Lucifer's smile grew wide as he placed his hand under his chin. "I spared your life today. You should be grateful."

  Alastor's eyes widened in surprise, and he bowed deeply. "I beg your pardon for being ignorant, my king."

  Lucifer descended from his throne, his movements fluid and menacing. Alastor remained in a bowing position, his head lowered. Lucifer grasped Alastor's hair, his grip cruel, and jerked him upright.

  "When I say you should be grateful, then you should be," Lucifer growled, his voice dripping with dominance. "Do not ask questions or dare to roll your eyes in front of me. You are but a lowly demon."

  With a sudden motion, Lucifer flung Alastor away. The demon stumbled, then quickly regained his composure. He bowed once more, his voice laced with deference.

  "Forgive me, my king. I am always grateful to you."

  Lucifer's gaze narrowed, his eyes blazing with anger. "You may leave for now. As for my daughter's safety, you will ensure her protection. But do not think of getting close to her. If you even consider harming her, I will show you the true meaning of pain."

  Alastor's smile seemed to hide a secret. "Why would I want to harm myself by hurting her? She holds the key to my freedom."

  Lucifer dismissed Alastor and made his way to Charlie's room. As he approached, he heard her whispering to Vaggie. He was about to knock, but his curiosity got the better of him. Charlie's voice drifted through the door, her words sending a spark of anger through Lucifer's veins.

  "After one hour, we have an appointment with Vox. Vaggie, we have to sneak out."

  Lucifer's expression darkened, his eyes blazing with intensity. He slammed the door open, the sound echoing through the room. Charlie and Vaggie spun around, startled.

  Lucifer strode across the room, his movements fluid and menacing. He sat down in Charlie's chair, his eyes locking onto hers.

  "Do you want to say something, Char Char?" he asked, his voice low and even, but with a hint of warning beneath the surface.

  Charlie's eyes widened, her face pale. She seemed to be searching for words, but Lucifer's gaze held her captive, daring her to speak.

  Charlie let out a deep sigh and gathered her courage. She knew that she had to face her father someday. She stood tall, facing him, and said with confidence, "Father, I want you to listen to me carefully." Lucifer raised an eyebrow and said in an angry tone, "How many times do I have to tell you to call me 'Dad'?"

  Charlie sat down beside him and said in a concerned tone, "Dad, I want to try to save our people. They need my help, and I have a plan to redeem them."

  Lucifer's anger flared as he stood up and said, "You really think you can redeem them, Char Char? They believe that every time they do something evil, it's because I've taken over their minds. Why would I want to take over such lowly beings?"

  Charlie looked at her father with determination, but Lucifer only saw rebellion in her eyes. He suspected that even if he tried to lock her up, she would find a way to escape. So he said, "I'll give you permission, my dear daughter, but on one condition. A demon named Alastor will accompany you everywhere, protecting and assisting you. However, if you refuse his presence, no matter how hard you try, you'll never leave my castle."

  Charlie glanced at Vaggie, and Lucifer's expression darkened. "I, too, am a fallen angel," he growled. "I know the game you're playing, you pitiful creature. Do you think you can manipulate my only daughter to get what you want? I have no love for angels. They're all blindly loyal to Ariel, treating him like a god."

  Charlie saw that her father was furious, so she spoke up nervously, "Dad, I want to meet that demon." Lucifer's face twisted into a cunning smile as he said, "I also have a condition, my dearest daughter. Your time will be limited. As a generous king, I'll give you until the next extermination." Charlie's eyes widened in surprise, and she said, "But the next extermination is in just two months." Lucifer's laughter sent shivers down her spine as he said, "You claim you want to help. Even Earth was created in seven days."

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  Lucifer left Charlie's room, beaming with satisfaction, convinced that the task was impossible. After all, demons believed that death was the end of the road, and nothing could change that. But poor Charlie was oblivious to this fact, and her determination to save humanity was admirable, if misguided.

  Just then, a demon entered her room after asking for permission. He had striking red hair and piercing red eyes, along with oversized ears and a wide, creepy smile. He wore a bright red pentagram coat and held a peculiar radio stick that, surprisingly, seemed to be able to talk.

  Charlie was mesmerized by Alastor as he bowed down to her and said, "Shall we go, my Princess?" Charlie's cheeks flushed as she replied, "Y-you don't have to be so formal, Alastor." Alastor raised an eyebrow, his expression a mix of amusement and curiosity. "She really did forget me," he mumbled to himself. "How cute." Charlie's innocent tone was endearing as she asked, "Did you say something?" Alastor swung his stick, his smile returning. "How dare I say anything about our lovely Princess Charlie? We should go now, Princess. Do you want to stay and chat?"

