Chapter 244: Never Forget

Demon Capital, *Abyss Times* editorial department.

When Isabelle pushed open the main doors, the entire editorial department was still permeated with the stifling atmosphere of late-night work. Aside from a few editors pulling all-nighters to revise drafts, everyone else had entered a semi-conscious state. Only the floating magic crystal lamps flickered with dim, yellow halos, illuminating the interview drafts that waxed and waned in the hands of the staff.

Unsurprisingly, Lulu was here too.

That round-bodied Shi Shi Laimu Lady was currently reading documents at a snail's pace while wobbling her transparent body. She bubbled and gurgled, muttering incessantly to herself.

"That Isabelle, she's surely lost miserably this time, hehehe... How should I order her around tomorrow..."

Just as Lulu was happily imagining how to make Isabelle concede defeat in front of the entire newspaper office, a crisp sound of high heels clicking across the floor approached from afar.

Accompanied by a faint scent of roses, a familiar figure strode into the office, simultaneously entering her field of vision.

Lulu's eyes widened, staring dumbfounded at the Isabelle before her.

She saw that Isabelle's gait was light, a smile of triumph hung on the corners of her lips, and she held an interview notebook in her hand.

Without a doubt—

That was the smile of a victor!

In an instant, the entire editorial department became as quiet as the grave.

Gurgle.

Lulu's slime body shuddered violently, and the document in her hand dropped onto the desk with a "plop."

She stared with those translucent slime eyes, her mouth opening and closing as if she had suddenly lost the ability to speak.

"You, you, you... you succeeded?! How is that possible!!"

Isabelle elegantly raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly, saying with an air of effortless ease, "There is nothing impossible in this world, Ms. Lulu. It seems I have won this wager."

Lulu's expression was first one of shock, then, at a speed that left one tongue-tied, it instantly switched to a sycophantic, fawning smile.

"Oh my, oh my! Lady Isabelle! My dear sister! You truly are the lucky star of our newspaper!"

Lulu slid over to Isabelle in a flash, her slippery hands nimbly patting Isabelle's shoulders as she continued to flatter her.

"You actually managed to interview the Demon King?! By the Demon God, I knew long ago you weren't an ordinary demon; I truly didn't misjudge you!"

She didn't doubt for a second that Isabelle might be lying; after all, the consequences of doing so would be far worse than scrubbing toilets.

Isabelle lifted her chin slightly, looking down at the fawning Lulu, the corners of her mouth curling up as she teased.

"Oh? So cleaning the office was just to test me?"

Lulu's expression turned awkward instantly, and she coughed, saying,

"That, uh... that was just a joke. Not to mention that such a small matter is a piece of cake for you, even if you hadn't completed the wager, I could never bear to let dear Ms. Isabelle's delicate little hands—"

"Cut it out!" Watching the slimy tentacles slithering from her arm onto her hand, Isabelle shuddered in disgust. She pulled her hand back as if electrocuted, glaring with her beautiful eyes, "I won't take that as a joke. The office, the column! And the assistant! Not one can be missing!"

"Yes, yes, yes, of course! They're all yours! Those things were yours to begin with!"

Lulu didn't dare say a word of dissent, her right hand reaching out to quickly pull back her own chair.

"Respected Queen, this chair is yours now! Please take a moment to rest, and I will help you clear out my—cough, clear out your office! Weiqi! Get moving and clear out that newly renovated office!"

"Yes, yes!" A furry demon shrieked, rushing into the office in a flurry, and before long, a series of clanging and banging sounds echoed out.

Isabelle curled her lips and sat elegantly in the chair Lulu had vacated.

Lulu approached from behind with a fawning laugh, rubbing her hands together and moving her fingers like she was playing the piano, then gently placed her hands on Isabelle's shoulders and began to massage them enthusiastically.

"The column and the assistant are all negotiable... I mean, we'll hire a new assistant tomorrow, and just as we discussed, you will choose them yourself! Also, for that new column, let's use your interview draft for the first issue! The political rising star of the Demon Capital, the new ally of the Partridge family, the most powerful young man in the entire Demon Capital, cackle cackle... The *Demon Capital Daily* will be left far behind by us!"

"That goes without saying." Isabelle flicked her golden hair lightly, her crimson lips parting, "His 'charm' lies not in his power, but in his concern for groups that have long been ignored. Believe me, it won't just be the citizens of the Demon Capital who fall for him; even those who were reluctant to spend money on newspapers will open their purses. I've already decided: I'll place a striking headline for my column in the top spot, and then put the content on page 3... What do you think?"

