[ Isaiah's PoV ]
The vial sat in my palm, its blue contents swirling with that same hypnotic motion. Back in my room at the Gremory mansion, I could finally examine it without pretense, without the need to maintain the careful mask I'd worn all evening.
I turned it over slowly, watching the liquid catch the lamplight.
A Gift from Lord Astaroth himself.
Every instinct I had screamed that something was wrong.
Now getting a quest about assassination attempt was the final nail in the coffin.
I should go to Sirzechs. The logical part of my brain knew that the Satan Lucifer had resources, connections, the authority to investigate this properly, and punish the ones behind this futile attempt.
But if I did that, everything would spiral out of control.
The Old Satan Faction would be implicated immediately. Diodora was one of theirs, after all, a known associate of Katerea Leviathan and her ilk. Any investigation into him would inevitably draw in the entire faction, and then the Anti-Satan Faction would mobilize in response. Political chaos. And worse, a potential civil war. And in all that noise, whoever was actually behind this would slip away unnoticed.
And that was the last thing I wanted to happen.
Because it wasn't the Old Satan Faction. The quest notification had made that clear. If it were Katerea, Shalba, or Creuserey Asmodeus, the System would have told me by now. And Lord Astaroth wasn't involved either; Lady Rayne had spoken about her brother with genuine affection and respect. A man like that wouldn't try to poison someone who'd protected his family.
No, this was someone else. Someone using the Old Satan Faction as cover. Someone with access to clan secrets and enough cunning to set up a perfect frame.
Closing my eyes, I activated my Observation Haki, letting my awareness spread through the mansion. Servants moved through the lower floors, their life signatures familiar patterns. Rias and the others had retired to their rooms. And there—Sirzechs's office—a single blue frame.
Grayfia. Alone.
Perfect.
I had to move now, before Sirzechs returned from whatever business had called him away.
The teleportation circle took me in the corridor outside the office. Through the door, I could sense Grayfia's steady presence, her demonic power a calm lake compared to the raging oceans of the Satans.
I knocked.
"Enter"
She stood behind Sirzechs's desk, organizing papers with meticulous precision. Her silver hair was still perfectly arranged despite the late hour, her maid uniform immaculate. When she looked up, those silver eyes assessed me with characteristic sharpness.
"Isaiah-sama. What brings you here at this hour?"
I stepped inside, closing the door behind me "I need your help with something. Something that can't wait"
Her hands stilled on the papers "I see. How may I assist you?"
I approached the desk slowly "You should rest, Grayfia-san. I've never seen or heard of you taking a break. Even now, when everyone else has retired, you're still working"
A faint smile touched her lips "As the maid and Queen of Sirzechs-sama, I cannot rest while he is still attending to his duties. The Satan's work is never complete, and neither is mine"
"That's admirable. But also exhausting" I sighed.
She set down the papers, giving me her full attention "I suspect you're not here to discuss my work schedule. You're holding something in your pocket, and you've been unconsciously touching it since you entered. What is it?"
Perceptive as always.
I pulled out the vial, holding it up to the light.
Grayfia's expression shifted immediately. She moved around the desk with fluid grace, taking the vial from my hand with careful fingers. Her eyes widened fractionally as she examined it.
"Who gave this to you?"
"The head of the Astaroth Clan. Lord Astaroth himself, supposedly through Diodora. A token of thanks for taking good care of Lady Rayne and Ravel"
"Lord Astaroth?" Disbelief crept on her face "Why would he intend to poison you?"
"Poison?! Grayfia-san, what are you talking about?"
She held the vial up to the light, her expression grim "This is an extremely deadly poison. At first, it dramatically boosts demonic power. But within a few weeks, it begins destroying the demonic core from the inside out. By the time symptoms manifest, it's too late. The victim's power collapses entirely, and then..." She paused "Then they die. Painfully"
"This was used by the Old Satan Faction during the Civil War. A weapon of last resort, or a tool for eliminating problematic individuals during a feast" Her silver eyes met mine "Lord Astaroth allied with the Old Satan Faction? I must inform Sirzechs-sama immediately—"
"No" I took the vial back from her hands "We can't"
"Isaiah-sama, you cannot—"
"Grayfia-san, please" I met her startled gaze "Can you erect a barrier around this room? What I'm about to tell you... no one else should get a wind of it"
She studied my face for a long moment, then raised her hand. Silver light flared, and I felt the pressure of a multilayered barrier snap into place around us.
