In the depths of Hell, Lucifer sat upon his throne, a cold smile spreading across his face as he gazed at Vox, who cowered before him in a deep bow. Lucifer's red eyes blazed with fury, and Vox trembled with fear, his sweat-drenched body frozen in place. He dared not lift his gaze, fearful that meeting Lucifer's eyes would reduce him to ashes.

  Lucifer chuckled, a low, menacing sound, and crossed his legs, adopting his signature posture: hand under chin, exuding an air of calm calculation. With his other hand, he beckoned Vox to rise. Vox hesitated, his eyes darting upwards to meet Lucifer's, and he felt his heart quail at the intensity of the demon king's gaze.

  "How did you acquire that letter, Vox?" Lucifer growled, his voice low and menacing. Vox's sweat dripped profusely as he trembled before the throne. Before he could muster a response, Lucifer's warning cut through the air: "Don't even think about deceiving me, Vox. I show no mercy to liars."

  As the tense exchange between Lucifer and Vox hung in the air, Princess Charlie entered the throne room, her curtsy elegant. "Greetings, Your Majesty!" she said, her voice sweet.

  Lucifer's gaze remained fixed on Vox, who dared a brief smile at Charlie. Vox felt Lucifer's piercing stare like a knife to his soul.

  Charlie, oblivious to the undercurrents, approached Lucifer. "My King, I have a request," she said, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

  Lucifer's expression softened, and he smiled warmly at Charlie. "Ask for anything, my dear."

  "I want to see the condition of the people in Hell," Charlie said, her voice filled with compassion. "And I'd like Vox to escort me on this tour."

  Lucifer's smile vanished, and he rose from his throne, his voice thundering. "You will never set foot outside these palace walls!"

  Charlie's eyes flashed with defiance. "But, Your Majesty—"

  Lucifer's growl cut her off. "Enough! This conversation is over. Go to your room, Princess."

  Lucifer sat back down, dismissing Vox with a wave of his hand. Vox retreated to his studio, lost in thought.

  Meanwhile, Charlie stormed into her room, still fuming from her father's outburst. She began to mimic Lucifer's authoritative tone, pointing at Veggie, her friend. "You will never set foot outside the palace."

  Veggie bowed, playing along. "Oh, Your Majesty! I fear I shall suffocate."

  Charlie's eyes gleamed with mischief as she adopted her father's cold demeanor. "You are not permitted to breathe, lowly creature."

  Veggie shivered, despite knowing it was just a game. Charlie burst into laughter, then suddenly asked, "Veggie, are you okay? You look pale."

  Veggie nodded, still shaken. Just then, Alastor knocked on the door. Charlie opened it, and Alastor entered, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on Veggie.

  "Did His Majesty threaten her?" Alastor asked, his brow furrowed with concern.

  Charlie shook her head. "No, we were just playing a game. I was mimicking Father."

  Alastor's face broke into a knowing smile. "You will make a great ruler one day, Charlie."

  Charlie's confusion was evident. She didn't understand the implication behind Alastor's words.

  Charlie settled onto her bed, swinging her legs as Veggie departed. Alastor's smile grew unsettling as he tapped his radio stick on the ground. "Charlie, what have you done now?" he asked, his tone laced with amusement.

  Charlie's nervousness was palpable. "What? Me? No, I haven't done anything."

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Alastor's raised eyebrow belied his persistent smile. Charlie sighed, reluctantly admitting, "I asked Father to let me tour Hell."

  Alastor sat beside her, his voice taking on a possessive tone. "Oh, my sweet Charlie, why did you request Vox as your guide? I thought we had something special."

  As Alastor's gaze locked onto hers, Charlie's face flushed, and she stuttered, "I... Me... You..." Alastor leaned in, his eyes fixed intently on Charlie.

  She kept backing away and Alastor kept coming closer to her. She ended up against the wall. Alastor placed his hand near her so she won't run away. He spoke, his voice low and menacing. "You didn't answer my question, Charlie. Or do you prefer guys with moles and scars?"

  Charlie hesitated, backing away as Alastor closed in. "I just asked for him because he knows everything about Hell," she explained, trying to sound calm. "He even has connections with Heaven."

  Alastor's eyes widened in surprise, and then he burst into a fit of laughter. Charlie pushed him, but he doubled over, his laughter growing louder. Charlie's face reddened with anger.

  "How dare you laugh at the Princess?" she demanded, her voice trembling with indignation.

  Alastor's laughter only intensified as he took in Charlie's pouting face. His eyes sparkled with amusement, and he seemed to be savoring her reaction.

  Alastor wiped away his tears, still chuckling, and sat down beside Charlie, who was still pouting. "It's amusing to see that your little brain can think that far," he said, his voice laced with teasing amusement.

  While Vox convened the meeting of the seven Lords of Hell, he made his way to a prominent building situated at the heart of Hell. The building's facade featured seven distinctive symbols: a peacock's feather, the eyes of a toad, the horns of a goat, the poisonous tongue of a snake, the bloated belly of a pig, the roaring face of a lion, and the shell of a snail.

  When Vox entered, the six other lords were already seated, waiting for him. Seven chairs surrounded the table, each adorned with the symbol of its respective occupant. Vox's chair, marked with the symbol of Pride, held the position of authority. The other lords rolled their eyes, annoyed at his tardiness.

