As Mom laid beside me, gently rubbing my ears, I stared up at her soft smile and warm eyes. Even though I was just a baby, something about her story stuck with me. She had been through so much abandoned, cursed, turned into a lion and yet, here she was, smiling like none of that had ever happened.
Her warmth made me feel safe. Loved. I reached up and grabbed her finger, squeezing it with my tiny hand. She let out a quiet laugh.
I didn't understand it all at the time, but I remember thinking, even just for a second. I'll protect this peace. I'll make her smile like that every day.
Twelve years later, I was doing just that.
Ever since I learned how to walk and talk, I've been trained to become the next heir of the Gremory family.
Honestly?
I'd rather fight Muzan again than sit through another round of paperwork and etiquette lessons. At least then I'd get to throw hands instead of learning how to hold a teacup.
Still, there was a silver lining. I finally got to train properly and use magic.
Ever since I assimilated with Megumin and Zenos, my magic capacity skyrocketed. From birth, I was already on the level of a High-Class Devil.
At first, I only one offensive spell. So, I made it a personal project to invent my own spells to avoid blowing myself up every time I cast something. It started as a hobby… until someone caught on.
When Mother realized I was secretly training in the courtyard every night, she assigned Aunty Grayfia as my personal magic instructor.
Let me tell you, it was both eye-opening and soul-crushing. I thought I was strong but that was strength.
She didn't go easy on me just because I was family. Five minutes of rest? That was a privilege I never got. Magical bombardment drills, suppression barriers, constant exposure to her bloodlust. I had to crawl through training sessions like I was in a battlefield.
It was so brutal I actually cried once. Yeah, I said it.
I dragged myself, bruised and mana-depleted, to Mama for help, hoping she'd step in like always. But when she saw the look in Aunty Grayfia's eyes, she… handed me back without a word. Just picked me up like a stray cub and returned me to the slaughter.
That betrayal stung deeper than anything I'd felt since my past lives in those hellish apocalypse worlds...
Still, I couldn't complain. I was born into this world with a devil's body, stronger, faster, more durable than any human I used to be. Of course, I wanted to test its limits.
So, I trained.
Pushed myself past exhaustion. Broke past pain. Again. And again. Using healing magic to recover over and over again.
Every time, Mama would encourage me for overdoing it. But I could tell, she was proud. That feral gleam in her eye said it all.
Unfortunately, Lady Venelana wasn't nearly as impressed.
The moment she found out I collapsed in training again, she summoned both me and Mama. And made us kneel in the drawing room like guilty kids.
We got scolded for hours.
Mama tried to laugh it off at first, but that smug grin disappeared the second Lady Venelana gave her a cold smile.
Outside of training, I had to endure the usual noble stuff. I was taught everything from proper etiquette to how to host guests without accidentally starting a war. Dance, public speaking, classical music, strategy, politics, piano, fencing, history. All things expected of a Gremory heir.
But something unexpected came up.
Dad noticed I had a natural talent for business. He gave me control of a bunch of companies just to see what I'd do with them. Thanks to my "Golden Rule" skill, I picked the right ones and turned a few investments into mountains of cash.
From that moment on, I was put in charge of all Gremory-related businesses in the human world. Some of his attendants thought he'd lost his mind, giving so much power to a kid. But he just showed them my quarterly earnings and smiled. That shut them up fast.
Of course, it wasn't all smooth.
The old guys on the Devil Council didn't like me much at first. They looked at my bloodline and saw "half-blood" since my mom was a reincarnated devil. They muttered behind closed doors, questioned my legitimacy.
So I enrolled in one of the most prestigious noble schools in the Astaroth territory, you know, the kind of place where everyone's got a stick so far up their ass they call it "lineage."
Most of the students there were snobby, pure-blood brats who looked at me like I tracked mud into their perfect little world. I tolerated it. For a while. Then mock battles started.
Let's just say a few of them learned that bloodline means jack when your face meets the ground.
Some called it "overkill." I called it "education."
By the time I turned ten, I'd already breezed through every damn course they threw at me. I left that gilded cage behind and went straight to the Devil Promotion Examination Center. The suits and old demons there were skeptical half-bloods like me weren't supposed to climb the ranks so fast.
