A Stimulating Reward
“Phew… I’m exhausted.”
“Are you very tired, Your Highness?”
“Yes, terribly so. It feels like forever since I spent so much time wandering about outside… It’s worn me out completely.”
“We certainly covered a lot of ground today. We traveled by carriage, but even that wasn’t exactly restful the entire way.”
It was only after the sun had fully set and night had blanketed the grounds that Cecilia and I finally returned to the dormitory, having concluded our packed schedule. To think we had departed just before lunch.
“Yaaawn… Still, the food they served was delightful course by course, so I was quite pleased.”
“It was delicious. Honestly, far better than most of the restaurants around the academy.”
“Fufu, quite true.”
Cecilia had spent so much time outside today that the moment we stepped into the dorm, she collapsed flat onto the sofa. Thinking back on it… we must have spent around seven hours out there.
After having lunch at the detached villa, we visited the boutique Elizabeth frequented, dropped by various high-end specialty shops, stopped at a church, and more… We truly worked our way through a dizzying itinerary. In the end, we even had dinner together at Elizabeth’s earnest invitation.
“Honestly, at first I wondered what possessed her to invite me out. But it wasn’t bad at all. The dress shop was wonderful, and she pointed out places that source rare delicacies. Her advice was genuinely useful.”
“Ah, that’s true.”
“It will certainly prove helpful during our time at the academy.”
“Indeed. When she made that sudden overture to Your Highness, I was a little worried… but it turned out completely harmless. Quite surprising, really.”
“Mmm… yes, indeed.”
Truth be told, Elizabeth’s guidance had been remarkably pleasant. It was undeniably helpful to both Cecilia and me. While she had seemed slightly confrontational in the beginning, she abandoned that demeanor entirely and guided us with sincere professionalism. And Cecilia and I simply experienced everything she had to show us. Truly, both of us had to give credit where credit was due.
“Still, running around until this hour is rather exhausting.”
“We were out for a long time, after all. Whenever we weren’t in the carriage, we were either standing or walking indoors.”
Well, after spending such an eventful day out, fatigue was only natural. Seeing Cecilia this limp and drained was entirely understandable. Even ordinary academy classes routinely sapped her stamina, so spending nearly the entire day outside until nightfall would inevitably take its toll.
“Serena, bring me some coffee… No, wait. It’s late. Just fetch something warm to drink.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“And bring along a light snack while you’re at it.”
“Would the confections Lady Oro gifted today be acceptable?”
“Suit yourself.”
Regardless of her exhaustion, it was the weekend, and tomorrow was still Sunday, meaning there was no need to go to sleep immediately. Besides, for an indoor person like Cecilia, wanting a brief moment of quiet relaxation was completely natural.
“Here you are, Your Highness. Green tea and the treats the young lady gifted.”
“Mmm… you brought them quickly.”
Though seeing her stretch lazily on the couch, I doubted she would finish everything before dozing off. Even so, Cecilia sat up and demurely accepted what I had brought. She had already changed into loungewear, washed her face, and brushed her teeth upon returning, but she could always brush them again before bed. Above all, Cecilia was someone who detested feeling untidy.
In any case, while I stood quietly lost in thought, Cecilia simply relaxed on the sofa, savoring the refreshments. She made no unnecessary movements, merely nibbling quietly on the sweets and taking gentle sips of her green tea.
“…Serena.”
In the quiet, Cecilia suddenly called out to me. Obediently, I stepped closer, wondering what she needed.
“Come to think of it, you did well today.”
“Pardon?”
“Both when the young lady gifted you that dress, and everything before and after. You performed admirably today.”
“Ah… no, it was nothing. Assisting Your Highness is my duty. I merely did what was expected of me.”
“Even so, it doesn’t change the fact that you handled yourself splendidly.”
Her sudden praise caught me completely off guard. Cecilia complimenting me? That Cecilia? Bewildered by the unexpected warmth, I tilted my head and stared at her.
“I mean it. You did great. I’ll make sure to speak with the attendants so a bonus is added to your next salary.”
“A-Ah, no, please! A bonus?! I never did anything with that in mind, I was just doing my job, wasn’t I…? That was all.”
“Nonsense. Your salary wouldn’t even amount to half of the allowance I receive anyway.”
“Even so…”
How could I put it? I was already living in Cecilia’s private dormitory suite, and practically all my living expenses were covered directly by her purse. Was it right for me to take even more money? Setting aside my affiliation with the assassin guild, I was already receiving proper wages as her maid and bodyguard. Accepting a bonus for something this minor weighed heavily on my conscience, so I persistently declined her offer.
