HUH !? The demon lord fell in love with me?

As my head cleared from the last remnants of clouded thoughts about Joseph after I left his car, the lingering anxiety still gnawed at me. I sat on a bench, hoping that a few deep breaths of fresh air might help.

Breathe.

Breathe.

Breathe.

"Isn't working. I'm still anxious." That was quick. Too quick.

Maybe a walk would help, so I decided to stroll around the park. The air, cool against my face, started to work its magic. The anxiety was fading, but not completely. Ugh, maybe I’ll just go home and sleep this off.

Just as I was about to leave, I noticed a familiar figure sitting under a tree—Azazel. But something was off. He was wearing a mask and glasses this time, covering most of his face. What was he hiding?

My anxiety, already bubbling beneath the surface, surged. He seemed so suspicious, and my brain immediately jumped to conclusions. His gaze locked onto something. Following his line of sight, I spotted a girl standing nearby. A girl with a school uniform, she had short hair that glowed in the sunlight, with a delicate frame and an almost ethereal presence. She looked like she belonged in a fairytale, completely unaware of anything around her.

Wait... Was he in love? Could it be? No, Obviously that was not act of someone in love

Then it hit me like a truck—he must be a stalker! My blood boiled at the thought. Without thinking, I stormed over to him.

“You’re such a creep,” I blurted, pointing an accusing finger at him. “Spying on a girl? I thought maybe I was wrong about you before, but now you just look weird, act weird, and apparently you stalk people too!”

Azazel slowly lowered his glasses, and for a second, I froze. His eyes—sharp, unsettling, as if he could see through me—locked onto mine. A shiver ran down my spine. There was something dark in them that I couldn’t quite place, something that made my skin crawl.

Still, I forced myself to stand my ground. No way was I letting this creep intimidate me. I squared my shoulders, holding my chin high.

“I don’t know why you’re mad,” he said, his voice calm, “but don’t let the weight of your anger fall on me.”

That calm, dismissive tone only fueled my frustration. “It’s none of your business,” I snapped, crossing my arms. “You’re the one creeping around, stalking high school girls!” My voice rose, echoing through the park. “You’re a total cree—"

Before I could finish, his hand shot out, clamping over my mouth. My eyes widened in shock.

“Do not,” he warned, his voice low and controlled.

I swatted his hand away, glaring. “Do not what? Call you out for being a creep?”

He tried to cover my mouth again, but this time I was ready. “Stop that!” I growled, smacking his hand away harder.

Azazel sighed like I was an inconvenience. “I’m not spying. I was looking for the perfect spot to confess my feelings. I am also a student from her class”

I stared at him, dumbfounded. Was he serious? “You’re not even wearing a uniform!, you’re a terrible liar,” I said, folding my arms across my chest, refusing to buy into his excuse.

His expression faltered, clearly not expecting me to challenge him.

Raising an eyebrow. “What kind of confession involves stalking a girl in a park while wearing a mask? She’d reject you the moment she sees you lurking around like this.”

Azazel blinked, clearly thrown off by my bluntness.

I said, feeling a smug grin form on my lips. “You’ve got a lot of work to do before any girl will fall for that. but that is not the point now, stalker”

Azazel rubbed his chin, looking almost thoughtful, like my words had sparked some deep contemplation. “You are smart,” he admitted.

“Yeah, it’s called common sense” I shot back, rolling my eyes.

Then I heard him mutter something, barely catching it. “I guess entering this avatar affected my intelligence...”

I blinked. “Avatar? What are you talking about?”

His eyes flicked to mine for just a second before he quickly brushed it off. “No, nothing.”

But a chill ran down my spine. Avatar? What did that even mean? Was there something more to him than I thought? The anger I felt moments ago shifted into confusion—and maybe a little bit of fear.

“I’ll give you a chance to explain yourself,” I said, narrowing my eyes at him. “But be honest.”

He hesitated for a moment, like he was weighing his options. Then, with a resigned sigh, he said, “I was stalking her.”

My heart skipped a beat. What?

“But not for the wrong reasons,” he added quickly, holding up a hand. “It’s for... research.”

“Research?” I repeated, incredulous. “You just admitted to doing something bad!” My voice shot up an octave, and without thinking, I grabbed his arm, determined to drag him over to the girl. “She needs to know!”

Azazel didn’t resist. In fact, he sighed again, like a man resigned to his fate, being led to the gallows. “You’re right. I shouldn’t spy on her. But I found her attractive and... I’m not good at socializing.”

I stopped and stared at him, raising an eyebrow. “You expect me to believe you’re shy? With that stone-cold face and creepy stare?”

He met my gaze, and suddenly, everything around me started to blur. My head felt light, my eyelids impossibly heavy. My thoughts—once sharp and buzzing with anger—became slow and foggy, like I was drifting away from myself.

