He was nervous because of her. And, damn it, she found that endearing.
The tension she'd been carrying since hearing about his existence loosened almost instantly. This wasn't the scheming rival she'd built up in her head, the one who might somehow undercut her place as the family heir.
No, this was just... Harry. A new family member who had been dropped into her world without a guidebook.
...She could be that guidebook.
Her lips curved into the faintest of smiles as she straightened her posture. "We're not going to fight for real," she said firmly.
Harry blinked. "We're not?"
"No," she said, shaking her head just enough for her hair to shift across her shoulders. "But you're my nephew. You're part of this family now. And you should at least know the basics of magical combat. You clearly don't have the experience, and that's not your fault-but we're going to fix that!"
His brows furrowed slightly, like he was trying to decide if she was letting him off easy or setting him up for something worse. "So... training instead?"
"Exactly." She let a trace of amusement into her voice. "Think of it as me making sure you don't embarrass the family name the next time someone throws down a challenge."
Harry gave a quick, lopsided smile. "Fair enough. Where do we start?"
"Right here," Sona replied, her tone all business now. She stepped closer, the air between them humming faintly with the magical energy she was already calling up. "First, I need to see what you can actually do without hurting yourself."
He swallowed, then nodded. "Alright. Just... go easy on me."
Sona's smirk widened a fraction. "We'll see."
— Serafall —
Serafall stood on the wide marble balcony of the Sitri estate, her hands resting on the cool railing as she leaned forward slightly and watched. The warm Underworld air carried the faint scent of damp grass from the estate's backyard below, where Sona was guiding Harry through the first clumsy steps of combat worthy water magic.
Beside Serafall were both her parents. Serafall's eyes tracked the way Sona adjusted Harry's stance, the way Harry's brow furrowed in concentration, and she took in the whole scene piece by piece, committing each precious detail to memory before finally glancing toward her parents.
Serafall turned her head toward Sebastian, a sly grin spreading across her face. "You're devious, you know that," she said, her tone a mix of amusement and accusation. She knew exactly what he'd done. "You set them up perfectly."
Selene's gaze shifted from the yard to her husband, one dark brow arching. "Do you really think this will work?" she asked.
Sebastian didn't look away from the training below. "I think it will," he said simply.
Serafall chuckled under her breath, leaning an elbow on the railing. "Of course it will," she added, answering for him.
Sona had been drifting further from the family for years, and Serafall knew exactly why. Everyone was buried in their own work, wrapped up in obligations, and Sona had been left without anyone who truly depended on her.
No one leaned on her for guidance, no one looked to her as the person they needed.
Now, though, she had Harry-a brand new family member who was so clearly out of his depth in the Underworld that it was almost painful to watch. He could throw water at a straw dummy, sure, but that was a far cry from standing in front of someone who meant to kill you and holding your ground.
From her vantage point, Serafall could see the way Sona was fully engaged, stepping in close to adjust his stance, explaining in short, firm sentences, and watching him try again. And there it was-an unguarded smile tugging at Sona's mouth, the kind she probably didn't even notice.
Serafall recognized it instantly. Her sister was already investing in him, already becoming closer to family again and it had barely been 20 minutes since her sister returned to the underworld for the first time in months.
And it was all because of Serafall's amazing son!
And speaking of her amazing son, Serafall's attention sharpened on the yard again as Sona moved in close to Harry. She circled him once, her eyes running critically over his posture before she stepped in to correct him. Her hands went straight to his forearms, lifting one and angling it just so, then sliding up over his biceps to his shoulders to adjust their height. She didn't stop there-her fingers skimmed down his sides to nudge his hips into position, and she gave his back a firm press to straighten it. Harry's cheeks flushed deep pink almost instantly, the color creeping up to the tips of his ears. From up on the balcony, Serafall caught the faint warmth in Sona's cheeks too. Her sister kept her face composed, but Serafall had known her long enough to recognize the signs.
Sona liked this-liked him?
Serafall let out a low, amused giggle, the sound slipping past her lips before she could stop it. She'd seen her sister fuss over people before, but never like this.
