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Meredith finished telling everything while letting out a long sigh, as if she had finally released part of the weight she carried inside herself.
"That's it…" She lowered her eyes to the cup for a moment before continuing: "Today is my day off, so I decided to come here to eat something and try to forget all of this for a little while…."
Alear remained silent for a few seconds, observing her with a blank expression.
"Is that so?" He finally answered, his voice carrying an almost comforting softness. "I'm sorry about that, Meredith. I can understand perfectly why you're resentful. Discovering that you possess royal blood and then realizing that you were ignored by them for so many years… In your place, I would probably feel the same way…."
The words were spoken with such natural sincerity that Meredith felt her chest tighten slightly. It was strange; she had only just met that man and yet he seemed to understand her feelings better than many people who had lived with her for years. A small sense of relief arose inside her, accompanied by a satisfaction she could not completely hide. A discreet warmth rose to her cheeks while, secretly, she felt relieved… and even a little happy.
"Thank you…" Meredith murmured, letting a small smile escape. After a few seconds, her curiosity ended up winning: "But… what about you? What exactly are you doing here? An Archduke of the Underworld, alone in an ordinary café in the middle of London… is something quite strange."
Alear set the cup on the table and answered casually:
"I'm looking for a few people to recruit into my peerage."
"…Huh?"
Meredith blinked, surprised.
He continued as if that were perfectly normal.
"From time to time I come to the human world. I don't exactly have a specific method for searching for new members. Sometimes I choose a city, other times I simply enter some establishment or walk through a random area and observe the people I encounter. When I notice someone with talent, potential, or some characteristic I find interesting, I make a proposal…."
Meredith remained silent for a few seconds, staring at Alear while absorbing his words. She was not naïve and easily perceived what was implied in that explanation. After all, he had no obligation to explain why he was in that place, or at the very least he could have avoided mentioning the main reason for his presence there. So why had he made a point of telling her that? It was hard not to think that she herself had caught his attention. The possibility made her heart beat a little faster, and a discreet expectation arose inside her. If that man were truly interested in recruiting her, then how would the English royal family react upon discovering that someone like her had been considered worthy of becoming part of the peerage of the 'Grand President of Hell', whose rise was already drawing attention in the most diverse circles of the supernatural world? A mischievous and resentful part of her could not help imagining the expressions of the family members when they found out….
"So…" She finally asked, trying to keep her voice casual despite the expectation that was beginning to grow inside her. "Did you find someone?"
Alear smiled lightly, the corner of his lips rising almost imperceptibly.
"That depends." He rested his elbow on the table and tilted his head slightly, watching her attentively. "Would you be interested?"
Meredith blinked, surprised by the frankness.
Alear continued, maintaining the same calm and direct tone:
"I can see that you possess enormous potential. Honestly, I think the royal family was extremely stupid for ignoring someone like you, but I would not make the same mistake." His gaze remained fixed on her. "That's why I would like you to serve me. In exchange, I can give you what you desire most. What do you think?"
Meredith stayed silent while Alear went on:
"Do you want me to destroy the English royal family? I can do that. Do you want to become queen? I can give you that place as well. If there is something you truly desire, just tell me." He paused briefly before finishing with a calm smile: "All I want in return is that you be mine…"
Meredith remained completely still for a few seconds, staring at Alear as if trying to figure out whether he had really just said that. Her face began to heat up, and her heart was beating much faster than it should.
"Are you… serious?"
"Completely."
She discreetly clenched her fingers on her own skirt, trying to organize her thoughts. She had already been considering leaving the Golden Dawn for personal reasons and, after everything she had discovered about her origin, she no longer felt the same attachment to the place she had once considered her home. Becoming a devil also did not seem so bad, especially if it meant serving directly under an Archduke as powerful as Alear. On the contrary, that might be exactly the opportunity she needed to start a new life, far from everything that had been feeding her resentment over the past few weeks. She could even have left with Le Fay to join the Chaos Brigade, since her friend had invited her, but for some reason the proposal in front of her seemed far more attractive. It was as if that opportunity had appeared at precisely the right moment and was destined to be hers…..
