This is based off of a Southern, Cinderella style story book I read in school called Moss Gown and since Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss have some mild shout outs to the South like Alastor having a Cajun background, Millie talking in a Southern accent, and Lucifer looking very much like a stereotypical Southern rich man (At least from my point of view) I decided to write this.
BTW I am well aware of the characters sexual preferences and relationship statuses and I respect them but I have my own preferred shipping so I pray that you will respect my opinion and understand that these characters are fictional so there's no need for anyone to take this personally or get offended. Well most of them are fictional, I'm Christian so technically Lucifer is real to me but you get the idea.
If you don't like this fic that's fine. You don't have to read it but do not insult me or be rude. Just keep your negative opinions to yourself. Thank you.
Long ago in the old South, sometime after the civil war there lived a man called Lucifer Magne who owned a great apple orchard that had been passed down from generation to generation. Having ownership of this magnificent orchard made Lucifer a very rich man with many luxuries. He lived in a great white house pillared with eight marble columns on each side. Blue shutters that surrounded the crystal windows while gold curtains draped over them, ten rooms the made up the entire house, and at the center of the house just across from the fireplace mantle there was a grand piano which Lucifer delighted in listening to so very much.
Now with Lucifer having such vast wealth it was only natural that he spoiled his very elegant wife Lilith and their charming young daughter Charlotte. He showered both of them with countless extravagant gifts that were worthy even of royalty itself. Dresses spun from silk and satin for his wife and the best crafted toys for his daughter. Lilith and Charlotte wanted for nothing but what made the two most happy wasn't the gifts and the luxuries. No what brought them the most joy was when Lucifer would take time off from work to go walking with them in the family apple orchard.
They would walk out in the warm sunshine, then cool off in the shade of the trees, pick a few of the apples off the branches to much on, and little Charlotte would sometimes climb those trees or swing from them. Then sometimes when they would go out at dusk the tiny girl would end up falling asleep in her mother's arms as they would sit under one of the trees to watch the sun set. Happiness seemed eternal for the Mange family but alas nothing is meant to last forever.
One tragic Autumn Lilith was struck down with yellow fever. Her husband spared no expense in regards to her health. He hired the best doctors and physicians to care for her, bought the most reliable medicine and antibodies no matter how expensive but sometimes even when you can afford the best it still isn't enough. When Lilith felt that her end was drawing near, she called her child to her bedside and said,
"My dearest Charlotte, be sincere and good, and then our dear God will reward you for all you have suffered." With this she closed her eyes and died.
The entire Magne household was heartbroken by her death but it was Lucifer's heart that never healed. After his wife died all joy and light in him just faded away as if it was never there to begin with and it changed him very drastically. For that first year in which she passed, Lucifer and Charlotte visited her grave everyday and wept but eventually visiting her grave became too much to bear and so did living in the very house he had shared with her. So he completely immersed himself in his work and in society which led to him neglecting his daughter. But despite this Charlotte loved her father and would take any opportunity there was to comfort him.
One way of comforting him was through music. You see Charlotte had a very lovely singing voice and graceful way of dancing so when her father would return home from work, looking very unhappy she would ask one of the servants to play the grand piano near the fire place and she would dance and sing to cheer him up. It would make him smile sometimes but it was only for a short amount of time. Nevertheless Charlotte remained ever devoted and loving to him.
As the years passed the cute little girl grew into an extremely beautiful young woman with long golden hair that was finer than the finest silken strands, sky-blue eyes that were always full of laughter, skin as soft and ivory as a dove's feathers, a mouth is as enticing as a rosebud, and cheeks as bright and rosy as the apples in her family's orchard. But she wasn't famed for her beauty alone, she was also of unparalleled goodness and sweetness of temper. Taking her mother's words to be kind and genuine to heart, she behaved as a saint would to anyone she met no matter who they were and what they had done. This made her greatly adored by many.
Her father was proud of the woman she had become but when young suitors began asking him to court her he began to fear that should she marry she would leave him for good.
"Lucifer your fears are unwarranted." Said his fellow rich patriarch Stolas as they were having their useful meetings of discussing business. "When my daughter Octavia married, just before she left on her honeymoon she assured me of her love for me."
"How if I may ask?" Lucifer replied.
"Why she said that she loved me as she loved her life."
"My daughter Helsa did the same thing." Interjected Frederick Von Eldritch an oil baron. "When she became engaged she told me that she loved me more than diamonds and rubies. More than silver and fine gold. Truly Lucifer, no daughter would ever value her husband over her father."
"Well I wouldn't say that Frederick." Stolas said. "I mean as fathers, we do wish to be to be the only important men in our daughters lives. But when they become women we must be ready to take a second place."
"Not my Helsa. She's assured me I will always come first in her life."
"Well of course she'd say that." Stolas mumbled quietly to himself. "She wants to make sure that she stays in your will in case one day you eventually realize what a leech she is."
But this conversation gave Lucifer an idea on how he could ensure that he would always have Charlotte's love. Then one pale gray day when a skittering wind splashed rain against the front of the house where he sat, Charlotte rushed onto the porch and said to him,
"Father come inside. You're shaking in this foul wind that blows so damp and cold."
Lucifer smiled at how considerate and thoughtful she was to him. He then told her about his conversation with Stolas and Frederick.
"Charlotte with your mother no longer in my life, you are to be my only comfort in my old age." He said. "So I have a question for you my daughter. How much do you love me? And before you answer, think carefully about what you will say."
And Charlotte did think very carefully about what words she would use. Lucifer had told Charlotte what words Stolas and Frederick's daughters had said and while she knew enough about Octavia to know that her words were sincere, she knew that Helsa merely flattered her father to gain favor and larger gifts. Helsa's words may have been grand but they held no love or meaning. Not like how Charlotte's would.
She began to think about all the things about her father that made her happy. All the most splendid memories she shared with him which brought her back to those childhood days where she would roam the apple orchard with him and her mother. How it was because of those memories that whenever she bit into a crisp apple it automatically reminded her of when she was happiest and those the fruit had become more valuable to her than all the gold and jewels in the world. At last she found the right words.
She took her father's hand and said to him with all the love in heart,
"Father I love you more than the all the apples that grow in our orchard."
But these words did not please Lucifer. He was expecting his daughter to say words that were as grand or more grand than what had been said to his associates. Angry, he pulled his hand away from her.
"Is that your answer?" He asked, hoping that her response had only been a joke.
"Yes Father." She answered sincerely.
"How can you insult me so?" He said angrily. "I have been bitterly deceived by you! You have never really loved me!"
"Father that's not true. Can you not see the true meaning of my words?"
"Yes and it has become clear that you love me no more than a common piece of fruit! Nothing truly precious or valuable like gold or jewels, or perhaps even the world!"
It broke Charlotte's heart to think that her father preferred fancy false words spouted by greedy people like Helsa over simple yet true words that came from her heart.
"I have denied you nothing and have devoted myself to you since the day you were born! There is no one that I have ever loved more than you! But you have taken my love and laughed at it!" He shouted.
"No Father! You misunderstand!" She cried shaking her head. "Allow me to explain what I said."
"There is no explanation needed! Do not think that you can win back my favor with more deception and lies! What a cruel and ungrateful girl you are! Leave me now and nevermore be daughter of mine!"
Charlotte pleaded with her father to at least give her a chance to make the meaning of her words more clear but he would not listen. Instead he drove her out of the house and shut the door in her face, threatening to send the dogs after her if she ever set foot on his land again. So in tears and with great distress, Charlotte left her beloved home which she had known since birth and would undoubtedly never be able to return to again.