Chapter 16: Lucinda the Love Strategist.

The teacher of the class was looking over the PowerPoint presentation and points with a stick having a diagram inside with the meaning of justice.

The demon lord could not concentrate, she has no idea what those symbols meant. She knew how to read but what are these new words she has never heard before. The lecturer was using slang in the modern day of age!

She turns to the person beside her, a beauty no woman can ever class- from those curly brown hair, long lashes that was definitely like her lady from all those hundreds of years ago. How the demon lord wanted to hold her hair and brush it again.

Azel suddenly gained some confidence and leaned over a little to the studious girl, whose eyes were glued to her books and to the teacher. "How are you faring today?"

Isabella was looking at her book, hearing the girl but was unsure what to respond. "I am fine... do keep it quiet or the teacher might see." she puts her index finger by the lips and shushes the demon lord.

If it were any other girl they would've been cursed for a month.

Ding! Ding!

When the class bell rang over, everyone inside the classroom stood up and began packing their things. The demon lord didn't had the energy to listen to class and was just casually sneaking glances towards her bride.

"Unghhh..." (Isabella) has caught the girl's gaze a few times and was uncomfortable with the intense stare. She quickly puts her books inside her bag and runs outside the classroom before Azel could even follow her.

"Wait... for me?" (Azel) mutters her hands were trying to reach out to Isabella before she ran away. "Did I do something wrong?" she asks herself looking so confused, she was sure there was a chance they could talk and get to know each other after class.

The demon lord takes her bag and slings it into her shoulder before feeling another human presence in front of her.

It seems that the other students were keen on her and have been super excited getting to know an unknown family member of the Hua Lin family! After all they were one of the best trading companies all over the country and made it a huge deal, they have never heard of a fourth child.

Certain rumors were already running around the university, like perhaps Azel Hua Lin was the president's secret love child that was just newly discovered.

"Hello! Delighted to meet you!" one of the girls cheery said while leaning over to see the demon lord's pretty face. Azel not being used to greeted so cheerfully just waved awkwardly to these unknown humans.

"Likewise..." the demon lord replies back looking down on the girl before turning her head at the door. If she doesn't run soon then she won't be able to catch up-!

"Not bad..." she mutters holding her hand out to her chin inspecting the beauty over her figure and face. Slender skin and nice long hair, pretty emerald eyes and glossy lips. Clearly she would be quickly scouted as a model and furthermore she's into a rich household!

The front girl with braided hair holds out her hand with a satisfied smile on her face, "The name's Alice Albright. I do love the first impression you've made, mind if I give you a rundown on how we run things around this school?"

Azel blinks her attention was no longer at the door and now to this blonde haired braided human who keeps trying to talk. "I do mind. I need to leave." she walks away taking her bag with her.

"Wha- hold on! I'm not done talking!" (Alice) runs after her with her little cronies behind. The demon lord wanted nothing to do with a human but it seemed she was a bit more persistent. "Halt I say!" she yells, running out of breath.

The demon lord was sincerely trying not to curse the girl for just telling her what to do. There can only be one person who can order her around as she pleases and this blonde human is not her.

"For the love of! Is she daft?! I told her to stop! What kind of idiot doesn't stop when someone tells them to!" (Alice) stomps her feet in anger as the other three of her friends try to console the girl. They were about to invite her in their rich girl group but after this rude encounter- it looks like Alice has other plans for the transfer student.

The demon lord walked quickly trying her best to pick up the girl's scent but it was all for naught. She could only smell strong perfumes from other people and she lost her way on contacting her. "..."

However, there's still Lucinda. Perhaps she knows what to do.

"How... do you call her..." she takes out her phone and looks at the screen. Azel knows how to chat, send pictures and copy links but she forgot how to make a call. She sees a little camera and pokes it, apparently it just took her to the album and pictures section of the phone.

After five minutes there was still no progress on calling the witch, until finally she pressed the right button. "Ergh... what does this button do..." she weakly muttered to herself feeling drained trying to learn how the phone works.

Ring! Ring!

"O-Oh... its doing something." she holds the phone away from herself, feeling the vibration. She wondered if it was going to explode wanting to throw it away but thankfully the witch's voice rang through the speaker.

"Hello~ oh nice job on calling me! How was your first day of class? I hope it was like super duper romantic and stuff." (Lucinda) yells over the speaker, Azel realized it was too loud. Everyone was looking over with their eyebrows raised.

"Witch, how do you lower this thing's sound?" she puts the phone right on her human ear and asks in a panic.

"Hmm? Oh! The sound? I taught you that before! Like there's this button at the sides and if you click on it you can make your volume lower or higher." (Lucinda) instructs the demon lord, using her phone in class. The teacher was looking at her in an angry manner but class is soon to be over anyway so she lets the girl continue her conversation.

"Buttons- buttons..." (Azel) flipped the phone over on its side and found the two buttons.

"Yeah? Did you find it? Cus if you can't~ you might need some extra pairs of eyes after this." (Lucinda) teases over the phone and the demon lord rolls her eyes at the comment.

"I found it, and to answer your question it didn't go well as romantically planned. Before I even had the chance to talk more she ran away after class." (Azel) explained over the phone now having the volume at a normal rate the other students just went along their way.

