"It sucks to be you."

Juto suddenly appeared behind Jun.

"Yeah... it does..."

The young man nodded with a sour smile without looking up. The summon put both hands on his master's shoulders and rubbed it, but squeezed hard enough to make Jun wince. He tall man chuckled.

"Out of all the masters I had, you're really something else by asking me to be verbally supportive. You know I'm not good with words, I'm a man of action. So how about this-..."

The demon leaned in, leveling his face with Jun's and lowered his tone.

"I'll attend the party with you and make it a bit more... lively?"

The young man instantly tensed up, swept Juto's hands from his shoulders and turned around to face him.

"No! Nononono! That's not a good idea!"

"Why not?"

The demon frowned raising his arms.

"I don't know what you're planning, but I don't want you to meddle in. I don't want anybody to know that you exist!"

"Oh come on."

He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"If something weird happens, father will blame it on me! It's already bad enough that I have house arrest!"

"I insist."

The conversation went nowhere. Juto wasn't giving up, irritating his master more and more.

"Why do you want to be there so much? It'll cost you a lot of energy, and you said yourself that you hate formal parties, so-... wait."

Then it dawned on him and he narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"Don't tell me it's about the food."

The demon just grinned wide in response, displaying his pearly white pointy fangs.

"Oh my Lord! It IS about the food!" Jun covered his face with hands.

"Don't be so dramatic."

Juto clicked with tongue and pulled Jun's hands away from his face.

"Can't help it, human food is to die for." He shrugged."Especially the high-class cuisine. And yes, I will have to drain a lot of your energy, but..."

He started to tidy the young man's ascot and the collar of the coat as he spoke. His movements were gentle and he had a calm facial expression, which made Jun blush slightly. But he knew that the demon in front of him is plotting something mischievous already.

"...If you need moral support, it would be better if I was there in person with you, don't you think? How else am I supposed to know that your increased heartbeat is just you freaking out about shaking someone's hand instead of being in danger?"

Jun instinctively reached to the pendant around his neck, feeling the oval gemstone under his clothes. It wasn't just an instant way to summon his servant. Juto had a twin copy and they both were connected through magic, so the demon could sense his master's distress no matter where he was, even if they were worlds apart. Jun remembered Juto's words from when it was gifted to him - that the pendant is close to his beating heart, and Juto will be able to listen to it. If the rhythm is interrupted, he will be there for him... "In a heartbeat."

"Still. You weren't invited, and I doubt you can get an invitation on such short notice."

Jun specified an important detail. A smug smile appeared on Juto's face as he leaned in, looking his master deep in the eyes. It sent a shiver down his spine.

"Don't you worry your head about that. I have served countless masters before, stuff like that is a child's play to me."

It always slipped Jun's mind that Juto was no ordinary demon. Since he looked like a human, save for the ominous red gleam in his eyes sometimes, it was hard to tell that he was actually a powerful demon lord as he liked to point out. Maybe it was because Jun never used his powers to the full extent to see the difference.