FLASHBACK CONTINUES
Princess Izanami was never one to soil her hands directly.
No, she preferred the elegance of manipulation. She was a bitch, but a bitch with power... so a royal bitch.
And she knew how to get that demon out of there.
So when she invited Lord Narisawa to tea that day, she did so with the grace of a perfect noblewoman.
He was tall. Well-kept. Eyes like a fox and a smile that lingered too long.
He bowed respectfully, but there was always hunger in his stare.
The man was in his late 20s and had quite the particular personality. If he were born in our era, he'd be good friends with Drake, Diddy, Epstein, and finally Fleece Johnson... if you catch my drift.
"You summoned me, Princess?" he asked, voice like syrup poured over rusted nails.
She sipped her tea calmly, then tilted her head as if she were speaking of the weather.
"There's a girl on the estate. A servant. Her name is Eve."
His smile twitched upward.
"Pretty name."
"She's a bit..." The princess trailed off, letting her lashes fall. "Wild. Improper. She's been making eyes at my cousin. Perhaps more."
Yes, her fiancé was her cousin... it's Japan, royal family, in the 1600s—what did you expect?
They were part of the great Toyotomi family... if only they knew what would happen just three years later. (History majors, do your thing.)
Lord Narisawa arched a brow. "Is that so?"
"Oh yes," she purred. "It's troubling, really. She acts so meek, but you know the type. Seductive. Cunning. The kind who knows exactly what she's doing when she bends over in the hallway."
Narisawa's grin widened.
And the princess leaned closer, her voice like poisoned silk.
"I would never tell you what to do, my lord... but someone like her? She desperately needs to be taught her place."
Three Days Later
Eve finished folding the last cloth napkin with practiced precision.
She had been working nonstop since sunrise—cleaning, dusting, laundering, scrubbing. Anything to distract from the small, unfamiliar fluttering in her chest caused by Izanagi's visits.
He had brought her another flower yesterday.
She'd hidden it under her pillow.
Her fingers trailed over her worn apron, and for once, there was the ghost of a smile on her lips. A fragile thing. Paper-thin. But there.
But frankly, working double shifts wasn't the best. The maids had started targeting her once they found out that the prince preferred her over the princess.
She was being targeted. Quite a lot.
But she had him. She would be fine.
That was when the door closed behind her.
Click.
She flinched and turned.
Lord Narisawa stood by the now-locked door.
Eyes gleaming.
Smile twisted.
The look in his gaze would be the same one she'd have in hers later in her Hollow life, yet now, she just felt scared... very, very scared.
She knew this man's reputation. Even men weren't spared from him. The man seemed to take a thrill from it. Something about taking a man's booty seemed fun to him, seemed quite thrilling.
"My, my," he said, stepping forward. "A little dove in a cage."
Eve stiffened. "My lord, I—I didn't realize anyone was—"
"Shhh." He stepped closer, pressing his hand on her lips.
She backed away.
"I—I was just leaving."
"No," he said, smile never leaving his face. "You're exactly where I want you."
She tried to run, but his hand was faster. He grabbed her by the wrist, yanking her back with a force that knocked the breath out of her.
"Please," she gasped. "Don't—!"
"Oh, don't act like you don't want it," he sneered. "You've been teasing all the men around here with that sweet little face. Playing the innocent maid. You're not the first girl I've broken in."
She struggled.
Kicked.
Clawed.
But he was stronger.
"Don't act like you don't want it. With how you dress, you're basically begging for it," the man said coldly.
She screamed.
No one came.
Time Skip – Hours Later
The man looked quite proud of himself, getting out of the bed. He stretched. How fun. That was another one down.
He walked around the room, slightly stretching his body.
Hm, the head maid was quite cute. Maybe her next. Even if she wanted it or not, consent was nothing more than a suggestion. In his own humble opinion, if you were truly a man and wanted something, you took it.
Anyway.
"Get out." And just like that, he threw her out. She was of no use to him anymore. He got the thrill of taking a virgin's v-card. Wasn't this just the best? What happened to her afterward was none of his business.
