#103

Dantalion wore a leisurely smile as he leaned in close to her face.

'You'll need my help.'

At that moment, Catherine felt a profound sadness about her situation—she couldn't flatly declare that she didn't need him.

The guidebook had clearly stated it: If problems arose or help was needed, call upon the demon Dantalion. He'd appear anytime, anywhere.

But Catherine couldn't easily follow the guidebook's advice.

'How can I trust you?'

Out of all the demons in the world, why this rat... no, green-headed one?

Dantalion sighed with an expression of disbelief.

"My lady, you are truly astonishingly ignorant. If you can't trust me, then whom? That fool Sir Demian? The cute Miss Roze? Or the talking cat?"

"It's not a talking cat—it's a gargoyle."

"Gargoyle, whatever. Surely not the Ocean Dominator? The first two, maybe, but the last one? Absolutely not. You know why without me saying it."

Mentioning Chezare plunged her back into deep gloom.

He would have noticed that a new Lilith had been born. But Chezare hadn't shown his face all day.

After waiting 600 years? After saying he'd take responsibility even if he became an earthworm or a pine tree?

His attitude had changed overnight, and it hurt—too much.

Regardless of her melancholy, the green-headed one continued with his spiel.

"Demons have three ways of living. Die after living out their natural lifespan. Extend their life by absorbing human souls. Or parasitize a stronger demon."

The last case brought Remor and Queen to mind.

'Would they even show up if I called now?'

She didn't want to test it. They definitely wouldn't come.

As Catherine stood there blankly, the green head wrinkled his nose and asked,

"Are you crying?"

"I'm not."

Catherine had only cried at birth. She probably hadn't shed a tear since, judging by how she couldn't remember the last time.

Hmm. Crossing his arms, Dan gazed down at the top of her head before quietly pushing open the mansion's front gate. Any thought of warning him not to barge in had long vanished. Demons were capricious by nature, after all.

"Lilith."

Dantalion took Catherine's hand and knelt before her. In a heavy voice she'd never heard from him before, he spoke.

Surprisingly—truly surprisingly—those few short words brought Catherine no small comfort.

Demons didn't lie. Of course, Chezare's vow to "be together forever" had been torn to shreds and reduced to confetti, but strictly speaking, that outcome was tied more to Catherine's fate.

If losing Chezare is my destiny... then can't I just bear that fate and start over?

Time's on my side, after all.

Catherine felt the stuffiness in her head clear up completely.

Distance could be closed again. He wouldn't treat her like a nonexistent demon just because they'd parted ways.

...Would he?

Nah, even if he ignores me, he won't go as far as killing me over the hassle.

...Will he?

No way. He's still kin, after all—he won't be that ruthless.

"Excuse me, my liege? Ignoring a demon who's sworn loyalty is a bit much, don't you think?"

His disgruntled tone drew an involuntary chuckle from Catherine.

She'd probably feel down often. Whenever she thought of Chezare, with whom she'd parted (though that phrasing made it sound like a breakup after dating, which it wasn't). Whenever she thought of her mother, who'd trampled her will. And whenever she thought of the disobedient Demian.

But time would heal it all. She was a body that lived for 1,000 years, not a mere 10.

"Fine. I'll trust you—so do something about that chewed-up weed color of your hair. What kind of butler has hair that stands out like that?"

At her reasonable scolding, Dantalion slowly rose from his knelt position. He pressed a brief kiss to the back of her hand he'd been holding.

Then, with the most innocent eyes, as if he'd been waiting for this, he replied,

"Sorry, but no. It's my trademark."

Rebels, all of them!

From that day on, Dantalion—no, Dan—became the fifth resident of the mansion after Fontpado Madam.

She worried the place might turn into a rebel farm... ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠but what could she do? She couldn't deny that Dan was the one she needed most right now.

"Shall we stop here?"

Snapping back to reality, she sat up. Dan had gone quiet at some point and was now sitting by the window, gazing at the distant sky.

End the lesson here? That tenacious guy? No way.

"Forgot? Tomorrow's the day."

Ah.

'Already tomorrow, huh.'

Three days ago, Catherine had sensed something off from the demon summoning circle, Marcus Circle.

