Everything has been put into place. So tell me. Will you be the one to move it?
Welcome, my dear Stars, to the Louellaby!
Whether you may, or may not, be familiar with my work; whether you're only browsing or looking for a certain piece of mine, I wholeheartedly welcome your arrival!
Please call me Loue. I am the owner of the Louellaby, a forest-surrounded manor filled with my own writings and art. I am currently 21 years old; I go by she and her pronouns, and I am a Turbulent Advocate ( INFJ-T ) . Please bear with me because I overthink a lot. Much more than I'd like to admit.
H E A D T O
「 M A I N H A L L 」
U N D E R C O N S T R U C T I O N
I do not take requests, at least not at the moment. For now, I would just like to share my own thoughts and be able to practice writing and drawing. It's also because I can't work well under pressure. If I ever get the confidence and motivation to, then I will take up requests.
As for my fanart making outside the game, I only do so of my own volition. It is mostly when I get enough inspiration; when I'm sure I'm completely comfortable reaching out to that person and showing the fanart to them; and it depends on whether they have a clear image of their MC or OC, which I could use as references.
Also, I apologise if I suddenly slide into your asks one day and call you by a nickname. I love giving people nicknames, you see. It makes me feel closer to them. But if you don't want it and just want me to call you by your chosen name, feel free to tell me! I'm perfectly okay with it as I want to respect everyone's boundaries. Or maybe I just shouldn't give nicknames willy-nilly...
content warnings: implied trouble with people, a bit of sad levi
M C
Hey, Levi! Clear your schedule for this Wednesday!
LEVIATHAN
What? Why so suddenly?
Are you bringing back a new game from the human world, and you want to play it with me as soon as you get back?!
M C
No.
I mean, I'd love to, but I have nothing of the sort.
Just clear your schedule for the day!
LEVIATHAN
Tell me why first!
I can't give up my anime and games for something I don't know!
M C
Fine, I'll clue you in a bit.
This Wednesday, I'll summon you to the human world. You better look forward to it!
Oh, and don't tell your brothers!
LEVIATHAN
You mean you want to spend time alone...
WITH ME?
M C
Can I not?
LEVIATHAN
O-Of course you can! I'd love to!
M C
Great!
Remember: keep it a secret from your brothers!
I'll summon you after breakfast, so go to your room and pretend to shut yourself in for the day.
LEVIATHAN
Will do!
M C
See you then, Leviachan!
Leviathan could feel his heart thumping, threatening to beat straight out of his chest if he didn't calm himself down soon enough. On the gaming chair in his bedroom, he sat, hunched over his lap, watching the clock on his D.D.D. change its every minute — the device almost sliding off his fingers due to the sweat that coated the entirety of his palms.
"Have you seen Levi acting weird just now?"
"Isn't that just him being him?"
"Sure, he's already pretty weird in general, but there was something about him earlier."
Leviathan had heard his brothers talking as he was walking away from the dining table. But he didn't have the time to listen to their observations of him. He had plans with his favourite person, and he would not miss the chance to be alone with them again after so long of not seeing each other and being worlds apart.
"Yeah, he looked nervous during breakfast. He barely touched his food, and he didn't even react when Beel swiped it."
"Do you think he's feeling alright?"
"Should we go cheer him up?"
"No, leave him alone for now."
"Lucifer! Why?"
"Everyone head to RAD. You're going to be late. Leave Levi alone for today."
"Wait, do you know somethi--"
"Head. To. RAD. I will not be repeating myself."
"Yes, Lucifeeeeeerrr."
Leviathan leaned back in his chair, making it squeak softly, and placed his phone on the desk to his left. He briefly glanced at his reflection on the black screen of his computer monitor, seeing himself a little dishevelled than how he had prepared himself the hour before. He tilted his head back straight with his body, leaned his head back against the headrest of the chair, closed his eyes, placed his hands on his knees, and clenched his fists as he took a deep breath. Then a few more.
He jumped in surprise the moment his D.D.D.'s screen lit up and buzzed with a notification. Before he even realised what he was doing, he already had his phone in his hands and opened the message he received as he once again hunched over his lap.
M C
Are you ready to go?
