The Promise of the Blood-Red Full Moon
In front of the fountain dyed red, the Blood Ghost King, who had been biting the princess's neck amid waves of blood, lifted its head. A grotesque smile spread across its lips as blood dripped in droplets.
"No!"
Elyssis, arriving late at the promised meeting place, swung her sword like lightning... In an instant, the Blood Ghost King's body split in two, scattering into red dust with a scream.
"Princess...! Please hold on!"
But the princess's skin was already as pale as snow, and her frail heart no longer beat.
"...Ah, ah... No, no..."
Elyssis's face crumpled in despair as she cradled the fallen princess in her lap.
"!"
At that moment, the princess's closed eyelids slowly opened.
"..."
Eyes reflecting the moonlight.
"...Princess!"
But they were no longer hers. Under the blood-red full moon, her pupils were dyed the same crimson as the dead Blood Ghost King's.
"...A cliffhanger?! How can you end it here! What happened? What happened to the princess!? She's not dead, right!?"
I flipped through the pages eagerly for what came next, but I couldn't deny that it was the last page of the book.
"...Ugh... Maybe Sister Vanessa has the next volume?"
I glanced at the clock and realized it was already lunchtime.
"Gasp!"
I hurried to the dining hall.
......
After getting my food and entering the hall, I spotted Marie, who had arrived first and was eating alone. I approached her, sat down next to her, and spoke first.
"How's your body feeling?"
"...My body?"
Marie tilted her head.
"Earlier, you looked a bit off. You okay now?"
"...Oh, ah... haha, yeah, I was just a little flustered earlier..."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, I'm fine now."
Marie looked embarrassed and averted her gaze, but her face wasn't red like before, and she didn't seem particularly strange.
"Good, that's a relief."
I smiled faintly in reassurance.
"But Teresa... are you really okay? Last time and this time too, your clothes were totally shredded, but how are you completely fine?"
Marie looked at me with worried eyes, her voice tinged with lingering suspicion.
"...Well, uh... I mean, I got hurt pretty bad, but maybe Sister Vanessa healed me? Ha, haha..."
"Hmm, that's weird... No matter what, healing serious injuries that quickly—and so perfectly—isn't easy at all."
"Uh, um... Well, Sister Vanessa's healing magic must be amazing..."
"No, that's not it. Sister Vanessa herself said she has no talent for healing magic."
Maybe it was my imagination, but Marie's gaze seemed a bit sharper today.
"Oh, right~ I actually wanted to ask you something, Marie."
"Me?"
I subtly changed the subject.
"You know a lot about Sister Vanessa, right?"
"Not really... but she's pretty famous around the monastery."
Fortunately, I succeeded in diverting her attention.
Since I had the chance, I decided to ask the questions I'd been curious about.
"Sister Vanessa... she's not your typical nun, is she?"
"Typical nun? What do you mean?"
Marie floated a question mark over her head.
"I mean, usually, priests in battle... they specialize in healing or support from the back, right? Instead of fighting directly?"
"Yeah, usually."
"But yesterday, the way I saw her... she was super strong, and she seemed really used to close combat."
Marie finally understood and nodded.
"Oh, that. That's because Sister Vanessa is a battle priest."
"Battle priest?"
"Yeah, and among them, she's an Inquisitor—one of the elite positions that only the best in the Holy Order can hold."
Hearing "Inquisitor" made the cold, ruthless side she showed yesterday click into place.
...No wonder she was so scary.
Was it guilt? Honestly, she had been a little frightening yesterday.
......
After lunch, I parted ways with Marie and headed straight to the garden.
Sister Vanessa was sitting on the bench reading a book, as usual.
Today, it was the holy scriptures.
I approached her slowly.
In the serene garden, with her serious expression as she turned the pages of the scriptures, anyone would see her as nothing but a devout nun.
"Mmm..."
The sunlight illuminated her pure features, making her profile look almost holy for a moment.
If you just look at her like this... you'd totally believe she's the perfect nun...
But I knew better. What she was really reading wasn't the scriptures... but something else hidden inside.
For one thing... the holy book was upside down.
"..."
I looked around; luckily, no one else was in the garden.
