Eto lazily opened her eyes. She wasn't sure what time it was, nor did she care. Her dull, lifeless eyes scanned the guest bedroom she had made home. The pastel walls seemed to mock her. They should not be cheery and happy. Juuzou was gone, the whole world should be gray and somber.
She looked at the balcony doors. They were open, and dusky light poured in from outside. Naki or one of the servants must've opened the white french doors in attempt to get Eto some fresh air.
The nightstand and dressers looked untouched. There was no light coming from the large bathroom that was connected to her bedroom. Eto felt sick to her stomach.
There was a knock on the door, and it creaked open. Doe eyes peered inside.
"You can come in, Ju San," Eto mumbled.
The young servant scuffled over to Eto's bedside. She wore her hair in a loose braid, and her bangs hung into her round eyes. She wore the same simple outfit as all the other servants, and there was a concerned look on her face.
"Master Yoshimura," she said uncomfortably. "It's been two and a half weeks. You're healing slower than expected— how was your diet before you came to Master Naki's residence?"
"Don't call me 'Master Yoshimura', you can call me Eto," the injured ghoul said, closing her glassy eyes. "And I eat people."
"Well, of course you eat people… But how many people?"
Eto was quiet a few moments. With Juuzou, eating was difficult. She was forced to choke down lots of human food, and when she did get to eat meat, it was very little. "Not a lot. Ate a lot of human food."
"Oh, so that's why you're not healing quickly," Ju San said.
"Seems so," Eto muttered. Then, she began to cry.
Ju San did not seem surprised, and simply just took the other ghoul's hand in hers. She stroked Eto's hair as she sobbed.
"Eto?" a male voice said.
Naki's blond head popped in the doorway. He observed the situation, and slowly walked over.
"Thank you Ju San, you are excused," he said to the servant.
"Yes Master Naki," she said, quickly dipping her head and scurrying out of the room.
Naki sat down next to Eto on the bed.
"It's been long time since you got up," he said, tears in his eyes. "I—I'm worried about you."
"I'm fine," Eto said softly.
"No you not! No eating, just sleeping! No getting up! No talking!"
Eto sighed. "You don't understand."
Naki scooted Eto over and laid down next to her, snuggling in close against her. Eto's eyes widened a bit, surprised at this sudden gesture.
"I understand," he said, tearing running down his face. "It like when Boss Yamori died."
"It's a little different," Eto sighed.
"How?" Naki demanded, pressing even closer,
"This is my fault."
Naki said nothing. The silence continued for about five minutes, and Eto uncomfortably twisted her neck to see him. To her surprise, he had fallen asleep beside her.
He whimpered in his sleep, and Eto figured that he was dreaming about Yamori dying. She stroked his blond hair and turned her body so that they were facing each other. Eto nuzzled up against him, head against his slowly rising and falling chest. He smelled good, like a very expensive cologne. Some of his eyeshadow was smeared around his face.
The sight of this man curled up next to her brought a small smile to her face, the first one in weeks. Eto then allowed herself to drift off to sleep.
Eto awoke hours later, and that day repeated. Again and again it happened, and the half ghoul refused to leave her room. A week or so later, on the fourth week at the mansion, Naki came in, and he was not smiling.
"Eto," he said. "You need to get up and eat."
"No," Eto mumbled.
"Get up," he said in a harsh tone that made Eto flinch. He ripped the covers off of her. "Ju San is making coffee and preparing good meat. You will eat."
Eto grumbled something and pulled herself up so she sat on the edge of the bed. She went to get up, and her weak legs stumbled. She almost took a spill onto the floor, but Naki caught her.
"You okay?"
"Yeah."
"I'll help you downstairs."
Eto leaned on Naki, and they walked out of the room, down the hall, and to the top of the grand staircase. The blond ghoul carried her down the steps so she wouldn't slip. Once at the bottom, he gently set her down, and they continued into the dining room.
There were two coffees sitting at a small yet elegant circle dining table. Like a gentleman, Naki pulled out the seat for Eto, and she sat herself down. She stared blankly at the coffee in front of her.
