When the two looked back, Marcel was approaching with long strides. His expression was so fierce that Beni instinctively stepped back while looking at Ruan. Ruan’s face was also deeply furrowed.
“Your Majesty, what……!”
Tsk—Ruan clicked his tongue quietly and grabbed Beni’s wrist, pulling him toward himself. Then he whispered quietly.
“Beni. Close your eyes for a moment.”
Without time to grasp the situation, Beni reflexively closed his eyes. Soon a dizziness washed over him as if the ground beneath his feet was slowly twisting, and a sensation as if his body was floating passed through him.
Gasping briefly at the unfamiliar sensation, the large hand that had been enveloping him patted Beni’s back lightly.
“You can open your eyes now.”
When Beni cautiously opened his eyes, the surroundings had become much darker. As if it was a space where light barely reached, only the outlines of objects were faintly visible and the air had become strangely warm.
“Where…… is this?”
Ruan released Beni, who he’d been holding as if embracing him, and walked forward. The moment he moved away, Beni felt the heat rush out from his arms and sides. Only coolness remained in the empty space, making him realize how hot the body he’d been held against had been just moments ago.
Beni rubbed his arms unnecessarily while staring at Ruan’s back disappearing into the darkness. A moment later, when Ruan placed his palm on a protruding pillar, lights turned on in succession with a click. The darkness that had dominated the space receded and the surrounding scenery gradually revealed itself.
The walls surrounded on all sides by glass glowed semi-transparently as the moonlight from outside and the interior lighting overlapped. The ceiling height rose so high it could be called another castle.
However, perhaps due to being neglected for a long time, small water droplet marks and dust showed here and there. Toward Beni who was looking around, Ruan finally answered.
“It’s a greenhouse.”
A greenhouse—Beni had heard of it before. The Count’s household had a small greenhouse too. But he’d never been inside, so he only vaguely knew it was a place made to see flowers even in cold seasons. So greenhouses this large exist too—Beni marveled inwardly before pausing.
For a greenhouse, most of the plants had lost their vitality and drooped down. There were trees with broken branches dried up completely, leaves scattered on the floor, and the soil in the empty flowerbeds had no moisture and was cracked.
“This should be suitable for avoiding the cold. Beni, over here.”
Ruan sat on a long couch arranged in a circle at the very center of the greenhouse and gestured. Beni, unable to keep his gaze still, moved his steps and settled beside Ruan. Unlike the withered plants around and the hazy dust everywhere, the couch was fairly clean.
“I didn’t know there was a place like this in the castle.”
“It’s a greenhouse inside a small forest behind Orte Palace. It’s a rest area exclusively for the Demon King.”
Exclusively for the Demon King……! Thinking whether it was okay for him to be in such a place, Beni tried to stand up, but Ruan grabbed his wrist and made him sit again.
“You’re a guest I invited, so make yourself comfortable, Beni.”
“……Thank you!”
Beni sat down again and looked around the greenhouse more comfortably.
“Do you maintain the greenhouse yourself, Your Majesty?”
“No, I heard the previous Demon King didn’t use it much, so it’s been neglected since then. I’ve only stayed here occasionally myself.”
The previous Demon King—Beni glanced at Ruan. For calling his father, it was as cold as if addressing someone completely unrelated. Everyone said the former Demon King was the current Demon King’s father, so he’d naturally thought so, but was it actually not true?
〈Violence to protect oneself or others, and violence to subjugate someone and gain advantage are completely opposite acts. The case where I said violence is necessary falls under the former.〉
What had he been trying to protect by making such a choice? Beni had many things he wanted to ask, but as a mere servant it seemed rude to ask, so he turned the topic elsewhere.
“If Your Majesty uses it, shouldn’t it be maintained again? It seems wasteful to just leave such a large space like this.”
Though it was full of dead plants and dust, the inside of the greenhouse exuded a luxurious and splendid atmosphere. So if it was properly tended, it would certainly be much more beautiful than now.
“……Is that so.”
Ruan looked around the greenhouse following Beni. The reason Ruan came to this greenhouse was nothing special. After entering the palace at the previous Demon King’s summons, he’d occasionally taken refuge here not wanting to face him. Though there was no one to avoid now, he came because this quietness was comfortable.
Whether the scenery inside was one way or another wasn’t particularly important to Ruan.
Ruan looked at the sparkling yellow eyes viewing the greenhouse. Bringing Beni to the greenhouse had been quite an impulsive act, but if he liked it this much, he’d probably come here often from now on. Then he couldn’t leave it in such a messy state anymore.
“Hearing your words, Beni, it does seem like it would be good to decorate it a bit.”
