Lord Diavolo was troubled. He had dismissed everyone after the meeting and returned to his room. He needed time to think, and being alone was the best way to clear his head.

He paced in his bedroom, his thoughts wandering back to the day when they had first brought the human girl to Devildom. Lea had been scared, nervous, and a bit hesitant about her stay in Devildom, but during the following days, she had started to loosen up, and he had noticed she was a curious person, always eager to learn more about the world and the demons she had come to live with. Even the simplest, mundane things would spark her interest, and there had been times when he had wondered if he'd ever seen her frowning. She had always had a smile on her face, and the way her eyes sparkling with wonder as she had explored the castle for the very first time— It was an image he'd never forget.

His work was important to him, but sometimes it felt like it was slowly consuming him, and Lea's presence had given him the much needed distraction. They hadn't yet spent that much time together, but there was no doubt that he had grown fond of the human girl. He'd never thought a human would be able to have such a strong influence on his life... And now, her life was at stake.

"How could this happen..." Diavolo muttered, burying his face in his hands.

The truth about the curse had come as a shock, and it had shaken him more than he was willing to admit. The nature of the curse hadn't been the only thing troubling him, however— He was also troubled by his own reaction when the possibility of sharing a bed with Lea first occurred to him. His heart had almost jumped out of his chest, a strange warmth spreading throughout his body. The fluttery sensation in his chest still refused to go away, no matter how he tried to calm his nerves.

He was the prince of Devildom, soon to be the future king, and yet here he was, in his room, pacing like a madman, thinking about the human girl. Diavolo sat down on his bed, letting out a sigh. His mind was running wild, his thoughts all over the place. He closed his eyes, rubbing his temples. He was aware of his duty— As a ruler, his people always came first, and if it were to come down to it, he'd sacrifice his own happiness to protect his subjects. But to protect Lea, the only way to break the curse was for him to-

The mere thought was enough to make him gasp aloud. The heat in his body intensified, his stomach doing flips as a wave of desire washed over him. He was no stranger to physical pleasures, but this was something entirely different. Never before had he experienced such an intense feeling, such a strong, burning desire... And he wanted more.

But how could he give in to the temptation and put the human girl through such a thing, knowing she had no choice in the matter? Diavolo sighed, laying down on the bed. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he could feel the heat radiating from his skin.

"I have to protect her." But the thought of having her… "No. This is wrong. I have to do the right thing." And yet, his body was craving her, and his mind filled with the images of her beautiful face and soft curves. "This is not how it's supposed to be..." He whispered. It was torture. The curse, the ritual, the feelings that he couldn't fight... "I have to resist it." But how could he? How could he ignore the overwhelming desire?

"Shit... get yourself together..!"

With a deep sigh, Diavolo ran his fingers through his red hair. He couldn't allow himself to dwell on the matter. But the thoughts would not stop haunting him, no matter how hard he tried. "She won't be able to look at me the same way ever again..." He sighed, covering his face with his arm. How could she? After all, the reason for her distress was that she could possibly be forced to share a bed with him. He had enjoyed her company so much, and the thought of her growing to despise him was painful.

"What am I supposed to do?" He groaned, closing his eyes. His thoughts were racing, and the longer he lay there, the more restless he felt. He was a demon, but this was unlike anything he had ever experienced. For now, all he could do was to hope that they would be able to figure out a way to disrupt the ritual. If they were to fail... He'd have no choice but to accept the sacrifice and finish the ritual with her.

"What a mess." He whispered.

It was late in the afternoon when Lea woke up, her mind still foggy with sleep. She rolled on her side, curling up in a fetal position. She had a terrible headache, her mind was fuzzy, and the events of the day before were playing on repeat in her head. She felt terrible.

With a groan, she forced herself up. She knew she couldn't lay there forever, no matter how badly she wanted to. She was hungry, and her body was stiff and aching. Slowly, she dragged herself to the bathroom. A nice, hot bath was just what she needed.

As she undressed and sank into the warm, soothing water, the events of the day before slowly started to fade away.

"Maybe everything is going to be alright. I just got a bit overwhelmed yesterday." She mumbled, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. Still, she couldn't stop thinking about Diavolo and the ritual that they might be forced to undergo together.

She couldn't deny that the prince was an attractive man. She had known that the moment she had first laid her eyes on him, and she'd be lying if she said she hadn't thought about him in ways that were... less than appropriate. But, it had only been a fantasy. Never in a million years had she imagined it'd ever come true.

The thought of him was enough to make her stomach flutter. She had found him charming and pleasant to talk with, and she enjoyed his company. The thought of him touching her, caressing her, kissing her, made her heart beat faster, but the thoughts were also accompanied by a slight discomfort— Attractive man or not, Lea didn't known him that well, and she had always considered herself as the type of a person who would need more time to warm up to a potential partner before engaging in intimate acts.

