Chapter 7: The witch and the demon lord's bride.
The question remained on where they will store all of these. Should they just give it away in the street? Hmm... too suspicious and generous.
"Um... I couldn't help but overhear that you needed a new place to stay?" The same staff lady has also overheard them and came over with a pamphlet in hand offering it to Azel who takes it with suspicion.
"One of the hotels nearby has just opened up, partnering up with the mall. They're looking for tenants and as you can see here they even have a pool opened up on the rooftop isn't it fancy~?" her fingers land on the picture of a wide rooftop with very well physique models posing in the photo.
Azel doesn't like the water... as a cat should but it's just because... she never learned how to swim. Huge deep bodies of water is definitely one of her weaknesses, if the other demons got a hold of this information they'll certainly use it against her.
However as long as she's calm in the situation at hand she can just teleport away.
"What do you think, grandchild of mine, does it please you?" (Geoffrey) asks Azel who stares at the pamphlet and turns it around looking at the spacious room it offered.
"Is it quiet? Is it noisy? Will there be other humans around me?" the way she praised 'humans' with such disdain.
Even the staff lady found this customer from the Hua Lin family weird.
"I-I'm not quite sure but I can give my friend a call and let him give you a tour around the place. If you'll be taking a suite I'm sure it will be really pristine and no noisy neighbors will be heard."
The suite room.
She looks at the address and realizes it's near her place... just a few walks away and...
"No need. Tell your friend I'll be buying that suite room you speak of." (Azel)
"You're not even asking the price- m-miss?!" the staff looked at the pamphlet almost fainting at the price. Damn rich people!
"The price will not matter. I want a room in this particular building." her order was clearly absolute. The staff lady looked at her other coworkers still packing the electronics she'll be needing from the laptops to the computers.
"T-The building doesn't have any furniture yet I'm afraid um-"
"Do you have a friend who sells furniture?" (Azel) asked the staff lady who already has her phone ringing on the side of her ear.
"Y-Yes... I do miss."
"I have a request. I want them to move the furniture on the suite, anything that I will need to add it as well." (Azel) requests and the staff lady looks at her like an utter rich spoiled princess. This is something below her paygrade!
"I-I can't do that. It's not in my contract to do so-"
"You will be rewarded handsomely if you follow." (Azel) shows her card once more and the staff lady continues her sentence from before.
"Oh my! It doesn't say in my contract to do so- I meant by that in! It doesn't say that I can't help a customer in need! I'll call everyone to help! Please sit tight as we get the paperwork we need!" she went back to her happy demeanor after hearing a handsome reward incoming and immediately told all of her friends who are available on the case.
A rich tycoon is in her store and is needing all kinds of things to move in!
If they help they get money! From the looks of it this is one generous young lady!
"Paperwork. Geoffrey, do you have yours?" (Azel) takes her servant in the side and was worried about buying all this without proper human identity but not to worry!
"Of course, Master. I have all my valid IDs here in my wallet. All the things we've bought today I'll sign under my name. I've already contacted one of my nephews to forge you an identity."
"I see... What does this 'ID' stand for? It seems to be important in today's human era." (Azel)
"Here Master." He takes out his wallet and presents his current identification card with his picture on it as well as all the needed information below.
Geoffrey Hua Lin, age sixty-five and blood type O...
"It's an identification card telling where you're from, age and such. We'll also be needing to get you a passport as well- so that you can travel freely getting into a plane and such." (Geoffrey)
A plane? Those flying device they used to deploy nukes and bombs before?
"I see... they've used it as a matter of public transportation." (Azel) commends the humans for their advance progress in technology. "I suppose you'll be putting me as a temporary member of the Hua Lin family? How thoughtful, the Hua Lin descendants of my first servant have grown successful."
She remembers the first time she set foot in China and picked up a little child who managed to steal something under her nose but unfortunately for him- her bad luck made the boy trip himself and get caught by the demon lord.
He seemed to be brave, at their first meeting. Not even shedding a tear when she revealed her true form. With a little mercy and amusement, she asked the young man if he wanted to become her servant.