"I think you are simply a genius! Cackle cackle... How did I not notice this before, my treasure."

The intimate tone was as if she were treating her own daughter. Lulu continued with a fawning smile on her face.

"Speaking of which, Lady Isabelle, how exactly did you... uh, how did you get the Demon King to notice you? No offense intended, I'm just curious."

It wasn't just Lulu who was curious; everyone in the editorial department cast gossiping glances in this direction.

Although the *Abyss Times* wasn't a tabloid, being in the niche circle of media, they had heard more or less about high-society matters, though it wasn't suitable to write them in the paper.

For instance, at Ms. Partridge's banquet, that respected Mr. Luo Yan had garnered the favor of many noble ladies and wives, to the point where, according to unreliable rumors, Mrs. Partridge almost got into an argument with her daughter...

Bathed in the gazes of the crowd, Isabelle couldn't help but feel carried away. She was completely intoxicated by the slime's massage, and her mouth gradually lost its guard.

"This... it really wasn't easy. Getting that gentleman to open his mouth is no small feat. You know, adults like that never speak the truth. You talk to him about the east, he talks about the west, unless you stare into his eyes and make him forget his own status. Hmm... it really isn't easy. Don't just press the shoulders, my waist is a bit sore, help me press that too."

"At your command! Queen!" Lulu quickly moved her hands to her waist, her ten fingers nimbly kneading as if she were pinching dough.

The atmosphere in the office was boiling over; the previously sleepy editors and reporters were all energized, whispering gossip to one another.

"Waist?!"

"Why would her waist be sore..."

"As expected..."

Feeling the fawning of the editor-in-chief, Isabelle wore a satisfied smile, letting out a soft hum from time to time.

The taste of the Demon King... is truly wonderful!

Truly addictive!

However, rather than calling it the taste of the Demon King, it was more like the taste of power.

She didn't need to say anything, didn't need to do anything; with one look, everyone would gather around her and satisfy all her demands.

Yet, just as she was immersed in vanity, a figure like a vengeful ghost suddenly surfaced in her mind, with a yandere-like smile on its face.

"... What did you do to Mr. Luo Yan?", "Cackle cackle... so it was just a trashy succubus stealing a bite...", "Let me confirm it personally from your blood... I will savor every drop..."

Isabelle shuddered, suddenly jolted awake from that unrealistic fantasy.

She couldn't even imagine what her fate would be if these rumors reached Vivian's ears...

"You guys, stop talking nonsense! I, I, I... I didn't do anything, okay?" Isabelle glared, warning her gossiping colleagues not to spread rumors.

Yet, to her surprise, those guys didn't do as she wished; instead, they cast ambiguous glances at her.

"Ah... so that's how it is."

"After all, the Demon King is a man too... it's normal for him to be unable to resist temptation, especially with a succubus."

"Cackle cackle..."

Isabelle's face turned from green to white, her lips trembling, and she was so anxious she was about to cry.

Lulu gently placed her hands on her shoulders, saying in a doting tone.

"It's fine, my dear. Could we really write such things in the newspaper? Everyone is just talking in the office, it won't get out..."

As she spoke, she leaned in with an ambiguous look, her expression like a hooligan.

"Tell me straight, was it good? Which position? Of course, you know, I'm referring to my massage just now—"

"Get out, get out, get out!"

Isabelle's mouth twitched slightly, and she slapped her hand away: "Stop rubbing! It's not comfortable at all, you're getting water all over me."

Seeing Isabelle's reaction, Lulu showed a look of surprise, then cackled and backed away.

"So that's how it is... It seems there's a beast hidden under that elegant exterior; he's the wilder type."

Isabelle almost spat out a mouthful of old blood.

"Enough! I said nothing happened, why won't you listen to me?"

She was telling the truth.

The two of them had just had a cup of tea. After the interview, Luo Yan had gentlemanly seen her to the door, and then they had parted ways, each returning to their own homes.

However, the more anxious she was to explain, the more ambiguous the surrounding gazes became, completely ignoring whatever she said.

"Oh—?" Lulu raised her gelatinous eyebrows, cackling as she looked at her. "I didn't say anything happened between you two, why are you so agitated? Oh my... actually, it's nothing. You're a succubus, why are you acting all shy like a human girl?"

Isabelle clutched her head in pain, closing her eyes in despair.

It's over.

The more she explains, the darker it gets.

Now, no matter how she explains, it's useless!

At this very moment, she regretted deeply that she had been greedy for a moment of vanity and hadn't clarified things immediately.

Now she could only pray that the respected Ms. Vivian wouldn't notice a small character like her.