"Ugh, this is just so..." Lea groaned, sinking deeper into the water. The mere thought of being intimate with a demon was strange, and she definitely was uncomfortable with the idea. But the way her body was reacting to the thoughts was different; Her skin was warm, and her stomach did a somersault every time she allowed her mind to wander into the forbidden territory.

"Nope, nope..! Just forget about it..!" She shook her head. "I'll worry about that if the time comes; There's still a chance it won't even come to that. And, besides..." The next thought made her heart sink a little. "He promised to help me, but that doesn't mean he wants to... to..." She couldn't even finish the sentence in her mind, her thoughts wandering back to the day she had spent with Diavolo in the human world; His smile had been genuine, his laughter had been light and carefree, his words had been kind and encouraging. But how would he feel when it would be time to perform the ritual?

"He said he'd do whatever it takes, and I'm sure he meant it. But still..." She whispered. The look on Diavolo's face as he had promised her his help was a memory that was now etched in her mind— His voice had been sincere, but his eyes had been full of uncertainty and doubt. Pain, even. He had tried to hide it, but she had seen right through him.

"This is really not fair, is it?" Lea mumbled. The thought of him being forced into the situation against his will made her heart ache. How would she be able to do something like that to him? If it was her only way out, would she be willing to take the chance and undergo the ritual? The thought of having him touch her made her heart race, and there was no denying that the idea of sharing the bed with the prince of Devildom made her knees go weak… But the thought of him forcing himself to do it only to save her life? It was a horrible, heartbreaking thought.

"It's not fair..." She whispered, feeling the tears prickle her eyes.

Then, the sound of her D.D.D. beeping made her snap out of her thoughts. Reaching for the device, she unlocked it, finding a new message; It was from Diavolo.

"Are you hungry? I was thinking we could have dinner together."

Lea stared at the screen. Why would he want to have dinner with her? He had seen her lose her shit the previous day. Maybe he just wanted to keep an eye on her? Or, maybe he had come up with a plan and wanted to discuss it with her? Before Lea could even think of a reply, another message popped up.

"You've spent all this time at the castle, so I think it's about time for you to experience what else Devildom has to offer. What do you say?"

"Oh?" Lea's brow quirked up. "He wants to go out to eat?" She was curious, and she couldn't deny the fact that the thought of getting out of the castle sounded tempting. Maybe some fresh air would clear her mind.

"Sure. Sounds like fun." Lea texted back. She couldn't help but to chuckle at the multiple happy emotes Diavolo sent following her response. "Why not? Dinner sounds nice." She muttered to herself.

After getting out of the bath, Lea rummaged through her wardrobe, trying to decide on an outfit. It wasn't easy, since she had no idea where they were going. In the end, she decided on a simple, light blue dress and a cardigan.

Once she was done getting ready, she made her way to the hallway, where she was greeted by the familiar face of Barbatos.

"Hello, miss Lea." The demon smiled, a polite, but somewhat distant, expression on his face. "Lord Diavolo is already waiting for you at the entrance. Shall we?"

"Yeah." Lea nodded, following the butler.

They walked in silence, but the atmosphere was strangely awkward. Every time she glanced at Barbatos, the demon was looking straight ahead, his expression neutral. She couldn't blame him; The whole situation must've been weird for him, too.

They finally reached the entrance hall, and Lea was surprised to see Diavolo dressed in a casual outfit instead of his usual attire.

"Hey." Diavolo smiled, greeting her with a nod. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah." Lea nodded. Her eyes widened when the prince held out his hand.

"Barbatos will teleport us to the restaurant." He explained, chuckling at her stunned expression. Royalty as he was, Lord Diavolo couldn't be seen gallivanting around the streets of Devildom, and Lea had learned that most of his travels were done via teleportation to avoid any unnecessary attention.

"Oh, okay." Lea nodded, and took his hand, allowing him to pull her close. She blushed slightly, the gesture making her heart skip a beat.

"Alright, let's go." Soon they were surrounded by the familiar green light, which quickly faded away, and a moment later, they were standing in front of a fancy looking building.

Lea, who hadn't been outside of the castle since her arrival to Devildom, had to admit the scenery that had unfolded around her was breathtaking; The cobblestone streets were illuminated by the warm, orange light of the lanterns, and the air was filled with the soft, ethereal glow of the magical orbs floating around. The buildings were tall, the walls of the structures looking like they were carved from a dark marble, the roofs adorned with intricate details. Everything looked so mysterious, so beautiful, so ancient, and she was amazed by the fact that the world around her was actually real, and not just an image from a fairy tale book.

"Shall we?" Diavolo's voice made her turn around.

She nodded, and the pair headed inside.