The witch was not really believing what she's hearing. Lucinda sighs, perhaps this won't be as easy as she thought. I mean the demon lord has no experience in basic social communication after hundreds of years. "Let's meet up at the gate. We can talk more there."

Azel nods, "What if I try and following her scent again-"

"No! That's way too creepy! I'll give you a pass on this one since you don't know where the line is at this day and age. Jeez, though don't you think following a girl when she's getting home is a no go? That's a turn off for anyone trying to pursue their love." (Lucinda) scolds the demon lord and Azel grimaces, she must be out of her mind these past weeks.

"I apologize, you're right. I must've... I've been so isolated that I've forgotten my roots. The demon inside of me follows instincts and I... I have no excuses for being wrong." (Azel) puts a hand on her forehead feeling a little awful.

Since when was following people without consent and with no good reason alright?

"When will you be out of your academic meeting?" the demon lord asks and the witch on the other end of the call was already on her way out.

"Right now, come on let's go have a strategy meeting over your travesty in romance." (Lucinda) laughs over the phone as she runs, her flowing pink hair could be seen floating on the halls.

.-.-.-.-.

The demon lord quickly made haste outside and was the first to arrive before the witch who was panting heavily not being used to using her legs on running.

Lucinda was fans herself trying to get some wind, "Jeez all this running- I can't believe I'm running... witches don't run, they fly..." she complained.

"Then why didn't you fly?" (Azel)

"Humans will see duh! And don't add that I can just erase their memories just like that- it takes a lot out of me especially if someone caught me on video jeez." (Lucinda) straightens her back and faces the demon lord seriously.

"So while we walk home I'll be going to need you to give me a whole rundown on what happened on your first day with your bride." she takes in a small notepad and pen, it makes a small tick, tick noise when she pushes the button on the top. "Leave no details."

The whole day the two of them talked with one another trying to figure out a plan that will definitely make her and Isabella close- or at least by this point, talk to her and you know get to know each other.

"I see it was awkward... because well it was class and every time you try talking towards her she tells you to shush and listen to class." (Lucinda) notes it all down, it is to be expected these would be the obstacles for the demon lord getting close.

Truly that scholarship girl has her goal set on studying never wavering.

"What can I do..." (Azel) asks, looking over the sky.

The witch holds her arm and pats it gently. "Well we have two options, one we follow the whole stereotypical moves on how to get closer to the girl you like." she pulls out a magazine about picking up girls on her spatial inventory making sure there weren't any humans looking.

"Now these books- my dad told me this is how people picked up girls back in the day? By picked up I meant asking them out on a date kind of pick up not kidnapping. I brought it just for the occasion." (Lucinda) gives the magazine to the demon lord and thankfully even if there were some words she can't understand, there were some pictures demonstrating how to properly pick up a girl you like.

The demon lord holds the magazine up to read.

"This looks like... the guy is approaching the girl with flowers... The guy bumps into the girl when she's carrying books and offers to help her up and carries her book to escort her to wherever she needs to go." (Azel) flips a few more pages and sees about thirty more ways on how to properly get a girl's heart.

"This looks ridiculous." the demon lord sneered at the magazine. Who actually believes in these? In what world will the person bumps another person and then decide they were meant for each other.

"Hey! If you've seen all the romantic movies that have the main character and love interest doing that- it looks romantic-!" (Lucinda) takes the magazine in defense. "Besides this book is probably the reason I was like- made!"

The pink haired witch hugs the magazine by her chest and kisses it affectionately. As if saying, thank you for bringing me into this world.

Azel rubs the sides of her temples feeling a headache coming, "Witch tell me the second option. I hope it's something better than that ridiculous article you gave me."

Lucinda stores the magazine back in the spatial inventory before giving a pout with both of her hands sassily placed on her hips. "Or the second option- we just wait for her to stop obsessing over her studies and just hit on her there. By the way, that takes about four years and- her ability to pass the exam."

Four years.

That's a short time for a demon but... for a human lifespan... What if those four years were wasted?

"You also have to take into account that she probably won't be able to have time on dating. She has her little sister to feed and pay for her studies-" (Lucinda)

The demon lord didn't let the witch finish and offered herself to take responsibility for all the bills. "I can pay for them." she says confidently.

"I'm getting the whole sugar mommy vibes from you, sure great but listen Isabella is the type of girl who's humble and prideful. Won't take anything for free kinda girl unless she gives something back of equal price." (Lucinda) scolds the demon lord who stops walking and stares at Lucinda seriously.

"Equal price, her life with me can never be compared to all of this pile of money. If she is truly my bride given by the deities, she is worth the heavens." the demon lord looks down, can't believe those words came right out of her mouth.

Possibly it helped that she looked like her milady with her heartfelt things she hasn't felt all these immortal years of wandering.

And here the narrator thought this girl didn't want a bride, but what's this?

Accepting it now, are we?

"Wow, now that's romantic. Can you repeat that again but this time say that in front of her Isabella's now would you?" (Lucinda) teases her demon friend who rolls her eyes, deciding she'll give that ridiculous magazine a chance.

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