6 pm.
The sun had set and a purple sky revealed the many twinkling stars.
Deon and his disoriented guard had returned to the village and were walking down its empty streets.
"Your highness, it is time to go back to the palace." Said the guard as he nursed the big purple lump on his forehead.
"I still have something to do so, we return tomorrow. At dawn." Deon firmly replied as he retraced the steps to the old vendor.
"But your highness! The palace will be in an uproar if they find you missing!" the guard reasoned.
"Good. Then, you can go back by yourself and inform them that I just took a 1-day vacation in this village."
At his stubbornness, his guard gave up trying to make him go home and instead silently followed him through the winding cobblestone streets. As expected of a rural village, people closed shops early that at 6 pm, the market was already half-deserted.
"Ah! wait!" Deon called the old woman who was preparing to go home for the day.
The woman looked back and automatically bowed as soon as she saw him approach.
"I see you've returned safely, young lord." She awkwardly greeted.
"Yes. Uhm. Do you know where I can find the boy named George at this time?" he inquired.
"George?" the woman cocked her head, trying to remember the troublemaker's schedule, "I think he should be at home, my lord."
"And where is that?" the royal guard questioned.
The old woman pointed to a blue-roofed, two-story house at the end of the street, "It's that house, young lord."
"I see. Thank you." Deon said.
Tak. Tak.
The royal guard knocked on the wooden door while Deon stared at the blooming flowers on their small pots, lost in his thoughts.
Not long after, the sound of running was heard.
"George! It's dangerous to run down the stairs!" the voice of a woman admonished.
"Sorry, mom!" George shouted back as he excitedly opened the door and greeted the two men.
'Huh? Why is he acting like he was expecting us?' Deon mused as he watched George bounce up and down enthusiastically.
"Your highness, please come in!" George, full of smiles, gestured them in with a small bow like a valet.
"Did I ever tell you that I am a prince?" Deon had a nagging suspicion that the boy already knew why they visited him.
"Ah!" the boy's expression was that of someone caught red-handed. He then subtly glanced to his side and stuck out his tongue.
To his guard, the boy's behavior looked like a cute response to an honest mistake, but to Deon who experienced talking to a spirit, he was pretty sure that Mikael was with them.
"Is he here?" Deon asked the child.
"P-pardon?"
Then a middle-aged woman appeared from the corner, "George, honey, who are you talking to?"
"Ah! M-mom! There's a visitor!" the child ran to his mother as if avoiding Deon's interrogation.
"A visitor? At this hour?" the woman walked to the entrance while wiping her wet hands with a towel.
Her gaze landed on Deon's luxurious garments and gasped; She had not expected someone of such high stature to visit her at sunset.
"Y-young lord! What brings you to such a humble place?" Elena immediately bows.
"I was told that I should talk to your child if I wish to know more about the demon of the orphanage."
"The demon? But… why George?" she looks at her child quizzically.
'Ah. The mother is unaware of George's connection to the spirit.' Deon judged.
"Then, please come in, young lord. Do you want tea or…" Elena was at a loss since their house only has stale bread and low-quality tea.
"Just a tea is fine." Deon smiled as if to assure Elena.
Elena scrambled to prepare refreshments, leaving Deon, his guard, and a nervous George in the living room.
Deon crossed his legs and put on his royal expression to put pressure on the child, "Well? I believe you are already aware of the reason for my visit."
"Yes, your highness…" George admitted.
"So?"
"Your royal highness! Please accept Mister's proposal!" the child blurted out.
"Why should I? even if he's not a demon, a spirit is still a dangerous entity."
"No, Mister is really kind. He saved us from goblins!" George insisted.
As Deon wondered why the child was defending the spirit so much, George looked down and put on a sad face.
"Mister is just lonely. He's been visiting us every night for a chat but all the kids wish for him to form a contract so he can take a stroll under the sunlight."
"You make it sound like the demon is a pitiful existence when it was responsible for spreading terror in your village." the royal guard quickly grasped the situation and inferred that the demon offered the prince some sort of contract.
"You're wrong! Mister has been subjugating monsters in the forest to protect the villagers. He never harmed the citizens! They're just scared because they don't know him!" George defiantly replied.
"GEORGE! Why are you shouting?! Hurry up and apologize for your rude behavior!" his mother almost broke her only tea set at the sight of her child raising his voice against noblemen.
"It's fine," Deon told the pale-faced Elena.
"How about you, Lady? Any thoughts about the demon of the orphanage?" Deon good-naturedly smiled to ease Elena's tension.
"Uhmm… if I'm being completely honest, I think what haunts the orphanage is not a demon, young lord."
Prince Deon gestured for her to elaborate as he sipped his tea.
"You see, there was a time when it saved me from a goblin. It sure was scary when it talked to me but it was also thanks to it that I managed to rescue my child."
Deon's mind reeled, 'The child is too biased, but I think I can trust the mother's statement.'
By the time he finished his tea, he had already come to a conclusion.
He looked at George and said, "Let's do it. I'll be your partner."
The royal guard and Elena both looked at him in confusion. Only George understood the meaning of his words as his eyes sparkled with joy.
--Chapter end--