Chapter 144

Chapter 144: Chapter 144

"What? It’s a legitimate question," Lyra replied, her eyes dancing with mischief. "Though looking at you, I think I have my answer. You look very thoroughly satisfied, Jessica. Congratulations."

"I—we—that’s—" Jessica stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence.

"Oh, don’t be embarrassed," Lyra said, walking over and gently adjusting Jessica’s collar, which had been inside-out. "I’m genuinely happy for you. For both of you. Your first time should be with someone who loves you, and clearly it was. That’s wonderful."

"You’re really okay with this?" Jessica asked, her voice small. "I mean, I know we talked about it, but now that it’s actually happened..."

"I’m completely okay with it,I have always told you that" Lyra confirmed, her expression becoming more serious. "Jessica, look at me." She waited until Jessica met her eyes. "I love Satou. You love Satou. Satou loves both of us. We’re building something together—all three of us. That means I’m genuinely happy when you’re happy. When you and Satou connect and grow closer, that’s good for all of us, not a threat to what he and I have."

Jessica’s eyes filled with tears. "Thank you. For being so understanding. For not making this complicated."

"Oh, it’s definitely complicated," Lyra said with a laugh. "But that doesn’t mean it can’t also be good. Now, tell me—how was your night? And I want details. Not graphic details, but enough to satisfy my curiosity."

"Lyra!" Jessica protested again, but she was laughing now through her tears.

"What? We’re partners sharing a partner. That means we can talk about these things." Lyra settled into the desk chair with the air of someone prepared to hear a story. "So? Was he gentle? Passionate? Did he make you feel cherished? Did he—"

"It was perfect," Jessica interrupted, her blush returning but her smile radiant. "It was everything I hoped it would be. He was patient and gentle and made me feel like the most important person in the world. And yes, before you ask, it was worth waiting for."

"Good," Lyra said with satisfaction. "That’s exactly what I wanted to hear. Satou, well done. You clearly handled her first time appropriately."

"Can we please stop analyzing my sex life?" Satou asked, feeling his own face heating slightly.

"No," both women said simultaneously, then looked at each other and laughed.

"This is going to be our lives now, isn’t it?" Satou said with resignation. "The two of you ganging up on me."

"Absolutely," Lyra confirmed. "Get used to it. Though on a more serious note—" her expression shifted to business mode, "—we actually do have a situation. A very unexpected, very complicated situation that requires immediate attention."

"What kind of situation?" Satou asked, immediately alert.

"The kind with wings and a reputation for corrupting everyone she meets," Lyra said dryly. "Seraphine, the fourth-seat demon lord, just arrived at our settlement gates. Without warning, without invitation, and apparently with an entire retinue of corrupted angels and demons. She’s asking politely, but firmly for an audience with you."

All the warmth and contentment of the morning evaporated instantly. Satou felt his stomach drop. Of all the demon lords who might have visited, Seraphine was possibly the worst option. Her interest in him at the arena had been obvious and unsettling. Having her actually show up at his settlement was a complication he’d hoped to avoid.

Jessica immediately moved closer to Satou, her hand finding his instinctively. "She can’t just show up uninvited, can she? That’s not proper demon lord protocol."

"Unfortunately, it is," Lyra said. "Seated demon lords have the right to visit provisional seats without prior announcement. It’s a way of keeping provisional seats on their toes, preventing them from preparing elaborate facades. Though usually there’s at least a day’s warning through diplomatic channels. Seraphine deliberately bypassed that courtesy."

"How many in her retinue?" Satou asked, his mind already shifting to security concerns.

"Twelve that Cassius counted," Lyra replied. "All of them radiating enough power to be dangerous. She’s not here to attack—if she wanted to destroy us, she’d have done it already. But she’s also not here for a casual friendly visit. This is demon lord politics, which means every word and gesture carries weight."

"Where is she now?"

"Waiting at the main gate with surprising patience, actually. Cassius is keeping an eye on her, and Urgak has quietly mobilized additional guards without making it look like we’re preparing for combat. But Satou, we can’t keep a seated demon lord waiting indefinitely. You need to receive her, and you need to do it properly."

"What does ’properly’ mean in this context?" Jessica asked, her hand tightening on Satou’s.

Lyra turned to her. "It means Satou needs to look like a demon lord receiving a peer, not a nervous provisional seat meeting his superior. That means appropriate clothing, proper setting, and probably both of us present as his partners. Demon lords respect strength and status. Having two capable women openly attached to him signals that he’s powerful enough to maintain complex relationships."

"So we’re political assets now?" Jessica said.

"We always were," Lyra replied pragmatically. "That’s part of what it means to be partnered with a demon lord. Our presence reflects on him, and his status affects us. It’s not romantic, but it is reality."

"She’s right," Satou said. "And I’m sorry for dragging you both into demon lord politics so quickly. But if Seraphine is here, I can’t face her alone. She’s too dangerous, too manipulative, and too interested in adding me to her collection."

"Collection?" Jessica repeated, alarm clear in her voice.

"Seraphine collects powerful beings like trophies," Lyra explained. "She seduces them, corrupts them, binds them to her through various means—magical, emotional, physical. Once you’re in her collection, you don’t leave. Ever. She has subordinates who’ve been bound to her for centuries, unable to break free even if they wanted to."

"And she wants to add Satou?" Jessica’s protective instincts were clearly activating, her healer’s concern shifting to something more fierce.

"She made it very obvious at the arena," Satou confirmed. "Which is why I need both of you present. She’s less likely to try overt seduction if she has to work around my existing relationships. At least, that’s the hope."