Chapter Text
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The spring air had come around and in the village further out, down the hill the estate stood on, festival preparations were being made. Everyone worked in haste to get things up to standard, ingredients and spices where bought, stalls where built fresh and new, the smell of sakura blossoms and cherry petals the only peaceful part of any of it. All to appease the monster at the top of the hill.
.
It had been a few years ago if Ririko remembered correctly, when she'd been a growing girl, that the nobleman who ruled over and brought protection to their rural village had been killed brutally. His entire army, so impressive before, was finished in seconds, half killed and mangled terribly and the others fleeing uselessly to escape the same fate.
It had then gone silent for the next week.
No one knew what to do without a higher power to pay their tax to, to protect their village from conquest and be repayed with loyalty and the small riches they could afford and bestow.
Soon enough it seemed that the answer was solved, the monster who had been residing in the nobleman's estate traversed down the hill and into the village once again.
There was immediate panic, people screamed at the sight of such a ghastly creature, it was grotesque, half it's face deformed, all the extra body parts: It had four eyes and four arms, two mouths.
It commanded silence and the village returned silence.
The monster commanded all to kneel and the people kneeled; old men lowered down by the younger and mothers yanking their children down to huddle close.
By the monster was a young boyish figure with striking white hair. They stood behind him, head bowed like a servant but still they stood and took pride in it. They where dressed like a monk from a monastery, their peculiar pallete and apparel making them a spectacle even without their monstrous master.
The monster spoke in a voice that would later be whispered to shake mountains and strike fear into the bravest of souls, bring tears to one's eyes.
The name of the monster was revealed as Sukuna Ryomen.
Lord Sukuna decreed he would be the new ruler of the land, that the estate at the top of the hill was his and that it was expected of the people to continue to pay tribute to who would protect their land. In fact, he expected more, he claimed he was a deity and should be worshipped appropriately, that his follower would guide the people in their worship and teach them how to please him. He left then, and the fair, small monk remained.
That was when Ririko had been chosen to work at the estate in a group of fifty or so servants. There was no chance for any to speak out, to ask why they had been chosen, the monster had left and his servant pointed to each person they deemed fit for whichever job they needed. 20 stronger men where chosen to be laborers and gardeners, their vigilance and observation proved well as most had been sons of gardeners and laborers. Another 10 where chosen to do 'temple work' which was unexplained, 2 men and 8 women. The other twenty where chosen as maids and servants who would take on household roles.
The small figures cold voice shook others, not exactly the same as the monsters had, icey and sharp where his had been gravelly and booming. They looked so small and yet it was clear they were above the villagers, that they had immediately assumed a role as leader.
Ririko then had been alone, her parents elsewhere, and no one around to tempt her to stay, to keep her. Fear struck her to follow along with all the others guided by the monk to the Lords estate, somewhere all knew of yet was so foreign. No common folk had been allowed to enter even the extensive fields or gardens, even servants ranked higher above the village people.
As a man to Ririko's left cursed out a crude comment, exclaiming that the monk was surely extending 'favours' towards the beast they served to live, the quietly mumbling group fell silent.
The small figure stopped in their trek to the estate. They for the first time acknowledged another other than their master, head whipping around and white hair bouncing with the sharp movement. No sooner had they turned did the man's entire body encase with ice, a crust forming around him made of ice so cold smoke rolled off it.
Yelps and indignant cries from the group spilled out of mouths, a lady almost collapsed.
The man was dead there was no doubt in that.
There was no doubt that the little monk was cruel and as vicious as the monster that they had witnessed flatten an army and rip apart their benefactor. That they held unnatural ability, what elders would call black magic.
As the monk exhaled, steam left their mouth, Ririko would swear by the fact she saw ice incase their very fingertips. The monks eyes trailed between every face infront of them, making sure that everyone knew they had killed the man before them, that it was by no means a human attack. They spoke once more, a line Ririko remembered until she was grey, in a voice too high and light for a man's and not at all like a woman's.
"I am Uraume." They had said. "I work under Sukuna-sama, and you will all soon work under me, yes?"
There was a responding gaggle of hurried agreements and scared whimpers from the crowd, a cruel smirk grew on their face, the youthful mask dropping in that moment before their practiced, blank expression returned.
"Understand that I will not accept intolerance towards either myself or Sukuna-sama, you are worthless compared to him." They hissed the words out, eyes narrowing as a man flinched. "Understand that in serving him well; you are serving your God well. Take that as you will. In serving Lord Sukuna you will find the most gracious existence *non shamans* such as yourselves could ever be blessed with."
