Chapter 15: Chapter 15 That's why I chose you.
"I'm not going to marry someone just to get a fancy title. Especially if that person is going to treat me like dirt. I have more self respect than that."
From his place sitting next to me, Ruval coughed politely. "Father, if I may, The whole of the Underworld currently views Riser as a weak fool unwilling to defend his own honor. As a Phenex, he must respond to this slight."
When I'd asked him to help me get mother and father to agree, I was surprised with how quickly he'd agreed to help me. Then he showed me the video and the reaction of the majority of the Underworld and it made sense. He was the one who'd told me how important politics and appearances were, and mine had just been dropped into a toilet. The fact that he was associating my public humiliation with the Phenex name was how he planned to get mother and father to agree to this. I just hoped it worked because my method had obviously failed.
Mother turned to Ruval with her nose held high. "I doubt that the Phenex name is associated with–"
Without looking up from her phone, Ravel said, "'When did the Phenexes become such pussies?' 'Who's a good little Phenex bitch? You are!' 'Phenex can suck my–"
"Ravel!" mother interrupted.
Ravel shrugged as she put her phone away. "It's not my fault the internet is a vulgar place. If you don't want everyone to laugh at us for the next hundred years, you need to let Riser do this. She had to have planned this out. I don't know what she thinks Riser did or plans to do to her, but she's going after all of us to get back at him for…something." Turning to me, my sister said, "You really should have slapped the shit out of her."
"Ravel!" mother shrieked again.
Even with my mother screaming like a harpy, I couldn't help but snort in amusement at my little sister's assessment. "Then I'd have been an abusive scumbag instead of just a scumbag. That's why I need to do this. Not only will it nullify the marriage, but it'll let me fight her in an official setting."
"Riser…" father began as he rubbed his forehead tiredly. "She has three strong peerage pieces. A queen with lightning magic, a Sacred Gear user, and a melee fighter trained by Surtur. That isn't even mentioning the Power of Destruction. All you have is a useless piece of eye candy. You will lose. Badly."
Clenching my fist under the table to avoid biting back at him about Yubelluna – she was not 'eye candy' – I took a deep breath and said, "So I should just let her get away with this? If this interaction was any indication, she'll just keep doing it. Her plan is probably to drag my and the Phenex family's reputations through the mud so her parents decide it would be detrimental to let the marriage go through and break it off. I refuse to let her do that to me. And I refuse to let her do that to my family. A Rating Game is the only way I can gain total control of the contract and dissolve it. So I will fight her, and I will not lose."
"Father, let him fight." Ruval said, once more doing his best to sound diplomatic, but it was clear his emotions were starting to get the better of him. "I want what's best for Riser too, and I don't think a wife who treats him like this, no matter what she offers him, would be good for him."
Everyone fell silent while they contemplated Ruval's words.
"Oh look!" Ravel broke the silence, her phone once again in her hands. "There's a new hashtag! #whippedPhenexBitch! It's already trending." If she noticed the looks directed her way, she did a great job of pretending she didn't, but I was pretty sure she was too focused on finding each and every detrimental thing being said about me so she could hold them over my head later. She was conniving like that.
With a heavy sigh, father said, "Fine. I will speak with Lord Gremory and arrange a Rating Game between you and Rias, but be prepared for her to hold control of the contract and publicly humiliate you again. I do not believe you can beat her, Riser. Be sure this defeat is placed solely on your own head. Keep the Phenex name removed from your spat with your fiance."
Starting to grow offended, I stood up and said, "You haven't overseen my training in years. Neither of you have taken an active role in anything I've done since you pawned me off on Clarissa. Even Belford stopped caring once he felt I was competent. No one, not even you, has any idea what I can do. The only one who really paid attention to me was Clarissa. I've never left the castle because I have trained every day. Do not insult my capabilities. I will not lose. And I am going to embarrass her." I didn't bother waiting for a response. I walked right out of the dining hall and made my way to my room. When I arrived, I found Yubelluna waiting for me.
"What did they decide, my king?" she asked, the picture of professionalism.
I closed and locked the door behind me, then walked straight up to Yubelluna and pulled her into a hug.
"My king, what–"
"You're not a piece of eye candy." I said, interrupting her. "I wouldn't have made you my queen just for your looks. You're beautiful, but that's not why I chose you. I saw your strength. I saw your potential. And I saw that you would be loyal. That's why I chose you. Ignore my father." Everyone else may not have known she was listening at the door, but she hadn't taken off the necklace she'd made out of the stone I gave her. So long as she wore it, I would know where she was.
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