Before long, the entire editorial department was whispering her name, accompanied by knowing looks and teasing laughter.

And Lulu, looking at her expression, had completely concluded that something incredible had happened between her and the Demon King, wearing an "I understand" expression and fawning like a dog.

I don't know how much more time passed, but the clumsy Ms. Weiqi finally finished cleaning the newly renovated office, and Isabelle, who had been sitting on pins and needles, bolted from her chair, fleeing into the office and slamming the door shut with a bang.

It was useless to say anything now.

She could only let this topic pass as quickly as possible!

"Phew—"

Leaning back in the soft office chair, Ms. Isabelle let out a long sigh and looked over her future office space.

Although the space here wasn't large, it was quite quiet, and the window perfectly reflected the streetscape of the old city district, full of historical depth.

Lady Lulu was indeed a slime who knew how to enjoy life; this office was undoubtedly one she had reserved for herself.

A smile curled the corners of Isabelle's mouth, and she pushed the office chair to spin in a circle.

Now this space belonged to her!

After enjoying a moment of quiet solitude, she returned to the desk, took a deep breath, and then silently recited a spell.

A goose-feather pen floated out of her bag and landed quietly on the manuscript paper in front of her.

Isabelle pondered for a long time, and with neat, graceful handwriting, she wrote a headline on the manuscript paper—

"Never Forget"

This would be a report that would shock the entire Demon Capital, about the Demon King, about the warrior, about the truth...

The miracle of sales was already beyond doubt; tomorrow's *Abyss Times* would once again drop everyone's jaws.

Of course, she had to write the article carefully, avoiding the Council, avoiding the Cabinet, and even avoiding the front lines, focusing the conflict on a conspiracy that was like a castle in the air, hot yet useless emotions, and General Sebes, who couldn't possibly kill his way back from the front.

As for the deeper games behind it, that wasn't something a small character like her could participate in.

This was the Demon King's suggestion.

Don't always think about making a big splash; first, you have to protect yourself. Only the living are qualified to talk about the future.

And then, there was the information she had obtained during the interview.

As for the new column...

Isabelle pursed her lips and smiled, thought for a moment, and wrote the name of the column in the corner of the manuscript paper—

"Figures."

This was a column about heroes, about legends, about the demons in hell most worthy of being recorded.

Originally, she wanted to use the word "monsters," but considering that this word carried ambiguity, she replaced it with the relatively neutral "Figures."

"Figures" didn't specifically refer to humans; it could also be used to specifically refer to influential demons or the undead.

Isabelle leaned back lightly in her chair, a satisfied smile appearing on the corners of her mouth. She had won the wager, won the office, won her own column, and had servants she could order around...

Thanks to the Demon King, her career was flourishing.

However, none of this compared to what the demons at the very bottom of the Demon Capital had received tonight.

They had received a Demon King who truly cared about them...

The *Abyss Times* news was published as scheduled.

The first report of the "Figures" column unsurprisingly shocked the Demon Capital, pushing the prestige of the Lei Ming County Demon King among the common folk of the Demon Capital to a new climax.

And in contrast, General Sebes, the commander of the Battle of Sardo Port, was pushed to the forefront of the storm, and dissatisfaction against him was brewing...

The game between Luo Yan and the Dragon family entered a new stage, and the increasingly intense confrontation had already caused some undercurrents that were originally hidden beneath the water to surge to the surface.

Facing a situation where there was no retreat, Kamu had also completely let go, using the political resources that Elder Zakro had opened up to him without reservation.

!

And in contrast, Luo Yan wasn't idle either; he was either going to the temple to visit his adoptive father and show his approachable side to the ordinary demons of the Demon Capital, incidentally harvesting some power of faith at close range, or making a high-profile appearance at Black Wind Castle, coordinating the production of the magic crystal cannon factory, and laying the groundwork for his new military equipment plan.

This was part of his promise.

He would solve the mobility problem of the magic crystal cannons, making the heavy war machines move on the battlefield and possess combat power not inferior to Abyss War Beasts!

At the same time, besides the Dragon family and Luo Yan himself who were in the game, the third-party forces in the Demon Capital were also stirring...

Demon Capital, Ankein Mansion.

This mansion stood silently in the core area of the Demon Capital, surrounded by thick shadows and mist, like an abyss devouring light and shadow. Since the establishment of the Demon Capital, the Ankein family had been the most loyal supporters of the Demon God and the executors of his will in the mortal world.

And this generation's head of the Ankein family was not only a Shadow Demon with the strength of a demigod but also the Chief Minister with the most weight in the six-person Cabinet!

