"So, Mother, would you be kind enough to enlighten your daughter, who has apparently been unaware that her mother is *royalty*?" Roxanne asked with a sweet smile. It was a smile that made Azazel's spine tingle as old memories flooded back.
*Yeah, she's definitely her daughter,* Azazel thought, sweating nervously. He wasn't alone in feeling that way. Many who had faced *that* smile from Azrael in the past instinctively felt a deep-rooted fear, even if the smile wasn't directed at them.
Azrael, clearly trying to defuse the tension, giggled lightly. "I may have forgotten to mention that... tehee!" she said, attempting to act cute.
Roxanne rubbed her forehead, trying to ease the sudden headache her mother's nonchalance caused. "*Sigh*... Please, just explain, Mother."
Azrael hummed, pondering for a moment. "Where to start... Ah! As I mentioned before, I was the second angel to fall from Heaven, the first being your father. But unlike the others, I wasn't banished by the system. I left of my own accord, so I didn't suffer the traumatic loss of faith like the others did.
"When Azazel and the other fallen were banished, they were too broken to survive in the unknown. So, I took them under my wing and gave them shelter in the Underworld. After a while, they began to see me as their leader, their queen, because I was their savior.
"At first, I didn't mind. I figured it gave them a sense of purpose. But over time, the small group I protected grew, and before I knew it, Grigori was founded, and I became its official ruler. Even though I was their leader, I had no interest in running things day-to-day, so I appointed Azazel as governor and set up a government system with a vice governor and chief officer to handle everything.
"Since they were competent, I rarely had to get involved. Eventually, it just slipped my mind that I was their queen," Azrael finished with a nonchalant shrug.
Roxanne stared at her mother, taking it all in before letting out another sigh. "Mother, I have many things I'd like to retort, but I get the gist of it. Still, you do realize it's not easy to keep subordinates loyal with a system like that, right?"
Azrael tilted her head, looking genuinely confused. "Eh? But it *is* easy," she said innocently.
Roxanne's pride took a hit at that, remembering her own struggles with managing subordinates. "Your charisma is just as absurd as Father's," she mumbled, recalling how her father had led a rebellion against her grandfather in his own kingdom.
Azazel, still kneeling, finally spoke up awkwardly. "Your Highness, while I can guess who this young lady is, would you kindly enlighten me?"
"Oh, right!" Azrael exclaimed. "Azazel, meet my daughter, Roxanne Lucifer. Roxanne, this is Azazel, the governor of the fallen angels and the second strongest after me."
Azazel's eyes widened in shock. "Lucifer... wait, that makes the princess a natural hybrid—part of the devil royal family... Wait—could it be that the rumors were about *her*?" He mumbled the last part to himself, but both Roxanne and Azrael heard him clearly.
Azrael's voice turned icy. "What kind of rumors?"
Azazel gulped nervously. "Well, a few years ago, we got intel that a *Lucifer* was spotted in Japan, near Kouh. At first, I thought it was Vali, my adopted son, but after questioning him, he denied leaving his home. It remained a mystery... until now."
"Oh, that must've been when I escaped from Rizevim," Roxanne said casually, before realizing her slip.
Azrael turned to her daughter with a dangerously sweet smile. "Sweetie, could you elaborate a bit more on that?"
Roxanne sweated nervously. She had never told her mother about her past, not wanting her to feel guilty for not protecting her. But now, it seemed that decision had backfired. With a sigh, she began to explain, providing as few details as possible to avoid provoking her mother's wrath.
When Roxanne finished, the room fell into a tense silence. Then, a suffocating killing intent filled the air, so intense that even Roxanne felt a chill down her spine. Azrael's usually calm purple eyes glowed dangerously.
"Azazel," she said, her voice colder than Roxanne had ever heard.
"Yes, Your Highness?" Azazel responded immediately, still kneeling.
"Contact Michael and tell him I want my physical body back. I don't care how you do it—just make sure I have it in three days. Then, summon all the cadres and personnel out on duty. We're convening a war council. It's time to hunt down the bastard who dared harm my daughter, their princess."
"I shall do as you command, My Queen," Azazel said with utmost reverence.
Roxanne, sensing where things were headed, clapped her hands to get their attention. "Mom, I appreciate the sentiment, but please don't cause too much commotion before the peace treaty is signed. Second, there's no need to threaten Michael—I was already planning to visit Heaven to retrieve your body. And lastly, I'd prefer if you left Rizevim to *me*. He's *my* prey."
Her golden eyes glowed with determination as she spoke.
Azrael's expression softened. "Sweety..." After a moment of thought, she relented. "Fine. You can have him, but only if you find him before I do. If not, he's mine."
Roxanne smiled wryly. "Deal."
Azrael hugged her daughter tightly, her skill with souls allowing her to physically embrace Roxanne despite her non-corporeal form. "My sweety is the best!"
After their heartwarming exchange, Azazel led them to his study for a more formal discussion. Roxanne addressed Azazel once more. "As for Rizevim, proceed with your original plan. Use this incident to push the peace treaty between the three factions. If there's any resistance from the devils, inform me, and I'll handle it. I'm sure Heaven won't oppose it."
After pausing for a moment, she asked, "What's the current attitude within Grigori toward the peace treaty?"
Azazel's response was swift. "Your Highness needn't worry. If Her Majesty commanded us to become farmers, every fallen angel would become a farmer."
Roxanne was taken aback. *Wow, maybe my mother's charisma is even more terrifying than my father's. This is starting to feel like a cult,* she thought.
As they wrapped up their meeting, Roxanne remembered something. "Hey, Azazel, I've been curious—how did you guys sense my mother's presence? I thought the fallen didn't have soul-tracking methods."
Azrael chimed in. "It's due to the blood contract they signed with me. It's similar to the connection the Lucifuge household had with Lucifer. They can instinctively sense when I'm near."
Roxanne nodded in understanding, having experienced similar contracts before. "I see."
As their conversation wound down, Roxanne turned to her mother. "Mom, do you want to stay here and catch up with Azazel, or will you come with me?"
Azrael thought for a moment before answering. "I'll stay here for another hour or so. You can go on ahead."
Nodding, Roxanne teleported away, leaving Azrael and Azazel to their own devices.
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