She glanced toward her parents, catching the small, knowing smiles on their faces. Selene's pink eyes softened, and Sebastian had approval in his expression. They didn't say anything yet, but she could read them like a book-they saw it too. This was exactly the kind of spark the three of them had hoped for when Sebastian cooked up this whole "challenge your aunt" idea. Sona, who'd been growing distant for far too long, was actually connecting with someone again.
Serafall turned her gaze back to the yard, watching Sona give Harry's elbow another quick nudge before stepping back to assess him. Her voice carried just enough for Serafall to hear the calm authority in it. Harry responded with a clipped "Yes, ma'am," his tone a mix of respect and determination.
"Looks like your plan's working faster than expected," Serafall murmured to Sebastian without taking her eyes off the pair.
He didn't deny it. Selene simply let out a quiet hum of agreement. And Serafall, feeling a surge of pride, thought to herself that this was the first real step toward pulling her sister back into the heart of the family.
...But then Serafall also caught something that killed the playful mood instantly. A sharp pulse of killing intent cut through the air, subtle but real enough to prickle at her skin. It was radiating off the dark-haired kid standing with his arms crossed near the edge of the yard. Sona's new pawn. His eyes weren't on Sona at all, they were locked onto Harry with a cold, unblinking focus that made her jaw clench.
She didn't like that. Not one damn bit. She flicked her gaze to her parents to see if they'd noticed, and the look in their eyes told her they had.
Selene's voice was quiet but firm. "Oh dear... that will be a problem in the future."
Sebastian's tone was just as even, but there was a warning in it. "This is why it's risky for a female devil to keep men in her peerage. Strength is one thing. Pride, jealousy, and all the mess that comes with it... that's another."
Serafall kept her eyes on the pawn, already filing the moment away. This wasn't something she'd let slide. If that kid thought for a second he could aim that kind of intent at her son without consequences, he was going to learn how fast she could make him regret it!
— Harry —
After my second magical workout of the day, I was sweaty, sore, and-honestly-feeling pretty damn good about myself. Sona might've been a gorgeous hardass when it came to training, but every tip she drilled into me actually made casting smoother. I was still catching my breath when Lyra and Lyna came jogging over, their tits bouncing in those ridiculous maid tops as they waved a pair of fluffy towels.
"Let us wipe you down, young master," Lyra said, her tone syrupy-sweet. "Go on, take your shirt off for us."
I blinked. "Uh... what?" Before I could protest properly, they were already tugging at the hem, yanking it up over my head. The shirt hit the ground a second later, and cool air hit my bare chest.
The twins didn't waste a second running the towels over me.
"Damn, you've been working hard," Lyna murmured, grinning as she dragged the towel across my shoulders and down my arms.
"Indeed he has, sister..." Lyra added.
From off to the side, I heard a quick, surprised squeak. I glanced over to see Sona staring, her cheeks faintly pink. "You two are shameless! What do you think you're doing?"
"We're helping wipe down our master," Lyra said matter-of-factly without pausing her work. "Mistress Serafall told us to always look out for his needs."
I just stood there, not sure whether to laugh or feel even hotter in the face.
Then Lyna glanced over at Sona with a sly smile. "We can do the same for you, Mistress Sona."
Sona's blush deepened instantly. "That's not necessary!" she said sharply.
I was doing my damnedest not to pop a stiff one while Lyra and Lyna rubbed me down like I was some prize stallion fresh out of the race. Their towels moved slow enough to make me suspicious, gliding over my pecs, across my stomach, and lingering just a little too long near the waistband of my pants. I could feel Sona's eyes on me the whole time, and when I finally glanced over, her face was flushed a bright, obvious red.
She opened her mouth and spoke up, her tone sharp but not hiding the heat in her cheeks. "You did very well today, Harry. We can have another lesson tomorrow," she said, straightening her jacket like that might distract from the color in her face. "But for now... how about I take you out for a reward? There's a great ice cream place in the nearby town."
That actually made me laugh, even with the maids still making me the center of their personal softcore show. "Ice cream, huh? You sure you don't want to see your family first? You literally just got back."
