A few days had passed since the upheaval in the eastern province, and I found myself back in the demon realm. I had hoped for a bit of reprieve after our victory, but instead, I was met with a mountain of work.
It was as if the universe had conspired to dump every possible task on my desk the moment I returned. I hadn't even had the chance to see Lydia since we parted, and the longing gnawed at me constantly.
As I stared at the never-ending pile of paperwork on my desk, I seriously considered just running away from all these responsibilities. I could practically hear Lydia's voice in my head, telling me to take a break. Just as I was about to toss my quill aside and make a break for it, the door to my office swung open.
"Aurelia!" my mother, Lilith, barked as she strode in. "What do you think you're doing?"
