Lilim from the Demon World: For You, Who Watched from the Closest Place - Moonlight Thorns

The eastern tower, Lady Ririmu's private chambers. Despite the late hour, the room was as bright as midday. The glow of luminescent ore suspended from the ceiling illuminated more than ten dresses spread across the bed. Pale pink, light blue, pure white, silver. Every fabric shimmered and sparkled, as though scattered with the stars of the night sky. "Hey, Silvie, which one do you think is best!?" Lady Ririmu's sunset-orange eyes sparkled as she spoke. Her pink-blonde curls, reaching all the way to her waist, bounced softly. The sheer excitement in her voice alone made it clear just how thrilled she was. *(Because Kenichi is coming tomorrow.)* I, Silvie, gazed at Lady Ririmu's back and crafted a shadow attendant's smile. I pressed a hand gently to the chest of my gray and indigo uniform. A dull ache throbbed near my heart. "Lady Ririmu, you are beautiful in anything you wear. But I believe this pale pink dress suits you especially well." I fought to keep my voice from trembling, just a little. A shadow attendant—it is a role in the demon realm's royal capital of Celestia, where a child of the subordinate nobility serves from a young age as both bodyguard and caretaker to a child of the royal family. Since I was eight years old, I have lived my life as Lady Ririmu's shadow. There are many unwritten rules for a shadow attendant. You must not stand out more than your master. You must not eat before your master. And—you must not fall in love without your master's permission. *(Love, huh.)* Another sharp pang struck the center of my chest. From that day when I was eight, the moment I first met Lady Ririmu, my heart had been decided. Lady Ririmu is my master, my best friend, and—someone forever out of reach. I would lock this feeling deep inside my chest until the day I died. I made that decision, and nine years have passed since. "I knew it, Silvie has such good taste!" Lady Ririmu's face lit up in an instant. That smile, with her little fang peeking out. Every time I see that smile, my chest tightens painfully. "Hey, hey, Silvie, you'll definitely understand too when you meet Kenichi tomorrow! He's really someone special!" —Those words stabbed into my chest like a knife. *(I know. I know, Lady Ririmu.)* My mouth went completely dry. Even so, I kept my shadow attendant's smile plastered on my face and nodded quietly. "Yes. I'm looking forward to it." A lie. Truthfully, I don't want to meet him at all. But there was no way I could say that. Lady Ririmu spun around happily. The pale pink dress billowed out softly. "I've decided on this one! Silvie, you always watch over me properly, don't you? Ever since way back, always!" Lady Ririmu looked straight at me with those earnest eyes. Her sunset-orange irises glittered brightly, reflecting the light of the luminescent ore. "Silvie, you'll support my love, won't you?" My breath stopped. It felt as if all the air had vanished from the depths of my lungs. *(Of course—)* But my voice wouldn't come out. The words caught in my throat and refused to form. I clenched my fist tightly. My nails dug into my palm. It hurt. But that pain was the only thing keeping me conscious. "...Of course, Lady Ririmu. I will stake my everything to support your happiness." That is my one and only curse. A vow of loyalty as a shadow attendant, and the final words to kill my own feelings of love. "Thank you! Silvie, you're the best friend in the whole world!" Lady Ririmu threw her arms around me with great force. A soft, sweet floral scent wafted up. Her pink-blonde curls tickled my cheek. *(Best friend—)* Those words pierced my chest again. In Lady Ririmu's arms, I stifled my voice and bit my lip. The taste of iron spread slowly across my tongue. —Best friend. I think so too. That's exactly why it hurts so much. After finishing the tidying up, I stepped out onto the balcony of the eastern tower. The cold night air seeped into my skin. In the pale purple sky of the demon realm, three moons hung suspended. The great moon Luna shone white, while the twin moons Piccola and Mezza glowed as if nestled close together. I placed both hands on the railing and let out a deep breath. *(I am a shadow.)