Chapter 12: Qiang Hua Lin.
When the shopping was done, it was quite a haul.
All clothes picked by the witch to which she prided herself into picking.
It was a very expensive brand, Azel didn't know.
So when the cashier saw how many clothes they were planning to buy her eyes almost fainted at the total price.
"T-That'll be two thousand bills-" she struggled to say it. This much money could save her bills for months. "Will you be paying with card or cash?"
Lucinda looks at Azel who was in charge of paying. She takes out the platinum card that she received from her servant Geoffrey. "I will pay with a card."
The cashier carefully takes the card and scans it over the machine making a satisfying beep sound.
Beep!
"Now that it's paid you can wear it the next time you meet Isabella~" the witch teased the demon lord whose eyes seemed to glimmer with a little hope.
"Do you think she'll like what I'm wearing?" the demon lord asked, wondering if the human would take her in easily after wearing such clothing.
"Oof um..." (Lucinda) was not sure if rich and fancy is Isabella's type though.
She coughs, "Let me teach you some important wisdom. Demon Lord, it's the personality that matters! Clothes give you a good first impression and an advantage but what makes a person swoon is the personality."
Azel listens intently to the witch. It has been fine for a hundred years and she has lost proper communication with other humans and she never really courted anyone as a demon.
"Do you think Isabella will like my personality then?"
Lucinda gave a weird face, it gave off the aura saying 'what the fuck how should I know?'
But the way she looked at the witch, it was so pure of worry with those cat eyes of hers dilating- it was actually pretty adorable.
So she managed to not reply to anything sarcastic fortunately. "Only one way to find out besides you saved her so cheer up. Surely you made a good impression back then." (Lucinda)
The demon lord thought for a bit if she did, was it a good impression to show her bride that she can make bricks fall out of the sky?
"Okay..." (Azel) purses her lips a little before nodding a long.
Lucinda felt like she was some personal life coach without pay.
Still having the demon lord as a friend would be cool if she can't be her familiar. "Well I'm glad you have your clothes, socials- and a new home. What you only need now is the government papers and to enroll in our school if you want to get close to scholarship girl."
During their conversation the cashier was focused entirely on packing the clothes and once she was done the demon lord picked up the brown paper bags as well as her card before giving a polite nod to her. "Thank you for your purchase!"
"I'll be moved by the week. Geoffrey and his family can admit me in as their... relative." (Azel) holds the bags and walks out of the store, Lucinda follows behind as the guard opens the door for them.
"If you're planning to be in the same course as her, good luck. I'm in business class thanks to my parents." (Lucinda) crosses her arms and clicks her tongue. She didn't really like the classes humans take.
"Don't most witches take medicine." (Azel)
"Oh goodness gracious- that course is way too complicated for me and I'm more of a fighter not a healer." (Lucinda) explains that she is in no way a healing witch.
"I suppose the human military would be delighted to have a witch in their armada." (Azel) teased but the other girl grimaced at the thought of her being sweaty with other people just running around doing pushups.
Military work would certainly ruin her hair. "I would've obliterated everything before that happened. Humans might have new toys to play with but magic is always dominant."
"Demons as well. I do fear their guns and nuclear power but we can just escape through the demon realm if anything happens or have my bad luck do something about it." (Azel) didn't worry too much about a war breaking out in times of peace like this.
"As a demon, it is forbidden for us to engage in human affairs like these."
"Ooo speaking of the demon realm I have never been there! What is it like?" (Lucinda) asks, truly curious about the paradise of demons.
There wasn't much information in their family library about the demon realm and how life is like there.
There might be witch-demon pacts but that's not enough to quench her thirst for knowledge on the witch.
"The demon realm, it is just another world and possibly better than the human realm. I only stay here because... I cannot handle them pushing the demon lord title on me." (Azel) explains remembering her forfeiting the throne in a matter of weeks after obtaining it.
She was not suited to rule the realm due to her human morals.
Azel found the whole thing too stressful to handle alone and she was forced to marry the demon princess- to which she rejected. That is another reason she left in a retired isolated area.
"I see. I do understand what you're feeling. One day I will be taking over my family's business since I'm an only child. They own a hospital and I'm like- so not into that. I want to be a free witch who just travels and just- practices magic to get stronger." She raises her hands in determination, keeping the goal in her mind.
