22. Love Me As Much As You Want.
At the time, Lilith didn't understand what the queen meant by those words, but because she wanted to rid herself of the curse that her uncle had placed on her, she didn't hesitate to agree to the queen's demands.
Weeks and months went by as Lilith continued to receive the harsh training Aurora had promised to put her through.
Despite her powers being sealed, Lilith began to notice great improvement from the training.
Her strength improved a lot compared to others her age, but it was still not fast enough for a demon such as herself.
As years went by, Lilith began to develop a close bond with Orion's mother.
Her hatred towards humans began to lessen as well after she admitted to herself that her initial hatred towards the humans in the city might have been because she hated seeing how everyone around her had someone they cared about while she had no one.
However, Aurora became more than just a queen and a teacher to Lilith.
She became a mother, a big sister and a friend to her and Lilith couldn't have been more grateful to have such a wonderful person by her side.
Whenever they weren't training, Aurora would teach her a few things about the kingdom. This was their daily routine and the two bonded a lot during these periods.
Lilith cherished every moment she spent with Aurora as she wished that she could continue to learn more from Aurora, but after Orion's mother died, Lilith vowed to herself to uphold the promise she made to her.
It was Lilith's way of showing gratitude to Aurora for everything she had done for her.
She knew one day the demons would invade the human continent, so she vowed to protect Orion by working and training very hard as well.
At first, Orion became the source of her motivation to grow stronger, but as time went on, Lilith subconsciously began to develop affection towards him.
A part of her fondness towards him might be due to how she always cherished the moment she saw Orion playing and reading stories with his little sister.
It could also be due to her strong belief that Orion would one day awaken his bloodline and make his deceased mother and father proud.
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Looking towards the window, Lilith noticed that it was time for her to have her bath. She swiftly recorded the intimate moment between she and her master in her diary.
'Once I've taken my bath, I'll head over to master's room to wake him up,' She took a mental note before murmuring a spell, and her diary responded by sealing itself with a soft click.
Lilith rose slowly from her seat and returned the tome to its original place before going for a bath.
After freshening up, she walked down the long corridor towards Orion's bedroom to wake him up.
As she approached his door, memories of their recent encounter flooded her mind, causing her cheeks to flush.
Realizing that Orion might ask her if she had accepted his proposal, Lilith was unsure of what to do next.
She was uncertain of whether to reveal her true feelings or tell Orion the truth about who she really was.
She wondered to herself, "Should I tell him?" She struggled with the dilemma of following her heart or disclosing her identity to Orion.
Lilith was aware of the potential rejection she might face as a demon, so she felt torn between honesty and happiness. With a deep breath, she prepared to knock on his door, only to hear Orion's voice inviting her in.
"Come in."
Surprised to see that he was already awake, Lilith stepped into his room and greeted him.
"Good morning, Master. You're up already?" she asked, noticing his dressed state.
Accustomed to being the one to wake him up, Lilith found the scene before her to be strange. But Orion reminded her of their busy day ahead with a smile, prompting her to reciprocate it instinctively, although, she noticed that Orion kept walking in her direction.
As Orion continued to approach her, Lilith instinctively moved backward as her heart pounded crazily by the second, while her gaze remained fixed on him.
Backed against the wall, she found herself face to face with him as he asked, "So? What is it you wish to tell me?"
Lilith was taken aback by his words. "E-excuse me?" She realized that he might have heard her when she had been muttering to herself outside his room a few moments ago.
"Something seems to be bothering you. So what is it you wish to tell me?"
However, Orion could already guess what was troubling her since she had been acting strangely since they talked about the possibility of a demon invasion.
But after viewing her details, he saw that she was worried that he might send her away if he knew the truth about her being a demon, but Orion never intended to send his beautiful maid away.
Lilith raised her head to stare straight at his crimson-red eyes, then hesitated, unsure of how he would react to the truth.
She looked away before stammering, "I-I don't know."
Orion gently lifted her chin, forcing her gaze to meet his. "Tell me the truth, Lilith."
Seeing the seriousness in his expression, Lilith, fearing his anger if she withheld the truth, finally confessed, "I-I'm a succubus."
"And I'm a dragon."
Confused by his strange response, Lilith replied, "I know, but I'm saying I'm a demon,"
"I know, and I'm telling you I am a dragon,"
"Master, I'm being serious."
"I know."
"No, you don't. I'm saying...mmm,"
"It's fine," Orion replied after shutting her up with a kiss. "It doesn't matter to me if you're a demon or not," he assured her.
"R-really?"
"Of course. You are my personal maid and knight, remember? And I will never let you leave my side. So, you're free to be your true self when we are alone. Don't worry, you are free to love me as much as you want as well."
Hearing his words, Lilith couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had been content with her one-sided love for years because she had been afraid of how her master would perceive her once he knew who she really was.
However, it seemed that her beloved master was not only cute and devilishly handsome, but he was also weird and strange to have fallen in love with a maid and a succubus such as herself.
With this in mind, Lilith couldn't help but smile and giggle.
"Master seems to be mistaken," She boldly declared, looking at her beloved master with reddened cheeks and a huge smile on her face.
"I am?" Orion inquired, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer to him.
Lilith giggled as she noticed him leaning towards her.
"Yes," She replied before adding. "Lilith isn't in love with you. I only have a huge loyalty towards you and nothing more. So, Master shouldn't fall in love with a succubus like me or else you might be disappointed."