Izeno's POV:

"Izeno-sama... this place is... it's so spacious and beautiful...!"

Lily breathed, and her eyes widened with excitement and amazement. 

"It has an overwhelming elegance and novelty that I've never seen before... It's so majestic and perfectly fits the noble image of Izeno-sama!" 

Outside my room, we went into the other room of the castle, showing the place around while I was accompanying Lily.

She was staring at one of the walls in particular. 

The walls had been made to look like an open window into another world, a bottomless, dark, swirling, and glowing pattern. It had also been colored with white linings as far as the eyes could see without touching it.

In fact, the otherworldly design were all lined up along both sides from floor to ceiling, giving off a feeling of being inside something larger than life itself. 

A light shone through them somewhere deep within, illuminating everything around its borders, making for quite a sight when you first saw it.

The room wasn't completely empty either—it was filled with furniture fit enough for royalty: couches, chairs, tables, beds, desks… All kinds of things would make any noble feel right at home.

How should I say it... Yep, my room is the only odd one above the rest. The difference is like hell and heaven; one would think it's like they entered Shangri-La after exiting my room.

"Hmmph, right. This will be your room from now on."

Lily kept asking me where the bedroom was and insisted that I had to be in an ordinary room, unlike the one where my throne was... an empty black room.

I didn't know what she meant by "ordinary," but it sounded like a euphemism for something else. 

"M-My room...? Are we not going to share a bed? I don't want to! Izeno-sama, your room is my room, okay? Okay, let's go to our room."

Lily said as she started walking down the large hallway with her hands behind her. She seemed excited about it all of a sudden, but I wasn't sure what exactly made this so exciting for her...

She said it very quickly, with her face red as she tried to run away from me—but then suddenly stopped short.

I'm sure Lily would have been happy with this arrangement if she'd known how much trouble it could cause her later down the road. As a servant of an unknown being, she will need a personal workplace to build her character...

In the first place, there is not even a single valid reason for me to share the same room with her. I don't need to sleep, nor do I have the needs of a human to keep living...  

"Lily."

"I-I-Izeno-sama!?"

It can't be helped. Lily will need the information about me as a member with the same interests. It will help her make the best use of it in being my servant.

...

"Remember this... My sole existence... is to become the unknown that draws everything from the dark, fall as a shadow into the void of darkness, and rise as obscurity from the deepest depths of the never-ending abyss."  

"Izeno-sama..."

"If every world thinks that light is the only thing it needs, I will become the darkness that will remove that illumination... So... Lily, will you follow me on this path of becoming one with the nothingness?"

I spoke in a mysterious tone that seemed to echo throughout every corner of the room and made me sound like some sort of sage or mystic. The words I'd spoken were actually those written by a mysterious guy named Alaric D'Cannith back in Japan. Still, those words resonated better coming out of my mouth than when he wrote them down for himself.

I felt like an actor playing some part—a role with no natural substance or meaning beyond its superficial nature. 

Lily's eyes widened at my words—as though she was shocked by something I had said. With no hesitation or reservation whatsoever, she nodded vigorously at once upon hearing those words. She had no choice but to do so if she was going along for what would come next. 

She's like an obedient little girl who has been told what to do by someone like a slavemaster.

"Yes! My body has been waiting for your orders since long ago—as though something had awakened within it at last! Izeno-sama, whatever your purposes and wishes are, they are also my dearest desires! I will be by your side if you want to create a world where you can rule it yourself."

She was not afraid even if she had to walk along a road without stars or moonlight nearby. Rather than fear for herself, she felt something akin to excitement instead.

"Then follow me, let your existence be void and dark as an abyss, and let the world know you stand on the top from the shadows."

I said it like a shadow with a deep voice. The blackness of its form was like it had no soul or heart, just empty darkness that stood in front of her without any purpose but to guide her way into oblivion.

"Are you saying you want to be together forever?!" 

Lily asked as if asking for clarification on my statement. She sounded excited by the prospect even more than when we were talking in my empty room.

Her voice grew hoarse with emotion; her eyes were shining in tears of joy. It seemed like some sort of madness that could only exist inside someone else's head... 

