After dinner, Samael went to his room with haste. Upon entering, he was assaulted by the sweet scent of flowers. A fragrance he was deeply familiar with.

Following the scent, he saw a piece of pink paper lying neatly on the desk, its edges embroidered with all forms of ornaments, along with the sigil of the house Flamebright.

After carefully opening the letter, Samael read the contents with great appreciation.

Dear Samael.

How have you been? Once again, I wish to thank you for saving my life back then. If you would be so kind as to accept my invitation to a private tea party, it would be greatly appreciated. The party will be held tomorrow at the Flamebright's manor.

Yours truly,

Lilith Flamebright.

A small smile made its way to Samael's lips as he caressed the letter. He could almost envision Lilith writing it with troubled expressions.

Neatly folding the letter back to its envelope, Samael rose up as he called for the head butler.

"Prepare a suit for a private tea party?" The butler asked.

"Yes," Samael confirmed.

"If I may," the butler said.

"Go ahead," Samael replied.

"What is your relationship with the sender of the letter?" The butler asked.

"Well..." Samael's tongue was tied as he could not find the proper words.

What was their relationship?

They were close friends. But now? Can they still be friends? After all the stupidity, he pulled it off? But what does he know about relationships anyway?

Seeing Samael's troubled expressions, the butler released a small, imperceptible smile as he spoke.

"Please, young master, feel free to divulge with me, for I am your humble servant and confidant," the head butler assured.

Sensing the truth and trust in his words, Samael sighed as he replied. "You see, due to certain circumstances, our relationship was never normal in the first place."

"If you're willing to listen, I will tell you our story," Samael said.

"Always, young master," the butler said.

"Well, it started when I met her in a rather complicated situation. Let's just say I saved her and helped her get home," Samael narrated, his eyes lost in the memories.

"She was hurt then. She did not have anyone, not even a friend... so I became one for her. I showed her that not anyone is there to hurt her," Samael said.

"Back then, I wasn't so different. I was scarred and betrayed, but she made me feel... human again. Something I thought I had lost."

"We traveled together for months on end, telling each other stories and the things we liked and loved. It was perfect," he resumed.

"We made a promise—one I can never break. Even now, I remember it as plain as day, like it was yesterday."

"But then again, I was never lucky. Misfortune soon struck us, and we got separated. For years, we were both left in the dust, unsure of what happened to one another, but I guess fate felt pity for me, and I found her," Samael said.

The head butler fell silent in contemplation before he replied. "Based on what you have said, I believe this is more than a friendship. If I'm not wrong, it is the maiden of roses, is it not?"

Samael's brows raised as he nodded.

"Please, young master, news spreads fast in aristocratic society. Something of that size isn't going unnoticed, even by a butler like me," he said.

"Back to the topic at hand. I believe that something else is there. I won't reveal what it is. It is, after all, an experience you must feel and understand by yourself. Just trust your instincts and leave the rest to me," he reassured.

Samael gave the man a nod of appreciation as the butler left the room.

A sigh escaped Samael's lips as he felt an emotion he had not felt in a while. Nervousness.

***

Lilith paced back and forth, her face flushed red. The thoughts in her mind scrambled around like a cat startled by a loud sound.

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Ughhhh! Why did I send it like that?! Lilith thought as she held her head.

I could have made it more personal. But wouldn't that make me look desperate or too comfortable?! She wondered as she sat down and then rose up again.

Should I rewrite another letter? No, that would look stupid! She thought as she looked at the clock hanging on the wall.

"Ah! It's almost time!" She screamed. On cue, a dozen maids rushed into her room, sweeping her towards the bathroom, where they hastily undressed her.

After her bath, Lilith was soon given choices to wear. These were the clothes the maids deemed appropriate for their meeting with their past in consideration.

Lilith chose a simple white dress embroidered with red jewelry. A color she found nostalgic as it was the same as the cloak Samael gave her before.

Without further ado, the maids did their magic as half of them dressed her and the other half prepared her hair, makeup, and accessories.

By the end of it, she looked like a fairy straight from a fairytale. It was so beautiful that the maids couldn't help but feel like Lilith was a doll.

However, even with all these preparations, she felt incredibly nervous and anxious. It was as though no amount of make-up would make her confident.

Lost in her thoughts, a maid came in as she spoke. "Miss, your visitor has arrived. He is currently waiting in the living room."

Lilith's long ears flinched up as she jerked her head towards the maid, her face flushing red as she took deep breaths. Steeling her resolve, she rose to her feet as she straightened her back and raised her head, making sure everything was perfect as she left.

Walking down the stairs, Lilith saw Samael sitting in the middle of the room. He was leaning back, which gave him a cool atmosphere.

Noticing the sweet, fragrant scent of flowers filling the room, Samael shot a look at the most beautiful girl he had laid eyes on. Subconsciously, he straightened his posture as he swiftly stood up, patiently waiting for Lilith to go down.

