Medicine for the Demon

They were sitting on a swing in the greenhouse, talking as they swayed back and forth. "Why did you refuse Noelia?" Milagros asked him when he had answered her question about what Noelia wanted from him. The demon looked at her thoughtfully, hesitating. "Promise you won't laugh," Antsifer said quietly. Milagros looked at him in confusion. "I promise," she finally agreed. "I was afraid," he replied after a brief silence. "Afraid of the most beautiful woman in the capital," the girl said, suppressing a laugh. "It's a common belief among slaves that if a beautiful woman pays attention to a slave... any woman, such as a mistress or her daughter, it usually leads to trouble. It never brings anything good to a slave." It's good if you stay alive after the master's anger, but that's rare. And life after what they do to you will seem like hell," Antsifer replied quietly. "And the girls were paying attention to you...Well, I mean, not demonesses?" The girl asked, causing the young demon to blush deeply. "No," he said softly, sighing with relief. "What fools! "But you should be wary of Noelia now," Milly said firmly. "She's the granddaughter of the chairman of the princely council, and she won't forgive you for rejecting her." The girl was sitting next to him, openly staring at him. It made him feel uncomfortable, as he was afraid of disappointing her. At first glance, he appeared to be an awkward, tall, and thin teenager. However, upon closer inspection, his features were strikingly human-like, with fair skin, large yellow eyes with vertical pupils, long, thick eyelashes, and a well-defined mouth with a hint of brownish-pink lipstick. Even in the capital, such features were rare. His raven-black hair fell in a long fringe over his face and just covered his neck. She could imagine the hairdresser's struggle in cutting off the uneven tangle that his hair had been when he first arrived at the estate. "He must have dulled every pair of scissors," thought Milly. She had never given the boys much thought before, but now she realized that she had been missing out. Now she had someone to compare them to. "You're really very handsome. I could tell when I saw you in my father's study. Even though you were shaggy, dirty, and dressed in rags," the young lady said. Antsifer smiled. Her brothers were, in her opinion, some of the most handsome men in the capital, and perhaps even in the country. The eldest son of the ruler was well-mannered, gallant, and educated, speaking several languages fluently and being an excellent horseman and swordsman. He would have been the best heir to the throne one could ask for. And Aldo thought so from his firstborn's earliest childhood. Until one unfortunate incident. When Lassie was ten years old, one summer night his servant was awakened by a rumble coming from the young master's bedroom. He immediately rushed to his room, fearing that kidnappers had broken into the house and were trying to kidnap the heir. But when he opened the door to his bedroom, he was stunned by what he saw. A faint bluish light emanated from the boy's hands, and various objects floated in the air: office supplies, books, pillows, and flower pots. He would point at an object with his finger, and it would move to the desired location. The servant rushed to his master's bedroom, and when the master saw what was happening in his son's room, he realized that he had lost his heir. That same day, Aldo took his son to the magical tower, and the archmage confirmed that Alession had magical abilities. "That's strange." Usually, magical abilities don't manifest themselves at such an early age with such intensity," he said. After that, Alession didn't understand why his parents looked at him with sadness and started paying less attention to him, devoting all their free time to his younger brother. They didn't praise him for his academic achievements or his first-place finishes in various competitions and contests. He often wondered what he had done wrong to make his parents dislike him. However, the archmage eventually explained the nature of his abilities to him. Gradually, he went from being a cheerful, smiling boy to a silent, introverted, and serious-minded teenager who immersed himself in books, and his only attachment since childhood had been to exotic plants. It was for this attachment that the greenhouse in the garden had been built. No one ever knew if he harbored resentment towards his parents for their sudden coldness towards him, as he never showed it in words or actions, responding with the same detachment. However, this did not affect the general love for the ruler's eldest son, but rather increased interest in him. As he grew older, he transformed from a charming child into a handsome young man, a true prince of beauty. Karmin, on the other hand, strived to surpass his older brother in every aspect. He admired him and even tried to emulate him. Therefore, when Alession suddenly stopped spending time with him and playing, it was a significant disappointment for the young boy, who was barely six years old. His parents started to take care of him more, and his teachers became more demanding. "You're the heir to the throne. You have to be the best, the first in everything," they said. But since then, he has never been able to forgive his older brother for the coldness that appeared between them. Until now, he is trying to attract Lassie's attention, striving to become better than him in everything. But no matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, he never once saw the admiration in his older brother's azure eyes. Karmin tried many times to tell him everything that had boiled up during that time, all that pain, disappointment and resentment. But his brother's look of indifference always stopped him. The days passed by. Antsifer caught up with the program at school and again became the first in academic performance. As for his homework, he showed good results only in