My pout deepened as I scrambled for an excuse.
Anything, really—just something to make me sound like I wasn't the bad guy here.
It was efficient, it looked dramatic, and come on, impaling them worked, didn't it?
Inwardly, I sneered at Riser's peerage.
Tch… fine.
If I can't stab you for fun, then I'll just overwork you instead.
So much that you'll wish you were sex slaves—because at least then you'd have it easy.
No, you'll break your backs, sweat blood, and collapse under endless labor until even hell's torture pits look merciful compared to what I've got in mind.
My lips curled into a faint smile as I kept that thought to myself.
Outwardly, I said nothing, letting them stew in silence.
Suddenly, without warning, Rias's fingers clamped down on my ears again and twisted hard.
"Gaaah! Ow! Ow! Ow! Rias!!!"
I yelped, thrashing in her hands like a fish out of water.
Her crimson eyes narrowed, sharp as blades.
"Don't play dumb. I can see that you're plotting something sinister again. That smile of yours is practically screaming it."
I winced, tears pricking the corners of my eyes from the pain.
"Wh-what?! No, no, no, you're imagining things! I wasn't thinking of anything evil! Not at all!"
The twist only got sharper.
"Liar."
"OW! OW! OW! Okay, okay! Please stop before you rip my ears clean off! I swear I won't do anything bad—I promise! Cross my heart!"
I babbled, flailing my arms like a child trying to prove his innocence.
Of course, the problem was… she was right.
My grin really had been because of some very, very evil plans for Riser's peerage.
But no way in hell was I going to admit that with my ears being wrung like wet towels.
Why does this girl always know when I'm scheming?! It's like she has some built-in 'Zevion Detector' just to ruin my fun!
Suddenly, Grayfia's calm but firm voice cut through the tension, like a blade through silk.
"Lady Rias. Lord Zevion. Please… save your flirting for another time. There are official matters to attend to, and thanks to someone's antics, there is already more than enough work piled onto my schedule."
That someone was clearly me.
Her silver eyes didn't even flicker, yet the weight of her gaze pressed down on me like an iron hammer.
I could practically feel an invisible arrow stabbing into my chest, screaming 'guilty!'
So, before anyone could grill me, I hastily coughed into my fist and changed the subject.
"R-Right! Let's… uh… move on. Rias, ladies first. Why don't you state your request?"
She gave me a suspicious glance, but then composed herself, straightening her back with that regal poise of hers.
"My demand," she said firmly, her voice echoing with steel, "is for Riser to never again show his face before me—or anyone close to me. Not as a friend, not as an acquaintance, not even as a passing stranger. On top of that, he is to supply Phoenix Tears to my peerage on a monthly basis."
Her words hung in the air like a royal decree.
Even Grayfia's expression softened just a touch, nodding approvingly as she recorded the request.
"Very well, Lady Rias. Your demands are both clear and reasonable. They will be upheld."
Then her eyes, cold as moonlight on steel, turned toward me.
"And you, Lord Zevion? State your request."
Without hesitation, without even a flicker of shame, I grinned and said.
"My demand… is for all of his peerage members to become my slaves. For life."
The room froze.
Every pair of eyes snapped to me in the same instant.
The atmosphere grew so thick you could cut it with a knife.
The silence stretched, unbearable, until finally the reaction came.
Disgust.
Every single one of them looked at me as though I'd just crawled out of the sewers.
Their expressions ranged from wide-eyed horror to pure revulsion.
Even Rias pinched the bridge of her nose as if her soul was tired of me.
Akeno covered her lips with her hand but it wasn't to giggle this time—it was genuine disbelief.
Koneko's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits, practically hissing 'pervert.'
And even Kiba, the fake good guy, actually frowned for once before quickly hiding it behind his polite mask.
Meanwhile, Riser's peerage collectively stiffened, their faces a blend of outrage, fear, and humiliation.
And me?
Before anyone could get the wrong idea and start calling me some depraved lunatic, I figured I should at least clarify myself to one person.
That way, if I was questioned later, there'd be a reliable witness to vouch for me.
So, I leaned in close, close enough that my breath brushed against her ear, and whispered softly,
"Rias, relax. It's just to scare them. Not that kind of slave, alright?"
Her face immediately turned bright red.
She gave the tiniest nod, almost unnoticeable, like she didn't want anyone else to catch it.
Why the blush, though?
…Oh!
Of course.
She's embarrassed because I'm whispering so close.
Another victory for me.
Yet another piece of evidence proving I am not some cliché dense protagonist.
Nope, not me.
I can read the mood perfectly fine, thank you very much.
Well, now it's time for the final touch.
All I really need to do is scare them—make them think I'm some kind of unstoppable supervillain—and my work here is done.
I took a slow step forward.
My footsteps echoed in the room, each one deliberate, heavier than the last.
The sound alone made everyone's shoulders stiffen.
My eyes locked onto Riser.
The proud Phenex heir, once so arrogant, was now trembling like a child left in the dark.
His hands twitched at his sides, his knees threatened to give out, and I could see the faint sheen of sweat dripping down his forehead.
He was shivering uncontrollably.
Guess my little… "session" with him had left quite the mark.
Trauma runs deep when pain becomes the only thing you can associate with someone's face.
I tilted my head slightly, letting a crooked grin stretch across my lips, my shadow bending unnaturally behind me like it had a life of its own.
Then, I shifted my body—my posture becoming loose, unhinged, twitchy.
Every small movement was unpredictable, like I could snap at any second.
My fingers twitched, my grin widened, and my eyes burned with a manic glint.
Of course, the truth was?
I doubted I could ever actually act like a genuine lunatic.
I'm just a normal guy at the core, pretending to play the part of a monster.
So... Yeah, I doubt I looked like a crazy person at all.
Sigh... It's too hard to act like a naturally crazy person.
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