“We know why you’re here.”

“I’m here because I was given to master Jens as a gift.”

“We know you’re sent here to spy on us.”

Grinning widely and looking quite satisfied with himself, the demon continued: “You timkiks are too easy! Your ears and tails are a dead giveaway. Not even a spy, such as yourself, can control them.”

“I’m … not a spy.”

“There’s no need to avert your gaze. Even if you’re shamelessly lying to me. At least try acting like a professional.”

“I’m not a …”

He sat back on the bench, resting his ankle on top of his knee. He encouraged me to do the same by tapping the empty space next to him with his hand.

“That’s not the only thing we know,” he continued, “We also know that you aren’t some kind of volunteer and would rather be somewhere else.”

“I arrived here only recently, so I’m still not used to this kind of human humor.”

“This isn’t a laughing matter, miss. This is as serious as it can get.”

“If this isn’t some kind of human humor that is alien to me, then why am I not in a cell? Why am I allowed to be near master Jens who is very important to you?”

That made the demon laugh: “I’ve already told you, we know it wasn’t your choice. And even if it was, we wouldn’t throw you in the cell.”

“Why not?”

“First of all, have you seen any cells here?”

“There must be some. I’m not allowed to go wherever I want. You stopped me yourself … sir.”

“Well, there are none. There are none because we have no use for them.”

He turned his head to face me in a deliberate manner.

“I’m not here to punish you, take you to a dungeon, or throw you in a cell. I’m not here to threaten you with torture or anything else. I just want to let you know that we know what you are and why you’re here. I don’t want you to start thinking how your mediocre acting skills have fooled us. I don’t want you getting any funny ideas.”

“What do you want with me?”

“I want you to do what you think is in your best interest. If that’s spying on us, then keep doing it. We won’t punish you for it, as long as you don’t actually do something stupid. However, it may be that something else aligns with your interests much more.”

“Like what?”

“You’re to be Jens’ sekretri. Do well, and you’ll be rewarded. Not just with coin, but with new opportunities. If you prove that you’re a valuable asset, you won’t have to live in Jens’ shadow anymore.”

“It’s my duty to serve him, since I was given to him. I have no issues with that.”

“I know that you’re not as close-minded as you present yourself to be. By the way, he knows it too. He knows you’re sent here to spy on him and to get on his good side. What do you think, why is he avoiding you so much? Why wouldn’t he show interest in someone as gorgeous as you, if he’s not gay? I understand you’ve been introduced to this new word?”

“I‘ve …”

“But he’s too kind-hearted. Too much for his own good. He doesn’t want to confront you because he’s worried about what your reaction may be. If it was up to me, you’d have no choice at all. But he went out of his way to provide it for you, which will be very useful to me in the future. You cannot imagine just how much you owe him. So don’t let him down, ok? If you want to keep spying, feel free to do so. But make sure you’re also useful to him. You owe him that much.”

“I’m aware I owe him a lot …”

“By the way, Mun-Hee is unaware of your purpose here. I suggest you keep it a secret from her. Her whole world would come crashing down if she ever gets to realize just how easily you’ve tricked her. Especially considering what her profession is. Poor girl likes you way too much. So keep pretending to be a fragile, submissive female near her. But know that the rest of us know there’s nothing fragile about you, so you won’t be treated as such. Oh, hi there! We were just talking about you!”

Turning my head, I saw Jens standing in front of us. Even though he had no ears or tails to show it, there was no mistaking his mood. He was absolutely furious, glaring at Francisco with a murderous rage. Only once before have I seen him like that.

“Aren’t you late? Hazelmere is waiting for you. You better hurry,” Francisco teased, as if he didn’t notice the way Jens stared at him.

“What are you doing here?”

“Chilling on the bench.”

“We have a deal.”

“And I’m sticking to it. She came to me.”

Jens grabbed my hand, yanking me straight up to my feet.

“Come with me,” he said.

I turned around to look at Francisco. He was already waving at me, quite exaggeratedly so, with a foolish grin on his face.

Jens moved hastily. He rushed ahead, not caring that I had to run awkwardly to follow.

Once we finally gained some distance, he slowed down.

“Please, do not talk to him again.”

“He certainly isn’t a pleasant company.”

“Much more than that. He is a liar! Never trust his words!”

“Really?”

“He is of … strange mind. He loves toying with people. And using them. So do not turn into his toy. Stay away from him. And forget what he tells you. His words are not important. He is not a good person.”

Finally, he stopped and turned around to face me. He grabbed both of my hands gently this time, cradling them in his.

“Please, do that one thing for me and stay away from him. Nothing good can come from him.”

“I understand the two of you have some kind of deal?”

“That is not your care. Just promise me you will not talk with him again. If you see him, go the other way.”

Strangely enough, even though his words weren’t gentle, his expression was. It didn’t sound like an order from a master. Instead, it sounded like an honest request.

“It’s unbelievable just how quickly his mood can change and how he can become a completely different person in an instant, as if he has two minds in his head.”

“I understand. If that is your will, then I’ll avoid that person as much as possible.”

“Good. And remember, never trust what he tells. His job is to be a liar and fool people. Now I must go. Please, stay safe.”

“Your care is very soul-warming,” I tried making the most out of the current situation.

But it didn’t work. He just nodded and turned away in a hurry.

That was certainly an interesting day. I spent the rest of it wondering: “Are they rivals, like Ira and Mun-Hee are? Or maybe there is some bad blood between their families? It didn’t sound like that Francisco guy had something against Jens. In fact, he praised him a few times. But the way Jens was overly cautious shows that they do have some history, and there is nothing pleasant about it.”

I met Francisco a few times after that. We never talked though. He’d greet me from a distance, and I’d respond in kind as I passed him by. He was never interested in starting a conversation again, and I didn’t feel like being threatened and lectured some more. But still, I was curious about the kind of person that would provoke such a reaction from Jens.

So, I asked Mun-Hee about it one day.

“Francisco? Did you meeted him alone?”

“We had a brief conversation in the garden, but Jens ordered me to never talk to that guy again.”

“Good! He is the biggest sack of shit I ever meeted! Do not talk to him again! He is ten times worse than Ira!” she fumed as much as Jens did.

“Is he a bad person?”

“Baddest! He is always lying! I do not know why he is here at all! There is no use for him!”

“Jens also mentioned that Francisco is a liar, and I shouldn’t trust him.”

“Good! Do not! Do not get near him!”

“Is he dangerous?”

That got her thinking for a short time: “Depends. He is not a danger to you necessarily. He is a danger on big scale. He is danger for big groups of people. For nations.”

“Is he some … warlord?”

“No. But he loves wars. He loves people fighting. So he provokes them. He loves seeing them lash out. He loves making people mad. He will find what makes you mad and always tug on it.”

“Yes, I’ve already discovered that.”

Mun-Hee grabbed my shoulders, looking horrified.

“Did he hurt you?”

“No, no. He was just insinuating some unsavory things. He didn’t really hurt me.”

“Never be near him! When you see him, run! Do not talk to him!”

“I won’t. He certainly doesn’t make a good company.”

“That is for sure! I do not know why someone like him is here at all! But he knows useful people, so we can not get rid of him.”

“Is his family influential?”

“It is not about family, but yes … he have some influence. The only group that is letting bad people like that in is …”

Suddenly, Mun-Hee rearranged her posture and started clearing her throat loudly.

“Anyway, just stay out of him. Nothing good will come from him. If he trys doing something to you, tell me immediately! He may have influence, but he is not absolute ruler. You do not have to do anything he says, remember that! He is not above you!”

“Thanks, my friend. I understand.”