Jaquer squeezed himself on his seat upon realising his reaction after the slip out.
But it was just a normal reaction. Why should he be embarrassed? It was a reaction awakened by fear!
But again, Venor was a demon he swore to wipe out, he can't appear vulnerable at his face.
Now, even with his sword resting between his heart, he couldn't form a thought to strike the demon sitting before him.
The chamber was completely silent; only subtle sounds of wind crashing against the window could be heard in the awkward stillness.
"What happened to Olgah?" Unable to suppress his thoughts and the silence, Jaquer asked.
Venor, who was lost in thought with a subtle smile and dreamy doe eyes, suddenly awoke by the hunter's voice and asked, "Hmm, pardon, what did you just say?"
"Olgah. What happened to him?"
"Ah, that bastard, he ran away from me," Venor said with disappointment.
He wanted to rant about the Mage Elf, but decided to remain quiet after remembering his own deed.
He could have killed Jaquer, the guilt still panged his heart, but he controlled his mouth to not apologise and ruin the journey.
Still, he avoided Jaquer's gaze and looked below the window, underneath the clouds.
Below, he saw gold mine being dug by slave demons. He sighed a deep breath and calculated the struggle coming ahead in his journey.
When he was deep in thought, Jaquer asked him a strange question and left him speechless.
"I wanted to ask, why we are dressed in this robe without underwear?" Jaquer asked with mild hesitation.
Venor had to purse his lips to control laughter, yet his eyes curved with a teasing gaze.
"Why are you laughing? We both are men, it's really uncomfortable down there."
"I am not laughing—pftt"
Venor couldn't help but burst out.
Jaquer stared at him with furrowed brows and lips pressed into a thin line.
"Hahaha, I am sorry," Venor said while rubbing the tears from the corner of his eyes.
"Your apology doesn't feel genuine." Jaquer replied while turning his head towards the window with a hint of blush on his face.
"I am really sorry about your inconvenience, but we demons don't wear them. Isn't that thing useless?"
Jaquer lifted his eyes towards Venor and saw him resting his head on his hand, supported by the windowsill.
He bit his lips while finding words to answer his question.
It wasn't useless... The support...
Seriously, he didn't need to explain, or better, he couldn't bring himself to.
"As you are well-endowed, you should understand." Jaquer flared his nose, surprised at his own answer, while Venor's intense stare made him feel self-conscious, leaving him red down his neck.
"Can you not stare at me like that?" Jaquer snapped his head towards Venor and barked with embarrassment.
"I am trying to understand what you meant," Venor replied with ease, his eyes teasing the hunter sitting before him.
"Is it necessary to stare at my face?" He reverted.
Venor didn't reply, instead shrugged his shoulders and grinned with his mouth.
With a visible pout on his face, Jaquer involuntarily touched his necklace and looked away.
The wind barging through Venor's window made his hair a pure mess. They were sticking out from every angle, like always, but right now Venor couldn't help but look like a Vagabond.
Jaquer couldn't help but notice the details. Even his own hair were looked miserable, some came to sting his eyes and others stuck on his mouth.
With frustration, he took a fistful of his hair and tied it with his hair tie..
"Want my help?" Venor offered.
"I am fine, but actually, you need my help." He said. "The chamber won't move again right?"
"Depends on the route," Venor replied.
Jaquer stood from his seat and walked behind Venor.
"You can't attend a meeting looking like a rogue," Jaquer commented while touching the ends of Venor's braid. "Can I?"
Demons didn't care about appearances like human does.
And Venor didn't mind making an appearance for the stupid parliament.
But how could he turn down Jaquer's offer?
Instead of replying, he unfastened the ribbon at the end of his hair and handed it to Jaquer.
Jaquer took the ribbon and bit it between his teeth, while he hand ran through the demon's braid, unbinding the braid.
He might not be an expert, but he did his dead sister's hair before she expired. The muscle memory of doing hair ran down through his veins.
But hair maintained by nobility and hair of a demon were far more different.
It was a comparison of silk on one hand and dry desert on the other.
Venor's hair was tangled at any part Jaquer touched. He ran his fingers through the hair in an attempt to untangle it.
Although he was successful for some part, the other were horribly tangled.
"How long has it been since you ever combed your hair?" Jaquer asked with displeasure while still having the ribbon between his teeth.
Therefore, his speech wasn't clear and left Venor in confusion.
"What?" He questioned moving his head.
But Jaquer tugged his hair and halted the latter's action.
"Ouch-"
"Don't move!"
"It hurts," Venor complained.
"As it should." Jaquer took a handful of hair and crossed it over each other to make them into braids.
Few of the shorter hairs slipped out from the braids, but Jaquer perfectly hid them in places with cheat trick.
Next, he walked in front of him and styled the front hair. His nose breathed gently near the temple of the demon, leaving Venor at comfort.
The demon's eyes lifted towards the man's face. He realised how small Jaquer was. He was almost Jaquer's height even while sitting.
His mouth tugged into a smile before he accidentally commented, "You are really small, little thing."
Jaquer, who was busy doing the hair, was suddenly taken aback by the latter's comment.
He frantically blinked his emerald eyes for a few moments with confusion as a pair of crimson eyes glowered at him.
Registering the closeness between them, he instantly backed away and took his seat, while offensively glaring at Venor.
"Shit, did you just compel me to do your hair?" Jaquer questioned despite knowing the answer to his question.
"You think I did?" Venor asked genuinely.
Jaquer remained quiet and shot a glance at Venor. At least he looked decent at that moment.
But what had gotten him to do free chores?
He bit his lips and glanced at Venor again. At least he looked handsome.
Upon the realisation, Venor internally slapped himself and calmed himself with the wind from the warmth creeping up his neck.
He rubbed the back of his neck and momentarily remembered about the necklace.
With growing warmth and irritation of the jewelry resting on his nape, Jaquer couldn't help but become agitated.
His brows followed the routine of his usual furrow, but a small gratitude from Venor changed his demeanor.
"Thank you, little thing." Venor appreciated while touching his hair with a genuine smile and eyes curving into a crescent.
Jaquer blinked his eyes while looking at the man before.
'At least he looks alluring...'
Jaquer unintentionally thought, and afterwards came the internal slap of his regular routine, testing his human sanity.