“So… you are offering me freedom? You would just break the bond without asking for anything?” Lilastheria asked.

“Yes.” I answered.

“You know, nobody in hell is really free. Ultimately I serve the succubus queen Lilith. Once you have a certain amount of power there is a pretty strict hierarchy. Demons that are truly bound to a mortal are rare. Most people fail when they try, and become the servant instead of the master. The demon lords monitor every demon that is bound and sometimes they even intervene, if they feel it is bad for their plans.”

I thought about that for a moment. It made sense. The demon lords had their own kingdoms, sort of. They did not want their subjects serving another master. But they also wanted to entice mortals. To claim their souls or get better access to the mortal realm. So they allowed some of their demons to be claimed, but ensured that most remained free. A thought occurred to me.

“So, do demon lords have bonds with their subjects? It should be impossible to have two bonds at the same time. Can theirs go dormant instead of being broken? Or is it a different kind?” I wondered.

“There is a connection. But I lack the magical knowledge to know how it works, my apologies.”

“No worries. So, shall we break our bond?” I asked.

“No. I would like to serve you instead.” Lilastheria answered.

“Um, what?” Lucy responded.

“As I said, I would never be truly free. You have treated me well so far. You were concerned about me. And you gave me a choice. I would like to be your servant. And if you are an archfey, even Lilith will have trouble reclaiming me.” She smiled at us.

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I scratched my head. “You know, keeping the bond for a bit longer to ensure you are safe is something we considered. You actually wanting to stay with us in the future is a bit of a surprise. I am also not comfortable keeping you enslaved forever. Even if we don’t abuse it, I don’t like it.”

“Could you alter the bond? Allow her more freedom? Make her more equal?” Lucy asked.

“I am not sure. The binding we used sort of needs a master and a servant. Then again, I did change it to include us both. I need some time to study it and see what is possible.”

“You would truly go that far? I… I really wish to serve you mistresses!”

“Um, ok yeah sure.” I said. “So you could pretend to be our maid? We could tell people you are an otherworldly creature, which is true. We just don't specify what. They will assume you are a fey instead of a demon.”

“Why pretend? Why wouldn’t I be your maid in truth? Do you already have enough servants?” She asked, confused.

“We don’t have servants. I suppose you could be our maid. Is that a job you would like?”

“Yes!” Lilastheria responded enthusiastically. “I even have a proper uniform! I have a room rented nearby, I could quickly grab my things and come right back.”

“Go for it.” Lucy said.

Lilastheria left just when my coffee and cake arrived. While I started eating, Lucy pointed something out: “You know, Lilith is probably not going to be happy. I don’t claim to have much knowledge about demon lords but you are poaching her servant. If she sees you as a peer, another immortal, that is something entirely different than a normal person binding a demon.”

“That is true, I did not think about that.” I admitted. “But it’s not like we are recruiting someone from her inner circle. How much would she truly care? Unless this entire demon mess in the Empire is her doing. In which case she would not like us anyway.” I sighed. “She also could take it as an insult. Whatever, Lilastheria made her choice to follow us.”

“Yes, I am not suggesting we send her away. But succubi are natural shapeshifters, so we need to be careful in case Lilith sends someone.”

“Hm. At least with our bond they won’t be able to fool us with our forms. Anyone else might be different. Maybe I should study Lilastheria’s shapeshifting and see if I find a counter.”

“Good idea. Just don’t study her body too closely.”

I looked into her eyes. “I am yours, and yours alone.”

The next moment I felt her lips on mine. In an instant she had leaped from her chair, closed the distance and was kissing me. It was long and passionate. Afterwards she returned to her seat. I blushed slightly when I remembered that we were in a cafe. There were not too many customers, thankfully. I distracted myself with the delicious cake as we waited for Lilastheria to return.