Curious, she'd gone down to the basement. The Marcus Circle announced, "My liege, a message has arrived from the Abyss." Above the glowing red magic circle floated a luxurious letter.

Catherine carefully took the letter. No sender was listed. Instead, the recipient field read Lilith.

The contents were succinct.

The Archdemons' social gatherings seemed more organized than expected.

With a subtle feeling she couldn't quite put into words, Catherine pocketed the letter and said,

"Marcus, were you... originally a mailbox?"

So the Archdemons communicated like this among themselves. Good to learn something new.

Recalling the letter's contents, she asked Dan,

"Besides days like this when a new Archdemon is born, do you gather periodically?"

"Once every hundred years for a banquet, from what I've heard. Skipping it incurs a penalty."

"They even have penalties? So thorough."

"Otherwise, hardly anyone would show up."

Tomorrow evening. At the appointed time in the Abyss, she'd meet Chezare.

It had been a whole week—the longest separation since their contract.

The Archdemon social wasn't tense, but thinking of reuniting with him made her heart flutter just a bit.

Last night, she'd barely slept, mulling over "Seven Ways to Deal with Heartless Chezare."

"Once greetings are done, there are many issues to handle. Really, a lot."

Dantalion's eyes sharpened as he looked skyward.

"With 6,666 hours of lectures ahead, sure, plenty."

"That's not even a blip. The real issue is that not a single one of your lady's demons has visited in the past week."

Not grasping his point, Catherine quietly shut her mouth, so Dan continued.

"You're not served by just me. There should be three more in my position... but over a week, not a peep."

"Three more like you? Can't I just stick with you?"

Yaong, Demian, Fontpado Madam, Dan—and three more ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠oddballs? (She excluded the diligent Roze.) Wouldn't that be the real problem?

Dan shrugged dismissively.

"Four is actually quite few. Among Archdemons, only the Ocean Dominator has fewer than your mother. The Sky Dominator has over a hundred."

Over a hundred suggested they weren't living together.

'More like a god-subordinate relationship, like with Chezare.'

Then the reason Lilith's demons hadn't come was easy to guess.

"They don't accept me?"

Dan nodded.

"Most likely. They've lost their minds."

Hmm. Good thing she had a gift for times like this.

Catherine pulled the guidebook from her bag. Her mother might have betrayed her, but the guidebook wouldn't.

She flipped to the fourth chapter: "4. How to Command Subordinate Demons," scanning down to "What to Do When a Servant Disobeys."

Simpler than expected.

After a moment's thought, Catherine asked Dan,

"Not confident in subjugating, so should I just kill?"

Peeking at the guidebook over her shoulder, Dan laughed.

"Usually it's the other way around, no? Besides, the Catherine I know isn't the type to kill anyone."

"Means I need to scare 'em that much."

"Killing's fine, but you'd need to recruit other demons to fill the spots. Right now, you're like a chick fresh from the egg—you need protectors. So for now, even if it's a hassle, coax them to your side. Easier that way."

In short: subjugate them.

'I don't even know the extent of my own power yet.'

Should she use magic right up to the brink of death, like fanning flames?

"Sigh. Such a pain..."

This was why she hadn't wanted to become Lilith. Pre-Lilith her would've been tickling Yaong's paw jelly by now.

With the guidebook open, she checked another curiosity. The core line piercing the third chapter: "3. How to Get Along Happily with Other Archdemons."

Was her mother just too lazy to even think?

"Dan."

"Yes."

"Archdemons are usually indifferent to each other?"

How else could you get that answer?

Glancing at the guidebook, Dan replied to her question.

"Well... precisely, they become indifferent. After spending eternity together."

Dan stared at her profile.

"Hmm. Come to think of it, this is your first time facing the Ocean Dominator as an Archdemon. Worried?"

She'd be lying if she said no.

"Be careful. He's the longest-lived, strongest Archdemon—merciless to all beings. The silver lining is he doesn't seek to dominate or rule."

It didn't match the Chezare she knew even a speck. Maybe a bit like Mars.

"Don't talk back—be meek and obedient. At least for now. He's an unmatched powerhouse in this era."

Dan was coldly comparing her to Chezare as Archdemon to Archdemon.

Only then did it truly sink in: she and Chezare now stood as equals.