Blood, Jealousy, and Farewell
Cardistella Moon Night and Beatrice turned their heads sharply away, refusing to meet each other's eyes as they openly displayed their displeasure. The two women rejected one another with considerable hostility. Between them, Neromeltia—who had managed to prevent their animosity from erupting into outright combat—held her head as though a headache were forming.
Lusteria, who had been happily gathering and eating bread and cookies without any idea what was happening, had bits of chocolate and cream smeared around her mouth. She asked innocently, her tone perfectly calm.
"Did something happen?"
"Just a small argument. Nothing important. More importantly, was the bread good?"
"Yes!! The croissants, beer bread, cream, mocha, chocolate, and baguettes were all amazing!! The berry jam cream cake and donut set prepared for dessert were the best too!!!"
Neromeltia pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped Lusteria's mouth, much like a parent tending to a child. She skillfully changed the subject in response to the question, and Lusteria excitedly began describing everything she had tasted. Watching the succubus's innocent expression made Neromeltia's throbbing head feel strangely warm and at ease.
Reluctant to drag Lusteria into this messy quarrel, Neromeltia decided on another approach.
"Head Butler."
"Yes. You called, my lord?"
"I heard there are vampires in this castle who never sleep. What exactly do they do?"
"All minor tasks such as cleaning and laundry are handled by us servants. Since Crimson Castle has had no external affairs for a thousand years, their duty has been to hone their strength in preparation for any possible human attack."
"Good. Summon them all. My secretary will give them the future plans and orders."
The skeleton head butler bowed deeply in utmost respect at the Demon Lord's solemn command, then left the banquet hall to relay the urgent order to the other servants.
Lusteria, still bewildered by the sudden development, gazed at Neromeltia. Neromeltia smiled gently and stroked her hair.
"Lusteria, you can handle this, right? We have to leave soon, so make sure they understand our plans and can act accordingly."
"I can do it! I'll make sure to uphold your dignity as well!"
"Good. My secretary is quite capable."
Delighted by her master's praise and the affectionate touch, Lusteria beamed and threw herself into Neromeltia's arms. When a servant arrived to guide her, she bowed politely and departed.
Once Lusteria was gone, Neromeltia turned back to the two women at the heart of the problem. The atmosphere between them remained explosive. In the brief moment Neromeltia had been speaking with Lusteria, they had resumed their silent battle of nerves. The two glared at each other as though sparks might fly, each looking ready to devour the other.
Beatrice, shorter than Cardistella, looked down at her with a mocking gaze and deliberately squeezed her own breasts—an obvious display aimed at the flat-chested vampire. Though no sound escaped, her lips moved to form the words "flat chest." Cardistella looked ready to explode again.
At that moment, Neromeltia spoke quietly but firmly, stopping them both.
"Beatrice. Why are you angry with Cardistella?"
With Neromeltia calmly inserting herself between them, Cardistella barely managed to suppress the fury that had been about to erupt. Neromeltia's question was precise, striking at the root of the conflict. Beatrice appeared perfectly composed while teasing the flat-chested Cardistella, yet she was clearly furious, and this quarrel stemmed directly from that anger.
"First Blood, Origin Vampire, Blood Empress—those titles are all well and good. However, no matter how illustrious those epithets may be, Lady Cardistella is still merely a vassal to my lord. She is a clear subordinate bound by contract. The Empress of Fresh Blood, you say? My lord is the Goddess of Luina."
Beatrice continued her sharp, blade-like criticism in a calm yet cutting tone. Even compared to her usual businesslike demeanor, a distinct chill radiated from her now. If Cardistella expressed her rage like a blazing volcano, Beatrice expressed hers like a frozen mountain peak—cold and merciless.
"Do you truly believe it is acceptable for a mere vassal to sink her fangs into her master's body? To leave holes in my lord's beautiful breasts and suck out her precious blood—is that truly something a subordinate should do? Are all vampires such slaves to desire that they cannot even control their instincts and must wound their own master?"
"Haa……"
The root of the problem was Cardistella's act of blood-sucking. Neromeltia allowing Cardistella to feed had been something the two of them had done regularly from the time they became precious friends and lovers until a thousand years ago. Because the act had always occurred only during their most intimate moments of whispering love, it was an unfamiliar sight to Beatrice. The loyal maid had interpreted the blood-sucking she witnessed for the first time as an act of disloyalty that harmed her master.
In truth, Neromeltia regarded the permission to feed as a form of foreplay—an act to satisfy Cardistella's desires and awaken her instincts before they whispered love on those secret nights—so it had never bothered her. Cardistella, too, after drinking Neromeltia's Luina-rich blood, would be swept into extreme ecstasy that heightened her sensitivity and numbed her reason. For her, blood-sucking had always been a familiar prelude before embracing Neromeltia.
Neromeltia's deep sigh came from frustration at how to untangle this stubborn knot of misunderstanding.
"First of all, it isn't the kind of act Beatrice is imagining. I permitted it because I wanted it, and a wound like that is a trivial matter to me. We've simply done this often, treating it on the same level as a kiss."
"That still does not make it justifiable. How can an act that mars my lord's precious body and causes her pain ever be permitted? Is this the arrogance that comes from being called an empress?"
As expected, Beatrice remained uncompromising. In the end, Neromeltia had to recount the intimate nights she had once shared with Cardistella in detail before Beatrice could finally be convinced. What had begun as an explanation to justify the blood-sucking gradually shifted, with Beatrice asking all manner of questions about the specific kinds of intercourse they had engaged in. It was one of the rare moments when the usually composed Neromeltia flushed with embarrassment, while Cardistella's face turned bright red and she kept her head bowed low, looking as though she might burst if touched.