Naki sat down across from her, and he forced a small smile. He was dressed nicely, as usual, but his face was red and puffy, as if he had been crying no more than five minutes ago. His red eyes looked tired.
"How's your shoulder?" he asked, sipping his coffee.
"It's ok," Eto said. No physical pain could measure with the mental pain.
Ju San came through large wooden doors from what Eto presumed was the kitchen. She carried two plates, both with two bloody hearts on each them. She set one down in front of Eto and one in front of Naki. She opened her mouth to say something, but Naki cut her off.
"Ju San, make yourself a dish and some coffee and join us," the blond ghoul said.
The servant's eyes widened in shock, and she stood there frozen.
Naki looked up from his meal he had begun to dig into and locked his eyes on his young servant. "You know what happens to servants who don't obey orders at once," he said coldly.
Ju San's eyes began fearful, and she hurried back into the kitchen. Eto stared at the two fresh hearts in front of her, and then at Naki, who had already demolished one.
She couldn't help but smile a little, and she began to eat. And it was delicious. Ju San soon returned. She carried her own cup of coffee, and a plate with meat scraps on it. Eto felt pity for this girl, but the servant ghoul didn't notice. Instead, she was beaming. Eto wondered if she had ever been invited to eat with her master before.
The three quickly ate their meals in silence. When they were done, Ju San got up to take the dishes, but Naki motioned for her to stay seated.
"Stay awhile," he said. "Eto, Tatara wants to know when you're coming back."
"Soon," Eto said, feeling better now.
The two older ghouls made small talk, and Ju San sat in silence, listening to their conversation.
"Shh!" she suddenly said while Naki was talking about a new suit he bought.
He looked her, astounded with her audacity to dare shush her master. "Excuse me, servant?"
"Do you hear that?" she asked, eyes wide.
"Hear what?" Eto asked. Ghouls had extraordinary hearing, rivaling the abilities of even the best hunting dogs.
"Those thump thumps," Ju San said, looking at Naki.
Everyone was silent for a minute.
"Oh, those are our heartbeats!" Eto said.
"I know," Ju San said, a disturbed look on her face.
"What's the matter then?" Naki asked.
"Count them," Ju San said, ominous expression spooking Eto.
She focused hard on her hearing. She could hear Naki's heartbeat, Ju San's also. Eto could also hear her own heartbeat. She was about to say that there was nothing wrong, but then she heard it.
A smaller heartbeat. No, two smaller heartbeats. They were going at the same pace as theirs, but the creatures they came from were small.
"Five," Naki said.
"Five," Eto said, echoing her friend's words.
Ju San turned her darkened gaze to Eto. "They're coming from you."
"Me?" Eto asked, starting to feel kind of scared.
"You have three heartbeats!" Naki said, eyes panic stricken.
"What—," Eto started to say, but Naki's antics cut her off.
"You ate two hearts!" he said, quickly standing up, slamming his hands down on the table. "They're alive inside you!"
"Naki, I don't think that's poss—."
The blond ghoul cut Eto off once again, this time by scooping her up in his arms.
"I have to get you to the nurse!" he yelled, and he ran out of the dining room and sprinted down the hall, Eto bouncing in his arms and Ju San bouncing behind.
Naki busted into the nurse's room, and Nijuhachi jumped in surprise, almost spilling the coffee she was sipping.
"Master Naki!" she said, bowing quickly. "What's the problem?"
Naki laid Eto out on a cot, and he began to explain his uneducated explanation of the multiple heartbeats with great enthusiasm.
"She ate two hearts, and now she has three heartbeats!" Naki said, waving his arms around. "They're still alive inside her!"
The nurse chuckled, and grabbed a stethoscope from her desk.
"Quiet now," she said. "I'll use this for better accuracy."
Everyone was silent for a moment, and Nijuhachi listened to Eto's multiple heartbeats.
"Well, that's an easy diagnosis," she laughed, putting away her stethoscope.
"What is it?" Naki asked, eyes wide. "Are the hearts going to kill her?"
"No, they are not going to kill her."
"The hearts she ate are alive in her?"
"No, Naki, they are not."
"Then how do you explain the heartbeats?" Naki asked, scowling and putting his hands on his hips.
"She's pregnant."