Her lips parted in delight upon hearing me speak those words. Her eyes glowed with anticipation of what might happen next. 

This girl is an odd one. It's not like what I was expecting at all from her... She gives off the feeling of something like love and affection... Is she really that happy working with me? I guess this hobby of mine is truly amazing, then.

Anyway, I should give her something to symbolize our current master-servant relationship.

Maybe a little token to show my gratitude for being such good company...? But no—it has to be the best item in existence...

Something so valuable would make even the most hardened warrior cry: 'How did you get your hands on that?!' or something along those lines. 

A thing only someone as powerful as myself could possibly obtain! And if possible, also something that can't easily be replicated by other people.

I guess a ring with a black hole emblem made of TBH...? Perfect, a servant wearing a ring sounds like a secret organization's specialty, a symbol of existence.

Yep, it's a black hole ring!

I raised my black hands as if holding something. The next moment, my hands started to manifest a faint glow and materialize a small, black, distorting box. 

"Lily, take this."

I threw the box at Lily.

"A-a... Box? What is it?"

Lily was confused for an instant but then realized that this wasn't anything strange at all—it seemed obvious after thinking about it. The shape resembled a jeweler's display case where you could put extremely precious jewelry.

I couldn't blame her. I would be equally confused if someone gave me something so valuable and important as a gift without telling me what they were giving me beforehand.

The black box is a unique ring case for the ring whenever she decides to not wear it or place it whenever she doesn't feel like wearing it.

Lily had been looking up at me before, but she quickly lowered her eyes again upon seeing the box in her hands.

She looked down and thought hard while I watched over her with great interest. 

I'm sure plenty of people would be happy if they got something so beautiful as a present from their bosses.

"Take off the lid and open it. It's yours now."

I said with all seriousness that she could hear it even through her shock of surprise.

Lily opened the lid without hesitation to find a single black gleaming ring with a pitch-dark ball on the top, radiating weird and intense energy. She stared into its depths like someone who'd seen something they couldn't believe their own eyes might see when gazing at such things.

Then Lily looked back at me once more as if having regained some composure or perhaps realizing how strange this situation was. 

"W-What is this...?" 

Her voice trembled slightly from being so close to tears for reasons I didn't understand.

She wasn't crying yet—she must have realized what she needed to do first. But then, why did she look away? Why hadn't she taken out the ring already instead of staring into those dark depths?

"It's a ring, a symbol of our bond and existence."

I had no idea whether that answer would be enough, but it seemed right somehow. It sounded better than "it looks cool," which all my mind could come up with in terms of explanation.

I spoke in my usual mysterious tone but still felt somewhat troubled by her reaction. And just like last time, I felt an odd sense of unease upon seeing Lily take hold of the ring right next few steps away from me.

I could also feel it in my body. You get that cold feeling after holding your breath underwater before going under again. The same kind of chill that had run down my spine upon seeing Lily's face right now.

Her face brightened, and her cheeks turned bright red in an instant upon hearing my answer. 

She was blushing so hard that she looked like a tomato, in ecstasy, ready to burst open at any moment. The sight of this made my body shiver in goosebumps. 

"H-Husband-sama...! I love you! I love you! I love you! I love you very much...!!!"

She said with a big smile on her beautiful lips as she looked at the ground while holding back tears of joy—she was so adorable that it hurt to look directly into those eyes. She was so happy that she couldn't even speak properly anymore, but the way she smiled made up for any lack of eloquence on her part.

She was smiling broadly now with a look that could have been described as dreamy or probably even innocent. As if not for the fact she had just declared her undying affection towards someone who didn't exist before this moment.

Anyway, as a boss... I'm so happy that she liked it. Good grief, she's a perfect example of what a servant should be. And yet still, more servants will come later on; it'll only get better and better from here onwards! 

It'd be great if all future servants were like this one too! No doubt they would be very popular indeed among everyone else around them.

It makes me want to pat myself on the back and say, "Well done!"

And to think she liked being the servant of someone such as myself to the point of crying early in this stage, just how good the development is!

"Good. I'll be expecting great things from you from now and then."

