Silas listened intently, purple eyes steady on Rias as she spoke. He didn't interrupt, didn't fidget—just absorbed every word, every subtle shift in her expression.
The frustration that flickered across her face was brief but real, like a crack in polished armor she usually kept flawless.
' Well, at least she's not shamefull to tell me the whole truth,' he thought. ' Unlike how some fanfics paint her—cold, manipulative, or worse. Bro, they really hated this chick a few years back. Same energy they gave Uraraka, turning her into a gold-digger caricature for no reason. People online love to twist characters when they're jealous or projecting.'
He pulled himself back to the present, exhaling softly through his nose.
The room was quiet except for the faint clink of Koneko's fork against her plate and the soft rustle of Akeno adjusting her position beside him.
Silas turned fully toward Rias, arm still draped casually along the back of the sofa behind her shoulders—close, but not quite touching her.
"Sounds heavy," he said quietly, voice low enough that it felt like the words were just for her. "Being next in line for a clan that size… all those expectations piling up before you even get a say in it. Most people would've run or just accepted it. You didn't. You came here, built something of your own instead. That takes guts."
Rias looked at him then—really looked—searching his face as if trying to decide whether he was being sincere or just saying what he thought she wanted to hear.
Whatever she found there made the tension in her shoulders ease a fraction.
"I didn't have much choice," she admitted, fingers tracing the rim of her teacup absently. "If I'd stayed in the Underworld and played along, I would've lost myself completely. Here… at least I can breathe. At least I can fight for what I want."
Silas nodded slowly.
"And what do you want? Not what the clan wants, not what anyone else expects—what do *you* actually want, Rias?"
The question hung between them, simple but direct. It caught her off guard; her lips parted slightly, and for a moment she didn't answer.
Akeno watched from his other side with quiet interest, violet eyes flicking between them. Kiba pretended to focus on his tea, but his posture had gone attentive. Even Koneko paused her cake-eating long enough to glance over.
Rias finally let out a small, almost self-deprecating laugh.
"I want… freedom. Real freedom. Not just from an engagement I never agreed to, but from the whole system that thinks my worth is measured by bloodlines and alliances. I want to lead my peerage the way I see fit, protect the people who chose to follow me, and maybe… build something that lasts because *I* made it, not because it was handed down."
She looked at him again, steadier this time.
"And right now? I want to know who you are, Silas. Really. Because you're sitting here listening to me spill clan secrets like it's nothing, and you're not flinching. Most people would be scheming already—trying to use it, or running the other way."
Silas's smile was small, almost gentle.
"I'm not most people."
He leaned in just a fraction—enough that his voice dropped even lower, intimate without being pushy.
"And I'm not here to use you, Rias. Or your peerage. Or anything else. I'm here because Kuoh is interesting, and because I've got nothing better to do. Well I do now, seeing as two pretty girls are sitting by my side"
Akeno let out a soft, delighted giggle behind her hand. "Ara ara… you really are dangerous, Silas-kun. Saying things like that with such a straight face."
Rias didn't laugh. She just held his gaze, the faintest flush returning to her cheeks—not from embarrassment this time, but from something warmer, more hopeful.
"…Thank you," she said quietly. "For listening. And for not treating me like I'm fragile."
Silas shrugged one shoulder. " It's nothing"
After the heartfelt conversation, the mood in the Occult Research Club lightened considerably. Akeno wheeled over a small silver cart laden with an assortment of snacks—delicate sandwiches cut into perfect triangles (cucumber and cream cheese, smoked salmon with dill, and a few with rare roast beef), miniature fruit tarts glistening with glaze, bite-sized macarons in pastel shades, and a towering plate of chocolate-dipped strawberries. Koneko's eyes lit up at the sight of the sweets; she immediately claimed three macarons and a tart before anyone else could blink.
They ate slowly, conversation drifting into lighter topics: favorite human-world foods (Rias confessed a secret love for spicy ramen), the absurdity of certain school rumors, and Kiba politely deflecting questions about his "princely" reputation.
Silas found himself relaxing more than he expected—laughing at Akeno's teasing jabs, trading quiet nods with Koneko when she offered him half a macaron without a word, and catching Rias's occasional glances that lingered just a second too long.
For the first time, he truly understood why they spent so much of their time holed up in this old building. It wasn't just strategy or hiding from the supernatural world. It was *home*—a pocket of warmth and safety carved out amid all the chaos of devils, contracts, and looming threats.
The food tasted better because it was shared, the laughter felt real because it wasn't forced, and the company… well, the company was exceptional.
But like most good things, it came to an end.
The distant chime of the bell signaling the end of break pulled them back to reality. Plates were cleared with efficient teamwork (Koneko stacking them neatly, Kiba wiping down the table), and soon they were filing out—Rias and Akeno once again flanking Silas as they walked the hallways back to class. Heads turned. Whispers followed. Silas just smirked and kept walking.
The rest of the school day blurred by in a haze of lectures and stolen glances. When the final bell rang, signaling true freedom, Silas stood at his desk packing his bag slowly.
Rias approached first, Akeno a step behind her.
"You're still coming tonight, right?" Rias asked, voice low but expectant.
Silas nodded, slinging his bag over one shoulder.
"Yeah. I just need to handle something quick at home first. I'll meet you at the club room around seven."
Akeno tilted her head, violet eyes gleaming playfully.
"Don't keep us waiting too long, Silas-kun~ We might start without you."
He chuckled in response. They parted ways in the courtyard—Rias giving his arm a brief, warm squeeze before she and Akeno headed toward the old building with the rest of the peerage.
Silas turned toward the main gate, hands in his pockets, enjoying the late-afternoon sun on his face.
' That was hectic,' he thought as he walked the familiar route back to his apartment. ' School is actually… fun? Maybe it's because three girls are currently trying their absolute best to get me. Never felt this way before. '
The thought made him smile—small, private, almost surprised.
He was halfway through a quiet residential street when his senses sharpened.
A prickle at the back of his neck. Multiple footsteps—too synchronized to be casual. Breathing patterns elevated, hearts beating faster than normal.
' Hmm. They aren't supernatural, that's one thing,' he noted calmly. ' No demonic aura, no holy light, no fallen energy. Just… humans. Annoyed ones.'
He kept walking at the same pace, pretending not to notice. The followers didn't close in immediately—they were patient, herding him subtly toward the small public park that sat between his neighborhood and the main road.
When he reached the center of the park—wide grassy area, a few benches, a children's swing set creaking in the breeze—he finally stopped.
They emerged from the trees and pathways like a poorly rehearsed gang in a bad delinquent manga.
Six of them. Maybe seven. All wearing Kuoh Academy uniforms, though some looked like they'd been stretched to their limits.
The leader stepped forward—a towering, buff guy whose blazer sleeves strained against biceps that clearly spent more time in a gym than in class. His tie was loose, top button undone, and his face was flushed with righteous fury.
"Silas Morvane!" the guy bellowed, cracking his knuckles dramatically. "You have broken the sanctuary of our school by getting close to the empresses Rias-san and Akeno-san. For that… you must be killed!"
The others nodded vigorously, some pulling out wooden bokken (practice swords) from behind their backs, others just balling their fists.
Silas stared at them for a long second.
' The fuck ' he thought.
Then he smirked—slow, lazy, and more than a little amused.
' Now this is new.'
TO BE CONTINUED