"Oh my god… I think I'm going to vomit..!"
"Ugh, Lea..!" Asmodeus rolled his eyes, busy doing last minute fixes on Lea's makeup. "You look too lovely tonight to say such repulsive things!"
The two of them were getting ready for the ball at the castle. Lea was standing in front of the vanity mirror, staring at her reflection with a frown.
"Isn't this dress a bit too much? Is it too late to change-"
"Stop it! How am I going to fix your makeup when you're sweating like this?!" Avatar of lust snapped in annoyance. Lea's constant fretting was getting on his nerves— He himself would be overjoyed to be the guest of honor in such an event as this, but Lea looked like she'd rather be anywhere but there! "The dress is fine— I helped you to choose it, after all~!"
"Meaning YOU chose it..!" Lea muttered under her breath, tugging the neckline upwards. Wearing an off-shoulder ball gown with such a heavy full-skirt made her nervous that the dress might slip downwards, but Asmodeus had assured that thanks to the corset top and lace-up on the back the dress would stay perfectly in place. "I mean, it is gorgeous, of course, but… are you sure it's not too… eye-catching?" The dress was mostly black with some burgundy undertones, lavishly decorated with golden embellishments. The dress was gorgeous, but also very flashy, and Lea felt like it would attract way too much attention.
"What kind of question is that?!" Asmodeus snapped. "Of course it is, it's supposed to be! And besides, I won't apologize for giving you some wow factor~!" He snickered. "But don't worry, I've thought of everything; The color palette is similar to Lord Diavolo's outfit, so you won't stand out while in his company." Asmodeus continued to work his magic on Lea's makeup, adding a touch of shimmer to her lips. As he did the finishing touches, he couldn't help but to smile in satisfaction. "There~! You are positively radiant~!" He chanted, gesturing Lea to step in front of the mirror.
"Really..?" Lea couldn't help but blush under his praise. Her anxiety was momentarily forgotten when she looked herself over in the mirror, amazed at the result. The dress, though initially intimidating, indeed suited her perfectly— The intricate design and the deep, rich colors brought out the best in her complexion, creating an elegant, almost regal, impression. "Thank you, Asmodeus," Lea gave him a little smile, genuinely grateful for his help. She knew that without his help, she would have been a bundle of nerves the entire night.
"Anything for you~" Asmodeus giggled. "Now, let's get going, we wouldn't want to keep the host waiting~"
The ball was held at the grand ballroom of the castle, which was already packed with guests by the time they arrived. The ballroom shimmered with opulence; Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a soft, golden glow over the elegant guests who moved gracefully across the marble floor. As Lea watched the dancers swirl across the floor, she couldn't help but feel like an imposter in this world of grandeur.
Asmodeus was the one who led the way through the crowd, and soon they found themselves at the other end of the room.
"Lord Diavolo, look who I have here with me~?" Asmodeus chanted, turning around to give Lea a wink.
"Ah, hello there!" Diavolo, who had been deepened into a conversation with Lucifer, greeted the two of them with a delighted expression. "Lea, you look absolutely wonderful! And Asmodeus, thank you for helping her prepare for the evening."
"My pleasure!~" Avatar of lust smiled, clearly pleased by the praise. "I love playing with this lovely little doll here..!"
Lea, instead, struggled to find words as she stared at Lord Diavolo. She didn't know what took her more by surprise, the pair of horns on his head or the four black wings on his back. This wasn't the first time she had seen him in his true form, though; The very first time she met him in the human world, during that horrid ritual, he had looked like this, as well. At the time, she had been scared out of her mind, but now, when they were not surrounded by chaos and the air was not filled with tension, Lea couldn't help but to admire the prince's appearance— There was something oddly attractive about the sight. If Lea wasn't blushing already, she sure was when her gaze dropped down from his face; In this form, his arms and most of his upper body was left bare, revealing a tanned, toned physique.
"Lea. Stop it." Asmodeus flicked Lea's jaw shut, which she hadn't noticed was hanging slightly open.
"I-I'm sorry, I just..." Lea stammered, flustered. "I..."
"Lord Diavolo, isn't it almost the time..?" Lucifer interrupted her, sparing Lea the embarrassment. Avatar of pride, just like Lord Diavolo, was in his demonic form tonight; His four pitch-black angel wings were surely a sight to behold, but the expression on his face was just as cold and composed as ever.
"Right, right." Lord Diavolo laughed, patting Lucifer's shoulder before turning to address the guests. "Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention, please?"
The room fell silent.
"Tonight we are gathered to celebrate another successful year of peaceful liaison between the three realms." Lord Diavolo spoke loudly and confidently, his voice carrying effortlessly throughout the hall. "We've accomplished much, and the exchange program is working brilliantly. We've learned so much from the humans and the angels, and I believe there's still so much for us to offer to them in return. So, to deepen the relationship even further, I'd like to present to you my new assistant, miss Lea, a representative of the human world, who'll be helping me out with my duties from now on." Diavolo gestured at Lea, and she could feel all the attention shifting towards her. She forced herself to smile, but it felt stiff and awkward. "Her help will be vital in the development of the program. I believe she's got much to teach us, and I am very glad to have her with us tonight."
A murmur went through the crowd, the guests eyeing her curiously.
"Let us have a toast in her name." Lord Diavolo picked up a champagne glass.
"To Lea!" The guests repeated his words.
As the party was back in full swing, Diavolo approached her. "You were fantastic." He whispered.