On the other hand, Aphemis, who was in her office, saw this spectacle through the remnant devices planted in the manor. It made an exact replica of the rooms in the house through a holographic display on her desk.

She knew the moment Samael appeared in Lilith's life again, she could not stop these meetings from happening. Not that she planned to.

Seeing her granddaughter smile so... genuinely, after so long, bought a form of warmth in her heart. She was not cruel enough to rid her of that. After all the years, she has endured and remained strong. It was finally time to lower her guard and, for once, let herself be vulnerable.

Digging deeper into Samael's endeavor, Aphemis found herself quite surprised by his achievements.

Not only was he the famous Grim Hound, known for his legendary tales of heroic sacrifices, but he was also backed by the Shadow Saint, who, like Samael, was quite famous.

Based on the reports, Samael has already participated in multiple Saint fights and came out alive. Namely, the Calamity Antrax, a leviathan cub, and even the Georgo Road Imgrave Saint.

His achievements far exceeded hers when she was that age. Whatever happened to him made him stronger than ever. Not to mention that bloodlust.

Samael's killing intent was so pure, even Aphemis felt threatened by it. Bloodlust is an aura that you just can't obtain. It is the culmination of your physical prowess, your mental prowess, and two other components that make it hard to improve.

Soul and death. Your soul plays a part in enhancing the strength of your killing intent. To raise it to another level, you would have to kill. To have such dense and pure bloodlust means he has killed thousands upon thousands.

But all of that did not matter, as he was their ally.

Back to Lilith, as she went down the stairs, she could feel her heartbeat pound harder and harder.

Slowly, she paced towards Samael, stopping before him as she bowed. Returning the greeting, Samael lowered his head back.

The two stood silent for a while, unsure of what to do. Seeing this, the maids sighed as they took the lead.

"Would you like us to send the refreshments here or in the garden, miss?" A maid asked.

Lilith's eyes widened as she stuttered. "A-ah! S-Samael, please follow me to the garden."

"After you," Samael said.

Lilith took charge as she went forward, thoughts raging in her mind. Was Samael looking at her right now? Did the way she walked appear inelegant?!

Unbeknownst to her, Samael refrained from looking at her behind as the way her hips swayed made Samael feel some type of way.

Reaching the garden, Lilith gestured for Samael to sit down as the maids went to get the drinks.

Trying to avoid another case of awkward silence, Lilith spoke. "The weather is good today, huh?"

Samael stared blankly at her for a minute, prompting Lilith to lower her head as her entire face glew crimson.

After a solid minute of silence, a resounding laugh filled the garden as Samael held his stomach.

Lilith's face glew even brighter.

"I'm sorry for laughing," Samael said as he wiped the tears off his eyes.

"You've never changed, not even once, Lilith," Samael said, a hint of relief washing over his heart.

"And you're still a tease," she fired back, prompting Samael to chuckle again.

"How have you been?" he asked, curiousity brimming in his pupils. Just what has she gone through all these years?

Lilith played with her fingers as she replied. "After meeting you, I started to learn more about humans, thinking maybe not everyone was greedy and evil."

"I bettered myself. I studied in different places and learned to be strong and independent. Sure, not everything was smooth sailing, but I did meet a few kind souls along the way," she thought as she reminisced.

"It sounds tiring," Samael said as he sensed the burden in her tone.

"It is, but it is also worthwhile—a journey full of lessons," she replied.

"But enough about me. How about you?" she asked.

Samael fell silent for a while before he replied. "Life... life has been tough. But it made me stronger, I suppose."

"I met people, got to know them, and made friends along the way. Some of them taught me things and teached me how to survive out there, but some were taken far too soon," Samael said.

Lilith felt the urge to embrace Samael as she felt the pain in his voice. Although he tries to hide it, for a succubus, it is in plain sight.

"I guess I blame myself sometimes. for being too weak. Thinking that if I had been there, would things have changed?"

"Samael, no," Lilith intervened as she rose up and hurriedly took Samael to her arms.

"Don't say that," she pleaded.

Samael sighed as he allowed himself to fall into her care.

Right on cue, the maids returned as they placed the treats and drinks on the table. Acting as though they couldn't see anything.

Separating herself from Samael, Lilith sat down as she took a sip of the tea; her face flushed red after realizing what she had done.

Changing the topics quickly, Samael spoke. "I heard a festival is coming soon. If you like, would you want to come with me?"

Lilith's face beamed as she nodded her head vigorously. An event? With Samael? That was two in a row!

Samael chuckled as he took a sip.

The two enjoyed the drinks as they told stories of their endeavors, the ice separating them slowly melting away.

Just like before, there's only the two of them exchanging stories. Just the two of them.

Oh, how they wished it could stay like this forever.