  Alastor's gaze landed on Vaggie, and he chuckled, clearly amused. "You must be that pathetic thing trying to gain sympathy," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. Vaggie's expression remained defiant. "I don't want any sympathy from a demon like you." Alastor's smile grew wider as he took a step closer to Vaggie. He whispered in her ear, "Weren't you the one trying to save demons like me? Or do you have feelings for our naive princess?" Vaggie's eyes widened in alarm. Alastor's gaze locked onto hers, and he nodded to himself, as if he understood her intentions. Charlie interrupted the tense moment, "Um, guys, do you realize we only have two months, right?"

  Charlie's cheeks flushed as she spoke nervously to Alastor, "Y-you can call me Charlie too... if you want. It's not an order." Alastor's creepy smile spread across his face, and he gazed at her with amusement. "If that's your wish, my dear Charlie," he said, his voice dripping with charm. Charlie's face turned an even deeper shade of red as she hastily changed the subject. "Let's go. Vox must be waiting."

  On the other hand, Vox seethed with fury in his office. "Who gave you permission to accept requests from Lucifer's brat?" he barked at his secretary, his anger palpable. "You know he's already suspecting me." Vox's rage boiled over, and he grabbed his secretary by the neck, making her tremble. Her glasses flew off as he tossed her aside. A sudden knock at the door broke the tense moment. The secretary scrambled to clean up the scattered items, her hands shaking. Vox, meanwhile, cleared his throat, composed himself, and said calmly, "Come in."

  An employee escorted Charlie, Vaggie, and Alastor into the office. Vox's surprise was evident, but he maintained his calm demeanor, bowing low to Charlie. "Good afternoon to our beautiful Princess," he said, his voice dripping with obsequiousness. "You are the star of our empire, the unparalleled..." Alastor cut him off, his tone laced with sarcasm. "We don't have time for this much chatter. Some other time, loyal servant of royalty." His eyes gleamed with mockery as he spoke. Vox's anger simmered just below the surface, but he kept his expression neutral.

  Charlie sat down, while Vaggie and Alastor remained standing. She began, "Vox, as Alastor said, we don't have much time. We need your help to broadcast my appeal to the demons of Hell." Her expression turned solemn. "As we all know, Heaven has issued a decree to punish demons in their own way. So, I've decided that we'll create a place for demons to redeem themselves and ascend to Heaven. This way, no one has to be destroyed."

  Vox couldn't contain himself anymore, and his laughter burst out, filling the room. Alastor watched him with an amused grin, clearly entertained by Vox's outburst. Charlie's heart sank, but she had anticipated this reaction. With a determined look, she continued, "I have prepared a place in the center of Hell. It's called 'The Blessing'."

  Vox's laughter continued to echo through the room as he slammed his fist on the table. Wiping away tears, he apologized, "I'm sorry for my rudeness, Princess, but we can't broadcast your message. No matter who you are, our channel can't air it." Charlie attempted to persuade him, but Vox stood firm. "My princess, I have people to answer to. I'm sorry." He paused, a sly glint in his eye. "Unless, of course, you can offer me something extraordinary..." Alastor's patience snapped, and he slammed his hand on the table next to Charlie, making her jump. "We don't require your assistance, buddy!" he growled.

  Alastor suggested, "Let's go, Charlie, and devise another plan. We can create paper advertisements or explore other channels." They headed to Charlie's place, where disappointment was etched on her face. Vaggie enveloped her in a warm hug and said, "Let's eat something; it'll lift your mood." Alastor's smile was enigmatic as he thought to himself, "He has no idea what he's just done."

  On the other hand, Lucifer blazed with anger as he summoned Vox. His voice was eerily calm as he asked, "Vox, do you have any idea why I've summoned you?" Vox replied with calculated humility, "I don't have the capacity to think that, my king." He bowed deeply, but his words only seemed to fuel Lucifer's ire. Lucifer's smile was a cold, menacing thing, and Vox began to choke, his airway constricting. Lucifer's voice dripped with venom as he spoke, "You dare to refuse my daughter's request. And what was it you said? Ah yes, something 'extraordinary.' Do you have a death wish, Vox?"

  Vox was unable to speak, his choking rendering him mute. Lucifer's voice was laced with mockery as he spoke, "Go and apologize to my daughter. And don't you dare say, 'I did it for you, my king.'" Lucifer's tone dripped with sarcasm, his words a clear warning.