Chapter 14
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Yuria's Devotion
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Blood.
Ian's blood is sweet.
Better than any wine, with a texture that glides down the throat so smoothly and a subtle flavor worth savoring in the mouth before swallowing.
The warmth felt from the body tightly embraced, and the pheromones that make her head spin.
When he taps her back or strokes her hair, her mind and body find peace.
His hand occasionally wandering to her chest startled her a little, but she would permit it for his sake, any time.
She could give him everything.
He had staked his life for her.
Everything, everything—whatever was his was hers, and she was his.
'...I love you. Ian.'
...
And so, the next day.
Ian's low voice filtering through the crack in the door.
-And... I quite like Yuria.
Just like that day. Her heart pounded as if it would burst.
He was hiding her as always.
Protecting her trembling body from fear.
Even for the crime of touching the Knight Captain's daughter, he was trying to cover up her sin.
For Yuria, who was experiencing the feeling of loving someone for the first time in her life, every word from his mouth echoed deeply in her mind.
To Yuria, Ian was the man who had saved her—someone who had been prepared to end her own life—and bestowed upon her an irreplaceable grace unlike anyone else she had ever met.
She liked him, and
liked him, and
liked him, liked him, liked him, liked him, liked him, liked him, liked him, liked him, liked him, liked him,
Ian. Ian. Ian.
An existence she must protect, absolutely, no matter what.
Since that day, Yuria's mind had been filled entirely with Ian's voice.
In the birdsong she heard every morning upon waking,
while wiping windows and dishes,
even when occasionally yielding a piece of bread to a fellow maid,
everything overlapped with Ian.
Yet it didn't feel bad at all.
"...Hee hee."
Lately, Yuria smiled more often.
Not just because he had embraced her that morning and let her drink her fill of blood.
-Yuria is the maid I favor the most.
Those words she had secretly overheard outside his door yesterday lingered unforgettable.
The more they overlapped in her mind, the more her hair swayed gently.
In her mind, Ian was more than the greatest hero.
That was why, even while being scolded by the Head Maid under confinement, she could maintain a blank expression.
Her mind was already filled only with Ian's dashing figure from yesterday.
She was utterly lovestruck.
...
Before she knew it, evening had arrived.
She stared blankly at the setting sun, gazing at her reflection in the window.
"...Ian."
It felt like it melted away the screams of her family that echoed in her head every day.
Mornings brought more smiles. It felt as if color had been painted onto her previously black-and-white, expressionless world.
That embrace, the day she first drank the blood of someone she loved.
...There was a superstition among vampires that if a vampire drinks human blood and falls in love, they would never forget it for a thousand years. She wondered if this wasn't that curse-like love, but it sounded too absurd, so she shook her head.
On her way to the Master's room.
Recalling how Ian had protected her time and again, Yuria lowered her gaze slightly.
In her hands was soup for Ian to eat.
Gulp. Her throat bobbed.
Human food didn't suit her taste. Yet the reason saliva gathered was something else.
The desire to become one with him, even briefly, was devouring Yuria's reason.
"...Just in case there's poison... in case, Ian. Ian...."
She slyly stuck out her pink tongue.
Slurp.
"Hnn..."
A maid putting her mouth to her master's food— even if to check for poison, it was irreverent. Yet why did it feel so good?
The soup ladle entered her remaining vision.
The instinct to put the spoon in her mouth, suck on it, leave traces of saliva boiled within her.
Yuria's senses were more acute than others. The ecstasy from her first blood-drinking—equivalent to a vampire's coming-of-age rite—was pleasure comparable to a human's 'that,' amplified further by sharing it with her beloved. It was no wonder she was addicted to such pleasure.
The clear soup reflected the face of the beautiful maiden.
As the sticky thread snapped, her reason returned briefly.
She considered putting her mouth to the ladle too, but she was already at the door, so she held back and knocked.
"????? An incredible achievement. Final Boss - Yuria's favorability has risen to 60!!"
Reward: ???
This reward will be granted when Yuria's favorability reaches the (Affection) rank.
"????? An incredible achievement. Final Boss - Yuria's favorability has risen to 65!!"
Reward: ???
This reward will be granted when Yuria's favorability reaches the (Affection) rank.
...But seriously, how high does this go?
I hadn't done anything special, yet ever since that incident, Yuria's favorability kept rising strangely even when I did nothing.
The behaviors of those I occasionally ran into around the mansion—no more cold stares; they kept avoiding my eyes or slipping away.
"What on earth are they thinking..."
Today too, I worried idly if she'd leave food at my door with a note saying 'Enjoy your meal' and flee.
Perfectly timed, Yuria came to my room.