horse riding and fencing. In all other lessons, his academic performance was very mediocre. Although he was already more at ease with his teachers, he wasn't afraid to ask for clarification or even engage in occasional debates with them. In particular, during his lessons on etiquette, he didn't quite understand why being straightforward wasn't encouraged, especially when it came to addressing ladies. "Why can't I just say, for example, that a lady smells bad because she's stepped in something... smelly and her hair is disheveled? You have to come up with whole poems just to hint at it, and it's not guaranteed that she'll understand the hints," the young man complained. "Direct remarks can offend a lady and ruin her mood. You must be extremely delicate in your expressions, Your Grace. That's why I'm teaching you how to express yourself in a way that allows you to communicate with the nobility on equal terms," the teacher of elegant manners replied. "Ah, and if she doesn't understand, she'll just keep walking around like a scarecrow. And she'll stink because she's stepped in shit. That won't ruin her mood, of course," the demon grumbled displeased. "I'm teaching you to be understood. And it's not shit, it's excrement, Your Grace," the teacher corrected him. "Where? It'll take me a week to memorize that word," Antsifer drooped, clutching his head. "Okay, how would you explain this," he complicated the task for the teacher. "I would say something like this. My Lady, your stray curl does not harmonize well with the overall composition of your hairstyle. Madam, your choice of perfume leaves much to be desired. I'm sure the scent of lavender will suit you better," the teacher replied. This caused an ovation and an infectious laugh from Ancifer. "You are incomparable, Maestro!" the demon said in admiration, not without envy thinking that he would never be able to express himself so exquisitely. The teacher made a slight bow and continued to explain the lesson. The ringing of steel was heard far and wide. On the training ground, there was a fight between Antsifer and the more experienced Carmine, under the careful supervision of their mentors. Carmine attacked with a vertical sword swing. Antsifer responded with a horizontal block, protecting his head. Carmine pushed against the hilt of the sword with his entire body, but Antsifer's sword remained stationary. Apparently, the heir to the throne had forgotten that, regardless of their appearance, demons were physically stronger than humans. Antsifer retreated. Karmin resumed his attack with a right-handed slash. Demon responded with a soft block, causing the opponent's sword to slide off the plane of his sword blade and move away. The demon's attentive gaze did not hide the annoyance in his opponent's green eyes. They switched positions, fearing each other's sudden attack. But as soon as Antsifer was facing Karmin, he attacked again with a horizontal swing from the left, aiming at his stomach. The demon had no choice but to jump back abruptly, because the wings made it impossible to escape from the attack with a lower hook. So the duel continued for some time, until Karmin repeated the maneuver with a horizontal blow, this time from the right. However, Antsifer took the blow with a hard block, pulling Karmin's sword aside, but Karmin unexpectedly took a substep to meet him and knocked out Antsifer's supporting leg. He lost his balance and sprawled on the ground. And in the next instant, the cold steel of his blade pressed against the demon's neck, preventing him from raising his head. His eyes met Karmin's cold green gaze for a moment, and he immediately realized what would have happened if the fight had taken place under different circumstances and without witnesses. "The fight is over," Karmin's mentor said loudly. He immediately left the field and approached his mentor. As he stood up from the ground, Antsifer did the same. "Your Grace, you shouldn't focus solely on attacking and forget about defense. You made a couple of mistakes, and Antsifer's lack of awareness indicates his inexperience," the mentor said to Karmin. "He's just a coward and a weakling," the teenager replied confidently. "Antsifer, you don't have to keep retreating and defending yourself. You, my lord, are losing your position, and the enemy may corner you," his mentor told him. "I was just wondering what techniques Karmin uses and when," the demon replied, which pleased his teacher somewhat. After all, the ability to study the enemy in battle is no less important than the ability to attack and defend. Milagros was drawing on huge sheets of rough paper, sketching a man's shirt, but she wasn't entirely satisfied with the result. The tailors in the city had already struggled to fulfill her whimsical requests, and they had used up several meters of fabric. Some of the shirts were uncomfortable to wear, others didn't look good, and some were impossible to put on without assistance. With Antsifer's independence in mind, she was trying to create a shirt that would be as good as her father's and brothers' shirts, and that the demon could put on on his own. Antsifer had to endure it in silence, playing the role of a test subject. Finally, she called him back for a fitting. The shirt fit him perfectly, with vertical slits on the back for the wings, lined with rough braiding, tightened with laces on the sides, and fastened with elongated wooden buttons on the front. The stiff lace collar fit snugly around his neck. "I'll ask them to make two versions: one with a wide turn-down collar. Do you like?" Milly asked him. "Very," Antsifer smiled, looking at himself in the mirror. "I'll order some with iron clasps later," the girl said. "Well, I like them anyway," the demon said. "Don't argue, they'll be made of silver on the shirt for the ball," Milagros insisted. A month passed quickly, and one day, a black carriage arrived at the estate, bringing Alession for a three-day weekend. Milly rushed to hug