“What the—” I tried to speak, but my body swayed. The ground felt like it was slipping out from under me, and the last thing I heard was a dull thud as my head hit the ground.

When I woke up, the world felt off-kilter. There was a voice calling my name—familiar yet distant. As the haze lifted, I spotted a figure stepping out of the shadows. It was Joseph.

“I can see you’re alright, my honeybee,” he said, his voice as smooth as ever. Honeybee? Seriously?

Wait. Joseph? What’s going on?

He extended his hand toward me, a charming smile on his face. “Concede me this dance,” he requested, his tone laced with charm.

“What dance?” I muttered, completely confused. But before I could grasp what was happening, the world around us shifted. Suddenly, we were in an extravagant ballroom, the walls adorned with gold and chandeliers sparkling overhead. My dress transformed into a shimmering gown, and Joseph, now dressed in a sharp suit, pulled me into a graceful spin.

“Not just a party, my sweet pie,” he whispered, holding me close.

“What’s with the nicknames?” I asked, half-dazed, still trying to make sense of this surreal situation.

“Isn’t it normal for couples to use nicknames?” he replied smoothly, twirling me around effortlessly.

Couple? I looked around, my head spinning from both the dance and the confusion. On the wall hung a portrait of us together, rings on our fingers. What? Was this real?

Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice—Maria’s, calling out to me. “You two make a cute couple!” She waved from across the room, looking stunning in a blue dress.

“Maria!” I shouted, rushing to hug her.

“Ely!” she beamed, hugging me tightly.

“I’m glad you chose Joseph as your new husband. Just think of all the double dates we could have!” Maria teased, her voice light and playful, but my heart raced with uncertainty.

“Don’t be so hasty, Maria. I—I…” Joseph was undeniably handsome. His charm was intriguing, even if his quirks sometimes left me bewildered. It was fun to be around him, but the idea of being a couple—especially a married couple—felt daunting.

“Why not? Ely, you’ve always yearned for that special man to melt your frozen heart, and here he is! He may not be as handsome as my Julian,” she nudged me playfully with her elbow, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Just then, a figure appeared next to Maria. “Ely, this is Julian!”

“Nice to meet—” my voice trailed off, and my heart dropped.

His face... it was blank, featureless. Panic surged through me.

“What’s wrong, Ely? Why do you look like you saw a ghost?” Maria’s words snapped me back to reality.

“Why does he not have a face?” I stammered, bewildered by this surreal situation.

“Ely, I get it. Julian is breathtaking, it is normal for people to feel like that the first time they meet Julian, but try not to talk like that in front of your husband,” she said, as if my question was irrelevant.

“meet“I murmured, something stirring within me. Those words resonated deeply, but I couldn’t grasp why. I could see Joseph and Maria, but Julian remained an enigma.

“This isn’t real,” I whispered to myself, feeling disbelief wash over me.

“My piece of cake with strawberry, this is real,” Joseph chimed in, confidence lacing his voice. “This is your dream and your reality, where your happiness will never end.”

But I couldn’t shake the feeling of uncertainty. “I can’t imagine Julian since I’ve never met him before. That’s right, I’m dreaming.” Instinctively, I started walking toward the window, drawn by an urge I couldn’t explain.

“Ely, what are you doing? Stop!” Maria’s voice was frantic, but my heart raced with resolve.

“I don’t know what I’m doing, but it feels right!” Before I could second-guess myself, I lunged toward the window, and in an instant, I was falling.

“AHHHHH!” My eyes flew open, but the sensation of fear gripped me. I wanted to cry, to scream, but the rush of wind drowned out my panic. “I need to come back!” I shouted, but my voice was swallowed by the chaos around me.

I squeezed my eyes shut against the strong wind, and waited for the moment of truth.

“Come back! I have to come back!”

“I must come back!” My words echoed, muffled but gaining clarity with each repetition.

“I will be back!”

“I’m back!” I exclaimed, feeling weightless, I decided to open my eyes.

“HUH? A parachute?” Out of nowhere, I had a parachute—yes, this was definitely a dream.

I floated down to the ground gently, my landing calm and surreal. “How can I wake up?” If a parachute appeared out of nowhere to stop my fall, then there was definitely something off with my brain.

“Ouch, too much thinking!”

To distract myself, I imagined a toy brick and planted it firmly on the floor. I slipped off my diamond slippers, letting them rest beside me.

“Are you sure you want to leave this place, Elysia?” Joseph appeared, holding a bunch of roses, his expression a mix of concern and charm.

“No more anxiety, no more anger, no more bad jobs, no more!” Joseph declared

“I don’t know much about the real Joseph, I admit,” I continued, narrowing my eyes at him, “but if I had to bet, the real Joseph wouldn’t say something like that.”

With a swift kick, I aimed for the toy brick on the floor, the moment my pinky toe made contact, a sharp pain shot through my foot. I yelped, the sudden jolt pulling me back to reality in the hospital room.