Chapter 70 - Ravel's Confusion
Hearing Grayfia's words, Rias's face flushed with a trace of shame.
The marriage between the Gremory and Phenex clans was no mere union—it carried weighty implications for both families.
Dissolving it would ripple through their alliances and influence.
Rias knew Grayfia's leniency meant she'd shoulder the fallout, likely smoothing things over with the old devils.
For now, Rias was in the clear, but her brother, Sirzechs, might face some heat.
"This time, you've chosen your partner," Grayfia said, her voice clear and firm. "As the Gremory heiress, you must take responsibility and avoid repeats of today's chaos."
"You can't always rely on others to clean up your messes."
"I understand, Grayfia," Rias said, nodding sheepishly. "Please tell my brother I'm sorry."
Grayfia's icy demeanor softened slightly. "I'll report today's events to Lord Sirzechs in full," she said, then turned to Roy.
"Lord Roy, could you provide a copy of that video for my records?"
"No problem," Roy agreed.
With the copied video in hand, Grayfia stepped onto the room's central magic circle.
And vanished, returning to the Underworld.
"It's finally over!" Rias exhaled, the tension in the Occult Research Club dissolving.
The atmosphere lightened, free of the earlier strain.
Grayfia's presence, despite her maid attire, carried the weight of a Satan-class devil. Her aura alone had pressed heavily on everyone.
"I braced for a fight with Riser, but it resolved so easily," Rias said, a touch of lingering apprehension in her voice.
Her decision to bind herself to Roy the previous night was calculated yet impulsive.
She'd known the troubles it would unleash but hadn't expected such a swift resolution.
"Congrats, Rias. You're free from that engagement," Akeno said, her smile teasing as she glanced at Roy.
"Roy's your lucky charm, isn't he? All your problems vanish when he's around."
"Yeah, thanks to Roy," Rias said, her gaze softening with affection.
"I never imagined he'd have such a history with the Phenex clan."
"Call it fate," Roy said, shrugging. "But I owe Riser, too. If he and Ravel hadn't come to end that engagement, I wouldn't have met Rias."
"Tch, already flaunting your romance?" Akeno teased, nudging Rias. "I told you to make a move sooner. Could've spared yourself all this drama."
"Shut it," Rias said, rolling her eyes. She wasn't one to act rashly for gain.
Her choice to give herself to Roy stemmed from genuine feelings built over time, not some calculated ploy.
Otherwise, she'd never have breached noble decorum.
"The Phenex clan took your fiancée, and you snatched Riser's in return. Quite the retaliation," Akeno said, grinning at Roy.
"Riser's face must be a sight right now."
She reveled in Riser's humiliation more than anything else.
"Riser took that promise to me seriously, which surprised me, given how much he valued the engagement," Roy said, smiling.
"He's only chasing the Gremory connection," Rias said, shaking her head. "Devils have always honored contracts, even in legends where we twist them to our advantage. The commitment itself is sacred."
"Riser gave you a summoning card and made that vow publicly," she continued. "Breaking it would've trashed the Phenex clan's reputation. Plus, if he reneged, I wouldn't have stood by. He'd have been in deep trouble."
Roy nodded, her analysis aligning with his own. Riser's thuggish bravado was clear—he'd agreed to the dissolution as a personal act, washing his hands of the old devils. If they objected, it was Roy and Rias's problem.
"The Gremory and Phenex clans might clash over this," Akeno said, her smile sly.
"Let my father and brother deal with it," Rias said with a soft snort. "They set up this engagement without my consent. They can clean up the mess."
"Not my concern anymore," she added, shaking her head with a light smile.
"What's next? Club activities?"
"First, I'm moving into Roy's place," Rias announced. "But let's celebrate with a big meal."
---
Underworld, Phenex Clan...
Riser returned, dejected, staring at the card in his hand with simmering rage. Reflecting on his past actions, he felt foolish.
Why had he played the noble, offering a promise after dissolving Ravel's engagement? A simple payment would've avoided this disaster. Now, he'd lost both his sister's betrothed and his own fiancée.
Back then, he'd imagined Roy summoning him with the card, giving him a chance to intimidate the human. Instead, Roy had turned the tables, humiliating him.
A flame sparked in his palm, reducing the summoning card to ashes.
"Brother, you're back?" Ravel Phenex approached, smiling. "Didn't you say you'd drag Lady Rias to the Underworld for the engagement ceremony? Where is she?"
Riser's face twisted. His sister had a knack for hitting sore spots.
"Something happened?" Ravel asked, noting his expression.
"My engagement to Rias is off," Riser said flatly.
"Off?" Ravel's eyes widened, her voice rising in disbelief. After a pause, she said, "You're serious?"
"No need to lie," Riser said, shaking his head.
"Brother, I know you're not Rias's match, but with your stubborn streak, giving up an engagement this valuable is… surprising," Ravel said, analyzing. "What happened in the human world?"
Her words stabbed like an arrow. Was his sister incapable of comfort? Salt in the wound was bad enough.
"Lord Riser, the Lord Phenex summons you to the meeting hall," a maid said respectfully.
"Understood," Riser said, his face grim.
Rias's engagement fiasco had stirred tensions between the Gremory and Phenex clans. Riser's trip to the human world was known to the old devils in the clan, especially after he'd vowed to retrieve Rias.
His return demanded answers.
"Brother, good luck," Ravel said, her look sympathetic.
Failing to bring Rias back and announcing the engagement's end severed ties to the Gremory clan and Satan Lucifer. The old guys would not be pleased.
"Come with me," Riser said, grabbing Ravel's arm.
"What? Your engagement mess has nothing to do with me! Why drag me into it?" Ravel protested, struggling as he pulled her along.
She had no desire to face those old devils.
"It's got everything to do with you," Riser said, sneering. "Don't think you're escaping."
"Brother, if you need someone to share the blame, grab our brothers, not me!" Ravel said, indignant.
"They won't do," Riser said. "Your ex-fiancé, Roy, is the reason Rias and I are done."
Roy hadn't just contributed—he'd single-handedly unraveled the engagement. Riser felt utterly betrayed.
"What? Roy?" Ravel's mind flashed to Roy's face, her confusion deepening. "What's he got to do with this?"
"You'll see," Riser said, his sneer darkening as he dragged her to the meeting hall.
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