LEVIATHAN
I've been ready for the past hour!
You're late!
M C
I'm sorry!
Something came up, and I couldn't ignore it.
LEVIATHAN
What happened? Are you okay???
M C
Perfectly fine!
I'll go ahead and summon you now, okay?
LEVIATHAN
OK.
The demon clenched his phone in anticipation, hurriedly fixing the slight flyaways of his hair and wiping the sweat that previously formed from his worried thoughts. He closed his eyes once again as he felt a warm feeling spreading through his body — a feeling of safety and so much longing. Leviathan sighed in relief as he let the familiar light engulf him, pulling his entire being through time and space, bringing him into another world different from his own.
"Welcome back to the human world, Levi!"
The moment he heard your voice, Leviathan slowly opened his eyes, letting them adjust to the sudden sunlight he wasn't used to. When he finally got his vision clear, there he saw you in front of him — with the smile on your face that he loved, your adoration for him that you showed through your expressions, and the beautiful outfit you were wearing for the day you planned to spend with only him.
"Come on and follow me!" Your smile got brighter when you held out your hand to him, and he took it without hesitation, showing you his own grin as he finally felt his whole body relax.
"Where are we going?" He asked, stealing glances at you as you gently pulled him along by hand. "I hope it's not too tiring, I don't have the energy for something like that." Leviathan knew deep inside his heart that even if whatever you had planned would be tiring compared to what he was used to, he still would have done his best to keep up. He knew he would put in every effort as long as he could keep seeing you smile.
You chuckled at his reaction to his own assumptions and turned your head to look at him. He thought his heart would stop for a moment. "We're going flower viewing."
"Flower viewing?" He repeated in question. He raised an eyebrow, not being able to believe what he had just heard. "Couldn't we have done that in the Devildom? The flowers there are also blooming by this time of the year."
You showed him a pout, and he flinched. "Sure, but today's a special day, and I wanted to spend it alone with you. And besides, I already prepared us a picnic, and you need to spend time outside."
He watched as your pout turned into a smile once again. That's when his heart skipped a beat. "What better way to spend your outing than to go on a date with me, right?" You asked.
Leviathan felt his face heat up, his heart thumping louder. You saw him turn red and felt his hand get warmer. You internally chuckled as you watched and listened to him babble his words, him not being able to form a proper sentence. In the end, he gave up on talking at all and just held your hand tighter, interlocking his fingers with yours and nodding in answer.
It didn't take long before the two of you reached the park filled with vibrantly blooming flowers of every shape, colour, and size; each one gently dancing along to sway of the cool breeze, collectively creating soft rustling sounds as they collided with one another.
Leviathan couldn't help but look at whatever caught his attention. First, it'd be the flowers; then the children running around with excitement, their parents either going after them or staying on their picnic blankets. Next, the bees in the distance, flying and buzzing from bloom to bloom; the rustling of the white and pink flowering trees; the bright blue sky with hints of white fluffy clouds. And at last, the sun shining so brightly, and the way its light was illuminating your beautiful face.
You were too focused on guiding him through the crowd that you didn't notice how he kept his eyes on you. He had a smile on his face, a smile he himself didn't know he could ever make. He questioned it, but not for long. Not when the answer was right there in front of him, firmly holding his hand in theirs. At that moment — for a little moment — he thought nothing could ever make him happier than that.
"Well? What do you think?"
Leviathan took in the sight on the ground in front of him: a picnic mat with a baby-blue gingham pattern spread on the bright green, slightly prickly, grass; on the mat laid two more blankets to make surface softer and more comfortable to sit on. In the middle was a big and round cream-coloured rattan tray where small plates, utensils, and a couple of glasses were set to use; a small glass flower vase accompanied the rest with a blooming mad acacia in it. On one side of the blanket, directly next to the tray, was a picnic basket of the same colour; waiting to be opened, its contents ready to be served.
Glancing around the area, he noticed how there were only the two of you. The people you both passed by previously were far well in the distance, but the flowers and trees nearby were just as radiant — if not more — than those at the main area. He thought and thought about how hard you must have worked for that day; to prepare everything that laid in front of him, to cook for him, to find a place where he didn't have to be anxious of people's gazes.
