“It suits you!” Saori cheered at her sister’s outfit.

Mizuki smiled shyly at her sister before turning to face Çiçek. “It’s a good size,” the latter nodded.

The maid outfit Mizuki was wearing a black knee-length dress with a crisp white ruffle apron. Her long black hair was tied up in a bun with a white ribbon. Her black cat ears peeked out, along with her tail.

“What about my ears and tail?” Mizuki asked uncomfortably, due to all the repressive measures taken against humans and demi-humans.

“Be proud of them!” Çiçek scolded, before softening her tone. “You’re not slaves anymore. You’re under His Majesty’s protection.”

“What’s the difference? We will still be told what to do,” the werecat mumbled.

“You’ll receive a wage along with food and shelter. You’ll also be free to make your own decision,” the female demon explained gently.

“Why us? We have no connection or money.”

“They only ask for your loyalty.”

“That’s all?” Mizuki asked incredulously.

“Yes, that’s all,” Çiçek smiled. “If you’re ready, let’s go. You have a lot to learn.”

As Mizuki kneeled in front of Saori, she stared into her eyes. “Don’t cause any trouble and have some fun.”

“I will!” Saori answered cheerfully before running to her newly gifted toys and books.

Mizuki left her little sister in their bedroom before following Çiçek down the hallway. The sun hadn’t ascended yet, as the moonlight filtered through the small windows. Before going to the heart of the house, the female demon gave a tour of the servant's quarters. The kitchen was sparkling clean, and the ingredients were always fresh from the market. The person in charge of the food was Çiçek while the maid would help from time to time. The upper quarters where their masters used were then presented. There, the visit was brief.

“You have been chosen as His Majesty’s maid,” Çiçek said proudly. “That’s an immense honour.”

At the same time, the maid entered the kitchen. She nodded at them both as a greeting.

“Ah, great timing!” she added. “This is Mizuki. She'll be working with us now.”

The maid held one side of her black dress up before slightly tilting her head forward. Mizuki observed her and copied her movement. The maid then turned toward Çiçek.

“Yes, it’s ready. You can take Sir Melromas’ breakfast to him,” the curvy demon answered.

The maid didn’t lose a second and went to work. A few minutes later, she left the kitchen with a silver platter topped with silver cloches.

“Who was that?” Mizuki asked with a frown.

“It’s Sir Melromas’ personal maid. She’s a nice girl. If you have questions, ask her,” Çiçek placed her hands on her hips. “Questions?”

“You said I’m His Majesty’s maid. Are you talking about the man with red eyes?”

“Well, I guess you could. They are together most of the time,” the demon mumbled. “You are serving Sire Malak Osman, the one with pink eyes. Oh my, look at the time!”

Çiçek rushed to prepare the royal couple’s breakfast. The breakfast was the same as Ezrel's, except the portion was doubled to feed two people.

“Bring this up and…” she explained her responsibilities to Mizuki along with some etiquette rules. “Now, go!”

｡＾･ｪ･＾｡

As Malak and Kian shared their breakfast, Malak gathered the courage to request something he had never asked for in his previous life. Before, he was content just to remain at Kian's side, but now he wanted to be more involved. Malak wished to be someone his husband could rely on.

Malak pushed a cherry tomato around on his plate. “Kian, will you teach me more about magic?”

“You mean healing magic?” the red-eyed demon answered after putting down his cup of coffee. “You’ve done well. All you need is more practice to control it instinctively.”

“Thank you,” Malak smiled at the praise. “But I was leaning more toward offensive magic. Will… you teach me?”

“Offensive magic,” Kian repeated, lost in his thoughts.

Nervous, Malak swallowed and waited. Kian stared at him silently for a moment. The fire in his deep red eyes burned vividly. For the first time, it intimidated the younger demon. After poking his silver fork into the egg yolk, he watched the golden liquid spread on his plate as a distraction. It soaked the ham and bread underneath, just like blood had in that fountain in the plaza.

“It could be a good idea,” Kian said after a while, snapping Malak out of his trance.

“You’ll teach me?”

“Yes,” Kian smiled. “But I want something in exchange.”

“What is it?” Malak asked with excitement as he tilted his head to the side as Kian extended his hand.

The former stood up from his chair to join the red-eyed demon dressed in black. When Malak was within arm's reach, Kian pulled him into his lap. When he caught sight of Mizuki waiting next to the door, Malak blushed.

