Here's the first chapter of the story. Enjoy reading!

(Disclaimer: I do not own Beelzebub.)

Chapter I

Protecting the Kingdom

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

Hilda hurriedly ran towards the source of the jingling bell. This was the tenth time today that her presence was requested...urgently. She always got annoyed with that noise since it won't stop until she reached the person who was doing it. When she opened the main door, she was instantly greeted by a blonde who was obviously irritated by her delay.

"Where have you been, Hildegarde?!" shouted the blonde. "I have been waiting here since forever!"

Technically, it had been only a minute that passed since the shouting blonde stood there. However, she liked making Hilda suffer this way thus the urgency.

"I was doing the laundry" Hilda tried to reason away her delay, "that your mother instructed me to fin-"

"I didn't told you to speak up!" Yolda suddenly interrupted her. "It was your fault for not coming here immediately."

A vein popped on Hilda's head obviously annoyed by the tone Yolda addressed her. Yet somehow she managed to calmly speak again, "I told you that your mother has instruc-"

"Aren't you listening?!" shouted the other blonde, now louder. "And you have the nerve to talk back to me now? Wait until mother hears this and then you'll get punished."

Hilda stayed quiet for a moment letting her anger evaporate through her pores. Then she said, "Okay then. What is it that you want me to do, Yolda?"

"What did you call me just now?" Yolda hissed.

"I'm sorry. Yolda-SAMA." another vein popped on Hilda's head and her right eye twitched as she corrected her mistake.

"That's right. You better remember that." Yolda smiled satisfied with her answer. "Anyway, I want you to tidy up my room. I suddenly decided to change my clothes since the other one was torn at the hem. You better fixed it too. And my boots, the one with black laces, were dirty from going to town the other day when it rained. I want you to clean it and make it as shiny as the town's mailman's bald head. Do you hear me?"

Hilda sighed and nodded to Yolda's demands. The latter didn't let her passive response escape.

"What?! Is that a form of complain?"

"No, Yolda-sama", Hilda just bowed as she said it. "Everything is clear."

In her head, Hilda would ask herself why she would easily let this stupid blonde girl get in her nerves, but then again, she would also remember why.

"Good." scoffed the other blonde.

After she was dismissed, Hilda climb the stairs and walked towards the corridor that led to Yolda's room. As she opened the door, she saw different clothes, laces and stockings lying on the floor. She frowned at the sight knowing that she had just finished cleaning this room a few hours ago. She picked up each dress then sat up at the end of the soft bed. She smoothed up the wrinkles of the sheets and sighed.

Since when was the last time she had slept on this bed? Certainly, it seemed to her that it was centuries ago when in fact, it had been only for four years. This was once her room which she sought refuge whenever she couldn't or didn't want to show her grief to other people. But right now, it's been occupied by the annoying loud mouthed Yolda. She still remembered the day when her aunt Izabella and her daughters moved here. Since then, a lot of things changed which she unwillingly accepted.

Hilda was wearing her black dress. It was the last day of her father's funeral. She was still twelve years old yet she had already experienced a terrible loss at her age. After the funeral, Hilda went back to their house along with the servants. She wanted to cry again but she held it back so no more people would worry for her. She had to make an impression that she's already strong enough to take care of herself though deep inside her she's still her parents' little girl.

When they arrived at the house, an unusual sight displayed before her. At the front of their house stood four people. One was a lady wearing glasses whose piercing glare could see through you. Beside her were two girls who were about Hilda's age. One was a blonde like her and the other whose had a rather spiky short red hair. To Hilda, the adult female standing in their midst seemed to be their mother for they had the same piercing glare (though the short red haired one was a bit laid back). The other person besides the three females was a man of middle age who was holding a bag full of papers. He looked rather awkward and weak as he stood there near the three ladies. When he saw Hilda, he nervously walked towards her while waving a hand. Hilda found it ridiculous.

They were now inside the house. After a few moments of introduction, Hilda learned that the women with glasses was her aunt Izabella and the two girls, whose name's are Yolda and Sachura, her cousins. The man told her that her aunt's husband was the younger brother of her father of whom she had never heard before. It appeared that this younger brother of her father had died at sea and left her aunt with their daughters. But Hilda couldn't understand why they came so sudden without informing her. Not that it's important to her, but she knew that it was more convenient to both parties.

Her said aunt began to speak interrupting her thoughts as if she's reading them. "We heard about your parents death and we offer you our condolences. We came her as soon as we heard. But, this is not the only reason why we came here. You see when your late uncle left his home, he didn't inherited anything from his parents. So, when he died he didn't left us as much. We end up having a terrible life. And then we heard about your father, and her only daughter who would be left alone..."

