Chapter 06 | Girlfriend

Yuki Strauss was already at the coffee shop when they arrived.

She waved from a corner table, silver charms flashing on long, glossy black nails.

"Hey! Over here!"

Matthias followed Aki past the counter.

Yuki wore high-heeled black boots and a black leather cardigan over a fitted top. Silver rings, a choker, and a chain at her waist caught what little light reached their table.

Her blonde hair fell to her shoulders in loose, carefully styled waves. Dark liner and full lashes framed brown eyes that were already looking him over, while a pale shimmer at their corners made her gaze seem brighter.

She smiled around the straw of her iced coffee, pink gloss shining on her lips.

Beautiful, certainly. But he could imagine her spending an hour choosing that outfit, then telling someone she'd thrown it on.

That made her easier to look at than the twins.

"Okay, wait," she said, lowering her drink. "You're actually him? For real?"

"Matthias," Aki said. "Yuki."

"The demon lord?"

"Apparently," Matthias said.

She leaned her chin into one hand.

"Huh. I was expecting a little more, you know?"

"More what?"

"Like, scary eyes? A ridiculously dramatic coat? Cheekbones that say you've conquered something? Give me a little to work with here."

She tilted her head.

"You look like you worry about missing the train."

"He does," Aki said.

"Stop, seriously? You weren't kidding about that?"

Matthias pulled out a chair.

"I'm glad I meet expectations."

Astreal remained standing beside him.

"Yuki Strauss. You resemble Leona considerably."

Yuki's face lit up.

"Of course, you actually knew her. You had fought against her. Okay, important question. Am I as cute?"

She winked, holding the pose just long enough to make it deliberate.

Astreal didn't answer.

Belial set her bag down rather carefully.

"The resemblance is strong," she said.

"I'm taking that as a yes. Thanks!"

Yuki stood and came around the table. In those boots, she met Matthias almost at eye level.

The twins moved between them.

Yuki stopped, then looked from one to the other.

"Whoa, okay! You two do not mess around."

"I'd like to get to know you without anyone reaching for a weapon," Matthias said.

"Aw, that's sweet. But hear me out. I've got a way better idea."

Aki reached for the menu.

"Here we go."

Yuki grinned at Matthias.

"I'll be your girlfriend. Cute, right?"

My girlfriend?

Matthias had come prepared to explain that he wasn't a threat to humanity. He had not prepared for a beautiful woman to announce she wanted to date him before he'd even ordered coffee.

He already had two wives from a life he couldn't remember. What expression was he supposed to make when a descendant of the heroes who had defeated him volunteered to become his girlfriend?

He couldn't even tell whether she was joking.

"No," Belial and Astreal said together.

Matthias stared.

"We just met."

"But a hero falling for the demon lord? Come on! You can't tell me that isn't an amazing setup."

She clasped her hands beneath her chin, rings clicking together.

"The forbidden romance! Sneaking out to meet you! And then I'm all, 'Oh no, his terrible power! I can't resist!'"

"I'm not interested."

She pouted.

"Not even a tiny bit? Seriously?"

"No."

"Ouch. Didn't even have to think about it."

"That's Yuki," Aki said without looking up. "You now have the essentials."

She ignored him and lifted one hand to her chest.

"Oh, my lord," she said in a suddenly breathless voice. "Please punish me for my terrible transgression—"

"Yuki."

A customer at the next table glanced over.

Matthias lowered his voice.

"We're in a coffee shop."

She looked at the customer, then back at him.

"Ah. Yeah, okay. Wrong place. My bad."

"Bad proposal."

Yuki laughed and returned to her chair.

"Okay, okay! Just coffee. I can do coffee."

The twins sat, though Astreal chose the chair closest to Matthias.

Yuki noticed. Her smile widened, but she kept the comment to herself.

"For real, though," she said, "as long as you aren't planning to conquer anything, we're fine."

"I'm not."

"Oh, thank goodness. I've got an anime festival this weekend, and I am not missing it for some ancient family drama. I've already planned my outfit!"

Matthias relaxed a little.

"You and Aki get along, then."

"Beautifully," Aki said.

Yuki stirred her coffee with the straw.

"I do have the family sword, though. Huge thing. Two-handed, holy, enchanted against darkness, the whole deal. So we're staying friends, yeah?"

"Is that a warning?"

"Mostly me complaining. Have you ever tried taking something like that to a cosplay event? Such a pain."

Aki lowered the menu.

"You took it to one?"

"One time! And they nearly called the police on me."

"Remarkable restraint."

"But the costume? So worth it. I looked amazing."

Matthias looked at her hands, then imagined them holding a two-handed sword.

Somehow, the decorated nails made the picture more alarming.

"Just don't make me use it, okay?" she said. "I'd way rather go shopping with you guys."

"It's a miracle you haven't sold it," Aki said.

"Well, nobody's made me a good offer yet."

Astreal went very still.

Yuki took a cheerful sip of coffee.

Once everyone had ordered, Aki leaned back in his chair.

"None of us are our ancestors. I'm not Corvus, and she's certainly not Leona."

"Thank you," Yuki said.

"The duty exists. We didn't choose it. We'd prefer to keep the lives we have."

Until now, Matthias had mostly wondered what their inheritance meant for him. He hadn't given much thought to being born into a family that expected you to kill a stranger someday.

He could understand wanting to spend the weekend doing almost anything else.

Matthias nodded.

"That sounds familiar."

"I'm an office worker," Aki continued. "Yuki's a fashion designer."

She lifted her cup in acknowledgment.

"A surprisingly successful one."

