- Huh, this is delicious. – the young noble said, devouring the food. He was on the outskirts of the village, sit over the lump of a small tree, long chopped down. Soji had brought him some food, as he promised to, and now was making him company.
- The food tastes better after a long day of work. – the boy explained. – That’s what my father always says.
- Your father knows of things. And what does your mother say of that?
- She gets mad at him when he says that, because it sounds like he only likes her food when he’s tired. – the boy said, bringing up a sound laughter from Kumari. – But she actually cooks very well.
- Do you like her food?
Little Soji nodded.
- She says I must eat a lot in order to become big and strong one day, as my dad is. So, I eat everything she cooks.
- Very well. – Kumari messed up his hair in a tender way before returning his attention to the food.
- How about your mother, my lord?
- What about her?
- Does she cook well?
Kumari laughed at the boy’s curiosity.
- I think she cooked very well… But I really don’t remember. She died when I was a kid.
- I’m sorry I asked about her…
- It’s alright.
Without knowing what to say next, the boy stood in silence, observing the young noble, curious about his darker skin color and his pointy ears. He also noticed that Kumari was looking at his father. Lord Kumari was at the village’s center, next to the bonfire, talking to his soldier’s commander. As usual, he seemed angry as he distributed orders.
- Your father scares me. – Soji suddenly said. Kumari didn’t resist and laughed again.
- Yes, he scares me too. – he admitted. – But he has to be severe. A lord is supposed to be like that.
- One day you will be a lord too, right? – the boy asked, out of curiosity. – Then you’ll have to be like that?
- Yes… I think so.
Kumari dropped the empty plate at his side, thinking about the boy’s question. He actually never thought seriously about how it would be to assume his father’s position. And he sincerely didn’t worry about that, especially because demons like them had great longevity. “That’s not going to happen any soon”, he thought.
- S… Sir? – Kumari was suddenly waked up from his thoughts by the boy’s nervous voice.
He looked around, only to see himself surrounded. The lizard-demons had returned.
