C26 ♱ Chapter • 26 ♱

♱ •⋅ 1750 B.C. ⋅• ♱

It took a few hours to convince Asmodeus, but when I gave up talking to him and worried about doing what I had to do, he soon approached and stood more in the corner, watching.

It was like a little child watching an adult work.

A child of thousands of years and superhuman powers.

I sighed and gently crouched in front of a child. She had her face completely dirty and so many bruises by her little body that I wondered if they were caused by mistreatment or simply by trying to stay alive.

The child looked at me and it was obvious to me the doubt in his face. It was like a frightened kitten who was not sure whether or not he could accept the food.

"It’s OK" I said "we were..." I stopped.

I was going to say that I was sent by the king, but for those people, who were attacked in the name of Callisto, it would be like raising a red flag when saying his name, so I lied.

"See that young man" I said extending his hand towards Asmodeus who was standing about 2 meters from me, his blond hair fluttered in the wind like those of a living sculpture "he is the prince of the ninth territory, he came to protect and help you."

"Prince?" The child muttered and his little eyes rose until they stared at Asmodeus, it was instantaneous, she looked at him and his face soon blushed "he is... handsome."

"Yes" I said with a smile "he is Prince Asmodeus."

"Will he... really protect?" he asked, and I could feel a certain sadness in that child’s voice. How much had she suffered?

I settled.

"Yes, he is going. Soon there will be food, water and people to help build the houses that were destroyed by the fire..." I muttered just to hear "all this because the prince is here."

This was not a lie, at least not completely, after all I had only managed to get to that village by the help of Asra’s friend.

And somehow that seemed to comfort the child, but I couldn’t help but think how different it would be if she knew what the other princes thought of Asmodeus.

"What do you think you’re doing?" I heard Asmodeus growl as he pulled me by the arm away from the child.

So I raised one of his eyebrows hoping that he would continue.

"Helping the needy? They’re obviously hurt people," I answered the obvious and the prince shot me with his beautiful crimson grenade eyes.

"Well your...!" he grunted and I could only smile.

"Be more specific, pretty boy."

The demon’s mouth opened, but it soon closed as he processed what I had just said.

"Did you call me cute?" she asked looking like a child when she received a new nickname and I couldn’t help but laugh.

He was so docile and sweet that I could almost make myself forget that he was actually a ruthless killer. The worst of the worst, the bloodthirsty prince, the ruler of the ninth circle.

Asmodeus.

The prince of lust and the one who enjoyed the pain and agony of others.

"I called" I said as I caressed her face "had something to complain about?"

The blonde stared at me for a few seconds and then his expression returned to be something like the face of an angry child.

"Do you think you can buy me with cute nicknames and affection? I... I... I..." he stopped and then pointed his index finger at me "I’m mature! I don’t need it and you can’t ruin my reputation like that!"

He smiled as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Am I ruining your reputation?"

"Yes!" he hurried to say "how dare you? It took me CENTURIES to become abominable and absurdly scary and then... then... you come and do it? It makes me look... GOOD? Do you tell these people that I am HELPING and PROTECTING? What do you want me to look like? A kind of angel?"

I knew I was really in the middle of a discussion about the image of the ninth prince, but somehow it seemed so silly and childish that I couldn’t help but laugh, a low, snivelling laugh, almost like a restrained laugh.

"Are you... um... angry?" I questioned trying to fix my posture and Asmodeus - to make his condition worse -, just nodded like a little child who no longer had arguments in a fight against an adult.

He stood there, as if waiting for me to apologize or undo what I had done, but the truth was that I had no pretension.

I had to use someone - since I could not use the king -, and Asmodeus was there, was involved and good, it would not be so bad if his image improved.

"What’s so bad about being a good prince?" I asked and the grenade eyes shot me.

"Work!" he said looking angry "it’s too much work! They fill me with work even when everyone thinks I’m incompetent! Imagine how much work I would not have if they saw me with good eyes?! Have you seen by chance the table of Lucifer? It is completely crowded!"

His revolt was completely justifiable, but it was also in childish and silly parts.

Asmodeus would rather be seen as a monster to avoid work, who the hell would believe that?

"Really?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow "you know you will not escape anyway and good, I could not say that we came here at the behest of the king, they think he was responsible for... well... everything?"

Asmodeus snitched on us.

"So what? Why do I have to pay for Calisto’s idiocy?" He grumbled by tapping his foot like a spoiled child and all I could do was take one hand to his face.

"Asmodeus... you know it wasn’t him, don’t you?"

He stopped and then looked at me again.

"Oh... right... the rumors."

I settled.

"So... please help me. At least until we finish this situation, until we catch those responsible and then you can torture them in the public square and worsen more and more your reputation" he spouted as he looked at me from the corner, but as soon as I finished my suggestion, his lips bowed briefly upwards.

"Are you really gonna let me torture you in the public square?"

I shook my head affirmatively and the carmine-eyed demon practically jumped with happiness.

"Asra, if I believed in love, I would say I love you, here and now."

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