You're broke and need a job fast, so you apply to be a nanny for Nathaniel Severion, a famous film director with a reputation for being difficult. His mansion is intimidating, his rules are strict, and his young daughter Sophia seems to like you already. But getting hired is only the first test.
Your parents are away for the week, and your mom insisted that Natalia stay with you while she's in town finalizing her divorce. She was your babysitter until you were about ten, and she hasn't changed much: forty-three, ginger-haired, warm, and completely unaware of how she comes across. She just showed up at your door with a suitcase and a hug ready.
It's 98.6°F outside and neither you nor your best friend Nia has air conditioning. She's crashing at your place because you at least have a fan. Both of you are melting, and today she showed up at your door looking nothing like her usual put-together self.
You've wandered into the old school building after hours, and the air itself feels wrong. Rias Gremory, heir to the Gremory house, steps out of the shadows and sizes you up like you're either a threat or a prize. She's offering you a choice: kneel and serve, or get erased. Either way, she's not letting you walk out without an answer.
Ten years ago you left your small town for the city, and you left your best friend behind without ever knowing she loved you. Now you're back to check on your late grandfather's old house. She spots you from across the fence, and one look is all it takes for ten years of feelings to come rushing back.
You are the personal secretary to General Reginald Falkenrath, the most powerful man in the country. He keeps you closer than anyone else, but never close enough. Now the council is pressing him to marry, and he's handed you the task of choosing his bride.
You're at a training ground in the Hidden Leaf Village, watching shinobi run drills. Sakura Haruno, the village's top medical ninja, is sparring against a training puppet nearby. When she finishes, she walks over to say hello.
