Chapter 11: Go to school with us!
"Okay- so like do you get it all?" (Lucinda) asks the demon lord who was beside her in the Oober car trying her best how to type like a person who actually has seen and touched a phone before.
"I... think so." (Azel) replies shifting uncomfortably in her seat, her eyes squinting at the sight of the screen. She scrolls up into the messaging app and sees Isabella's contact and number she got from the pink haired witch. "Do I... call her?"
Lucinda looks at the demon lord and smiles softly wondering how bold the demon lord is at asking someone out, "Well if you do call dearest Isabella Insley. What would you even tell her?" she laughed a little but Azel kept on wearing a serious face and answered.
"You're the bride of the demon lord. We should talk about marriage-"
"Whoah! Whoah! Whoah! Hold that sentence- scholarship girl is supposed to be your bride?!" (Lucinda) couldn't help but raise her voice in the car.
The Oober driver clicked his tongue looking back at his passengers.
Lucinda ignored him and pressed on. "When- How- But like, aren't you super duper too old for her? Am I invited to the wedding?" her brown eyes sparkled towards the demon lord who hissed back feeling uncomfortable with the distance they shared.
"Oops sorry, just got too excited." (Lucinda) steps back a bit and waits for the demon lord to continue.
Azel sighs looking back at the contact number once more feeling guilty. "The deity above decided to give me a bride. What I did not know is she looked exactly like my... milady. The human girl whom I served before I turned into a monster."
She remembers the weird encounter with an old woman when she was just getting some cat food in some store. Clenching her fist, she swore to find that old hag and make her cough up some answers to her questions.
Clearly she was doing fine alone, she doesn't need a look alike of her lady to feel..
Not alone.
Her green emerald eyes could be seen showing such sorrow and pain. For a servant whose only purpose was to serve her master, once she was gone it was like she lost a part of herself and swore revenge.
After she did however... she didn't feel joy in killing the man that tore them apart.
"Did you love her?" (Lucinda) noticed that the demon lord has been spacing out for a while. It was just a gut feeling but surely... from the way she talked about her human master there was something more to her voice.
Azel looks away and pushes the home button on her phone, no longer feeling like calling Isabella.
"You're far too nosy to ask such personal questions, witch. I am her servant and she will forever be my master. How do you think I felt?" the claws on her hands surfaced and was trying her best to keep her emotions under control. It has been a while since she has talked to someone about... the death of her lady.
The other demons never took her kindly. The only reason she got to be a demon is because the heavens up above pitied her and gave her too much power that she was given the title of demon lord for a short amount of time before declining it.
For what?
Love?
Such utter insolence and a waste of power.
"I know its not like I have a right to know but bottling it up isn't healthy. When you're ready to talk about it, I'm like here. Also to make you feel safer of me not going to tell anyone about it you can just curse me." (Lucinda) gave a comforting smile to which the demon lord doubted.
"All I want is clothes. Don't make me regret bringing you instead of Geoffrey again." (Azel) crosses her arms, feeling the whole car ride being too long.
"Alright~ but don't call Isabella for now. Clearly we need to get you two more acquainted. A stranger suddenly getting her number is too creepy." (Lucinda) gave a good point. If the person who saved her suddenly got her number like nothing, she would think Azel would be stalking her.
Which... she... technically isn't doing?
She's just keeping watch over her bride!
"I saved her before from-"
"Yeah, yeah from the debt collectors. I cornered some of them and changed some of their memories. That will buy us a bit more time before more of them visit Isabella to demand more cash and stuff." (Lucinda) didn't tell all of the details of how those disgusting men… wanted to do more than just ask for money from the girl.
Angering the demon lord would only give chaos.
Azel blinked in surprise but at this point, this girl even got Isabella's number so her respect for the witch grew a little.
"I underestimated you, witch." She compliments the witch with a small scoff.
"I see that my bride has some trouble in her hands. That's why those men were after her, does the debt belong to her?" (Azel) asks Lucinda who takes her phone and scrolls down to search for the group that loaned the money.
"No, it's from her father. Apparently they abandoned Isabella and her little sister when their mother died. Used all the money for some company that didn't even do well and now they're in deep with debts." (Lucinda) takes a bubblegum from the pocket of her skirt enjoying the cherry flavor on her tongue before handing her phone over to Azel.
"Here this should be the group that their father owed money to." it was a prestigious looking building and read [Cheap Financial Loans] on the billboard.
Azel immediately disliked the company name and crossed her arms a little angry. "Hmph. Give me a note of their address. I'll have Geoffrey clear everything they have on Isabella so she can be done with it."
If her lady gets even one scratch on her face-
Oh... no erm.
