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The Archdemon of Lust

Prince Luxen from the Second Circle of Hell

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Luxen had watched Lilith sitting on a small chair at the center of her Magicarium, surrounded by thin-spaced concentric circles.

The Magicarium was her private conjuring room, located at the basement of her castle, where she kept herbs, ingredients, grimoires, cauldrons, and magic mirrors.

Sometimes, Lilith worked in the kitchen with her large cauldron on top of the hearth, or she would do her rituals in the woods every time she practiced her spellcasting, close to the herb gardens.

She didn't want to destroy her Kingdom, so she moved away from there to keep her castle safe.

Luxen had admired Lilith's dedication to the study of magic and alchemy, such as brewing potions and conjuring souls with her perfect pentagrams and magical geometric shapes, but not enough to make her his.

Lilith was doing all of this with a hidden agenda.

She wanted what Luna had owned—the man she loved with all her heart and soul--in the Vampire Realm.

The man who didn't love her or acknowledge her existence at all.

+++

"What had rejected me what was I most needed, Luxen." She had replied when Luxen asked her about this thousand-year obsession. "I want to feel connected with the Vampire King, but when it came to him, all I face is isolation."

Ah~" Luxen had drawled. "You are an orphan of your own heart."

+++

Opening the door slightly just enough for him to peek, Luxen was aware of Lilith's every move.

Lilith had left her conjuring room unlocked for other Archdemons to visit, and Luxen let himself in without hesitation.

Lilith was never shy of her work, especially the sacrifices she had made, encouraging other demons to watch her so-called 'art of destruction.'

Tonight, Luxen noted the dried, torn scrolls on her lap, the stains of her own blood on her knees, and the gash on her neck, taking its sweet time to heal.

Her long red hair amassed with curls appeared darker as crushed rose petals and glossier as silk lingerie, sweeping behind her back.

Lilith wore a silky, faded gown similar to dead sunflowers.

The thin, loose strap of her gown kept falling on her shoulders, creating a sexy, disheveled look.

Her lips were coated with a brown akin to a burnt wood while emerald beads cuffed her wrists.

A delicious scent of vanilla and mint not only made his senses alert but also made him instantly hard as steel.

It was Luna's scent that Lilith had copied in preparation for the swap.

In the early days, Luxen recalled how Lilith was adamant about teaching him Underworld Magic despite Luxen's obvious disinterest.

Lilith was blind to his indifference, already claiming him as her friend when they didn't know each other well.

As the Archdemon of Lust, it was Luxen's style to look for gorgeous female demons to prey on, especially the 'seemingly innocent' ones because deep down, no fledgling Archdemons were truly innocent.

It was like asking an Archangel to live in Hell as an Archdemon for an hour.

Lilith was a 'nobody' the first time she arrived in Hell.

She was just one of the thousands of chosen fledging Archdemons in Hell who were lucky to train under Satan to practice Archdemon Magic.

Everyone was busy increasing their discipline and strength in battle, but Lilith found that a boring endeavor, so she tried stirring up trouble so that she would get noticed by the Master.

She became rather infamous when she shared her unholy crimes of her past with anyone who had ears.

For some reason, the news had traveled to Satan's ears, which made her the apple of his blurred eyesight.

Luxen knew it was her way of begging for attention from anyone who she might come across, always seeking validation for her magic abilities and constantly proving herself that she was an asset in Hell as an Archdemon when she didn't need to.

There was no need to sleep with his Uncle to get ahead over other fledglings because other Archdemons had always seen her potential.

Still, every time she opened her mouth, demons lost all respect to the Archdemon of Envy, including him.

She chose to sleep with the old man, which was on her.

Satan, his old uncle, had given Lilith 'special classes', which also included a not-so-pleasurable war under the sheets with an old man who couldn't get it up anymore.

She quickly learned Archdemon Magic infused with the sexual energy of her Master, defeating all of her enemies in a snap of a finger.

She was so smug of her acquired powers.

She was also the First Archdemon who challenged the past Archdemon of Envy in a battle without taking the other challengers out of the battle first.

In a sense, it was suicide, but the outcome had perfectly worked for Lilith.

He stalked towards the external boundary of her magic circle and crossed his arms, waiting for Lilith to glance up at him and acknowledge his presence.

The large triangle drawn in a thick white outline inscribed in the concentric circles was covered in Archdemon blood, soaking her bare feet.

It may seem like someone had attacked her from all that blood dripping on her pale skin as she sat on her chair casually, staring at the large mirror in her hands, which showed an image of the Vampire King Apollyon and Luna naked, kissing each other in fervent longing and desire.

'No.' Luxen mused. 'It wasn't the Vampire King and Luna.'

It was him who pretended to be Luna's husband and deceived her so that he could plant his seed in her.

She wasn't her wife anymore.

That was why he had agreed to this in the first place.

Hopefully, this would reinforce the blood bond back between the two of them.

It was a mystery why it was cut off in the first place.

With her gaze still fixed on their lovemaking, Luxen interrupting Lilith scrying into the mirror and spoke, "Luna was very fertile, and I planted the seed with intent in that nourishing core of hers."