Diavolo made his way through the dimly lit corridors of the castle, deep in thought. His steps were measured, each footfall echoing the solemnity of his thoughts. Much like Lea, he struggled to shake the weight of recent events from his mind; The enigmatic curse that bound him to Lea was a riddle he was determined to solve. Lucifer and his brothers were already busy studying the matter, trying to find a way to break the spell. The Avatar of Pride hadn't been exaggerating even so slightly when he brought up the dangers regarding Lea's presence in Devildom— And her connection to Diavolo—, so the sooner they resolved this matter, the better.
As a prince of the Devildom, Lord Diavolo currently enjoyed the favor of the common folk… But as any ruler, he also had his enemies. If word got out that he had been bound to a human, it could make him look weak, and drastically affect the opinion of the public and his position as the future ruler. But, it was not merely a sense of duty as the prince of Devildom that fueled his determination to undo the curse; It was a profound empathy for the predicament in which Lea found herself. It was him the cultists were after— Lea was only being used as nothing but a pawn in their sinister plans, so he couldn't help but to feel partly responsible for her fate. The least he could do now was to keep her safe and ensure her well-being; She was a stranger in a strange land, a human in a realm that was vastly different from her own, so it was expected for her to feel overwhelmed by the world around her. Diavolo was determined to make her feel at home in Devildom, and try to be a source of comfort in this world unfamiliar to her.
As Diavolo made his way to Lea's room, he couldn't help but smile at the memory of his latest meeting with the human girl; Even though he was initially taken aback by the circumstances of their first encounter, he was genuinely intrigued by Lea. There was a mysterious spell which bound the two of them together, but it wasn't just magic that pulled him to her. Ever since Diavolo had woken up that morning, he had been anxious to see her. He had been able to exchange only a few words with his human guest so far, and he was curious to learn more about her. She seemed like a fascinating young lady, and getting to know her would also be an excellent opportunity for him to learn more about humans.
As he arrived at his destination, to his surprise Diavolo found that he wasn't the first guest behind Lea's door this morning. "Hm? What's going on here..?" He muttered under his breath as he approached the door; Three small blobs of darkness hustled by the door, their movements telling him they were desperately trying to squeeze underneath the door and into the room. "My, my..!" Diavolo chuckled at the unexpected sight. "Little D.'s, I can see you're all very eager to meet our guest, but trying to force your way into her room isn't the most well-mannered thing to do..!" He snickered as he snatched one of the little creatures up into his arms. Those blobs of darkness were nothing else but Little D.s, the tiny demons that inhabited the demon lord's castle. "You don't want to scare her, do you?"
"Scare her? No no no!" Little D. in his arms shook its hands vigorously. "Don't want to scare! Just want to see!"
Diavolo laughed heartily, finding the antics of the little creature utterly adorable. The Little D.s were a bit mischievous at times, but they were also quite charming, so the prince of Devildom had a soft spot for them.
"You all get to meet Lea eventually, but maybe this isn't the best time-" Diavolo explained, but his words were cut short when one of the Little D.'s attempted to climb up his leg, causing him to lose his balance momentarily. As he was forced to lean against the door, the situation took an unexpected turn; Little D. in his arms, that devilish little rascal, used the opportunity to grab a hold of the door handle. Before Diavolo could do anything, the door swung open. Struggling to regain his composure, he only barely managed to prevent himself from crashing inside the room face first.
Lea, who hadn't expected anyone to blast into the room without a warning, almost jumped out of her skin as she was startled by the racket at the door. Her shock soon turned into terror when the small demons skittered into the room, rushing straight towards her.
"W-what the hell?!" Lea exclaimed in shock, scrambling to the safety of the bed as the Little D.s scurried toward her. "What are these things?!"
"I- I'm sorry!" Diavolo, who initially had found himself too dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events to even react, finally managed to stutter an apology— He had intended to introduce Lea to the Little D.s eventually, but his plans didn't go anything like this..! Still grappling with the squirming demon in his arms, he hurried inside the room as well, trying to calm down the rest of Little D.s, which were now busy trying to climb onto the bed as well. Unfortunately for him, the little creatures were too excited to even listen to him.
"Alright, that's ENOUGH!" He bellowed in frustration— With a wave of a hand, all the little demons came to a halt, Diavolo's magic immediately stopping them into their tracks. The room now filled with an eerie stillness that contrasted with the chaotic scene just moments ago; Even Lea, who was unaffected by Diavolo's magic, found herself unable to move a muscle, but only merely out of shock and surprise. "Are you alright?" Diavolo's concern was evident in his tone as he carefully made his way into the room, trying to reassure Lea after the chaotic entrance. The Little D.s, now frozen in place, could do nothing but wait for the demon lord to lift the spell.
Lea, still perched on the bed, eyed the creatures cautiously but also with a hint of curiosity. "What... what did you do?" She asked, her voice a mixture of astonishment and wariness.
"Oh, I just stopped them with a simple spell," Diavolo said as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He then turned to look at the Little D.s: "I'll release you guys in a second, so, just stay calm, okay?"
Lea's eyes widened. "You can do that?" She asked, her surprise obvious in her tone.
