This story was originally written in Indonesian. I used AI to help translate it into English, so I apologize in advance for any translation errors or awkward phrasing that may appear.
---
Six years had passed since Pandora was reincarnated. And nearly five years had gone by since the last time she saw Queen Persephone.
Since that day, there were no more visits, no more affection. Only pain and mockery remained.
Today was no different—punishment after punishment.
"Haah... My back hurts so much," Pandora muttered as she touched the fresh lash marks. "If only I had fast regeneration like other demons... These wounds would've healed by now."
She walked slowly through the palace halls, wincing with every step.
Once she reached her room, Pandora changed clothes, treated her wounds, and collapsed onto her bed.
"Why did the Queen abandon me? Am I that worthless?" she thought, staring at the blank ceiling.
From the information she had gathered, Queen Persephone planted hatred in all her children. To the Queen, hatred was power. It was her way of raising them.
"If only there was one book in the library that explained her past..." she sighed.
But despite it all, Pandora had a goal. She wanted to reach the Queen's heart. She wanted... to be loved as a daughter.
---
A few days earlier...
Pandora walked through the palace corridor, and as usual, painful whispers followed her.
"Hey, look. The trash princess who can't even use magic!" mocked one demon.
They called her stupid, weak, and useless. But the truth was, Pandora could speak fluently at the age of two—much faster than most demons, who only gained fluent speech around age seven.
Yet, because of her human blood, she was labeled as strange. Her rapid development became yet another reason to hate her.
---
Back to the present.
After treating her wounds, Pandora fell asleep from exhaustion.
The next morning—
Pandora sat in her room, waiting for the servants. But something was off. A knock was followed by a polite voice.
"Princess, are you awake?"
Pandora frowned. That… was unusual.
"Come in," she replied.
The servant entered with a warm smile. "Why do you always take care of yourself? That's our job, Princess."
Pandora fell silent. It was the same servant who used to treat her harshly. Something was definitely wrong.
Before she could process it, the servant led her to the training grounds.
On the way—
Pandora froze. Her eyes widened.
"M-Mother... I mean, Your Majesty..."
Queen Persephone stood there, flanked by two guards. Without a word, the Queen simply stared at Pandora... then walked away.
Pandora gave a bitter smile. "So that's why the servants were acting strange..."
---
Days passed. Pandora trained as usual. But strangely, her instructor didn't punish her even when she failed.
What was going on?
Elsewhere, the Queen observed from afar.
"No magic… I can barely sense any," she murmured. "But her mind is sharp. Too sharp."
One of the guards asked, "Your Majesty, is she really your daughter? I can't feel a trace of magic from her…"
"I should've disposed of her for her weakness. But... maybe she'll be useful someday," the Queen replied coldly.
Suddenly, a demon emerged from the shadows.
"Report, Your Majesty. Our western forces are being pushed back. We need reinforcements immediately."
The Queen sighed. "Haah... Humans are such a nuisance."
One guard quickly suggested sending backup. But—
"No need."
Before anyone could question further—
Slash!
The Queen stabbed the messenger. Blood splattered.
"Never let your guard down. Not even among your fellow demons," she said.
---
The palace was thrown into chaos. All demons were ordered to gather at the courtyard.
Pandora was pulled from her training. When she asked why, her instructor simply said:
"Go to your room. Alone."
Back in her chamber, two soldiers stood guard at the door.
Suspicious, Pandora cracked her window open to eavesdrop.
"I heard there was a traitor who tried to assassinate the Queen," whispered one guard.
"She killed him on the spot… But it seems he wasn't working alone."
Pandora gulped. "This is more serious than I thought..."
Unable to sit still, she slipped out through the window, landing in a thorny garden. "Ouch… If I were still human, I'd be dead."
She crept behind a pillar. On the courtyard, the Queen's intimidating aura made every demon tremble.
The inspection began. But... it seemed ineffective.
Pandora knew that demons had sharp instincts, but they weren't as clever as humans. Magic had made this world... backward.
Then, silence.
The Queen rose from her seat.
Slash!!!
One strike. Blood. Screams. Bodies fell.
The Queen massacred nearly every demon in the courtyard within seconds.
"Never mistake me for a fool. Just because I left the palace for a while, you all fall into chaos? Hmph. The rest of you—clean this mess up," she ordered.
Then she walked away... leaving a field of corpses.
Pandora, having witnessed it all, vomited on the spot. Her body shook. The fear reached her very bones.
"What... is this...? I used to be a bully and a troublemaker in my old world, but this... this is slaughter."
---
And it was then that she understood—
Queen Persephone wasn't just a cruel mother. She was a cold-blooded monster.
But... could Pandora still pursue her goal?
Could she ever reach a heart as hard as steel... yet as slippery as blood?