Leviathan felt his heart skip a beat once again. He felt himself hold his breath. For a moment, he felt nothing. His mind was blank, and he froze. Then, time started again for him when you reached for his arm and gently tapped it. He didn't know what expression he was showing you, but he saw how your eyes widened when he turned to look at you. He saw how you hastily stepped towards him, wrapping your arms under his and around his torso. You may have been the one to start the embrace, but he was the one who pulled you in deeper.
You felt his arms enclose you; one hand resting itself on your back, the other finding its way to the back of your head, as he leaned and buried his face into your shoulder.
"Are you alright?" You whispered gently in his ear. You felt him nod in reply, his hands slightly trembling against you.
"You did all of this... for me?" He breathed. You could tell from the sound of his voice that he was fighting back tears. You felt how warm his face was against your shoulder and smiled at how he tightened his hold on you after he asked his question.
You breathed a chuckle from your chest, and with pride evident on your face, you hummed in confirmation. "Do you like it?"
"I love it." He said that with no hesitation. Leviathan managed to compose himself after a few minutes and with the help of your gentle strokes against his back. He slowly pulled away from you and watched your expression, keeping his arms and hands supporting yours as they rested on top of his. He mirrored the smile on your face, but his got even brighter the longer he looked at you and thought about how much he loved you.
"Shall we start our peaceful date?"
He nodded eagerly.
"Yeah!"
"Hey, MC," the demon beside you spoke up after he swallowed his recently taken bite of food. He then looked at you with curiosity and nervousness in his eyes. "I've been meaning to ask you this since earlier, but, uhm... Why were you late?"
Without looking at him and just staring at the half-eaten sandwich in your hands, you continued chewing silently. Leviathan got even more anxious due to your silence. He started assuming that you're getting annoyed because of him, when in reality, you were just replaying the scenes of what happened earlier in your head that it took your complete attention.
After a moment, you snapped back to your senses, looked to your side, and saw a dejected demon. Leviathan was hunched over his sandwich, gripping it with slightly shaking hands. He was biting his lip, and you couldn't see his eyes through his hair.
You reached out and placed your hand on top of his — this took him out of his thoughts. He looked at you, and he looked like he was about to cry as he whispered, "I'm sorry..."
You shook your head, placed your sandwich back on its plate, scooted over until you're sitting right next to him, and wrapped your arms around his shoulders, resting your chin on one of them.
"It's not your fault, Levi. Please don't be sorry." You said before pulling yourself back. "I'm not mad at you or anything like that, okay? I was just deep in thought, wondering how to answer your question." He paused for a moment. Then he tilted his head in curiosity without saying anything.
"You were wondering why I was late, right? Well..." You trailed off, tilting your head to the side, rubbing your neck with your hand — and you scrunched your face, as if you were disgusted by something. Finally, you sighed and pursed your lips when you made the decision to tell him, but your brows were knitted tightly together, which made the demon wonder if he should just take his question back.
"There were people here with me earlier," you started. "Don't get me wrong, I didn't steal this spot from them — I was here first. ... When I was setting everything up, they..."
In front of you, around you, and by your feet; laid broken plates, cracked cups, and freshly-made food scattered and wasted all over the ground. As you stood with your fists clenched, you could hear nothing but the sound of the wind and the laughter behind you. You then felt nothing else but the flow of magic surging through your body — from the centre of your chest, through your arms and legs, and to the tips of your toes and fingers. Your mouth then moved on its own, words spilling out as you were blindly consumed by your rage.
"...Nevermind, it's not important." You huffed and shook your head. You found out it was difficult to tell him what had happened. Especially when you know how he would then react. "All that matters now is that they won't be coming back here again if they know what's good for them."
You puffed your chest out in pride as the demon blinked in curiosity. He hesitated for a moment before nodding once. "As long as you aren't hurt..."
You looked at Leviathan again and smiled as you reached up and poked his cheek. His response was to pull back with a bright red face and stuttered words of exclamation. You then let yourself lean on your arm closest to him, inching closer before speaking.
"Happy Birthday, Levi."
