"Riser..." Le Fay's eyes were fixed on him, her gaze filled with intense passion.
After they broke away from their kiss, she couldn't tear her eyes away from her beloved.
She longed to kiss him again, to hold him in that moment for much longer, but in the end, she sighed, her emotions conflicted.
"Your mother wanted to speak with you alone," she said, her voice heavy with resignation.
In the end, it was important to let her beloved have time with his family.
Moreover, it wasn't just anyone who wanted to take him away from her; it was his own mother.
How could she, in good conscience, selfishly occupy him, preventing him from facing his mother?
"She can wait." Riser smirked, his lips drawing closer to hers once more, but before he could claim another kiss, she pushed him away.
Her voice was firm, unwavering.
"She is your mother." Le Fay met his gaze, her eyes filled with conviction and determination. "I don't know what happened between you and your family, Riser, but you need to face it."
Riser paused for a moment, clearly contemplating whether to force his way with Le Fay, to ignore her and continue their passionate intimacy.
But her eyes, filled with stubbornness and a refusal to allow their closeness to continue, made it clear that this was not a moment she would back down from.
This was the first time she had refused him.
"Okay. If that's what you want, so be it." Riser sighed, gently stroking her blonde hair before turning away and leaving.
Le Fay let out a quiet sigh of relief, her heart lifting with the knowledge that her beloved would finally confront his past, finally face the issue that had been lingering between him and his family.
As difficult as it was for him, he needed to face it, and now he would.
She turned her attention to the dining room, where his sister still sat.
Her eyes narrowed.
She had witnessed it all.
They'd had sex—committed incest right there—and she had seen everything.
She had heard it clearly, the sounds of it, and now she knew she couldn't avoid confronting Ravel Phenex, no matter how much she might want to.
She couldn't pretend that nothing had happened.
With resolute steps, she entered the room.
Ravel was sitting at the breakfast table, casually enjoying some cookies, the faint smell of sex still lingering in the air.
Unlike Riser, who made sure to clean up his traces neatly, Ravel seemed to thrive in it, completely comfortable as she held a chocolate cup and cookies in her hand.
"You know it," Ravel said, her voice blunt. "You know what happened between us."
"I do." Le Fay nodded, her expression serious as she sat down beside her.
"I will not stand between you. Brother didn't love me. He only loved you. When he looked at me, he didn't hold the same love he had for you," Ravel stated with a hollow tone. "However, as long as he stays, it's enough. I don't want him to leave again."
Le Fay remained silent for a while.
Even Ravel said nothing more after that.
Finally, she sighed and spoke again. "Brother has changed. Something broke him. It molded him into what he is now. I don't know what it was or the reason for his transformation. Father and Mother didn't understand it either."
"We all thought Brother was just unhappy with the engagement he had with Rias, so he ran away from home. But now... now, we're not sure anymore."
"He hasn't even asked about Rias. He hasn't asked about his family. He's become... uncaring. Does he even love his family anymore?"
"We don't know. I don't know. But when he took me, right here... I saw something in his eyes—something I shouldn't have seen."
Her voice faltered and stopped, refusing to divulge the rest of her thoughts, visibly uncomfortable with continuing.
Le Fay didn't press her for more. She simply watched as Ravel sipped her chocolate drink, trying to calm her emotions before resuming.
"He hated us. That's what I confirmed when I looked into his eyes. We may have shared passionate sex in this very room, but it was never love. It was lust, possessiveness, and something darker that drives my brother."
Ravel shook her cup slightly, then placed it down on the table with a soft clink. "So, what do you want to talk about, sister-in-law? Do you want me to stay away from my brother? Because that wouldn't be possible. I won't do it."
"No... I just... I don't know how to describe it," Le Fay said, her voice tinged with hesitation and a complicated mixture of emotions. "I just want to make sure we won't become hostile or hateful toward each other because of this."
"No. I don't hate you, nor do I hate what my brother has done," Ravel replied firmly. "If he wants to have his way with me, so be it. I'll continue living my life as usual. All I ask of him is to stay—to find it in himself to love us again for whatever mistakes we made, even if I don't understand what those mistakes were."
She sighed heavily, the weight of her emotions evident.
The room fell silent again, both women struggling to find the words to say next.
But they didn't pressure themselves to continue the conversation.
Instead, Ravel glanced at Le Fay and offered, "Would you like a cookie, sister-in-law?"
Her gaze shifted to the scattered cookies on the table.
"Thank you, Ravel," Le Fay said with a small nod, accepting the offer.
And so, they spent the quiet morning sharing cookies and chocolate drinks, letting the silence speak for them, as no more words needed to be said.