As the Demon Demands ✔️

Chapter Nine

Evangeline couldn't believe what had just happened. She had thought she was being brought back to the capital to be punished. Thrown in jail, put on trial, or just straight up executed. Instead, the emperor seemed to have lost his damn mind and told her that she was going to be his wife!

She couldn't even argue with him. Marak had to return to his duties, and she had been taken away by three female servants – one human and two demon - to "prepare for dinner." She had tried to protest, but these women would hear none of it. She had been taken to a terribly grandiose room, decorated with fine curtains and sheets and wallpaper and décor, that was probably three times the size of her bedroom back home.

She had thought that perhaps a mistake had been made. There was absolutely no way she would be staying in a room this luxurious. But when she had seen her suitcase near the canopy bed, she realized that no – this was her room, and she was there to stay.

So while one of the demon maids remained in the bedroom to put away her things, she was pulled into the equally large and glamorous bathroom.  After being made to strip out of her clothes, Evangeline was forced into the tub that could easily fit two demons into it. The water was so warm and filled with bubbles, and carried an aroma of jasmine mixed with ylang-ylang. While she soaked in the tub, one of the maids washed her hair while another tended to her nails.

It was supposed to be relaxing, but Evangeline just felt stressed the entire time. She wasn't a noblewoman – she had never had anyone help her bathe before! The last time she shared a bath with anyone, she was a little girl and her mother was only there to keep her from drowning. She had never had her hair washed for her or nails scrubbed and trimmed. And she had never planned to either.

Maybe if the circumstances were different, she would be enjoying this. But she felt like her life had been turned upside down and was spiraling out of control.

Surely this was all just a terrible joke. She kept waiting for Marak to return and tell her he had been kidding and that he just wanted a little revenge for her disobeying him four years ago.

But he never did. Even after being thoroughly washed, even after being pulled out of the tub and dressed into a robe, even after they had dried her off... She waited and waited, but no one ever came to free her from this situation.

She was guided back out into the room and made to stand in front of the mirror. Though when she saw one of the servants holding clothes and another setting up makeup at the vanity, she panicked.

"I can dress myself," she insisted, even attempting to move away from the mirror.

But the three all shook their heads. "His Majesty ordered us to dress you," the demoness holding the dress said. "We cannot go against his orders."

Evangeline looked at the dress in her arms. She could already tell based on the straps and beads and belts that it was based on demon fashion. Something she had never worn and never wanted to – it would show so much skin! Is that what Marak had expected her to wear now if she became the empress? But she didn't even want to be the empress, and she definitely didn't want to wear such provocative clothes!

"I-I have my own dresses-!"

"Absolutely not," she said, rather coldly. "You need to wear the attire we provide for you. You must look presentable."

The other two maids exchanged glances with each other, looking uncomfortable, but never disagreeing with the demoness. Evangeline felt helpless as she was made to strip herself of her robe and put on the underwear and garment given to her. The maids helped her slip on the offending clothing; as she had anticipated, it left very little to the imagination.