It was to be noted that Uraume didn't praise themselves, that even when telling the humans how insignificant they where that they didn't compare themselves to the beast Sukuna was. They spoke once more after a round of nods and 'yes Uraume-san's' from the frightened people.
"Carry the body with us, touching it will not harm you."
They gestured at one of the stronger looking men who was unable to argue, looking apprehensive for the smallest of moments before touching and lifting the frozen corpse.
When thinking back to it, vague disgust at the bloody pulpy flesh incased in ice registered in Ririkos mind, but desensitised and the memory being from so long ago it no longer felt so shockingly inhumane and petrifying.
.
They where then taken properly to the estate and shown their board which even as servants likely faired much better than many of the common folks own homes. They were given a list of jobs to assign between each other and told that Uraume would change jobs as they saw fit.
Ririko's exact memory after all the biggest events was muted and fuzzy as came with years of age. She remembered a lot of crying on that first night, no one had adjusted that quickly, she remembered a fine breakfast in the morning they were told they would likely not be indulged with in the future, that Sukuna-sama had decided to be merciful and bestow a 'welcoming gift upon them'.
She remembered the different things each of her new colleagues tried to use to get themselves to throw up the meal later, after a curious man had asked what meat had been used and had been pointed to what was left of a frozen leg of the man from the day prior.
Ririko's new life at the estate she would say felt better than her previous. She was a third daughter of her family, her eldest sister married off and the second caring for their parents left her no real place until someone eventually asked for her hand. Though her parents had never been unkind to her she knew that having a son was what they truly wished for, a child who could take care of the family's household and land. She saw it in her mothers eyes as she sat down at meals, in her fathers slowly withering body taxed with too much for his age.
In her new life as a maid she was always busy, her hands where never idle and she didn't have time to think about how the people around her would benefit from someone stronger or male. She would also bring home a paycheck, which she decided on taking an extremely small amount of and giving the rest to her family. If she was working and well, being fed and given board, then it was all Ririko could do in return for her family who had done the same for her. With 19 other maids around the massive estate each could take a single day off per week, which she spent at the estate too. Others visited family, but she worked through the days she was offered and didn't ask for more money in return. She didn't want to return to a home where she wasn't needed.
Ririko didn't think that her parents would be anything but happy that she'd survived her encounter with the monster- Lord Sukuna- or that she would not be tearfully welcomed back. She didn't want either however. The girl knew that upon returning her feeling of being useless and unwanted would return, regardless of how happy everyone was. She knew that her parents knew where she was, that they hadn't enquired about her to the other servants who took their days off in the village. It was a simple sense of reason, that here she had a place and away from here she did not.
It was after a few weeks of unease and the unproveable feeling of being watched, that she was told by another working girl she had not before conversed with that Uraume had requested her presence. Fear jolted through Ririko immediately, questioning frantically internally whether she had done a task wrong or was simply about to be told she was going to be Sukuna's next meal.
She wringed her hands and paused in where she'd been scrubbing the wood paneled floors. The other working girl walked past her, taking Ririko's pail and cloth and nodding her along.
"I'll take over for you, you've mostly completed it anyway, quickly now."
The working girl gave her one last brush off and Ririko was hurriedly scuttling away. She hadn't been told where to find Uraume but headed in the direction she knew their room was in in hopes of finding the monk their.
The room she ended up infront of the bedchamber standing closest to the kitchen, the one room none had gone into.
It had been passed around from servant to servant that the kitchen where Lord Sukuna's food was prepared was off-limits. It seemed only Uraume was allowed in and that they saw to every one of his meals personally. It wasn't to say that the servants didn't eat, in fact they had access to a similarly sized communal kitchen constantly stocked with the exact amount to feed each mouth, but going into the kitchen marked by the pale shoji door was completely forbidden.
Ririko stood idly for a few moments, the hallway and room seemingly empty, before she heard the sharp sound of a knife slicing through something. She turned, realising that Uraume must have been in the kitchen and after hesitating for a moment kneeled outside the door. After a few long silent moments a small 'enter' came from behind the shoji door. Ririko stood and quietly slid the door open, slipped through, and closed it behind her, stepping inside with her head bowed down.
"U-Uraume-san..."
She looked meekly downwards, trying to be respectful as much as she could.
Ririko immediately noticed the difference in temperature, the smooth tiles under her feet warming her through her thick socks. It was comfortably hot in the room; even the discomfort she felt alone in a room with her superior, and the the kitchens much more expensive interior compared to rooms she stayed in when not working, the feeling of comfort from the smell of food and the warmth of a hearth shone through.
Uraume was in front, their back turned towards her as they chopped what smelled to be raw meat with sharp, perfect movements in rapid procession, with proficience Ririko had not seen even in the town butchers. They made quick work of the cutting, but didn't turn to address her at all.
