Chapter 8: First Meeting with Betrothed
Looking at myself in the mirror I had sure everything was in place.
This is the first time my home will be hosting guest since I've been born after all.
Today is the day I am meeting Ryogun in person for the first time.
It's been over a month since my parents told me we have been engaged. Since then we've been doing all we can to prepare for her visit.
I asked my parents why I couldn't just talk to her through a communication magic circle, but my mother shot that idea down instantly. The same with my father.
Apparently it's tradition for young engaged devils to meet in person the first time they see each other.
But it's not written down anywhere. More of an unspoken code in Devil society.
Just like the girl and bro code of human society.
Understanding my parents wishes I put that idea out of my mind. Since then I have been brushing up on my etiquette and manners so that I don't embarrass myself in front of Ryogun and her parents.
Whose names are Ryner and Gulia by the way.
For this past month I've actually been pretty nervous. Mainly becuase I have no idea what to expect out of Ryogun. I know she was fun-loving and layback during canon, but that might not be the case in this version of DxD, especially with my presence in the timeline. There's also the fact that that was adult Ryogun's personality, not her child-like personality. I know people usually don't change much in personality as they age, but 500 years is a long time.
I could be meeting a completely different Ryogun tonight that could throw me for a loop.
But there is nothing I can really do about it.
All I can do is meet her and hope everything goes well.
I released a sigh.
Having a fiancée is actually a lot harder than I thought.
After checking to make sure I looked my best I turned away from my mirror and left my room.
The moment I did I saw Angelica standing there in her maid costume.
She's a whole other can of worms at the moment.
Ever since I told her I got a fiancée last month she's been formal with me.
I know that doesn't sound like much given her personality, but it is. She's different.
What I'm trying to say is she's started to pull away from me as a friend. For the past month she's been extremely business-like when talking to me, like we are nothing but employer and employee.
After we're done with training and lessons she finds some excuse to take her leave. And when I try to talk to her about it she says that nothing is wrong, but I know that's a lie.
The reason I don't press it is because I really have no idea what's wrong with her. I asked her mother and father about it, but they said she's been the same with them.
So really its only me she's giving her own form of the cold shoulder too.
I really want to facepalm at the moment, but I am resisting with all my might. I have a dinner to attend after all.
I moved over to Angelica and she slightly bowed.
"Lord Asterius you're looking well tonight." Angelica told me, raising her head.
"Yes. Thanks Angelica." I told her.
She simply nodded. "If you will follow me, our guests have arrived." She said. Angelica then started walking and I followed behind her.
It didn't take us long to reach the dining hall.
Once we did she opened the door for me and I walked inside.
Angelica then closed the door behind me and left.
As soon as she did I looked ahead of me and saw three people with my parents.
One of them was a girl my age. She has horns on her head and cherry blossom colored hair that flows all the way to her mid-back. She is currently wearing a dark purple dress that matches her hair color perfectly.
Ryogun Belphegor in the flesh.
Standing on her right is a man with the same hair and eye color as her, but his hair is short and he doesn't have horns on his head. He is Ryogun's father Ryner Belphegor. Also the current head of the Belphegor clan.
Finally standing on Ryogun's right is a woman who looks like an older version of her, but with deep black hair and blue eyes. Her mother Gulia Belphegor.
The moment I saw them I walked up to them and bowed slightly. "Greeting to you lord and lady Belphegor. And you as well my betrothed Ryogun. I am Asterius Belial, and it is a pleasure to make your acquittance." I said, lifting myself up from the bow.
Gulia put a hand on her cheek and smiled at me. "Ah Dankaiser, Calfa, what a charming young man you have raised." She mused.
"Yes, he's certainly a gentleman." Ryner spoke.
"Nice to meet you." Ryogun said. "So it looks like we're going to be together for the rest of our lives." She mused. She then got up close to me and started looking me over from every angle. Then once she was done she nodded. "Yes. You are just my type, so I think we'll get along really well."
"That's good to know." I said. "I was worried you wouldn't like me, or vice versa."