“W-what are you doing?” Malak whispered in a flustered voice, but Kian ignored his warning tone.

“Getting a reward for my efforts.” Kian's eyes burned with love and desire.

He leaned closer until their lips were only a breath away. Malak burned in anticipation. Ultimately, he broke the distance between them. Their lips collided with each other. Kian smiled into the kiss before closing his eyes too. They shared a passionate moment. Out of breath, they separated from each other.

“Is this enough?” Malak whispered, unable to keep eye contact.

“Mmm,” Kian pretended to think. “It is. But only for an hour.”

“So greedy,” Malak scolded teasingly before leaning in for another kiss.

“Ahem,” Ezrel interrupted, causing Malak to sit up straight. “Please forgive me, but it’s urgent,” he added with a polite smile.

Embarrassed, Malak quickly got out of Kian’s lap and regained his chair. To hide his burning cheeks, he brought his cup of tea to his lips.

“What is it?” Kian asked without bothering to hide his annoyance.

“The audience with Lord Rirdris is this afternoon,” Ezrel answered without changing his tone.

“Oh, that’s today,” Kian commented before taking a sip of his coffee.

Ezrel nodded before turning to Mizuki. “Help His Majesty into his formal attire.”

The female werecat’s ears twitched. She looked at Malak, who simply nodded. “Yes.” Mizuki disappeared into the walk-in wardrobe.

In the meantime, the trio of demons made small talk about the city’s occupation. The citizens of Acrilas finally accepted being under the rule of the Lord of Nulundarar. Particularly after the guards helped rebuild the city and the constrictive laws were abolished. In only a few days, the citizens’ quality of life quickly improved. Lady Eris from Nuzan also greatly contributed to the economy. The amount of gold offered was humongous. Yet, her coffers didn’t seem to feel the sting of it.

Following the city's rapid stabilization, Lord Adesida and Lady Drusus from Vrocaster and Bamunz respectively moved their armies to Khar's border. Both Lords were waiting for Kian’s command to invade. Lady Eris' Santa Marias ensured accurate, fast communication. It would be safe to assume Serik Albimbert was made aware of the situation.

Mizuki walked out of the walk-in with Kian’s formal attire in her arms. Unsure about her next steps, she awkwardly waited for them to finish talking.

“Your outfit,” she finally spoke up.

Ezrel took the clothes before disappearing into an adjacent room.

“You should get ready,” Malak rushed when Kian lingered at the table. “Isn’t this an important meeting?”

Kian shrugged. “Lord Rirdris asked for an audience but didn’t state the reason. Also, he surely wouldn’t blame my fashionable lateness.”

The young light brown-haired demon sighed. “Even so… Then give me my first lesson! I’ll practice when you’re gone,” he quickly added in excitement.

His husband smiled in resignation. He lifted his right hand up with his palm facing the ceiling. Darkness leaked out of his hand like mist and concentrated around a focal point above his palm. In seconds, an orb of darkness was formed.

“You already know how to do this,” Kian showed the orb. “You’re also able to push your magic outward to heal your target. Now, give them a physical form.”

To demonstrate his explanation, the orb transformed into a dagger. The darkness then dissipated, and the weapon fell into Kian’s open palm. Cancelling the magic, the dagger became pitch black and disappeared into thin air.

“If you master this, you can create anything,” Kian added.

“Wouldn’t poverty and hunger be history if that were the case?” Malak asked with a tilt of his head.

“These creations aren’t permanent. They’ll disappear over time or when the caster will it. I suppose you could eat food created by magic, but it wouldn’t taste any good, and it won’t replenish your body. It would be like inhaling the sewer’s air. As for duplicating money, the law forbids it. Do you have more questions?”

Malak frowned at the simple explanation about the duplicated money. He didn’t believe a few laws were enough to deter criminals from attempting it.

“Not for now, but you should go. Ezrel is…”

“I’m still waiting,” Ezrel finished the sentence. “And so are your clothes.”

Kian finished his cup of coffee before standing up. He walked to Malak’s side and kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll see you later. Practice well.”

“Bye.” Malak smiled and waved at him.

He watched his husband disappear into the adjacent room, followed by Ezrel. Malak watched his open palm with concentration. After a few minutes, a small orb of light formed above his palm. It was barely as big as a small clementine. Out of breath, the magic faded away.