They plated the meat in a dish next to another of similarly sliced vegetables, turning to stir a broth which's smell was spread heavily through the room. It was a thick scent of a homemade stock boiling in aromatic spices.
Ririko tried not to look too desperately hungry but the smell was so heavenly her mouth began to water. It smelt like nostalgia, times when her mum had been well enough to cook or that one rare occasion in which her sister and her fiance had taken her to a festival out of town in which she'd gotten to experience the bustle of stalls and fried rich food sold by the dozen.
No, in fact it smelt better than both of those times, something new and much more enticing.
Maybe she understood a little why no other servant was allowed in here. After the obvious reason of the chance of attempted poisoning, she was sure given the chance, not under Uraume's watchful eye, anyone would be tempted to try and taste from the large Otoshi buta.
Uraume turned to face Ririko abruptly, causing her to flinch and break from her staring to bow her head once more. They stated, their height meaning they couldn't exactly look down at her but the sentiment there nonetheless. The knife they had been using to cut meat just seconds ago was in Uraumes hand, it glinted in a flicker of light from the low flame.
A bead of sweat ran down Ririkos back for a reason other than the stuffy heat of the room.
They looked down, a smug grin clear on their face. Their vigilant eyes didn't miss Ririkos reaction to the meal they were preparing or the thoroughly sharpened cooking knife that must have been honed to perfection.
Uraume calmed down minutely, hand holding the knife resting as they seemed to remember they had asked to talk and not cut her to pieces. They still looked perfectly prideful but their smile dropped in lieu of disinterest.
It took everything in Ririko to not react, keeping her eyes carefully pointed downwards and hands folded.
"Ririko," Uraume spoke her name as if it were a foreign word. Ririko guessed that they likely didn't speak many people's names other than Lord Sukunas. "I've taken notice that you do not leave the estate periodically."
I've been watching you. I'm suspicious and you better answer well or this could be the end. Both things Uraume didn't say but might as well have.
Ririko knew it was her turn to speak, to reply something worthwhile in turn or face the consequences.
"Yes, Uraume-san..."
Well. That wasn't the most eloquent, nor what Ririko had intended to say, but she decided to pray for mercy rather than speak again unprompted.
Uraume bristled the slightest bit, the answer unsatisfactory or just not frightened enough, Ririko wasn't sure.
"Yes." They repeated, expression pulled tight. "Why?"
Straight to the point then, no buzzing around it.
She breathed in softly before speaking, gaze kept strictly down in a shameful manner."I.. I don't have a place to return to. Not in the house where my family resides. If I can continue my work here I see no reason to leave."
The other stared at Ririko, considering for a long moment and seemingly heavily analysing her answer. After the pause there was a tut and the sound of soft padding against the tiles.
Uraume had turned back to the broth, stirring it and inspecting it's thickness, effectively saying she had passed whatever test Uraume had not-so-secretly placed on her.
"You aren't expecting more wages for extra days you take?" Ririko jumped a little, looking up on reflex and accidentally meeting Uraume's eyes. They were a plum-blossoms pink, pointed in the corners but still deceptively wide and youthful. Fitting really, their entire person reflected in them: innocent-seeming with a childlike figure hiding their biting yet equally pristine demeanour.
Ririko ducked her head down again, shaking it silently in reply.
Uraume seemed properly satisfied then by this, murmuring a very soft 'good girl' that Ririko was sure she wasn't supposed to hear. They considered her carefully once more, eyes boring into her forehead.
It was nowhere near loving or affectionate in any kind of way, but still praise nonetheless that she felt her cheeks flush at and mouth try to pull into a gleeful smile. Uraume murmured again, quieter, the words Ririko picked up on 'smart' and 'dutiful' which only made her flush more.
It must have been extremely hot in the room...
Uraume left the knife by the sink, then pattered right to Ririkos side, making her jump embarrassingly. She met their eyes unexpectedly and suddenly they seemed the slightest bit softer. Ririko didn't think they could look that way, that an expression like that was one they knew how to make. As Uraume looked deeply into her eyes she wondered if they were even conscious they were making it.
"You will taste the meal prepared for Sukuna-sama to make sure it is up to standard."
Uraume looked intently up at Ririko and she felt an urge to ask them what their age really was. They looked so perfectly childlike then, they knew well that their food was up to standard, likely that no others could compare or be to Sukuna-sama's taste, but it this was their way of showing their appreciation or perhaps rewarding Ririko in their own roundabout way.
Ririko blinked, realising that she had been spoken too and had then stayed silent for far too long. She smiled shyly, feeling that traitorous flush rise to her cheeks once more.
"I'd be honoured to."