did them both a favor.
I think.
As much as Lord and Lady Sitri allowed Sona some leeway with her marriage, I doubted they would ever let someone like Dante become Sona's fiancé. If, and big if, he wasn't a frozen popsicle before the game even ended, courtesy of Serafall.
I could only thank the Satans that my brother didn't reach that level.
But as always, I couldn't be left alone with my introspections. Someone I particularly didn't like was already approaching my seat.
And Seekvaira was busy being my shield after Riser approached me earlier. I knew I was simply delaying the inevitable, but the longer she kept him busy, the more I'd enjoy this night.
But even if he was better than Riser, Diodora Astaroth simply made me uncomfortable. Which was weird, because he always acted like a gentleman around me.
Craning my neck as subtly as I could, I scanned the room to see if I could use anyone else as a shield.
Seekvaira was out, obviously. She looked like she was having as much fun as Riser in their dance, making me want to smirk, but… There was no one else.
Sona was dancing with her father, which was another option that, sadly, wouldn't work in time. Or maybe they were getting closer to my position.
The last two who could save me from a very uncomfortable dance were busy. Sairaorg was talking at the other side of the table with none other than Dante himself.
Which should be more interesting, but I couldn't focus on them too much.
Sighing, I locked eyes with Diodora, who was barely a few feet away.
"Diodora," I gave him a polite smile, "How are you? It's been a long time since we last saw each other."
"Miss Gremory," he smiled, his handsome face and crinkling eyes helping me calm down. "Yes, it's been a long time. Latia's birthday, if I remember correctly."
"How have you been?" He sat down next to me. "I couldn't help but notice you kept to yourself most of the night."
"Was it that noticeable?" I winced a bit.
"I like to think of myself as… observant, Rias," he chuckled.
I hid my frown. That was one thing I didn't like about him. Even now, he sat without asking if he could, closer than one would think appropriate, and called me by my first name.
Perhaps Japan was truly changing me, and other devils were right that I was acting too human. Still, I wasn't close enough to Diodora for him to excuse that.
Clearly, it didn't matter to him. His smile remained unchanging as he waited for my answer.
But I was lucky, again.
Sona and Lord Sitri passed by us, and my friend must have noticed something in my posture, because soon they stopped and stepped even closer.
"Rias, long time no see," Lord Sitri grinned from ear to ear, making me smile in return. "Care for a dance? It's been a while since I saw my second daughter."
Giggling, I nodded and sent a thankful look at Sona. She returned it with a barely noticeable huff as she sat a bit away from my seat and began talking with Diodora.
Grabbing Lord Sitri's arm, I let myself be guided to the dance floor and sighed, sending a grateful smile to someone who was like a second father to me.
"Thank you for that, Lord Sitri," I murmured as softly as I could, maintaining my expression even as I wanted to sigh.
Lord Sitri sighed, his lips twitching in amusement.
"Rias, I changed your diapers more times than I care to remember. Call me Cassius," he rolled his eyes, replying dryly.
I felt a flush rise to my cheeks at his tone, lowering my head for a moment to compose myself.
"And thank Sona," he chuckled, "she's the one who suggested it."
He inched his mouth close to my ear, "You know you can't avoid devil politics forever, no?"
"Doesn't mean I can't try my best," I rolled my eyes in return, though a smile escaped my lips. "Either way, thank you."
He twirled me around, making me giggle at the memories it brought. Better times, my mind whispered.
"So, how's the human world?" he asked after a few minutes of dancing in silence, "how is your peerage going? Is Koneko as adorable as ever? Maelia misses sitting her on her lap."
Koneko adored Sona's mom.
"Still the same," I shook my head, a warm smile growing on my face. "They're fine, having fun in school. And believe me, Koneko misses Maelia's cookies."
He barked a laugh. "Ever the glutton?"
I grinned. "She's a cat girl, after all."
"As fun as this has been, I think it's time for you to face the music, girlie," he smiled sadly. "You're eighteen already, and you can't escape your responsibilities."
