That Demon’s Name Lilith

I walk through the manor with the maid. What’s her name again? Doesn’t matter. She’s just a servant anyway. I look out at the vast arrays of windows in this hall at our lovely flower garden. The flowers are in full bloom now that the spring season has started. 

I’d love to talk about just how pretty they are, but Sister’s too annoying and Brother doesn’t care. I guess I could talk about it with the maid, but a young lady of my status conversing casually with a maid? Hah, how pathetic would that be? Besides, I’m not here just to look at flowers.

“Maid, follow me.” She follows behind me without a word, like a maid should.

I exit the hall and into the flower garden walking through it to get to my destination. I quickly happen across three kids of around my age. They tense up as soon as they notice me. Hmm, how rude? Acting like that towards the daughter of a duchess? You deserve what I’m about to say to you.

The children are sitting around in the flower garden like the bums they are. Two boys and one girl. They’re all of noble families, just lower noble families than mine.

“What are you doing here, demon child?” One of the boys says.

“This is the Amber family manor, and I’m a member of the Amber family. I thought it would’ve been common sense for someone to walk around their own house, but I guess my standards were a bit too high. If it helps any, I’m sorry you’re so disappointingly dumb.”

“I think you’re misunderstanding a bit.” The girl starts with an expression I want to punch. “Yes, it is usually common sense for people to walk around their own house, but it’s also common sense for people to keep demons chained up so they can’t go around hurting anybody. So it’s quite alarming to see a demon child here, even if it’s supposedly their own house.”

Supposedly. You just had to sound that out didn’t you? This is my house, damn it!

“Hm? Demon? Whatever do you mean? You wouldn’t possibly claim that the Amber family has a demon on its property, right? Or are you just that insane?” I pretend not to understand they’re referring to me. Anything else would just  put me in a worse position in this argument. The girl stares at me with a smug glare. I just want to grab-

“Why, who else could I be referring to other than the demon child named Lilith? The one talking to me right now?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t quite figure out what you’re getting at? I knew being born into a duchess’ family made me smarter than most, but I never realized the gap in intelligence would be this huge with just a lesser noble…”

I try to make the most confused face I can. The children look annoyed. I do my best to keep a smile from appearing on my face.

“Oh I do believe you have it the wrong way around. Don’t you touch up on basic history? You're a nobility of the Osnye Kingdom, so you should know basic demonic culture as well. Don’t tell me you’re so sheltered you’ve never heard of that Demon’s name Lilith?”

“Oh, so that’s what you’re getting at.” I say in the most aggravating tone possible. “You think I’m a demon because of my name? You think that a name is enough to overrule the fact I have two human parents? Maybe I should let you read some basic biology, you clearly need it.”

“Ever heard of a bastard?”

Oh Gods, I am this close to wrapping my hands around her neck and-

“Lady Lilith, I think it’s about time we leave.” says the maid. All the children mock flinching when they hear my name. I honestly forgot the maid was here.

“Maid, be quiet. You three need to learn to treat your superiors with respect. Learn to control your inferiority complexes before you go spreading nasty rumors like that about your superiors. I’m generous enough to let you think what you will of me, since the opinion of children like you doesn’t really matter, but rumors like that would really hurt my reputation.”

“Ha, what reputation? You’re a bit delusional thinking anyone in all of Osnye, or even Cralia would have anything good to say about a “person” literally named Lilith.”

“Just because you can’t see my adulation doesn’t mean it isn’t there. My skills and social standing will be more than enough for me to get by.”

“Lady Lilith, you used adulation wrong. It’s a word meaning love, not skill.” When the maid says this, all the children start laughing.

“Shut up, maid. There’s no way they could have known that.”

“Oh of course I knew that. The word adulation… it’s so simple a baby could understand it, really.”

“Shut up, you only started laughing when the maid corrected me.”

“Oh I was just wondering how best to correct you.”

“That isn’t true, you only reacted when the maid corrected me!”

“It is true, though.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“Yes, it is.”

“No, it isn’t!”