Lily then hurriedly wore the black hole ring on her ring finger as if she had been waiting for this day to arrive from the day she came into this world. It's as though it were a sign that she was ready to surrender her very existence, her everything. 

"Yes! I love you! My husband-sama!"

It's a little weird for her to say it so enthusiastically like this, but she does seem happy about the gift. Something doesn't feel right. But I must be imagining things, I guess.

"I see... do you really love that ring that much?"

"Yes! I love you! My husband-sama!"

"Oh...? You mean, you are so astonished about my power?"

"Yes!! I love you very, very much! My husband-sama!"

That's the first time she said it like a statement instead of an answer to my question. And her tone was different too; not as high pitched or bubbly but more mature and serious somehow? What does this mean for me...?

It does feel like something might have been wrong with me back then if my reaction was so mild compared to how it felt now.

...

"I understand. You couldn't say it in other words because of how kind I am towards you."

"Yes!!! Let's make love and have a lot of children! I love you so much, my husband-sama!"

"Hmm... you are mistak— "

"Yes!!! We will live happily ever after!!!"

...

SO IT WAS LIKE THAT AFTER ALL!!! 

She was taking my intentions the wrong way! I ignored it until now, but how did it come to this? What am I missing here!?

Is something else in her mind that doesn't make me look like a monster!? Why doesn't she understand these things are simple and clear-cut as they appear??? 

"Lily. It seems like you misunderstood something. Listen, I just told you my purpose, didn't I? I'm not doing this for you but for my own."

"What are you saying now, husband-sama? We are going to be together forever! You don't have to act like that. I love you from the bottom of my heart!"

Lily's eyes were sparkling with tears as she spoke in a voice full of passion and conviction. She was getting more and more worked up as she spoke; her face turned redder by the second.

"I want to become your wife more than anything else... and ...I'll do anything for you... so... I want you to love me as much back as I do for you too..."

Her voice was trembling with emotion, but her eyes were sparkling like stars in a night sky. It took all of my willpower not to fall apart at this sight.

"You're the first man who ever made me feel this way... and I'm not just saying it because of that only; there's something about you that makes me know how wonderful life is when someone loves you like this—it really does make everything better somehow—"

I still don't understand how she came to like me, but I guess I made a wrong impression in front of her... I should be careful in my methods when dealing with other people from now on.

To be honest, I love the idea of someone genuinely liking me as a person of the opposite sex, though how should I say it... it feels weird. I don't know, but it's probably because I'm a black hole now and have lived for billions of years in a dark space.

Well, anyway, I would be more than happy to take her as my woman if I were still a human... But unfortunately, that isn't possible anymore—or is it?

I won't even bat an eye about marrying her back in Japan because she looks too perfect for a wife material... The one that will share your dreams and is a devoted woman... A woman with the ideal body proportions... I can't ask for more!

But I wonder... if we were just born in the same world back then, would she feel like just now? Will she be able to say the same to me? Of course not. 

Everything resulted from my extreme luck getting involved in an absurd space cataclysm.

My main goal is to put my dreams into realization, and it's happening right now. But after thinking about it, I felt like I was missing the other desires I had back when I was still alive.

I haven't felt that kind of feeling for a while now... My first love is Mireille-san... but maybe I can bring back my forgotten youth with Lily...?

After all, she will be accompanying me and staying by my side, so it might not be a bad idea to take her officially as my woman...

If possible, then why not? It would be nice if there was some way for her to experience more than what life here could offer, so that might make it easier to get along well enough with each other. 

I've been indulging myself in my own fantasies that I even forget about my desire for romance...

But it's true that it is so hard not to be lonely sometimes when you're alone and bored to death with no one around who understands your needs or cares enough to try. 

Well, I guess that settles it. If that makes Lily happy being with me, I'll try my best to include her alongside me in my fantasy world. As long as she doesn't mind having billions of years old black hole as her man.

I want to experience what it means to love and be loved too. The feeling of warmth from someone's arms when I wake up every morning and see her smile at my silliness during a moment where nothing else matters but for two people alone.

I stared at her in silence until finally, I nodded my stiff black head slowly up and down. 

"I told you to call me Izeno, didn't I? Lily, my wife, was it?"