Diavolo gave her an amused chuckle. "Well, yes. We demons are quite powerful, you know." He was smiling brightly, clearly in good spirits, which helped ease the tension in the air. "And these guys… they're Little D.s, mischievous but harmless little creatures," Diavolo explained, still holding one in his arms. "They're a bit overenthusiastic, as you can see." He offered Lea a reassuring smile. "I'm terribly sorry about this unexpected intrusion. I assure you they mean no harm— It seems they're just too excited to meet you." Making sure not to stumble on the little creatures as he approached the bed, he reached to place the Little D. he was holding down onto the floor as well. "They're drawn to new and interesting things, and to them, meeting you is quite an event."
"I… I see..!" Lea, though still on edge, slowly climbed out of the bed. Despite the startling event, Lea couldn't help but be intrigued by these bizarre entities. "They seem a little... mischievous." She remarked as she hesitantly sat onto the edge of the bed, her eyes still nailed on the motionless little creatures.
"They're a bit mischievous, yes, but harmless." Diavolo chuckled warmly. "Now, little fellows, I expect you to behave; Don't scare Lea." With a flick of his fingers, he released his magic's hold on the Little D.s. The once-frozen creatures sprung back to life, their enthusiasm still evident as they danced around the room, but now without their earlier haste to reach Lea.
"Well… They are kinda cute." Now feeling more at ease, Lea couldn't suppress a laugh at the sight of these playful creatures. Diavolo's smile widened as he was pleased to see Lea's initial apprehension softening into curiosity— It didn't take long before she even allowed one of the little creatures to climb up onto her lap.
"They sure are." Diavolo laughed, watching the Little D. snuggle against Lea, and he couldn't help but smile. She had a bright smile on her face as she played with the Little D. and, seeing her like that, his heart melted a little. It warmed his soul to see her laughing after the stress and trauma she had experienced, and it was a lovely sound. "I apologize again, for the unexpected intrusion. It wasn't my intention to startle you."
"It's fine, I guess..." Lea smiled, a hint of color creeping onto her cheeks.
"But, enough about these guys... How are you doing?" The demon lord inquired, his amber eyes glimmering with concern. "Have you managed to get any rest after what happened yesterday?"
Lea hesitated briefly. "I… I'm doing fine." She replied, her tone a little unsure. "I'm not exactly used to everything yet, but I guess I'm adjusting, sort of."
Diavolo offered her a gentle smile, sensing the uncertainty in her voice. "If you need anything, I'm happy to help you. Just ask and I'll do my best."
Lea couldn't help but offer him a slight smile, appreciating the reassurance. "Thank you."
"Oh— And you look great, by the way!" Diavolo's eyes widened in surprise as he noticed Lea clad in the new uniform. "That uniform fits you perfectly!" He beamed with excitement, delighted at the sight of her in the demon world attire.
"Thanks..!" Lea grinned appreciatively, though a hint of shyness colored her response as she felt the weight of the demon lord's intense gaze. Setting the Little D. gently onto the bed, she rose to her feet, allowing Diavolo a better look at how the clothes complemented her.
"You look like a real R.A.D student..!" Diavolo remarked with a nod of approval. "It was Lucifer's idea to give you a R.A.D uniform— At least until we'll prepare you a more versatile wardrobe, that is."
"Heh, I appreciate it." Lea chuckled softly, casting a glance at the attire that now seemed oddly suited to her in this enigmatic realm. Diavolo's approval was both comforting and flattering, but Lea couldn't help but to feel a bit bashful under his attentiveness. Her shyness was quickly forgotten, though, when her expression shifted to a sheepish look as she realized something. "Um… What's R.A.D, exactly?" She asked in a demure tone.
"Ah, pardon my enthusiasm—" Diavolo gave Lea an apologetic look when he realized he probably had gone a bit ahead of things. "No-one has explained to you about R.A.D yet." He cleared his throat softly before continuing. "R.A.D stands for Royal Academy of Diavolo." Diavolo explained, his excitement evident as he answered her query. "It's the very first educational institution established here in Devildom." He stated, his explanation filled with a sense of pride for the academy.
Lea's curiosity was piqued, and she nodded, her expression a mix of interest and perplexity. "So, I'm dressed like a student of your academy?" She asked, slightly bemused at the thought of resembling a student in a place so foreign to her. "Don't tell me you're going to make me go to school here, are you?" Her question carried a playful tone, but underneath it, Lea couldn't shake a hint of worry that it might actually be a possibility. She still had no idea what these demons might have in store for her..!
"No, no." Diavolo shook his head reassuringly. "But… If it wasn't for the current circumstances, I'd encourage it." He smirked in response. "Actually, we've had some exchange students from the human world before, so it's not such a farteched idea to make you attend as well." His words were laced with a hint of amusement, implying that attending the academy could potentially be a novel experience for her.
Lea chuckled, her laughter mirroring the demon lord's playful spirit. "Oh, I bet that would be quite the experience."
"Well, it could broaden your understanding of Devildom." Diavolo affirmed with a smile, gesturing to the Little D.s to follow him, gently guiding them toward the door. "Once the situation calms down, we have to look into that option. But, today…" He held the door ajar, pausing in the doorway and looking back at Lea. "...I suggest we'll take a tour around the castle."