* A shadow does not seek the light. A shadow is merely an existence that watches over its master quietly from behind. I took a small pressed dried flower from my pocket. —It was a *Luchika* blossom I had secretly picked during last year's Third Moon Festival. The Third Moon Festival, the Trelune Festival. A day of confession held once a year on the night when the three moons align in a straight line. Lovers exchange the luminescent Luchika flower with the one they cherish. I picked just one last year too. Secretly, so no one would find me. But in the end, I couldn't give it to Lady Ririmu. Because a shadow attendant harboring romantic feelings for their master is something that can never be forgiven. I held the dried petals up to the moonlight. They no longer retained any power to glow. Time had passed, the color had faded, and they had become nothing more than brown petals. "...I'm the same." My feelings haven't withered yet. But I have no choice but to let them wither. At that moment—a faint shadow magic flickered from my fingertips. A small purple light enveloped the dried flower. For just an instant, the petals seemed to glow faintly. "Huh?" Startled, I pulled my magic back. *(That just now... was that my magic?)* My magic is becoming unstable. When my emotions run high, I can't control it properly. This is really bad. "...I am a shadow. A shadow does not seek the light." I murmured it once more, as if telling myself. Just then, I heard quiet footsteps behind me. "...So you were here after all." A low, calm voice. When I turned around, a large man with short silver hair streaked with white, slicked back, stood there. His deep sea-blue eyes had begun to cloud slightly with age. An old scar above his left eyebrow stood out faintly in the light of the luminescent ore. "Sir Gal... were you on patrol?" Master Galvano—the head of the shadow attendant station and a former shadow attendant. My teacher, and one of the few people who understands me. Master Galvano stood beside me without a word. He rested both elbows on the railing and looked up at the three moons. His profile seemed just a little gentler than usual. A long silence passed. The wind swept around the eastern tower. In the distance, the faint murmur of someone's voice could be heard. Preparations in the castle seemed to be continuing. "...Being young is a sin, isn't it." Master Galvano murmured the words to no one in particular. I felt the weight of those words. That distant look my teacher sometimes gets—it must be because he, too, carries a heavy past. "Sir Gal... did you also, once...?" I asked timidly. Master Galvano shook his head slightly. "There aren't many things a teacher can tell his student. ...Well, it's difficult." As he said that, I thought I saw the corner of his mouth relax just a little. A fleeting, gentle expression from my teacher, who usually looks so stern and rarely smiles. Then, Master Galvano placed a hand on my shoulder. A large hand, warm, and just a little heavy. "But you're a far stronger girl than I think. Believe in yourself." With just those words, Master Galvano left the balcony. Feeling the lingering warmth of his hand on my shoulder, I looked up at the sky. The three moons looked blurred. *(Sir Gal understands everything.)* My suffering, and his own frustration at being unable to do anything but watch over it. A single tear spilled over. It traced a path down my cheek and fell with a soft plink onto the stone railing. But it wasn't a tear of despair. The fact that someone knew my pain, and still called me "strong"—that sank deep into my heart. "Thank you, Sir Gal." I whispered quietly and wiped the tear away. The night was slowly beginning to pale. The distant sky was starting to change from pale purple to gray. *(Tomorrow—Kenichi is coming.)* I took a deep breath and reconstructed my shadow attendant's face. Support Lady Ririmu's love. That is my duty. I'll lock away my own feelings. I'm sure I'll be fine. ...Or so I tell myself. —But. At that moment, a prickle ran down the back of my neck. My instincts were issuing a faint warning. *(...Something feels wrong.)* From the northeast—the direction of the Bosconero Forest—I could sense a faint trace of magical power. It was almost at the level of imagination, so incredibly faint that an ordinary demon likely wouldn't notice it. But my shadow magic had reacted to it. "...What was that, just now?" I gripped the balcony railing and stared at the northeastern sky. The gray sky was slowly brightening. Nothing seemed out of place. But—something nagged at my chest. I gazed at the dried flower in my hand one more time, then tucked it gently back into my pocket. Dawn is breaking. Today marks the beginning of a new trial.

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Episode 2

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

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