The next few days were very peaceful. Xiao Xun and Cecil formed a wordless understanding about daily tasks, with the main reason being Cecil did everything without being asked.
Although the wounds on Edmund's body looked very bad, Edmund wasn't limping or in pain, so Cecil dropped it, afraid to pry into his past.
The system, trying to delay the discussion about the contract until as late as possible, watched Cecil try not to burn the breakfast in the kitchen.
[Do you not feel ashamed? Look at that poor boy.]
'I'm also just a poor boy, and even younger than him on top of that.'
After they got along for a while, Cecil's speech improved at an incredibly rapid rate, yet he dodged every time Xiao Xun asked him about his past and refused to talk more than necessary.
Cecil claimed to be nine years old, two years older than Edmund's body, and regardless of whether it was true or false, Xiao Xun intended to make full use of this fact.
"Breakfast." He didn't know if it was his imagination or not, but the sound of the plate hitting the table was especially loud this time. Xiao Xun looked at what used to be bread and charred eggs and asked with a smile, "You didn't control the stove's temperature properly again?"
What he referred to as a 'stove' was just a small pit of fire inside the kitchen stand that was very difficult to control the heat of. Even so, after noticing that Cecil never burned down the house and was improving rapidly as time passed, he didn't insist on taking on this not suitable for children task.
"Yeah," Cecil was looking everywhere but at Edmund, expressing his weak version of anger.
He started to feel lately that Edmund's attention wasn't just his, he really hated that feeling.
It was ridiculous; he knew that, but he couldn't help the feeling of jealousy in his heart as he saw Edmund staring into space, thinking about something other than him.
He had never asked Edmund who he was or where he came from. When he saw his beautiful, blood-stained clothes that night, he knew that it couldn't have been simple.
Cecil was afraid that if he opened this Pandora's box, Edmund would ask to leave.
He really didn't want him to leave.
He tried not to start a conversation with him in the last few days, and always answered answers with as few syllables as possible.
After all, as long as Edmund doesn't have the chance to ask to come back they can be together forever...
Cecil came back from his daydreams when he saw Edmund walking into the kitchen, "No! I'll do it."
"At this rate we won't have any groceries left, aren't you hungry?"
"No! I'll do it, you sit. The kitchen's dangerous."
Xiao Xun sat back in his chair, raising his hands as surrender, "Gee, you are such a mom."
"Yes, we're family."
[Do you think he is misinterpreting you on purpose or is he just plain stupid?]
Xiao Xun answered a question with a question, ''Have you finished interpreting the contract already?'
No answer.
Every time he touches this subject, his system disappears. It was funny at first, but even his stupid system would end up giving the reader a contract by now. Why is it trying to avoid the issue?
Xiao Xun did not have a good feeling about it.
Whatever the case, the contract has already been signed. Bureau contracts do not usually have exit points, as long as he completes the ten tasks he signed up for he is released, isn't he? Even if it would be more tiring than what was presented to him if he received a reduced payment due to some deductions from sources, his system would have already told him the bad news. All of the above is manageable.
Something was seriously wrong.
"You're dozzing out again, I don't like it." He didn't notice Cecil until he sat down in front of him, holding more edible looking eggs this time.
[I wonder how he'll react if you tell him about ADD.]
'Cry?'
[...]
"You're doing this again!"
"I'm sorry, Cecil." Xiao Xun didn't have the strength to get into an argument with a child, so he simply agreed and changed the subject. "How about will go to get supplies in the town today? We can make this our own little trip."
You don't have to be a centuries-old monster who's been through multiple worlds to realize that Cecil responds very strongly to 'our' and 'us', Xiao Xun's best guess is a lack of family affection, probably due to his monsterly strong nature.
He wasn't particularly curious really, it just made things easier when he talked to him.
Some would call it 'manipulation', Xiao Xun calls it 'smart use of data'.
"Yes! Let's go together!" It didn't matter even if they went to grocery shopping in the lowest layer of hell, he liked the sound of it.