Surviving as a Maid in a Horror Game-Chapter 14.1

“Teacher, teacher! Where are you?”

A young girl peeked out from behind a vine-covered wall. Her transparent, amethyst eyes darted around in search of her teacher. There was no reply, but a hidden flower bud among the vines slowly bloomed open.

The girl’s name was Lilith, the only daughter of the ruler of hell and the demon who would one day earn the titles “Demon of Night, Curses, and Lust.” From the moment she gained a sense of self, she had been Satan’s sole disciple. Her exceptional talent blossomed even further under the guidance of her perfect teacher.

Satan’s mansion was the most peculiar place in hell. While most demons preferred environments suited for fighting, indulging in carnal pleasures, or laziness, Satan chose a space where plants could thrive. Unfortunately, hell’s flora was limited to demonic plants and weeds, but their terrifying growth filled Satan’s mansion. These plants were so vicious that they would open their jaws to devour any living thing that approached.

“Not so fast.”

Lilith clicked her tongue and destroyed a flower that had aimed its many teeth at her head. The other plants, which had been preparing to tear her limbs apart, sensed her overwhelming power and retreated. Burning away the vines blocking her path, she nearly stumbled when the ground beneath her feet unexpectedly gave way.

So the rumors were true. They said half the mansion was blown away during Satan’s fight with Beelzebub. As she steadied herself, another flower launched an attack and then vanished into the shadows. Damn it, I’m bleeding. She gritted her teeth, remembering the scratch on her hand from letting her guard down a few days ago. Enough of this!

“Teacher! If you don’t answer me, I’m going to burn all these plants to the ground!”

Before she could finish her threat, an invisible force lifted her into the air and seated her on a wind-formed chair. In a whirlwind, she was carried straight to Satan.

Satan, the eternal snow and bitter cold of midnight, stood calmly watering a demonic flower.

“Why bother watering them? They’ll grow like monsters even without it. Are you planning to cover all of hell with these flowers?”

“Lilith, greet your teacher properly first.”

The calm but commanding voice easily silenced her complaints. Lilith, who had been ready to unleash her frustrations about being bitten by the plants multiple times, clamped her mouth shut. Bowing her head slightly, she greeted him.

“Have you been well, teacher? I heard Beelzebub came to visit—are you alright?”

“What a polite disciple, asking that only now. As you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”

“I heard Beelzebub’s neck was broken, though.”

“If the ruler hadn’t intervened, I’d have left nothing but his fly-like face intact. A shame, really.”

Her teacher’s cold smile revealed his sharp, emotionless crimson eyes. Lilith swung her legs and pouted.

“Well, no wonder Beelzebub was furious. He came to see you and ended up getting attacked by your flowers—his skull was practically crushed. Honestly, it’s not just him. Do you know how many demons have been devoured by those flowers? Even my father’s starting to worry.”

“Those who can’t appreciate the beauty of flowers are fools. Lilith, once you’ve gone through three more molts and become a full-fledged demon, you’ll understand.”

Nonsense. In my eyes, teacher, you’re the most beautiful thing in existence. And no matter how many molts I go through, that won’t change. Lilith’s eyes gleamed as she admired her teacher’s powerful form.

“Teacher, since half your mansion is destroyed, why don’t you move into our castle? That way, we could see each other every day, and I wouldn’t have to visit like this…”

“What part of the mansion is destroyed?”

Huh? But it was gone a moment ago. Lilith rubbed her eyes, but it was true—the part of the mansion that had been blown away in the fight with Beelzebub was fully restored.

She caught a glimpse of her teacher lowering his other arm, previously hidden from view. He had seamlessly used immense power without leaving a trace. What a tease. Lilith puffed out her cheeks in frustration.

“If you don’t want to move in, just say so!”

Satan chuckled softly and tousled her hair. She knew it was a way to avoid answering, but even that slight touch made her heart race.

A devilishly beautiful demon. Lilith stared at Satan, entranced.

Was it the angelic blood flowing within him? Unlike the other demons, who reveled in lust and wickedness, Satan was fundamentally different. He acknowledged desires but did not indulge in them. He avoided unnecessary bloodshed but showed no mercy when needed. Elegant, ruthless, and composed, he embodied pure evil. From the moment she completed her first molt, Lilith had decided he would be her lifelong companion.

One day, after I’ve gone through six molts and stand as a complete demon, I’ll have you. Her resolve was unwavering.

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“By the way, look at this, Lilith. I went to the surface and managed to bring this back…”

“Huh? What? It’s dead.”

Lilith’s blunt remark wiped the rare excitement from Satan’s face, replacing it with a grim expression.

“Dead? It’s not just a color change due to a shift in environment?”