Realizing the boy lived alone in the streets, with no family and his grandparents dying in the sheer cold weather. It remind her of her life before. Such pity but now... she was sure her old servant is looking down up above on his descendants living the best life that they can.
"You already feel like a part of the family, Master. For you have certainly taken care of us for four generations already." he bows slightly in respect and the demon lord takes their gratitude kindly.
"Four generations it's already been that long. Your ancestor would be proud, Geoffrey. While they settle in our new home we will shop for clothes next. Let us away." (Azel) struts around the mall looking for the next store they can shop in.
.-.-.-.-.-.
A few days later... a certain pink haired witch groaned slightly while listening to her human professor babble more about the importance of business, knowing how to tackle the statistics of the product and investing on good products.
"So boring..." she mutters looking around the classroom only to see other human students just taking their notes away and typing from their laptops with fast speed.
All she wanted to do was study spells, do magic, and live free like the old witches from the past. Without the whole witch trials and burning- life was definitely good! Her witch parents built a whole pharmacy and dedicated their lives to medicine to help humans in their fragile lives.
Lucinda Lockheart, a student from the same university as Isabella.
And she was quite the rebel.
"I wonder what's going on with my socials today..." She looked around once more and once she felt like it was safe. She takes out her phone out of the pocket of her skirt before scrolling down at the post she made yesterday on her witch account.
There was an app only witches can access to talk about witch stuff and who knew the photo she posted with the demon lord before became number one trending on witch media!
"Fufufu..." a triumphant laugh could be heard because she can feel the interviews coming from all over. Possibly even the demon realm, and this means she could be seen as a powerful witch who can already withstand the demon lord's bad luck!
She just finished a day of being in school but decided... she needed to find that broken girl and ask what's her relationship with the demon lord right now?
"Hmm... where could she be..." she sees the flocking students of the law course walk around freely and finally...
She sees the same figure who looked exactly the same person on the demon lord's most prized possession. The portrait that she has held before... if she didn't know who Isabella was perhaps she would've been dead or cursed with bad luck forever.
So she doesn't know but Lucinda owes her a lot for this one.
Isabella on the other hand was fiddling with her phone trying to see if she can shift schedules with work because the daycare center will be having a small play with all the kids. She needs to attend and support her little sister. Truly she was one busy woman.
"H-Hey Isabella! Do you have time?"
A boy stops her from walking. It was the classmate who has a crush on Isabella. The girl didn't notice and bumped his chest. "Whoah- oh no! Not my phone!" it almost fell out of her grasp but thankfully she caught it mid air.
"Whew." she sighs in utter relief because if this dropped she doesn't have money to buy a new phone and finally she gives the person in front of her the attention he wanted but perhaps her gaze was not too kind.
"Jake... you again." (Isabella) recognizes the boy who bumped into her.
It was the same classmate who tried asking her out on a movie.
It seems that he can never take a hint, his other friends were on the side cheering him on trying to hype him up to ask the cold scholarship girl who clearly had no time for love.
"Please I need to go-"
Jake bows down with chocolates in hand and offers it to the girl with a dumbfounded look. "For you! This is for you! Please have it!"
"???"
The witch Lucinda also watched at the side, her smile turning into a grin looking at two humans committing a courting ritual. It was always chocolates and some sort of silly confession. "Oh my, looking at him though. That flustered look is adorable but I don't take the demon lord don't take kindly for anyone trying to take her marked territory."
Clearly... there's a mark on Isabella already and she could feel the demon lord's presence radiating off of her. The other demons would have to think twice before they try messing with Isabella Insley.
"But let's see how this one will go." (Lucinda) takes out her phone and records the entire thing.
Isabella looks around her. Another crowd of whispers and cheering for her to take the chocolates and just date already was heard. "I... um..." (Isabella) was not one for public confession or intimacy.
This kind of action... made her feel anxious and made her mind blank out.
Should she accept? Everyone else is watching- if she doesn't accept- what will everyone think of her- she needs to get home and pick up Emily from daycare before-
A whole minute passed and there was no reply. Jake was already feeling a little numb from bowing down so he looked up a little to see Isabella just frozen in place, possibly thinking of what to say but nothing came out of her mouth.