Which was good, since I needed to keep her away from the threat of the first incident in this novel anyway.
....
The official banquet.
A feast held to commemorate Britna Carman's return to the mansion.
Various high vassals working around Carman, as well as members working in the territory, attended. As mentioned before, even commoner merchants with some fame on the continent, nobles akin to relatives from other territories, the Knight Captain, Vice-Captain, and so on. Befitting the Britna name, quite a crowd gathered.
'In truth, some among them were attending to target Carman, Dillon, and others' necks.'
The banquet spanned two days.
Thus, even the logistics warehouse, head chef, butlers, and lowly maids worked frantically. That was the atmosphere lately—so hectic that Yuria seemed to have four bodies, juggling multiple tasks.
They even joked she was treated like a work machine and paid for five people.
The reason for such diligence was a mystery, but at least she hoped not to be suspected as a vampire.
However, among the assassination targets in this mansion, a few were unlikely candidates.
For example, me, Ian—not directly depicted in the novel. Since there's no mention of my death here, the highest probability is that I stay holed up in my room like a dead rat, setting up future plot threads.
In short, the way not to die is to stay put.
It made perfect sense, in a way.
I wasn't at my time to die yet, following the original sequence.
I wondered how the original story's atmosphere had changed since the vampire incident emerged, but it probably hadn't shifted much.
No room for complacency, though. Quests and demerit instant-death judgments had flown at me more than once or twice.
Besides, I had someone to protect; staying put wasn't an option.
Around the Britna family table sat several high nobles.
Rachel gave Dillon indifferent praise and awkward smiles, while Kane busied himself elsewhere currying favor with merchants.
Carman exchanged curt 'I see' with Rachel's remarks.
Clearly, their marriage would be one of cold, lonely nights.
Thus, in the reduced space, only Rachel and I remained.
Black hair, golden eyes. A beauty I could barely meet eyes with even through a hologram in my past life elegantly speared her steak with a fork and glanced at me.
A rising smile and affectionate gaze.
Her black hair falling to her shoulders, tucked behind her ear as she smiled—it reminded me of when she transformed into the Ice Palace Lord.
'She was beautiful then too.'
I hadn't known the cold beauty was that cold beauty.
Honestly, imagining my mother truly angry was hard.
Even seriously pondering it, no image came.
Recalling her coldly crushing a bandit's head came to mind, but it ended with Rachel smiling.
Just her lonely figure, occasionally wearing a wistful expression as she ate her steak.
Such thoughts confirmed Rachel's place for me.
Always gentle with me.
A woman who smiled no matter what I did and listened to my stories first.
Confessing now, when I calculated I might be assassinated, real confusion hit.
Honestly, I was zero as a schemer who clearly planned, executed, and calculated every variable.
It was natural.
With killers coming to end me, memorize and wait? While clutching two lives to save.
I pretend to be smart, but fear most things.
Knowing doesn't mean handling everything.
I'm scared. Will the patchwork plan from my head's theoretical simulations and predictions work without practice?
There would surely be variables. Yuria was one such.
And whenever Yuria grew important in my mind, I recalled arguing with Carman.
'I was scared even of that.'
Now, could I handle the sharp blades aimed at me, far worse?
Most ordinary people think simply in their heads, but facing it, they'd understand it's different.
Even thinking 'Why can't they do it?'—on stage, they'd act the same.
And then, it happened.
"...Ian? Ian."
"..."
"Wake up. Ian, I'm calling you."
"..."
"Ian!"
Deep in plotting and mental simulations,
my vision sinking into a dark tunnel was snapped awake by Rachel's voice.
"Ah, yes. Mother. What is it..."
"What were you thinking that you didn't answer even after I called five times? Is going outside that tiring...? I'm sorry, it feels like you forced yourself to join my stubbornness."
Come to think of it, Rachel and I were alone outside in the chilly night air. I'd been too lost in memories.
"No, I needed some fresh air myself."
"Hee hee, yes. I'm grateful just for you making excuses with me. I was curious what you were pondering so deeply even when I called right beside you."
"..."
"Hard to talk about? If it's something needing this Ice Palace Lord's wisdom or might, speak freely—I'll stand as your steadfast ally anytime."
Rachel exuded an aura like she'd immediately join my side and blast the mansion with ice magic.
For a married woman, it was adorably cute, drawing a chuckle.
But the laugh didn't show outwardly.
Her eyes meeting mine were too sincere.
I couldn't bear to reveal it.
"...I was just pondering this Magic Formula matter."
"Is that so? Then it's fine. Sorry for worrying needlessly."
Rachel's final smile was...
pitiable.