The wind blew harder at that moment — the rustling of the tree branches and their leaves became louder. Normally, from how quiet your voice was, along with the increased noise from your surroundings, Leviathan wouldn't have heard what you said. That's how it went in the animes you watched together. But that wasn't the case at this moment.
You beamed as the demon's eyes widened in surprise. You saw how different emotions raced by and filled him alternatingly. You knew that he had the tendency to forget his birthday if he's excited about something happening on the same day. And you used that to your advantage.
You watched his face redden, and he looked like he was once again about to babble. Without waiting for his response, you closed your eyes and the distance between you. You pressed your lips onto his, and for the first time: he didn't pull away first.
LUCIFER
The party preparations are complete.
M C
Thanks!
I'll keep him for a little bit longer.
We'll be on our way home afterwards.
LUCIFER
Alright.
Did those bastards ever return to bother you?
M C
Nope, all good!
Thanks for helping me drive them away.
Thank the others for me, as well.
That barrier Solomon casted is still going strong!
LUCIFER
Good to hear.
I'll tell the others you thanked them. Again.
M C
Ahaha! Thank you!
LUCIFER
We'll see you both soon.
How would you react when someone does something nice for you?
Thinking about Solomon a lot lately. (When am I not, really.)
Do you think he’s going to end up staying in the past because only one person can return to the present? That he’s going to send MC back while he stays behind?
He’s immortal, so he could find MC again in the future. But they’ve also talked about branching timelines so what if he finds MC in that timeline and they don’t remember him? And the MC that he sent back finds themselves in a timeline where he just doesn’t exist?
Now that Forget-Me-Not has reached its end, I will be going on a writing hiatus due to personal and familial reasons. I may or may not post my art. It all depends on the little time I have.
This month will be very busy for me because a lot of things need my attention all at once. And also because it's my birth month, I thought of taking a break, too.
I am not yet sure if I'll start posting stories again after November. I don't dare promise anything right now. But this doesn't mean I'll stop writing forever; I'll get to it eventually!
I'll keep updating whenever I have something to say, and I will still be on Tumblr to interact with people from time to time.
May contain bad grammar, limited vocabulary, and OOC characters. Please mind that English is not my first language, and it takes a lot of courage for me to post due to my anxiety and paranoia.
PROLOGUE | CHAPTER I | CHAPTER II | CHAPTER III | LOUE'S LETTER | CHAPTER IV | CHAPTER V | LOUE'S LETTER | CHAPTER VI | CHAPTER VII | CHAPTER VIII | CHAPTER IX | CHAPTER X | LOUE'S LETTER | EPILOGUE
E P I L O G U E
「 I'm Right Here! 」
"Y-You're not really going to k-k-k... m-me, are you? I know you won't...! Y-You are all a bunch of sweethearts, after all, and you're all just messing with me right now! Y-You can't do this to me...!"
"Have you forgotten, Lady Soley? They're demons. And with one command from me, you'd be gone."
In the Devildom, the lives of the demons continued on as usual. The streets were bustling with noise, the shops full of customers, the forests as quiet as they have ever been, and the servants of the castle were all busy preparing for an upcoming festival which should bring more cheer to the realm. But in that particular castle, a man sighed deeply as he eyed the paper that slowly crumpled in his grasp.
"That's the 16th sigh this minute, Lucifer," Diavolo lightly chuckled as he watched his friend with an apologetic look. The prince knew what Lucifer was extremely bothered with.
It had already been four weeks since school ended. Everyone should be on vacation, including Lucifer and Diavolo, but they couldn't stay away from this specific problem. Why? Because it was the case of their failed human exchange student, Soley Day, who was thought to have disappeared months ago during their trip. That's right, no one outside the group knew what really happened to her. It's all a big secret.
"What are we going to do about this, Diavolo?" Lucifer sighed once more before dropping the paper on the table and leaning back on his chair. He tried to soothe his headache by rubbing his temples, hanging his head to the back. "I'm supposed to be on a trip with my family, and you told me two months ago that you would handle this on your own."
"I know, I'm sorry, but I really need your help on this one. I thought I could handle it, but it turns out this is a bigger problem that we hoped for, considering everyone's wondering where Soley has disappeared to. It has become a huge headache."