Although she was still young at that time, Hilda perfectly understood where the conversation was going. She didn't like the idea of living with her aunt whom she didn't even know existed but she couldn't complain, as well, after what her aunt added.

"This man here," her aunt said as she looked at the awkward man, "came here to tell you that if no relatives or no guardian would claim you, you'd be brought to the orphanage whether you like it or not. Half of your father's fortune was already claimed by traders whom he had owed from his travel. The other half and this house were of course for you to succeed. However, the fortune won't be passed on to you unless there is a relative or a guardian who would claim you or unless you'd get married. But considering your age, the latter is impossible."

Hilda now knew what her aunt wanted and that was to succeed her father's fortune through her. If they lived with her, they'd be spared from their terrible life. She hated to think about it but her aunt rather wanted her to be grateful for their sudden visit for if they had not arrived in such a time, she'd end up in the orphanage.

Hilda felt uncomfortable at that thought. She didn't want to leave this place. Happy memories of her parents lived here. After all, it was their little castle.

"What happens to this house if nobody would claim me?" she asked.

"The kingdom would claim it", the man answered her.

"What do you mean?" asked the poor girl.

"It means that it will belong to the King and Queen."

"But the King and Queen doesn't need a small house", Hilda retorted almost crying. "They already have a castle!"

"Well, it doesn't necess-"

"Foolish girl!", butted her aunt. "It only means that it would belong to their possession and that they can do whatever they want with it."

Hilda chilled at the thought. She couldn't afford to lose this house and all the memories with it. Her mother said this was their 'kingdom' and therefore she had to protect it no matter what the cost.

"I understand now..." Hilda weakly said. "All I have to do is accept them as my relatives and let them stay here, right?"

The man was surprised but he courteously nodded. Her aunt, on the other had, raised an eyebrow at what she said.

"If this is the only way so I won't lose our kingdom," she thought, "If this the only way to keep my promise..."

"So be it." Hilda calmly said. And at that time, she looked exactly like her mother.

"What are you doing?"

A voice suddenly snapped Hilda from her thoughts. She turned and saw her aunt at the doorstep.

"Didn't I tell you to finish the laundry?" her aunt's strict voice echoed in the room.

"I was about to finish it aunt Izabella," replied Hilda, "but Yolda suddenly called for me to clean her room."

"What?!" shouted her aunt. "Haven't I told you to finish cleaning this room a few hours ago? Were you idling again?"

"No, I would never," Hilda raised her voice as she protested. "And how could I idle, when all of you-"

"Enough!" hissed her aunt. "How dare you? If you ever talk back to me like that again, I'd throw you on the streets and you will never set foot on this house again you ungrateful girl!"

To this, Hilda could do nothing but kept silent. She knew that her aunt was not joking. She also knew that it would only get annoying if she talked back again. Nevertheless, she wanted to show her aunt that she was unfazed. That's why Hilda stood there staring at her aunt with a calmer stoic face.

"That's right", her aunt continued, "You better know your place Hildegarde."

Despite hearing these words, the blonde knew deep inside her that her aunt didn't like the way she looked at her. If she could guess it correctly, the woman in front of her was more irritated and felt uneasy looking at her face. She didn't know why but it had a weird effect on her aunt as if her face reminded the older woman of something or someone. And after she would do this, her aunt would always-

"Huh!" snorted her aunt. A cold sweat dropped on the side of her temple. "Get your face out of my sight. Disappear and go somewhere else!"

Hilda did go somewhere else. Not that she obeyed what she's been told but that was what she wanted at the moment. She put on her black cape and black boots as she went outside. She took a basket with her and decided to go to the town market.

When she arrived there, she saw that too many people had gathered at the town square. She hated the sight of it so she jostled her way to reach the nearest stalls. After a few hours of window shopping and buying what she only needed, she decided to take a leisurely stroll around the town.

On her way, she deeply sighed as she thought of her relatives. Why did she end up serving her aunt and her stupid cousins for four years? Why did she not ran away when she had a lot of chance? The orphanage might prove to be a better option?

Hilda stopped and shook her head. Of course she know why she had to stay despite of how her aunt and her cousins treated her.

"I had to keep my promise no matter what", she told herself.

She started to walk again when she suddenly heard a loud shriek behind her. She turned around and saw a man sent flying towards her. She quickly thought of dodging him but it was too late. At the end, she ended up stumbling and crashing on an apple stand.

Thanks for reading. Next chapter will reveal more characters.

Please don't forget to review.