“Yes, it is!”

I am so angry, I just want to take that girl’s hair and start twisting it-

“Lady Lilith, you shouldn’t be stomping through the halls like this.” The maid says.

“Why?! You saw how those gremlins were treating me! Shouldn’t I be allowed to be angry?!”

“Angry is one thing, acting this unrefined is a completely different matter.”

“You’re just a maid, what the hell would you know about refined?!”

“Lady Lilith, what would your mother do if she found out just what was coming out of your mouth right now?”

I stop. It’s just barely enough to get my mind off of those children. I don’t want Mother to wash my mouth again, I nearly threw up the last time.

“I’m sorry, please don’t tell Mother!”

“Good. Now shall we head back to your room? You really shouldn’t be interacting with the children of the Duchess’ guests anyway.”

“I want to talk with Father.”

“That will have to wait until the meeting with the guests is over. I’ll tell you as soon as it’s over, how about that?”

“Fine. We’ll head back to my room.”

“Thank you, Lady Lilith.”

“What are you thanking me for? Stop that.”

As we walk to my room, I walk by my older sister, leaning against the wall, not doing anything like her usual pathetic and lazy self.

“Oh, hey Lilith. Hello Leah. Why’s Leah following you around, Lilith? You get in trouble again? Is my adorable little sister up to her usual mischief?”

Sister walks up to me and starts rubbing my head. She’s so much taller than me, much taller than an adult woman usually gets, even here in Osnye. The rest of her appearance shows how much of a deadbeat she is, though. Long & unkempt hair, dull eyes compared to the rest of the Amber family, and absolutely no makeup whatsoever.

“Argh! Get off of me!” I throw her hand off of my head.

“Feisty as always, huh Lilith?”

“This maid is just following me around to keep me safe under Mother’s orders! It’s nothing like your stupid fantasies!”

“Keeping you safe? Mother? You realize that’s just because Mother doesn’t trust you as far as she can throw you, right? Well bad metaphor, you’re still pretty small, so she can probably throw you pretty far.”

“Enough, Sister! I’m leaving!”

“You do that.”

I changed my mind. I’m not going to my room anymore. The maid’s stupid, it takes her far too long to realize that I’m not heading there anymore.

“Um, Lady Lilith? I thought we were heading to your room?”

I ignore her and open the massive double doors to the Amber Family Library. The bookshelves extend much, much taller than me like always. I swear, this place gets bigger every time I come here. I’m not here to look around at how huge this room is though.

“Brother! I am here now!” I yell.

“Be quiet Lilith.” I hear his voice to the left. I head over to that direction quickly, and sure enough my brother’s sitting on a chair behind one of the massive bookshelves. Reading a book thicker than my arm, with a stack of books taller than me next to him.

His hair and eyes are the same color as mine, with his hair a neat kind of messy that comes down to his shoulders. Around his neck hangs a Gift of Magic, a special object only a select few can use, even among nobles. Its effects are effectively limitless, not being constrained to the laws of anything else.

The actual Gift is a metal looking thing the size of a hand with what looks to be a glass circle in the center. Within that glass-like material is a pure white color, and within that appears to be a symbol of a rose. The rose stays red most of the time. But often switches to other colors of the rainbow completely randomly.

I can’t help but be captivated every time I see it, but I didn’t come here to just stare at Brother’s Gift.

“Brother, Sister is being annoying again.”

“And just what do you want me to do about it?” He says, not even looking up at me.

“I don’t know, light her dress on fire or something.” I think I heard a snicker from him but I can’t quite tell.

“As amusing as that would be, I’m going to have to turn you down on that.” He says, flipping a page.

“Oh, by the way, I used the word adulation wrong! At least that’s what this maid says.”

“Her name is Leah, Lilith.” Not only is he able to remember the name of just a servant, he’s able to tell which one it is without even having to look? Oh, Brother’s so amazing.

“Anyway, tell me what it means!”

“Adulation, noun, large amounts of love or praise towards something. Example: The young boy couldn’t help but feel adulation towards the brave hero.” He says, in a completely uninterested tone.

