Lilim from the Demon World: For You, Who Watched from the Closest Place - The Day the Shadow Fell in Love

The fingertips tying the dress ribbons trembled, just a little. Early morning at Primavera Castle, in the east tower. The sunrise streaming through the window dyed the room orange. I, Silvie, gazed at my mistress's back as she stood before the mirror, gently brushing her pale pink-blonde curls. "What ribbon should we go with today?" In the mirror, Lady Ririmu's large sunset-orange eyes sparkled as she spoke. Her fluffy hair, reaching all the way to her waist, swayed like flower petals in the morning light. "I think this light blue ribbon would suit you wonderfully, Lady Ririmu." I pulled a light blue ribbon from the pocket of my shadow attendant uniform. This was my job — helping Lady Ririmu get ready every morning like this. Shadow attendant — it's a system in the demon realm's royal capital of Celestia, where children of subordinate noble houses serve as both guards and caretakers for royal children from a young age. At first glance, it seems like an honorable position, but many personal freedoms — including the freedom to love — are restricted by unwritten rules. For example, it's effectively taboo for a shadow attendant to fall in love without their master's permission. If you break that rule, you're dismissed from your post, and your family's honor is destroyed. As I tied the ribbon into Lady Ririmu's hair, I felt a faint ache in my chest. (*Serving Lady Ririmu is my pride.*) I looked at my own face in the mirror. My deep violet hair, cut to shoulder length, was tied back in a single tail. My bangs were a little long, and when I looked down, they hid my amethyst eyes, clear as gemstones. My shadow attendant uniform, designed in shades of gray and indigo, prioritized ease of movement, and a small mana pouch hung at my waist. Petite and slender, I always thought of myself as frail and unreliable. People said I lacked expression, but when I was happy, the right corner of my mouth would lift just a little — a habit that Lady Ririmu, at least, seemed to see through. "Silvie, you really do have such good taste!" Lady Ririmu smiled happily. That smile was so dazzling, I had to squint a little. — *I first met Lady Ririmu when I was eight years old.* The Trecorina Hills, north of the royal capital Celestia. Lady Ririmu came to visit my family home — the small stone manor of House Fontana. Still just a child, I was frozen stiff with nerves in the presence of a royal princess. And then Lady Ririmu suddenly grabbed my hand and said, beaming: "Be my friend!" I still remember that moment clearly, even now. The warmth of Lady Ririmu's hand, her shining orange eyes, the sweet scent of flowers. My heart pounded, my face grew hot, and for some reason I couldn't understand, I almost started crying. — *From that day on, my world began to revolve around Lady Ririmu.* "Silvie, let's have breakfast!" Lady Ririmu's voice pulled me back from the past. "Yes, Lady Ririmu." On the breakfast table sat stardust soup made with luminescent fungi and freshly baked bread. Every dish in the demon realm was beautiful to look at, and tiny particles of light danced and sparkled within the soup. Lady Ririmu took a single sip, then suddenly stood up. "I'm going to pop over to the human world for a bit!" "Huh?" Before I could stop her, Lady Ririmu dashed out of the room. Her pink-blonde curls swayed softly, and then she was gone. I let out a sigh. (*Again...*) Travel between the demon realm and the human world is technically forbidden by the Boundary Transit Prohibition. About eighty years ago, an incident where a human wandered into the demon realm and caused massive chaos led to a ban on all travel except for royalty and those with special permission. Violators face up to three years of confinement. But Lady Ririmu, with her princess privileges, is exempt. When I accompany her, it falls into a gray zone — but Lady Ririmu always goes alone anyway. Feeling anxiety and just a hint of irritation, I cleared away the breakfast dishes. --- Late morning, I stopped by the shadow attendant station on the castle's first basement floor. It was a place where twelve shadow attendants, myself included, waited on standby and trained — a room surrounded by stone walls, lit by the faint glow of luminescent ore. "Master Galvano." The man with streaks of white in his hair, who had been looking over documents at the back of the room, raised his head. Master Galvano was the head of the shadow attendant station and a former shadow attendant himself. His deep, sea-colored blue eyes had begun to cloud slightly with age, but his ability to see into people's hearts hadn't dimmed at all. He seemed quiet and stern, but at his core, he was a warm person who took good care of others. "Lady Ririmu has gone to the human world again without permission." Master Galvano said nothing and simply offered me a cup of tea. I accepted the steaming cup and took a sip. A faintly sweet herbal fragrance spread through my mouth. "...You've got it rough, too." Just that one line. But for me, it was enough. (*Maybe Master understands everything.