Elise was staggered by the sudden offer that Satan request in exchange of helping them. Satan wanted her to become the Queen of Hell, his heir!

"No." Ian was the one to answer. "You want her to be the Queen of Hell when she has a blood of an angel? Your people won't accept her." 

One should be happy to be appointed as a Queen but the job of a Queen of Hell is not something anyone could handle. Ian trust that Elise had the dignity and intellect to become a Queen but not a Queen of Hell. She had a heart of an angel, even purer than most angels not to mention the danger of becoming the Queen where she had to subdue the entire Hell. He knew not anyone would agree in her being the Queen even if she had the blood for it. The danger might be something he could handle but Ian didn't want to risk it for Elise to stay near danger.

He only wanted a peaceful life with Elise, away from all the damned danger. Once he had lost his mother and he won't lose Elise.

"Whether or not they will accept her doesn't matter. When she becomes the Queen, whoever it is that oppose her, she has all the right to kill them at the spot," answered Satan without batting an eyelid as though he knew this question would be asked and had prepared the answer. "And for once, I am not speaking to you."

Elise was still startled by the option. A Queen? Her? Not to mention she would become the Queen! It might be an easy offer to take to others and grand to the ears of whoever hears them but Elise knew that being the Queen of Hell wasn't easy. It won't only acquire from her the qualities to become the Queen but to shoulder all the responsibilities of the entire Kingdom.

"I can't," answered Elise while meeting Satan's calm and collected gaze which slowly turn to surprise and confusion.

"Why can't you?" Satan inquired, his red eyes brooding at her. "Is it because of your husband."

"If I agree to that offer, what will happen to you?" Elise questioned beforehand. 

Satan shrugged his shoulders, "Take rest. Do you think I would use you as a puppet to control my kingdom? I don't need such a thing, girl. My kingdom is for me to rule but once it is passed to you, I will clean my hand and have you to take the responsibility."

"Sounds fishy as hell. You sound very similar to my uncle who is planning to put people into pawn for his plan." Ian had spent only a few days in Hell to know how much craftier demons were. The slyness, and their wickedness cannot compare to humans who had caused his mother's death. The King was no less.

He had seen how easy it was for demons to cast their sliding aside without holding a speck of guilt. To Satan who didn't hesitate to put punishment on his own son. He didn't see how he could trust this man even if he was Elise's grandfather.

"There is something else in that offer, isn't it?" Ian questioned with narrowed eyes. His hand below the table moved slowly as the tension arises again, turning the room bone chilling with each second.

Satan didn't reply and in the growing silence that turned hair-raising, Elise could see how instead of denying, the Devil was bold and smirked, "It is unfair if you don't lose anything, do you. There is something you have to sacrifice and being a Queen is too much of a reward instead of one. Which why in exchange, there will be a cost which is—" the spoon on the teacup moved on its own, giving a crips clink. "—Forever in your entire life. You should never leave Hell."

Not knowing how to react on Satan's trade, Elise's eyes widened as her lips left ajar. She didn't hear it wrong. Satan wanted her to become the Queen with another offer on top of it which was for her to never leave Hell. Which mean she would spend all her entire life there!

Elise thought about being the Queen. Can she do it? Maybe with the help of Ian she could, but does she has the heart of a Queen? Can she do it? Ian would support every of her wishes and his life is important but she knew there must be other way to safe him. If she was the problem, she only need to fix herself in order to solve the matter. She didnt have enough insight but she knew that Satan was setting a trap for her by not letting her leave Hell too.

"No," Elise answered once her mind fully grasp the weigh of the offer. "I won't agree to that offer."

Ian looked at her, his red eyes subtly widening. Elise had been a shy one but in time like this where she need to be resolute, she never failed to impress him. Her answer of no speak so much emotions into him and he was proud for her bravery and decisiveness.

Orias thought his master would be offended. All demons knew that Satan was the King. And the King dislike disobedience and rejection. Everything went according to his wish and people of Hell had obeyed him compliantly. It surprised the servant not to see Satan's anger and rather his silence.

