Not much of an April Fool's prankster, so I figured I'd go ahead and proceed with a Grayfia chap, add a bit more meat to it (details at the end of the chapter). New poll's still up, easily until April 3rd 2021 at 3 P.M. PST.. Should I reveal the winner of the poll before the next chapter from now on? That said, here's the current line-up for the upcoming chapters:

- April 2nd: The Model (Issei x Penemue)

- April 3rd: Winner of the current poll

- April ?: Runner-up of the current poll, unless results call otherwise.

Without futher ado, more info at the end of the chapter, and I hope you enjoy.

"In a world that only remembers the result, we're bound to make the same mistakes."

- ?

"Issei, do you have a 4?" a red-haired child asked as he was seated on a cushion, his legs crossed as he looked at the cards in his hand.

"Go fish," Issei answered, watching the red-eyed child get a card from the deck that was in front of them. Grayfia had returned to the parlor but with a different intent: handling paperwork. While the other servants of the Gremory household were more than willing to help her with Millicas from time to time, but the recent turn of events had them working double-time, the same going for the Gremory family. Despite her occupation as maid to the Gremories, her responsibilities as Queen came first and foremost, leading to the oh-so dreaded paperwork.

While her son was well-behaved, Sirzechs had been far too busy at the moment, and she did not enjoy the feeling of leaving their son alone.

"Do you have a King?" the brunette teen asked, only receiving a 'go fish' from the boy. She was glad the teen's skills in handling children were just as good as handling clients, for it meant that her son would not only be occupied, but also that he would have fun. Such a concept was rare given the ever-shifting nature of the supernatural world, and despite devils being associated with sin and pleasure, the red tape went unmentioned. Watching the two bond over a game of cards was odd, as she did not recall the last time her son had bonded with someone her age. In fact... had he ever interacted with children his age?

No, that could wait. The Underworld needed Sirzechs and the other Maou, and by extension her. As she rubbed her eyes, she looked on as the two got up, her son headed toward the table while the butler made his way through a second door. He returned time later with a bowl of macaroni and cheese along with a cup of soda. Such meals were frowned upon in Devil society, to those who knew of them at least. The wonder on her child's face over such simplicity left her in a duality of sorts. If she were to let him eat such a thing, she would receive flak from those around her, which would then lead to him receiving said flak. If she told him to refuse, it would be the first of many doubts in his mind, slowly being stripped away of all until his will was stripped, for there would be nothing left to take away.

Devil society be damned, let her be the judge of her child's upbringing.

"Do you want some, mom?" Millicas asked, offering her the fork. Now she was the one in doubt, taking in the cheesy substance accompanied by the fizzy drink. Last time she had a craving for 'commoner food' was over churros, which lead to being reprimanded by her mother. Her brother covered for her, also being on the receiving end of the scolding. That had been far before the war of the three factions, could she allow herself to indulge in said treats? Well, might as well let her son have it... after she tasted it herself. The flavor of the cheese was not unwelcome, as it overwhelmed her. Her hand trembled, tears threatening to spill. Was it silly for her to weep over a meal, or was it due to the memories of years and bonds past? Quickly gathering her composure, she reached into her bag and covered the bill, also leaving a generous tip before leaving with her son.

This was so frustrating, so alienating, so why was she annoyed at the bowl of mac and cheese of all things? Had she been willing to put Millicas through the same trouble she had? Had her attempts to dispose of her stress only amplified it? Ushering her son into his room, she made her way back into hers, taking a seat on her bed and resting her head in her hands. The more she thought about it, the more she feared becoming like her parents. Perhaps in her attempts to avoid becoming like them, she had instead adopted their ideals, bit by bit. The thought of it was repulsive, especially how she had given up a way of life to then pursue her first love. That did not end well, yet she vowed to be a better mother than her parents were and perhaps bury the hatchet with her brother, who had stayed behind.

Work and relaxation were opposites for a reason, and this time she felt as if she was at fault: rather than spend her time with her child, who was acting much like an average child should, she had gone towards the tea and her job/duties. The line had become blurry, and she had a hand in it. Making up her mind, she made her way to her son's room, knocking on it. She was then greeted by him, and entered on her own accord.

"Is something wrong, mother?" he asked, looking up at her slightly concerned.

"No, Millicas. Well, yes. I apologize for what happened earlier," she answered, taking a seat on the bed along with him.

"It's okay, mother. Was it your job, or father?"

"... Neither, I should've been spending time with you yet I failed to do so," the silver-haired maid replied.

"It's okay, father explained it to me," he said, looking away as a frown was on his face. The look on his face tore at her a bit, as it took her back to the days of the war. She did not like the prospect of war, and the same could be said for her fellow fighters. Aside from casualties, adapting to everyday life was somewhat jarring, as their new 'norm' had dissolved, and now they had to try and return to a society that in part had moved on from them. There were no battlefields to spend the night in, and yet there were family members who spent more time involved in their jobs than with family. The thought of this habit continuing was horrid, would her own son grow up and become horrible? In her negligence Euclid ended up as part of the Old Satan Faction, and now she was repeating said negligence with Millicas of all people.

Negligence, one of the roots of all misfortune. There were cases where people chose to deflect or even avoid the problem altogether. A nail lead to a lost war, and avoiding protocol lead to an array of losses in terms of lives and money. Mankind had witnessed it firsthand with a cruise in Italy, a nursery in Mexico, so on and so forth. At this rate, did humans learn from the supernatural, or was it the other way around?

"No, no it is not. Millicas, next time we go to Pennyworth's, I will leave my paperwork behind, just you, me, and Issei... that is if he's available," she answered, resting a hand on her back.

"Okay mom, I can't wait to tell my grandparents about this!" he said, excitement evident on his face.

"Keep it to yourself for now, why don't you go over your magic training, hmm? We can ask Rias to see if she can come over," she suggested, with him rushing towards the bookshelf as a response.

"Yes mother, please bring her over!" he said, hopping up and down. A small smile now present on her face, she could now use this time to provide him familial company. Sure, it went against what she thought earlier, but the prospect of having some time alone did not sound too bad. She could always ask Rias to bring Akeno, the priestess was excellent company if one excluded the sadistic tendencies.

And that's a wrap, I thank you for the wait, which leads me to a few concerns:

1. Should I make these chapters around 1-1.5k, or push for 2-3k?

2. What would be a good ratio for recurring 'one-shots' and new ones, a new one every 3 or 4 chapters?

For further feedback, questions, one-shot suggestions or quote suggestions feel free to comment, send me a PM or reply in the poll (which you can find on my profile page). Thank you for reading, and I hope you have a safe weekend.