Episode 6
The next day.
Peter was suddenly summoned by the Demon King and saw him for the first time in nearly a year.
Black hair as dark as night. Clear red eyes.
The Demon King lazily turned a page of the book he was reading and suddenly spoke.
“There seem to be many new servants.”
“Pardon? Ah… yes.”
Peter blinked. The sudden interest was unexpected.
“Yes. We recently hired a gardener, a cook, and a maid.”
“I see.”
The Demon King turned another page calmly.
The tower in the forest where he stayed was hidden by a barrier. Only those he allowed could enter the forest.
In truth, only the butler had permission.
“The woman with red hair and purple eyes. What does she do?”
“You mean Miss Illy?”
“Yes. Illy.”
Peter raised one eyebrow slightly.
For a brief moment, he thought he saw a faint smile on the Demon King’s face when he said her name. It disappeared so quickly he wondered if he imagined it.
“She is a maid. She mostly cleans.”
“Cleaning… Then assign Illy to clean the tower.”
“The tower…?”
Peter was sixty five years old and had worked at the castle for twenty seven years.
He had never seen anyone clean the tower.
And it was where the Demon King stayed. Most humans would run away in fear.
“I will mention it to her, but…”
He hesitated. He could not tell his employer the truth.
“She’ll agree.”
The Demon King sounded certain.
“I’ll at least ask her.”
Peter repeated and left the forest.
***
“The tower?”
“Yes… the tower…”
I was hanging new curtains when I turned around to look at Peter. He looked awkward and kept staring at the floor.
“There’s a tower in the forest next to the garden. Could you clean it? Or… would that be difficult?”
The tower where the prince stayed.
I remembered his smiling face from last night.
It’s possible.
But strange.
Would they casually expose the place where the kidnapped prince is kept?
Is this a trap? Or do they trust me?
I studied Peter’s face carefully. He looked nervous, but not suspicious.
“Alright. I’ll do it.”
“Miss Illy. The tower is…”
“Yes?”
“The tower is… very dirty.”
“Oh. I see.”
Was it? I tried to remember, but it had been dark.
“Can I start tomorrow? I’d like to finish what I’m cleaning now.”
“…Yes. That’s fine.”
“Thank you.”
The next day.
In daylight, the tower looked older and taller than before.
“It should be here…”
I felt along the wall like Peter had described. When I pressed the right spot, a hidden staircase appeared with a small cloud of dust.
At the top of the spiral stairs, I opened the door.
Recht was sitting alone in the dark.
“Prince… Recht.”
Even in darkness, his bright blue eyes shone.
“Peter asked me to clean here starting today.”
He nodded. It seemed Peter had already told him.
I went to the windows, pulled back the thick curtains, and opened them.
When all three windows were open, sunlight filled the room.
The room looked plain and empty. But what would you expect from a prison room?
“Have you eaten?”
“….”
“Did you skip your meal?”
There were no plates or bread baskets. The room did not feel lived in.
Has he been starving? He does not look like it.
Without meaning to, I looked at his body again.
Still perfect. His muscles were shaped beautifully.
“I didn’t eat. I thought you would bring it.”
“Oh.”
It was early morning. Since I had come instead of Peter, it was right for me to bring food.
“I’ll bring something now.”
“It’s fine—”
“No. Humans cannot starve. No matter what.”
I spoke firmly and ran back to the castle.
The reason I cared about his meals was simple.
He must not collapse during escape.
I quickly prepared food and climbed back up.
“The scrambled eggs are slightly burnt, but still edible.”
Recht looked at the food and slowly began eating.
He did not look pleased.
Picky.
Well, he must have grown up eating royal meals.
Cleaning began after he finished eating.
“Recht. There will be dust. Do you want to step outside?”
“No. I’ll stay.”
“Alright.”
I dusted the walls.
After cleaning for a while, he suddenly spoke.
“I hate that red moon.”
“The red moon?”
From this height, it looked especially close.
“I don’t like it either. It looks like the Demon King’s eyes.”
“….”
“I heard the blue moon looks like royal eyes.”
I looked directly into his eyes.
Do they look like the blue moon?
No.
His eyes were brighter.
I quickly looked away.
“Even if you hate it, endure it. I’ll close the curtains later.”
I asked him again to step outside before cleaning the floor, but he refused.
After cleaning, I gathered the old bedding and curtains.
“Change into this. I’m going to wash those.”
I handed him clothes I had brought.
Then—
“What—”
He removed his robe.
His solid chest was suddenly exposed. I quickly turned away.
He was wearing a robe tied at the waist. Once untied, he was practically naked.
“Why? Embarrassed? You always look at my body.”
Looking at someone clothed and unclothed are different.
Still, I admitted my mistake.
“I’m sorry. I won’t look again.”
I grabbed the laundry and hurried downstairs, hearing his laughter behind me.
Outside, I filled a large tub with water from the well, added soap, and stomped on the laundry hard, thinking about his teasing.
“Illy. You need to take my clothes too.”
“Yes. Give them.”
I held out my hand without looking up. But nothing touched it.
“So now you won’t even look at me?”
Just give me the clothes.
“Your eyes are disrespectful.”
He was smiling as he handed them over.
As I grabbed them, he wrapped his hand around mine.
“Why are you holding my hand?”
“Is that not allowed?”
He copied my tone.
“Let go.”
“The prince is scared.”
“What now?”
He just smiled and did not answer.
Shameless man.
I pulled my hand away and stomped on the laundry harder.
After hanging the clothes to dry and placing new curtains and bedding, I finished the work.
Thanks to Freddy being quiet that day, I slept well.
The next day, I returned to the tower.
For some reason, Recht was downstairs.
The tower was surrounded by forest. All you could see were trees.
Yet he kept staring at them like it was fascinating.
I approached him.
“Recht. Is it alright for you to be down here?”
“Yes. The Demon King isn’t that strict.”
What is he even looking at?
I wanted to ask, but held back.
While taking down dry laundry, he suddenly held out his hand.
I looked at his hand, then at him.
He waved it slightly.
“You want me to hold it?”
He nodded.
Maybe the prince has developed attachment issues.
I sighed and shook his hand out of pity.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
He closed his eyes peacefully.
After holding hands for a while, I said,
“I need to clean.”
“You’re cold.”
“Yes.”
He laughed.
Too quick to laugh.
I pulled my hand away and began cleaning.
The next day, he came down again to enjoy sunlight.
Again, I held his hand.
And climbed the tower to clean.
Life at the Demon King’s castle was mostly the same.
Nothing special.
Just ordinary days.
