Inside the bedroom, Ryuya and Mai were wrapped in a tender, passionate embrace, both releasing the feelings they had been holding in their hearts.
Only after a long while did their lips finally part. Their eyes quietly met—so quiet it felt like they could hear each other's heartbeat.
Ryuya's expression remained calm, while Mai—despite always carrying that queen-like aura—couldn't hide the bright blush spreading across her face.
Even someone as composed as her couldn't suppress the shy glow that surfaced after a kiss.
"This counts as a little reward for you." She smiled, clearly wanting to seize the upper hand in their relationship.
But the boy's gentle smile and the soft warmth in his eyes were enough to drown someone completely.
People often say you can't hide it when you love someone; at this moment, the overflowing tenderness in Ryuya's gaze was almost spilling out.
"Just this little bit… feels a bit lacking, don't you think?"
Ryuya spoke softly as his hand mischievously slipped toward her.
And the moment he advanced, he could clearly feel the softness of the girl beneath his palm.
Mai let out a soft gasp, her face flushing an even deeper shade of red.
"I–I didn't say you could put your hand there…" she tried her best to sound calm.
"Right, that's why I figured I should take the initiative."
With a quiet laugh, Ryuya leaned forward and planted a light peck on her lips, taking in her stunning face from up close.
The celebrity beauty was now blushing fiercely, her eyes carrying a faint seductive shimmer—so tempting it almost hurt.
"Don't look at me like that… it's embarrassing."
She reached out to cover his eyes with her hand, but all she blocked were his gently upturned lips.
"Mai…"
"Hm??"
"Will you become my wife?"
With Mai covering his eyes, Ryuya somehow felt calmer. His hands slid back to her waist, gently encircling her soft, slender body, his fingers absent-mindedly stroking her warm skin.
"...Wh-why are you suddenly asking something like that…"
Her heart thumped wildly, completely caught off guard by Ryuya's straightforward confession.
Ryuya's smile deepened.
He had never imagined himself seriously falling in love with a girl.
He had always deliberately kept himself plain and unremarkable, avoiding people whenever possible, preferring corners where he could quietly zone out alone.
He never felt lonely—if anything, he disliked pretending with fake smiles just to deal with others.
But in life, avoiding people forever was impossible. Various situations constantly forced him to interact, no matter how unwilling he was.
So he put on a gentle, ordinary mask, suppressing his differences so he wouldn't seem strange or out of place.
But everything changed after he transmigrated.
He became a devil.
He met Rias Gremory and the others—people who genuinely walked into his heart.
He gained power that let him ignore social rules, allowing him to live without filtering his true self… and yet, because of contracts, he still had to interact with others.
Even so, after becoming a devil, Ryuya had changed far more than he realized.
He expressed his real emotions more often, rarely bothered pretending anymore—he no longer needed to care about mundane rules.
Most importantly, he started smiling more.
Real smiles—the kind born from meeting people and experiencing things that truly made life interesting.
Maybe… he really was supposed to live in this world.
The world he came from—
How unbearably dull it had been.
He let out a slow breath, finally smiling as he gently removed Mai's hand from his eyes. His dark gaze fixed softly on the girl before him.
"My life used to be empty and dull… but now I think—maybe I came to this world just so I could meet all of you."
"You should be saying that to me alone at a time like this."
Mai suddenly tugged at Ryuya's cheeks in mild displeasure.
She knew Ryuya was a devil, that she couldn't judge him using a human's worldview. He had been honest—his master and his fellow servants were important to him too.
But still… even when it was just the two of them, she hated that she couldn't have him entirely to herself.
Ryuya, his face stretched by Mai's hands, noticed that her queen-like aura had returned—and he couldn't help smiling happily.
Mai blinked, then also smiled.
"Not bad. This smile looks way better. The first time I saw you, I honestly wanted to punch that fake smile right off your face."
As she said that, she finally let go of him and burrowed directly into his chest.
"Sleep. And no touching." She hugged his waist, issuing her queenly command.
Ryuya had no reason to protest. Devils indulged in their desires, yes—but they could also control them completely. And right now, he preferred this simple, warm happiness.
Besides… he could feel a thick surge of power coming through their contract, fed by Mai's emotions—
Well… mostly by her affection.
Ryuya understood perfectly. Looking down at the girl in his arms, he lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
Mai, eyes closed as if she was already drifting off, couldn't stop the sweet curve forming at the corner of her lips when she felt his kiss.
The emotional power surging through the contract grew even stronger…
Ryuya chuckled quietly. This feels like cheating.
To avoid wasting the emotions that had built up, he immediately began collecting the contract's "price," syncing his consciousness with his Sacred Gear. Keeping the intensity within what he could withstand, he held Mai close and quietly train through the night.
By dawn, Mai was sleeping deeply and peacefully.
Ryuya slowly opened his eyes.
In his black pupils, golden patterns lit up rapidly, turning them into brilliant golden irises.
He hadn't slept at all, yet his energy was overflowing.
Carefully releasing Mai's soft body, Ryuya sat up and stretched. The night's worth of training was astonishingly effective—his magic power had risen significantly again.
"You're up early…" Mai's voice sounded suddenly behind him; his movement must have woken her.
"Sorry, did I disturb you?"
She shook her head with a smile. "I slept plenty."
"Mm. I'll go buy breakfast for you, then I need to head back."
Ryuya stepped off the bed. With a faint flash of magical energy, a full set of black-tone clothing materialized onto him.
Mai, lying on her stomach, let out a soft laugh. "You look really handsome like that."
"But of course."
Completely unashamed, Ryuya leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips.
"I'm heading out. Wife, hurry and get up to wash."
"…Y-you— I never said I would marry you."
Mai's face flushed red at his bold wording, but the smile tugging at her lips couldn't be hidden.
Ryuya simply waved with a small grin.
"Heh… it's only a matter of time."
----
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