"Ugh," I groaned in absolute agony. It felt like someone had parked a freaking lorry inside my skull.
It took a split second for my memories to rush back. I recalled something hitting the back of my head with the force of a battering ram. It was that… whatever that was that had made me black out.
Grrrrrrr!
My ears picked up a distinct sound that made me spring up and look around. The first thing to hit my vision was pink—not a deep, neon pink, but more like soft cotton candy. It was long, lustrous hair paired with a set of extremely light pink eyes. For a whole ten minutes, I just stared at this girl.
What is this world even supposed to be? One beauty after another? Is this place trying to mock me?
PAH!
The sudden sound of a clap caught me off guard, snapping me back to my senses. The girl was smiling at me.
"Welcome back," she said with a calm expression. Her lips were pink as well—not that glossy, reddish-pink I always saw on actresses in movies, but something more natural and subtly wet, as if she had just licked them.
I had no idea where to look. Her eyes were captivating, her lips were a distraction, and her body… even sitting down, she hinted at a perfect hourglass figure that would be devastating in a few years. That slender waist… God, who the fuck is this?!
"Welcome back? Who are you?" I sat up, finally realizing I was inside a carriage. It was just the two of us.
"You were unconscious for the last five hours and are just waking up. So… welcome back. As for who I am, just call me Shelly."
"Five hours?"
"Yes, five hours."
"Shelly?"
"Yes, that's my name," she answered with a nod.
"Your real name?"
"Somewhat. It's what my friends call me."
Wait. That wasn't the issue at hand.
"What happened to me? Why was I unconscious for five hours?" I asked, giving her a skeptical look.
This time, she looked away, scratching her cheek with one finger and looking a bit sheepish. "I might have accidentally attacked you."
"Because…?" I prompted.
"Well, I was easing myself in the bushes when someone ran past where I was... I thought you were a pervert."
"...Wait, you were taking a dump in the bushes and—"
"!"
Wait... what just happened? I didn't see a movement, but I definitely felt something. A chill ran down my spine. My gut was screaming at me that this girl was not someone I could afford to piss off. I decided it was best to let the "dump" comment slide before she finished the job.
The weirdest thing was her smile. It never left her face, though her eyes remained squinted, almost closed. Was she pissed? If she was, she was terrifyingly good at hiding it.
"Why are we in a carriage?" I asked instead, desperate to change the subject.
"Well, the boys helped the carriage that was being attacked. It turned out to be owned by a royal family from our neighboring empire. There was a princess inside who was the intended target. Once the attackers were dealt with, the princess thanked us. She offered us a ride in the auxiliary carriages—the ones further back that were also held up fighting off the ambush," she explained.
"A princess from another empire?" I asked.
"Yes. It's an exchange program between our empire and Renham to foster a good relationship. Aside from the princess and prince of both empires already being engaged, this program is meant to bridge the gap. I heard a prince from one of the kingdoms under our empire has already been sent off to Renham."
"A prince?" I frowned.
"Yes. A prince named Mael."
"Hmm... So you guys helped fight off the remaining attackers, and now we're headed to the academy in a royal convoy?"
"Pretty much, though that's not entirely accurate. We won't make it all the way to the academy with her help since she's taking a detour to the capital first to meet the Emperor. We'll be dropping off in Meriliona," she explained.
"I see... And I'm here because...?" I tilted my head.
"Well, I couldn't just leave you lying there. Since I was the one who insisted on bringing you along, I have to be in charge of you. Hence, this. The others are in the carriage behind us."
I let out a long sigh. It seemed plausible enough, except for the fact that this was becoming too much of a coincidence. Why the fuck does it feel like the universe is trying to tangle me up in this goddamn academy arc?
"What's your name?"
"Sorry?"
"Your name," she repeated.
"Um... Lucifer."
Of course, my name isn't Lucifer. I don't even know the real name of the guy whose body I'm inhabiting.
"Lucifer?" She frowned. "That's not your name."
"Eh?"
"I told you, my name. The least you could do is tell me yours."
"Correction: you told me your nickname. And what makes you think my name's not Lucifer?"
"My nickname is derived from my name." At this point, her polite smile vanished. I could see a sharp frown between her brows and those squinted eyes. "Also, your name can't be Lucifer, since everyone knows that's the name of the demon Lord."
"Eh?"
"...."
Demon what?! This story has demons? Shit!