Home/Precious Little Hell-spawn, Evilyn/ch 7

Chapter 7

Oh my, I must have been getting quite bold lately.

Me!

I was just starting up my tear ducts for a proper, heartfelt repentance when—

"I'll do it."

"Pardon?"

"Give it here."

Lucifer spread his hands out with absolute confidence and demanded me.

Lilith looked taken aback for a moment, but then handed me over without any resistance. I watched Lilith recede into the distance with tear-filled eyes.

Was this really all our bond amounted to?

But I understood with a generous heart. No matter how good our time together had been, I knew well enough that there's no business before power.

And so, having received me, Lucifer supported my bottom with one hand and gently patted my back with the other. His form was surprisingly convincing.

I rested my chin on Lucifer's shoulder, who carried me with an unexpected steadiness. The Demon King—he really was worth teaching a few things to.

But there was no room for complacency in my world. Because, as I secretly twisted the collar of Lucifer's shirt, an unforeseen crisis awaited me.

"Keugh—"

Pfft.

The sound that burst forth equally from both ends mingled with the screams of the hellish prisoners echoing from outside, creating a bizarre harmony.

And a potent stench, too.

I caught a glimpse of Lilith's eyes widening in shock—and decided it was best not to check Lucifer's expression.

I quietly closed my eyes. When you're at a disadvantage, playing dead is the best strategy.

In the room that had fallen terrifyingly silent, time flowed by without mercy. My heart felt like it would burst, but I strained with all my might to pretend to sleep.

Fortunately, it seemed to have worked. Lucifer, who had been patting me, let out a long sigh and said,

"See you tomorrow, Evelyn."

It sounded ominously like a death threat, but still.

At least I had survived today.

As expected—never let your guard down. Life in hell allowed no easy peace of mind.

Ah, I wish tomorrow wouldn't come.

---

And so, the next day.

"Oh, that one right there!"

Adoring gazes, pointing fingers raining down, followed by gasps of amazement!

All of it was pouring toward me. Having lived a life far removed from attention, my face—unaccustomed to so many stares—was now burning red. Blazing like the flames of hell over there!

I had thought the humiliation would end with that first day's initiation in the Abyss.

This was clearly a conspiracy to crush my spirit!

I grabbed a generous fistful of the black hair before me. All of this was Lucifer's fault for showing up first thing in the morning.

This morning, just as I had finished my baby food and was about to start my training, a visitor arrived. The Demon King entered with a meaningful smile, and I sensed an unsettling aura from him.

He was undeniably handsome, but expressionless he was frightening, and when he smiled, he looked downright wicked. If he'd been in heaven, his good looks might have gotten him somewhere—what a pity he ended up in hell...

But that aside.

"Cha!" (Get lost!)

The Demon King seemed determined to disrupt my morning. As I practiced my walking, he kept jabbing his fingers at me, breaking my rhythm every time.

Whenever I swatted his fingers away, he'd twist one corner of his mouth up and let out a short laugh. That smirk was as sly as could be.

I flinched.

Every time our eyes happened to meet, a chilling sensation pierced through my heart.

Was this a threat?

Left with no choice, I tapped his fingertips one by one, as if communicating with an alien from an old movie. In response, Lucifer went one step further and scooped me up mid-waddle.

"Kyah!" (What's this now? I should be getting ready to run today!)

I struggled fiercely, resisting Lucifer's arms that kept getting in my way.

Had this cunning Demon King caught wind of my escape plan? It felt like he was deliberately stunting my growth—how spiteful!

"Lilith."

"Yes, my Lord."

"Dress Evelyn in going-out clothes."

Huh? Going-out clothes?

At the unexpected word, I whipped my head around to look at Lucifer. He gave me an infuriating smile and said,

"If you're the heir, it's only natural you should survey the lands you'll rule."

I should have realized it when he wore that meaningful look. The Demon King was truly not someone to take lightly!

And so, regardless of my wishes, I was now riding on Lucifer's shoulders, touring hell with the most powerful guide one could ask for. You could call it a hell tour led by the highest authority.

Who could have imagined it? Having the Demon King and all of hell sprawled beneath such short little legs, looking down on them.

Oh God, why do you keep testing me like this?!