“Nope. It’s dried up and brown—it’s been dead for a while. Recently, Lucifer brought a human he found intriguing, but they dried up and died like that. Couldn’t withstand the yin energy of hell.”

“…”

“Wait… You went to the surface again? But Father said not to… Hey, where are you going? Teacher? Why do you look so sad?”

Who would believe that the cold and unyielding Satan had locked himself away in sorrow because a flower he brought from the surface had withered? Demons loyal to him scoffed at the idea, but Lilith knew better—she’d seen it with her own eyes! He’d been so disheartened that the area around his mansion was shrouded in darkness for three whole days.

“Teacher! Teacher! Are you seriously not coming out? Please, come out!”

Lilith banged on the locked door, shouting. No matter how upset he was, hiding even from her was too much. Seriously, what’s so important about that stupid flower? How could it be more significant than seeing me?

Her hand froze mid-knock as she sensed something ominous. The power emanating from inside was unmistakably distorting space and time.

No… it can’t be. Lilith clutched her long hair in panic.

“Teacher! You’re not trying to recreate part of the human world in there, are you? Please, just tell me you’re not! I’m begging you!”

She cried out desperately, but unfortunately, her worst fears were correct. Satan, heartbroken over the withered flower, was attempting to summon an entire garden from the surface. If not for the ruler intervening, alarmed by the immense power disrupting space-time, he might have actually succeeded.

Satan belatedly withdrew his power, closing the distorted rift. However, in that brief moment, a human happened to catch a glimpse of hell. This left Satan with no choice but to ascend to the surface once more. Upon his return, he casually remarked that he'd gone to erase their memories but found they'd all died of heart attacks instead.

The incident caused a stir in heaven, with speculation that it might have been a declaration of war from hell. Fortunately, the ruler of hell cleaned up the aftermath, sweating profusely to ensure the situation was contained.

“Teacher, why don’t you take the throne, considering how immense your power is?”

Lilith asked with wide, curious eyes, and Satan responded with a soft smile.

This moment—it was everything to her. The fleeting instances when he smiled at her accumulated and blossomed into love. He was so beautiful. She wanted him. She wanted to hold him in her arms. He seemed as though he had been created solely to tempt her. Without pause, as naturally as breathing, she was drawn to him.

“If I lived in the palace, I wouldn’t be able to cultivate demon flowers.”

“That’s it? That’s your reason?”

“Shh. It’s more significant than you think. If demon plants were brought into the palace, they would send the demons into chaos, behaving even more savagely. I cannot allow disorder in hell.”

“Why not? Why does someone as powerful as you care about such things?”

“Lilith, when you grow older, you’ll understand naturally. Especially if you take the throne.”

He lightly pressed his finger to her lips before withdrawing it. The secretive smile on his face captivated her. No matter how much she pleaded to know what he meant, it was useless. He said it was a secret only shared with those who became rulers of hell.

Perhaps it was from that moment that Lilith, who had yet to complete all her molts, began to covet the throne. She desired it with an intense yearning, as fervently as she longed for Satan.

Satan’s immense power, enough to oppress all of hell, had led the ruler to bind him with a contract of chains long ago:

First, he would remain loyal to the current ruler of hell.

Second, he would serve the ruler’s bloodline as his successor.

Third, the contract would remain a secret, shared only between the current ruler and Satan.

The terms were, by all accounts, unfavorable to Satan. However, he had a strong desire to live peacefully in hell, so he accepted without hesitation—never imagining how the contract would eventually bind him.

“Failed again.”

Lilith muttered through gritted teeth. This was her 183rd failure—each time she had attempted to infiltrate Satan’s dreams to seduce him and failed. Ever since she completed her sixth molt and awakened all the abilities of a succubus, she had been trying relentlessly. Yet, Satan’s dreams remained impenetrable.

Even her father, the ruler of hell, was at least partially vulnerable to her power. But the moment she reached the threshold of Satan’s dream, it felt as though she were hitting an impenetrable wall. And just as always, Satan would appear, snap his fingers, and effortlessly cast her out.

“Such mischievous antics, my cunning disciple. You’re still a thousand years too early for this. Yet you never give up.”

Whenever he approached and gently stroked her head, which had bumped against the dream’s edge, her frustration would become unbearable. And yet, his kind smile would undo her resolve every time, making her fall for him again. Just her. Always just her! Lilith slammed the handle of her chair in exasperation.

Satan’s mind is too strong. Isn’t there some way to break through? If only I could enter his dream, I might find an opening to exploit.

Growing increasingly anxious, Lilith gnawed at her nails. The memory of being expelled from his dream not long ago resurfaced vividly. Out of desperation and anger, she had shouted at him, confessing her feelings.

