The banquet was to be held at Rias' home, an estate slightly removed from the city center, located on the exact opposite side of town from where Vitan lived.
Since they were hosting the head of the House of Asmodeus, Rias and Sona had skipped school from the afternoon onward, returning to personally oversee preparations for the banquet.
At the center of the banquet hall was a grand spiral crystal chandelier. Classical music played gently in the background, and the floor was so immaculately clean it gleamed like a mirror.
A long table made of rosewood was covered with a white tablecloth.
On top of it was an assortment of rare and exquisite delicacies, and surrounding the table were Rias and Sona's servants.
Each of them had changed into elegant dresses that best accentuated their graceful figures and refined beauty, forming a stunning portrait of feminine allure.
Yet the most eye-catching among them all was undoubtedly the red-haired girl standing by the door with arms folded.
Her vivid, gem-like crimson hair flowed down to her waist. The pure white strapless gown she wore perfectly covered her lower curves, exposing large swaths of her snow-white skin and deep cleavage.
Though the skirt was puffy in design, the waist was cinched tightly, highlighting her slender figure.
The voluminous skirt concealed her legs entirely, leaving only her delicate feet and ten charming toes visible.
At that moment, her gloved hands were crossed in front of her chest.
Frowning slightly, she tapped her heel against the floor impatiently while watching the clock on the wall.
"Rias, you seem quite anxious today."
Standing beside Rias, Sona adjusted her glasses and said with a hint of suspicion.
She was also wearing a blue evening gown, though compared to Rias' more revealing style, her attire was much more conservative.
Still, even so, she remained one of the most dazzling stars of the night.
"Really? You're overthinking it, Sona."
Rias paused, lowering herself from tiptoe, and spoke with a natural expression.
As for what Sona said, Rias had to admit—it was true that the fact Viten hadn't arrived yet tonight was making her feel a bit anxious.
After all, she had prepared so much just to carry out her rebellious and improper plan, all in order to completely break away from that extremely annoying engagement.
If the male lead of the evening didn't show up, then wouldn't everything she prepared be for nothing?
"President, you don't need to worry. Didn't you send Koneko to pick him up?"
"If something unexpected happened along the way, Koneko would definitely notify you."
"Besides, it's not like the banquet has officially started yet."
Standing behind Rias, Akeno said while covering her mouth.
Her evening dress tonight was even more revealing than Rias'. The deep-blue backless gown exposed large patches of her snow-white back.
Of course, that view from the back was still manageable—but when one looked from the front, it was a truly mature appearance far beyond her age.
To put it in a way that avoids being censored: the two blue strips of cloth perfectly covered her protruding parts, and the rest… was left to the imagination of the brothers.
As Rias' closest servant, Akeno was someone Rias had confided in about her plan.
And Akeno had expressed her support.
Not just for Rias' own happiness, but for her own future as well.
After all, if Rias really did marry that lustful beast Riser, then as Rias' servant, she wouldn't be able to escape the fate of sharing his bed either.
Just like Rias thought—sleeping with that guy?
She. Absolutely. Refused!
"By the way, what kind of person is the head of the Asmodeus family in private?"
Already a bit tired, Momo Hanakai slumped over the table and asked curiously.
"Come to think of it, Momo didn't attend the president's debut ceremony that day, right?"
"That's right! So I'm feeling really nervous now. If he's hard to get along with, I'll have a hard time handling it."
Akeno smiled, pressing a finger to her lips.
"As for his personality, I'm not very familiar. But he's the true heir of an ancient noble house, and in terms of strength, he almost completely overpowered the strongest young devil, Lord Sairaorg."
"So keep your posture in check and don't embarrass the Student Council or the Sitri family."
Smack! With a slap to the less-than-graceful Momo's back, Tsubaki spoke with a harsh tone.
"Y-Yes—!"
Although Tsubaki's face had darkened, the surrounding whispers had already begun to rise.
Most of them came from Sona's servants who hadn't attended the previous banquet, asking those who knew the details about what had happened.
"Aren't you going to stop them?"
Tsubaki asked Sona with a grim face. In her eyes, this kind of behavior wasn't very elegant—especially since it was all coming from their Sitri household's servants.
"Forget it. For many of them, this is their first time attending such an event. Feeling a little nervous is understandable. Besides, I don't think he's the type to care about such trivial things."
Sona looked at her own servants and sighed helplessly, not offering any reprimand.
"You're right. I rarely attend these kinds of banquets myself. It's only fun when everyone loosens up a little."
As this deep male voice echoed through the hall, the thick wooden doors at the entrance slowly began to open.
The murmurs within the banquet hall instantly came to a halt, the entire room falling silent.
Because the star of tonight's banquet had finally arrived.
"Sorry, President. I arrived a little late because I had to change into a different gown."
It was Koneko, the petite girl of overwhelming strength, who had just opened the door. Even her usually expressionless and delicate face was now filled with apology.
Before Koneko could even finish speaking, Vitan had already placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Don't blame Koneko. After all, it's a banquet—wearing a beautiful evening dress is only appropriate. So while I was helping Asia pick out her outfit, I also helped Koneko choose one. That's what caused the delay."
Rias looked at her servant, momentarily stunned.
What surprised her wasn't the words, but the fact that her servant Koneko had allowed a man to rest his hand on her shoulder—without showing the slightest discomfort on her face.
But she quickly regained her composure and flashed a flawless smile.
"You're too kind. We were the ones who sent the invitation too late. Your presence here is already a great honor."