― "Sir, so what do you think of my student?"
― "Oh, the marquise's son is simply fabulous. He's calm. He's delicate. He only speaks when necessary. And he has inherited the charms of his fathers."
― "I share Lord de la Barve's opinion. He is very charming. You have raised him well. What I like most is his humility. He possesses such beauty, and yet, even when praised, he merely offers a comical excuse like: 'I was afraid to show you my horrible face, so I put on some makeup.'"
But Rias's tutor replied:
― "For my part, that sounded too much like false modesty."
― "You don't say. You are his tutor, after all."
Rias's tutor leans in toward his colleagues and whispers:
― "Seriously, how can you be so calm with a face like Lord Idris's and hair like Diamond's?"
― "There's no way."
― "Exactly. I'd rather he at least say thank you for the compliments we give him."
...
A discussion like this always happens after the tea session. The sons of noblewomen invite each other over. They present the house's tea and chat on and on about trivialities. It seems this is part of their education.
And today, the residence is that of a county east of the Duchy. After their lessons, these children play like children their age. They compare their games. They flatter their own merits. For one thing, this kind of thing never really interested Rias. For another, his fear of people remains intact. He feels nervous away from home. And he feels oppressed, but his tutor scares him even more. So he sits there. Unable to concentrate on his book. Because the boys often look over at him and then discuss among themselves:
― "Have you noticed that Mister de Rush always presents us with new dresses and new makeup?"
― "I wonder who his makeup artist is? That man must be an imperial makeup artist, because beyond his already well-symmetrical face, the powders applied to his face bring out its shapes and clarity even more."
― "Why don't you ask him?"
― "Are you crazy? He's the new duchess's son."
― "So what?"
― "So go ask him yourself."
― "No, no way. He looks too mature, always focusing on his book, and besides, he never smiles."
― "He's watching us every moment. His aura is too imposing. Who knows what he'd tell his mother about my family at the slightest misstep."
― "You said it."
― "Look, someone's approaching him."
― "It's a girl. Wow, she's very beautiful."
― "Seriously? Who is it? ... oh, it's Princess Rayon of Excissil."
― "Seriously?" one of them suddenly shouts, once again startling Rias. His reaction begins to worry Rias again, so he closes his book and stands up. And of course, he finds himself face to face with Rayon Luminance of Excissil.
His first reflex: he panics. He's embarrassed by Rayon's beauty. Rayon, with a physique transitioning toward an adult feminine body. Rayon, with her height that explodes, that imposes, and her smile that offers itself to him. But Rias looks away. And no words come out of his mouth. He's in his natural shyness, and his insecurity. Because at this precise moment, he strongly feels that someone wants him. And for his traumatized brain, that's a maximum alert.
He moves one step, then another, passing the princess without greeting her.
Shocked, Rayon calls out to him:
―"Mister Bella de Rush."
And it's only now that Rias realizes his lack of respect. He turns around, still shocked by his own behavior, wondering if he's going to die or if there's an escape somewhere. But Rayon performs the greeting before him. He tilts his head fifteen degrees and opens his right arm, the other behind his back.
While Rias is still wondering what he should do, the other boys have overtaken him.
― "Charmed, Your Highness. Mimesis de Voltaic, at your service," says one with ease, noble gestures and manners.
― "Charmed, Your Imperial Highness. Riot de Voldamion. What can I do for you?" says the other.
...
In an instant, Rias is overshadowed by the others. And he takes the opportunity to slip away while the princess searches for his figure among the young gentlemen pestering her.
...
Once home, Rias runs to his room. Anna, who sees him rushing, watches him with a worried look. He locks the door with a double turn, then screams into his pillow.
―"Rias? Rias?" Anna cries at the door, completely lost. She's afraid for him.
But Rias doesn't answer.
And since there's no answer, Anna turns toward Rias's tutor with her murderous aura. Her aura is such that it pricks Elisabeth, who isn't used to seeing Anna get angry. Curious, Elisabeth follows Anna closely.