"She's not milady. Ugh... why do I keep-" (Azel) rubs the sides of her temples disappointed at herself for still seeing Isabella as the same important person from the past.
"Oh note? No need for that, here I can just forward you the address." (Lucinda) copied and pasted the address link on the site and sent it over Azel's contact number.
Ping!
[Annoying Witch has sent you a message]!
Azel's phone vibrated and when she unlocked it with her finger print she immediately saw the notification popped up and clicked on it seeing the address with ease.
"May I just say this box shaped device is truly an invention." she smiled at how easy it was for humans to navigate with such. No need for maps when you have a satellite and the internet to do it for you.
"And I love your new phone. My parents will like never get me a new one unless I fix my grades to be top student but scholarship girl, aka your bride is on top." (Lucinda) rolls her eyes in envy at the human but she respects her hard-working demeanor towards her education.
"What... does she study." (Azel) asks, feeling her tail wagging at the back even when it's not there she can just feel it.
"Law. She so has a strong sense for justice but jeez she can't even reject a boy in front of a small crowd. I helped her though because she looked so-" (Lucinda) finally spilled the tea and realized it was a bad idea after seeing the demon lord's eyebrows furrow in anger.
"um- are you alright?" She sees the demon lord who tries her best to calm her inner cat demon out. Jealousy was not really a good color on her, and it was for a girl she's known for a few moments.
"I'm fine." she tells the witch but clearly- she's not. The tone of her voice was certainly giving it away.
"A boy. Did he look... like her type?" (Azel) tries her best not to be nosy but she couldn't help but ask. There was an uncomfortable feeling in her chest and it was suffocating her deeply.
"Nah rest your jealous face there demon lord. She's not interested in dating anyone. She barely has enough time for herself you know? Like Isabella has school- her sister- and I heard she even have a part-time job at-"
"The pet shop." (Azel) continued for her and even the witch was surprised.
"Color me surprised, you know where she works?" (Lucinda) asks the demon lord who explains.
"I was buying cat food for my subjects in need." (Azel)
"I didn't know you have subjects." (Lucinda)
"My subjects are cats." (Azel)
Lucinda rethinks her past days at the school. She never really mentioned it before but the stray cat number in that area really went up. Maybe it was the demon lord's doing? "Ohhh hmm... is this why the school has been sort of flooded with them?"
"Perhaps. I may have asked a few of them to watch over the girl." (Azel) replied feeling uncertain that whatever she's doing is crossing the line or not.
"Stalker behavior." (Lucinda) retorts looking at the demon judgmentally.
"She's my bride." (Azel) replies back who sighs glaring outside the window wondering when-! When will the car ride be over?!
"Oh yeah speaking of the boy, his name is Jake- wanna see your rival? I got the whole confession on video but I cut it off when I saved the day after all." (Lucinda) quickly pulls up the video and not even waiting for a reply she plays it for the demon lord.
Azel even though she looks like she doesn't care.
She actually cares a lot for others that might take her territory and for her... she marked Isabella as her territory without even knowing it. Her mistake in the past was thinking no one would be able to take her lady away from her, accepting that she would be wedded.
Being satisfied of only her servant for a while and then-
That might explain the whole jealousy going off because she doesn't like it when what she owns... are being touched by others.
"Let me see." (Azel) was the one leaning over this time and this surprised Lucinda in a good way. Knowing that the demon lord hates her space being provoked, her being the one to initiate made her happy.
"Look, that's them." (Lucinda) points at the two figures standing together really close in Azel's opinion. She felt like something bad was churning in her stomach seeing these two... being close.
Or anyone who tries to take her hand in courting for that matter!
The one they call Jake seemed to be... not that bad looking.
It made the demon lord insecure because she knew physical looks play a huge factor on first impression. The uniform he even wore looked perfect, everything about him seemed perfect at first glance but... she knew nothing about the people there so she considered Jake a high threat.
"She rejected him, yes?" (Azel)
"Yeah no time for love as I said before." (Lucinda)
"What if she had time for love do you think she would've gone out with... him?" the demon lord looks down and feels all the sudden insecurity comparing herself to a man.
Something... she's done before in the past and it seems like it never left.
Lucinda held down her stomach trying not to laugh. It was like seeing an elementary schooler being all pouty that their favorite candy was being taken away in this case... her bride is the thing on the line. "I'm not sure. That's up to Isabella to decide. Anyway it looks like we're near the mall so that's enough looking at the video for now."
She turns off her phone and once the car ride stops the witch opens the door, Azel follows the witch into the same mall they went before with a little hazy mind.
The demon lord just wanted to watch from afar... and tell her of their marriage once the time comes but- maybe... she needs to bond with the human girl first? Wouldn't that be better?