She felt that she needed to follow the young man before her eyes, even if it meant abandoning her humanity. At that moment, that no longer seemed to matter to her in the slightest….
After a few seconds of silence, Meredith raised her gaze and looked directly at Alear. There was a clear determination in her crystalline blue eyes, mixed with an emotion she did not try to hide.
"…I accept. But in exchange for serving you…" She continued, her voice gaining a more serious and cold tone, "I want you, in the future, to help me ban the English royal family. As revenge for the abandonment. A family that prides itself on being prestigious in the magical world… does not deserve any kind of power or influence if it is capable of discarding someone who was part of it as if they were trash. They need to pay for that."
Alear observed her for a moment, keeping the smile on his lips, which deepened slightly.
"Understood." He nodded without hesitation. "When the time comes, if that is still what you desire, I will help you. That said, welcome to my peerage, Meredith Ordinton. From now on, you are part of my group. We will still need to perform the reincarnation ritual, of course, but this is not the appropriate place for that…"
Meredith nodded firmly, the determined gleam still present in her crystalline blue eyes.
"It will be a pleasure to serve you, Lord Häangenti."
The simple confirmation that he had accepted to help her in the future caused a wave of genuine relief and happiness to take over her chest. A broad, sincere smile formed on her lips and remained there for a long time, soft and hard to hide.
Alear observed that smile for a few seconds, satisfied with the reaction, before slowly rising from the chair.
"Well, since we have time. What do you say we get to know each other better? Feel free to call me Alear…"
Meredith agreed with a slight nod, the smile still present on her lips.
"All right… Alear."
The two remained in the café for several hours. The conversation continued naturally, moving from light subjects to deeper discussions about magic, the supernatural world, and even some personal experiences. As time passed, Meredith felt increasingly at ease in Alear's presence. She soon revealed that she possessed a rather mischievous and relaxed side, but, unlike Maria, she did not treat everyone in such a mischievous manner. Although she enjoyed teasing and keeping a light tone during conversations, she knew how to show respect toward those she considered worthy of it, and Alear seemed to fit perfectly into that category.
When they finally decided to leave, she accompanied him without the slightest hesitation, as if following him were the most natural thing in the world….
Alear took her directly to the Underworld. At the Häangenti Mansion he performed the reincarnation ritual and used one of his Evil Pieces to transform her into a devil, officially incorporating her into his peerage as a Pawn. After making sure she had adapted well to the changes, he introduced Meredith to the rest of the group. Mio and Maria were the first to greet her, though the latter did so with her usual mischievous smile. Valerie merely observed her in silence before offering a slight nod, while Ingvild smiled in a gentle and shy manner. Echidna, on the other hand, analyzed the new member with clearly intellectual interest, apparently curious about her magic and abilities. Seekvaira and Ravel, his future wives, received Meredith with the expected education and composure, welcoming her cordially. Nobunaga, as always, limited herself to casting a brief glance in her direction before making a comment….
As was already customary, Alear left the girls to welcome the new member and withdrew to take care of another important matter. That night he had a meeting with Serafall to discuss some matters related to business and future alliances between their families. However, he knew very well that that was merely the official excuse. The Satan had been accumulating a considerable amount of stress because of her responsibilities, and the true purpose of the meeting was to allow her to relax and temporarily forget the concerns of the Underworld. For that reason, the chosen location had been a luxury motel in the human world, where they spent the entire night together, with him making sure to leave her thoroughly satisfied…..
When he finally returned to the Häangenti Mansion the following morning, he found Sairaorg waiting for him at the entrance, accompanied by several gifts. The heir of the Bael family had already thanked him before, but only on that day had he found an opportunity to visit him. Alear spent part of the day talking with his friend and, as expected, the meeting ended up turning into a friendly fight. The two exchanged blows for some time, taking the opportunity to test each other's progress before Sairaorg finally bid farewell and returned to the Bael family territories.
After that, Alear returned to spending the rest of the day with his peerage. He talked with the girls, checked how Meredith was adapting to her new condition, and took the group for another training session, maintaining the routine that had already become a natural part of his peerage's life….
