Malak stirred in his bed as a bright light shone into his eyes. He groaned and pulled his blanket over his head.
“It’s time to wake up. Lunch awaits you,” Mizuki's soft voice reached the sleepy demon’s ears.
“Lunch?” he asked raspily. “I don’t need it…”
“Yes, lunch. It’s almost noon already.”
“What about Kian?” Malak asked on his bed, huddled in his blanket, remembering yesterday’s fiery night.
“His day started quite a few hours ago,” Mizuki answered as she approached the bed. “Now, it’s your turn to do the same,” she added before grabbing the blanket and pulling it.
Panicking, Malak pulled back. “You can’t! Stop this, Mizuki!” he said in a panic.
Now, wide awake, he was fighting for his life and dignity. Over the months, the both of them had gotten closer. Despite this, Malak never wanted to show his naked body to her under any circumstances. Especially after a wild night with Kian. With a sigh, Mizuki let go and put her hands on her hips. She watched like a hawk as Malak gathered the blanket tightly around his body.
“Can you draw me a hot bath, please?”
“Of course, enjoy your morning tea in the meantime.”
Relieved, Malak waited for her to disappear to the bathroom before reaching for the teacup. He enjoyed the hot drink while watching out the window. Snow was slowly falling to the ground. The leafless tree branches were covered in the same white powder. Thankfully, the low temperatures didn’t permeate into the building. After a few sips, Malak let go of the blanket and quickly grabbed a bathrobe to cover his naked body.
After Kian executed the Lord of Ginargzar, everything had been moving at a snail’s pace. Each time he asked his husband about it, he redirected the subject. As for Ezrel, he didn’t do any better. He had always been so loyal to Kian. But Malak knew it was the calm before the storm. They were making preparations while being thorough in every single detail. He wished he could help, but didn’t know what he could offer.
“Malak, your bath is ready,” Mizuki called, snapping him out of his thoughts.
He walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He let the bathrobe fall to the ground before stepping into the bath full of hot water. The faint floral aroma paired with the bubbles made Malak let out a sigh of relief as his muscles relaxed.
“Sire,” Mizuki called as she stood next to the bathtub with her eyes closed.
Startled, Malak splashed the water around before covering his private area with his hands.
“W-what is it? Why didn't you knock?”
“I did knock, and it's time to get dried,” she lifted a fluffy towel without opening her eyes.
“O-oh, right, thank you.”
“It's nothing. I'll wait outside.”
Mizuki left as quickly as she arrived. Malak sighed in relief before standing up. He quickly grabbed a fluffy towel she left behind before the cold air permeated into him. All dried, he was relieved to see a set of clean clothes neatly folded on a counter. As his maid, Mizuki first insisted on helping Malak dress up. For now, she seemed to have given up.
After getting cleaned up and dressed, Malak and Mizuki headed to the dining room for lunch. As they arrived, Kian and Ezrel were already sitting at the table. Behind them stood the maid, patiently waiting for her orders. As a butler pulled out a seat for Malak, Mizuki went to stand next to the companion.
“Good morning,” Malak smiled at them.
“Good morning,” Kian answered back.
“It’s already noon,” Ezrel added with a knowing look.
The pink-eyed demon blushed before clearing his throat. Distracting himself with his cup of tea, he brought it to his lips.
“Have you eaten?”
“We were waiting for you,” Kian replied before snapping his fingers.
Immediately, a pair of butlers opened a set of doors. Two maids walked in with trolleys filled with delicious dishes. They set a cloche in front of the three men before revealing their lunch. A beautiful aroma tickled Malak’s nose. They started eating in silence.
Mizuki carefully observed each move they made. Malak’s routine slightly remembered her own life in the palace. It was good to be out of all the political drama, especially with Saori. Their lives have dramatically gotten better under his care. Malak was never treated unfairly and only with kindness.
After a moment, she noticed their almost empty cups. Quickly, she poured three fresh cups of tea for them. The old cup was taken away, and the new one was placed. Malak thanked her before returning to their conversation. Satisfied, she ignored the glances from the palace’s maids but got silent praises from her only friend. The always silent maid's lips slightly lifted. As Mizuki came back to her side, she gave her an approving look.