“…Tsk.”
“I’m sorry…”
“…How irritating. Here I am offering a bonus along with praise, and my own maid refuses to take it. Ridiculous.”
“U-Um… I apologize…”
“Impudent, as always.”
“……”
Well, she wasn’t wrong. But I really didn’t want to take it.
“Tsk. Come over here, then.”
“…Yes.”
Since I kept turning down the gold, she gestured for me to come closer to the sofa where she sat. Just like the other day, and more and more often lately… For some reason, she was calling me to sit beside her on the sofa with increasing regularity, and the tension of it was intensely stimulating. …It made me feel like some sort of pervert, but there was no denying that her breathtaking beauty made my heart thump wildly without my permission.
“Since you insist on refusing money, I have no choice.”
“……?”
“Come now, closer to my side.”
“…Your Highness?”
Wait. This… This feels…
Eerily reminiscent of what happened before.
“Bite me. Drink as much blood as you want… Ah, though I might become anemic, so do keep it moderate.”
“……”
“Consider it an Imperial Princess’s reward. To a vampire, wouldn’t fresh blood be far sweeter than gold?”
Tilting her head to expose her slender, porcelain-white neck, Cecilia murmured the command. Calling this a ‘reward’ felt far too provocative—far too stimulating. Even if I turned down the coin, wasn’t this crossing an entirely different kind of line…?
She was merely baring her throat, yet my gaze was inexorably drawn to it. Right at the exact spot where my small fangs had pierced her skin before, where that warm, crimson stream had welled up. The memory of that intoxicating, luscious sweetness began to resurface, flooding my head until it clouded every single thought.
“Go on. Help yourself.”
“Ngh…”
My reason screamed that I shouldn’t… that this was wrong. Biting into a person’s neck. Sucking blood like some feral beast. I knew all too well how strange and degenerate it was, yet my body leaned in closer and closer to Cecilia—drawn irresistibly toward her delicate skin. The memory of how her blood had left me utterly dazed, as though drunk on fine wine, was still so vivid, and yet…
“Mmh…”
“Ah…”
A soft puncture, and my fangs sank lightly into Cecilia’s pristine, white throat. Instantly, the sweet warmth began to trickle into my mouth… Ah. My mind went completely blank all over again.
Night had settled over the Avelino Imperial Academy. While everyone else had finished their dinner and were spending a leisurely evening, the quiet scratching of a fountain pen echoed within a shadowy manor located outside the student dormitories. Inside a lavish study, antique desks stood piled high with books and documents beneath the brilliant light of an opulent chandelier.
“Hmm…”
The woman seated at the desk was intensely focused on a single dossier she was compiling.
Fourth child of the Emperor, and currently the sole imperial member residing at the Academy.
A dossier regarding Cecilia. The woman penning these notes was none other than the eldest daughter of Duke Oro, one of the three ducal houses of the empire, who had spent the entire day in Cecilia’s company.
“Far smarter… than anticipated.”
Elizabeth de Oro. She was organizing her thoughts while writing down personal observations regarding Cecilia, reflecting carefully on every action and statement the Third Imperial Princess had made throughout the day.
“Easily swayed by her emotions, yet by no means foolish. In fact, she possesses a keen, rational political judgment befitting royalty, alongside the innate charisma required to captivate people.”
Skritch, scratch. As her pen traced across the parchment once more, she continued to summon Cecilia’s image in her mind, blending preexisting intelligence with firsthand impressions.
“Until now, she has never appeared at political functions as an imperial princess and has not even made her formal debut in high society. Yet, for some reason, she chose to enter the Academy… Even so, she is formidable… No, she might very well prove superior to the First Prince, the legitimate eldest son widely favored as the primary heir.”
Elizabeth calmly weighed her assessment of Cecilia. There was no one else present in the dimly lit study; Elizabeth alone sat in silence, writing and letting her deductions flow.
“Hmm… And she seemed remarkably fond of that adorable maid at her side.”
As Elizabeth followed her train of thought regarding the Third Princess, the image of the silver-haired maid who always trotted dutifully behind her master on short legs drifted into her mind.
“Given her striking appearance, she is likely the descendant of a demi-human race. And someone the princess treasures dearly… Considering she has clung to the Third Princess’s side since the entrance ceremony and even shared occasional conversations with Jessica, she certainly…”
Naturally, Elizabeth’s thoughts shifted from Cecilia toward Serena. The contemplation continued deep into the night, until every last lamp across the distant merchant streets was extinguished entirely.