Chapter 12: None Of You Are Beneath Me

Erevan was glad when the topic got off of cats when they arrived at the zoo. He wasn't sure he had ever seen Molly so enthusiastic about anything other than her books.

When she was reading, she frequently giggled or grinned widely or kicked her feet in the air because something good happened in them but she rarely did that in any other circumstances. Even Calvin didn't pull the same reactions from her, furthering his and Stella's belief that the man was useless.

They truly couldn't understand the appeal. He made her laugh occasionally but not nearly as much as her books did. If she wanted to cuddle while watching TV, there was Stella for that. There was no reason to keep that whiny man around at all.

Here Erevan was, doing his job for him because he wasn't available. He wasn't needed at all. Molly's entourage was better off without him.

A squeal from his right suddenly caught his attention. "Oh my gosh! Vanya. They have a petting zoo. We have to go!"

"As you wish, Mistress."

His research had provided a brief description of petting zoos. They were small sections of zoos that involved being able to touch the animals. Normally, that sort of thing wasn't allowed and people were simply meant to admire from afar.

They had already admired several creatures he had never seen in person before. Some he hadn't even seen pictures of. Despite his curiosity, he had to act like this wasn't new to him. Zoos were fairly common forms of human entertainment and it would appear suspicious.

Erevan followed her to the petting zoo and watched as she excitedly petted a variety of animals they had available. She took plenty of pictures as well and at one point asked him to take some for her because she couldn't get the selfie angles right.

To his surprise, she also convinced a random stranger to take a picture of them together patting a goat. She took plenty of pictures of him and Stella in their cat forms but she had never taken one of him as a human before.

"Why did you take a picture with both of us?" he blurted, despite knowing he wasn't supposed to speak unless it was necessary.

That was how he had been trained as a child. To be a strong, silent shadow until he was needed. Molly was different from the demon king though. She wouldn't punish him for speaking out of turn.

Her cheeks pinked and she wouldn't meet his eyes. "Well, because we're friends. Sort of. Only if you want to be! Sorry if that's weird. You're just always around and looking out for me so I thought…never mind. Of course we aren't friends; I'm paying you!"

She wasn't actually. He never cashed the checks he was given. Why would he need money? She hadn't noticed yet because of how much was in the bank. A little bit not going missing wouldn't be enough to catch her attention.

Friendship was not a demon concept. They didn't even have a word for it in Mazaroth, the demon tongue. It was something he had learned about here from the internet and television. Friends were people who cared for each other and spent time together. The word held a lot of weight, especially for someone as generally isolated as Molly.

A lump formed in his throat that he quickly cleared away. If she considered him her friend, it meant he was useful to her after all.

"That doesn't matter," Erevan told her. "I am honored to be considered your friend. I'll be sure to be the best friend you will ever have, Mistress."

Molly cracked a smile. "You know, most people don't call their friends Mistress."

Come to think of it, she had said something about simply calling her Molly before. Would that make her more comfortable? He was used to titles but if she truly preferred not using them…

"It goes against my training but if you insist, I can call you Molly," he said reluctantly.

She deserved the title though. She had saved his life right after he experienced a horrible betrayal; she was a special existence to him. He would do anything for her…including curbing his instincts to be polite.

Erevan was rewarded by a brilliant smile. "I would appreciate that. Thanks, Vanya."

"No need to thank me for that. I should have taken your preferences into account sooner but I didn't want to disrespect you. I am used to using titles for the people I serve."

"…did you really work for the Queen of England then?" Molly asked with a raised eyebrow.

Who was that? He didn't work for any queen but he had served two kings. He shouldn't mention that though. He didn't know how prevalent royalty was in this world, only that this particular country didn't have any.

She seemed to realize what his silence meant. "You can't tell me because of security reasons, right?"

Erevan didn't quite know what that meant either but she had guessed he didn't want to talk about it correctly so he latched onto her explanation in relief. "Yes. Security reasons. My apologies, Mi—Molly."

"No worries. But geez! Aren't I too much of a downgrade?!"

He frowned. A downgrade was a bad thing. How could serving her ever be considered bad when he far preferred it to anything he had done on behalf of the demon kings?

"You do yourself a disservice. Of all the people I've served, you are the best."

Molly's eyes widened. "Seriously? You have to just be saying that. What's so special about me?"

A lot of things were special about her. First and foremost, she was kind. Unlike the former demon king, she hadn't saved him with any ulterior motives. She simply wanted him to live in comfort. He had realized that the longer he stayed with her.

That kind of selflessness was unheard of in the demon realm. Everyone looked out for their own interests all the time and never did anything without a reason.

She was also easy to please and took genuine delight in small things. The demon king had been a spoiled brat by comparison and took everything, especially his most devoted servant's loyalty, for granted.

Erevan would follow her anywhere and do anything for her but one of the best things about serving Molly was that she didn't expect him to do anything dangerous. He may excel at warfare but that didn't mean he enjoyed it, especially after nearly dying.

Experiencing the fear his fallen foes did had been an eye-opening experience for him. He never wanted to kill again but he would do it if that was what it took to protect Molly.

"A lot of things," Erevan said honestly. "Most importantly, you are kind and you treat those beneath you well."

Molly seemed confused. "…those beneath me?"

"Myself and the cats."

He barely managed to remember to make that plural since he was obviously one of the cats without her knowledge. He was treated well both as Casper and Vanya but he had also seen how gentle she was with Stella.

When he first arrived, he hadn't understood why she was so loyal and protective of Molly to the point of being jealous that a second attendant was there but he understood now. She wanted all of that special treatment to herself, the greedy little thing.

Molly snorted. "I'm sorry, I really don't mean to laugh but none of you are beneath me. I mean, I might pay you to help me out but I don't think I'm any better than you. And I'm certainly not better than the cats! They're my family."

Family. Technically speaking, that was a word in Mazaroth but it wasn't at all used the same way humans tossed it around. Demons mated then moved on once their offspring could fend for themselves for the most part. Obviously, things were different in royal or otherwise powerful families who wanted to cultivate their children's usefulness.

Siblings could stick together or turn on each other depending on the circumstances. He had been one of the rare ones who vaguely cared for his younger brother but that hadn't been enough to save him from the harshness of life on the streets.

The concept of choosing someone unrelated to you by blood to be your family was a distinctly human one. Molly and Stella weren't even the same species but she considered her family? And by extension, him as Casper? This was even more incomprehensible than what she said earlier about them being friends.

Erevan knew that considering someone family was a big deal though from his research. It indicated a close bond. Now he was getting even more choked up.

"I'm sure the cats would be pleased to know you feel that way," he managed to get out.

Molly laughed. "I'm sure they already do with how much I coddle them. Stella especially. She's so spoiled! I love her to pieces though. She's been with me since high school so at this point that makes her my oldest friend."

He inwardly sighed. Stella was still first in her estimation, wasn't she? He was going to have to work harder. She did have seniority over him but he hadn't realized how much until now.