*) Master Galvano apparently carried some heavy past. Sometimes, he'd get a distant look in his eyes and murmur, "Youth is a sin" — surely because of that. He was strict about discipline, but I think it was his way of protecting us young shadow attendants. I continued drinking my tea in silence. The quiet of the shadow attendant station felt just a little comforting right now. --- Evening. I was in my room, preparing for tomorrow. A small chamber on the third floor of the east tower, right next to Lady Ririmu's private quarters. Through the window, I could see the pale purple sky of the demon realm. *Bang!* Suddenly, the door burst open. "Silvie! Listen, listen!" Lady Ririmu rushed in, visibly excited. Her cheeks were bright red, and her eyes sparkled more than usual. Startled, I nearly dropped the documents in my hands. "I've finally found him — my destined person!" — *The moment I heard those words, it was as if all color drained from the world.* My heart turned cold, as if gripped by a hand of ice. My fingertips trembled, and the strength nearly left my knees. "I met him at a high school in the human world! His name is Kenichi — he's a little spacey, but so kind, and completely different from other humans! He's just so incredibly special!" Lady Ririmu rattled on breathlessly. But her voice sounded distant. Something was spinning around and around in my head. (*Destined person? Kenichi?*) A dull ache spread through the center of my chest. Sharp and hot, like being stabbed with a knife. I mobilized every facial muscle I'd trained as a shadow attendant and crafted a smile. "That's wonderful, Lady Ririmu." I desperately held my voice steady so it wouldn't tremble. Lady Ririmu, showing no sign of noticing my state, continued innocently. "You have to meet Kenichi sometime too, Silvie! You'll definitely like him! Anyway, see you tomorrow!" Lady Ririmu left the room with the same momentum she'd entered. The sound of the door closing echoed, far too loud. I slumped against the door, sinking to the floor. I hugged my knees, trembling. "...No." A sound escaped my lips. — *From that day when I was eight, from the moment she took my hand and said "Be my friend," my one-sided love began.* Lady Ririmu was my master, my best friend, and someone forever out of reach. For a shadow attendant to harbor romantic feelings for their master — it was absolutely unforgivable. So I'd kept crushing these feelings down all this time. Locked them deep in my chest, telling no one, in silence. But — even so, we'd always been together. Laughing together, sometimes fighting, crying, getting angry — for nearly ten years. (*As long as Lady Ririmu is happy, that's enough.*) I tried to think that. But deep in my heart, an ember still smoldered. A small flame that wouldn't go out. --- Late at night. I stepped out onto the deserted balcony of the east tower. Three moons hung in the demon realm's sky. The great moon Luna shone white, while the twin moons Picola and Mezza glowed as if nestling close together. The pale purple air was hushed and cold against my skin. I clenched tight, holding back the tears that threatened to fall. "...This is for the best." I murmured it quietly. If Lady Ririmu is happy, that's enough. My feelings don't matter. I'm a shadow attendant — Lady Ririmu's shadow. A shadow must not seek the light. If Lady Ririmu truly loves this Kenichi, then I'll support that love from closer than anyone else. Because that's my role. I swore it in my heart. — *But.* From my fingertips, faint shadow mana seeped out. It flickered unsteadily, betraying that my heart still hadn't fully given up. "...I am a shadow. A shadow does not seek the light." I murmured it once more, then left the balcony behind. In the pale purple sky, the three moons shone quietly.

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Episode 1

Name: Lilim from the Demon World: For You, Who Watched from the Closest Place
Author: Novelia

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