UNMASKED

CHAPTER 2

MR. SALVADOR’S POV

"SIR!"

I rubbed my temples, already feeling the weight of the day, and nodded for my underling to continue.

“Demon gave an order. You have to approve this,” he said, holding out a stack of papers.

I sighed, taking them and unfolding the first sheet. In bold letters, the words "Sky Heaven" were written on a sketch of an elaborate tower surrounded by a skyway. It looked like something straight out of a futuristic city.

Then, underneath, I noticed a scribbled note: "Not this one. Look at the back."

I flipped the paper over and frowned at the crude sketch. "Tower of Hell" was scrawled across the top. Unlike Sky Heaven, this one was more rugged and medieval-looking, but I had to admit, it had its own twisted charm.

“Torn,” I muttered under my breath.

“Aaaaaahhhhh!!” My underling shrieked, frantically gathering the torn edges of the papers, trying to piece them back together. He looked terrified, fumbling as he struggled to salvage the sketches.

I sighed again, heavier this time. Hyra must be messing with me. If she really wanted to build that tower, she didn’t need my approval. Why even bother sketching on the back of the paper? Was she saving paper now?

Three days. It had been three days since she arrived, and in that time, I hadn’t had a single moment of proper rest. Chaos followed her everywhere, and I, the supposed president of this country, had to pretend I was afraid of her—had to act like I was simply following her orders. I hadn’t even seen her face-to-face yet, and honestly, I was hoping to avoid it for a little longer—

"D-DEMON?!"

My underling's panicked voice jolted me back to reality. He quickly bowed low, trembling in front of her.

And speaking of the devil, there she was. Demon. Casually walking into my office like it was her own personal living room. I had just been thinking that I didn't want to see her for the time being.

"Hi," she said, with a playful smirk, not bothering to stand on ceremony. She sauntered over to the sofa and plopped down, kicking her feet up onto my table. She leaned back, completely relaxed, like she didn’t have a care in the world.

Of course. Of course, she does this.

I stared at her, forcing a smile, but internally I could feel the stress mounting. She had been driving me mad with her ridiculous demands and chaotic plans. I couldn't even tell what was serious anymore.

"Comfortable?" I asked, trying not to sound sarcastic as I massaged my aching temples.

“Oh, very,” she said, grinning, lazily leaning back and wiggling her toes. “Nice sofa. You should thank me for choosing it. It suits your office.”

I blinked, holding back a sigh. Thank her?

"Demon," I started, trying to keep my voice steady, "about these plans..." I gestured to the torn sketches on my desk, the pieces barely held together by my poor underling's frantic attempts to fix them.

She tilted her head, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "What about them?"

“Well, I’m just wondering,” I said, forcing calm, “why are there two different designs? And why—” I glanced at the torn papers again, “why did you sketch on both sides?”

“Oh, that,” she waved her hand dismissively. “I couldn’t decide if I wanted to build the Tower of Hell or the Sky Heaven. Both have their perks, don’t you think?”