"Funny I was thinking the exact same thing." Ryogun retorted with a smile on her face.
Looks like she's still has the same personality as she did in canon.
Good to know.
The two of us shared a laugh.
Once we were done we all sat down at the table and dinner began.
During which Ryogun and I made small talk and we really hit it off.
I learned several things about her. For instance, she has already discovered her love of cooking just like in canon. And she is also quite shrewd already, and has set up a mini intelligence network all over the Belphegor clan territory. It's nothing major, but that speaks volumes to her skill at this age.
It would almost be frightening if I wasn't in the same position.
Another thing I discovered about her is that she also trains on the regular, despite being lazy on just about everything else she does. I noticed she's a bit of a battle-maniac when she asked me for a spar and got a certain glint in her eyes.
That explains why she loved the Rating Games so much.
Before I knew it the two of us were in our own little world. By the time I realized this all of our parents were looking at us with serene smiles on their faces.
Feeling embarrassed I felt my face heat up.
It only took Ryogun a moment to figure out why, and then her face did the exact same thing.
In the end the two of us didn't say another word for the rest of the meal.
Otherwise we would've died of embarrassment.
But eventually that passed when the meal ended.
'Finally, it's over.' I thought.
"Asterius dear, why don't you take Ryogun and show her around the mansion?" My mother spoke.
"Yes, but only if that's ok with her." I said.
"It is." Ryogun said.
"Then let's go." I told her.
The two of us then got out of our seats and rushed out the rooms before our parents could try and tease us.
As soon as we were out of there I started giving Rygogun a tour of the mansion.
During which time all the servants and guards we passed in the halls looked at us with serene smiles on their faces.
We thought we had escaped the embarrassment monster.
We were so wrong.
By the time we arrived in the library both of us were tomatoed face with steam coming out of our ears.
We didn't say a word and simply pulled out some seats and sat down.
"Those guys." I murmured. "I will pay them back for this ten-fold." I said.
"At least we're not at my family home." Ryogun muttered. "If we were the servants would have used magic to record us."
"You're joking right?" I asked.
Ryogun's deadpan expression told me she wasn't.
I put a wry smile on my face. "You must have it rough."
"Yes. Yes I do." She said. "But it's not all bad. The maids and guards hang out with me all the time. Though I really wish I had a friend my own age to play with. You're so lucky to have one." She told me.
"Oh, you know about Angelica?" I asked.
Ryogun nodded. "Yes, my mother mentioned a girl here my age that she thought I might get along with. She told me a little about her, and I was hoping to meet her. But I haven't seen her all night. Is she ok?"
"She's fine." I said. "She's probably in her room reading about magic like usual." I said.
Angelica is a magic maniac after all.
I can't wait to see what happens when anime becomes a thing in this world and I introduce it to her. Especially the Pretty Cure series.
I just know she'll get stars in her eyes from watching it.
"Let's go see her then." Ryogun spoke. "I really want to meet her."
"No need. I am right here." Angelica spoke.
Turning around I saw her standing there, a book in her grasp held up against her chest. She is also looking at Ryogun with a colder than usual expression on her face.
But Ryogun either didn't care or didn't notice since she continued smiling at Angelica like they were old friends.
"Nice to meet you. I am Ryogun Belphegor. Asterius's fiancée." Ryogun said.
"Yes I know." Angelica said. "Asterius told me about you last month right after his parents did." She explained. She then walked up to the table and started looking Ryogun over. "You are pretty. Especially your hair."
"Thank you." Ryogun said. "Your hair is pretty as well."
"Thank you." Angelica said.
As I looked at the two of them exchange words I simply say there with a wry smile on my face. I can't put my finger on it but there is this certain energy in the air. Like two predators in the wild meeting. However Angelica and Ryogun are not getting ready to fight.
It's more like...Ryogun is just passing by, but Angelica for some reason decided to challenge her. That's the best way I can describe the sensation of the situation right now.
Because of this I decided to stay quiet.
Rule number one with women: Never get in the middle of any of their disputes no matter how old they are.
I don't want to die after all.
