The head butler looked like he was having a stroke as the girl continued pinning me to the floor. He was standing stalk still, his face pale as he stared at the scene. I looked up at him, and waved him off with the hand not pinned down in her iron grip hug.
She was a little kid who thought everyone was terrified of her and she'd never find any kind of peace or companionship. Frankly, I thought she'd have serious issues to get over before she would trust me, but, well, I guess whatever works.
My hand lands on her back, giving her a comforting pat. She sniffled, her voice muffled as she pressed against my chest. "You really don't hate me?"
"Have you done anything worth hating?"
"I was born?"
I'm going to bludgeon her parents with a shovel. I fight the violent impulse back. "That's. Not something you chose."
She thought for a moment, trying again. "Um. I-I bit you?"
"I'm getting paid for it." Food and shelter counted in my mind. "So, not a reason to hate you. If anything, I should be thankful."
She looked at me like I had declared lava a delicious drink. "Thankful? What? Why…Why aren't you afraid of me? Why aren't you yelling at me? Or hiding from me?"
"Told you. You haven't given me a reason."
Her features drooped more, and she buried her face back in my shirt. My head was starting to ache from lying on the floor for so long. I continued simply lying there while the small girl cried on top of me.
Not that I could really move if I wanted. She was really, really strong. The novel had her punches throwing fully armored knights around like they had been hit by a point blank cannonball. So, for the foreseeable future, I was going to remain on the ground.
That was fine, I needed a minute to process a couple of things.
First, I was dead. Capital D dead. My soul had, evidently, left my body back on earth and done something, which had led me to inhabiting this world. I…should probably care a little more about that. It sucked a little bit, I was just getting out of the orphanage, just getting ready to set out on my own and all that.
Well, It wasn't like I really had any friends, no one I'd call family, no real drive or reason for my existence. I was a being like a jellyfish, floating mindlessly from place to place based on the current of the ocean.
I mean, I had died with my final thoughts being, what should my final thoughts be? What better way to encapsulate a person with nothing of substance?
…Now I'm just making myself depressed.
If I had this second shot at life, I didn't want to waste it on such a meaningless existence once more. I didn't want to die with nothing in my mind, no one who I worried for or hoped wouldn't miss me too much.
I looked down at the girl clutching onto me like a lifeline. It might have been an impulse to rush in here and offer myself up like a rabbit to a wolf, but, on further review, this was about the best position I could be in.
Sure she'd take some blood from me when she got hungry, but in return? Assuming that the little girl currently soaking my shirt with her tears was in fact the same one who came to be the threat she was in the novel, I'd be set for life.
I had all of Maslow's hierarchy of needs fulfilled. I had food, water, shelter, and in helping someone who needed my help, I'd have the psychological stuff down. Probably.
The Lilith of the novel was one who was a little obsessive in her love, and I had no doubt become the object of her affection given the current situation. It might get a little messy, since nobles and slaves were super not allowed to be in relationships, so, I actually had that covered.
I was forbidden fruit for her. It was kinda funny to think of myself like that, but It worked out. All I'd have to do was watch over her like a parent, make sure she got a nice future husband who wasn't the fucking bastard villain from the novel, see her off with teary eyes, and live on a nice retirement fund. That way, I wouldn't have to worry about the ethics of relationships, and could enjoy a peaceful life.
The perfect plan. Well, It wasn't at all. There was one, really big issue with all of this.
I didn't finish the novel. Hell, the novel wasn't finished. If the world ends, the author suddenly changed the genre, if the villain won or some other huge twist or turn on the novel, I wouldn't know.
Man, I really don't like being unable to plan ahead. I should establish some short term goals instead. First, I wanna get this collar off of me. I know I'm basically a food source for Lilith right now, but I'd rather not be collared like a dog. Not into that, I do have some human dignity after all. Second, this is going to be a hard one, I want to get Lilith a friend besides me. It would do some good for her to have more than one person to rely on.
I'm taken out of my pondering as I look back at the doorway, seeing a bunch of maids and butlers all armed with brooms and mops approaching the two of us. I cock an eyebrow at them, all holding the wooden cleaning instruments like spears out at us. They're all sweating and pale, as they shuffle walked closer and closer.