“I love you! I’ve loved you for so long!”

After a brief silence, Satan had replied, “You must be mistaken, Lilith. You’re still too young and immature.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! I’m over 500 years old now! I said I love you, not that you have the right to dismiss my feelings!”

“You want to devour me, don’t you, Lilith? That’s not love. That’s hunger. It’s a natural instinct demons feel toward stronger beings like me.”

“S-Stop! Teacher, I—”

“There’s no need to be embarrassed. Most demons feel that way toward me.”

“…”

“Reverence as a demon, hunger for a stronger being, thirst magnified by hatred for angels—those are the feelings you call love, aren’t they?”

“Why do you look at me like that? Demonic love is just like that! That’s how demons are, so what do you expect? B-But even so, I wouldn’t eat you! Sure, the desire’s there, but—!”

To Lilith, Satan was someone she both longed to possess and could never understand, even in death. She couldn’t fathom his affection for weak things like plants. He was so strong and beautiful, yet he spoke of the beauty in fragility—something she simply couldn’t grasp. Despite her fiery protests, Satan’s expression remained utterly unshaken.

“Don’t you understand, teacher? Can’t you feel these emotions that every demon naturally experiences? How can you not? I—”

“I don’t understand.”

“I’m saying I love you! I love you! With you, I could build an unshakable kingdom! Together, we could—”

“I don’t understand.”

“I love you…”

“I don’t understand.”

What Lilith couldn’t understand was him. Demons were driven by an instinct to mate with the strongest being. As the strongest female demon in hell, she should have been the natural choice. In fact, he should have been the one pursuing her. Yet he rejected the very concept of demonic love. How could he? Wasn’t he a demon?

“Because half of him is angelic. How could he see us as anything more than living creatures?”

“Don’t talk about him like that.”

“Oooh, scary.”

A black mass beneath Lilith’s waist stirred. She shivered as she felt a tongue slide up the inside of her thigh. A faint, sweet moan escaped her lips, and the deep chuckle that followed seemed pleased by her reaction.

“Angels really are troublesome. Every time a demon encounters one, their appetite becomes uncontrollable. Look at you, burning with desire right after finishing your sixth molt.”

“I love him. I love him so much… What should I do? I want him. I want him so desperately that it drives me insane. I want him to desire me the way I desire him. If only I were stronger, more beautiful…”

“You’re already plenty beautiful, Lilith.”

“Ugh…”

“But he’s stronger and more beautiful. Even a male demon like me can’t help but admire him.”

“Shut up, you fool.”

Lilith growled, tilting her neck back in response to the weight pressing down on her body. Her voice resembled the threatening snarl of a beast guarding its territory. Her fingers brushed against the countless scars on his body, pausing at the deep marks left by a wolf’s fangs. It was a gesture of warning, but the creature only laughed, undeterred.

“Every time I see him, I think about the scars on his back. Even covered, the vertical black marks where his wings were torn off are visible. Just the remnants make my mouth water—imagine what it must have been like when his wings were still there. What do you say, Lilith? Should we share him? That strong, magnificent body, slowly devoured and revered…”

“Stop.”

“Remember when he first arrived in hell? To prove he belonged, he was tasked with punishing and torturing the sinners cast into hell. Everyone thought he’d flee back to heaven, but he was so brutal… So beautiful and brutal…”

“…”

"Did you know? Until I saw that moment, I never truly understood the meaning of beauty. It was so exhilarating—so much so that I regret he no longer punishes the damned…"

"Stop it!"

Lilith's voice exploded like a scream, accompanied by the sickening sound of flesh tearing. Blood fell in heavy droplets as one of Wirynom's ears was ripped in half, left dangling. Despite this, he continued to smile slyly, seemingly unbothered. Just imagining that the remnants of Satan still lingered in his twisted mind made Lilith want to tear off the other ear too. She spat out the piece of fox-like skin and glared at him with venomous eyes.

"That’s the price for running your mouth in front of me."

"No matter how much you confess, a fledgling like you will never earn Satan's attention."

"And yet a pathetic demon enthralled by this fledgling succubus has the gall to speak?"

"Hah, you’ve got a point there."

Wirynom laughed self-deprecatingly. Lilith had first pierced his mind and enthralled him in his dreams shortly after her fifth molt. After one wild encounter in his dreams, he had awakened as little more than her servant. The fact that she could so easily shatter the defenses of a demon once hailed as a demon lord spoke volumes about her extraordinary talent.

"Get off me."

Lilith's lips trembled with anger as she pushed him away. But Wirynom gently grasped her ankle, pressing a kiss to it with a smirk.

"Don’t be mad, my queen. But you know the truth. To that angelic bastard, you're just a burden the ruler handed him. He’s only bowing his head because he needs to coexist somewhere. That’s all he is—nothing more."