Arriving near the carriage that transported Rias, she doesn't find him there. She asks where he is. And the driver just says he doesn't know anything. He knows the master is going to have a rough time. And she turns back. In the garden, still nothing—she asks the housekeepers, they hesitate to show where he is, but since they've never seen Anna angry, they cave under the pressure. They have no choice but to pray for him. And in the kitchen, Anna and Eli hear Rias's tutor talking:
― "I'm tired of that boy. How can he act like that?"
Without understanding anything, Anna immediately shouts at him. With her voice—usually gentle—dissecting the atmosphere:
― "Hey, you. Who gave you the right to touch my brother?"
― "Miss Anna," the tutor replies, still warmly, until he meets Anna's already enraged face.
Then he sees Elisabeth behind her, looking intrigued. He starts saying his prayers.
So Anna approaches him, step by step. And he, for his part, begins searching for excuses—the men he was chatting with all back away.
"Please, it's a misunderstanding. Please, let me explain."
Anna wanted to hear what he had to say, so she calms down a little, but this time it's Eli who stokes the fire.
― "Wait. Did you use your whip on my brother again?"
The tutor replies reflexively:
― "No."
Even though he tells himself in his head that his day has come. Because right after, Anna escalates another level. She's already grabbed a saucepan. She asks him:
― "So this isn't the first time it's happened?"
While the two sisters draw their weapons and their crushing auras.
Suddenly, Rias saves the tutor with a shout:
― "Girls! Stop!"
They're confused at first. Then Anna asks:
― "Are you okay, Riri?"
And Rias replies:
― "...Yes. But what's wrong with you two?"
And suddenly Anna calms down.
― "Oh, I might have misinterpreted things. Sorry, Master Gaudis, really sorry."
And she approaches Rias. While Eli whispers to him again:
― "Watch what you do with our brother."
And then she leaves. But the tutor already sees his soul leaving his body.
...
Once they're calm in the library, while Anna is drawing in her book, she first glances at Rias right beside her. She wants to ask something but finally sighs and returns to her sketches. She draws him. Then she looks back at Rias:
― "But what happened to you earlier? Why did you rush to your room?"
Rias suddenly remembers Rayon's beautiful face. His cheeks turn red and he answers Anna hastily.
― "That's none of your business, big sister."
Anna:
― "...O..K?"
And then Eli butts into the conversation:
― "What's her name?"
This question completely disarmed Rias. He answers almost instantly:
― "Wh-wh-why her to begin with? And besides, it's none of your business, I told you."
But Anna adds:
― "Oh yes it is my business. You'd better not talk to her."
― "Talk? Even talking is impossible?"
― "Otherwise I'll take her out when I find her," Elisabeth adds again.
― "No, but are you two crazy? You're not taking anyone out."
― "Just watch, I'm going to..."
...
And Rias and Eli keep bickering while Anna watches them, amused. It's the first time in her life she's seen Rias so alive and expressing himself so openly. And Eli, who always seemed outside their circle, finds a place next to Rias.
Once they've finished squabbling and Elisabeth leaves, Anna says to her little brother:
― "I have to leave, Rias. I have to learn to live without you."
Rias has to pause for a moment before answering her.
― "You mean I have to learn not to depend on you?"
― "Yes... Well no,... you mean you?... No, it's me who depends too much on you."
― "And what's wrong with depending on someone? Why does one of us always have to leave?"
Anna breathes first. She takes Rias by the shoulders and then answers:
―"You know, little prince. I'm the eldest of our family. I can't abandon my responsibilities as such."
Then she searches Rias's eyes. And she answers:
―"And more importantly, I have to make sure that nothing can hurt you once you set foot outside."
Rias is confused at first. But as he looks at Anna, he begins to understand that what's happening to him affects his sister greatly. And it reminds him once again how selfish he was to want to keep her close, when all this time she was thinking about freeing him from his affliction. And he realizes something else. He's not completely invisible. What could have been good news for him suddenly frightens him.
Anna pats his shoulder. She kisses his cheek. Then she adds:
―"It's only a postponement anyway, because I come back every five months."
But for Rias, those two long months of her exam had already been an eternity.