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.
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In Lilith, inside a spacious and elegant office, the air was heavy.
Sirzechs observed the pile of reports and documents scattered across the desk with a dark expression. His normally calm and serene countenance was deeply frowning. Suddenly he slammed his hand hard on the desk, causing several papers to fly while the sharp sound of the impact echoed throughout the office.
"Damn it…" He growled, his voice low and loaded with irritation. Then he stood up abruptly from the chair. His eyes shone with a mixture of frustration and concern as he clenched his fists: "Alear G. Häangenti, you son of a bitch!"
Was the Gremory family truly doomed to disappear? All because of the whim of a boy who had barely left diapers? Not even the good news that the Phenex Clan had annulled the political marriage between Rias and Riser had managed to bring him happiness in the face of that bleak prospect. Under normal circumstances, as any protective older brother, he would have been extremely relieved to discover that his younger sister would not have to marry someone like Riser. Rias herself was radiant with the news and was already showing great interest in meeting the man responsible for canceling the engagement, completely ignoring the fact that that same individual was, to a large extent, responsible for the growing decline of the Gremory family. In fact, she seemed far less concerned about the entire situation than any other member of the family. Even his own son demonstrated understanding of the gravity of what was happening. Rias, on the other hand, seemed to sincerely believe that, because he was one of the Four Great Satans, Sirzechs would be capable of finding a solution to any problem…
But that was also his fault for spoiling her too much…..
"Forgive me, Rias…" Sirzechs murmured, closing his eyes for a moment. His voice carried an exhaustion and helplessness he rarely allowed anyone to see: "This time, your brother has his hands tied. If things continue like this, the Gremory family will end up disappearing…"
He let out a long sigh before continuing:
"The Great King Faction continues increasing the pressure on us, and I no longer possess enough political influence to protect our family's interests. Serafall has distanced herself and is no longer willing to support me on this matter. That cow preferred to side with that brat instead of helping her longtime friend!" The irritation in his voice increased for a moment, but soon gave way to deep weariness. "Ajuka made it clear that he does not intend to get involved, while Falbium is too lazy to participate in any political dispute. Without their support, I am completely isolated…"
"I can still protect her using my position as Lucifer. As long as I exist, no one will dare to harm her or force her to do something against her will. But when it comes to the Gremory family and everything we are losing… I no longer have enough political power to prevent that from happening. As her brother, this time, I can do nothing…"
Sirzechs remained silent for a few moments. A bitter expression appeared on his face, as if he had just remembered an opportunity he should never have let slip away.
"If Grayfia were not too proud, I would have gladly offered her to that brat for one night in exchange for a political agreement with House Häangenti. After all, on that day, he showed interest in her…" He let out another sigh, bringing one hand to his face. "Thinking about it now, maybe I should have accepted that proposal while I still had the chance. Letting my wife sleep with another man leaves a bitter taste, but at least the Gremory family would not have reached this point…"
Outside the office, standing in front of the half-open door, Grayfia remained completely still. She had approached only to deliver some urgent documents, but ended up hearing every word of the conversation. Her eyes, normally cold and impassive, acquired an intense gleam, reflecting a painful mixture of shock, hurt, and something very close to devastation. For the first time in a long while, the perfectly controlled and professional expression she usually maintained in front of everyone disappeared completely….
For several moments she remained silent, her fingers slowly tightening the documents against her chest. A part of her seemed to struggle to believe that Sirzechs had truly considered offering her to another man in exchange for a political alliance. Reason told her that those words had been spoken in a moment of despair, when he felt completely cornered by the Gremory family's situation. Still, that did not lessen the pain she felt….
But deep down she knew he was right…..
If the survival of the Gremorys truly depended on a decision like that…
The hesitation remained on her face for a few more seconds before gradually disappearing. Her eyes returned to being cold, but there was something different behind that expression: a silent determination. Without making the slightest noise, she moved away from the door and walked down the corridor.
If her husband believed there was nothing more he could do, then she would take responsibility. And this time, she would make the decision on her own…
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(A/N: Who thinks Grayfia is going to mess things up?
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