"Fantastic? All I did was stand there." Lea whimpered, her hands still clutching onto the hem of her skirt.
"Are you alright?" Diavolo asked, carefully studying her with a worried look on his face. "You're looking a bit pale."
"Oh, no, it's just… being out here, in front of everyone… I got a bit nervous, that's all." Lea explained, trying her best to put up a brave face. In all honesty, though, she was still feeling so jittery from the experience she was sick to her stomach. She had been barely able to fully digest the fact that she truly had been sacrificed to a demon prince and was now stuck in their realm, so being thrown into a banquet hall filled with demons was still definitely something that made her palms sweat.
"You sure?" Diavolo furrowed his brow, not completely convinced by her act. "Maybe we should go and take a breather? Some fresh air might do you some good."
Not giving her a chance to protest, he guided her to the other side of the hall. Slipping past the heavy velvet curtains that covered the walls and stepping through a door hidden behind them, Lea found herself entering a large balcony. The sight outside took her breath away; The moon hung high in the sky, illuminating the landscape below. There was not a cloud in the sky, and the stars twinkled in the distance.
The sounds of the party quieted as Diavolo shut the door behind them, and he let out a sigh of relief as the cold breeze hit his face. "Isn't it a wonderful night?" He asked, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.
Lea hummed quietly, walking towards the railing. She felt a sense of serenity wash over her as she looked down at the scenery; The landscape, dotted with trees and rivers, was lit by the light of the moon.
"And that, up there..." Diavolo stepped next to her, gently placing his hand against her back as he leaned down onto her level, pointing up into the sky. "That's the sun."
"That?" Lea's eyes widened in wonder. Far in the horizon, she could see a warm glow of yellow and orange hues, dancing behind a veil of darkness.
"Yes, that." Diavolo chuckled, his warm laughter ringing in her ear. "It's still far, far away, but... This evening is the only time we can actually see it from here."
"Whoa..." Lea gasped in awe. "It's beautiful..!" The sight before her was mesmerizing, and for a moment, all her troubles and anxieties were gone, replaced by a warm, comforting feeling.
"It's quite a rare sight." Diavolo agreed, his hand still resting gently on her back.
"Thank you for bringing me here." Lea smiled, taking one more look at the faint glimmer of the sun before turning her attention to Diavolo. "I- uh..." Looking at him, she forgot what she was about to say— Diavolo was standing so close to her, his golden eyes shimmering in the moonlight.
"Hm?" Diavolo seemed a bit flustered when he suddenly realized that Lea was staring at him. "You... You're not feeling… uncomfortable, are you?" He asked somewhat hesitantly, instinctively taking a small step backwards.
"Uncomfortable?" Lea blinked surprised. "Why should I be uncomfortable? More than anything he should've asked me that when he put me in the spotlight earlier!" Only the memory of standing in front of all those demons was enough to make her legs feel like jello again.
"I suggested that we'd restrain from using our demonic forms tonight, but Barbatos pointed out it would've raised suspicion especially if I'd suddenly do that in such a high scale event." Diavolo explained apologetically, giving Lea a reassuring smile. "I couldn't help but to worry if it would make you feel nervous to… uhm… to see me like this again. And it was stupid of me not to warn you beforehand—"
"Oh, right..!" The only time Lea had seen Lord Diavolo in his demonic form was during the ritual. Meeting Lord Diavolo for the second time didn't go much smoother, either, her being still more or less in shock. "That's very... thoughtful of you, but I'm fine, really. I- I didn't mean to stare—" Lea smiled sheepishly, feeling a bit embarrassed by getting caught red handed. "I'm just… curious, that's all."
Lord Diavolo looked surprised. "Curious? Of me?" He asked.
"Yeah, I haven't seen anything... like that. Like you." Lea said, gesturing at him. "It's quite intriguing."
It appeared that these 'demonic forms', as he had called them, were also considered as a formal wear of some sort. It was not really a wonder, especially when looking at higher ranking demons like Lord Diavolo or Lucifer. Both of their demonic forms were nothing less than elaborate— Lucifer's sleek and stylish attire was decorated with peacock feathers and other fine details, not forgetting the four majestic pitch-black wings on his back. That demon was a breathing, walking piece of art— And he knew it very well, always carrying himself with the utmost self-assurance.
Lucifer was deadly stylish, no doubt, but Lord Diavolo's demonic appearance definitely had to be the most extravagant one; It wasn't just his outfit that was embellished with golden decorations, but his body as well. The tips of his horns and wings were decorated with golden jewelry, not forgetting the golden tattoos on his lower arms contrasted the dark skin. His hair seemed like it changed a shade of color as well, turning more vividly red when in this form.
Lea was doing it again, staring at him, her mouth slightly agape; Taking into account that her gaze was constantly trailing back to the sides of his head, Diavolo suspected that what interested her the most was probably his horns. Since everyone around Lord Diavolo was always carefully minding their manners, it felt a bit odd to be studied in such a bold way. Sure, he was used to being stared at (in awe or admiration most of the time), but this was the first time someone had guts to stare at his horns so shamelessly. In the world of demons, the subtle glances at one's horns could be seen as a flirtatious act, but Lea had no way of knowing this. If she had, she would definitely NOT be staring at him like that! Nevertheless, it was enough to make Lord Diavolo feel a bit self-conscious, which was rather out of character for him.
Just standing there, under her gaze, made his palms sweat like crazy! How come one human had this much effect on him?