"Yes...!!! Please love and treat me well, Izeno-sama~!♡"

She couldn't help but blush. Lily's smile and how she spoke made her sound like a young girl who had just been asked out on her first date. Her eyes sparkled like two emerald-green stars shining down from heaven above.

It almost looked like the goddess of love was standing in front of me instead. One that would surely make anyone fall head over heels for her. If this is what being loved by someone truly felt like, then maybe everyone should have their own personal deity or something.

Well, now that it comes to this... I have to make changes to my plans...

 

✩✩✩✩✩

 

Outside Izeno's Castle

"Can you see it?"

Lily asked me to show her around more outside. We are currently floating in the middle of the air outside the castle to take the chance of looking at the beautiful view of nature and the metropolis-size castle fortress.

"Izeno-sama... this place looks so different from what I imagined; it's huge! A king such as yourself befits this place! And this world has so many things that people cannot even imagine! You made such a wonderful world!"

Lily says with her eyes wide open as if seeing something unbelievable for the first time ever. She looks up into a clear blue sky with fluffy white clouds drifting by, which makes it hard for one to see if there are any stars or not. 

"This place has such a nice atmosphere. It's so peaceful..."

The sight we see from above looks like something out of a fantasy movie or an anime. The castle fortress glitters with many bright colors, fitting an image of a transcendental creator.

It's hard not to get lost staring out into this vast sea of land below as it stretches endlessly before my eyes. Still, there aren't any signs or presence of humans or other humanoid lifeforms living nearby. 

"To think I'll live in a world where I can be with Izeno-sama alone..."

The words escape from the corner of her lips unbidden, and she giggles like an excited child who just got their favorite toy back after being away for so long. 

A smile slowly spreads across the face of Lily, who has been silent for much longer than she should have. It is impossible for such an expression to come from her lips without some ulterior motive behind it—but then again, perhaps I am just being too suspicious and cynical about things?

"Let's go back inside the castle. I will discuss my plans for the future with you."

"Yes!"

The next moment, the scenery instantly changed from blue skies into that empty black room, or should I say my room?

I immediately went to sit down on my throne and looked at Lily, who was standing a few steps away from me.

"Lily... We will go on a trip to another world."

"...!" 

Her eyes widened in shock as she stared blankly for some time before finally speaking up. 

The look of shock in her eyes didn't leave for several seconds after she heard what I said; then, it turned into something else entirely. Her lips moved slightly as if whispering words under her breath.

"A-A date with Izeno-sama in another world...?"

I had a particular destination in mind, a place where I could start leaving a trace of my existence. 

Yes, I plan to go to a world where I can have fun... I want to spend my time in another world, living in the abyss as I exercise my power on its surface. 

A place where I will also be able to do whatever I please there, and I don't need to worry about anyone's opinion or feelings.

Before that, I have to give Lily sufficient power so she can independently move around even without me...

"It's something like that. Anyway, you shall have power beyond belief, a force that will define your standing in every world..."

"Power...?"

A black mist suddenly started to envelop Lily, swallowing her whole figure. It was as if the dark fog had swallowed up all light from this place and made it pitch-black once more—a sign of how manacing she would be after being released. The darkness slowly faded away into nothingness until everything could finally be seen again.

A dark aura starts emanating from the mist as if it were giving birth to an unknown entity inside herself. It looked pretty terrifying and intimidating for someone who had never seen this before. 

She was still inside the cloud of darkness, but it looked as though she had disappeared from this world altogether; only then did my eyes adjust and see her slightly floating above the floor with a faint blue light shining on her head.

The next moment, it was gone—only this time with a faint purple aura surrounding her, an aura of dark purple light surrounding Lily from head to toe.

Her white set attire is now pulsating in dark colors. Yet, there's no sign that it has changed into anything else aside from the color and the ominous aura it exudes. 

Her eyes became purple from emerald-green color. They also glow with an intense light, making them seem like a pair of mirrors reflecting the darkness inside her soul. 

The light of her green irises is still visible. Still, they're surrounded by a thick layer of blackness with hints of reds here and there, as if she were looking at something far beyond our reach.

The sight could really fit her the name of a black lily.