So I made sure they had no choice.
When the dust settled, I passed with flying colors. Not just passed, shattered expectations. I became the first half-blood in history to be officially promoted to High-Class Devil status before puberty. That caused more than a few gasps across the Underworld.
Of course, the Old Satan faction didn't take it lightly. I got some letters. Angry ones. One of their fancy little mansions even got… well, let's call it "accidentally annhiliated." Courtesy of a minor misfire from my magic. Total accident. Probably.
Once that drama settled, I was officially recognized officially as a high-class devil. I was given my own set of Evil Pieces a big deal for someone my age.
With that, I started my own operations, mostly centered in Europe. A bit risky, sure angels have a lot of influence there. But it paid off. I played it smart and kept my head down, and business started booming. I branched out the business of Gremory Large Enterprise, I focused on the entertainment sector and realstate side.
Strangely enough, most of my early clients didn't come to me for magic, power, or even for revenge. No, they came to me for... other reasons.
Private dinners. Cooking lessons. Music performances. Even dates.
Yeah, dates.
It caught me off guard at first. I thought I'd be swinging swords or casting spells, not making soufflés or entertaining lonely women in candlelit rooms.
Most of my clients were women. Rich elites, nobles, widows, neglected housewives, and sometimes even fallen angels in disguise. But they all had one thing in common: they were lonely.
They didn't want any power. They just wanted company.
And somehow… I was exactly what they were looking for.
Cooking, in particular, became my biggest draw. One bite, and people looked at me like I was magic incarnate. I could make them forget their pain, even if only for the length of a meal.
Some nights, I'd cook five courses for a noblewoman who just wanted someone to eat with. Other times, I'd be dragged to a balcony dinner under the stars, playing piano softly while they sipped wine and vented about husbands who didn't see them anymore.
And yeah, there were the date requests too. Flirtatious smiles. Hands brushing mine. Some playful, some serious.
The first time it happened, I was confused as hell.
Eventually, I went to Lady Venelana, my other mother, and asked her what was going on.
She just chuckled and set her teacup down, giving me that knowing look of hers.
"That's pretty normal these days," she said. "There aren't many who'd give up their life for a wish anymore. And even if they did, if the price doesn't match the desire, the wish won't be granted."
Then she smiled gently and added, "Besides, people are starved for connection. You might think what you're doing is small… but to them, you're giving something they've been missing for years."
---
As I sat in my office, lost in thought, my mind wandered through the past twelve years.
Knock
Knock
I blinked, pulled from my reverie. Clearing my throat, I straightened the papers on my desk even though I hadn't been reading them.
"Enter," I called, trying to sound occupied.
The door creaked open and an attendant stepped in, carrying yet another stack of documents. "Good morning, sir. I've brought the files for the other companies. They're ready for your signature," she said politely as she approached, placing the stack neatly in front of me.
I sighed and slumped slightly in my chair. "Can't I just leave this for later?" I mumbled, rubbing the back of my neck and giving her a sheepish look.
The attendant gave a nervous chuckle. "No can do, sir. After Lady Venelana and Lady Atalanta found out you were slacking off, they forbade you from leaving the paper work half done"
I groaned. "But I'm still gonna do it later. It's just a small break. Technically speaking, I am doing the work."
Before she could respond, the door opened again, this time without a knock.
"Did I just hear someone complaining about work?" came the familiar, elegant voice.
My spine stiffened.
I looked up and there she was Lady Venelana, dressed in her usual refined yet commanding attire, one eyebrow raised, arms crossed, a knowing smile on her lips.
My hands instinctively shot to the papers. "N-Nothing, Mother. I was just… just signing documents," I said with an awkward laugh, rubbing my temple as if I'd been hard at work.
The attendant quickly bowed. "L-Lady Venelana," she said, then quietly excused herself from the room, clearly not wanting to get caught in the crossfire.
Venelana watched her leave before stepping further inside, her heels tapping softly against the marble floor. She let out a sigh, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
"This reminds me of the time Atalanta was supposed to be attending etiquette lessons. She hid for the entire day in the training yard," she said, walking around my desk with graceful steps.
"I had to drag her back to the parlor myself. She said she'd rather wrestle a Minotaur than sit through posture drills."
