Disclaimer: Beelzebub belongs to Tamura Ryuuhei.

A/N: It will take longer than I have expected to update "A Father, A Lover", so I am posting this chapter first since it might be interesting, too… enjoy, please!

Chapter 4: The Fiancée

After resting a day, Oga recovered as quickly as expected. He was having breakfast with Baby Beel and Kunieda whereas the last person in their group was missing.

"Where's Furuichi-kun?" Kunieda asked. "It's not like him to miss a meal."

"Guess he wanna be alone." Oga hissed back, knowing that the whole marriage thing was bothering his best friend even if Furuichi didn't show it.

"What do you think about it?" Kunieda wondered about that matter, hearing it from the guys the other day. "Lamia didn't seem to be attracted to En back then..."

"Maybe, she's interested in him coz he's becoming King now…" Oga muttered half-seriously while spoon-feeding Baby Beel with yoghurt.

Kunieda got distracted from their conversation when she saw the nostalgic view of Oga feeding Beelze. She thought how much the father figure fit him and diverted her gaze with a light blush from the duo. "L-Lamia isn't like that!"

Oga also knew that. Thus, he was secretly mulling over it again and again. And Furuichi was probably thinking about the same thing, too.

It had been merely one day since Furuichi and his friends arrived in the Demon World. Roughly thinking about the news and events of the last day, he anticipated that they could still get one nasty surprise after the other for the next few days.

And there was a good reason for his pessimism.

Furuichi passed several servants, who got their hands full making preparations for the engagement ceremony in the evening, and went out to the garden of the palace. Because Oga was momentarily fixated on Hilda's occasion for staying behind and not returning to the human world, he was not able to think straight. In contrast to him, the clever tactician detected too many plot holes in the whole situation going on around them.

First of all, he wondered why they hadn't encountered any familiar faces yet. None of their native, demonic pals had shown up except Yolda – if you considered her a comrade. He was even untroubled by Alain Delon's bone crushing hug so far, which he was afraid of from the beginning.

Then, the most striking and suspicious matter of fact, that Hilda had abandoned her lovely master Beel three years ago. Even if it didn't surprise Furuichi that Hilda would stay back in her own world, he wondered about her affection for the infant and how she could let Baby Beel go.

In the end, there was the assault upon Oga. The attacker left aside, there was something else bothering Furuichi about his wound. Sure, it was not impossible for Oga being hurt or badly injured. Nevertheless, the position where he had been stabbed was very off-key…

"Who would have thought that the Furuichi is brave enough to wander around on his own here?"

His train of thoughts was interrupted abruptly when he heard a familiar voice.

Her voice.

Furuichi didn't turn around instantly. He froze on his spot literally – his body, as well as his mind went blank – as he heard the sound of that voice, ringing more feminine than ever now. After a moment of hesitation, he stiffly turned around and faced the pink haired girl… no – the pink haired young woman.

"Lamia…"

They shared a moment of silence. Neither could he utter her name, which echoed in his mind constantly, nor did he say anything else. Furuichi just stood there and watched. He didn't observe her changed appearance, her more female look at present. He didn't notice her growth, that she almost reached his height. He didn't spot her long ponytail tied up behind, reaching to her elbows, albeit her bangs remained the same. There was only one thing he could see when he met her stern gaze and looked into her emerald eyes.

Deep frustration.

Lamia crossed her arms and leaned back to the closest tree, never shifting her contemptuous gaze. She seemed as if she wanted to say something but rather waited for an answer to her rhetorical question. In opposition to her, Furuichi wondered what he should say. He didn't even know how to address the future queen of hell…

"L-long time no see…"

Lamia clenched her fists and frowned even more. "That's the only thing you have to say after all what happened?!"

Furuichi opened his mouth but reconsidered it. He dropped his gaze and looked at the ground. "What does she expect me to say after what's happened until now…?"

"Why have you guys come back?" she leaned forward and yelled at the silver haired. "Why now!"

Seeing that the latter wouldn't reply, Lamia turned around and intended to leave. "Just go back to your own world, you filthy humans!"

As he looked back at her slowly going away, he had a weird feeling that this was the last time he would ever get to see her. This evening, she would officially become En's wife, his possession.

Going by instinct, Furuichi ran a few steps forward and grasped for her hand. His action caught her off guard – her bafflement clearly written on her face – as she didn't know what to do. "What…?"

"Lamia!" It was the first time that he called out her name after so long. "Prince En… the marriage… why?" He was so confused that he couldn't make a proper sentence.

Lamia quickly pulled back her hand and turned away. "It's too late now… just disappear from our lives!"

With that said, she left a speechless Furuichi behind.

In the evening of the celebration, the festival hall was decorated fancily for the royal engagement. High classed lords and demons came from everywhere to congratulate the next heir and his future wife. Although the guests were impatiently waiting for the couple to arrive, all eyes were darted on the sole three humans, feeling out of place somehow.

None of them talked to the others or to each other while each of them was busy on his or her own way. Kunieda was taking care of Baby Beel whereas Furuichi was sulking, uninterested in everything around him. On the other hand, Oga was scanning the crowd, hoping to find the person who he was looking for.

They riveted on the throne as a few servants called by bugle and announced the arrival of the future king and queen thereby. The matured Prince En entered the hall first, saluted briefly the crowd in an elegant manner and took a seat to the right of his father. Shortly after him, Lamia entered, saluted the crowd with a slight bow and stood still next to the seat to the left of the King.

"W-what's going on?" Furuichi muttered and wondered why Lamia didn't sit down.

The announcer got a word again after the audience calmed down. Another person's steps approached and entered the hall. The audience was fascinated by the beauty of the gorgeous, blonde newcomer whereas the three humans shot up from their seats and watched En's fiancée with horror.

"Long live our next King, Lord Enou-sama, and his wife, Princess Hildegarde!"

A/N: Surprised?! Let me see what you think of the turn of events… Review, please!