"Speak" she said quietly.
I stepped closer, close enough to see my reflection in those silver eyes "Neither the Old Satan Faction nor Lord Astaroth is behind this. There's someone else—someone who intends to get rid of me and is using them as cover"
"What? How can you possibly—"
"Grayfia-san" I looked her directly in the eye, and I let my left eye began to glow with that telltale red light "You're the first and only person I'm telling this. So please, don't let anyone know about my secret."
The glow intensified, and I knew she could see it—the manifestation of something that shouldn't exist in this world, a power that didn't fit the rules of devils or angels or fallen.
"I can see things others can't" I said quietly "Intent. Truth. The connections between people and events. And I'm telling you—this isn't them. Someone else is pulling the strings."
Grayfia stared at me, surprise written clearly across her usually composed features "You can... see? I don't understand, but..." She trailed off, processing "If what you say is true..."
"For now, let's call them X." I turned away, pacing "The only clue we have is that this person is allied with the Old Satan Faction—or at least has access to their resources. If we tell Sirzechs about this, the investigation will focus on them. X will go to ground, cover their tracks, and we'll never find them. Worse, we'll start a political crisis that could destabilize the entire Underworld."
"So you want me to keep this secret"
"Yes. Don't tell Sirzechs san or anyone. Not until I know who X is"
She was silent for a long moment, her silver eyes searching mine. Then, slowly, she nodded "I will honor your request, Isaiah-sama. But I must ask. How do you intend to find this person?"
"I'll wear the vial around my neck, let X think their plan is proceeding perfectly. And while they're watching me, waiting for me to deteriorate..." I looked at her "If he intends on getting rid of me, they will make a move to let me use it either willingly or putting me in a place where I have no choice but to do so"
"That's incredibly dangerous."
"I know. That's why I need you, Grayfia-san." I crossed back to her, taking her hand in both of mine. The gesture seemed to startle her "You're the only one I can fully trust with this. You have access to information networks, connections throughout the Underworld, and the skills to investigate without drawing attention"
"So, Help me find X"
Her hand was warm in mine, softer than I'd expected. For a moment she just stared at our joined hands, then back up at my face. Something flickered in her expression—surprise, uncertainty, and something else I couldn't quite identify.
Then her composure returned, smooth as glass "Very well, Isaiah-sama. I will assist you in this endeavor. If someone is attempting to eliminate you through such underhanded means, they are threatening the stability, Sirzechs sama works so hard to maintain" Her grip tightened slightly "I will not allow that."
Relief flooded through me "I knew you were the right person to trust with this"
I released her hand and turned toward the door "I should return to my room before Sirzechs-san arrives. If he finds me here at this hour, he'll have questions I can't answer"
I reached for the door handle, but my hand passed through empty air—the barrier was still active. Right. I turned back to ask Grayfia to drop it.
But the words died in my throat.
Grayfia stood in the middle of the office, her maid uniform gone. Black lace lingerie hugging her curves, the delicate fabric a stark contrast to her pale skin. Her silver hair fell loose around her shoulders, freed from its usual braid. She walked toward me slowly, her hips swaying with elegant grace.
I gulped unconsciously, by sudden switching from stoic maid to bold one.
"Surely you weren't thinking of leaving?" Her voice had dropped to a sultry purr. "Not after reminding me of all those nights we shared"
My back hit the door "Grayfia-san, you can't be thinking of doing this here. Sirzechs could arrive at any moment, and if he sees us like this—"
She pressed against me, her body warm through the thin lace. One hand traced up my chest "He will be occupied in the Satan territories for the next week. This office will be completely unbothered, Yuuto sama"
Her lips were inches from mine.
"We have all night for ourselves, Isaiah-sama"
I cupped her chin, tilting her face up to meet my gaze. The rational part of my brain was screaming warnings, but they were drowned out by the racing of my pulse, the heat of her skin against mine.