In Hell, the position of Chief Minister was like the Regent of an empire, with a status even higher than the latter.

After all, Hell had no emperor on the ground, and the high-and-mighty Demon God Bayeli would not set foot on the ground.

Of course, because the power of the Cabinet was shared by six people, the actual power of the Chief Minister might not be comparable to the Regent of an empire.

But this actually didn't matter.

Regardless of whether the power was held by six people or one, the Ankein family was like a god to ordinary demons!

At this moment, in the study of the mansion, Asmon Ankein was sitting in front of an obsidian desk carved with abyssal runes, his fingertips gently stroking a newspaper.

It was the latest issue of the *Abyss Times*, and a headline titled "Never Forget" was printed on the paper.

Below the headline was Isabelle's byline, and a magic illustration carefully drawn by an artist—Luo Yan sitting in a black tea house, his expression calm, his gaze deep, as if everything before him was under his control. And the mist swirling over the teacup looked exactly like his fate at this moment, unfathomable.

Asmon narrowed his eyes, his eyebrows arching in an arc of interest.

This Demon King of Lei Ming County was not the first time he had appeared in the newspaper.

Since his counterattack at the hearing, all parties in the Demon Capital had been closely watching his movements, as well as the subsequent actions of the Dragon family. And now, he had not only accumulated prestige among the front-line soldiers and the grassroots masses but had even occupied a seat in the public opinion field, turning the chess pieces in the Dragon family's hands into his own political resources.

Although public opinion was not important to Hell, it could also have unexpected effects at critical moments.

After all, faith, to put it plainly, was also a kind of human heart.

And the Ministry of Truth cared about the former.

Not only that, Goli Gao Suolun should also be interested—this guy was the Minister of Religion in the six-person Cabinet, and also the only undead in the Cabinet, a demigod-level lich who had lived for a thousand years, and a clear-headed one at that.

"This kid..." Asmon laughed softly, spread the newspaper out, his tone playful, "Interesting."

The secretary standing to the side—a low-key and steady Shadow Demon—said softly.

"My lord, should we take action against him?"

"Action? Why should we wade into this muddy water."

Asmon laughed lightly, flipped through the newspaper casually, and said faintly: "However, I am curious about how this play carefully laid out by the Dragon family will end. You have to keep an eye on it for me. Although we who serve the Demon God are not suitable to participate rashly, we must know what happened."

That old thing Zakro was no good.

He even felt that the guy was a bit crazy... not quite normal.

A century ago, he had once persuaded the guy to transfer power to the young, at least to ensure the freshness of blood and the flow of power within the family, but the guy always wanted to hold everything firmly in his own hands. The final result was that each generation was worse than the last, and each generation was a puppet.

Now they were really living back to the past, actually fighting with the son-in-law that the Partridge family had taken a fancy to.

Don't you feel ashamed?

Of course—

It could not be ruled out that there was something in the labyrinth of Lei Ming County that Zakro had misjudged, so that he changed his mind again and wanted to pick up this discarded burden.

Asmon pondered in his heart, while the secretary to the side bowed his head in response and silently retreated into the shadows.

Time flowed quietly.

This demigod-level Shadow Demon picked up his teacup, took a light sip, and his gaze lingered on Luo Yan's portrait.

A Demon King who possessed the power to bewitch people and had inherited a "mysterious legacy"...

He chuckled, stared at those deep purple eyes, and said to himself.

"Perhaps the Council needs to add a chair."

Demon Capital, Melusine Mansion, afternoon tea time.

Sunlight shone through the glass windows inlaid with magic crystals, spilling onto the exquisite tea set and velvet tablecloth. The air was filled with a faint honey tea fragrance, and elegant piano music flowed slowly in the room.

Karamos Melusine—the head of the Succubus family, the Minister of Intelligence of the Cabinet, was sitting in front of the tea table.

His features were as exquisite as a finely carved work of art, and his long hair hung down like a waterfall onto his thin shoulders.

If it weren't for those who knew him, it would be easy to mistake him for an elegant noblewoman. However, he was not a woman; it was just that the succubus bloodline gave him captivating pupils and a unique temperament that people could not ignore.

At this very moment, his slender fingers were holding a tea spoon, gently stirring the black tea in the cup, his golden pupils narrowing slightly, looking thoughtfully at the person opposite him.

Sitting opposite him was the head of the Partridge family, Festin Partridge.

This person was wearing an exquisite black robe, suave and elegant, his manners as poetic as a poem, and he was leisurely sipping tea.

Karamos put down the tea spoon and suddenly opened the conversation.

"How is your daughter lately?"