Her head shook quickly, almost too quickly. "No. I need... more time to mentally prepare before seeing my sister," she said, looking away. The slow speed of her answer told me there was something there, but I decided not to push.
Meanwhile, Lyra's towel was tracing dangerously low on my abs, and Lyna's hand was creeping around my lower back. I felt fingertips skim the top of my ass and that was my cue to shut it down. "Alright, that's enough," I said, swatting at them.
They yelped like I'd caught them doing something scandalous-which, to be fair, I had-then giggled and bolted toward the mansion, their skirts riding high as they went.
I rubbed the back of my neck and turned back to Sona, who was still watching me with that mix of composure and... something else I couldn't quite place. She didn't push, just stood there, waiting for me to answer her offer.
I shot Sona a teasing grin and asked, "So... is this you asking me out on a date?" Which wouldn't actually be that weird for Devils in the underworld apparently. A lot of pureblood Devils apparently still married brothers and sisters to keep bloodline powers strong, so my aunt asking me out wasn't abnormal.
If she was...?
She froze for a second, her eyes narrowing even as a faint flush crept up her cheeks. "I-um-That offer just slipped out and-" she muttered, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. The way she avoided eye contact told me even she wasn't totally convinced by her own answer.
"Sure doesn't sound like a no," I said, smirking.
She turned her head sharply toward the far end of the yard, clearly looking for something else to focus on. Her hand came up and she gestured toward the only other two people still hanging around. "It's definitely not a date," she said firmly. "Because my Queen and my new pawn will be coming with us. Their names are Tsubaki and Saji." She changed the subject.
Tsubaki gave a small, polite nod when I looked over, but Saji's response was nothing like hers. He just stood there with his arms crossed, glaring at me like I'd kicked his damn puppy. The guy's eyes were locked on me, sharp and cold, and I could feel the hostility dripping off him even from several yards away.
I lifted a hand in a casual wave, trying to be civil. "Hey," I said, remembering that I'd pretty much skipped proper introductions earlier when I decided to open with challenging Sona in front of everyone. "Sorry about before."
Tsubaki's nod didn't waver, but Saji didn't return the greeting. His jaw flexed, and his glare stayed fixed on me. For a second, I thought he might actually say something, but he didn't. Just stood there, silent, radiating dislike.
"Friendly guy," I muttered under my breath.
Sona glanced between us. "They'll both be joining us!" she repeated, maybe trying to convince herself.
"Great," I said, letting my voice go neutral even though I was already wondering what the hell his problem was. Maybe it was about the fight challenge earlier, maybe it was something else entirely. Either way, I made a mental note not to turn my back on him until I knew for sure.
...
Over the next two weeks at the Sitri mansion, my days fell into a rhythm-training, eating, getting teased by the maids, and more training.
I spent most of my time with Aunt Sona and her Queen, Tsubaki. At first, Tsubaki had been polite but distant, all formality and perfect posture. But after spending hours sweating side-by-side in the training yard, she started opening up more. She wasn't just some elegant silent servant-she could handle a weapon like a pro. Most of them were Japanese styles-katanas, naginatas-but she had a solid grip on Western swords too. She even took the time to teach me the basics so I wouldn't slice my own arm off the first time I tried.
I'm not sure if I would ever be a true sword guy though.
Sona, on the other hand, was relentless when it came to magic. Every single day, she drilled me until my fingers ached from spellcasting. She was sharp, demanding, and had zero tolerance for laziness. But she also explained things in a way that actually made them click. When I wasn't getting turned on by how "hands on" her explanations were...
My control got better, my spells hit harder, and I stopped feeling like I was going to pass out after five minutes of continuous casting.
Somewhere in that first week, I figured out why she'd been dodging her sister Serafall. Serafall was just as clingy with Sona as she was with me-maybe even worse. She'd sweep into a room, hug Sona like she was never letting go, and gush loud enough for the whole house to hear. And she had this obsession with trying to get Sona to dress up as a magical girl. It was like watching someone try to force-feed a cat medicine.
Honestly? I found the whole thing hilarious... and, yeah, I'm not gonna lie-it was pretty hot.
Especially when I accidentally made an offhand comment about how "she'd probably look good in one of those outfits."