Azel looks at the amusing witch in front of her. "Is there another witch you want to best?"
Lucinda's face turned red before looking at the demon lord. "Y-Yeah um... so like there's this person in the coven. I want to be like an equal and not just be behind you know? We're actually childhood friends since diapers but-"
The witch sighs, shaking head turning to the demon lord with a pained smile. The demon lord might have realized it's something of a personal importance for her.
"Haha! Nevermind- it's like an old story anyways. I can just tell you next time~ but wanna take a picture? I can tag you later on your socials!" (Lucinda) takes her phone out of her pocket, raising it up after unlocking it with her password.
It was to try and distract the demon lord from the topic but still a picture wouldn't hurt.
"I suppose but what is... tag on socials?" the demon lord asks as the witch wraps her arms around her neck and poses for a selfie.
"Oh~! I'll just teach you that later now say cheese!" (Lucinda)
"Um... dairy product?" (Azel) muttered out in confusion.
Click!
The witch clicked on the button, the picture of them both were in good quality. Lucinda on the other hand couldn't help herself from smiling so widely to what the demon just blurted out.
"Hahaha! What the heck- dairy product- I mean it is but like- bwuahahaha!" she takes her arm away to zoom into the photo.
"Aw... we look like friends here. Look!" She shows it to the demon lord who shakes her head.
"Acquaintance. You're my helper." (Azel) retorts back to her attempt at getting close to her. The demon lord cannot have friends, she can only have helpers and servants.
Lucinda on the other hand was already thinking they were at least distant friends. "Yeah~ yeah~ bestie I got you. Now let's go post this on social media~! And don't worry I'll put you in as Azel Hua Lin." She goes to her social media, fixing the photo with some colorful filters before hitting the post.
Now she waits for the reactions and no surprise. After minutes there were already a hundred likes and retweets of their posts together asking who's the girl right beside her.
"Wow you're so popular." (Lucinda) teases the demon lord who tilts her head in confusion.
Truly her symmetric face, good looking body and cat-like eyes are superior beauty standards for today. "I am... a demon from myths. I have been well known since a hundred years ago."
"Yeah but that was when you're a demon. Now you're so well known as some hot model human friend of mine! Speaking of which your last name- bwuahaha it's funny how you used a very well known last name. Its from like a rich family or something." (Lucinda) laughs a little, taking in the satisfying feeling of people liking your posts for being pretty.
"I tagged you by the way~ if you open up the app you can click on the notification and see how many people are simping for you." she instructs the demon lord who takes out her phone noticing there was indeed an unnecessary notification about the post.
"What is... simping?" (Azel) asks.
The new modern slang- the almighty demon lord has no idea of it.
Instead of explaining first, she takes the demon lord's phone in her hand, scrolling through the app and showing her the post.
"Here look, these are your simps." she points at the screen that had so many people putting in woof, woof, and bark bark.
The demon lord squints in further confusion reading the messages. "Are they... barking at me?" (Azel) asks in a worry if these people have been infected by rabies.
Lucinda rolls her eyes still with a playful smile. "Yeah it's just a human thing. You know how some people act like dogs to please someone, meaning they bark to please you. Perhaps even hoping you'll give them the attention they crave. Actually some other simps alright they just admire you and stuff." she gives the phone back to which the demon lord holds weirdly.
"Humans are... peculiar these days." (Azel)
"I told you not to hold your phone like that! If it slips, don't say I didn't warn you!" (Lucinda) scolds the demon who's really contemplating on cursing her right now.
"Fine." (Azel) tries to imitate the witch and holds it correctly, making Lucinda sigh a breath of relief. She read a few more comments and saw the reactions with their names on the side. "I see you humans have no use for privacy anymore."
"Hey for the record we do, the system totally protects our data but at the same time not really. Hmm... I'm not sure, at least they don't know I'm a witch or else my parents would sooo kill me." (Lucinda) shuddered, more afraid of her parents than letting her privacy be invaded.
"I have well known what the covens are capable of. The ability to erase is one of your specialties. Quite useful, one of your kind has tried using it on me." (Azel) scoffs remembering another helpless witch on the prowl for a familiar.
It was a good thing she left her alone and gave up.
"Oh yeah- I mean you're a legend around us witches. Like if we put it in modern terms you're an SSS character pulled for a familiar companion!" (Lucinda) explains to which the demon lord found it absolutely idiotic.