"Why not?" her grandfather asked. "Isn't the life of this man important to you? Or was the oath that you uttered in the Church was only lip service?"

He knew about her wedding in the church? "It's not a lie. Ian's safety weigh over anything to me. I want to change the future Asmodeus foretold but I don't have what it need to become a Queen, I am not prepared nor am I able to shoulder the weigh of the crown. Foremost, I don't want to live in Hell forever," Elise answered, trying to negotiate.

"There is nothing different from Hell and the mortal world," Satan reasoned, "The people here and there are similar. They're corrupt, greedy, and selfish for their own best interest. Is there anything else that ties you down in the mortal world? You have no family. No friends. The man you marry is a demon, isn't this perfect?"

"Since the memories I remembered I have lived in the mortal world, your highness. I don't think I can spend the rest of my life in Hell or to become a Queen of a land that I don't know," Elise responded to Satan's question while staring at her. "And I don't know about not leaving Hell for the rest of my life. I am not a bird to be ensnared and kept."

"Is this loyalty?" Satan asked and he shook his head, "From what I could see you are rejecting the best offer you have in your hand that could help you."

Elise clenched her hand, "Is there nothing else you can offer instead?"

Satan hummed his red eyes rolling away. "No."

"That is enough answer then," Ian stood up, pushing the chair in a creaking sound. "If you cannot help us we can find our method. There are still many paths before us even without our help." 

Elise nodded in agreement. She stood up from the chair, following Ian by walking beside him to the door that was left opened when all of a sudden the door shut close on itself. The loud thud of the door had her to turn at the same reflex as Ian to look at the King who descended down from his chair. Making his way around he said, "I tried to put a rather great deal which I am sure that no one else could offer yet you instead followed similar path as your father. Is it because of this demon beside you?"

Elise frowned. Her father was offered the same offer? What was it about? In the past Satan had put up an offer for Leviathan to become a king but he rejected and Elise was certain because the offer didn't come alone. 

"It isn't about Ian. I cannot do what you offered. As I cannot comply to your words I will find my own method," answered Elise with a polite but firm words.

"It appears that each one of you whether Lucifer or you seems to think that everyone is to your bidding. Like a child who whine for their toys. You hear my wife now open the door or should I create a new hole on this house as our path?" Ian asked but he wasn't asking for permission. Without waiting for the Devil's answer, his hand reached out to the door.

Satan narrowed his eyes and in second, Ian was thrown away from his spot toward the wall. The King stepped away from the dining room and with a swipe of his hand, the dining room disappeared, changing into a large hall where the entire place was filled with dusts and cobwebs. 

"Ian!" Elise called. She had just taken a step when Satan had came in front of her. In the speed to protect herself, she whispered, "Jett!" She called forth the shadow who she had just named in the early morning. The shadows lurked out upon her calling, creating a large barrier to shield Elise from Satan.

"Same trick. You are no less from your father. That stupid son of mine who is absorbed by a woman to abandon his right!" Satan's voice boomed in the entire room, causing the chandelier which hang by a thread to fall down on the floor with a loud crash. "Don't you know what you are doing now is useless? You have my blood," Satan reached out his hand when he felt from behind a large cross had came to attack his head.

Swiftly, Satan turned and avoided the cross by only a small distance. Moving away from Elise, his hand run over the left side of his neck where the pitch black blood had dripped. The injury was small and it get healed in second as his thumb wiped the blood. 

Elise could feel a sudden cold chill on her back when Satan looked up. His brows were deeply furrowed and she saw Ian standing before her, "Tsk, I knew this would happen. It doesn't seem like Hell or you respect people's choice don't you. Elise is not going anywhere. She is my wife."

Satan's eyes flared his anger was demanding and the anger he managed to restrain snapped when Ian who he sees as a snotty boy kept his mouth talking. 

"I have tolerated you for many times brat but it is time for you to shut your lips now!"

*****

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