I sighed, smiling despite my mood. This was Cassius Sitri, alright. Willing to help me breathe for a beat before reminding me of my duties. He was more than glad to help me; I didn't doubt that, but he was ultimately an old devil, just as father and mother were.
It wasn't a wonder why they were such close friends.
Cassius guided me back toward the edge of the dance floor, giving my hand a final squeeze before letting go.
"Be careful," he murmured, just loud enough for me to hear.
I nodded, watching him leave. Taking a deep breath, I looked around the hall.
Everything looked as usual for this kind of gathering... but knowing my luck, my night was about to get worse.
"Rias."
I didn't need to turn to know who it was.
Riser Phenex, the bane of my existence.
He stood a few steps away, holding a glass of wine, his expression a bit weary.
"Riser," I smirked, amused. "Did you enjoy your dance with Seek?"
I took an insurmountable amount of joy in seeing him try, and fail, to hide a wince.
He rolled his eyes, ignoring my question.
"I was beginning to think you planned to avoid me all night," he chuckled, stepping closer.
Not enough to excuse if I reacted badly, and judging by the infuriating smirk on his face, he knew it.
"I suppose I can't blame you. Parties like this can be… overwhelming."
"I've been enjoying myself," I said shortly.
He hummed, his eyes flicking over me from head to toe, making my skin crawl.
"You always did prefer simpler things," Riser said lightly. "The human world, your little school, your peerage. Phases pass, of course. You know what is inevitable."
My fingers clenched around the glass hard enough to turn white.
"I can't help but find them more interesting than this," I replied curtly.
"Wonderful," he smiled, looking far too pleased with himself. "It's one of the things I admire about you, you know? Your spirit. Even when you push back, it's only because you haven't accepted what's fated to be yet."
Every sentence he spoke made my thinly controlled composure crack.
"My fate is mine to decide, Riser." I glared at him.
"You have no right. Not even my family does," I hissed softly.
He tilted his head, a dark smirk on his face.
"That's what you think?" he asked gently. "We've both known how this will end for years. All this resistance does is make you more and more delicious."
That was it.
My demonic power surged as I lost my temper. I felt it straining to spill past my control as I glared at him. People were looking at us now. I didn't care about the repercussions this would bring.
I opened my mouth, ready to burn the bridge, the room, everything, no matter how badly it would end up for me.
"May I have this dance?"
The voice was timid, soft, and a lifeline to me.
I froze, watching as Riser's eyebrows twitched at someone interfering with what he saw as his.
But I was already smiling at the biggest surprise of the night.
Dante Andromalius.
Riser's expression became a cocktail of emotions that I found amusing. Irritation, surprise, and so many others.
He looked at the blond devil like he was an idiot. I didn't fault Riser much for that. He clearly expected someone relevant, someone important enough to dare interrupt his fun.
Instead, he found this devil, a complete unknown that most devils my age saw as lesser.
My anger faded at the amusing sight.
The devil, barely older than me, stood a few steps away. His posture betrayed his nervousness, his hands folded over his beautiful clothes as if to hide their trembling.
He didn't even look at Riser. His eyes were focused on mine.
Something I knew was hard, especially since I entered puberty. Most devils, including older ones from my parents' generation, had trouble keeping their eyes from roaming.
Not that I helped much with the kind of dress I was wearing, but if mother taught me anything, it was to use everything I had to get what I wanted.
"Why would she dance with a peasant?" Riser sneered, pulling me out of my surprise.
I had to act fast, lest Riser decide to burn the devil who was unknowingly, or perhaps knowingly, helping me.
"I believe the music hasn't ended yet, Lord Riser," Dante finally tore his eyes from mine, extending his hand toward me. "And I believe it would be a shame to waste it. I have much to thank Miss Gremory for, after all."
His voice was smooth, and surprisingly enough, I couldn't detect the nervousness he should have been showing. Perhaps he was better trained than I imagined.
