After clearing up a small misunderstanding, Rias seemed to have returned to her usual self…
Actually, not quite—there were some strange new quirks to her behavior.
Thinking about it, Leon let out a silent sigh.
He stood up, preparing to head to the Potion Association, and called out toward the kitchen, “Rias, I’m heading out.”
“Wait!”
The red-haired succubus came running out at his words, grabbing Leon’s arm and admonishing him seriously, “You’re not allowed to go to any of those shady places while you’re out.”
“What kind of places?”
Leon raised an eyebrow.
“You know… those places glowing red in the alley before! Also, be careful of those bad women outside who randomly try to talk to you—don’t let yourself be led away!”
Rias delivered her lecture with righteous conviction.
Leon found it a little funny—when it came to bad women, could anyone really outdo the succubus in his own home?
Well, to be fair, his succubus seemed rather different from the others.
Under Rias’ repeated reminders, Leon agreed with a smile to everything she said, only leaving the house under her worried gaze.
But what really puzzled Leon was why Rias had suddenly become so odd lately.
She’d never thought about things like this before.
It felt like someone had said something to her… Strange.
***
Shortly after Leon left, a blonde girl leaped onto the wall of the Manor’s courtyard, her toes barely touching the top before she hopped lightly down onto the lawn inside.
Hearing the noise in the yard, Rias came out, alert, but relaxed the moment she saw who it was.
“Sophia? Why didn’t you come through the front door?”
She looked at the girl before her with some confusion, helping her up as she steadied the flowers at her feet.
Sophia hopped lightly onto the walkway, spread her arms to balance herself, then puffed out her cheeks in complaint, “Father found out I told you about what happened with Leon, so he grounded me.”
The girl tossed back her golden hair with confidence.
“Hmph, but those maids can’t keep an eye on me at all. If I went through the front door, I’d definitely get caught… Anyway, never mind that.”
Sophia took Rias by the hand and sat her down on the sofa in the living room, looking a little embarrassed as she apologized, “Um… about the stuff with the Sixth Princess and Leon, I didn’t hear the whole thing. Leon never agreed to anything!”
After saying that, she looked at Rias cautiously, but found that she had no particular reaction.
“Mm, I know. He told me about it.”
Thinking back to that night, Rias couldn’t help but smile at the corners of her mouth.
“Tsk tsk…”
Sophia teased, watching Rias’s expression, “Rias, do you like Leon?”
“Li…ke? What’s that?”
Sophia blinked, noticing Rias’s confusion didn’t seem feigned, and explained, “Well… it’s like, if you hear Leon’s going to marry someone else, does it make you feel really upset? Like you don’t want to be apart from him at all?”
Rias nodded.
“Then that’s what liking someone is.”
Sophia said as if it were obvious, “You like Leon.”
“So this is liking…”
Rias pressed her hand to her chest.
“I want to be with Leon forever. I want to be his…”
Wife.
Sophia gave her an all-knowing look.
“Rias, did you remember what I warned you about before?”
At that, Rias nodded seriously and said, “I told Leon, and… I don’t think he’ll go to places like that.”
“Hmph, Rias, you’re being too naive about men. When my father was young, he used to sneak out to those places all the time.”
Sophia lectured with her hands on her hips, leaving Rias somewhat bewildered.
“Then… what should I do?”
Rias’s expression dimmed, “I… can’t really help him with anything.”
Sophia also started thinking.
A few days ago, she’d tried to get Rias to just push Leon down, but was told Rias couldn’t do things like that with him.
Now she was at a loss herself—she didn’t really know much about these things either.
“Ah, I’m not sure about that either, but in any case, you can’t let him go out fooling around! Given Leon’s current status, who knows how many noble ladies outside are watching him hungrily.”
“But… if I try to control him like that, will he get angry… and not want me anymore?”
Rias bit her lip, her captivating fox-like eyes full of worry.
“Rias, you’re so pretty! If anything, you’d be the one dumping him!”
Seeing Rias like this, Sophia felt instantly indignant, mentally labeling Leon as a bad man.
“No… I can’t!”
Rias lifted a finger to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, her tone resolute.
“I can’t leave him.”
Now it was Sophia’s turn to be speechless.
She crossed her arms in annoyance.
“Rias, you’re so silly!”
“I’m not silly… He’s the silly one.”
Rias’s gaze softened.
If Leon weren’t a fool, why would he save a cast-off demon like her, help her grow stronger, and almost die for her?
He was the real fool.
Sophia looked at Rias’s expression and could only sigh in resignation.
She puffed out her cheeks and tried to scare her, “Then what if Leon falls for another woman? What will you do? Then you won’t be able to stay by his side anymore.”
“He turned down the Sixth Princess this time, but what if an even prettier girl comes along?”
“What if he gets bewitched by another woman?”
Each of Sophia’s serious questions struck Rias right in the heart, leaving her at a loss.
Sophia wasn’t trying to stir trouble; she was genuinely worried that such a pure-hearted Rias, who obviously liked Leon so much, might lose her chance.
The girl’s eyes flicked around, then she snapped her fingers and said, “I’ll go look through some books when I get back and find a way to help you.”
With that, she turned and vaulted over the wall, leaving Rias standing there with her head in a whirl.
She thought again about that night when Leon had asked her for the slave contract.
If one day Leon didn’t need her anymore, what would she do?
After all, she couldn’t really help him with anything.
***
That night, when Leon returned to the Manor as usual, dinner was already prepared.
The atmosphere in the living room was especially quiet this evening.
Leon noticed Rias’s gaze; it seemed like she wanted to say something.
He sat down across from her, feeling a bit puzzled.
It seemed Rias had finally made up her mind.
She took out a somewhat wrinkled but still intact old sheet of paper from her bosom.
Leon recognized it—it was the slave contract he and Rias had signed before.
He looked at the succubus lady before him.
With trembling hands, Rias pushed the contract in front of Leon.
Leon took the paper, looking at Rias in confusion.
He remembered that before, she’d been unwilling to bring this up.
Rias lifted her head to meet Leon’s eyes, her voice aggrieved but earnest, “I know my cooking isn’t as good as a human woman’s, and I’m always causing you trouble… and I can’t be intimate with you. I can’t help you at all…”
“If one day you come to hate me, if you don’t want to see me anymore, then… just tear this up.”
“When that time comes, I’ll quietly leave, okay?”
There was a hint of humble pleading in Rias’s voice.
She didn’t want to hear those words from Leon himself.
That would hurt too much…
It would hurt a lot.
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