CHAPTER 2

That evening at the lights of the sunset, the demon came out of the woods and returned to his ship, in his humanoid form. He took off his mask and, on impulse, placed his hands on a book. After reading for a few minutes, he realised something was wrong.

*What the heck is wrong with me? I can't even concentrate to read. I've been watching her for a week now, and I still don't understand what makes me do it.... On top of that... She is a human...*

As these thoughts filled his head, preventing him from getting a proper rest, he decided that the best thing to do was to try to follow her secretly. He would think about the rest later. He thought that by now, no one would have anything to say about his behaviour. Since he was left alone, abandoned and betrayed by his own family, if nothing else he could act without being judged or hindered.
He tried to pass the night as well as he could, in his bed, trying to distract himself with a few books, even if that only fed his thoughts about the girl.

*This makes no sense...I feel ridiculous. Could it be that I feel interest in a human female? A great demon like me.... Maybe it's because, in a way, we look alike. I always see her reading, and that's not so common for a girl. If I keep this up, I risk ending up like the Great Dog Demon. But I definitely need to figure it out, otherwise my mind won't rest*

He finally managed to fall asleep late at night, and when he woke up to the first rays of sunlight, he immediately started thinking about how to act that very afternoon.
Finally, he decided to initially repeat the usual 'ritual', assuming his true form and reaching the woods by the river.
At that moment, he realised that he felt a new and almost strange sensation, almost as if he were trembling with anticipation. He was manifestly agitated.... Him! The Lord of the East!
After some time, he finally saw the girl arrive, as she did every day. He quietly watched her from a distance for a while, letting her read undisturbed. Then he decided to make the first move, knowing that he would attract her attention again.
As expected, the girl closed her book and slowly walked into the woods.... This time she seemed to have a more determined air, or at least, that was the impression Kirinmaru had at the moment.

*Let's see how far your courage goes, little girl. I'm really curious to see what you'll do...*.
And as he thought this, he continued to walk into the forest, making sure she would follow him, where there was more shadow than light and he might not expose himself too much.
Finding the right spot, he stopped and turned his gaze towards her....
The girl initially froze completely,  she knew she could have ended up in his stomach at any moment. But, for some reason, her sixth sense made her move forward; of course, not completely without fear and with a mix of sensations within her.
Kirinmaru thought about doing the same and advancing very slowly. He was pleasantly surprised by the courage the girl was showing and, when they were close enough, he wanted to step forward. He lowered his head and stopped a metre away from her.

It was at that moment that something  that the demon had never experienced happened. The girl slowly leaned forward and gently placed her hand on the creature's snout. Only in that moment she realised how large the demon was, also noticing the presence of dragon scales, but not at all aggressive.
After a few seconds spent gazing into each other's eyes, Kirinmaru led out a snort from his nostrils, which caused the girl to involuntarily fall backwards.
''Whoops! Ahaha, hey take it easy you big beast! It's not like you're a horse you know....? I'd be really curious to know who you are, how you live.... You really don't want to show up completely huh? I probably shouldn't even be here". The girl let out a big sigh.
"I'd better get home now, my mother needs me at the shop. I hope we get the chance to meet again".
And so, giving the demon a beautiful smile, the girl got to her feet again, she caressed  him one last time and started walking back home.
Kirinmaru resumed his humanoid appearance and for a moment he felt strange, as if unable to move or speak.

When his mind snapped back to reality, he set out to follow her and understand exactly who she was. Once he reached the village, he saw from afar that a couple of men had stopped the girl in the middle of the road.
"Are you still walking around reading books? Reading and studying are not activities befitting a female, you should only think about staying at home and helping your mother!" Saying this, one of the two men gave her a push and knocked her down, clearly intending to beat her.
The demon knew that they would probably recognise him, being the Lord of those lands, but such behaviour was not tolerated in his kingdom. Gratuitous violence had never appealed to him.
He therefore decided to intervene, quickly interposing himself between the girl and the man, blocking his fist without the slightest effort.
"Don't you have even an ounce of pride? Don't you have any shame in attacking a defenceless girl?! Get lost!"

The man realised the situation and stormed off, while Kirinmaru turned towards the girl without saying a word.
"I don't know how to thank you, I..." she looked at him better and realised, getting up sharply.
"But you are... Kirinmaru-sama! I beg your pardon my Lord! I didn't recognise you..." said the girl before bowing in respect.
"Don't worry... If you don't mind I'll walk you home. You don't seem very appreciated here..."
"Ah no, I... I wouldn't want to be a burden to You, don't worry.... I'm... I'm used to it".
That last sentence triggered something in him....
"You see, the thing is, I'm here in the village to find a shop that suits me, let's say I'd like to renovate a few things..."
"Well in that case, I don't want to sound impertinent but.... My mother and I own a shop of various fabric kinds, in which we also make custom-made clothes. I have no idea if the quality of the raw material would be to your liking but.... In case you'd like to take a look, I'll gladly show you around, My Lord".

Kirinmaru nodded silently, and the girl flashed that beautiful smile again, then turned and started walking.
"Here we are, we have arrived. Please wait just a moment".
The girl disappeared into the shop back and, after a few minutes, returned with her mother.
"My Lord... We are honoured by your visit. Whatever request you have in mind, we will try to fulfil it as best as we can".
Kirinmaru paused to think for a moment, looking at the fabrics and clothes.
"Yes, I have a request... I would like to commission some clothes from you, but on one condition. I want them to be made by the girl herself, and I want her to come with me to do the work."
"You see my Lord, the thing is that my daughter is an important help to me here and..."
"I see, I thought so. That is why I thought I would get you a good advance, consider it an extra for your trouble. With these you should be able to hire a good replacement"

The demon handed a bag of coins to the woman.
"Ah... I really don't know what to say! Hoshi, are you okay with this?"
"I don't see why rejecting mother.... It's a good deal I'd say. It's no problem for me."
"So that's your name.... Hoshi... I really hope you won't feel uncomfortable away from home with a stranger"
"Well let's just say that I have gotten to know part of your character, my Lord. It will be an honour to work for you."
Kirinmaru was surprised at how debonair and confident the girl was as she spoke to him. To be honest, he didn't mind at all.
"Good, go ahead and prepare everything you need. I'll have you picked up tomorrow in the morning. We'll then, see you tomorrow".
Once the demon left, Hoshi's mother couldn't hide her anxiety and started talking to her daughter.
"Mom, don't worry. Earlier, on my way home, he prevented me from being beated. He got in the way and made them run away. Don't worry, everything will be fine"

That night, Hoshi struggled to get to sleep. It wasn't because she was afraid, but she felt strange mixed feelings inside, and looked forward to the next day.
Neither she nor the great Kirinmaru imagined what the future would have in store for them.
Only time would give them both the answer....