When he examined the other clothes, they were all the same size.
“Amazing.”
Beni, who had been looking around here and there, belatedly left the room. It was the first morning after becoming the Demon King’s exclusive servant, so he couldn’t be late. When he threw open the door, the familiar 4th floor corridor of the main palace really appeared. Beni took out the personal pocket watch he had received as supplies from his pocket and checked it.
7:40 AM.
The Demon King’s first wake-up time was 8 AM, which was later than expected. Thanks to that, Beni could also greet a more leisurely morning than usual. Beni quietly moved his steps and stood in front of the Demon King’s bedroom door. If he opened the door and entered at 7:55, he would be able to wake him just right.
Beni stood in front of the door, looked at his pocket watch, then looked around the quiet corridor. Then he looked at his outfit once and crouched down for no reason, fiddling with the tips of his boots.
Amazing.
Since entering the castle, whenever he thought there couldn’t be anything better than this, something even better really happened. When Beni lived at the Count household, he wished the next day wouldn’t come. Afraid of what unbearable things might happen again the next day, he held back sleep until his mind went out like a blown fuse.
Now, the time he spent at the Count household felt like a previous life. If his mother were still alive, could he have asked the Demon King to bring her here?
“Baby, my child. Don’t die, you must survive somehow. No matter what happens, even if others point fingers at you, you must survive.”
The life where he had to run from death now looked forward to the next day. Beni suddenly remembered the beastkin with one missing eye that Ren had seen in the slums. Though it couldn’t be his mother, still… he only now thought that he hoped she was alive.
Beni, who checked the time, got up from his spot and carefully opened the bedroom door. He could see Ruan sleeping in proper posture in the middle of the bed. Beni recalled the waking method Ruan had taught him yesterday and first went to the window to open the closed curtains. Bright sunlight seeped into the bedroom, and Beni opened only the window furthest from the bed very slightly. It was for ventilation.
Afterward, standing near the bed, he spoke not too loudly, but not too quietly either.
“Your Majesty. It’s time to wake up.”
First, wake him only with words.
“Your Majesty.”
Beni called him once more, but Ruan didn’t even flutter an eyelid. Your Majesty really can’t wake up well, Beni muttered inwardly as he bent his waist and stretched out his arm.
Second, if he doesn’t wake up with words, lightly tap his shoulder or arm.
Beni tapped the arm of Ruan, who was wearing only a thin robe, with his fingertips. Because the bed was so wide, his fingertips could barely reach only after almost climbing onto the bed.
“Your Majesty, wake up. You need to eat breakfast.”
Ruan still couldn’t wake up. Beni tapped his arm once more before finally taking off his shoes. He crawled up onto the bed and knelt right next to Ruan.
The last method.
Beni hesitated before putting the edge of his hand to his lips and bending his waist toward Ruan’s ear.
“Wake up.”
He was told to whisper and call the Demon King’s name.
“Ruan-nim.”
The Demon King had said not to attach even the “-nim,” but in Beni’s opinion, no matter what, he couldn’t carelessly call the Demon King’s name. But would he really wake up? Just as he was thinking that, Ruan’s eyelids slowly rose. Vivid red eyes captured Beni.
“Beni.”
His sleepy voice cracked at the end. At his name sounding rougher than usual, Beni’s nape somehow felt chilly.
“Y-Your Majesty. Wake…”
“Ruan.”
“…Ruan-nim… It’s time to wake up.”
Ruan smiled enough to show dimples. At that sight, Beni felt both queasy and feverish, so he clenched his fists tightly.
“I wish every morning could be like this.”
“…I’ll wake you up every single day!”
At the answer close to a shout, Ruan laughed softly and sat up. Arranging his disheveled black hair with his hand, Ruan glanced at Beni. Seeing that he wore the clothes he had prepared well was nice, but it troubled him.
After feeding him expensive Surface fruits delivered same-day for several months and having him eat quality meals, Beni’s appearance had improved much more than when he first arrived. He had originally looked doll-like and gorgeous, but with improved hair quality, smooth and transparent skin, and filled-out cheeks, he surpassed being a baby rabbit angel… what was higher than an angel?
