ALTGS: 19

The structures of man were truly interesting, but they had a peculiar effect. If you lived in them for long enough, you simply forgot about everything around you.

Lord had lived in the Royal Palace for over a month, and yet he had completely lost any and all interest in everything in it. It was filled with demons, as it always was. As he always had been. A week earlier, this boring grey map that he had familiarized himself with had but a single interesting dot of color on it. On the second floor, in the west wing. Inside a neat office, there was a splotch of red. Or perhaps yellow? He wondered absentmindedly as he stared outside the window. Would he describe her as red, or yellow? Red because the little bit of hair he’d managed to see peeking out from the white kerchief she always had on her head? Or yellow, because her eyes were surprisingly gritty and sharp? Was she yellow or red?

“Lord. Here is the paperwork to do with the farms that Celestria left for you to familiarize yourself with.” Meta walked in, silent as ever.

Hardly ever did Lord acknowledge his people. Meta was supposed to be different, an exception to this rule, but not often.

Hm. Not often, but perhaps today.

“Metaghrindar.”
”Yes, Lord?”

“Do you think she’s red or yellow?”

Metaghrindar was taken aback. For a while, all he did was blink in silence as he watched Lord’s back. “Red or yellow...?”

“Do you think she’s red or yellow? When you think of her presence?”

”Who is ‘she’?”

“The human. Celestria.”

At that, Metaghrindar’s expressionless face grew sour. “I can only think that she is annoying when I recall her presence, Lord.”


“Oh really? Why is that? You are really not fond of humans.”

“Their existence is too frivolous for my tastes.”


“But she’s not that sprightly.”
”

”Her heartbeat is always annoying. Whenever she’s here, it rings so loud. It’s too fast. It sounds like the fervent beat of a large drum.”


”Of course it does. She’s a single human in the den of demons. Isn’t it understandable?”

“It is. But...”
”But what?” Lord turned then, to look curiously upon his greatest aide.

“But I can’t say that I expected you to have such an interest in her existence.”

To that, he tilted his head. He didn’t expect it? Why wouldn’t he be interested in a human being that was able to talk to him? Able to look him in the eye and ask of him—a presence far above both humans and demons—for a favor? Of course he was beyond curious.

“Why do you say that, Metaghrindar?”


”When she was here, you barely spared her a glance. When she collapsed, you didn’t even seem to notice. Your expression has never really changed when she was around.”


”Oh. Is that true? My expression?” Innocently, Lord’s fingers fluttered before his cheeks. Ah, yes. The ever-peculiar expressions that all beings had. Why did he find it so difficult to change the counterfeit smile constantly hanging on his lips? Everyone always said that they didn’t know what he was thinking or feeling with his constant doll-like appearance. Even Meta, a demon that had been with him for over seven hundred years didn’t know...

Lord’s smile grew wider by a fraction. How disappointing.

That little splash or color on this grey canvas that was the world. Would it disappoint him too?