“So, Mother, would you be kind enough to enlighten your daughter, who has apparently been unaware that her mother is *royalty*?” Roxanne asked with a sweet smile. It was a smile that made Azazel’s spiingle as old memories flooded back.

  *Yeah, she’s definitely her daughter,* Azazel thought, sweating nervously. He wasn’t alone in feeling that way. Many who had faced *that* smile from Azrael in the past instinctively felt a deep-rooted fear, even if the smile wasn’t directed at them.

  Azrael, clearly trying to defuse the tension, giggled lightly. “I may have fotten to mention that... tehee!” she said, attempting to act cute.

  Roxanne rubbed her forehead, trying to ease the sudden headache her mother’s nonce caused. “*Sigh*... Please, just expin, Mother.”

  Azrael hummed, p for a moment. “Where to start... Ah! As I mentioned before, I was the sed ao fall from Heaven, the first being your father. But uhe others, I wasn’t banished by the system. I left of my own accord, so I didn’t suffer the traumatic loss of faith like the others did.

  "When Azazel and the other fallen were bahey were too broken to survive in the unknown. So, I took them under my wing and gave them shelter in the Underworld. After a while, they began to see me as their leader, their queen, because I was their savior.

  “At first, I didn’t mind. I figured it gave them a sense of purpose. But over time, the small group I protected grew, and before I k, Grigori was founded, and I became its official ruler. Even though I was their leader, I had no i in running things day-to-day, so I appointed Azazel as governor a up a gover system with a vice governor and chief officer to handle everything.

  “Sihey were petent, I rarely had to get involved. Eventually, it just slipped my mind that I was their queen,” Azrael finished with a nont shrug.

  Roxaared at her mother, taking it all in before letting out anh. “Mother, I have many things I’d like to retort, but I get the gist of it. Still, you do realize it’s not easy to keep subordinates loyal with a system like that, right?”

  Azrael tilted her head, looking genuinely fused. “Eh? But it *is* easy,” she said ily.

  Roxanne’s pride took a hit at that, remembering her own struggles with managing subordinates. “Your charisma is just as absurd as Father’s,” she mumbled, recalling how her father had led a rebellion against her grandfather in his own kingdom.

  Azazel, still kneeling, finally spoke up awkwardly. “Yhness, while I guess who this young dy is, would you kindly enlighten me?”

  “ht!” Azrael excimed. “Azazel, meet my daughter, Roxanne Lucifer. Roxahis is Azazel, the governor of the fallen angels and the sed stro after me.”

  Azazel’s eyes widened in shock. “Lucifer... wait, that makes the princess a natural hybrid—part of the devil royal family... Wait—could it be that the rumors were about *her*?” He mumbled the st part to himself, but both Roxanne and Azrael heard him clearly.

  Azrael’s voice turned icy. “What kind of rumors?”

  Azazel gulped nervously. “Well, a few years ago, we got ihat a *Lucifer* otted in Japan, near Kouh. At first, I thought it was Vali, my adopted son, but after questioning him, he denied leaving his home. It remained a mystery... until now.”

  “Oh, that must’ve been when I escaped from Rizevim,” Roxanne said casually, before realizing her slip.

  Azrael turo her daughter with a dangerously sweet smile. “Sweetie, could you eborate a bit more on that?”

  Roxanne sweated nervously. She had old her mother about her past, not wantio feel guilty for not proteg her. But now, it seemed that decision had backfired. With a sigh, she began to expin, providing as few details as possible to avoid provoking her mother’s wrath.

  When Roxanne fihe room fell into a tense silehen, a suffog killing i filled the air, so intehat even Roxan a chill down her spine. Azrael’s usually calm purple eyes glowed dangerously.

  “Azazel,” she said, her voice colder than Roxanne had ever heard.

  “Yes, Yhness?” Azazel responded immediately, still kneeling.

  “tact Michael and tell him I want my physical body back. I don’t care how you do it—just make sure I have it in three days. Then, summon all the cadres and personnel out on duty. We’re vening a war cil. It’s time to hunt down the bastard who dared harm my daughter, their princess.”

  “I shall do as you and, My Queen,” Azazel said with utmost reverence.

  Roxanne, sensing where things were headed, cpped her hands to get their attention. “Mom, I appreciate the se, but please don’t cause too muotion before the peace treaty is signed. Sed, there’s o threaten Michael—I was already pnning to visit Heaven to retrieve your body. And stly, I’d prefer if you left Rizevim to *me*. He’s *my* prey.”

  Her golden eyes glowed with determination as she spoke.

  Azrael’s expression softened. “Sweety...” After a moment of thought, she relented. “Fine. You have him, but only if you find him before I do. If not, he’s mine.”

  Roxanne smiled wryly. “Deal.”

  Azrael hugged her daughter tightly, her skill with souls allowio physically embrace Roxane her non-corporeal form. “My sweety is the best!”

  After their heartwarming exge, Azazel led them to his study for a more formal discussion. Roxanne addressed Azazel once more. “As for Rizevim, proceed with your inal pn. Use this io push the peace treaty betweehree fas. If there’s aance from the devils, inform me, and I’ll ha. I’m sure Heaven won’t oppose it.”

  After pausing for a moment, she asked, “What’s the current attitude within Grigori toward the peace treaty?”

  Azazel’s response was swift. “Yhness worry. If Her Majesty anded us to bee farmers, every fallen angel would bee a farmer.”

  Roxanne was taken aback. *Wow, maybe my mother’s charisma is even more terrifying than my father’s. This is starting to feel like a cult,* she thought.

  As they ed up their meeting, Roxanne remembered something. “Hey, Azazel, I’ve been curious—how did you guys sense my mother’s presence? I thought the fallen didn’t have soul-trag methods.”

  Azrael chimed in. “It’s due to the blood tract they signed with me. It’s simir to the e the Lucifuge household had with Lucifer. They instinctively sense when I’m near.”

  Roxanne nodded in uanding, having experienced simir tracts before. “I see.”

  As their versation wound down, Roxauro her mother. “Mom, do you want to stay here and catch up with Azazel, or will you e with me?”

  Azrael thought for a moment before answering. “I’ll stay here for another hour or so. You go on ahead.”

  Nodding, Roxaeleported away, leaving Azrael and Azazel to their own devices.

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