When Rudy laid his eyes on Rias, she was eating the blood moon fruit, and there was a plate full of them on the bed.

  When Rudy came into view, Rias glanced at him from the corner of her eyes while taking a bite and said, "Long time no see… Rudy."

  "So you knew I was here…" Rudy sighed and muttered, "And here I was thinking of surprising you."

  Even though Rudy seemed calm from the outside, he was enraged from the inside.

  'Who told her?! Who shattered my dream?! Was it Virgil?!'

  Rudy glanced at Virgil, but he seemed oblivious.

  'Jane wouldn't do it. So there is only one person….' Rudy glared at Vriti and was about to do something to mess with her.

  "No, I wasn't aware that you were here," Rias responded.

  "So… why was there no reaction?"

  Rias shrugged her shoulders and said, "I am too tired to do anything. More importantly, how are you here? I doubt someone would feel guilty for what they did to me and bring you here upon my awakening."

  Rias said while glaring back and forth at Jane and Virgil.

  'Holy shit! She is angry at them!'

  "I came here on my own accord using my powers. And… yeah, they didn't welcome me…"

  "Your powers?" Rias raised her brow and asked, "Your powers?"

  'Two times?!'

  "Well… it's a long story, so it would be better if I explain it later when we get some alone time."

  "Hmm? Alone time? Sure. Since there are people here who don't belong here," she glared at Virgil and Jane again.

  Rudy shot a quick glance at Jane and saw her gloomy face. He felt sorry for her as it wasn't her fault in any way. She was ordered by Virgil, who was used by the Lord's rule.

  "Umm… Rias. You shouldn't blame Jane… or Virgil. They were only following the rules. They had no other choice," he said awkwardly.

  Initially, he was only going to ask her to forgive Jane, but he decided to say Virgil's name, too, as it would have been suspicious if he only asked for Jane.

  Rias furrowed her brows and angrily said, "Why are you siding with them?"

  "I am not siding with anyone here. I am saying what seems logical to me."

  "Oh? So me getting separated from you, punished, locked in this chamber, and placed in a slumber seemed logical to you?" she asked with a judging look on her face.

  "Obviously not. I am also as angry as you are. What I am trying to say is that you are blaming the wrong people. I was also mad at Jane at first. Later I learned it was all Virgil's doing, so my anger shifted towards him.

  Then I got to know that it was a rule of this world made by the Lord. And I just hope that the Lord wasn't following someone else's order. So if you are going to get angry and blame someone, it's the Lord," he stated calmly.

  Rias squinted her eyes and asked, "Do you know he also had a human wife. No one punished him. Where was the rule at that time? Why was I punished? Even my so-called mother also ran away to the human world and married a human. Where was the rule at that time?"

  "……" Rudy turned to Virgil and said, "I think you should answer it."

  'I don't want to be the broker in between. I have no intention of getting hated by Rias for something I don't even care about— I mean the rules. I am as angry as Rias or even more than her for what happened to her.'

  "I…" Virgil lowered his gaze and uttered, "I don't have an answer to that. But if you want me to say something then… I am sorry. I broke the rule, and I was punished for it. Your mother broke the rule, and she was punished for it too."

  "When?!"

  "It's you two…" he said while glancing back and forth at Jane and Rias.

  "Hah?!"

  "The Lord punishes in an unexpected way. You two were punished for your mother's crime. Especially Jane, who was born on the blue moon."

  "……"

  "I didn't want you to suffer. I know how it feels to lose a loved one in front of you where you can do nothing but watch and suffer. That's why… I punished you so the Lord wouldn't.

  But… I couldn't do something like that. In the end… I decided to put you in a slumber as that was not a painful punishment.

  Most of the royals and nobles didn't know about this as I kept it a secret. I didn't want them to humiliate you after you woke up from your slumber. But the elders were aware of it. They know most of the things happening in this kingdom but don't interfere. Their job is to watch; they are the watchers.

  If you hate me, I don't mind. You have every right to hate me. If you want, I will leave and never show you my face again. I don't expect your forgiveness or your mercy.

  But forgive Jane. She did what I ordered her to do. It pained her heart too, and after I placed you in the slumber, she cried for days and didn't talk to me for weeks."

  Virgil asserted in a solemn voice with a bitter smile on his face.

  "Yeah, I will do that. I will hate you all my life, you stupid grandpa!" Rias threw a blood moon fruit at him and said, "But I will forgive you if you let me go to the human world again."

  "Uhh…" Virgil turned to Rudy and said, "I think you should answer that."

  'Don't use my line on me, son!'

  "Rias…" Rudy smiled at Rias and said, "You no longer have to worry about that. You can do what you wish, and no one will dare to stop you. Not Virgil, not the elders, not the royals, not the nobles, nor the Lord."