Max teleported directly into Octavia's hallway with a ripple of shadow. He didn't bother masking his arrival; anyone in the Goetia manor already assumed he was an Overlord, and Goetias weren't exactly subtle beings anyway.
From his memories—the ones restored, fractured, and confusing—both Stolas and Octavia believed he was simply an unusually powerful sinner-turned-Overlord. It was part of the condition for dating a Goetia: power enough to protect her, status enough to not embarrass the family, and loyalty enough to not be intimidated by their politics.
He knocked on her door—once, softly.
He barely finished the second knock before the door swung open and Octavia practically fell into him, arms tight around his waist.
"Finally!" she breathed, feathers trembling. "We're going somewhere, right? I can't stand it here. They're screaming again."
A sharp, bitter shriek echoed from the far end of the manor:
"STOOOLAAAS!"
Stella's voice rattled the chandeliers.
Max exhaled. "I'm surprised how much you tolerate from that bitch," he muttered. "But she's your mother, so… I won't interfere. Not yet."
Octavia's grip loosened slightly, enough for him to see the tear collecting at the corner of her eye. He brushed it away with his thumb, and she leaned into his hand.
"Come on," he said softly. "I think it's still night in the human world. Sunrise should be soon. Want to go watch it with me?"
Her eyes lit up instantly. "Yes. Please."
Max opened a portal, and the two stepped onto a quiet hillside overlooking a sleeping forest. The air was cool, crisp, filled with the stillness only Earth could offer. Fireflies drifted lazily through the grass.
With a flick of his hand, Max summoned a blanket and a small picnic—simple food, soft cushions, and a thermos of something warm. Octavia sat beside him, hugging her knees, gaze fixed on the star-filled sky.
She was trembling.
He wrapped his arm around her, and his tail instinctively curled around her waist. She didn't seem to mind; in fact, she relaxed into him.
"I'm just…" she whispered, "so tired of all the yelling. That's all they do. All they've done for years."
Max nodded slowly. "Parents argue. That's normal. But your situation… yeah, it's worse. Way worse. Still—your father does care about you. More than anything." He paused. "Your mother, though… I personally can't stand her. Doesn't seem like she's even trying anymore."
He telekinetically floated a sandwich toward her. She accepted it with a small, weary smile.
"I hope… we can still see the Stars of Azathoth," she murmured. "Dad promised we would. A long time ago."
Max looked up at the sky, then back at her.
"I promise you," he said, tightening his arm around her, "I'll get you and your father to see those stars. By any means."
He waved his hand.
The clouds above them tore apart, revealing a glittering cascade of stars, each one shimmering with unnatural clarity. The sky looked carved open for them alone.
Octavia gasped, her pupils dilating. "Amazing! I didn't know magic like that existed."
She shifted closer, resting her head on his shoulder, and Max felt his heart thump unevenly.
"I, uh… found a Grimoire," he lied smoothly. "Hidden in the Sloth Ring. All kinds of weird spells, some weather-based. Thought I'd try one."
A complete fabrication. The only grimoire related to what he did was locked under the category of ultimate skills—and he wasn't even sure it technically obeyed magic rules. But she didn't question him.
She sighed, relaxing fully for the first time in hours. "Thank you. At least I have a boyfriend who can deal with me."
"Hey." Max turned her chin gently so she'd look at him. "You're never too much. I mean it. I'm a sinner—you're royalty. Charlie even more so. Technically, I'm below all of you. And yet… you love me. Enough to sign the contract."
Octavia's feathers fluffed slightly in embarrassment.
"Speaking of which," Max continued, "what clause did you add? I never checked. I kind of forgot that part existed."
The Harem Contract allowed each girl to add one personal clause—a condition or promise unique to them. The old Max had never looked at them, and the new Max realized he had no clue what each girl had chosen.
Octavia took a bite of her sandwich before shrugging. "I don't remember. It's been months. And we just got back from Extermination vacation. Dad's been busy with… everything."
Max nearly snorted remembering the explicit things Stolas had been saying over the phone just hours earlier.
"Yeah," he muttered. "I bet."
The horizon began to glow faintly. Octavia stood up, watching the sunrise with wide, reverent eyes. Max had chosen a rural location—no city lights, no interruptions. Just sky and silence.
When the first rays of gold touched her feathers, she closed her eyes and smiled softly.
"Thank you," she whispered. "It's… beautiful."
She knelt down and wrapped her arms around him. Max hugged her back, tail wagging uncontrollably behind him—which she absolutely noticed.
"You're wagging," she teased.
"I have no control over it," he muttered.
"Still cute."
Max coughed, embarrassed. "W-well. Let's head back. Pretty sure your parents are done screaming at each other by now."
He dismissed the picnic with a gesture, but created a small bundle of sandwiches for her to take. Octavia accepted them gratefully.
"You're pretty good for a sinner," she said with a tiny smirk.
Max opened a portal, stepped through—
—and immediately collided with a tall feathery chest.
He looked up.
Stolas stood there, cloak ruffled, expression decidedly unpleasant.
Octavia rolled her eyes and hurried past him into her room before the incoming argument detonated.
Stolas folded his arms.
His eyes glowed faintly.
And Max knew:
This was about to get interesting.