Riser's jaw clenched, forming a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
But I was already moving, a simple smile on my face as I took Dante's hand.
Smooth. Not a single hint of harsh training. Maybe he focused on magic? Interesting.
"Far be it from me to monopolize my fiancé," Riser gritted out, making me bite down a giggle that threatened to escape.
I could feel his eyes burning on our backs, as if he wanted to set my savior on fire with his glare.
I didn't look back, allowing Dante to guide me toward the center of the hall.
The moment we reached it, relief crashed through me so hard I almost dropped to the ground. Dante, without even showing surprise, steadied me without a word. His grip was light and respectful, his body moved with mine in a way that made me feel safe.
Glancing around, I noticed no one was looking in our direction.
He didn't pull me closer, nor did he lead the dance like every devil usually did. He matched my pace instead, letting me set the rhythm. His hand rested on my arm, never trying to take advantage or cop a feel.
He was a gentleman. His eyes never wandered, his smile fixed but genuine as he looked at me.
His blue eyes were surprisingly calm.
"You look like you've had a long evening, Miss Gremory," he said quietly, following my lead without trouble.
Which was surprising. I was a good dancer, having been taught since childhood. I doubted his parents even knew how to act in these kinds of meetings, yet he hadn't made a fool of himself.
Seeing him keep up without trouble sparked something inside me. I was always told I was competitive.
I chuckled darkly at his words. "That obvious, Mister Andromalius?"
He smiled faintly, his hands leaving mine as he separated us with a move I had planned.
"To someone who pays attention, maybe," he chuckled as we drew closer again.
My eyes widened, and his eyes filled with mirth. It was like he was reading my mind. He did what I planned before I could.
Cheeky.
I couldn't help but grin, and his eyes returned a matching, competitive smirk.
If only he could hide his flushed cheeks. Oh my, how adorable.
I waited for him to press, to question me further, or offer some kind of fake sympathy.
He didn't.
We danced in silence for a while, long enough to make me wonder why no one was causing a scene. Riser came to mind. He was angry and petty enough to break this up just for his amusement.
But when I turned in his direction, I frowned in confusion.
As angry as he had been, he should have been glaring at us.
He wasn't even looking our way. He was joking with Diodora, ignoring the dance floor entirely. Like he didn't remember us.
Was this his bloodline trait? Sona was lucky I liked her enough to leave him to her. But if she continued showing her lack of interest, I might sweep in and grab him. I could see so many uses for someone like Dante.
It should have been awkward, dancing for so long with someone I barely knew. I knew that.
Instead, it was… nice.
The absence of expectations and watching eyes made something inside me loosen despite myself. And I was having far too much fun trying to one-up him. He was a surprisingly good dancer.
Better than my teacher, for the Satans' sake.
"I don't usually let it show like that," the words slipped out, making me cough in embarrassment as his eyes met mine. "At least not in public."
He didn't laugh. He simply nodded, as if it didn't bother him.
"People push," he said softly as he spun me under his arm. "Eventually, something breaks. I can't fault you, Miss Gremory."
He said nothing more.
And somehow, it was enough.
"I hate it," I found myself admitting. I didn't know why I was opening up so much, but the lack of attention surely helped. "How everyone treats my future like it's… some kind of conclusion. Like everything is fated to be."
He was silent as he drew me closer.
I leaned into his shoulder, "the marriage, the expectations..."
"The way everyone pays attention to everything I do as if they deserve it. Did you know my brother had to kick a paparazzi out of Kuoh?!"
He flinched at that, a horrified expression growing on his face.
I clenched my fingers around his arm. I didn't know why I was saying all this. I didn't even know him for a long time.
However, once I started, I couldn't stop.
"I don't even get to fail on my own terms," I grumbled bitterly. "If I do anything they perceive as wrong, it's a scandal. If I push back, it's immature. Everything I do is wrong in their eyes."
Despite my rising voice, no one looked at us, making me glance curiously at the blue-eyed devil in front of me.
