He cried again, the poor soul.
Natha sighed as he caressed the slightly damped forehead. This time, he didn't even know why the man suddenly cried—silently, yet in so much agony. Val had cried even as Natha flew down to the dock, and brought him back inside the greenhouse. He cried silently inside the Demon Lord's embrace until he passed out from exhaustion.
But the Lord didn't know why.
When Val cried before, even without peering into the man's thoughts, Natha could easily guess the cause. But this time, he had no idea.
Val was so happy before, so full of joy when he entered the greenhouse. So adorable when he lay down on the couch, using Natha's thigh as a pillow, saying that he didn't mind just living there between the exotic plants and looking at the small lake. Innocently asked if there were dangerous pets in the lake and whether it would be safe to swim there.