"Don’t be ridiculous. My teacher cherishes me. He told me himself."

"But he’s never once said he loves you, has he?"

"…"

"I thought as much. Still, listen closely. If Satan won’t accept you as his mate, no other demon would dare. But you, Lilith—you’re different."

"Explain. Now."

The leisurely movements of Wirynom’s dark, sinuous form came to an abrupt halt as he found himself pinned beneath her. Both his wrists were pressed against the bed, immobilized, yet his mocking laughter didn’t waver.

"Dealing with a temperamental queen like you is a hassle, but it’s exciting all the same. That’s why Satan will never be yours, Lilith. You’re too impulsive—always letting your emotions and desires drive you. But I won’t tell you that. Watching you struggle in frustration excites me too much."

"One week. Let me stay here for one week, and I’ll tell you."

"Four days."

"One week."

"Four—damn it! Just spit it out already!"

As Lilith lunged to tear off his remaining ear, Wirynom dodged her, grinning mischievously.

"For such a clever demon, you really can’t seem to think this through, can you? You carry the ruler’s blood in your veins, after all."

"Be more specific."

"Why do you think a being as powerful as Satan obeys the ruler’s commands? The ruler’s no fool. Even if Satan swore to behave, no demon would trust a being of his caliber. Remember when Satan tried to summon a fragment of the human world into his chambers?"

"Of course I do. My father turned pale and rushed over in a panic—how could I forget?"

"Exactly. Pale and panicked. If I were the ruler, I would’ve immediately rallied an army to attack Satan’s mansion under the pretense of rebellion. The fact that didn’t happen means the ruler has some leverage over him."

"You mean… there’s a covenant between them?"

"It would have to be a powerful one to bind someone like Satan. And if that covenant is so strong, it could also make Satan yours, your mate. Simple as that."

"Wirynom!"

"Oh dear."

Lilith suddenly threw herself at him, hugging him tightly. Her small frame trembled with excitement as she sat atop his larger, shadowy form, nearly bouncing with joy. Her face and eyes glimmered as if jewels were spilling from them.

"Thank you! Thank you! How could I not think of that? I’ll ascend to the throne as soon as possible! I’ll tell Father to hand over his position immediately. With the covenant, I’ll bind Satan to my side. He’ll be my mate, and eventually, he’ll love me. After all, I’m the strongest female in hell—it’s only natural!"

"Do you really think your father will give up the throne so easily?"

"You know he listens to anything I say. And if not, I’ll make it happen. Both he and I know I’ll inherit it sooner or later. Maybe he’s just waiting for me to step up and claim it. I’ll tell him today! Don’t worry; even if I become the ruler, I’ll still visit you occasionally, so don’t get too upset."

She clutched her flushed cheeks, lost in thought, then clapped her hands as if she’d solved a great mystery. Suddenly, she sprang to her feet and began bouncing around the room. The mere possibility of making Satan her mate left her so ecstatic she couldn’t contain herself.

In her mind, she was already envisioning a future where she and Satan swore eternal vows to one another. But would it really be that easy? Satan might be incredibly powerful, but the ruler of hell was no pushover. Could a demon who ruled over all of hell really overlook a daughter coveting his throne? Not a chance.

But Lilith was too immature to grasp this reality. Wirynom, watching her from below, licked his lower lip with a long tongue.

We demons are strange creatures, aren’t we? Always desiring what we can’t have. The more distant or unattainable someone is, the stronger our obsession grows.

Such desires inevitably ruin the object of our affection. That’s why demonic love rarely ends well. And this, Lilith, is why I’ll end up ruining you.

Chuckling to himself, Wirynom kissed the ends of her hair.

"Good luck, my lovely Lilith."

Just as Wirynom had predicted, Lilith’s request to ascend the throne was flatly denied. Though the ruler acknowledged her as a fully grown demon after her sixth molt, he explained that it was far too soon for her to take the throne. Lilith, however, refused to accept this. She argued that making Satan her mate as ruler would be immensely beneficial to hell.

The ruler’s expression grew complicated. Confusion at her naive dream, pity at her misunderstanding. He sighed deeply.

"Satan is not someone we can confine or bind. You know full well that he is not a complete demon."

"My teacher will listen to me! Even without a covenant, I can make him stay. Isn’t binding him to hell beneficial for us all?"

"How do you even know about the covenant… No, never mind. It doesn’t matter. My decision stands. I’m not denying your growth as a demon, but you’re rushing too far ahead, both in ambition and mind. When you move too fast, you lose sight of what’s around you. Lilith, return to your chambers and reflect. Until you realize your mistakes, you are forbidden from seeing Satan."