"Yeah, I can feel that." Lucifer sat up straight again and looked at his friend. "Does the Celestial Realm have a problem with this as well?"
Diavolo shook his head, "No. For reasons unknown to me, they left this one alone. The only problem now lies in Soley's family."
"I see, so that's what's bothering you. Despite their title, they're still just humans, Diavolo. It would be easy to deceive them."
"... Do you really think that that's the only way left to go?" The prince got bothered by Lucifer's reason. He knew Lucifer was getting impatient that he'd suggest something like this, but... is that really what it has come to? Deceiving humans who he wanted to gain the trust of?
A lot of time has passed. Eventually, even Diavolo understood how irritable Lucifer has become, the more the paperwork kept piling on and on. And so, the Avatar of Pride was dismissed for the day.
"You know, it's rare for you to admit you want to spend time with your family," teased Diavolo, enjoying the sight of Lucifer's face turning red as the man got up from his seat.
"My family is important to me, Diavolo. Every single one of those seven; they're all important to me. That will never change." Lucifer left the room, hurrying back home where seven people were waiting in chaos for him to return.
"Family, huh..?"
"Mother! Father! I'm back!" A certain girl with light orange hair and lime green eyes exclaimed, excitedly running out of a limousine and rushing into the arms of her awaiting parents.
"Soley! Welcome home! We were so worried about you! So, so worried!"
"I told you you didn't have to worry so much. I'm fine and in one piece." The girl then looked towards the man who stood behind her parents. "Heath!" She ran past the couple and jumped into the man's arms; an action that surprised both the man and the couple, along with the other servants surrounding them.
It was the first time in a very long while that their young lady showed any closeness or emotion towards her butler. While most were happy about this unexpected development, some were suspicious. Nevertheless, everyone was happy with the events, and her parents were so proud of her.
Little did anyone know, a translucent figure with tears in her eyes was watching them up close.
"Mother! Father! Heath! That's not me! Everyone! Listen to me! I'm right here!"
Despite her constant shouting, her unbearable protests, her desperate efforts in making them notice her; not one of them reacted to her presence. Every time she tried to touch any of them, her hand went through their bodies as if they were made of air; but it was, in fact, her own figure that was the problem.
"Come, Soley, we prepared a party for your return. All of your friends are here, and they can't wait to see you!"
"Alright, I'm coming, but after the party, can we have our own time together? You know, as a family?"
Once again, everyone around them was taken aback. Even the invisible form of her, who cringed at the suggestion.
Everyone knew Soley wasn't one to spend time with her parents anymore. Not since she grew up and had her own friends that she called her family. Because of the surprise, Soley's parents hugged the girl with tears in their eyes. They were so happy to hear that their precious daughter wanted to be with them again that they didn't even question anything. The ghost just watched it happen; her claws digging into her arms and her biting her lip in frustration.
"How dare that fake steal all the attention meant for me... I refuse to take this!"
That day had been a difficult one for the young lady. She watched in pain as her impostor lived the life that was meant to be hers. She did her best trying to get just anyone to notice her. Most painfully, she watched as the fake walked through the halls of the place she called home, with the man she held closest to her heart.
"Heath, I have a question."
"Yes, my lady?"
The two of them were in Soley's room. Heath was helping the lady prepare for the grand party happening later that day.
"What would you do if someone confessed their romantic feelings for you?"
"Oh, no. No, no, no. You're not doing this to me."
The butler dropped the brush he was holding, freezing in place as he locked eyes through the mirror with the girl in front of him. "I, uhm, I-I beg your pardon?"
"If someone confessed to you, what would you do?"
"Heath, don't answer that!"
The more the questions popped up, the wider Heath's eyes went. His brows furrowed. He suspected everything would've been a joke, but the look in Soley's eyes told him they weren't. And so, putting his heart on his sleeve, he opened his mouth in response.
"I suppose it would depend on my own feelings as well, my lady."
"What do you mean?"
"I will be happy and accept the confession of the person if I also feel the same way for them as they do for me."
"But if you don't, then..."
"Then, no, I'm afraid."
