96 The Underworld's Strongest King & Queen.

[Sirzechs' POV]

I spent a while speaking to Surtr about the underworld and the rating game that would take place in a week in which I was absolutely sure we would lose... if even Grayfia is strong enough to defeat me, then we don't have a chance... it will take the two of us to face Richter Golden-Haze while Falbium and Serafall will have to face Grayfia, and they will lose.

In any case, that's the outcome we expected, our hope is to quench the underworld's outrage with this rating game.

"Daddy!" Millicas jumped into my embrace once he arrived together with Layla, I met her gaze for a brief moment before she evaded it, a healthy blush was still on her skin, she had taken a shower before coming here and I know why; his scent is all over her as if he purposefully coated it just so I could smell it, that golden bastard.

I ignored it and focused on my son, who seemed quite happy during the morning.

"How was it Millicas, did you play with the kids in the Lucifuge Clan?~" I carried him in my arms, he is my little champion, I can do anything for him, even forgive Layla.

"Yes, Alan-chan and Penny-chan are nice! can I go there and play with them more often!?" He asked me something that troubled me dearly, I didn't want him close to that dragon if I could help it. Alas, Layla dropped some words that almost made my jaw drop.

"I think that would be nice, Sirzechs-sama... I can take Millicas there during our free time~" she said with a giggle making me gasp in astonishment and almost release a bit of killing intent.

'You want to take my son there, just so you can have a chance and fuck that man?!'

"..." I remained silent, those words wouldn't be uttered by me in front of Millicas.

Before I answered, someone else began to materialise in the hall. It was Aphrodite.

A gorgeous blonde goddess wearing a toga, her body wasn't something mortals were qualified to even see, sadly her body also had a 'smell', it is one I don't recognise.

'Another one...'

I frowned profusely.

"Aphrodite, you're back," Surtr said, standing up from the couch with the intention to leave, he knows that Layla and Aphrodite usually bicker but, my maid looked uninterested.

"Yes, good to see you, Surtr. Sirzechs-sama, I had some matters to attend to on earth and I visited someone too, I-I hope you don't mind" she said, stuttering and fidgetting.

Aphrodite can be the best but also the worst lover there is... we began our relationship immediately after Lady Calliope made me take her away from Olympus, in bed she's outmatched, her lust just won't stop pouring on her companion, rendering him unable to be satisfied by anyone else.

Her lust went so far that she unashamedly took other goddesses to our bed to please me and herself, making our evenings endlessly eventful. Olympian goddesses, Freya from the Nordics, nymphs, nereids and more... my lust needs were completely sated with her as my pride increased.

Sadly, that same lust is also one of her deepest shortcomings. She's the goddess of sex and craves it to no end, no matter how much I try to quench it, there is more. I initially thought I'd only have to share her with other women, but it was my big mistake.

Looking for her one day; I saw Aphrodite laying down with Thor somewhere near the castle, moaning like she never did with me... I went on a rampage that shook the underworld. Thor was my match and we ended up in a stalemate, he knew what he was doing, fucking my bishop... the bastard went as far as to ask me to share her together since he was also deeply infatuated with her.

I threw him away from the underworld, but he wouldn't stop trying to get my bishop through the years in whichever way he could, and she'd accept him.

Aphrodite apologised, saying that she had her 'divinity needs' but that she loved only me, as a fool I fell on her webs. I allowed her to lie down with anyone; as long as I knew who that person was and also, he had to be powerful, I wouldn't allow her to do it with anyone weaker than me. Even after trying my most damn, I'd still be unable to sate her lust and she'd go away, kissing me to appease me didn't help.

I should have expected as much when I decided for the Goddess of Sex to be mine back then, even fighting Ares for her, he had told me during the fight that I was a fool if I thought I could monopolise Aphrodite, back then I mocked his manhood, now... I understand him.

"Will you tell me about him?" I asked her coldly and she did it again, laying down with someone I don't know... so far her lovers are the Fallen Cadre Azazel, Hindu God Shiva and Nordic God Thor. Who else is it now?!

Unlike before when she'd be irritated I saw Layla giggling in amusement as she covered my confused son's ears, it only made me fume further in outrage!

"Of course, I will tell you, dear~ I'll take a shower; if you want you can come... you two, Layla~ fufu you would have tough, you stink of love and sex~ moreover, such a powerful dragon too, I'm quite interested~" Aphrodite remarked and swayed her hips away. Seeing the tense atmosphere, Surtr excused himself too.