"You're here? Wait a sec. I'm almost done."
Without taking her eyes off the scriptures?, she spoke first.
"Okay."
I quietly sat beside her and waited until she finished.
I could have peeked inside by tilting my head, but... I didn't want to erase the possibility that she wasn't using the holy book to hide some smutty novel.
A moment later, she closed the book and turned to me.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. So, what's up?"
I handed her the book I'd brought first.
"You finished it already? How was it? Fun, right!?"
"No."
I couldn't bring myself to answer honestly.
"I see... I thought you'd definitely get its charm... What a shame."
Vanessa's eyes wavered, and deep disappointment settled on her downturned lips.
But soon, she gazed at me quietly... and a faint smile played on her lips.
"Hmm... Looks like you didn't just come to return the book. Something you want to say?"
I nodded and carefully opened my mouth.
"How much do you know about me, Sister?"
"You mean about how you were in the Al Sar cult against your will?"
"Besides that."
I gathered my thoughts and continued.
"What I went through in the cult, why they targeted me, the mark on my chest, and so on... You know something, don't you?"
Vanessa closed her eyes briefly, pondered, then shook her head.
"...Honestly, I don't know much either."
"You don't?"
"Yeah. What Carlos asked me was... that you're a very special child... and to please take good care of you."
I studied her face slowly. There was no sign of her hiding or lying to me.
"Then why don't you interrogate me? Aren't you suspicious?"
She had to be suspicious. Saying she wasn't would be a lie.
But her response was unexpected.
"Do you want to be interrogated?"
Vanessa smiled, looking down at me with eyes mixed with anticipation. She seemed almost excited, like she was enjoying my reaction.
"!?"
A chill ran down my spine. It felt like she meant something else—something I didn't want to know.
"N-no... No! Not at all!"
I shook my head desperately.
"Then we're good."
I realized belatedly it was a joke, but her short, regretful sigh and the deep lingering smile made me suspect... maybe there was some truth to it.
I chatted with her a bit more, and as lunchtime was nearly over... I slowly stood up.
"Well, I'll head out first."
"Okay."
After a few steps, I suddenly stopped.
I turned back to her, hesitated, then spoke with difficulty.
"S-Sister..."
"Yeah...?"
"Um... do you have the next volume of Fallen Princess and the Secret of That Day by any chance?"
Vanessa's eyes sparkled.
"Of course. I think it goes up to volume 5."
"Volume 5?!"
Four more volumes? My heart fluttered for some reason.
"Wait here. I'll grab them quick."
In the end, I returned to the infirmary with volumes 2, 3, 4, and 5 of Fallen Princess and the Secret of That Day from her.
"Hehehehe..."
Excited, I sat on the bed to read right away, but I felt like I'd crossed a line I shouldn't have.
"Ugh..."
But my hands were already turning the pages, and my eyes were scanning the first lines.
......
The princess's eyes blazed like fire. Her fingertips touched Elyssis's shoulder, her lips drew near, but her sharp fangs halted just before the nape of her neck.
"Stop... Princess, please stop."
Her voice trembled low, yet shone cold as moonlight.
"I see. You still refuse me. Very well."
In that instant, the princess stole Elyssis's lips.
"!?"
"I'll let it go at this today. I'm curious how far you can hold out. Remember—you can refuse all you want... but you're already mine. I'll come again on the night the next full moon rises. Then, even you won't be able to refuse me."
With a whisper, the princess vanished like the wind.
"...Princess."
Elyssis, left behind, felt the lingering tension that had nearly stopped her breath, immersed in the scent and red fragrance the princess had left.
In the end... I binged all five volumes straight through.
When I came to, night had already deepened.
Whew...
I stopped my hands, gripped by guilt for a moment, but an inexplicable satisfaction and thrill overwhelmed my heart.
"...I'll come again on the night the next full moon rises..."
I glanced out the window, and there in the sky hung a moon nearly full.
"Ah~ A full moon..."
The beauty of the full moon mixed with the emotions from the novel, filling my chest with a deep fullness.
It felt like... my sensibilities were growing richer.
"...Huh?"
Then, suddenly, a strange feeling hit me—like I'd forgotten something important.