"If that's what you want" I murmured.
She licked her lips, a gesture that sent fire through my veins.
I kissed her.
It wasn't gentle. Her mouth opened against mine, hot and demanding, and she made a small sound in the back of her throat that destroyed what little restraint I had left. My hands found her waist, sliding over smooth skin and delicate lace, pulling her closer.
She tugged at my shirt, fingers working the buttons with smooth efficiency. The fabric hit the floor. Her hands explored my chest, nails dragging lightly across my skin.
I reached behind her, finding the clasp of her bra. It came undone with a soft click, and she shrugged out of it, letting it fall. For a moment I just looked at her—silver hair mussed, lipstick messed up from kissing, eyes glowing with desire.
The rest of our clothes followed, a trail leading from the door to Sirzechs's chair. Grayfia guided me down into it, settling herself on my lap with a satisfied sigh. Her skin was warm silk against mine, and when she moved, rolling her hips experimentally, I had to close my eyes and focus on not losing control immediately.
"Impatient?" she teased.
"You have no idea, how much I waited for this"
She leaned down, her hair falling around us like a silver curtain. Her lips brushed against my ear "Then let me help with that"
She slid down my body with agonizing slowness, her mouth tracing a burning path across my chest, then abdomen. When she settled between my legs, looking up at me through those silver lashes, my hands clenched on the armrests hard enough to leave marks.
"Grayfia—"
"Shh" She smiled. "Just let me take care of this. Yuuto sama"
Her mouth was hot and wet. I let my head fall back against the chair, one hand tangling in her silver hair as she worked me over with lips and tongue. Every nerve was on fire, pleasure building with each deliberate motion. She knew exactly what she was doing, varying pressure and pace until I was trembling, fighting the urge to thrust.
"Grayfia—I'm going to—"
She hummed around me, the sensation of nearly finishing me right there. But she pulled back just before I reached the edge, leaving me gasping and aching.
"Not yet" she said, standing. Her pupils were glowing with desire, her chest rising and falling rapidly "I want you inside me when you are done with it"
She straddled my lap again, reaching between us to position me. The gentleness of her was overwhelming, and when she sank down slowly, taking me inch by torturous inch, we both groaned in pure ecstasy.
"You feel incredible" I managed, hands gripping her hips.
"So do you~" She began to move, rising and falling in a rhythm that had us both gasping. Her nails dug into my shoulders as she rode me, head leaned back in pleasure.
But it wasn't enough. I needed more.
I stood, lifting her with me. She wrapped her legs around my waist, arms around my neck, and I carried her to the desk. Papers scattered as I laid her down, never breaking our connection.
"Isaiah—yes—"
I leaned over her, capturing her mouth in a bruising kiss as I set a relentless pace. Her inner walls clenched around me, pulling me deeper, and I knew neither of us would last much longer.
Her hand slid between us, fingers finding her center. Within moments she was trembling, her breathing ragged, small desperate sounds escaping with each thrust.
"Isaiah sama—I'm—oh—"
She kissed me deeply, her body tensing as pleasure crashed through her. I buried myself deep, groaning her name as I spilled inside her.
For a long moment we stayed like that, bodies locked together, breathing hard. Then her legs started to give out, but I caught her, pulling her into my arms and holding her against my chest.
She looked up at me, silver eyes hazy with satisfaction, and pulled me down for a deep, languid kiss.
"You're not leaving until morning~" she murmured against my lips.
I could feel myself already beginning to recover, her presence stoking the fire again "Is that so?"
Her hand slid down between us, wrapping around me with deliberate pressure. "That's so. We have all night, remember? I intend to make the most of it, until your stay in Underworld"
I grinned, already moving her back toward the desk "Well, if you insist..."
The barrier around the room held strong, and outside, the Gremory mansion slept on, unaware of the secrets and pleasure being shared in Sirzechs's office.
By the time morning came, we'd explored every surface in the room.
And somewhere out there, X was watching, thinking their plan was proceeding perfectly.
Only if they knew.
. . .
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