But how?
Without even thinking, her body just followed the witch to whatever store she entered screaming with glee at all the potential clothes this handsome pretty girl can wear! Clearly she has the body of a supermodel!
"So here and here- wear this black top with long sleeves and oh my ghosh! This jacket would look good with it! You'll look like a mature girl boss!'' She runs through the store just taking anything she can while talking.
"And clearly girls and boys like that type I have surveyed my friends and like all the responses I got were suits in girls are like totally hot. Ten out of ten- and hey are you listening?" (Lucinda) asks the girl, still stuck with her thoughts even if she sat down from a little bench at the clothing store.
Lucinda bites her lip seeing that the demon lord looks tired or even out of it. "Jeez, if you don't feel like buying clothes we can do this another time." she tells the demon worriedly who shakes her head at the suggestion of the pink haired girl in front of her.
"I have been thinking. How do I... become closer to that girl? Without... looking like a fool or coming off as creepy?" (Azel) continues to look down with her insecure thoughts, not seeing the shocked reaction of the witch.
Lucinda clutches her heart dramatically feeling like it's her time to shine-! To help these utterly helpless star-crossed lovers to like- get together!
And she's going to be her best woman in the wedding so suck on that!
"Ghorl just a quick thought- you look like our age to like- get in school? Besides it's just the first month of school. You can so get in as long as you have the right government papers." (Lucinda) tells the demon lord who shakes her head not thinking its a good idea.
"My bad luck... it's already affecting everyone at the mall with minor conveniences. If I stay much longer someone might get hurt in the process." she explains. Truly her curse was annoying.
To give bad luck to others around her was her curse.
A day to a week is fine, only minor inconvenience will happen but the more she stays the more the bad luck effect will get worse even leading to incidents like a marked death.
Azel can control her power if she wants to make it worse or not but the bad luck will always be there. Making it a huge advantage for her demon trial in ruling the demon realm in her prime time.
Emotions play a part in her luck swings.
If she's truly happy at the moment of bliss. She will bestow luck to those around her but if she feels in sorrow and in grief only misfortune will come.
"Oh dear! My purse's rope broke!"
"My order is burnt!"
"Wait! Wait! My coupon for a free limited dessert got wet by the water!"
It seems that it's already giving everyone in the mall minor inconveniences. Except for the witch who has a working anti-bad luck charm as a temporary protection.
Protection?
"Witch... never mind you're onto something." she tells Lucinda who tilts her head in confusion.
"Wait I do?" (Lucinda) points at herself still how she was onto something.
"You have a walking charm against bad luck in your school and I was in a damper mood to remember." (Azel) smiles remembering that her bride might be an anti-bad luck charm.
"I will make haste to get all that is needed to be sorted out. Looks like I'll be playing family with Geoffrey for a while." She stands up and takes the clothes Lucinda picked out for her.
"I still don't get the whole change of decision." (Lucinda) escorts her to the changing room where the demon lord removes her old clothing and puts on the really extravagant brand of suit that would cost at least a thousand dollars.
"That girl is an anti-bad luck charm." She opens the curtains of the changing room to reveal herself to Lucinda who gives a thumbs up at the new outfit look and even takes a picture for the occasion.
"Damn you look hot in that. Want me to send you this pic so you can start your whole social career? Jeez you look way too pretty to be alive in that." (Lucinda) might have been too excited at the whole outfit to reveal that she forgot about the whole anti-bad luck charm in her school.
"Social... career." (Azel) hesitates to ask more because she feels like it will be another long lecture for the witch but it seems it was too late.
Lucinda took Azel's phone and downloaded a bunch of social media apps for her to use. "Oh yeah uh just asking what last name do you use as your whole human identity."
"I have used my servant's surname, Hua Lin." (Azel) replies looking over at Lucinda just answering everything the demon lord might need like age, are you a robot verification and many more.
"So... what's your birthday?" (Lucinda)
"I have none." (Azel)
"Damn that's sad. I'll just pick a random day. Is that cool with you?" (Lucinda) asks the demon lord who has never really thought of celebrating the date of her birth.
Milady would just... share her birthday with Azel when the time comes but she... doesn't want to take what was rightfully her lady's.
"I am alright with it, yes." (Azel) says still in her suit. She looked at herself in the mirror and she might have to agree, the witch has a talent in picking clothes. One should have a reward for such. "Witch, continue with your good work. I might offer some service if you need someone to be cursed."
"Sure! I'll take that over getting myself cursed any day!" (Lucinda) happily replied.
The two duo continued to shop some more until they decided it was time to go home.
Thank you to my patreun!
Platymage