After lunch, Ezrel and Kian disappeared somewhere to work, while Malak and the cat sisters accompanied by knights visited the city. Although the mood outside the city walls was strenuous, here the mood was light. Despite the cold, the streets were bustling with citizens going on with their life.
“What’s this?” Saori asked with excitement as her tail wagged back and forth. The thick fur coat and boots kept her warm and cozy. In her winter attire, she looked like a pink marshmallow.
“It’s candy made from hardened syrup. Do you want one?” the woman explained as the little girl stared at the different coloured glass-like lollipops.
Soari mumbled something as she grabbed her sister’s coat with her tiny gloved hands.
“I’ll take two,” Malak answered as he exchanged money for the candies. Squatting down, he showed them to the little girl. “Which one do you want?”
Saori timidly pointed to the pink one. “So pretty,” she whispered as it reflected the sun. After a tentative lick, her eyes twinkled as her cat ears cutely twitched at the sweetness.
“What do you say, Saori?” Mizuki asked her little sister.
“Thank you,” the little girl answered shyly with a sweet smile.
“You’re welcome,” Malak answered in the same manner, before turning to Mizuki. “Yours,” he handed the blue one to Mizuki. “It’s sweet.”
As they continued to visit the city, Mizuki held tightly to the candy’s stick.
(⊃｡•́‿•̀｡)⊃━☆.*･｡ﾟ
Back in the castle, Kian and Ezrel were submerged in paperwork. A soundproof barrier prevented their conversation from leaking out of the room. This way, they could talk without restraints.
“How about him,” Ezrel gave the profile of a young male demon to Kian. “He seems capable to handle the title and the duties of a Lord.”
Kian scanned the document. “Let’s keep him, too. Meeting them is the best way to avoid making the same mistakes again.”
“Mmm,” Ezrel nodded as he rejected another candidate.
Nearing the end of the paperwork, Kian sighed in frustration. “This is a fucking mess. How could a mere, foolish moron ruin and corrupt my kingdom to this point?”
The king’s right-hand man looked up from the document he was reading. His gaze softened a little as he observed Kian’s dishevelled state. He never showed it, but we weren’t allowed to fail. We only had one chance. If we blew this up, our chances to repeat this plan would be almost null and the chances of getting out alive even slimmer. Who knows how he would react if something was ever going to happen to Malak. This was why we couldn’t afford to fail.
“Maybe we should take a break.”
Kian rubbed his eyes. “What’s Malak doing?”
“He went to the city with the sisters. Knights were assigned to guard him.”
“What about Mizuki’s training?”
Ezrel placed the documents on the table, so he could stroke his chin. “As expected, she possesses no magical abilities and relies heavily on her speed and agility. But she got potential. Unfortunately, it can’t be said the same with her education as a maid.”
“She has to be completely devoted to Malak,” Kian added seriously.
Ezrel’s eyes glinted dangerously. “We could always use the sister as a hostage?”
Kian shook his head, rejecting the idea. “She has to feel indebted to him, so a sense of loyalty sprouts in her heart.”
“We could easily fake an illness and, in a pretense of treatment, we send Saori away. Mizuki has no money or connection. She’ll rely heavily on us to take care of her sister.”
“If this fails, she will never trust us again,” Kian warned. “Are you certain you can achieve it?”
“Children are frail and given the conditions they lived in until recently, it won’t be hard to convince her.”
Kian thought about it and analyzed the possibilities. Gaining Mizuki’s trust, loyalty, and devotion took time and effort. Using any underhanded, methods will bring anger and sadness to Malak. Fortunately, they had a year to work on it.
“Let’s wait half a year before evaluating the situation again,” Kian finally decided. “Malak can’t know about this either.”
“As you wish,” Ezrel answered without hesitation.
Kian stood up and walked to the tall window. The beautiful sky was void of clouds as the sun warmly shined upon the snow. The houses and plains were covered in the same white powder as calm northern winds lifted it into the air. His lips stretched into a sad smile as he thought about it. Those peaceful days he wished would last forever.
“What’s next?” Kian sat back behind his desk with renewed motivation.