The Black-haired Maiden

Just like formless flowing water, time, too, slipped away from my hands. When I realised it, months had passed, the seasons had changed and autumn had come to visit again; and now, fully recovered from my injuries, I stood in the Grand Hall of the National Institute of Technology, where I would spend my next four years studying.

That was what Yuri Yuzuki wanted to do, anyways.

“Morning! How are you doing?” A hazel-haired little demon called out to me.

“I’ve been doing well. Now that I have gotten the doctors off my tail it’s all the better.”

“Is your memory still hazy?”

“It is. But I’ve been able to remember more and more things since then; it shouldn’t trouble my daily lives anymore.”

“Are you sure those ‘memories’ are not implanted knowledge like it was last time?” The inquisitive little demon inquired.

…Implanted knowledge. When I stopped being Celestia, the Goddess granted me the bare minimum of knowledge to survive on Earth. It was the reason why I was able to speak this world’s languages, understand Earth’s principles of natural sciences, and operate machines I had never seen before. It was also the reason why I how to find cat videos on the internet, without touching a computer before. The Goddess’s parting gift, or so it seemed to be.

But having the knowledge is different from having memories. The implanted knowledge is exactly as the name suggests: knowledge detached from experience forced into my head. One may have the knowledge on techniques of the sword, but they will always lose against veterans who had actually swung the sword; the fear, the courage, and the heat of the battle will always be a part of someone’s memory, but can be never found purely as knowledge.

“They aren’t, Lilia. I really do remember now. How you’ve always been a crafty and devious one, and how poor Andrew often gets caught up in your schemes.” I shook my head and answered. “Even that time, you were the one who made Andrew bring a laptop, weren’t you? That guy can be sarcastic sometimes, but he is a gentle soul and was never good at deception. You on the other hand…”

Lilia’s reply was, surprisingly, a big smug smile. Thanks for the compliment, that was what her face is saying. “So you do have some of your memories back. But that also means you thought watching cat videos is more important than us…”

“Well, that is true.” I can’t care about people I have not met before, and it was only natural. “Anyways, the orientation is about to start. Let’s find somewhere to sit down.”

“Ah, but before that, let’s take a selfie together!” Lilia pulled out her phone and began to pose.

…Looks like there is no refusing her.

I looked at her phone. In the selfie, the hazel-haired girl, with her precious emerald eyes, was smiling wildly into the camera. And next to her was Yuri Yuzuki, a young-looking woman with delicate features, typical of an Easterner, as we call it, or an “East Asian” as the residents of Elysium call it. Unlike Celestia, who was known for having pronounced features and a tall, elegant build, Yuri’s looks were decidedly less expressive, more subdued, and more slender. Yuri is not Celestia, a fact that I know full well despite occupying Yuri’s body, yet…

…Why, Goddess, am I trapped with those abyssal black hair and hellish crimson eyes, as I did as Celestia?

————————

“…and thus we wish like our first Lord Protector, who liberated this country from a tyrant, you will also learn to live as a just person and stand against tyranny. Good luck and enjoy your life at the Institute!”

Half-hearted applause followed, and the orientation was over. We should now retreat to our own department before the departmental induction begins. But there was something I must do before that.

I quickly stood up and rushed for the exit — or so I wanted to, before Lilia grabbed my hand.

“Wait a minute! Don’t be so impatient.”

“Let me go, Lilia! I must leave before other people catch up.”

“Why?”

“Why…? My appearance will attract a lot of attention. If people surround us then it will take a while to shake them off!”

“What are you even talking about?” Lilia seems genuinely confused. “If anything, your previous looks are a lot more eye-catching.”

“My hair is black and my eyes are red. That looks exactly like demons from the legends, right? Most people here and back in my hometown have blonde or brown hair, but I am the only one like this… It is an omen of ruination, they say.”

“Black hair is totally common for a Japanese person like you, though?” Lilia replied calmly, then pointed her finger at a group of student. “Look, there are a few more international students with black hair over there. Many Chinese, Korean and Japanese people have black hair, and it is not uncommon to see them in London. Well, red eyes are rare, but people will think you just are doing a cosplay.”

…Is that so.