The lady sitting in front of the mirror removed her gaze from Heath and placed it on another. Soley's ghost gasped in surprise when she realised her impostor was staring directly at her, a smirk on her face forming before she opened her mouth and spoke to the butler again, her eyes not looking away from the spirit.
"What about me?"
"... my lady?"
Soley got off the chair and approached the butler, who stood still in confusion. She reached out and held both of his hands in hers, longingly staring at his eyes.
"What if I tell you, Heath, that I have feelings for you? Would you accept them?"
"My Lady, I—"
"Don't worry about your job, Heath. It's secure, and I'll keep it that way no matter your answer. I just want to know how you feel about me."
"No, please. Don't do this to me...! Y-You can't take Heath away from me, ple—"
"I..." The butler paused for a moment. And at that moment, all of his precious memories with his lady rushed through his head, displaying themselves one-by-one.
Heath stared into Soley's eyes just as she had hoped he would. His breathing quickened the more he realised the weight of the situation. But that was a moment he had always been waiting for. The moment he thought would never come. Not even in a million years.
"... I love you, Soley."
"What do you suppose happened to Soley's soul up in the human world?"
"Everything went according to plan, Young Master. Lady Soley had seen her life taken away from her, including the one she felt romantic feelings for. She is currently on a breakdown as we speak."
"What about MC?"
"MC is doing better than before. Their bond with the brothers has deepened greatly."
"Good. Perfect. ..... It's time to find a new exchange student. This time, let's hope they won't be as troublesome as the previous one. And even if they are, we can count on MC to handle it."
"Of course, my Lord. I will prepare the papers."
The moment the Seven Rulers of the Underworld and their human master returned from their family vacation, they were met with stacks and stacks of papers with information about new candidates for the exchange program. As the prince and his butler expected, a tsunami of complaints and disagreements washed over them. After a long while of discussions, everyone agreed to close the exchange program temporarily until they could find the perfect students for it.
Little did they know, a human sorcerer was watching them from his crystal ball in the human world. The moment his deep blue eyes glowed, a piece of paper appeared in his hands. He studied its contents for a moment before placing it in an envelope, a smile appearing on his face as he held the letter out towards the white raven that rested on its perch.
"Deliver this to the prince of the Devildom. Tell him I'm interested in his so-called exchange program."
"Your wish is my command, Lord Ceowald."
「 LOUE'S LETTER | THE END.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Loue's Note:
Whether you've been here since the beginning, or you've just stumbled upon this story recently, I thank you so, so much for taking the time to read this! Thank you for the ones who supported me all the way (you know who you are) ! I'm really grateful for the wonderful reactions I've received! ♡♡♡
Forget-Me-Not has reached its end; but just as one story ends, another one begins. I hope you look forward to my next replaced mc au!
I give you lots of hugs and wish you the sweetest of dreams whenever you fall asleep.
May contain bad grammar, limited vocabulary, and OOC characters. Please mind that English is not my first language, and it takes a lot of courage for me to post due to my anxiety and paranoia.
PROLOGUE | CHAPTER I | CHAPTER II | CHAPTER III | LOUE'S LETTER | CHAPTER IV | CHAPTER V | LOUE'S LETTER | CHAPTER VI | CHAPTER VII | CHAPTER VIII | CHAPTER IX | CHAPTER X | LOUE'S LETTER | EPILOGUE
L O U E ' S L E T T E R
「 Congratulations! 」
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
My dearest star, MC,
I've heard about what happened. Everything went well on your end, I presume? In that case, a congratulations is in order! I will be sending you my signature cookies via Misque the next time he visits the Devildom. Leaving Laven with the treats will not leave you a single piece anymore.
Your plan has reached its expected end, but I'm afraid it's not over just yet. Although, you have nothing to worry about. You won't be in a difficult situation this time. It's Soley's turn. So just enjoy your time with the brothers, alright?
And remember, dear MC. This might look like the end, but it's just the beginning of another story. A story you'll— not just witness— but also experience. Please mind your growing powers and be aware of new people you meet.
Wishing you the sweetest of dreams,
Loue
P.S. Wish Cassiel a good luck for me. I have a feeling he will need it in the future.