No. One person did look at us.
Sai was glancing in our direction; his eyes focused on Dante. If I didn't know better, I would have thought he looked horrified. But that didn't make sense.
Dante was such a sweetheart.
Dante smiled, a quirk on his lips that made him look mischievous, much to my amusement.
"It looked like you needed to vent," he shrugged as he stepped closer, his feet careful not to step on mine. "No one will notice us. Don't worry."
His hand dropped to my waist before I could say anything. It hovered there without touching my skin.
"I get that, Miss Gremory," he continued in a neutral tone, "it's like your worth is decided by everyone else but you."
I had to agree with that. Every day it was like that.
"I don't have choices, not real ones, at least," I grumbled.
Sometimes it felt like my own decisions were being guided by others.
"You feel shackled," he sighed sadly, "it's like you forgot what freedom feels like."
My chest ached at his words.
He understood me.
He didn't tell me to be strong like Akeno often did, saying that we'd find a solution. He didn't ask me to endure and do my duty like Sona always did. He wasn't giving me unwanted advice, thinking he knew better.
He just... listened, without judging me.
"I'm tired of it." My shoulders trembled, and I felt tears prick my eyes.
His hand finally touched my waist, and instead of making me cautious, it calmed me down.
I didn't even notice when the music stopped, Dante guiding me through the dance without it.
He truly was a fantastic dancer. I wonder who taught him.
"If you allow me to say something, Miss Gremory," he continued softly, "is that marriage contracts can be broken, if you're willing to pay what others won't."
I frowned, not fully understanding what he was trying to say.
Before I could grill him about it, he stepped back and gave me a slight bow.
"But if you ever wish to talk again," he added casually, kissing the hand I hadn't noticed I raised, "my door is always open to you."
"It was a pleasure, Miss Gremory. You are a good dancing partner."
"Call me Rias," I smiled. "And thank you, Mister Andromalius."
"Then please, call me Dante." He winked, making me giggle.
Then the meaning of his last words hit me like a freight train.
Did he… did he have an answer to my troubles?
I wasn't sure I understood what he meant. I wasn't dumb; it felt like he was being intentionally vague.
He hadn't demanded I visit his house. He hadn't said it aloud.
And yet, it felt like an invitation.
Or maybe I just wanted it to be.
I turned to ask him, only to find an empty space where he had been standing.
My heart skipped as I scanned the hall. I wanted an answer, so I hurried towards the entrance.
Only to spot him just in time, stepping into his carriage as the door closed behind him.
The door closed, and I could swear our eyes locked for a second before the vehicle rolled away.
I touched my chest, surprised to find my hand trembling.
Excitement? Agitation? Fear? I didn't know.
But for the first time in years, it felt like someone truly understood how I felt.
Jumping as someone touched my shoulder, I turned to see a strange expression on Sai's face.
"What happened to you, Sai?" I asked, frowning. "You look like you saw a ghost."
His eyebrow twitched in irritation; his eyes locked with mine.
"What did Dante offer you, Rias? You need to be careful around him," he said neutrally.
"He was a gentleman, Sai," I rolled my eyes, "Why do you act like he was Riser himself?"
He and his overprotectiveness.
Old author's note: This chapter took longer than expected because I was trying something I hadn't done before. I don't usually write morally ambiguous characters, and even less one like Dante/Seere which can be a lot darker than what I'm used to.
I also thought it would be fun to show his manipulations through other people's eyes. I can only imagine what Sai was thinking while Dante and Rias were having their moment, honestly.
I don't know if I'll do this kind of chapter often, since it took way more out of me than I expected, but it was fun to write.
Four seeds were planted here. Let's see which ones sprout first.
A good day for Dante, I think.
If you'd like to support me and read up to FIVE chapters ahead, you can find me on pat * e*n . com (slash) Infinityreads99 Heads up: I post chapters fully edited, but I sometimes make minor tweaks before they go live here. Thanks for reading!