How could I?” he muttered, running a talon through his dark feathers. “You’re impossible to ignore.”

Charlie laughed, and despite his frustration, Bael found himself relaxing—if only slightly.

Bael rubbed his temple, exhaling a long breath. “Why are you calling me? Do you have any idea what time it is?”

Charlie laughed. “Oh, come on, Bael! You know I never keep track of time down here.”

Bael pinched the bridge of his beak. “Obviously.”

Charlie Morningstar—the Princess of Hell, daughter of Lucifer, and, more importantly, Bael’s older cousin. They had known each other for centuries, though their interactions had become less frequent after Bael’s house arrest. Despite being Lucifer’s daughter, Charlie was nothing like her father—or the rest of their infernal family. She was annoyingly optimistic, ridiculously kind, and far too naïve for someone of her status.

Bael, however, had long since accepted that she was an anomaly he couldn’t ignore.

“I heard some interesting rumors,” Charlie continued in a sing-song tone. "Word is, your house arrest is ending in two months."

Bael’s talons clenched slightly. "...You heard right."

"That’s great news!" Charlie chirped, practically bouncing through the phone. "We have to celebrate."

Bael scoffed. "What, you want to throw a party in Hell to commemorate me finally getting out of this miserable punishment?"

"Not just any party," Charlie corrected. "I was thinking… Sinmas at your castle!"

Bael blinked. "Sinmas?"

Charlie huffed. "You do remember Sinmas, right?"

He did. Sinmas was Hell’s twisted version of Christmas, though instead of goodwill and holiday cheer, it was an excuse for demons to indulge in excessive greed, gluttony, and debauchery. Even so, there were times when it had felt like a real holiday, particularly when Charlie was involved.

Bael let out a tired sigh. "Why my castle?"

“Because I miss you, duh!” Charlie whined. “We barely get to see each other anymore, and I think it would be nice to catch up. Besides, Sinmas is only a month away which you are still in house arrest at that time. Hence your castle is the only way we can celebrate sinmas together.”

Bael hesitated. A part of him wanted to refuse—Sinmas at his castle meant dealing with people, and he wasn’t particularly fond of company these days. But at the same time…

It had been a long time since he’d seen Charlie.

Finally, he exhaled. “Fine. But if anyone breaks anything valuable, you’re paying for it.”

Charlie squealed in delight. “Yay! It’s gonna be so much fun! I’ll start planning right away!”

Bael rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Just don’t go overboard.”

"No promises!"Charlie said excitedly. "It will be the best Sinmas you ever had in the past 50 years!"

As soon as Charlie hung up the phone, she let out an excited squeal, practically bouncing in place. With renewed energy, she spun on her heel and bolted out of her room, heading straight for the common area of the Happy Hotel.

"Vaggie!" she called, her voice echoing through the halls.

Vaggie, who had been lounging on the couch with a cup of coffee, barely had time to react before Charlie nearly crashed into her. The moth demon flinched, gripping her cup tightly to avoid spilling it.

"Charlie!" Vaggie scolded. "What the hell? You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Charlie ignored the complaint, practically vibrating with excitement. "Oh my gosh, you won’t believe who I just talked to!"

Vaggie arched a brow. "Who?"

Charlie grinned wide. "Bael!"

Vaggie stared at her, unimpressed. "And that is…?"

Charlie blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "Wait… I never told you about Bael?"

Vaggie shook her head. "Nope. Not once."

Charlie gasped dramatically. “Oh my Lucifer, I am so sorry! How could I forget to tell you about Bael?”

Vaggie took a cautious sip of her coffee, eyeing Charlie warily. “Well, maybe now’s a good time to fix that mistake.”

Charlie nodded eagerly before flopping down on the couch next to Vaggie. "Okay, so Bael is my cousin. Well, technically, my younger cousin. He’s one of the Goetia—one of the strongest demons in Hell, actually. Even Lucifer respects him, and you know my dad doesn’t respect just anyone."

Vaggie’s expression shifted slightly, curiosity sparking in her magenta eyes. "The Goetia? You mean, like, a royalty?"

"Exactly!" Charlie confirmed, waving her hands excitedly. “But Bael’s is not just a normal Goetia, He’s the eldest of the Goetia, and he’s crazy powerful. He literally monitored and judge the consequences of people so that they would go to either heaven or hell. He used to handle a lot of important stuff in Hell, but he’s been on house arrest for the past fifty years.”

Vaggie tilted her head. “House arrest? Why?”

Charlie’s enthusiasm dimmed just a bit, her smile turning a little softer. "It’s… complicated. But let’s just say, he did something out of love and got punished for it."

Vaggie frowned, clearly not satisfied with the vague answer, but she didn’t push. Instead, she asked, "So why are you so excited about talking to him?"

Charlie perked back up. "Because his house arrest is almost over! In two months, he’ll finally be free again! And guess what? I convinced him to celebrate Sinmas at his castle!"

Vaggie raised a skeptical brow. "You convinced him?"

Charlie puffed out her cheeks. "Okay, maybe he wasn’t thrilled about it, but he agreed!"

Vaggie sighed, setting her coffee down. "And let me guess… you’re going to make this a huge event, aren’t you?"

Charlie’s eyes sparkled mischievously. "Maybe~"

Vaggie groaned, already dreading whatever chaos was about to unfold.

Vaggie groaned. "Charlie, are you sure this is a good idea? You barely interact with the nobility, and from what I do know about royalty, they’re all a bunch of elitist assholes. What makes Bael so different?"

Charlie crossed her arms. "Because he’s family. And he’s not like the others! Trust me, Vaggie—Bael isn’t like any royalty or those other power-hungry demons. He’s… complicated, but he’s not bad."

Vaggie still looked skeptical, but she sighed in resignation. "Alright, fine. But if this goes south, don’t say I didn’t warn you."

Charlie grinned. "It won’t! You’ll love him once you meet him—I just know it!"

"Wait a minute, what do you mean about meeting?"

"Oh, you don't realise yet?" Charlie said, "I'm bringing you to meet Bael during Sinmas."

"What!!" Vaggie was shocked. "Are you sure that he will welcome an outsider to his castle?"

"You are not an outsider Vaggie." Charlie said, "You are my girlfriend remember?"

Vaggie hesitated for a moment, considering the idea. "Well, if it means you won’t be alone, then I guess I’ll come along," she said, a reluctant smile creeping onto her face. "But if we’re going to some fancy castle, I expect you to warn me about any strange Goetia customs first."

Charlie laughed, her joy infectious. "I promise, no strange customs—just lots of food, decorations, and maybe a few awkward silences. But I think we’ll have a good time!"

With that, the two of them began making their plans, the excitement of the upcoming Sinmas filling the air as they prepared to visit Bael’s castle. Charlie could already picture the grand halls, the flickering lights, and the quiet yet comforting presence of her cousin, whom she hoped would feel the warmth of family once again.