May contain bad grammar, limited vocabulary, and OOC characters. Please mind that English is not my first language, and it takes a lot of courage for me to post due to my anxiety and paranoia.
PROLOGUE | CHAPTER I | CHAPTER II | CHAPTER III | LOUE'S LETTER | CHAPTER IV | CHAPTER V | LOUE'S LETTER | CHAPTER VI | CHAPTER VII | CHAPTER VIII | CHAPTER IX | CHAPTER X | LOUE'S LETTER | EPILOGUE
F I N A L C H A P T E R
「 Forget-Me-Not 」
"M—MC...?! Wh-What are you doing back here in the Devildom? Aren't you supposed to be in the human world?!"
Everyone's eyes were fixed on Soley as she tried her best not to panic at the sight of you. Then, she set her gaze on Lucifer.
He saw the expectant look in her eyes as she was clearly pleading for help. She wanted him to shield her with his body, just like how he protected her from harm multiple times before. She wanted him hold her tightly against him and stroke her head while he questioned you about your unexpected appearance.
But nothing like that happened.
Lucifer didn't move an inch.
"What am I doing here?" You repeated her question as if it was the most stupidest thing you've ever heard. "I am the proud owner of this mansion, you see. Of course, I haven't had it built myself. This was a gift from Dia."
The prince walked into view and stood to your right while his butler Barbatos followed suit and stood to your left. Diavolo had a smile on his face. It was you who put it there the moment you said you were proud of the property.
The three of you walked down the stairs of the hall balcony so you could face the others on the same level. "I haven't left the realm at all, Soley. You clearly didn't know your place, and you still don't, so I thought I could... help you see it."
"You were too wrapped up in your own fantasies about being the only one who's loved that you didn't even notice you were being brought straight into a trap."
"W-Wait.. you mean.. since when—"
"Did you really think they're here to celebrate your birthday after the way you treated their beloved family?"
"I hope you don't mean you." She spat, rolling her dainty little fists. "You're not their family. You're just a human they didn't care enough for."
You smiled in response. She was finally starting to show her true colours.
"You see, that's where you're wrong, Soley." You took a step towards her, an action that made her take a step back. The anxious look on her face fueled you, making you grin like a mad person. The brothers did nothing but watch. They were all looking at you, completely proud of their precious human.
"I've always been their family even before anyone knew it. They care about me more than they made you think they care about you. Remember that in this place, Soley, you're nothing but a powerless little ant surrounded by a group of children with magnifying glasses."
The more you approached her, the more she stepped back. Her mind kept racing, trying to figure out every step of your plan. Too bad for her that you're already at the very last step.
Because she was distracted, she tripped over her own feet and stumbled on the marble flooring, yelping in pain. By the time she opened her eyes and came to, you were already standing in front of her, towering over her helpless figure. You could all hear her breathing getting more desperate; it was echoing through the halls. As she trembled in your gaze, she failed to realise that she was already surrounded by the same demons who made her believe she was special. Mammon and Satan were right behind her, waiting for you to give command.
You held your staring contest with Soley, ending in her failure as she tried to hold back her tears. She tried to look around for a way to escape.
That's when she realised her situation.
"Y-You can't hurt me! Any one of you! I'm important to the Devildom!" She exclaimed, glaring at everyone but mostly at you.
You knelt down in front of her with an amused expression on her face and asked, "Is that so? Please tell me your worth in this realm."
"I'm an exchange student of Diavolo! He said that I'm protected as long as I'm in the Devildom!"
"And who were supposed to be your protectors, hmm?" You added, smiling warmly as if to mock her. She tried to think of something when she realised the very answer to your question.
"That's right, Soley. The Seven Rulers of the Devildom and the ambassador from the Human Realm. Those eight were supposed to be your knights in shining armour; to take care of your every need and protect you when harm comes. But... they can't really do all that when they're the ones hunting you down, now can they?"
Soley felt small. She tried to hide her furious trembling, but she couldn't. Even her own body betrayed her. As she hung her head to keep you from seeing her pooling tears, she croaked, "S-Since when have you been... been planning th-this..?"
Her eyes widened, her head tilted upwards, and all eyes were suddenly directed at the source of someone's laughter— yours. You apologised for the sudden giggle and stared at Soley's watered green orbs. "I guess I can tell you now since, well, we're all trying to be nice here."
