Hunger.
It was an annoying, relentless sensation. No matter how much Luciel tried to ignore it, his body screamed for sustenance.
For days, he had survived by reading in the library, using knowledge as a distraction. But knowledge could not fill his stomach.
Which led him here.
The Fall of the Demon Prince… Into a Trash Bin
Luciel crouched near the back of a restaurant alley, staring at a large metal container. He had seen humans throwing away leftovers here—half-eaten food, discarded bread, even untouched meals wrapped in plastic.
"How disgraceful. If this were the Demon Realm, such waste would be punished severely."
His stomach growled.
Luciel sighed. Pride meant nothing if he starved. If humans foolishly discarded their resources, then he would claim them.
He reached inside the bin, careful not to touch anything too questionable.
Just as his fingers grazed a still-wrapped sandwich—
"Oi, kid! What the hell are you doing?!"
Luciel froze.
A loud, angry voice startled him. He turned and found a burly man in a restaurant uniform standing by the door, arms crossed. His name tag read 'Takeshi – Manager'.
Takeshi stared at Luciel, his expression shifting from anger to concern.
"Wait… are you a runaway?"
Luciel narrowed his eyes. "I am no such thing. I am merely—" He paused. What excuse could he even give?
Takeshi sighed. "You got no money, huh?"
Luciel remained silent.
The manager rubbed his temples. "Damn kids these days… Alright, listen. You want food?"
Luciel perked up. "Yes."
"Then work for it."
Luciel blinked. "Work?"
Takeshi pointed at the restaurant door. "I need an extra hand washing dishes. I'll pay you, and you'll get a meal every shift. Deal?"
Luciel hesitated.
A demon prince… washing dishes?
It was beneath him.
Insulting.
A disgrace to his bloodline!
But… his stomach growled again.
Luciel clenched his fists. He had no power, no wealth, no army. In this world, he was nothing. If he wanted to survive, he needed to adapt.
And so, with great reluctance, he nodded.
"…Fine. I shall accept this temporary alliance."
Takeshi stared at him. "…What?"
Luciel coughed. "I mean… deal."
A Demon's First Job
And just like that, the former prince of the Demon Realm became a dishwasher.
At first, it was a nightmare.
The machines were loud, the dishes never stopped coming, and Takeshi yelled at him whenever he acted dramatic about simple tasks.
But Luciel was a fast learner.
Within days, he memorized the tasks. Within weeks, he understood human money. He learned the value of yen, how to buy food, how to live like a normal person.
And slowly… he started forgetting.
Forgetting his old self.
Forgetting the Demon Realm.
Forgetting the forbidden book he had found.
Because, for the first time, he wasn't just surviving.
He was living.