  Lady Rose, whose chair bore the symbol of Gluttony, spoke up, "Lord Vox, why have you summoned us?" Vox remained silent, prompting Volentino, the Lord of Lust, to scoff. His gaze lingered on Angel, who commented, "I'll be envious if you don't answer, Lord Vox."

  Okami, meanwhile, seemed distracted, counting his gold coins while keeping a covetous eye on Rose's food. The atmosphere was disrupted by a spider demon, Karma, who slammed his fist on the table, demanding an explanation for the sudden meeting. Vox calmed him, saying, "Calm down, Karma! Your wrath will only exacerbate things."

  Beside Karma, a snake demon slept peacefully. Okami remarked, "Let's sell his skin. He's useless, just sleeping all the time. We'll make a good profit."

  Vox sighed and announced, "The Princess intends to tour Hell, aiming to win the trust of demons and ultimately redeem them." Rose, mid-bite, stared at Vox and asked, "Are you aware of the events that transpired eighteen years ago when the Queen abandoned the Princess?"

  Angel scoffed, "I still envy the Queen for having such a handsome husband." Volentino's eyes flickered, and he said, "My lady, I must confess that I, too, have eyes for you." Okami chimed in, "Let's simply hand the Princess over to the Angels and demand gold in exchange."

  Karma's anger flared, "First, we must teach her a lesson for making our lives miserable." The snake demon stirred, waking briefly to say, "You all are righ..." before promptly falling back asleep.

  Vox leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes as he reminisced, "How can I forget that day?"

  _Eighteen years ago_

  Lilith paced nervously in her chambers, awaiting someone's arrival. Meanwhile, one-year-old Charlie played with a demon whose amber eyes seemed lifeless, almost dead. His navy blue hair fluttered as Charlie tried to grab it, but he gently kept her at bay, scooping her up in his arms. Charlie's giggles filled the air, bringing a rare smile to the demon's face.

  Vox knocked on the door, and Lilith emerged, asking, "Is everything proceeding according to plan?" Vox smiled cunningly and replied, "His Majesty has gone to confront a rogue demon who's been slaughtering many powerful demons. He's left Beelzebub in charge. This could be your chance."

  Lilith slipped back inside, changed into a new outfit, and made her way to Beelzebub, who was engaged in a playful tug-of-war with Charlie. The little girl giggled as she tried to grab Beelzebub's hair, but he kept a safe distance, smiling warmly at her antics.

  Lilith approached, and Beelzebub bowed respectfully, saying, "My Queen, what brings you here?" Lilith's voice took on a commanding tone, "I wish to tour Hell, ensuring all is well during His Majesty's absence." Beelzebub's eyebrow arched, and he said, "I hope you're not planning to...relocate, Your Majesty?"

  Lilith's composure remained intact, but her voice took on a sharp edge, "Know your place." With Charlie securely in her arms, she departed the castle.

  Lilith made her way to the gates of Heaven, with Vox's assistance. Unbeknownst to Lilith, Vox harbored ulterior motives. He thought to himself, "When the Queen enters Heaven, Lucifer will inevitably attack, regardless of whether the Angels detain her or not. He'll suffer defeat, and I'll be the one to claim Heaven's gates."

  Meanwhile, Alastor's behavior had become erratic. His eyes had turned a milky white, and he lashed out at everyone in his vicinity. Lucifer intervened, standing before Alastor as he attempted to attack. With a snap of his fingers, a chain materialized around Alastor's neck. Lucifer yanked the chain, then placed his hand on Alastor's forehead. "Let's uncover who's behind your sudden disrespect," he said.

  Lucifer discovered that Vox had manipulated Alastor by inserting revenge souls into him. A sly smile spread across Lucifer's face. "So, this was your plan, Lilith," he said, his voice dripping with amusement.

  At the gates of Heaven, Lilith was greeted by Mikhail. However, his welcome was tempered by a condition: "Abandon the child. Its bloodline is tainted by disobedience."

  Lilith rationalized that abandoning Charlie was necessary for a peaceful life in Heaven. However, Charlie was unwilling to let go. She burst into tears, pleading, "I want to go with Mommy!" Lilith's expression remained resolute. "You can speak fluently now, unlike before. Go live with your father." Charlie's response was adamant: "No, Charlie wants to be with Mommy."

  Mikhail's gaze turned icy, causing Charlie to flinch. Yet, she swiftly regained her composure, her eyes blazing with anger. As she floated in mid-air, she pointed at an Angel beside Mikhail and commanded, "Kill yourself." The Angel disintegrated into dust, and Charlie smirked.

  Mikhail's confusion was palpable. Charlie's laughter echoed maniacally as she slaughtered numerous Angels and demons. Lucifer attempted to restrain her, but she thwarted his efforts, nearly throwing him aside.

  Mikhail intervened, descending into Hell to prevent further carnage. Seizing the opportunity, he fastened a necklace crafted from Angels' tears around Charlie's neck. The artifact rendered her unconscious.

  Lilith slipped away to Heaven, while Lucifer claimed his daughter. Mikhail urged, "Kill her before she wreaks havoc again." Lucifer's anger flared, and he retorted, "She's my daughter; it's natural for her to exhibit such traits."

  Mikhail's smile was tinged with concern. "You couldn't control her, and what if she grows stronger with time?" Lucifer scoffed, "Ensure my wife's safety and return to your Heaven. I'm certain everyone demands answers for these casualties."