Chapter 21: The Difference Between Marrying In and Taking a Wife

"Lucien-kun, you... what did you just say?" Sona never thought she would experience the feeling of being rejected from an engagement.

"Sona, I said, I want to annul our engagement," Lucien repeated.

"Why... why?"

"Because I don't want to marry into the Sitri family. Even if I were to marry you, Sona, I want you to marry into my family, not the other way around," Lucien stated frankly.

"So that's how it is..."

Sona let out a sigh of relief.

It turned out that Lucien wasn't rejecting her—he simply wanted to change the status quo of their arrangement, ensuring that he had the dominant position in their marriage.

"Lucien-kun, you should understand your own status, right?"

"Yes, I am nominally the heir to the Leviathan bloodline from the Old Devil Faction."

"And you also understand my status, correct?"

"Yes, you are the younger sister of the current Leviathan, the sole successor of the Sitri family."

"Lucien-kun, knowing this, you should be well aware that the Underworld would never allow the Old Devil Faction to take the dominant role in a marriage with the bloodline of a current Devil King."

"The Sitri family would never agree to their only successor marrying out of the family."

Looking at Sona's serious expression, Lucien sighed.

"So, if I want the dominant position in marriage, my only option is to find a different fiancée?"

"Eh?!"

"I-I didn't mean that, I just..." Sona panicked.

[Was I just hoping that he would accept his role and marry me anyway?]

Such words sounded selfish and inconsiderate, but that was indeed Sona's first instinctive thought.

Realizing she had such thoughts, Sona's pride as an upper-class devil was thoroughly shaken.

So this is what it feels like to be in the weaker position in a relationship?

For so long, she had looked at Lucien as someone beneath her, someone struggling against the rigid societal norms. Now that the situation had flipped for just a single day, she found it unbearable.

And yet, Lucien had endured this imbalance for over a decade.

No wonder he had always looked at her with such a calculating gaze.

"I understand, Sona. You simply don't want to annul our engagement."

"Actually, I do like you, Sona," Lucien admitted.

"Then why do you still want to end it?" Sona bit her lip, unable to comprehend.

"Why?"

"Because I refuse to be shackled by the Underworld's existing system."

"You should understand, Sona. If you want to achieve your dream of reforming the Underworld's education system, you'll need to challenge the status quo."

"In that sense, you and I are comrades fighting against the same system."

"Then why do we need to dissolve our engagement?" Sona pressed on.

"Why, you ask..."

"Because just the two of us are not enough. We need more allies."

"By annulling my engagement with you, I can step into Rias's engagement arrangement, pulling her into our cause as well."

"Rias?"

"You're saying... you plan to become Rias's fiancé?" Sona was struck dumb.

"Yes."

"There's no other choice. If we want to change the Underworld's system, our forces are still too weak."

Lucien understood the significance of his engagement with Rias.

Unlike Sona, Rias was in a completely different position.

Lucien couldn't be stronger than Sona because that would symbolize the Old Leviathan bloodline reclaiming power from the new Leviathan rulers.

However, he could be stronger than Rias.

Because his engagement with Rias would be viewed as a "romantic choice." The stronger he was, the more people would celebrate it.

By announcing his engagement to Rias, he could publicly use the "Boosted Gear" without concern.

With that, Sirzechs Lucifer would be seen as his direct supporter.

Neither Sirzechs nor the other high-ranking devils would make a move against him once his status was legitimized.

This would allow him to establish his own forces, paving the way for his future independence.

Even if the engagement was just for show, it was a necessary step.

"I..."

Sona wanted to object, but she had no argument.

Lucien was right.

Given their current state, dreaming of changing the Underworld's system was pure fantasy. They needed to unite with other factions.

"Since that's settled, I'll take my leave. Rias is also waiting to discuss the engagement details."

Lucien stood up to leave.

"Sona, no matter what, I do like you."

"Once I have enough power, I'll personally propose to the Sitri family."

Leaving behind those words, Lucien stepped out of the student council room.

Sona sat there, dazed.

"Lucien-kun! Do you understand the implication of what you just said?!"

Sona called out for final confirmation.

Lucien paused at the door.

"Of course, I do."

"If the family head refuses to let their heir marry out of the family, the only way to force the marriage... is to defeat every remaining member of that household."

"That's right. Which means..." Sona's eyes widened.

"Which means I will defeat Serafall Leviathan."

"Lucien-kun, do you seriously believe you can beat my sister?!" That was one of the Four Great Devil Kings!

"Sona, if you don't even dare to dream of surpassing Serafall, then you might as well abandon your ambitions entirely."

"That's all I have to say."

Lucien closed the student council room door behind him.

Thud~

Sona collapsed onto the sofa, utterly lost in thought.

She once believed Lucien wasn't worthy of her.

Now, she realized she wasn't worthy of Lucien.

Not only was she weaker in intelligence and power, but she also lacked his sheer determination and ambition.

Someone like her... had no right to demand Lucien marry into her family.

Sighing deeply, Sona made a decision.

"Tsubaki, come with me."

"We recently found a powerful Sacred Gear user, correct? I plan to have their artifact transplanted into me."

"A Sacred Gear? But, Sona-sama..." Tsubaki hesitated.

"I know that pureblood devils aren't compatible with Sacred Gears," Sona acknowledged.

"But my attribute is water, and the artifact is dragon-related. Dragons control rain and storms, so the compatibility shouldn't be too low."

"Only by acquiring that artifact... will I have the qualifications to stand as Lucien's equal and support him."

Sona still hoped Lucien would one day defeat Serafall and formally propose to her.

But she wasn't the type of woman who would simply wait for a man to become strong while standing on the sidelines.

She would take action. She would grow stronger.

She would do whatever it took to stand beside him as an equal.

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