Festin answered casually.

"She is very well, she just had her twentieth birthday recently. I sent you an invitation, but you weren't in the Demon Capital."

"No way, the Melusine family's business is all over Hell, and occasionally I have to go on a mission to the human world for the Demon God, so I can't stay in the Demon Capital every day to enjoy myself like you guys."

Karamos sighed with regret, looked at Mr. Festin with an apologetic gaze, and said slowly, "I apologize for my absence. That is your daughter; even if I missed my own child's birthday, I shouldn't have missed hers."

That affectionate gaze gave Festin goosebumps, but he said without changing his smile.

"Cut the crap."

"Haha, sorry."

Karamos let out a hearty laugh while restraining his affected posture.

The two had been old friends since their student days.

Even though one had entered the Cabinet and the other had entered the Council, one was demigod-level and the other was master-level, the conversation between the two had no difference in status and had always been like friends.

This was actually related to the family style of the Melusine family.

Although they were also a high-tier succubus family, their concepts were the exact opposite of the Partridge family.

To give an inappropriate example, the latter were conservatives among succubi, believing that seduction was an art and that what you couldn't get was the most precious, so they attached particular importance to the purity of bloodline and inner feelings.

Conversely, the Melusine family was much more enthusiastic and unrestrained, belonging to the "radicals" among succubi.

Their orientation not only transcended gender and race but they would even personally go into battle to realize the wishes of their believers, rather than directly granting power and remote control, so their bloodline was also as mixed as a seven-color spectrum.

It was precisely because of this that most of the Melusine family members would use pseudonyms and fictitious surnames to avoid bringing shame to the family, and only after becoming the head of the family would they change their surnames back and restrain themselves in words and deeds.

Before Karamos started a family, Ms. Serina had once forbidden Festin from contacting her old friend.

Actually, Festin was very wronged.

He was a demon with a normal orientation and really hadn't had anything happen with this old friend, at most just a few occasional jokes.

The two chatted for a while, and the topic basically revolved around Ms. Partridge.

Karamos didn't expect Festin to let her enter a marginal department like the Demon King Management Division, while the latter dotingly said that as long as she liked it, it was fine. Anyway, for the Partridge family, gilding anywhere was gilding; as long as they were willing, even guarding magma could wait for a sky-high merit.

However, at this moment, Karamos suddenly changed the subject and said meaningfully.

"Speaking of which, the Demon King your daughter is responsible for is not a fuel-efficient lamp."

Festin smiled lightly, his gaze without the slightest ripple: "Oh? So, even Mr. Karamos is interested in him?"

"It wouldn't be wrong to say interested, after all, my child occasionally mentions him in letters," Karamos smiled slightly, his index finger gently rubbing the table, drawing one circle after another: "However, my interest in him is less about interest and more about the needs of work. You know, I am responsible for the intelligence system, so I am naturally extra attentive to these outstanding young men."

Festin put down his teacup and said in a casual tone.

"So, have you found anything interesting?"

"A little, not much... but compared to those groundless rumors, I am more curious about the attitude of my dear old friend Mr. Festin."

Karamos looked at his expression, with a charming smile on his face, and said tentatively.

"So, will the head of the Partridge family support him?"

Festin paused slightly, then smiled, his tone gentle.

"I respect my daughter's choice."

Karamos narrowed his eyes.

This was a very clever answer.

The Partridge family was one of the succubus noble families; although they were not as good as the Melusine family in hard power, their soft power was not necessarily so.

Festin neither denied nor admitted.

What did this represent?

He was observing!

Observing whether Luo Yan was worth further investment.

It's just that is this guy a bit too calm?

You have to know that the other party is the Dragon family; even if it has declined recently, a thin, dead Abyss Behemoth is bigger than a fledgling Hellhound.

Or is it—

Does the Partridge family know something?

Karamos was still smiling on the surface, but in his heart, he had already attached more importance to Luo Yan.

No one could control all the intelligence of the Demon Capital, not even the intelligence chief of the Demon God.

Perhaps the Partridge family held cards he hadn't seen, such as more direct evidence that could prove Luo Yan's illegitimate child status...

Or maybe something else.

"Alright, I know you're an old fox, if you don't want to say it, don't say it," he raised his teacup, gently touched the rim of Festin's cup, suddenly relaxed his tone, and smiled: "The descendants of the Partridge family have always had good eyes, I sincerely wish your daughter well."

Festin smiled faintly, his gaze as deep as the night, just like the bottomless night of the Demon Capital.

"Thank you for your blessing, I believe she will find her own happiness."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 245 =====