"You're not being nice here at all, MC."
"Now, now, Soley. There is no need to point out the obvious. I'm about to answer your question, so it's best if you just shut up and listen to me."
Silence fell onto the girl. Her eyes were focused on yours, waiting for you to continue talking. You were amused by how cooperative she was being, so you thought to reveal what you had been planned from the very beginning.
"I don't have a good feeling about that human," Mammon mentioned once again as he kept pacing back and forth. The others in the room, his younger brothers, just ignored his pacing and gathered all their thoughts.
"Isn't it obvious?" Levi asked, which got everyone's attention. The demon didn't look up from his game console and just kept talking. "That human doesn't like MC, or any of us for that matter."
"Levi's right." The fourth-born leaned back on his chair and nodded along with his brother's comment. "It's certainly possible that she'll do something to MC."
"What?!" Beel panicked, almost dropping his food. His twin brother, who was resting his head on Beel's lap, woke up because of Satan's statement.
"Do you think she'll really do that here?"
"Hey, by "do something to MC", I didn't mean she'll hurt them. At least not physically." The six of them shared worried glances before someone entered the room. It was you.
"MC, did you..."
"I heard every word from the beginning, Satan, and I agree with you. Soley was jealous, and it was clear as day when I went out with her earlier. She tried to ask me for help getting along with you guys, and I'm warning you that she'll be hanging around you all in the upcoming days, maybe even for the whole year."
"What?! MC, you can't do that to us!"
"Yeah, we don't want to be stuck with her! Especially not for a whole year!"
"Guys, I need your help here. I need to show her that I'm not someone she can mess with. And certainly not someone she can replace."
"S-So, everyone— everything.. they were all—"
"—lies, yes." You cut her off with a nod and an amused smile. "Ever since that day, the day we last went out together, everything had been planned by me. Of course, I can't really take all the credit; all of the demon brothers, as well as Diavolo and Barbatos; they all helped prepare everything. It wasn't scripted or anything, but it was all done as it should be. Would you like for me to list them all?"
"No, ple—"
"First, the brothers making you feel like you were the most special person to them. I'm sorry, but in all honesty, they couldn't bear your presence. None of us could. I'm impressed that they managed to continue their act for almost a year."
"Of course, MC! We didn't want to disappoint you!"
"Thank you! I'm so proud of all of you!"
"Wh—
"Hush now, Soley, I'm not done talking." You snapped and continued counting with your fingers. "Second, the brothers made you think that I was no longer important to them by stopping to be around me. It hurt all of us, but it will all be worth it by the end of today."
"What do you mean by th—"
"I said, hush," you snapped again. "You're a noble lady, Soley. You should know better than to interrupt a higher ranking person." The girl's brows narrowed, but she held her tongue. You continued to speak.
"Third, the brother's overprotection. I mean, our overprotection of you. You know that we tried to keep you safe, right? Of course, we needed to do it for our plan to succeed. If you got in trouble with another demon, well... that would spoil our fun, wouldn't it?"
"Fourth, that farewell letter. Let me guess, you somehow destroyed it before any of the brothers could read it. Oh, but not to worry, I sent them a picture of it before leaving it to you. I needed to make sure it was believable enough. And it sure was when one of them thought it was actually real."
The brothers all looked with smirks on their face at the Avatar of Greed, who glared at the rest of them, but he did his best to keep quiet for you.
You scoffed in amusement the moment you saw the deep terror in Soley's face. You reached out and squished her cheeks together. Her body flinched at your sudden touch. "All of that, my dear, all of it— was just a bunch of planned lies. Do you know why? It's because no one, and I mean no one, could ever replace me."
With one look from you, Mammon and Satan grabbed her arms and pulled her up on her feet. She struggled to no avail. She kept struggling, and you just shrugged it off, getting up on your own feet and leaning in closer to her ear. With a low voice, you whispered, "Oh, and by the way, my favourite flowers are scorpion grasses. They're otherwise known as forget-me-nots."
You retreated your head back to see the horrified look on her face. "So please, Lady Soley..."
