Mingi didn't possess much, so it didn't take him long to spread out in his spacious chambers. He had more shelving options than ever before, and his room still looked empty, even after he had sorted his few items into them.

Once all three shirts he possessed had found a comfortable place in the chest at the foot of his bed, Mingi stepped back with a satisfied smile. With his hands stemmed onto his hips, he regarded his new little empire. The mattress was heavenly soft; he would sleep on it like a cloud. Even the pillow had been accustomed to match his horns and make sure he would lie on it comfortably.

Before Mingi left for Yunho's chambers, he cleaned his hooves and buttoned up his shirt. He liked going without a top to be more comfortable, but that was hardly appropriate for a palace servant. Only when he was satisfied with his appearance, he left the room to climb the stairs to the upper floor.

Yeosang wasn't around to help him today. He was back on his own duties, and Mingi had spotted him only fleetingly when he had greeted Jongho and Mingi on their way in.

As Mingi hurried to the upper floor, he held himself to the left to leave space for people in a rush. His fingers self-consciously fiddled with his horns. The memory of Yunho's majestic horns was still fresh in Mingi's mind. Not even in his wildest dreams, Mingi could ever imagine himself with a pair similar to the prince.

Yunho's horns were likely capable weapons, and they made him more than a head taller than Mingi. To say that Mingi was fascinated by them would be an understatement.

As Mingi walked down the corridors laid out with thick red carpets, he counted the doors at his side. The seventh in that corridor was Yunho's, and Mingi rapped his knuckles against the prince's door hesitantly.

"Come in," the same kind voice as last time called. Nervous to see him again, Mingi peeked his head in. His horns nearly got stuck in the narrow space he had opened for himself.

With searching eyes, he looked around. Yunho just came down from the corner his bed was in. He wore a long grey veiled robe over his shoulders. It slipped tantalisingly over his skin to try and pool around his elbows.

Mingi tried not to stare at his chest too hard.

"Hello," the servant said with a timid smile. When Yunho located him, a huge grin broke out on his features.

"Mingi! Come in, don't hide away there. How have you been?"

The unexpected question about Mingi's personal feelings threw him off. Awkwardly, he shuffled inside to stand on the other side of the door. Naturally, his hands clasped in front of him to offer his claws to fidget with.

"Ah, good! Yeosang and Jongho were a great help. I was able to move my belongings over here and settled successfully."

Yunho's robe swept behind him over the floor like a wisp of mist. He bent down to the low table to fill two cups with tea. His horned head bowed gracefully as he devoted all of his focus to his task.

"That is wonderful to hear. Come sit. Did you take enough time to get used to the palace? I'm willing to give you more days off if it helps you settle," Yunho offered with a slight frown etched onto his features. Hastily, Mingi waved his hands around as he followed the man's beckon.

"Oh no, it's fine! I am motivated to start serving you, and what else will get me used to these surroundings if not working in them?" Mingi gifted him a bright smile. He hoped Yunho didn't find it stupid. In the past, Mingi had been called stupid-looking for his smile before because it took over so much of his features. Also, because one of his upper incisor teeth was crooked.

Yunho didn't seem to mind. They sat down together, and Yunho drew the robe barely shut over his chest. Through the mostly transparent fabric, Mingi could still see his jewellery and tattoos.

"I adore your spirit. Then why don't we talk about just what your work here entails and you tell me where you draw lines, yes?"

Mingi accepted his cup of tea carefully. His eyes were wide with awe.

"I get to draw lines?"

Yunho smiled over the rim of his steaming cup. The black porcelain rested against his lower lip.

"Granted, you do. While we expect your agreement with anything I put on you, I am unwilling to extend any discomfort your way. I care for my servants and their happiness. Is there anything you want to mention right away that you will never do for me before I go into the details?"

Overwhelmed by the question, Mingi had to think about it for a while. Through his parted fringe, Yunho watched him with curious eyes.

"Ah, not that I can think of? Like any normal person, I don't like to be put in grave danger or hurt, but depending on the situation that is not your choice to make."

Chuckling, Yunho crossed his legs elegantly. With interest shimmering in his expression, he leaned closer.

"I can arrange for that, not that I would send you into danger when my knights or I are there. Do you dislike pain, Mingi?"

Demons regularly didn't care much about it. They had a high pain tolerance and their sturdy skin rarely got penetrated by weapons. And yet, Mingi had always been a little more squeamish than the rest of his family. If he had a way to stay away from pain, he made use of it. He didn't disregard the thorns on a berry bush since he had thick skin.

"I do. I prefer not to suffer any if not necessary." Glad that his honest opinion wasn't received with ridicule, Mingi dared a shy smile. Ever so patient, Yunho nodded to himself. He didn't write the information down, keeping it in the back of his own mind. Mingi was flattered.

"I do not intend to use you as a shield or test subject in dangerous situations, but thank you for telling me. Now, I will describe your daily tasks to you and then mention some rare occasions. I want you to tell me whenever you have questions or want to discuss details. While I might not be able to adjust everything for you, I want us to be outspoken with possible discrepancies."

Mingi nodded eagerly. He hung from Yunho's lips with every word. When Yunho pushed the pixie sugar closer to Mingi with a smile, Mingi thanked him before putting some into his tea.