“That was impressive,” Mizuki praised, although missing the enthusiasm.

“You don’t need to praise me if you don’t want to,” Malak answered before looking at her for the first time today. He frowned. “Why are you hiding your ears and tail?”

“Wouldn’t it be more convenient if I didn’t show them?”

Malak brought his scone to his mouth. He chewed and swallowed before answering. “If you’re talking about your social standing with the current racial standards, being a demi-human is far better viewed than being human,” he answered bitterly.

Mizuki said nothing for a moment. “But none of us are equals.”

“No, we are not.” Malak let go of his half-eaten scone on his plate. “Bring me comfortable clothes. I’ll practice in the garden.”

“Yes,” Mizuki slightly bent her knees before disappearing into the walk-in once more.

“But I’ll make sure we all are, so no one shall ever be enslaved again.”

｡＾･ｪ･＾｡

In a black wood carriage decorated with golden streaks, Kian and Ezrel headed toward the Lord’s castle. The two of them occupied separate seats across from each other. Kian scanned the documents Ezrel gave him about the city of Acrilas’ finances, Lady Eris’ financial contribution, the estimation of the cost for the reparation of the city, and so on.

“Is it wise to let that woman serve Sir Malak?” Ezrel asked with worry clouding his bright eyes.

Momentarily, Kian's gaze was diverted to him from the paperwork. “Didn’t you already check her background?”

“The reports corroborated her assertions, but her loyalty isn't the only problem. She's also unqualified.”

Kian hummed before tossing the documents to his side. “Çiçek and your maid will teach her well. Malak also has the patience for it. As for her loyalty, you only need to make her feel indebted to us.”

“Sir Malak already saved her life. What else does she need?” Ezrel asked bitterly.

“That will dawn on her soon,” Kian grunted. “For now, make sure her little sister needs nothing and loves the staff.”

“As you wish.”

The carriage soon stopped in front of the Lord’s castle's main entrance. Lord Rirdris’ guards were already informed of their arrival. Two of them walked to the carriage and opened the door. Ezrel first stepped out of the vehicle, followed by Kian. The both of them were dressed in black silk tunics and dark pants with a pair of black boots reaching his knees. The difference was the additional silver and gold threads that adorned Kian’s clothes. Quickly, a butler came to meet them.

“Welcome,” the male blond demon greeted the duo with a polite smile. “Lord Rirdris is awaiting you.”

They nodded and followed the butler into the castle. Walking a step behind Kian, Ezrel smirked as he entered the building. With the state of it, no one would ever suspect the slaughter that happened here days ago.

“Sir, the guests have arrived,” the butler announced after knocking once on a door.

“Let them in,” a muffled voice answered through the door.

The butler opened the door and let the two men go in. The room where Lord Rirdris waited was spacious and luxuriously decorated. It was the office of the deceased Lord of Acrilas. Golden light poured in generously through the huge arched windows. Two mahogany wood chairs with black cushions flanked an imposing mahogany wood desk in the office. In the middle, a beautiful white fur rug lined the floor.

The office’s door closed behind the three demons. Lord Rirdris kneeled down in front of Kian on one knee. “Your Majesty, it’s an honour to bask in your presence,” he humbly greeted.

“You may rise,” Kian acknowledged him before taking the seat behind the desk.

“Thank you,” Lord Rirdris answered before getting to his feet as Ezrel stood behind Kian’s chair.

“State your business.”

Lord Rirdris explained the state of the city of Acrilas to his king, just as Ezrel reported it to him. Annoyance crept into Kian. He thought it absurd that he was to be called for such a simple task until Lord Rirdris told him more intriguing news.

“A friend of mine stays in the capital as a spy. Throughout the years, he gained the trust of Albimbert. The other day, I received a letter from him.” Rirdris eyed the object sitting on the desk.

Following his gaze, Kian took the object and fished out the letter from its envelope. From the corner of his eyes, Ezrel caught a glimpse of it. Kian read the content, and a smirk appeared on his lips.

“Did you share this with anyone else?” Kian asked seriously.

“I did not.”

“Good.” Kian tapped his finger on the envelope. “Never speak of this.”

“As you wish,” Lord Rirdris tilted his head forward.

“You should also inform your spy to be more cautious. Albimbert will surely suspect his entourage.”