I'd never allow Aphrodite to go with Richter, I'm not giving that bastard anything else that's mine!

"..." They both disappeared and left the three of us in the hall.

As much as I wanted to partake in her invitation, there was some more important matter that I had to take care of.

"Layla, can we talk?"

"Of course, we can..." she led me to a different room after sending Millicas away.

There was silence with our footsteps, I think I never felt this awkward with my wife, she was tidy... looking absolutely gorgeous but I know what she had been doing this morning. The same thing I suspect Aphrodite was doing.

Layla cast a barrier now inside our office.

"What is it, Sirzechs-sama?"

"I know what you did with Richter."

"I know you're aware".

"Can our marriage be... salvaged?"

"No, it can't..." She answered so bluntly that my confidence diminished like a sudden filter in a cup of water.

"Layla, I'm sorry about everything, I-!"

"I'm sorry, Sirzechs-sama... I accept your apologies, I hold no remorse against you or your actions over the last few hundred years, I loved you... but... I belong to Richter-sama now, and I hope you understand" Once again her words were blunt, in her eyes that looked at me there was no love anymore, I can't believe I'm losing her... it was then that four hundred years of marriage began to dawn at me, what have I been doing for her during these years?

"But you're my maid!" I screamed in disbelief, making her frown and give a step back, I wanted to apologise for my outburst but she beat me to it.

"I know, but I can't stay with you like we used to, understand... t-this was all... brought by yourself".

I couldn't beat those words, when I thought about all these years with her I realised how bad of a husband I have been... focused on fighting whatever man Aphrodite slept with in order to cope with Grayfia's abandonment... I had this gem by my side all this time, and I... never realised.

"Layla, I love you..." I confessed, it felt like for the first time I was saying those words to her genuinely, hoping that she'd realise it and reconsider.

"..." Her shivering and biting of lips made me hope, but she steeled herself and shut down all of my hopes, I insisted...

"I can forget this happened... I-I could even allow him as your lover just as I allow Aphrodite hers... this is how we can keep our relationship long-lasting, right? for Millicas' sake" am I desperate? why do I feel like... I can't lose her? I'm willing to throw aphrodite away, but not her... is it all the warmth she has provided me? the fact that her embrace was there for me all this time?

Am I afraid to lose this? I see... yesterday, it wasn't Aphrodite's embrace that I desired, it was Layla's.

"I'm sorry, Sirzechs... but aside from Richter-sama, I need no one else. Those raunchy devil practices of adultery and swapping are not something I want to partake in. I love my son dearly and we can come to an arrangement until he grows up, Millicas is not at fault for his parent's issues and I don't want his childhood to be spent in frustration over his parents having separated so early".

"..." The more she spoke, the more my heart broke, because she was not addressing my feelings... she was merely addressing Millicas' situation, discarding my feelings.

"I hope I can stay as your Queen and public wife for as long as he is not an adult, then we can part our ways; but you and I shall never sleep together again, not in the same room, not in any way... my body belongs to Richter-sama".

"And your heart? who does it belong to?" I asked her, frowning... hoping that at least this she'd answer honestly.

Layla bit her lips once again refusing to answer, but then she exhaled and looked at me with resolution.

"Richter-sama... it belongs to him as well, so please... desist, don't repeat the same scene; because if you touch me... I can't guarantee your life anymore. Someone that Richter-sama allowed to live once, he won't allow again".

I couldn't believe it, how could he have tainted her mind so much with a single night?!

"Is this what will become of us?"

"Yes, I wholeheartedly desire to spend the rest of my life with him, but my son with you is my son with you, what I have with him is something different".

"I see, then thanks for everything, Layla".

"You too, Sirzechs, it wasn't fun..."

Those words were delivered with such chill that I couldn't help but laugh in self-mockery, the weight of blame is unprecedented.

"Are you still going to do your duties as my maid?" I asked with hope only to see her gaze contort a little.

"As long as they're within the maid realm. I can assist with your work as a satan if that's what you mean, but anything beyond that is impossible... I'm not betraying Richter-sama in any shape or form".

It was like this that with my heart broken; I came to an arrangement with Layla who later departed to our son's room... I lost her forever.

[A/N: Whether Aphrodite is going to be in the harem or not is up to debate, she will play a special role in the DxD Arc, like an antagonist... that said, she and MC will have something (akin to his 'pet') and she will fight for her spot in the harem, whether she makes it or not, even I don't know yet.]