She stopped beside me, eyeing the stack of documents.
"And you're no better," she added, poking my forehead gently. "Always training this training that. You think I don't know about that your sneaking off to the basement to train at night?"
I blinked. "Wait, how did you—?"
She smirked and leaned in, pinching my cheek. "Mothers know everything, dear."
Her tone softened, eyes warming.
"Even if I'm not your biological mother, you are still our child. Atalanta used to complain that I kept stealing you away when you were little." She laughed gently, shaking her head at the memory. "She was so determined to raise you on her own… but your poor mother had no idea how to take care of a baby. She tried, really."
I couldn't help but chuckle.
"She would hover in the background while I fed you, changed you, bathed you... always watching, always trying to learn. She wanted to do better than her own father ever did."
She stepped back, folding her arms again. "Atalanta's worried about you, you know. Ever since Rias was born, you've been putting more pressure on yourself."
I exhaled through my nose and sank back into the chair. Listening to Mother talk about Rias, my mind wandered for a moment.
In the original anime, Rias was the one set to marry Riser Phenex. But… things changed in this world. Since I'm the older sibling now, the engagement shifted to me. Only, I'm meant to marry his little sister, Ravel.
She's still young, though. Both families agreed to wait until she turns eighteen before making anything official.
I know how the anime played out, how forced engagements never end well.
"She knows you'll be the heir. We all do. But even Rias doesn't want that position. Not when she sees how much you work yourself into the ground. Honestly, you're too young to carry this much on your shoulders already."
She chuckled lightly, then added with a wink, "Not that I'm complaining. You make us proud."
I gave a small smile.
She tilted her head, then sighed gently. "Speaking of Rias… she misses you, you know."
I looked up, surprised.
"She's always asking when her big brother will come play with her and Sona again. She still talks about the tea party you promised months ago."
I rubbed the back of my neck, guilt settling in.
"I… didn't think she noticed I was gone that much."
"She notices," Venelana smirked. "And if you keep breaking promises to little girls, I'll start thinking you're growing up to be a heartbreaker like your father."
I chuckled awkwardly, scratching my cheek.
"Y-Yeah… I guess I've been a little too buried in work."
Venelana raised a brow, clearly not buying the understatement.
"I'll make time," I said, trying to sound more certain. "I'll clear my schedule and take her out this weekend. Maybe a trip to the human world? She's been asking me to bring her to Akihabara, right?"
A gentle smile spread across her face. "She has. And Sona's been practicing her tea brewing. Poor thing nearly poisoned me last time, but she's trying."
I laughed softly at the image. "I'll bring snacks just in case."
Venelana stepped closer, brushing a few strands of hair away from my forehead. "You don't have to do everything, dear. Just being there is more than enough for Rias. And for us."
I nodded, her warmth easing something tight in my chest.
There was a pause before her expression shifted.
"Oh, before I forget, one of your business partners passed away. An accident, apparently. But our servants picked up magical residue around their vehicle." Her voice lowered slightly. "It might not have been an accident after all."
My face darkened as I leaned back in the chair, fingers steepling. "Was there any trace of holy magic? Could the Church have discovered my dealings with their family?"
She shook her head. "None. The magical residue wasn't divine. Our people believe a magician was responsible."
I stood up slowly and grabbed my blazer from the coat rack, slipping it over my shoulders. "Which company was it?"
Venelana's tone was quieter now. "Your newly invested clothing factory in Italy. The Reni family."
My eyes narrowed slightly. "Then I think I know why they were targeted…"
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Care to share?"
I adjusted my cuffs and glanced out the window. "Their daughter… she's different. The amount of magic she holds is unnatural for a human. And she's has an unawakened Sacred Gear. I was planning to bring her into my peerage eventually. Someone must've found out."
Venelana covered her mouth in mild surprise. "That much potential? No wonder. She might be more important than we realized."
I turned to her, firm and focused. "I'm heading out. I need to see what else I can find."
Venelana nodded, stepping aside. "Of course. Be careful out there, dear."
I paused at the doorway, glancing back at her.
"…Thanks, Mother."
She smiled, brushing imaginary dust from my shoulder as I passed. "Now go. And don't forget to eat something that isn't paperwork."