Come to think of it, was he deliberately choosing routes crowded with demons? With every street we passed, the crowd swelled—maybe word had spread.

I came to deeply understand the feelings of a celebrity marching down a red carpet. My palms were sweating.

Being a celebrity is no joke.

But Lucifer, oblivious to my feelings, strode arrogantly through the demons.

Gazes filled with fierce curiosity surrounded us. Eyes that scrutinized me from head to toe gleamed sharply, as if lit with fire.

Ugh, true to demon nature, every feature was wildly expressive.

Seeing all those unfamiliar faces swarming in gave me goosebumps. I flinched a little, but at least I was under Lucifer's protection, so I could endure it.

Demons with all sorts of menacing faces, beyond the ordinary level, stared at me with burning eyes as if they'd found a spectacle.

Amid dozens, hundreds of fixed stares, Lucifer walked calmly through the blazing, lava-churning fire hell with a confident expression.

"This is the Fire Hell, representing all of hell. There are many others, but this one is the largest and can hold the most sin. Even from the Demon King's Castle, this splendid view is truly a sight to behold."

"Pwah!" (Not interested!)

The stench of sulfur stung my nostrils, spreading in all directions. Watching the people writhing in the leaping flames made my hands and feet tremble.

It was different from just hearing their desperate cries from inside a room. Faced with the actual hellscape before my eyes, I had no choice but to grip Lucifer's hair even tighter.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself."

"Gyaak!" (As if!)

Right before my eyes was the infamous hellscape, and I was so scared my very flesh trembled.

The demons crowded like a sea of people reached out as if to devour me, while in the sea of fire before me, people writhed in agony amid the boiling sulfur.

But this trial was something I had to endure, having been reborn in this hell.

I couldn't show weakness here. If I did, just like lions dropping their cubs off a cliff, the demons above watching for an opportunity might throw me right into that inferno.

Since I hadn't yet fully grasped the ecology of hell, I had to appear, on the surface, as a perfect member of it.

I must not look weak.

That was the one and only reason I could keep my sanity. Fortunately, Lucifer still seemed unwilling to abandon me, holding me firmly. That was a tiny comfort.

Leaving the Fire Hell, Lucifer turned familiarly into an alley where dozens of floors of rooms were precariously stacked high into the sky.

Until just a moment ago, cries filled with agony echoed wherever we went, but this area was eerily quiet.

"Next is the Hall of Lies. An excellent place for those who fell to hell for their deceit."

He stopped before the nearest room and tilted his head. At that, the doorman greeted him with proper courtesy and opened the door.

"Hee... yah."

I clutched Lucifer's hair even harder at the sight before me.

Sitting in a tight row, all their mouths were covered by large, oxygen-mask-like machines. Hoses connected from each to a massive pipe on the wall.

"For those who loved lies in life, this is paradise. They can spew nothing but lies until their very souls are worn down to extinction."

As he explained, the massive pipe on the wall turned from blue to red, and the seated figures grew gaunter. Mumbling sounds echoed faintly from inside the masks.

Suddenly, an uneasy thought pierced my mind.

What if they found out my true identity—that I wasn't the real Evelyn, but someone else...?

I didn't know what Lucifer's intentions were in parading me through the heart of hell, but one thing was clear: today's stroll had made the demons of hell fully aware of my existence.

Their fierce eyes, looking as if they would devour me from head to toe, were all engraved with my face. Like prey.

In that moment, one of the skeletal humans gave a soft poof and scattered like smoke. As if showing me my future.

"Kyah!" (Oh, you startled me!)

"Replace it."

Never reveal! There is no Sung Juyeon. I am Evelyn now. The Demon King's da... daughter! Damn, that stings my pride! Yes, I am Evelyn now!

As I was desperately brainwashing myself, Lucifer gave an indifferent order and stepped back outside. Outside, even more demons had gathered in a seething crowd.

The gazes trailing me sent chills down my spine. No matter how much I chanted my mantra, if I were exposed—would Lucifer really let me off?

There was no way he'd peacefully leave alone the one who had taken over his daughter's body. Even if I somehow escaped, now that my face was etched into the demons' minds, there was no guarantee I'd survive, let alone escape hell.

Damn you, Lucifer!

"Bibyuu!" (You vile Demon King Lucifer!)

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