Angelica finally stopped sizing Ryogun up. She then sat down at the table next to me and started to read her book.
Meanwhile Ryogun and I continued to chat, Angelica jumping into the conversation here and there but mostly remaining silent.
Quite some time passed before Gulia entered the room.
"Ryogun, it's time for us to depart." Her mother said.
"Yes mom." Ryogun said. She then looked at us. "Bye Asterius, bye Angelica is was really wonderful meeting you both." She said.
"Likewise." Angelica said.
"Yeah, it was great meeting you." I said.
Ryogun got up to go, and then she put a grin on her face. "Oh, I almost forgot one thing." She said. She then walked up to me.
"Ye-"
*Chu*
I was rendered speechless when Ryogun planted a kiss on my left cheek.
"Ufu, ufu, ufu, how forward that daughter of mine is. Not even a teenager and she's already given her fiancée a kiss." Gulia mused, a hand on her cheek.
I heard it, but it really didn't register. Moving my hand to my cheek I looked at Ryogun who has a grin on her face.
"See you later." She said to me, giving me a wink.
She then skipped out of the library and closed the door behind her as she and her mother left.
Meanwhile I just sat there in a daze.
"You seem quite happy." Angelica spoke.
I was knocked out of my daze when she did. I then turned around towards her.
"Yeah I guess I am." I said. "Though I wasn't expecting that at all to be honest."
"Really?" Angelica questioned.
"Yes, really." I said.
"I see." Angelica mused.
I then sighed. "Ok, enough. What's with you?"
"Nothing." She said.
"Please don't lie to me. We're best friends after all." I asked her.
"Really nothing is wrong with me Asterius." She said. "Besides, what would your fiancée say if she found out you were worrying about another woman, especially someone like me, a simple servant of the house?"
I was about to retort to Angelica's words when something finally clicked in my head.
The way she had been sizing up Ryogun.
Her cold and formal attitude towards me this past month ever since I mentioned getting a fiancée.
The fact that she just called herself a simple servant when she is so much more to me than that.
Putting it all together I realized exactly what has been going on with her.
She's jealous.
Angelica is jealous of Ryogun. That explains the way she was eyeballing her earlier. But more than that I think she is scared. She's scared that now that I have a fiancée I won't have room for her in my life or something along those lines.
I really can't believe it took me this long to realize her true feelings.
I guess I'm not as good as reading her as I thought.
I have to change that and fast. I don't ever want Angelica to think she is not important in my life ever again.
Looking at her I pulled her into a hug.
The moment I did her eyes went wide. "Hey, what do you think you're doing right n-"
*Chu*
I gave Angelica a quick kiss on the cheek before she could finish talking.
The second after I did her face lit up like tomato.
"Angelica you can stop now." I told her. "There is no need for you to be jealous at all. No matter what happens in the future, we are always going to be together and have a connection."
Angelica turned her head away from me. "But..but you are a noble, and I'm just the daughter of common devils." She murmured.
"So?" I questioned. "My father is friends with your parents. Diablo is a common devil and yet look at his strength and position. And then there are my own feelings on the matter. I won't let anyone split us apart. We are friends forever, so please don't ever doubt that again." I told her.
"Ok." Angelica said.
Once she did I stopped hugging her. I then put a teasing smirk on my face. "So, you got jealous that I got a fiancée huh?" I mused.
"No, it wasn't about that." Angelica quickly retorted. "I got jealous because some unknown woman was coming into your life because your parents said so. We knew nothing about her, and as your best friend I had to size her up. I didn't want you to get hurt after all." She said.
"Right?" I said sarcastically. "And you're sure its nothing else?"
"Nothing at all." Angelica said.
"You sure?"
"Absolutely."
"Ok then." I said. I then leaned into her ear and whispered. "But just so you know, if I had to pick my own fiancée, then I would definitely pick you."
Angelica's face became as red as a fire-truck and steam started coming out of her ears.
She then promptly passed out.
Meanwhile I sat there laughing my ass off.
Knowing that my best friend/future lover was finally back to normal.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone