Chapter 527: The Difference Between Liking and Loving, The Abnormal Demons
Lucifer stood in the doorway of the bedroom, her lips twitching in a mix of exasperation and sheer disbelief. Modeus was completely buried beneath the thick duvet, clutching the edges so tightly that only her flushed face and darting eyes were visible against the pillows. Good heavens, the aftermath of this was simply beyond absurd.
Hearing the soft click of the door, Modeus didn't even look up. "Ren, you're back," she murmured, her voice a raspy, exhausted whisper. "Where's my water? My throat is burning so much..."
Lucifer's eyelid twitched. She stepped further into the room, and Modeus blindly extended a pale, trembling arm from beneath the covers, expecting a glass. Lucifer glanced down at the outstretched hand and playfully slapped her wrist.
Modeus immediately shrank back, a heavy pout forming on her lips. "Ren! You hit me! No, no, wait... I wasn't ready yet!"
Lucifer tilted her head, crossing her arms. The Lust Demon was truly a strange creature. After a long moment of silence, Modeus finally realized that 'Ren' hadn't said a word. She cautiously turned her head and found Lucifer sitting on the edge of the bed, right where Ren had been earlier, staring down at her with a thoroughly unimpressed expression.
Modeus gasped, instantly retreating deeper into the safety of the blankets. "Boss! Why are you here?!"
Lucifer reached out and lightly tapped the lump in the covers where Modeus's head was hiding. "Nonsense. I am the mistress of this shop. Where else would I be?"
Perhaps fueled by the lingering adrenaline of the night, Modeus suddenly found a surge of courage. She popped her head out from the duvet, her eyes flashing with defiance. "Hmph! I'm a mistress here too! Boss, your rank might be higher than mine down in Hell, but in this shop, we are absolute equals! I'll definitely make Ren like me even more than he likes you!"
Lucifer blinked, genuinely stunned by the outburst. The silence stretched for a few seconds before a soft, elegant smile graced the Queen of Hell's lips. "I must admit, I'm surprised to hear you say that, Modeus. But... I am truly relieved. To think there would actually come a day when you could speak your mind so boldly."
Modeus was taken aback by the gentle response. The defensive tension drained from her shoulders, and she let out a sheepish chuckle, awkwardly scratching the back of her head. "Boss... since you said we're sisters in this shop, can I ask you a question?"
"Ask whatever you wish."
"Well..." Modeus hesitated, her gaze dropping to the sheets. "Do you know the difference between 'like'and'love'?"
Lucifer fell silent, pondering the weight of the question. It was a concept she had never truly needed to articulate before. She knew with absolute certainty that what she felt for Ren was love, a deep and anchoring devotion, yet putting it into words felt entirely foreign to her demonic nature.
After a long, quiet moment, Lucifer's gaze softened. "Like is... a racing heartbeat. But love, on the other hand, is peace."
She offered a faint, self-deprecating smile. "This is the first time I've ever really thought about it, so I don't have a perfect answer. But I suppose... when you like someone, your heart races when you see them. It's an intoxicating rush, but it's fleeting. It eventually calms down."
Lucifer looked toward the bedroom door, her voice dropping to a gentle murmur. "But loving someone... it changes you. As long as they are by your side, you feel an absolute, unshakable sense of security. You might not obsess over them every waking second when they're gone, but the moment you have a quiet second to yourself, you feel an ache—a quiet realization that a piece of your life is missing. Simply put, they become an inseparable part of your very existence. Your final destination. As long as you are standing in front of the one you love, all your fears, your anxieties, your darkest doubts... they simply vanish."
Modeus blinked slowly, her lust-filled eyes wide with quiet awe. "I don't completely understand it... but it sounds incredibly deep."
"deep, yet difficult to grasp?"
"What does that mean?"
Lucifer chuckled, shaking her head. "It doesn't matter. What does matter is that Mr. Ren has been standing at the door for quite some time, and his little wife is currently dying of thirst."
Ren stepped into the room, a steaming mug held carefully in his hands. He walked over, lightly tapping the top of Lucifer's head with his free hand, a dry smile on his face. "As expected of the Queen of Hell. You deliver quite the captivating speech. Though, you are awfully casual about redefining the concept of 'sins'."