Ever since my childhood, my hair and eye colour were always the source of ridicule, discord, and ruination. Both of my parents had shining platinum hair, paired with ice blue eyes that seems to pierce others’ heart. None in my ancestors, or indeed in the aristocracy, ever had eyes as red as mine and hair as black as mine. My existence itself gave rise to doubt, a doubt that broke apart my family:

That my mother, my gentle and caring mother, the Duchess Inkfield had been unfaithful.

The man was a commoner, or even a serf, they said. Unbecoming of a noble lady, they said. The shameless seductress, no better than a common whore, and me no better than a daughter of a bitch, forever cursed by the Goddess, they said. The high society became vile, or perhaps it had always been vile, and bared its fangs at us. Even father, who initially sought to protect mother with all his power, gradually gave into the maliciousness of the aristocracy.

…Mother committed suicide just before my 9th birthday.

Despite that, I encountered a prince who loved me dearly, who eventually became my fiancé.

…Until him, too, was snatched away by that beautiful blonde hair, by those clear amethyst eyes.

———————

“Is there really a place for me here? My appearance has brought nothing but misfortune…” I whispered to myself.

“Of course! It is completely normal here, so don’t worry too much. You are just a normal raven-haired maiden here.” Lilia replies with a big smile.

“…Is that so.”

Two student from the group of international students noticed me, and quickly came over. “Hi there! Are you also an international student from East Asia? I am Hana Kobayashi from Japan and I am a fresher in Materials.” One of them introduced herself.

“I am Ladislaus Zhao, from China. Also a fresher in Materials.” The other, a tall man with a serious expression, seemed to be more subdued… his ridiculous English name aside.

“I am Lilia Stratford, first year Aeronautics, and as you can see I am the token non-Asian here.”

“Yuzuki Yuri, glad to make your acquaintance.” I subconsciously bowed as I introduce myself. Is it Yuri’s memories again? I felt like I am way too used to this…

“Hmm… Yuzuki Yuri… where have I heard of that name…” Ms. Kobayashi seems to be in deep thought upon hearing my name.

I glance at Lilia. She is giggling. Nothing good ever happens when she giggles like this.

Even if she and her brother kept my secrets — a ridiculous background story about reincarnating from another world — and helped me to adjust to life in Britain, there was always a part of me saying she is trouble incarnate. Perhaps, that too was a memory inherited from the late Yuri Yuzuki…

“Lilia,” I let out a long sigh, “sometimes I wonder who influenced you to smile evilly like that.” Her parents are kind and ordinary people, after all.

“Oh, of course it’s Yuri-onee sama!”

…why would you use Japanese honourifics in an English sentence?

“You jest… but that is exactly the problem. Where did you even get that horrible personality from?” I shrugged.

“? You of course.” Lilia seems genuinely puzzled for the second time of the day.

“Wait—”

“AAAhhhhh!” Ms Kobayashi suddenly screams, “You are the one on the news, right? The ‘Murderous Silver-haired Angel’ who shocked the world with her killer instinct despite her delicate figure and—”

…Wait what.

“Hana! That’s rude!” Mr Zhao interrupted Ms Kobayashi. “Sorry for my friend’s rudeness. She has always been a klutz, so please don’t mind her.”

“Ah, that’s fine.”I replied. “But Lilia, what are they talking about—“

“No worries. She is still recovering from that incident, so her memories are a bit hazy right now.” Lilia ignored me and replies to Mr Zhao directly.

“Ah. I am really, really sorry for being insensitive.” Ms Kobayashi snapped back to her senses. “Please let me know if I can help.”

“Then why not have a coffee together later? You two don’t seem like bad people. It’s good to know someone from Yuri’s homeland.” Lilia replied with a bright smile, “You are paying, of course.”

“If you are OK by that, then let’s meet after lectures.”

“Sure.” Lilia replied.

The two international students left soon after, leaving Lilia and a dumbfounded me standing there.

“Wait a minute, Lilia. What even are you talking about?” I could not stand idle anymore.

“What…? We are talking about a cute blue-eyed and silver-haired maiden who killed a bunch of people, and that girl—

“She was you, Yuri-onee sama.”