Beatrice wore the same expression she had shown while secretly reading the erotic novels she had found in Neromeltia's old room safe during the days when the Demon Lord Castle still existed. Sometimes her eyes widened, sometimes her eyebrows twitched, sometimes she furrowed her brow, and sometimes she nodded. The colorful reactions from someone who normally maintained a strictly businesslike demeanor proved just how deeply absorbed she was in the story.
After hearing everything, Beatrice closed her eyes calmly, a faint smile appearing on her face that was rarely seen. The quiet satisfaction was unmistakable beneath that composed expression.
"I understand for now. However, there may come moments in the future when I fail to understand again."
"…Don't lie so brazenly……"
It was obvious that Beatrice had understood everything from the beginning but had pretended not to so she could hear more of the story. Moreover, her skill in breaking Neromeltia's resolve to speak only about the blood-sucking and cleverly extracting details about their intimate acts through seemingly logical arguments was extraordinary. After listening to the kind of story that greatly interested her and feeling satisfied, Beatrice's remark about "occasionally failing to understand" was clearly a playful hint that she wanted to hear such stories again in the future.
Beatrice was the winner.
The tense atmosphere in the banquet hall, filled with a complicated mix of emotions, was broken when Lusteria returned energetically. Neromeltia, who had been drained and embarrassed, instantly regained her energy upon seeing Lusteria rush over and throw herself into her arms—an entirely natural reaction to the succubus's cuteness and liveliness.
Time passed quickly as they listened to Lusteria proudly recount what she had accomplished, completely unaware of the storm that had just passed.
"It's time for us to go. It's a shame, but……"
"Eh… Eeeh…? G-going…? Wh-where…?"
Neromeltia made her farewell clear, while Cardistella stammered, desperately pretending not to notice. Cardistella had naturally assumed that after finally reuniting after so long, Neromeltia would at least stay one night at Crimson Castle. She was visibly flustered to see them preparing to leave even as deep night approached.
"It's already late… Won't you stay the night? Please?"
"I'm sorry, Cardistella. The Demon Lord Castle is still being rebuilt from ruins, so there are many deficiencies. There are urgent matters that need immediate attention."
"I'll come with you! I'll follow and help!"
"You have to protect your own people. If a dragon suddenly appears, you're the only one in Crimson Castle who can stop it."
At Neromeltia's logical words, Cardistella had no choice but to fall silent. There were so many things she wanted to do after meeting again after a thousand years, yet having to part so soon felt unbearable. However, among those who had driven Neromeltia to death a thousand years ago was the blue dragon Kerdihak, along with the heroes empowered by the Divine King Odborg. Now that the faith-sealing barrier around Crimson Castle had been broken, the situation was unstable—dragons or gods could appear at any moment.
"I'll find a way to secure blood for the sleeping vassals. And I'll move to the Demon Lord Castle as soon as possible……. You won't arrive later than me, will you?"
"Understood. I'll finish things as quickly as possible and welcome you grandly at the Demon Lord Castle."
Cardistella's lips trembled pitifully, unable to continue speaking. Neromeltia pressed a deep, affectionate kiss to them before stepping out onto the banquet hall balcony and taking flight. The group disappeared into the night sky.
Cardistella waved weakly after them, her face nearly tearful with the sorrow of parting. As their figures grew smaller in the distance, Beatrice suddenly returned and floated to a stop in front of her.
"You must have wanted to spend a hot, passionate night together. How disappointing for you."
"Are you mocking me!?"
Cardistella flared up at Beatrice's sudden jab at her sore spot. Beatrice, however, remained unfazed by the vampire's threatening anger and calmly got to the point.
"We are heading to the Decastras Mountains in the east to procure building materials. It seems Lady Cardistella has business in the south."
"What do you mean?"
"Due to the severe pollution in Terraris, humans seem unable to approach even this northern region. However, given their technological capabilities, their reach will likely extend to the central part of the Astaris continent. They will do anything to capture the remaining non-human races as slaves. And human slave traders are something the high-ranking vampires of Crimson Castle can handle without Lady Cardistella needing to step in personally, correct?"
It was an exceptionally shrewd piece of advice. Though phrased indirectly, Cardistella was no fool and understood its true meaning immediately. For someone who had been unable to leave Crimson Castle for so long, this information was invaluable—a decisive suggestion that would shape her future actions. By dispatching high-ranking vampires to capture human slave traders and their private soldiers, she could solve the blood supply problem while also rescuing other non-human races from their grasp.
Beatrice smiled at the brightening Cardistella, her expression pure and sincere.
"Then I wish you luck."
With that brief farewell, Beatrice flew off toward her waiting master and quickly vanished. Cardistella watched her go with gratitude until she disappeared from sight.
Once Neromeltia's group was completely out of view, Cardistella turned back toward the banquet hall with a proud expression and addressed her servants.
"Summon all the awake vampires! Immediately! It's time to work!!"
At the empress's powerful command, the servants bowed their heads and scattered in perfect order to carry out the order. A cruel smile spread across Cardistella's face, so fierce it bordered on madness. Her long-slit lips revealed sharp fangs that gradually took on a blood-red hue. The pupils of her crimson eyes contracted eerily, and the terrifying gleam within them evoked the stench of blood.
"Filthy humans…… I'll drag every last one of you here and turn you into machines that bleed for the rest of your lives! Living a life of exploitation without even being allowed to die—that is the punishment you will bear!!"