Lucifer paused, thinking over his words. "Perhaps it's simply because finding someone to love forces a person to change."
"I think it's more akin to the release of your true, natural instincts," Ren replied smoothly.
Lucifer's face flushed, and she swatted at Ren's arm in exasperation. What was that supposed to mean? Was he implying she was inherently this soft, but had just been suppressing her true nature all these centuries? He made it sound as if she used to be a complete idiot!
Ignoring the Queen's glare, Ren sat on the edge of the bed. Modeus immediately sat up, wrapping the blanket around her bare shoulders, and eagerly accepted the mug. She took a large gulp, then paused, her brow furrowing in confusion. "Eh? What kind of water is this? It's a little sweet, but also a bit strange... slightly earthy. But it's delicious!"
Lucifer leaned in, looking equally curious at the amber liquid.
Ren smiled, his tone gentle. "It's a herbal brew. I used Malva nut to moisten your lungs and soothe your throat, along with some goji berries to replenish your qi and blood. I was worried you wouldn't like the medicinal taste, so I dissolved a tiny bit of rock sugar into it."
Modeus hugged the warm ceramic mug to her chest, a sudden, overwhelming warmth blooming in her heart that had nothing to do with the tea. She had only asked for a simple glass of water because she had been screaming herself hoarse all night, yet Ren had taken the time to carefully brew a remedy specifically for her recovery. The sheer depth of his attentiveness left her feeling entirely cherished.
Lucifer watched the exchange, a knowing smirk returning to her lips. "You certainly know how to strike while the iron is hot. As expected of you."
"Don't try to assign me any strange passive traits," Ren replied without missing a beat. "I spent a long time taking care of you back then, too."
Lucifer crossed her arms, her haughty demeanor flaring up. "Then why didn't you keep it up? Now, all you do is annoy me every single day! Just as I thought, once a man finally gets what he wants, he stops appreciating it! Hmph!"
"There's more in the pot downstairs. Go pour yourself a cup."
"Fine. Just wait right there."
Ren didn't move. He knew exactly what Lucifer's indignant 'hmph'actually meant. Over the years, he had been forced to master a variety of highly specific, unspoken languages from the women in his life. He was fluent in Izumi Sagiri's'rolling on the floor'language, Nakiri Mana's'hmm hmm'food-induced humming language, and, of course, Lucifer's signature'hmph' language.
Her 'hmph' was a direct translation for: I also want you to pour a cup for me and bring it to my hands.
Ren was entirely certain that he was the only man alive capable of translating the Queen of Hell's subtle demands. Lucifer was always secretly delighted by his comprehension skills, especially since half the time she didn't even consciously realize what she wanted until Ren had already placed it right in front of her.
Setting the tea aside, Lucifer looked back at the bed, her brow furrowing in genuine confusion. "What exactly happened to Modeus? Back when it was my turn, I still had the energy to go for a walk at night. Why does she look like a withered vegetable?"
Ren and Modeus simultaneously shifted their gazes toward the floor near the nightstand. Lucifer followed their line of sight.
Her eyes widened, her eyelid twitching violently as she stared at the scattered array of leather and specialized equipment. She looked back at Ren in absolute disbelief. "What?! You actually used torture..."
"No, I didn't!" Modeus protested immediately, her face burning red as she pouted. "Ren was very good to me!"
Lucifer rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. "Ren. Step outside for a moment."
A few minutes later, the bedroom door opened, and Lucifer stepped out into the hallway. She leaned against the wall, a thoroughly helpless expression on her beautiful face. "Only Modeus would be so entirely devoted to you. Usually, she's the one holding the whip and dishing out the punishment... this is the very first time I've ever seen the roles reversed, and she actually enjoyed it. You truly are a menace."
Ren leaned against the opposite wall, letting out a long, heavy sigh. "Honestly... how many more abnormal demons do you have waiting down in Hell?"
"Uh... the rest of them..."
Lucifer trailed off, mentally running through her roster. The remaining demons... there was the chain-smoking, foul-mouthed Zdrada, who certainly couldn't be classified as normal. And then there was the High Prosecutor, Judgment. Well, as long as Judgment couldn't physically overpower Ren, she supposed it wouldn't be a catastrophic problem.
Deep down, the Queen of Hell had to admit—every single one of her subjects was a complete disaster.
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