Demon Empress

Chapter 13 - Memoir

Qaen stepped out into the brightly-lit corridor and hastened his pace.

Reminiscing was simply stalling; this was the present he needed to face.

He cleared his throat and knocked on the door, gathering his hands behind his back to lightly clasp them together.

The door clicked open, and a charming, unfamiliar maid answered. She looked quite confused to see him, and she slowly asked, “Who…?”

Qaen bowed his head slightly. He didn’t recognise her, and he wasn’t surprised to see Riese had yet again switched out her personal attendants. “My master is a guest here, and Lord l’Rasel sent me over to pay my respects to the lady of the house. If you’ll excuse me…”

He easily stepped past her, striding forward further in without waiting for a reply. Very confidently and without hesitation, he headed towards Riese’s bedchambers.

The maid became very flustered as she hurried after him. “W-Wait! You, that’s our lady’s—”

“What’s with the fuss, Anet?”

It was a mild, musical voice that froze Anet where she stood, and sent a ripple of something over Qaen’s body.

“Who dares come into my house and bedchambers?”

Hearing this, Qaen halted and no longer advanced, simply waiting. Surely enough, the sheer, silk curtains diving up the chambers parted to allow an elegant, slender demoness through.

Seeing him standing there, an odd mixture of surprise, uncertain pleasure and wistful pain crossed the woman’s delicate features. “Qaen,” she breathed.

Qaen bowed his head the slightest of degrees. “Qaen pays respects to Lady l’Rasel.”

Riese’s long lashes trembled. “You should kneel and call me Master.”

Qaen replied coldly. “You’re not my master.”

Frost settled on Riese’s face. “So I see that I am not.” Her gaze fell to his throat, and despite the ice in her voice, Qaen could see the wanting, the greed in her eyes. “Have you finally met a master who was willing to free you?”

Qaen paused in thought, chewing over his reply. When he came to a conclusion, his smile was rueful. “No.”

Riese nodded, her eyes clouding over with sadness. “Then your current master must be someone of great power.”

Qaen’s hand rose subconsciously to feel his throat and the lack of a collar.

Glancing at the frozen maid Anet, Riese gently waved her hand. “You and all of the girls are dismissed for the rest of the evening. You may leave.”

Relief washed over Anet’s face as she hastily curtsied and left, far too quickly to be considered polite. Watching her skittish behaviour, Qaen snorted internally. Demons lived for such a long time, but over centuries of time, they didn’t seem to change, just like Riese’s apparently consistent tyrannic attitude.

She floated to a long seat and settled in it, leaning on her side and raising her legs up. “Come, Qaen. Did you not miss me?”

I didn’t miss you. But Qaen obediently stepped forward and fell to his knees by her feet.

A gentle smile stretched over Riese’s face and she leaned over to tilt his face upwards with a delicate finger. “Were you sent by your master to beg me for a favour? Otherwise, my prideful Qaen wouldn’t be here like this without my collar.”

Qaen kept his gaze fixed on the richly carpeted ground. “Something like that.”

She giggled. “How ironic. Centuries have passed, but you are still forced to kneel before me.”

Qaen clenched his jaw, then slowly loosened it, calming his anger. “I exist for my master’s pleasure,” he said evenly.

She smirked. “Because you’re a soul Contract slave. It’s good that you know.”

Qaen didn’t reply.

“Well,” Riese purred. “Seeing that your master’s pleasure is currently my pleasure, shall we catch up on some lost time?”