The interior of the restaurant was as grand as the exterior. The floor was made of polished black stone, the high ceiling covered in colorful stained glass panels. They were greeted by the headwaiter, a suave demon in a tailored tuxedo who bowed respectfully to Diavolo.

"Good evening, Lord Diavolo. Your table is ready."

Lea could hear the murmur of hushed conversations and the clinking of fine china emitting from the dining hall as the waiter guided them over to their table, which was situated in a cozy alcove, far enough away from the rest of the diners. Once they were seated, a bottle of Demonus was brought to the table, along with a couple of glasses.

"You probably haven't had Demonus before?" Diavolo inquired, pouring the wine.

"No." Lea shook her head.

"Well, then you're in for a treat." Diavolo grinned, raising his glass. "Cheers."

"Cheers." Lea mimicked the gesture, taking a sip from the drink. Her eyes widened. The liquid had a rich, velvety texture and a subtle sweetness. "Oh wow, this is excellent!" Lea couldn't hide her astonishment. "Probably the best wine I've ever had..!"

"It's a good vintage." Diavolo nodded in agreement. "If you like it that much, we can get a few bottles to the castle as well."

Lea was about to politely decline, but couldn't even get a word from her mouth when Diavolo already had successfully seeked out the waiter's attention— which wasn't difficult, since they already came running every time he barely lift his gaze from the table—, giving a nod of approval at the bottle in front of him. Lea chuckled; The prince wasn't the kind of person who would hesitate to order anything from the menu.

"So, how are you feeling today?" Diavolo asked after they had ordered their food.

"Better, thanks." Lea sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm sorry about yesterday. I was just-"

"It's alright." Diavolo reassured her. "No need to apologize. I can only imagine how scary the whole situation must be for you."

"Yeah..." Lea nodded, her smile faltering. "But I guess it's not just me, huh? You're affected, too." She gave him a thoughtful look. "Are you okay?"

"Ah, yes." Diavolo smiled sheepishly, averting his gaze— Having so many concerns of her own, he hadn't expected Lea to worry about him. "I'm alright."

Lea gave him a scrutinizing look. "Are you sure?" She was aware of the fact that the prince was the type of a person who put the wellbeing of others before his own, but the way he avoided her gaze was telling enough. "You look kinda... tense."

"Tense?" Diavolo arched an eyebrow, but his smile never wavered. "Well, the whole situation is a bit overwhelming, isn't it?"

"Yeah, that's a fair point." Lea sighed. The waiter arrived, serving the appetizers, which gave her a moment to think about her next words. "How do you feel about the whole thing?" She asked, finally.

"Me?"

"Yeah." Lea nodded, glancing up from her food. "It must be pretty awkward, right? To be stuck in this mess with a complete stranger."

Diavolo sighed. "You are not a complete stranger." He said quietly. "And, you have no reason to feel guilty about any of this. You're a victim in this, too. And, you're the last person I'd blame."

"But..."

"Don't." Diavolo gave her a firm, yet gentle look. "I promised I'd help you, and I will."

Lea took a second to ponder his words before speaking again. "I just have to ask… Why are you so nice to me? I mean…" She fell silent again when Diavolo gave her a perplexed look, trying to word her thoughts better. "It seems that… that I'm the only one in danger here, so why choose to help me in the first place?"

She couldn't tell what it was, but something about her question seemed to take the prince by surprise. For a short moment, he let his gaze wander around the room, the expression on his face thoughtful, before his attention returned back to Lea.

"It was me those cultists were after. You got dragged into this mess against your will and now you're stuck here with us." He began, his voice quiet. "Because of that, I guess I just… I want you to be able to enjoy yourself, and not to feel like a prisoner. So you can see what Devildom has to offer and make some good memories here." His voice was low and soft, the smile on his lips gentle. "And well, I must admit, I also have my selfish reasons— We met under rather unpleasant circumstances, and I'd hate you to think ill of me because of that."

Lea's eyes widened. "Ill of you?" She repeated, stunned. "How could I possibly do that?"

"Well..." Diavolo cleared his throat. "My position doesn't exactly allow for many... mistakes. And, my actions might've seemed rather ungraceful."

Lea couldn't help but to scoff at that. "You're kidding, right? You have lots of other things to worry about besides me, and yet, you've done everything you can to help me."

Diavolo stared at her, clearly bewildered.

"So, no." Lea continued, meeting his gaze. "You don't have to worry about me thinking ill of you." She had a feeling that there was also something else that was bothering him, but she decided not to press the subject.

"Well, thank you." Diavolo couldn't help but smile. He was grateful that the late events didn't seem to affect Lea's view of him.

"Alrighty, then." Lea nodded, returning his smile. "Now, enough about the depressing stuff."

"Indeed." Diavolo agreed, pouring her a new glass of wine.

The two of them fell silent as the main courses were served, the air around them a little lighter, the mood more relaxed.

"Oh, and speaking of not feeling like a prisoner…" Lea began, glancing around the dining hall. "Thank you for this. It's nice to get out of the castle for a change." She smiled.

