"Very," Jessica admitted. "Can we just stay here all day and avoid Seraphine entirely?"

"I wish," Lyra said. "But she's expecting to conduct interviews today. We need to be present and professional."

They extracted themselves from the tangle of limbs and prepared for the day. Lyra's quarters had a private washing area, which they took turns using. The morning routine was surprisingly domestic—taking turns, sharing space, the casual intimacy of people comfortable with each other.

By the time they emerged into the settlement proper, Seraphine was already active.

She'd set up in one of the meeting rooms, with her retinue arranging furniture to create an interview space. When Satou, Lyra, and Jessica arrived, Seraphine looked up with that knowing smile.

"Good morning," she purred. "Did you all sleep well? Together, I assume? How cozy."

"We slept fine, thank you," Lyra replied coolly. "Shall we begin the interviews? I have a list of residents representing various roles and backgrounds."

"Excellent. Let's start with someone random—that goblin craftsman over there." Seraphine pointed to a young goblin who'd been walking past. "You, come here."

What followed was several hours of interviews. Seraphine questioned residents about their daily lives, their feelings about the settlement, their relationship with leadership, their hopes and fears. She was thorough and surprisingly fair—her questions were probing but not leading, genuinely seeking to understand rather than manipulate.

Satou, Lyra, and Jessica observed from nearby, ready to intervene if needed but trying not to be obviously intrusive.

The residents' responses were overwhelmingly positive. They talked about how the settlement had given them safety, purpose, community. They praised the fair laws, the equal treatment, the opportunities for growth. Several mentioned Satou specifically, speaking with genuine respect and affection for their chief.

Seraphine's expression became increasingly thoughtful as the interviews progressed. She was clearly finding evidence that contradicted any assumption that this was just propaganda or facade.

By late afternoon, she'd interviewed over a dozen residents. Finally, she dismissed the last one and turned to Satou.

"Impressive," she said, and for once her tone wasn't sultry or mocking—just honest assessment. "Your people genuinely believe in what you're building. They're not following you out of fear or obligation, but because they want to be here. That's... rare. Especially in demon lord territories."

"That's the point," Satou replied. "Building something people choose to be part of, not something they're forced into."

"Yes, I'm beginning to see that." Seraphine stood and stretched, her wings rustling. "I think I have enough for today. Tomorrow I'll observe your settlement operations—watch how disputes are actually handled, how resources are managed, how your governance works in practice rather than theory."

She looked at Satou with an expression that was harder to read than usual. "And tomorrow evening, I'll need that private interview with you. The personal assessment, as it were. Alone, please. Some questions are better asked without an audience."

"My partners will be present," Satou said firmly.

"We'll see," Seraphine replied, her mysterious smile returning. "Goodnight, Satou. Dream sweetly."

She glided away toward her quarters, leaving the three of them standing there.

"That was... less aggressive than expected," Jessica observed.

"Don't let your guard down," Lyra warned. "She's being patient. Building up to something. The private interview tomorrow is when she'll make her real move."

"Then we need to be ready," Satou agreed.

They spent the evening much like the previous one—planning, discussing, preparing. But as night fell and they returned to Lyra's quarters, Satou couldn't shake a strange feeling.

Something about Seraphine's demeanor during those interviews had been... off. Not wrong exactly, but different from her usual predatory focus. Several times he'd caught her looking distant, distracted, as if her mind was elsewhere.

And once, he'd sworn he saw something like worry cross her features before she'd hidden it behind that sultry smile.

The third day followed a similar pattern. Seraphine observed settlement operations with meticulous attention. She watched Urgak drill his soldiers. She observed Lyra handle an administrative dispute with diplomatic skill. She even spent time in Jessica's healing hall, watching treatments being administered.

Throughout it all, that strange distracted quality persisted. And Satou noticed something else—Seraphine's retinue seemed tense. They were speaking in hushed tones when they thought no one was listening, their postures suggesting stress rather than confidence.

Something was wrong.

As evening approached, Seraphine requested the private interview. They'd set up in the same meeting room, and as expected, she immediately asked Lyra and Jessica to leave.

"This conversation needs to be confidential," Seraphine insisted.

"We're his partners," Lyra replied. "Whatever you need to discuss with him, we should hear."

"This is official demon lord business," Seraphine countered. "Unless you want me to report that your administrator and healer are interfering with council evaluations?"

It was a checkmate move. Lyra and Jessica couldn't refuse without giving her ammunition to use against Satou.

"It's fine," Satou said. "I'll be okay. Stay close, but give us the room."

Reluctantly, both women withdrew, though they positioned themselves just outside the door—close enough to intervene if needed.

Seraphine watched them go, then turned to Satou. For a long moment, she just looked at him, her mismatched eyes searching his face.

"You're very lucky, you know," she said finally. "To have people who care about you that fiercely. Who'd stand against a demon lord to protect you. That's... rare."

"I know I'm lucky," Satou replied carefully, unsure where this was going.

Seraphine moved to the window, looking out at the settlement. When she spoke again, her voice had lost its usual sultry purr—she sounded tired.

"This settlement is genuine. The evaluation will reflect that. You've built something real here, Satou. Something that actually works. The council will approve your permanent status. You've passed."

"Thank you," Satou said, feeling relief but also confusion. That seemed too easy. "Is that all you needed to tell me?"

"No." Seraphine turned back to face him, and for the first time since she'd arrived, Satou saw her mask slip. The predatory seductress was gone. In her place was someone who looked... worried. Afraid, even.

Satou noticed immediately. Something was very, very wrong.

"What's the problem?" he asked directly. "Something's been bothering you since you arrived. I could see it during the interviews. What's really going on, Seraphine?"

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