Hm, maybe he could use her again. That shit felt heavenly. Yeah, he would 100% do that again. Fuck consent.
She stumbled out of the room like a ghost.
Eyes empty.
Face hollow.
Her dress—her one and only good dress, the one she had sewn herself from scraps—hung off her in tatters. The stitches ripped. The fabric stained. Her knees bled. Her hands shook.
Her mouth still tasted like iron and bile.
She couldn't breathe.
Her legs moved on instinct, carrying her through the halls like a marionette with broken strings.
She needed him.
Izanagi.
He said he would protect her.
He promised.
Her tears blurred her vision as she approached the main courtyard. Servants stared. Some whispered. Some looked away.
Some even looked at her as if this was exactly what they had expected of her. I mean, what else do you expect from someone born with such a tempting-looking body?
She was always seen as a promiscuous woman. She wasn't. For Christ's sake, as far as she was raised, she always dressed presentably, always had extra layers of clothes on.
What was it with people and assuming this? She never wanted this. Any of this.
All she wanted was to have a normal life. Maybe be loved. Marry someone and have a kid or two.
That was it.
Her body felt horrible...
She didn't care.
She needed him.
She needed—
But when she reached the stone pavilion, he wasn't there.
She was.
Princess Izanami.
Standing like a statue carved from malice, arms crossed, eyes gleaming like daggers.
Eve froze.
"I..." Her voice cracked. "I need to see the prince. Please. I—I need to speak with—"
"Oh, you poor thing," the princess interrupted, voice laced with mockery. "You look absolutely ruined."
"I... he... he hurt me," Eve whispered.
"Who?" the princess said, feigning innocence.
"Narisawa—he—he forced—"
"You seduced him," the princess snapped, the mask finally breaking.
Eve's eyes widened. "What—?! No, I—I would never—!"
"You liar," the princess hissed. "You whore. You've been worming your way through this estate since the day your filthy mother spat you out. Don't pretend to be the victim now."
"I didn't—!"
"I have witnesses," the princess said coldly. "Servants who saw you sneaking into his quarters. Love letters. Fabricated, of course—but convincing."
Eve stumbled back.
"No. No, please. I didn't do anything—!"
And then she saw him.
Izanagi.
He was walking toward them.
She rushed to him, relief pouring through her in trembling waves.
"Please!" she cried. "Tell them! You know me! You know I would never—!"
But his eyes didn't meet hers.
He looked down.
Away.
Her voice died.
She couldn't breathe.
"Izanagi...?"
He said nothing.
Not a word.
The betrayal cracked through her ribs like lightning.
The realization hit her right then... he was never that interested in her as a person. She was a conquest. Something he wanted to have. Now that she was "tainted," she was of no value to him.
The last thread of her world... gone.
And then the guards came.
Time Skip
For the whole six months she was in jail, every day—like every single day—one of the guards would have their way with her. For some odd reason, she was blamed for it.
Like, come on. And when her spirit was broken, for some twisted reason, they said she had stopped her act.
She was dragged to the courtyard.
Bound. Broken. Bloodied.
No trial. No defense. Just whispers and noble jeers from the shadows.
The princess watched from above, sipping wine like it was a show.
The blade was sharp. The executioner cold.
As the sword rose above her, Eve didn't scream.
She didn't cry.
She just looked up at the moon.
And asked one final, broken question:
"...Why me?"
The sword fell.
Silence.
Then... movement.
Something stirred beneath the stone where her blood pooled.
Something wrong.
Something hungry.
The world... tilted.
And then it shattered.
She felt herself sink into the darkness. She felt hollow.
Her old name seemed to vanish. Her memory as a Hollow seemed to consist only of the sexual acts. Nothing more. Nothing of the girl that existed before.
From that day forward, she wasn't Eve anymore. She was Lilith. Something in her changed. Her past self was plunged into darkness.
As a coping mechanism, she became different.
Flashback End
Lilith yawned a bit. She was tired. She had one of those bad dreams again. Surprisingly, she could dream now, even though Hollows shouldn't have any of those.
Hm. She had no clue why.
Oh well. Nothing for her to worry about.