At those words, Beni turned his head sharply. A new task meant a new use for himself might arise. Beni didn’t hesitate before the opportunity to create another reason why he couldn’t be driven from this castle.
His round eyes were filled with anticipation.
“Then could you let me work here too?”
“……You?”
Actually, Ruan wasn’t that pleased with Beni doing servant work even now. He just didn’t interfere since Beni seemed to take pride in the work and appeared to like it. If it were up to him, he’d want to keep him by his side all day showing him only pretty things and feeding him delicious food. But to ask to work in this vast place that was hard to maintain…….
As Ruan’s pondering silence lengthened, Beni fidgeted with his fingertips restlessly. Then unable to hold back, he let out an earnest voice.
“I’m pretty good at cleaning now too……”
Ruan, who’d been watching Beni intently, let out a quiet “Ah” and smiled.
“Yes, Beni. I’ll entrust the management of this greenhouse to you.”
The moment permission fell, a bright smile bloomed instantly on Beni’s face. Just being able to be even a small help seemed to make joy rush through his entire chest like waves.
Though he’d only been assigned to clean, Beni was so happy his eyes sparkled—if he had rabbit ears, they’d be perking up constantly.
Seeing that appearance, Ruan’s heart became strangely complicated. It seemed Beni was happiest in moments when he felt needed, more than when told to eat delicious food. Though no one could drive Beni from this castle, the way he acted as if he’d be discarded if he had no use was just pitiful.
“You don’t need to overdo it, Beni.”
Ruan added in a lowered but affectionate voice.
“It’s enough if you just clean around where the couch is.”
If he told him to play and eat here, he definitely wouldn’t do that, so Ruan specifically assigned work that wasn’t too difficult. The rest could be cleaned by sending other guys to do it. Now how about filling the greenhouse with things Beni would like and placing an exclusive food storage container? What do rabbits like most—he should find out and have them plant suitable things in the greenhouse.
“I’ll work hard! Thank you!”
Beni clenched his fists tightly with enthusiasm, and Ruan just smiled while thinking of his perfect plan.
* * *
Early in the morning, Beni arrived in front of the greenhouse clutching a broom and bucket. Watching Beni excited about his new workplace, Tallos conveyed the Demon King’s instructions exactly as he’d heard them.
“Other demons will be assigned later, so for now just clean the central rest area moderately.”
“Yes!”
“Absolutely, absolutely don’t do anything dangerous or overexert yourself.”
“Yes!”
“If it gets hard while working, you can rest on the couch.”
“Yes! Thank you!”
At the energetic answers, Tallos felt uneasy instead. Looking at Beni’s blazing eyes, there was absolutely no sign he’d do things moderately. Though he was worried, he couldn’t keep staying here himself. Only those given qualifications could enter the Demon King’s greenhouse.
“……Alright, then if any problem comes up, come tell me right away. I’ll probably be at the main palace.”
“Yes!”
Tallos moved away reluctantly, and Beni smiled brightly while bowing. Until now, servant work had been going around here and there without a fixed position, going wherever called. He hadn’t been dissatisfied with that, but having a designated place was a different matter.
Beni lowered his head to look at the brooch set with a bright red jewel attached to his chest. It was too precious an item to be pinned to a shabby green apron, but this was the ornament that indicated his qualification to enter the Demon King’s greenhouse.
As this precious-looking brooch had been given to him, he couldn’t disappoint the Demon King. With firm resolve, Beni entered the greenhouse.
First, he diligently swept the central couch that the Demon King and Tallos had particularly emphasized and dusted it off. However, as he’d felt when he came yesterday too, there wasn’t really much to clean here.
“Hmm……”
Beni, who’d been pondering, looked around the greenhouse. Plants still dried and withered, and a space strangely dark even though it was morning.
Beni slowly raised his head. Beyond the glass ceiling, vines called Bonvine Blossoms were densely intertwined. Several plants whose names he remembered clearly. All of them, without exception, were things Trellou had used when tormenting him.
The Bonvine Blossoms had stems that were now bleached white, but when summer came they’d turn red like blood vessels and bloom flowers. Those flowers were red and plump like monster flesh, and in childhood Trellou used to throw them randomly around Beni’s room under the pretext of “decorating the room.”
He’d done such things during the rainy season of all times. Beni had to endure living in that narrow room with the smell the moisture-laden vines gradually gave off as they rotted. The damp stench that clung to his nose with every breath, and the unpleasant sensation of them crawling up from the floor were still vivid.
As that scene overlapped, Beni unconsciously frowned.
Beni, who’d been staring at the vines that evoked quite unpleasant memories.
“Ah!”
He cried out loudly and put down the broom.