"Of course." Diavolo nodded. "Actually, that was something I wanted to talk to you about; Your presence here in Devildom."

Lea gave him a curious look. "What do you mean?"

"Looking at the current situation, it is very much possible that you'll be spending the next few months here in Devildom." Diavolo explained. "Keeping you confined within the castle for a short period of time would've been possible, but now we'll have to come up with an excuse for your presence here."

"That makes sense." Lea nodded— If she didn't want to spend the next few months trapped within four walls, she'd need a believable excuse for her stay.

"Making up a cover story of you being an exchange student from the human world would've worked otherwise, but Lucifer pointed out it would seem odd that an exchange student would spend so much time in my company." Diavolo sighed. "And if someone would figure out you're staying at the castle, it would seem even more odd."

"He's probably right." Lea mused. She wasn't surprised Lucifer had been the first one to see the obvious flaw in the plan.

"Yes." Diavolo agreed, chuckling. "So, here's what we came up with; In order to strengthen the liaison between the two worlds, and to improve the human exchange students' living conditions here in Devildom, as a student council president I have decided to hire an assistant to help me with that task. And who would be more qualified for the task than a human assistant?"

Lea couldn't stop the grin spreading on her lips. "I must admit, it's a clever plan."

"It's the best we've come up with so far." Diavolo nodded. "And it wouldn't hurt if you actually did help me with the task— Some human insight is very much welcomed in R.A.D."

"I'd love to." Lea said, her eagerness to help evident in her voice. The prospect of not being forced to spend all of her days in the castle made her genuinely happy, and working as Diavolo's assistant sounded like an interesting task. "It'd be nice to have something to do while I'm here."

"Great!" Diavolo smiled, seemingly pleased by her answer. "It's a deal, then?"

"Deal." Lea chuckled, offering her hand, which Diavolo shook, chuckling.

They finished their meals in a good mood, chatting about everything and nothing, enjoying each other's company, and soon they both had already forgotten all about the dreaded ritual that possibly loomed in their future.

Lea couldn't help but be swept up in the enchantment of the evening— The exquisite surroundings, great food and the impeccable service, and, most of all, the captivating presence of Lord Diavolo himself. Despite his title and powerful status, Lord Diavolo had a way of making her feel comfortable in his company; His gestures were always considerate, and his jovial nature had a way of putting her at ease.

"Do you like music?" Diavolo asked, as their conversation came to a halt.

"Music?" Lea tilted her head, smiling. "Yes, I like music."

"Wonderful." Diavolo smiled, gesturing to the waiter who brought the check. "Do you dance?"

"Dance?" Lea was surprised. "Well, not very well, but..." She chuckled. "Sure, I guess. Why?"

"I wasn't planning on telling you this yet, but..." Diavolo cleared his throat. "The midnight sun celebration ball is taking place this week. And we were planning to announce your presence here in Devildom, and the role you'll play, at the party."

"A midnight sun... what?" Lea blinked slowly.

"Midnight sun celebration." Diavolo repeated. "It's an event held in honor of the day when the sun doesn't set during the night in the northern parts of the human world. That night the sun is actually even somewhat visible from here in Devildom. I can't wait for you to see it..!" He chuckled, clueless about Lea's inner terror. "Anyway, it's a very popular celebration, and every important official, demon, and noble has an invitation."

"Wait, are you asking me to attend a royal ball with you?" Lea blurted out the words, her eyes wide.

"Yes." Diavolo chuckled, his tone light. "Is that a problem?"

"N-no, it's just..." Lea stammered, struggling to find the right words. "I've never been to a royal ball before."

"Well, luckily for you, I've happened to attend a few myself." Diavolo remarked in a joking manner, making Lea laugh. "So, I can assure you, you're in good hands."

"I guess." Lea shrugged. She felt nervousness bubbling up inside her, and took a sip from her wine. Lord Diavolo surely was like a fish in the water at events like that, but she didn't know the first thing about how to act, or what to say.

"Hey, I promise it'll be fun." Diavolo reassured her, sensing her anxiety. "It's a very festive event, and the ballroom is stunning. And I'll be by your side the entire time."

"Well… Alright." Lea nodded, smiling weakly. "I guess I cannot say no to that..!"

Even if she wanted to, Lea felt like she couldn't refuse. If the plan was to be successful, it was her job to act accordingly, and that meant attending the event. She wasn't exactly a fan of big social gatherings, and being thrown into a room full of demons wasn't her idea of fun, but she had no other choice. Besides, her discomfort wasn't only about herself; One more thing that bothered her was the thought of how awkward the situation must've been for Lord Diavolo. He was the host, and, no doubt, many people would try to seek his attention, which was something she didn't want him to feel obligated to solely offer to her.

"Excellent!" Diavolo exclaimed, clasping his hands together. "It's settled, then."

Lea smiled. It was almost funny how enthusiastic he was, and she couldn't make herself spoil his good mood by saying she'd rather spend the evening somewhere else.

"Sounds like fun." She lied through her teeth.