The villages around the castle were located beyond the pine tree groves. It seemed like citizens of Sekhtar were still not aware about the situation of their kingdom because it was still as quiet as ever. It was as if they didn't care what happened to their king at all.

As they walked through the woods, Cyreth attempted to impersonate how Dhein talked and asked:

"Has someone announced the former Demon King's deposition?"

Krushe looked at him and answered.

"Yes, sire. Though with the way things work here in Sekhtar, you won't face any resistance."

She paused.

"Whoever is the most powerful, we bow to him. Unlike humans, loyalty is folly to us."

Cyreth stared at her for a moment and then replied.

"That also means that you are not loyal to me."

Krushe's eyes suddenly widened, her mouth was left agape. She tried to speak but it seemed like she couldn't find the right words.

"You would betray me if you got the chance, would you? You disgusting ra—"

'Hey!'

Dhein's voice cut his words, and then he remembered that he had a character to play.

He sighed in frustration and then eventually said:

"Well, that was how you were wired, so I can't really blame you. But what a pity."

Soon, they reached the end of the grove. The moment they entered the first demon village, anyone they walked across gave way and kneeled before him.

Cyreth didn't feel an ounce of pleasure from seeing this at all. Especially when he knew full well how these shallow creatures' brains worked.

He exhaled sharply, shaking his head in dismay.

Meanwhile, the demoness beside him continued to be restless, hoping that each passing second would not be her last.

"If I might ask, sire, w—who is this old friend you're referring to?" she asked, trying to divert his attention from the repulsive suck-ups around him.

He obliged.

"The ugliest woman in the world. Maybe all the pearled oysters she ate had finally been able to fix her face a little bit after all this time."

As they passed by an alleyway, Cyreth saw a small demon curled up between two barrels. Her pale skin sat right on top of her bones. She had no clothes to shield her at all and her rough, forced breathing gave away that she was at death's door.

"Is something wrong, my lord?" Krushe asked.

The piercing cold wind suddenly blew, making Cyreth want to tuck his hands on the pockets of his white suit.

"Nothing," he answered and they proceeded walking.

And then suddenly, his eyes widened and his breathing hitched after feeling a familiar sensation.

The feeling of being dragged back inside the human subconscious.

Dhein had taken over.

Krushe turned to him when he stopped walking again. This time, she was visibly confused and a bit worried.

"Sire?"

Dhein immediately turned back and went into the alleyway.

Krushe hesitantly followed him silently.

He took off the jacket of his suit and walked up to the dying girl. Though she was a demon, no child deserved such a cruel fate. To die alone with the world turning its back on you has got to be the loneliest and saddest way to go. Dhein knew it must have been happening around the world every day, and there was nothing he could do about it. But in times that he could intervene, he always would.

'Ugh,' he heard Cyreth scoff inside his head.

The little girl's hair was long and straight. It was light pink in color. All demons had horns. Some had them on their forehead, inclined in different angles. Some with steep slopes and wide angles, some had them straighter.

Some had them on top of their heads. This girl was one of them. It was a curious topic that Dhein wanted to study while he was here.

Upon hearing his footsteps, the girl opened her fog gray eyes halfway.

They were glazed and unfocused. Even when Dhein stopped and crouched down to cover her body with the thick jacket, she didn't move.

He surmised that she had been abandoned by her parents and had nowhere else to go.

Dhein lifted the girl and stood up. He then turned to Krushe.

"Where's the nearest inn?"

The demoness let out a forced chuckle.

"If I may, my lord, you don't have to worry about this child dying."

Hearing that, he stared at her in disbelief.

"Demons reproduce quicker than humans. She will be replaced with better, healthier children in no time!"

He glared at her, making her swallow in fear.

"Where's the nearest inn?" he asked once more.

***

It turned out that this town had no inns, or at least none that were still providing services.And as expected, there were no doctors or hospitals either.

It looked like a normal functioning village from afar, but Dhein realized that up close, it was a community that suffered from extreme poverty. It was a place no different from the slums.

They walked up to one of the houses and Dhein immediately demanded their cooperation. Naturally, they weren't able to refuse.

The child was placed on a soft bed and warm clothes were put on her. As she was partially awake, Dhein made her sit up to feed her the hot mushroom stew.

Krushe and a demon couple watched him do all this in shock.

"Please eat up to get some strength," he whispered to the child gently while spoon-feeding her.

A spark of joy ignited in Dhein's heart when she moved and ate the food from the spoon. A hint of life and hope, though extremely faint, appeared on the girl's gray eyes.

"Good job. One more, say ahh..."

Continuing like that, the girl was able to finish the bowl of hot stew.

She cluelessly looked at Dhein and he met her gaze with a gentle smile.

Then, out of the blue, he heard her hoarse, thin voice asking:

"Why?"

Dhein's smile was laced with determined seriousness.

"There's nothing for you to give in return aside from living," he answered.

"I want you to live. So don't give up."

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