Chapter 501: Modeus: Boss! I'm Not Leaving
The lively atmosphere in the restaurant suddenly evaporated, replaced by a silence so thick it felt tangible.
the scene… Lucifer was staring at Modeus with sheer, unadulterated disbelief. Pandemonica had her eyes closed, a mask of perfect neutrality on her face. Cerberus, for her part, looked just as shocked as her master. Nakiri Mana and the others, caught in the crossfire, were simply and utterly bewildered.
As for Ren, the only man present, he wisely chose to remain silent. This was, by all accounts, an internal affair of Hell, and he had no intention of getting caught in the middle of it.
A muscle in Lucifer's jaw twitched. She fixed her gaze on the equally bewildered Modeus and hissed, "Modeus! What in the nine circles are you doing here?! Is this some kind of rebellion?!"
Modeus, clutching a thick book to her chest and hiding her face behind it, lowered her head and mumbled, "I didn't know you were here, Boss…"
"Boss?!" The exclamation echoed from seven different mouths at once.
Nakiri Mana's lips curved into a wry, strained smile. "Lucifer… you certainly have a full staff, don't you…"
Even Lucifer looked a little embarrassed by the comment.
Modeus peeked over the top of her book, her curiosity overriding her fear. "Um… Boss… what are you… doing with Cerberus and Pandemonica…?"
Lucifer let out a long, weary sigh. "Pandora…"
"Good evening, Boss."
"If you're going to sleep sitting up, at least put the coffee down first! You, with me! And Cerberus, you too!"
Cerberus froze mid-bite, stunned. Why was she being dragged into this?! She was innocent! But seeing Pandemonica rise and follow without a word of protest, she decided it was best to comply for now. If things went south, she could always just bolt and hide behind Ren. Lucifer would never dare to do anything then; her man had her completely wrapped around his little finger.
As Lucifer hauled her upstairs by the collar, Modeus's gaze swept over Nakiri Mana and the others. She gave Aoandon a passing glance, but her attention was immediately and irrevocably captured by Ren. A man! A living, breathing human man, sitting right there between Lucifer and Pandemonica, sharing a meal with them!
Lucifer noticed her starstruck expression and immediately yanked her away with more force.
Downstairs, Nakiri Mana's mouth twitched again. "No matter how I look at this… Lucifer's employees are a bit much. And they just keep showing up, one after another…"
Courage let out a dry chuckle. "I think what's even more outrageous is that… uh… every single one who shows up seems to become one of Ren's girlfriends…"
Ren sighed, a helpless expression on his face. "Please don't make it sound like I have some bizarre passive skill… And as for Cerberus… never mind."
The truth was, Ren had no idea how to explain their relationship. He couldn't very well say he was her master; that would earn him a host of strange, judgmental looks. Calling her Lucifer's sister didn't work either, as she didn't address him with the same familial title Akemi did. And 'friends'? The word felt far too tame, too simple to describe the chaotic bond they shared.
Kasugano Sora, who knew the full story, understood his predicament perfectly. She silently reached over and patted his arm in a gesture of solidarity. "Brother Ren, hang in there…"
"Sora… didn't you have plans to go out with Mashiro and the others?"
"I forgot!" she declared without a hint of shame.
"Eat slowly, there's no need to rush. I'll have Lanterby drive you over later."
While a fragile harmony was restored downstairs, a storm was brewing in Lucifer's room upstairs. Pandemonica had calmly seated herself on Lucifer's large beanbag chair, her gaze fixed on Modeus, who stood silently by the door, still clutching her book like a shield.
Cerberus, meanwhile, was looking from one person to another before her stomach finally won out. "Lucifer, Lucifer, Lucifer! Why are we in your room? I haven't finished eating yet."
An eye-twitch was Lucifer's only response. "Forget about that for now! I'll make you cookies later!"
"Oh… Huh?! No chocolate! No chocolate! No chocolate!" the triple demon chanted in unison.
Lucifer sighed, her patience wearing thin. "Fine! Later, I'll have Ren make you a steak!"
It was that simple to appease Cerberus.
Modeus glanced over, about to speak, but was cut off as Lucifer cleared her throat, taking charge of the interrogation. "So, Modeus. Tell me. Who told you about this place?"
Modeus's voice was a whisper. "I asked Pandemonica where she was… When she told me she was in the human world, I came to find her…"
Lucifer shot a glare at the demon on the beanbag. "Pandora… you really are something else."
"I made a promise to Modeus, Boss."
After a long, contemplative silence, Lucifer sighed again. "Alright, Modeus. Why did you come here?"
"I… I thought Pandora was here on a date with a man… When she sent for me… I thought she wanted me to meet him, to learn what love is… But I was wrong… This isn't a date…"
Lucifer was about to correct her when Pandemonica spoke, her voice soft yet carrying immense weight. "Modeus, it's not a date, but I might indeed have found a man."
"Eh?! Really?! Is it that… that…"
Pandemonica gave a slow, deliberate nod. "That's right. It's him. So far, my impression of him is very favorable. Although I do not yet understand the concept of love, his actions often cause my heart to race. His cooking is exquisite, and most, his coffee is superb."
Modeus's eyes lit up, shining with an almost manic excitement. She turned to Lucifer, beaming. "Boss! So you're here to check out Pandemonica's man too?!"
A vein pulsed in Lucifer's temple. "Modeus, first of all, Pandemonica hasn't won Ren over yet. Secondly, Ren is my man!"
Modeus froze, her brain visibly short-circuiting. After a long moment, she stared blankly at the tired demon. "Pandemonica… you're pursuing the Boss's man… You're incredible! No, wait… Boss, you actually have a man!"
Lucifer nodded, a smug, proprietary pride swelling in her chest. The sin of arrogance, once her defining trait as the Queen of Hell, had been thoroughly repurposed.
Pandemonica added calmly, "The Boss did not refuse my advances. And the Boss has been with Ren for a considerable amount of time. As a side note, the Boss desires offspring."
The heart-shapes in Modeus's pupils practically began to spin. She stammered, completely starstruck, "Boss! You're so amazing! As expected of the Boss!"
Lucifer shot a sharp glance at Pandemonica. As expected of her third personality, she thought, that level of cunning is truly terrifying. And since when was the part about offspring a 'side note'?!
Taking a deep breath to recenter herself, Lucifer said, "So, Modeus, you've seen Pandora. You can go back now, right…?"
Hearing this, Modeus nodded and obediently turned toward the door. A flicker of surprise crossed Pandemonica's face, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared.
Because Modeus had stopped.
"Modeus? What's wrong?" Lucifer asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice.
Modeus didn't turn around. With her back still to them, she spoke, her voice suddenly clear and firm. "Boss… Cerberus, the gatekeeper, isn't in Hell… Pandemonica, our head of customer service, isn't here either… And you, the Boss, you're not there… I never imagined you'd all be here in the human world, dating…"
Lucifer froze.
In the next moment, a soft chuckle escaped Modeus's lips. "Boss… you gave your permission to Pandemonica and Cerberus, didn't you…"
"Ah? Well… yes…"
"Boss! I'm not leaving!"
"Oh… Huh?!"
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