As I sat on my bed, I couldn't shake off the feeling of dread. Had the devil king really not compelled me to behave the way I did, or had I made the decision on my own? My inner voices, usually so vocal, were eerily silent.
The events of the past moments still sent shivers down my spine. I felt less human. The memory of hell resurfaced in my mind, along with the devil king's angry glare. I had gone to hell and the physical appearance of the place only added to my fear. Yes, the place and its owner matched up perfectly.
I sat there, lost in thought, when a strong presence suddenly enveloped me, and a voice echoed in my mind.
"So, you finally found him," she whispered.
I knew instinctively that it was the angel lady. Without thinking, I knelt down, looking around for her.
"Don't bother to look; you won't see me," she said, her voice no longer a whisper. "It's enough that I can see you."
I breathed in deeply and sat back, trying to compose myself.
"Please, get me out of here," I begged, looking down at my hands. "I'll do anything else, except... except getting the devil back to hell." The thought of such a daunting task was overwhelming.
"You've given up before you've even started," the angel lady said, her voice carried away by the wind.
"I really can't," I replied, shaking my head. "The thing is, I don't even have the memories of this person to help me in certain situations, and with the way the devil king behaved with me, it's scary... When I think about her relationship with him, it definitely isn't simple."
The angel lady's response was unexpected. "You not having the memories of this person is part of the plan," she said.
I felt a surge of shock. "What? Then...?" I asked, my voice trailing off.
"I removed them," she replied matter-of-factly. "Every piece of information you have in your mind now about the current situation was implanted by me." I felt a chill run down my spine as her fingers touched my chin, and she slowly materialized in front of me.
Her smile was dazzling, but I was too stunned to appreciate it. "You implanted memories in my mind," I stated, still trying to wrap my head around the revelation.
"Yes," she replied, her smile unwavering. "You want me to bring the devil back to hell, but you're making it hard in every way. Why?" I asked, feeling frustrated and confused.
Her response was enigmatic. "Because redemption from hell isn't attained easily," she said, her smile still plastered on her face. With that, she vanished her presence still lingering, leaving me to ponder my decision.
I sat in silence for a while, weighing my options. The only reasons I wanted to come back were to avoid punishment in hell and to get revenge for myself and the twins. But the deal was a chance to change my fate, and I didn't think it would be so difficult. And now, I couldn't even get revenge.
If I hadn't been a fool in my past life, I wouldn't be facing this dilemma. When I died, I expected to find myself in heaven, though that's not really what I wanted. I wanted revenge, and I couldn't get that in heaven. But I was surprised to find myself in hell, and now I'm faced with this impossible task.
But I didn't need to think about the past anymore. As long as I behaved the way the devil king wanted, he seemed to treat me well. I might as well take this chance. Finally, coming up with a decision, I told the angel lady, "I will try to bring him back as long as I get my freedom."
"Are you sure?" her voice echoed in my mind. I replied without a second thought. "Yes." I said confidently. "You said it," she said, and then her overwhelming presence disappeared, leaving me to face my decision alone.
As I let out a deep sigh, the door swung open, and a fellow maid bowed low before me. "Mis Lia, the young master requests your presence immediately," she said with respect.
I was taken aback by her formal demeanor. 'Why was she treating me like a member of the family?' I was still trying to wrap my head around the situation. 'And what was with the name "Lia"? Was that the name of the person whose body I now inhabited?'
I nodded and smiled, feigning ignorance. "Please," the maid gestured for me to lead the way. My fake smile widened, and I reluctantly stood up to follow her.
As we walked, my mind was a jumble of thoughts. 'Please don't let it be Lucian calling for me. Let it be another master, any other young master.' I silently prayed, my face a mask of calmness as I pretended to take in my surroundings.
When we arrived, the maid announced, "Ms. Lia is here." The room fell silent, and all eyes turned to me. I felt a surge of discomfort as I noticed the disdain and hatred in their gazes. I quickly looked down, avoiding eye contact.
'Who was looking for me, and why? I just wanted to go back to my room and hide.' Then, I heard a familiar deep voice command, "Come here." I recognized it as Lucian's, but I dared not look up or in his direction. I didn't want to go to him.
There was a brief moment of silence before I felt my feet lift off the ground. The next thing I knew, Lucian was carrying me on his lap in front of everyone.
"What the...?" I thought to myself. "Ain't I just a maid, or a secret pleasure toy? Why is he carrying me in front of so many?" I tried to move, but he held me back.
"Feed me," he said, smiling.
His smile sent shivers down my spine; it was rather creepy. I looked around the dining table, but the others didn't seem to be eating. In fact, they didn't even acknowledge us.
I wondered, "Do these people fear him? Are these his family members? What about me?" As I pondered this, his whisper caught my attention again.
I turned to look at him, momentarily forgetting my fear and our close proximity. I could even feel his warm breath on my face, but my mind was focused on his offer.
"If I feed you, will you really let me go back to my room?" I asked, relief washing over me.
"Mm," he hummed in response.
Without hesitation, I got down from his lap and filled his bowl with food. I even peeled shrimp for him and was about to feed him when a voice roared, "You can't feed him that!"
A feminine voice yelled from the entrance. I looked around, following the gazes of the others in the dining room. With a frown, I turned my attention to the entrance and saw two beautiful ladies standing there - a young blonde and an older brunette.