him as soon as he stepped out of the carriage. "I'm glad to see you in good health," Antsifer greeted with a slight bow, standing to the side. "You're already speaking like an aristocrat," Alession smiled. Antsifer looked away in embarrassment, unsure whether Alession was praising him or mocking him. "I'm also glad to see you," Villamayne Sr. replied. Karmin did not come out to meet him, but Alession knew that he was watching his arrival from the windows of his room, which overlooked the main façade of the house. He confirmed his agreement to be the host of the Flower Ball, which pleased his father greatly, as keeping order in the bustling hall was quite a challenge. After lunch, Alession rode into town on his stallion, as was his custom. "Will you join me?" he asked Antsifer. "With pleasure," he smiled. He was already quite confident in the saddle during natural gaits: a walk, a trot, sometimes even a canter, although he did not dare to take obstacles. "Why are you taking care of him? He'll never be equal to us, those who are born into aristocracy," Karmin replied irritably. "Karmin, it's unbecoming of you to express your jealousy in such a petty way," Alession responded. "Who said I'm jealous?" the younger brother blushed. "You're jealous of your parents, me, and even Milagros, even though you've never paid any attention to her before," Alession chuckled. Carmine snorted in annoyance, turning away from his brother, which made the latter smile. Pearl greeted his master with delight, nuzzling his neck. Alession smiled and stroked his mane, offering him a carrot. Antsifer passed by, heading towards his stall. "Whirlwind," Alession remarked in surprise, "he must be a handful." "At first, yes, but now we are more or less accustomed to each other. Although sometimes he can be more stubborn than a donkey," Antsifer replied, smiling. Whirlwind snorted with displeasure, apparently outraged by such a comparison. The boys laughed. Karmin silently went to the Favorite's stall and led him out of the stable. They were riding through the city at a leisurely pace. The townspeople, seeing the prince's children, waved and bowed in greeting. Some of the young ladies made a slight curtsy, their eyes following the stately blond man. He waved his hand in greeting and bowed slightly to the townspeople, his demeanor confident. Soon, their arrival attracted a crowd eager to greet them. This attention was unusual for Antsifer, and he looked around in confusion. The whirlwind, unused to the noise of voices, kept darting from side to side. Antsifer tried to calm him down by patting him on the withers. Karmin occasionally looked around, waving his hand, then nodded his head briefly when he saw someone in the crowd, and fell slightly behind the others, pulling on Favorit's reins. The procession was approaching the center of the city, where it was most crowded. Suddenly, someone threw a small stone from the crowd, which hit the horse's rump. The sudden pain caused the horse to rear up, almost knocking the rider off. Anzifer leaned forward in the saddle, tightening the reins and wrapping his arms around the horse's neck, and in the next moment, the horse galloped down the street. Antsifer's heart sank, and he broke out in a cold sweat, unsure of what to do. The demon remained in this position, trying not to fall out of the saddle, as a fall from a horse at this speed would not be without consequences and could result in fractures at best. However, he regained his composure, straightened up, and tightened the reins, remembering the instructor's advice. The people scattered in all directions, trying to escape the danger, almost trampling each other in the process. The whirlwind did not listen to either the commands or the soothing words of Antsifer and rushed on and on. But soon, through the noise in his ears, he heard the sound of hooves behind him. The demon turned around. Alession was catching up with him. When he caught up with the Whirlwind, he grabbed its reins and pulled it towards him, forcing the Pearls to slow down. Whirlwind slowed down, sensing the other stallions. Then Alession, bending over in the saddle, put his hand on the muzzle of the Whirlwind and quietly uttered a few words. His palm glowed with a purple light, and the horse stopped. Antsifer breathed a sigh of relief, thanking all the Gods that no one had suffered from this. "What did you do to him?" he was surprised, looking gratefully at Lassie. "A spell of darkness. I blinded him for a while, and it calmed him down," Alession replied. Soon, Karmin caught up with them. The crowd was jubilant, praising the heroism of the prince's eldest son. Karmin, on the other hand, remained calm and composed, which further enhanced the crowd's excitement. Antsifer looked at him with a slight smile, admiring his composure. Neither of them noticed Karmin's indignant gaze directed at one and his animosity towards the other. Upon returning home, Antsifer was unpleasantly surprised to discover that everyone, including the servants, already knew about it. "Are you injured?" Lady Sophia asked anxiously, placing her hand on his shoulder. "No, Mother, I'm fine," Antsifer replied with a warm smile. "Alession," she said with a smile, touching his face with gratitude. Karmin watched them with a frown, then turned on his heel and walked away. "Tsiri!!!" Milagros was running towards him at full speed. She ran up to him and hugged him, clutching his clothes, looking into his eyes with fright. "I'm fine, Milly," he guessed what she was worried about. "Promise me you won't ride a horse anymore," the girl said, sitting on the bed in his room after dinner. "I can't promise that. I like the whirlwind. It was an accident. He was just scared of the crowd and the noise. The whirlwind would never hurt me. So you don't have to worry. And you don't have to be afraid of horses. They're great," said Antsifer, sitting next to him. "Now I'm even more afraid of them," she said, hugging her knees.