Were, were they staging a rescue attempt? If it wasn't stupid that they feared her in the first place, I'd be touched.
I reached my free arm around her back, supporting her weight as I struggled to my feet. Oh man, this body was way weaker than I thought. I was also woosy from getting my blood drained, but I managed to grit my teeth and stand up, Lilith still wrapped around my chest like a Koala.
The assorted cleaning soldiers all took rapid steps back. The head one, armed with a mop, shouted out to Lilith nervously. "Y-Young miss! P-Please release the young man."
I walked over to her bed, still a little unsteady, and put her down on it. She sniffled, looking up at me with watery eyes. I slowly pried her hands out of my shirt, speaking slowly and calmly. "The rest of the staff needs to talk to me now, but I'll be back soon alright?"
"Do…Do you have to go?"
I rubbed her head affectionately. "Yeah, but I'll be back. If you get one of the maids or butlers and ask for me I'll come right over. I have to get myself settled in, but otherwise it's not like I've got anything else to do."
She blew some snot into my shirt, gross, then nodded with her red rimmed eyes. "T-Thank you…F-For not being afraid of me…"
"It's nothing to thank me for. Honestly, I think those guys are the weirdos for being afraid of you." I stood up and walked towards the group of cleaners, one of whom grabbed me by the back of my shirt and booked it.
I let out a small noise, as my shirt collar pulled against my neck, and I'm out of her room in an instant. Like we were getting chased, the head butler slammed the lock back over the door, and panted out heavy breaths.
"You're all so dramatic." The maid that grabbed me had toppled over as soon as we were out, taking me down with her. I pull myself to my feet and help her off the ground gently.
They turned to me, their eyes wide and nearly frantic. The head butler ran a hand through his prim hair, messing it up. "You-!? Listen boy, that thing i-"
"Don't call her a thing." Honestly. I shake my head with a sigh. "All of this because of some fangs and some strength? She's what, eight?"
One of the maids weakly corrects me. "Nine."
I nod. "She's a nine year old girl."
"She's a [vampiran]!"
"She looks like she weighs 60 pounds soaking wet."
"She could kill us with a flick of her finger!"
"I could kill all of you with a kitchen knife, and vice versa. The reason we aren't all killing each other right now isn't because we aren't able to, it's because we know thats fucked up." I roll my shoulder, trying to get some circulation back in the area. It's pretty sore now that whatever was blocking the pain is gone.
The allotted group are all looking at me like I had salsaed into the room and declared god dead. Horror and confusion, looking at the insane. I rolled my eyes. "Did you all get me for a reason or?"
"Y-Your…room." The head butler was still looking at me funny, but I shrugged off the expression.
"Oh, also," I pulled at the hem of my shirt. It had blood and snot all over it, and two massive holes where she had been clutching onto it, my scratched up skin exposed under it. My appearance probably wasn't actually helping their paranoia, but, whatever. "Can I get a change of clothes? I'm a bit ragged right now."
"Y-Yeah…" He glanced at me from the corner of his eye, and heaved a long, tired sigh. All of the maids were keeping their distance, not wanting to get to close to me.
Seriously, I don't think I've done enough to deserve that.
I think, if they thought I was anything other than quantifiably insane, there would've been some posturing and social hierarchy stuff going on. The, "I'm two years your senior, so you have to listen to whatever I say forever." Stuff that happens in the servant class in these castles typically. But instead of any of that, most of what I got were looks of concern and apprehension.
Maybe these people were just cowards, to an unnatural degree. I got settled in what was actually a pretty nice room. It was all for me, given that rather than a servant, I was a blood bag. That wasn't my official title, but I honestly don't know what is.
The bed was comfy, and for a lifetime orphan, sleeping alone was quite the luxury. I didn't seem to have any belongings that I had brought with me besides the, now tattered, clothes on my back.
I'd be staying here for a while it seemed. I think I'm in shock, given that I'm still fresh from the reapers arms and now lying on a medieval era bed.
I cross my legs and place my hands on the back of my head as I lay back on the decent enough bed. Well, I'll have to make due with that I've got.