"We were just discussing settlement business," Satou said, knowing even as the words left his mouth that it was possibly the least convincing lie he'd ever told.

"Settlement business," Jessica repeated, her tone making it clear she didn't believe a word. "At dawn. In your bedroom. While both of you look like you just woke up."

"Very urgent settlement business," Satou added, trying to keep a straight face and failing miserably. "Extremely time sensitive administrative matters that required immediate attention."

"Satou," Lyra hissed, elbowing him. "You're making it worse."

"I don't think I can make it worse," Satou replied. "I think we're past the point of plausible deniability."

Jessica's expression shifted through several emotions, surprise, confusion, and something else that Satou couldn't quite identify. Her hand went to her chest unconsciously, as if something there hurt, though she didn't seem to understand it herself.

"You two are together?" Jessica asked, her voice quieter now. "Since when?"

"Since last night," Lyra said, deciding to be honest. She stepped forward, her chin raised despite her embarrassment. "We went on a date. It went well. Very well. And I stayed over. That's what happened."

"A date," Jessica said slowly. That strange expression crossed her face again, something uncomfortable in her chest that she couldn't name.

She trailed off, looking away. Why did this bother her so much? They were both adults. They could date whoever they wanted. So why did it feel like something was squeezing her heart?

"Jessica," Satou said gently, noticing her distress even if he didn't understand the cause. "Are you okay? You look upset."

"I'm fine," Jessica said automatically, forcing a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I'm happy for you both. Really. It's just... unexpected. That's all."

She didn't sound fine. And that strange pressure in her chest wouldn't go away.

"The visitor?" Satou prompted carefully, sensing that pushing the issue would only make things worse.

"Right," Jessica said, grateful for the change of subject. "Demon Lord Loki is here. He says the Demon Lord Summit is today and you've been summoned. He's waiting in the meeting hall."

Satou's playful mood evaporated immediately. "The summit is today? I thought we had more time to prepare."

"Apparently not," Jessica said. "He says all the Demon Lords are gathering, including you as the candidate for the seventh seat. You need to go. Now."

"Alright," Satou said, his mind already shifting into crisis mode. He turned to Lyra. "We'll talk more later?"

"Of course," Lyra said, though she looked worried. "Be careful. From what Loki's told us about the other Demon Lords, they're not exactly friendly."

"I'll be fine," Satou assured her. He wanted to kiss her goodbye but felt awkward doing so in front of Jessica, especially given her strange reaction. Instead, he squeezed her hand briefly. "Make sure the settlement runs smoothly while I'm gone."

"Always do," Lyra replied with a small smile.

Satou followed Jessica through the settlement, noting how she kept several feet of distance between them and refused to look at him directly. The morning air was crisp, and the settlement was just beginning to wake up, early risers emerging from their homes to start the day's work.

As they walked, Jessica glanced back once, just a quick look over her shoulder. Through Satou's open door, she could see Lyra still inside, adjusting her dress, running her fingers through her hair, a soft smile on her face that Jessica had never seen before.

That pressure in her chest intensified. It felt like something was twisting inside her, something uncomfortable and confusing. She didn't understand it. Why should it bother her that Satou and Lyra spent the night together? They were her friends. She should be happy for them.

But she wasn't. Or rather, she was happy for them, but there was something else mixed in. Something that made her want to cry even though she had no idea why.

Jessica turned back around quickly, focusing on the path ahead. Whatever this feeling was, she'd deal with it later. Right now, Satou had more important things to worry about.

"Jessica," Satou said quietly as they walked. "If something's bothering you, you can tell me. You know that, right?"

"I know," Jessica replied, still not looking at him. "I'm fine. Really. Just surprised, that's all. I didn't realize you and Lyra had feelings for each other."

"Neither did I, honestly," Satou admitted. "Not until recently. It kind of snuck up on me."

"That's nice," Jessica said, and she meant it. Mostly. The confusing part was the small voice in her head that whispered it wasn't nice at all, that something about this was wrong, that she should have been the one…

She shook her head, dismissing the thought. What was she even thinking? Satou was like her big brother. He'd saved her life, protected her, trained her. Of course she cared about him. That was natural. This weird feeling in her chest didn't mean anything.

Did it?

When they reached the meeting hall, Loki was waiting, looking as impeccably dressed as always in his elegant demon lord attire. His expression was amused, as if he knew exactly what had delayed Satou's arrival.

"Good morning, Satou," Loki said pleasantly. "Did I interrupt something important?"

"Nothing that can't continue later," Satou replied, trying to ignore the knowing look in Loki's eyes. "The summit is today?"

"Indeed," Loki confirmed. "The summons came through this morning. All seated Demon Lords are required to attend, and as a candidate for the seventh seat, you're expected as well. This will be your formal introduction to the others."

Jessica stood to the side, watching the exchange. That strange feeling in her chest still hadn't gone away. She pressed her hand against it unconsciously, as if trying to make it stop.

Loki's eyes flicked to her briefly, and something knowing passed through his expression. But he said nothing, turning his attention back to Satou.

Author Note :

Hello it's author here ,what do you think about the recent arcs ,you can drop a comment here to tell me what you think

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