She was beautiful—devastatingly, supernaturally, almost painfully beautiful. Her features were perfect in a way that human or goblin beauty never quite achieved. Her corrupted wings were folded against her back, the blade-like feathers catching the light and creating mesmerizing patterns.

But it was more than just physical appearance. There was something about her presence that demanded attention, that made it difficult to look away. An aura of corrupted grace that was simultaneously alluring and repulsive.

She wore a flowing gown that managed to be both elegant and suggestive, the kind of outfit that would have been at home in a noble's court or a seduction scene. Her dark hair flowed loose around her shoulders, and her eyes—one silver, one gold, both wrong in ways Satou couldn't quite identify—fixed on him with immediate, intense focus.

Behind her came her retinue—twelve beings of various types, all clearly powerful, all bearing marks of corruption that showed their allegiance to their mistress. They arranged themselves along the walls, silent and watchful.

Seraphine's mismatched eyes swept the room, taking in the setup, the two women flanking Satou, the careful formality of the arrangement. A smile crossed her features—not mocking, but amused, as if she found something entertaining about their preparations.

"Satou," she said, his name a purr on her lips. "How delightful to see you again. And how clever, setting up this little receiving chamber. Very demon lord of you. I approve."

She glided forward—there was no other word for it, she seemed to flow across the floor rather than walk—and stopped at an appropriate distance for formal interaction. Not too close, not too far. Perfectly calculated.

"Lady Seraphine," Satou replied, keeping his voice even and formal. "Your visit is unexpected. I don't recall extending an invitation."

"Oh, but you did," Seraphine replied, her smile widening. "At the arena, when you marked Chronus so beautifully. When you showed such delicious defiance before Malakor himself. When you refused to cower even before beings who could erase you from existence. That was an invitation, darling. A challenge. A promise of interesting things to come."

Her eyes shifted to Lyra, then Jessica, lingering on each of them with clear assessment. When her gaze settled on the marks visible on Jessica's neck, her smile became knowing.

"And I see you've been busy building your own collection. How appropriate. A demon lord should have beautiful, capable companions." Her attention focused on Jessica specifically. "And how... thoroughly you've claimed this one. Those marks are quite fresh. A celebration of your relationship, perhaps? How romantic."

Jessica's face flushed, but she met Seraphine's gaze steadily. "Chief Satou and I are committed partners. As is Lyra. We're building something together."

"Committed partners," Seraphine repeated, tasting the words. "How delightfully wholesome. And claiming two so quickly is ambitious. Most provisional seats wait years before forming such attachments, worried about appearing weak or distracted."

"I'm not most provisional seats," Satou said.

"No," Seraphine agreed, her attention returning to him with laser focus. "You certainly are not. Which is precisely why I'm here. You interest me, Satou. Profoundly. And when something interests me, I must investigate. Must understand. Must... experience."

The last word was loaded with implications that made Jessica's hands clench on her chair's armrests.

"I'm honored by your interest," Satou said carefully. "But I'm also quite busy building my settlement and proving my worth for permanent demon lord status. I have limited time for social visits, even from esteemed colleagues."

"Oh, this isn't a social visit," Seraphine said. "Well, not entirely. I'm here on official business, actually. The demon lord council has tasked me with conducting a formal evaluation of your settlement. To determine if your civilization-building experiment is genuine or merely pretty words used to secure your provisional seat."

Satou felt tension spike. An official evaluation meant Seraphine had legitimate authority to poke into every aspect of the settlement. She could interview residents, examine facilities, assess defenses—all under the guise of official business.

"I wasn't informed of any scheduled evaluation," Lyra said, her administrator's voice professionally cool.

"Because it wasn't scheduled," Seraphine replied, turning those mismatched eyes on Lyra. "Evaluations are meant to be surprises. We want to see how settlements actually function, not carefully prepared theater. And you are...?"

"Lyra. Chief Administrator of the settlement. First wife to Chief Satou."

Seraphine's smile turned predatory. "First wife. How delightfully direct. And you?" Her attention shifted to Jessica.

"Jessica. Chief Healer. Second wife." Jessica's voice was steady despite the nervousness Satou could sense in her.

"A healer and an administrator," Seraphine mused. "How practical. Most demon lords choose companions for beauty or power or political advantage. But you've chosen women with actual utility to your settlement. Interesting. Though I notice you've also chosen women who clearly adore you—those marks on the healer's neck speak of passion as well as practicality. Very efficient, having partners who serve multiple purposes."

Jessica's blush deepened, but she didn't look away. "We love him. And he loves us. That's not efficiency—that's genuine connection."

"Of course it is, darling," Seraphine said, her tone suggesting gentle mockery. "And I'm sure it's all very sweet and wholesome. Now, shall we discuss the actual purpose of my visit?"

She turned back to Satou. "So here's how this will work, darling. I'll be staying in your settlement for three days. During that time, I'll observe, interview, and assess. At the end of three days, I'll submit my report to the demon lord council. That report will significantly influence whether your provisional status becomes permanent."

"Three days," Satou repeated.

"Three days," Seraphine confirmed. "I'll need accommodations, of course. Appropriate to my status. And I'll want full access to your settlement—all areas, all residents, no restrictions. This is a comprehensive evaluation, after all."

Lyra and Satou exchanged glances. This was bad. Three days of Seraphine wandering their settlement, potentially corrupting residents, definitely gathering intelligence, all under the official protection of conducting an evaluation.

But they couldn't refuse. Rejecting an official evaluation would be grounds for immediate revocation of his provisional status.

"Of course," Satou said, keeping his voice neutral. "We'll provide appropriate accommodations and full access. Lyra, please arrange a guest dwelling for Lady Seraphine and her retinue."

"Already planned," Lyra replied smoothly. "We have a building that will serve. I'll have it prepared within the hour."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.