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No need to explain what exactly happened after that. Suffice to say, by the time Bokue finally appeared in front of the gathered girls, it was already dinner hour.
Scene shifting to the castle dining hall, the rich aromas of dinner delicacies filled the air.
Seated at the elegant dining table, Rias and the others had already taken their seats. Carefully prepared dishes were beautifully arranged before them.
Yet, none of their attention was on the food. Instead, they stared in surprise at the entrance, where Venelana appeared—strangely changed into an evening dress—and right beside her, the young man they'd been waiting for.
"Bokue? When did you get here!?"
Rias completely disregarded any semblance of decorum or elegance. Immediately jumping to her feet, she rushed straight toward Bokue, wrapping her arms around him in an exuberant hug.
They say that one day apart feels like three years for lovers. Although objectively they'd just seen each other yesterday morning, to a young girl madly in love, that short exchange at the harbor certainly couldn't count as "seeing each other."
Bokue paused briefly, glancing upward.
"Right after finishing things up on my side, I came straight here."
It wasn't a lie. He indeed arrived immediately after handling things—though he had done something else after arriving.
But Rias took his words at face value, interpreting them as him rushing straight to her right after finishing his duties in the human world.
"Mmm..."
Rias hugged him a bit tighter before lifting her head to ask what mattered most to her.
"So, did everything go well? Or do you still need to keep going back?"
"If nothing unexpected pops up, I might still have to return occasionally—but not for as long as this time."
Bokue smoothly repeated the explanation he'd given earlier in the bath to Venelana.
So he'll still need to go back, huh...?
Although the news was slightly disappointing, Rias quickly perked up again.
If Bokue only had to visit occasionally—and possibly just half a day each time—at least he'd still return in the evenings. Besides, it wouldn't always take up the entire day. If things went smoothly, he might even be back for lunch, and they could spend the whole afternoon together.
Considering it that way, it wasn't completely unacceptable... Eh?
As Rias calmed slightly, she suddenly noticed something was off. After glancing around in confusion, her eyes landed firmly upon her mother beside her.
It was the same subtle feeling of wrongness as before—no, even stronger this time. Despite the scorching heat of summer, her mother had inexplicably changed into a formal high-necked evening dress.
Granted, it was sleeveless, but Rias distinctly remembered Venelana once complaining that although the dress was beautiful, the high neckline felt like therapy for a stiff neck, and its corset-like waist was uncomfortable to sit in.
"Mom, this dress you're wearing..."
"Hmm?"
Noticing her daughter's scrutiny once again, Venelana tilted her head elegantly, a faintly puzzled smile appearing on her rosy-cheeked face as though she hadn't realized anything strange.
Then, with an "Ah!" as if suddenly understanding her daughter's confusion, Venelana glanced down at the close-fitting gown.
"Oh, this dress? After taking my afternoon nap, I was sorting through my wardrobe and found this one. I haven't had many chances to wear it before—there's usually no reason to dress up so formally at home. But today Bokue was coming back, so I thought I'd dress up nicely."
Needless to say, this was a blatant lie.
The high collar's function was obvious, and the tight corset waist had another hidden purpose entirely.
The actual reason behind this was Bokue's unrestrained enthusiasm—after their bath session ended, he'd found it far from enough. Pulling Venelana back into the bedroom, he had initiated another passionate round of intimacy.
And the inevitable result of all this was that when Venelana later tried on her usual gowns in front of the mirror, she noticed with shock that her normally slender, youthful waist now sported a small, suspicious bulge.
Though not extremely obvious, hiding this from Rias' sharp eyes would be impossible.
Of course, she could simply remove the "evidence," but that would feel incredibly wasteful—especially when there was a far more elegant solution.
Namely, wearing this form-fitting corset gown.
After all, who could possibly suspect that beneath the graceful elegance of a noble mother, her stomach was actually filled with... well, you know? Such delicious mischief, wasn't it?
Especially when appearing before her utterly oblivious daughter in such a state—Venelana had to steel her heart against deceiving her daughter while enduring the subtle tightness of the corset. Two different types of thrilling guilt mixed together, making her nearly shiver in guilty excitement.
Unsurprisingly, Rias didn't suspect a thing; she only remained slightly puzzled.
"Is that so? I distinctly remember you complaining before about this dress—"
"It's fine occasionally, dear~"
Without letting her daughter finish, Venelana quickly and elegantly brushed past her, swiftly moving toward her seat at the head of the table.
"Alright, alright, everyone's here now. Let's start dinner—no need to keep standing around. Bokue's finally back, so let's chat leisurely over our meal."
Mmm...
Venelana's words made Rias blush faintly.
"Finally back"? Her mother was speaking as if this place had already become Bokue's home. Well, in a way, it practically had. But still, they hadn't even held an official wedding ceremony yet.
What kind of mother was this eager to push her own daughter out of the nest?!
"Oh my~ Buchou is certainly impatient~"
At this moment, Akeno chuckled teasingly at her friend's reaction.
"Eh? Akeno, what are you talking about? I'm not—"
"Oh really? Then who was it earlier today that kept sighing and saying, 'I wonder if Bokue has finished his work already?' Hmm?"
"T-That was just—"
Rias' bantering skills were no match for Akeno's. She clenched her fists in embarrassment, unable to form a coherent comeback.
Meanwhile, as Rias loosened her embrace, Kuroka effortlessly sprang free from her sister's arms. Nimbly leaping onto the dining table, the sleek black cat darted across dishes before jumping gracefully into Bokue's arms. She placed her hind legs firmly on his forearm, front paws pressing against his chest, boldly lifting her head to nuzzle Bokue's lips openly.
Such blatant affection immediately silenced the two girls mid-argument.
Hey, they hadn't even gotten their kisses yet! How could a cat beat them to it?!
At that moment, Grayfia—returning from cleaning the bath—entered the room, elegantly dressed as always in her maid attire. She carried an envelope in her hands.
Venelana didn't notice the letter immediately. She smiled warmly and waved Grayfia over.
"Ah, perfect timing, Grayfia dear. Come and join us for dinner."
"I understand, Lady Venelana."
Grayfia halted, courteously bowing before moving swiftly to Venelana's side, holding out the envelope.
"But first, this is an invitation from the Phoenix family."
"The Phoenix family? What do they want?"
Venelana accepted the envelope curiously, personally breaking the fiery-red wax seal.
Grayfia clasped her hands respectfully before her, discreetly glancing toward a certain young man nearby.
"Though I'm not entirely certain of the details, it seems the third son of the Phoenix family has been severely depressed ever since the events of the previous Rating Game. He's locked himself in his room and refuses to see anyone."
…Hmm?
Bokue mentally leaned backward, speechless.
They weren't going to demand compensation from him now, were they?
Maybe another punch of God-Slaying Overlord Fist to make things even?
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