"My day starts with waking up and getting dressed. I am perfectly capable of doing these things by myself, but I prefer company. Your tasks would be to wake me every morning and help me with my clothes. We can eat breakfast together here if you so wish, or you can fetch just mine and eat by yourself or in the dining hall."

Mingi nodded, unbothered by those things. As Yunho continued to talk, he relaxed into the backrest behind him, the tense lines of his stomach smoothing out.

"I usually spent a few hours every day around my family as we catch up on important matters and discuss the kingdom. You are not required to stand guard behind me all the time since it would likely bore you out, but you'll have to stay nearby and be able to react to spontaneous requests." Yunho frowned around that part as if feeling bad that he had to force Mingi through it. Mindful of his reactions, Mingi tilted his head.

"Am I required to stand stiffly outside in the corridor, then?"

Yunho snickered into his hand. His long, slender fingers created a wall between Mingi's gaze and his smiling lips.

"Not at all. You may stay in an adjoining room with the other servants and spend your time there as long as you are ready to react. However, at the dinner later you will have to stand guard stiffly, I'm sorry. I will walk you through it later today. Your tasks are mostly just to be ready if needed and to show discipline in front of the court. My father asks those." Yunho grimaced, but Mingi gave him an understanding nod. He had expected that much.

"Then in the evening, you will consult with the cooks about the next day's meal plan and go over my schedule. I take baths occasionally that you may aid me with, but apart from that, you are free to leave and spend the evenings by yourself. You may also join other servants at their celebrations or group activities, being my servant does not exclude you from the palace's social life."

"And then there are trips?"

"Right, the trips," Yunho agreed proudly. "You will join me on those and be provided with food and a horse. Basically, you come with me wherever I go to be at my side and do what I tell you to do. I don't ask too much obedience, but especially among other races or royalty, it's always the best to show propriety." When Yunho ran a hand through his hair, the black strands slipped through his ringed fingers like silk. Soft, they fell back down to frame his horns.

"I can do that. What else is there to do?"

Yunho had to think about it. He sipped on his tea and Mingi copied him, his eyes never leaving the breathtaking demon prince.

"I think that is all. If I come up with anything new, I will inform you. If you need days off work, I would appreciate it if you told me in the evening beforehand. As long as there are not too many, I also don't need you to provide a significant purpose for free time. On days I dismiss you early if I don't need you anymore, you are of course welcome to utilise the hours of the day, too."

Mingi nodded and emptied his mug. When he set it down on the table, Yunho rose his brow at him and gestured towards the pot. Upon Mingi's shy nod, Yunho filled his cup once more. He put the exact amount of pixie sugar in he had seen Mingi enjoy earlier and pushed the cup back over to him with gentle hands once more.

"I think I got it. I won't be shy to ask if I have troubles," Mingi said cheerfully. Yunho grinned back at him approvingly.

"Good, I like that. Now less about the boredom that is work. Tell me about yourself, Mingi. I'm curious to get to know you better."

The open and honest look in Yunho's eyes disarmed Mingi. Delighted that Yunho was genuinely interested and didn't merely pose his interest as needs for a healthy working environment, Mingi crossed his legs. One of his hands came down to brush over his hooves, disentangling some of the fur that his legs grew around his ankles.

"There is actually not much to tell about me that a prince would consider interesting. As you can take from my application, I merely lived on a carrot farm so far and enjoyed life under the peace of His Majesty the King."

The mention of his father had the corners of Yunho's mouth twitch amusedly. His necklaces dangled from his chest when he leaned forward to adjust his position. For the first time, Mingi noticed the other man's tail. Different from Mingi's, it didn't end in a tuft of hair that loved to collect dirt, tangle, or plain tickle his legs. Yunho's tail was double jagged with two pointy arrow ends, the one at the tip smaller than the one beneath. It reminded Mingi of a dragon.

Black and with golden undertones like the rest of Yunho, it laid next to him on the cushions. Self-conscious about his own tail, Mingi hid his behind his back.

"That sounds like a good time. You lived without your family?"

"Ah, right. They went to King Choi's kingdom to take care of my grandparents."

Yunho hummed. "King Choi, hm? Their crown prince will be over for a visit these coming days. I hope you can get a peek at their situation to feel reassured about your parents' wellbeing. Were you lonely out there?"

The empathy in his voice was nearly too much for Mingi to take. He felt as if they had been friends for a long time already when really they had barely introduced each other. Just like Yeosang had said, Yunho was an expert to make people feel at ease around him.

Mingi sipped on his tea. He believed that the one Yunho had prepared tasted even better than his own version.

"That would be wonderful, yes. And I was not lonely at all. I have a friend in town that I got to visit a lot, and the neighbours are kind. We never have trouble out on the fields."

"That is good to hear. I haven't visited that place for a while. If you want, we can take a trip in that direction one of these days. I want to introduce you to Ave and give you an eye for our surroundings. Can you ride?"

Mingi averted his eyes. It was a legitimate question that dropped from Yunho's lips with no ulterior motive behind it. And yet, it sent a surge of uncontrolled giddiness through Mingi, as if he were ten years younger again.

"I can."

"Excellent. In that case, why don't you accompany me to my meeting now? And when we go out for a ride, you can tell me everything about your home."

When Mingi nodded and hastily emptied his cup, Yunho rose gracefully. His veil dragged behind him as he turned to the door. He held it open for Mingi with a kind smile. The demon ducked his head as he hurried through.

And so began his first day at the crown prince's side.