Lucinda watches in pain as this human courting ritual thing is not working out. Jeez, the man's feelings are one-sided from the looks of it. "Well time to pay back what I owe Isabella for this one." (Lucinda) sighs, pressing the video recorder off.
"Heyyy~! Omg where have you been! I have been trying to find you everywhere. I can't believe you forgot we were scheduled for our daily mani pedi~ bestie!" she grabs a hold of Isabella's arm and swings it around with a little pout. "Jeez! I can't believe I would see you here getting confessed to."
"W-Who are-" she turns to look at Lucinda and with that colorful pink hair of hers that seemed to have taken everyone's attention of how beautiful she was.
"If you want to get out of here without upsetting your social life. Just come with me and play along now." (Lucinda) whispers at Isabella's ear who nodded in understanding.
She... was saving her but who is she even-
"Oh my gosh- are those chocolates? Aren't you allergic to them? Don't you have like issues with sweet things?" the witch covers her mouth in shock.
Isabella stares at her and thinks, out of all the things you could do as an excuse. You had to drag one of the things she loves the most. It was chocolates. "..." (Isabella)
Lucinda nudges her sides seeing that the girl had turned completely silent once more. "Y-Yes I have trouble eating too many sweets and I'm on a diet. I'm sorry I can't accept your lovely gift." she tells Jake, the popular boy who looks like he was about to cry.
He really tried his best researching on what Isabella likes and even got her favorite chocolate but- he didn't know she was on a diet!
"Yeah can't you see? You'll get my bff plumpy chubby. Now shoo~ we have an appointment to go to." (Lucinda) does a little sassy wave before putting her arms around Isabella's shoulders dragging her out onto the gates of the school.
Isabella looked at him guiltily before bowing a little at Jake's direction before letting herself get pulled by the pink haired girl who just laughed at what happened. "Aw man that was so like- totes funny. I can't believe that worked."
Isabella wasn't keen on the new stranger who helped her out. Sure she was thankful but this is oddly peculiar because they have never seen each other before and so she grew suspicious. "Thank you for getting me out of that but I was handling it perfectly fine." (Isabella) removes the arms that were around her shoulder and the witch pouts.
"Aw come on. Handling that perfectly fine? You were frozen like a small popsicle stick out there. Ghorl if I didn't come in and saved you, you would've been trending number one on our class page for rejecting the most popular guy in school." (Lucinda) crossed her arms and looked at the girl she so saved from public humiliation.
Really if Lucinda was not there, Isabella would've been labeled as the ungrateful girl of the school.
Jake Lopez, the most popular guy in school and dubbed the sweetest guy you'll ever meet. He started developing feelings for Isabella because she helped her get a book recommendation from a library and that was just it.
Slowly he started getting butterflies and wanted to pursue the girl. "I don't even like him..." (Isabella) blurted out.
"I can see that- jeez. I just wanted to help... Can't a girl help out another girl who looks uncomfortable?" (Lucinda) pouts further and Isabella tilts her head, finding the girl in front of her a little amusing and funny.
"What's your name then? I haven't seen you around school." (Isabella)
"Oh my- from the looks of it scholarship girl you'll never notice me because of your reputation of sticking your nose at books all the time. I heard you barely even look up when the teacher calls your name." (Lucinda) teased the girl but after seeing a serious look from the other party she just coughs and offers her hand to shake. "Ahem. Lucinda Lockheart, pleasure."
Isabella lets out a little smile before taking her hand in hers giving it a firm shake. "Isabella Insley. May I treat you to some snacks in exchange for saving me?"
"Oh ghorl- you got me snacks. I'll be an idiot to turn you down, let's go to eight/twelve. I'll take up that offer for an ice cream." (Lucinda) laughs around with a toothy grin before walking towards the side of the road after seeing the green light. "Come on!"
"Oh... wait! Can I pick up my sister before I can treat you?" (Isabella) asked a little worried that she'll say no but to her surprise.
Lucinda stopped running around at the pedestrian lane and came back hastily once she heard she needed to pick up her sister and agreed. "Let's go pick up your sister then! The ice cream can wait!"
Thank you to my patreun!
Platymage