Ruan thought carefully but didn’t particularly know anything. In the first place, he had never actually seen an angel and had only heard through words. The messengers of God called angels were said to have pure white appearances that would blind one’s eyes.
Ruan stared at Beni intently, then slightly lifted his chin. Eyes that had become more jewel-like than before, crimson cheeks and lips. On top of that, wearing luxurious clothes tailored perfectly to his body, he looked like a young nobleman who had grown up receiving dozens of engagement letters since childhood.
“Haa… This is troublesome.”
“What? What is?”
Hearing the word “troublesome” from the first day, Beni jumped in surprise and became a face full of worry.
“You’re excessively pretty.”
Worrisomely, he said carelessly and dropped his hand. Beni looked at such Ruan and squinted one eye before opening it. The Demon King sometimes said strange things. Beni glanced at the clothes he was wearing and muttered inwardly, ‘The clothes are pretty though.’
Would today’s him look quite decent to Ruan too? Beni thought he hoped so. When he lowered his legs below the bed, Beni also hurriedly put on his shoes, filled a brass washbasin with washing water at the washstand, and put it down on the nightstand beside the bed. Then he dampened a soft cloth he had brought along with water and brought it close to Ruan’s face.
“Oh. You know how to do this too?”
“Yes! I saw it in a book! After this, I help you dress and then do your hair!”
“Is that so? You’re smart, my rabbit.”
Beni’s lips twitched as if embarrassed by the praise. Ruan let out giggles at Beni’s touch caressing his face. He hadn’t really planned to have him do all the serving, but he thought it would be okay to enjoy this much reward.
And so, it was when he wiped away the moisture with a dry cloth and reached for Ruan’s robe ties to help him dress.
“I’ll do the rest myself.”
Ruan gently caught his hand to stop him.
“What?”
“Instead, Beni, won’t you help prepare breakfast in the dining room?”
Though it was disappointing, if the master said so, that was what a servant did. Beni nodded his head greatly and left the Demon King’s bedroom.
Then he went down to the first floor of the main palace, opened the dining room door, and entered. He had entered the kitchen a few times through the back door when he was a rabbit or a servant, but this was his first time in the dining room. To be precise, it was his first time in the Demon King’s dining room.
“Wow…”
As expected, it was large and grand. In a space like a banquet hall, Beni looked around before heading to the kitchen.
“Hello! His Majesty said to help prepare breakfast, so I came!”
The Head Chef, who had been frowning inside the kitchen, saw the brooch pinned to Beni’s vest and clicked his tongue lightly. An exclusive servant was a servant, but among the castle managers, it was a considerably high official position. The Head Chef, who adjusted his sanitary cap, approached Beni and spoke politely, contrary to his surly expression.
“When His Majesty comes to the dining room, please guide him to that seat over there.”
“Ah…! Is that all I need to do?”
At the question, the Head Chef looked at Beni with bewilderment instead. Come to think of it, he seemed to have heard a rumor that the exclusive servant was a commoner. He had thought it was a groundless rumor, but looking now, it seemed to be true.
A commoner… as an exclusive servant. They say that person was even the Demon King’s greenhouse manager right before this. Even so, it didn’t look very good. The fact that he was a commoner remained unchanged.
Commoners generally weren’t well educated. For such a person to suddenly assist the Demon King, that… could only look like a foolish master placing his favorite concubine always by his side.
The Head Chef looked over Beni’s appearance once and became convinced that his thoughts were correct after all. When some servants before said the Demon King cherished the greenhouse manager, he had said they’d get their life cut short for spreading idle gossip… It seemed it wasn’t entirely idle gossip.
“Yes. That’s all.”
At the Head Chef’s firm answer, Beni was getting a little dejected. The Head Chef asked Beni as if something had occurred to him.
“Ah, for today’s breakfast, are there any other guests besides His Majesty? I was told to prepare for two, but I didn’t hear about the guest. By any chance, do you know about the guest’s eating habits or things they can’t eat?”
It was a story he was hearing for the first time in his life.