A legend you should fear and avoid, you witches are stubborn.
To the demon lord, she never regrets being cursed.
She just wished people would just leave her alone or else... they might get hurt.
"Never follow into their footsteps. A demon like me is a danger to all."
"A demon who goes shopping for clothes, and buys an apartment on impulse- cough." (Lucinda) taunts the demon lord who glares at her but it doesn't stop the witch from continuing.
"Cough- a demon who's attempting to woo a human- cough." she fakes coughing some more earning a glare from the demon lord.
Crack- crack-
"E-Eh! Wait, don't be mad! It's just a joke- my anti-bad luck charm is breaking! Jeez!" she apologizes, holding the charm out to show that the charm was slowly breaking and it won't be for long that it'll be broken into pieces.
It was worth it though, the demon lord looks mad red with a flushed face.
Once Azel calmed down the witch gallantly walked and suggested, "Well then since the sun is setting let's go home now! Let me see how you try and order a car on your own."
The demon lord has the witch watch over her as she orders for a car ride in the Oober app.
Well they got back home safely at least.
.-.-.-.-.-.
In a very expensive office company...
The CEO of the Hua Lin trading enterprises was sitting down on his chair while staring daggers at his brother.
"You brought the demon out of its home?!"
Geoffrey glares at him back, "She is not just a demon! Watch your tongue brother! Our Master is the reason why we have this much amount of wealth as well as luck on our side."
He yells over his brother angrily, "Milady is kind. My only request is for papers that she'll be a relative of ours for a few years."
"You expect me to be a demon- the black cat demon of bad luck was the reason for our wealth? Not our hard-work, tears and shed of blood?!" he gets angry after being told that all of their wealth was because of some mythical demon.
"That's a load of crap, Geoffrey."
"It is not wise to bad mouth the demon lord's name." (Geoffrey) tells him to which he just shrugs, not caring about his brother's warning.
"What? Oh don't tell me this so-called demon would make our stocks and everything plummet- oh our hard earned work-" he trails off not noticing the other figure behind him.
The demon lord was not happy with the descendant of her servant.
"I have been wondering where Geoffrey went. I see that he's here to visit you, Qiang." (Azel) mutters out unexpectedly that the man in charge, Qiang Hua Lin, took a turn with his chair and looked afraid at the beauty behind him.
"Y-You're- how did you know my-" he points at the demon lord panicking. He has never seen the demon lord face to face as an adult, his early childhood memories of her were not that frightening and even thought his imagination made her up.
"The demon who gave all your luck for the past five generations of your mortal family. I may have to agree, you worked hard to earn it. You don't seem grateful at all however." (Azel) taunts the man who kneels both of his knees down onto the floor.
"I-"
"Care to test my power?" (Azel) looked around the room and saw a laptop that was running their investment on stocks progress.
She read all the contents at once before understanding it must be similar to those digital money she's been using.
Snap!
She snaps her fingers, and soon after a few seconds all their stocks suddenly start going down to the red line!
"Have a look." (Azel) gives the laptop device to Qiang, the man's eyes widened in shock, fear, looking back and forth at the demon lord with her merciless stare.
"P-Please! S-Stop it! Stop!" (Qiang) holds onto the laptop tightly, looking so afraid as if his life was slowly draining away as the numbers went down.
"I was the one who gave you that luck." she didn't even look at one bit of pity for Qiang.
"And I can take it all back in a snap, I suggest you watch your tongue before you insult my existence." (Azel) warned Qiang who was still holding his laptop crying before looking back to Geoffrey who had guilty eyes worrying for his brother.
Geoffrey Hua Lin, was the only one of the few descendants of her first servant that resembled their ancestor.
Kind, generous, and cheeky back when he was young.
Now that he's come of old age he's certainly full of wisdom.
"You are lucky, I am and still fond that some of you have proper manners and respect for a demon like me." (Azel) gestures to Geoffrey to bow slightly in recognition for his hard work and loyalty.
"You praise me too much, master." (Geoffrey) was happy with the praise and glared at his brother. "Apologize immediately, Qiang!"
Qiang, who was only a few years younger than his older brother, set the laptop aside and out of shame- he went to grab the demon lord's pants before begging in fear, "P-Please- I... Ask for your humble apologies, great demon lord."
He realized immediately that he was wrong for mocking Azel, the demon who was known for bringing bad luck to others.