"I-Izeno-sama... I feel weird, but at the same time, I feel like I can destroy anything..."

"Just think of anything you wanted to do, destroying things or creating one, anything. You don't have to worry about holding back or getting carried away. You can do as you wish with that power. And you will need that later in our trip."

"Izeno-sama... I don't think I need this power because I'm with you... After all, you are my husband-sama."

"Let it not matter what happens to you because no one will ever see or hear anything that could identify you. Let the living beings think there is nothing behind this mask but emptiness; they cannot imagine how many lies are hidden beneath its surface. They'll never find out how deep the well goes until their heads are stuck down into its depths."

"I understand... I will follow you, Izeno-sama. I, as your wife, will use this power for your cause."

"Good. But if you want to turn yourself into your normal appearance, just like back then, you can think of that thought, and you will return normally. I guess I prefer if you look just like before."

"I-Izeno-sama!!! You loved my normal appearance!?"

Lily cried out in surprise, her face turning bright red.

Lily suddenly transformed into her old self; the young lady's face became more beautiful than ever. She was so pretty she looked like a doll. Lily had always been a lovely woman from the very start. But now it seemed like there were even some divine features in her eyes.

"Mhm. You look even more beautiful than usual. Anyway... We will go on a trip a day or two after I set the proper preparations in its place. And I guess I have to turn into a human form for now. I can't go around facing people around with this form."

Now that I think of it, I never thought of making my body human for a while now. I was just thinking about setting the stage where I can become the person I want to be.

"I-Izeno-sama's human form!? Does that mean we can finally...?"

Lily looked at me, her eyes glistening as she smiled. Her lips were slightly parted, and it was hard not to be drawn by them; they seemed like they'd taste honey if you touched them.

In the next moment, my black hole form suddenly violently glitches in the space, making the space that my body occupies suffer in irregularity. The flesh started to form out of thin air. And started to create a familiar figure.

A tall and pretty built body took my consciousness into it. Afterward, I could feel my former body again, like back when I was still a human. My legs were moving alone as if they had been waiting for this day. As soon as my feet touched the ground, I instantly felt relief; I felt at home again.

My current body is wearing my usual casual clothing when I am at home reading manga... This isn't just any ordinary clothes but a dark set made of light material that feels soft to touch on top with long sleeves below. 

How nostalgic... It feels so nice to wear something comfortable after so long... I haven't felt like being a human until now since I became a black hole...

Lily stares at me so hard; it's as if I'm a fascinating creature.

"Izeno-sama!!!"

Lily suddenly ran towards me and kissed me on my lips like a wild animal in heat. She grabbed my hands; her eyes were sparkling with excitement as she looked into mine.

"Wait! Lily, back off for a second!"

"S-Sorry! Forgive me, Izeno-sama! I just couldn't control myself! Please don't hate me!"

Strange... What's with this feeling..? I'm feeling so conscious around Lily, just like I am when I think about Mireille-san in the past... This is nothing compared to when I'm in my black hole form. I feel like an entirely different person!

My heart pounded excitedly at having such an attractive woman look upon me so lovingly from a distance. I could see a hint of the shapely body underneath her clothes, too—it wasn't something I should have been noticing right now, but there it was. 

She had a sweet scent about her, too—like candy or something similar. 

The lost desires when I was a human suddenly resurfaced. The feelings of intense lust and abominable greed overwhelm my existence as if I became a different person just now.

No way... my human senses are gone for so long that I don't know how my body should react. My body responded with an almost uncontrollable desire for hers.

I can suddenly feel my tower rising up.

"Let me relieve you out of your misery, husband-sama! It's my duty as your wife, after all!"

I could see her desire in those beautiful green irises. I had no doubt about that; the thought made my heart skip a beat in excitement. 

"N-No... I will just return to my black hole form..."

"No! That won't do!"

I didn't know whether the lust in my heart had made its way into Lily's mind or if she genuinely felt this way from a purely physical standpoint. Still, there was no doubt about what came next either way.

I lost my reasoning, and my hands reached out toward Lily without thinking about it.

Ah~ ^_^

I gave in to the temptation. I guess the day won't end quickly for Lily...