“You really know that all off the top of your head, Brother?”

“For the 5,000th time Lilith, yes.” I open my mouth to ask another question. “The answer is read more. There’s nothing else I can help you with there.” He says, answering my question before I can even ask it.

“Wow…” I can’t help but let out.

“If that’s all you’re going to ask, start reading something or leave. Having you just stand around like that is a nuisance.”

“Oh yeah, a couple of the kids lounging around the manor were bullying me earlier! They made me so mad, aren’t you going to do anything about that?”

“Leah, did she start it?” He says, still not looking up. How rude! Your little sister comes to you asking for help with bullies, and the first thing you ask is whether or not she started it?

“Lady Lilith confronted them first, one of them called her a demon child, and they started arguing from there.”

“Lilith, were you going after them on purpose?”

“Well of course I was! They were looking at me like I disgusted them earlier! They even started insulting me before I said a word to them! Even showing up was enough to get them started!”

“It’s your own fault for walking up to people you know don’t like you. You should have expected what happened.”

“But… but… no one likes me! Everyone I walk up to as soon as I tell them my name they start looking at me like a demon! Of course I have to give them a piece of my mind!”

For the first time in the entire conversation, Brother puts his book down and starts looking at me as he talks to me. He stands up and puts his hand on my shoulder.

“Lilith, you know that’s not true. Father, Mother, Hana and I all love you very much.”

“Because you grew up with me! You were around before I had a name!”

“If your name really means that much to you, go to Father to try and have it changed. Or at least go by Lily.”

“No! I don’t want to forsake the name that Father and Mother gave me!”

“Lilith, Father and Mother named you what they did as a publicity stunt to improve relations with the Enebris Kingdom. It had the desired effect already so if you think it’s really hurting your life you really should just go by something different.”

“I… I can see where you’re coming from, but…”

Brother’s head suddenly jerks up, like something just got his attention. He stares off into space for a bit.

“Lilith, Father is calling you. Go and meet with him and Mother in Mother’s office now.”

“Huh? But what about the meeting?”

“I’m assuming it’s over if Father’s calling me. Anyway, go on. You wouldn’t want to keep Mother waiting, right?”

“Of course not! I’ll go right away!”

It doesn’t take long to get to Mother’s office. With all the times she’s yelled at me to come and see her I’m an expert in making sure I get there as quickly as possible! I close the behind me quietly and walk up to Father and Mother as ladylike as possible.

Mother sits at her desk, while Father stands off to the side. Mother looks like an older, more mature version of me, and Father… eh, there’s nothing about his appearance worth mentioning, like always.

“Brother said that Father called for me?”

“Yes, I did.” Father begins. Father looks as laid back as usual, and mother looks less stressed out than she normally is, so it would be really weird for me to be in trouble here.

“Point is Lilith, you and your siblings have all been invited to a party being held by the Cherrier family. We were just wondering if-”

“If you wanted to go, and if you would promise not to cause any trouble for us there.” Mother interrupts Father, being as straight to the point as she usually is.

A party at the Cherrier manor? Oh, how fun! Getting away from this stuffy house at some point does sound really fun but I can’t figure out why they would want to invite me. Sure it sounds fun, but the other kids are bound to be insufferable about my name.

“Why am I being invited? That never happens…”

“Oh Lilith, it’s just that the Cherrier family has finally opened their eyes to just how good of a girl you-”

“They’re trying to get information on us from the children still staying in our household.” Mother interrupts Father’s rant, like usual.

So they just want to know what’s going on around the house? I guess they’re willing to put up with having me there if they could get anything out of me. In that case my lips are sealed! I still really want to head anywhere other than here, though. Maybe if I’m lucky, some kid will really be nice to me, but I shouldn’t get my hopes up.

“Alright, I promise I won’t let anything out. I’ll go.” But that doesn’t mean I should despair! I mean what’s the worst that could happen? A few more kids getting on my bad side? As if that’s anything new.