As well as good fortune but those are only... miracles.
"Hmph."
She snaps her fingers once more, Qiang watches his laptop not even blinking.
His heart settling once he saw the numbers going up on his company stocks that he stands up to his chair and sits down appraising the demon who took on the form of a human.
"I... We have... gone off to the wrong foot, master." (Qiang) felt his sweat over his skin even if there was air conditioning in the room.
He coughs offering the demon lord a chair beside him with a polite smile.
The demon lord looked at the chair that was offered and felt like it was an insult.
"No." (Azel) yawns, her fingers simultaneously thumped into the table creating a satisfying rhythm before pointing at Qiang's expensive leather chair.
"I expect you. Someone below me. I want your chair because clearly you don't deserve it." She orders Qiang who felt his blood run in anger- but at this point, a mere human fighting a demon is ridiculous and would only leave him dead.
He swallowed his pride and stood up, "Master, here you are."
Azel nods seriously watching him like a cat on a prowl as he sits on the side.
He doesn't even say her thanks to the man and just places her arms on a table looking at the Hua Lin brothers expectantly.
"I want to enroll in a prestigious academy. I came here to ask of you, to make me a human identity for confidential reasons." (Azel) explains, still not trusting them about telling the real reason why she asked for such a thing.
"A human identity. No wonder my brother is asking for me to forge you papers that belong to the Hua Lin family." (Qiang) has gotten a hold of the situation now.
"Master is already a guardian to us, the family Hua Lins. She is more than welcome to be a part of it." (Geoffrey) gave his master a smile, to which Azel noticed and couldn't help hiding that faint smile on her face.
"Alright brother, I get it but- how will we explain this to the others." (Qiang) worried for what the other family might think.
"You may use adoption to cover up the matter. My identity must be a secret." (Azel)
"This will be hard to cover up with the press. Especially since I publicly announced that I will be choosing a successor soon." (Qiang) muttered in worry, fearing that his children would be offending the demon lord in any way.
"For the record, I have no interest in becoming successor. Besides you may add some twisted story on how you saved this human girl from famine and saw how much potential she had in business that you had to adopt her." (Azel) waves her hands lazily through each word.
Qiang slammed his hand onto the table in surprise and thought it was one hell of a good idea that his wife most likely won't approve of but to heck with it!
He's basically getting a demon lord's adopted daughter at this point!
"I will do as you requested, master. Which school is it by the way? I will have my connections done with it all in a matter of a week." (Qiang) boasted proudly.
"A very private institution and I intend to make a good first impression for... good reasons I cannot discuss."
Qiang was still out of the loop of all things. Why would a powerful Demon who has no need for much education would want to enter a school just to give a good first impression?
Is she bored?
"I will have some of my assistants escort you to school, master. In style of course." (Qiang) did his best to please the demon whom he had offended a few moments ago.
"I will leave you to it, if I am dissatisfied with your work. You know what will happen." (Azel) raises her fingers in an almost snapping motion making Qing Hua Lin shake in his one thousand dollar bill boots.
"L-Leave it to me." (Qiang) hurriedly took out his phone but for some reason his hand slipped and it fell onto the ground with a few cracks in the screen.
"Ah." He says casually bending down to pick up the phone as the demon lord stands up from the expensive CEO leather chair.
"That will be all. Both of you brothers I will need you to give me your digits- numbers... in the phone to..." The demon lord tries to think of the word Lucinda taught her when she needed to talk to someone over the phone.
"I will call slash dial all of your numbers?" (Azel) groaned a little, the witch's teaching skill could use some work.
"Geoffrey has my number, master. He can give you all the contact details you will need." (Qiang) motioned to look at his older brother who nodded in reply.
"Geoffrey, why not catch up with your family. I will be waiting for you at home then." (Azel) walks back through the open door and immediately the moment she entered it she was in another place.
She teleported to her apartment, seeing the bags of clothes laying on the sofa that she just bought with the witch.
She takes one out, holding it by the sides and posing in a mirror. "Will... she like me in this?"
It took her a bit to realize she was talking to herself and it felt like she was going insane.
Puff!
The clothes were thrown into the sofa as Azel takes out her phone to surf onto the... internet thing- that the witch mentioned.
Perhaps three hours of her life was wasted away watching cat videos.
Thank you to my patreun!
Platymage