The cup stopped halfway to her mouth.

"Um, excuse me? 'Surprisingly'?"

"Your prices made me check whether I'd opened the wrong page. Then I saw the waiting list."

"It's custom work! You don't just wave scissors at expensive fabric and hope."

"People apparently agree. She charges more than I'd spend on an entire wardrobe, and they queue for the privilege."

"The material isn't cheap!"

Yuki tapped one decorated nail against her cup.

"Aki, babe. You buy the same shirt in three colors. You do not get to judge my prices."

"Four colors."

"Oh, four! Look at you branching out."

Matthias laughed.

"You designed what you're wearing?"

"Yep! Wait, let me show you my favorite bit."

Her expression changed as she turned back the edge of her cardigan to show him the construction.

"See this curve here? It brings the waist in, but the leather doesn't do that annoying bunchy thing when I sit. Look!"

She leaned forward, then settled back to demonstrate.

"It has to move with you, you know? If you look gorgeous in a photo but can't sit down for coffee, what's the point? That would drive me nuts."

He'd nearly decided that everything she said was a joke. Now she was watching the seam with the same attention he gave a report that had to be right.

He was glad he'd asked. There was more to learn about her than whether she intended to use the sword.

Matthias glanced at Aki.

"You really were surprised?"

"I've seen her use a delivery receipt as a bookmark in the family duty register."

"Hey, I needed that receipt!"

"Apparently more important than vigilance."

"Imported fabric! Do you know how long I waited for that order? Of course, I kept it."

Belial laughed before she could hide it.

Yuki beamed at her.

"Aw, your smile is so cute! There it is. I was starting to think you hated me."

"I smile quite often," Belial said.

"Well, I wasn't getting a lot of it over here!"

"You proposed to our Master."

"And wow, did you two let me know!"

Even Astreal's mouth twitched.

Aki turned back to Matthias.

"We still keep an eye on things. But so far, you go to work and come home for dinner. We'd like it to stay that simple."

"So would I."

Yuki nodded and picked up her drink.

"Yay! No ancient blood feud. We should get cake."

Matthias watched her for a moment.

"What about the third family? Marco?"

"Joseph's in Central America," she said. "Mayan ruins."

"Watching something?"

"Calendar stuff. He's still super into that whole 2012 thing."

"Fourteen years later?"

"Right? But don't say that to him. He'll explain exactly why it's still interesting, and there goes your afternoon."

She shrugged.

"He's been out there for most of a year. He's pretty chill, honestly. Just don't ask about his research unless you've got time."

Matthias looked around the table.

"So the three families have given us an office worker who prefers cards, a designer who'd rather attend cosplay events, and a scholar studying ruins."

Aki raised his cup.

"Legacy."

Matthias touched his own cup to it.

For the first time since hearing the three names, he found them reassuring.

None of them seemed eager to reenact the old battle. He wondered whether he'd been giving the dead too much say in a conversation among people who would rather order another coffee.

He could do his part by remembering their first names before their surnames.

Yuki pulled out her phone. Its case was crowded with black bows and dangling silver charms.

"Oh! Speaking of outfits, you two have to see this."

She opened her catalogue and angled the screen toward the twins.

"You'd look so good in these! Same silhouette, but we could make the details totally yours. Gold for Belial, silver for Astreal... Oh, that would be gorgeous."

Her finger hovered over a photograph, then moved to another.

"Wait, no, this neckline. Definitely this one. And if I change the sleeves—oh, yes."

Belial leaned closer despite herself.

"You can tell that just by looking?"

"I'd still need your measurements, babe! I'm good, but I'm not magic. Well, not that kind."

Astreal glanced at the price beneath the photograph.

"If we can afford it."

Matthias looked at her.

She took a perfectly composed sip of coffee.

They had enough money to buy everything Yuki had ever made. Probably her company too, then enough left over to buy out every shop her customers frequented.

Yes. Affording the sleeves might be difficult.

Belial kept studying the catalogue without volunteering a correction. Wise of her. Matthias was still trying to comprehend how outrageously rich the two of them were; Yuki didn't need to start calculating what else she could sell them.

Yuki laughed.

"Aw, for you two? We'll work something out. I already want photos."

Then she looked at Matthias, mischief returning.

"Unless you're still taking applications for a mistress? I'm totally okay with third place. These two were here first."

"No," the twins said.

"Still no," Matthias added.

Yuki raised both hands.

"Okay! Message received. Back to the cute clothes."

She slid the phone closer to Belial.

"So, what do you actually love wearing? Show me. I want you excited about this too!"

At home, Astreal stopped beside the kitchen counter.

"She is very different from Leona."

Matthias hung up his jacket.

"I gathered."

"Leona was solemn. Certain of her duty."

"The eyes are the same," Belial said. "And the way she holds herself."

"The resemblance ends when she speaks," Astreal said.

Matthias smiled.

"She's fun to talk to."

Belial gave him a careful look.

"She also has a holy sword and an interest in becoming your mistress."

"I noticed both."

"We should still be careful."

"We will."

He rested a hand on the counter.

"But Aki wants to play cards. Yuki has customers waiting for clothes. Joseph is busy with his research."

The twins listened.

"They have lives they want to keep. So do I. That's a better start than I expected."

Astreal folded her arms.

"Provided you give them no reason to reconsider."

"No conquests, no evil speeches, no brooding on a throne."

"A remarkably manageable standard."

"I've managed it for twenty-eight years."

Belial laughed. This time, Astreal let herself smile.

Matthias looked toward the kitchen.

"What's for dinner?"