Chapter 182: A Gift of a Ring
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 182: A Gift of a Ring
“Sister Elize, how did you come to be captured?”
Inside the carriage.
Having secretly finalized the slave contract with Elize, we were on our way to the Holy Kingdom.
Lucas addressed Elize with a gentle smile brimming with kindness. He lightly took her hand and stroked the back of it.
A faint, white light shimmered. A quick glance told me it was divine power.
It seemed to have a calming effect on the mind and body, but every time the high priest’s pure divine power seeped into her, the corners of Elize’s mouth twitched minutely.
Even for a vampire, being half-clergy probably gave her some resistance, but it must have still stung quite a bit.
“And so, the assailants broke in… sob.”
Elize skillfully wove her web of lies.
Her pitiful story brought tears to Lucas’s eyes.
“You’ve been through so much.”
“Yes…”
Clearly uncomfortable with the clergy, Elize struggled to manage her expression.
“You don’t have to worry anymore. Lord Ordo will watch over you.”
“Ah…”
“Is something wrong?”
“No. It’s just… I’m so happy. Wow…”
“Haha, I’m glad to hear you’re happy. It was worth spending a fortune to save you.”
As I chimed in, Elize’s head whipped around at a startling speed. Her red eyes left a murderous, blood-red afterimage.
She glared at me from an angle Lucas couldn’t see, but I simply met her gaze and shrugged.
Well, you’re the one who said you were happy.
Who told you to go around deceiving people?
The thought of living among the clergy in a vampire’s body must be making her feel just ecstatic. It was like an ant walking right into an antlion’s pit.
This was going to be quite nerve-wracking for her.
*
“Oh. So this is…”
We had finally arrived in the Holy Kingdom of Kassilon.
Since we were with the high priest Lucas, Elize and I didn't require a separate inspection. Otherwise, it would have cost a pretty penny, but it was all part of the plan.
The holy land of the faithful.
If I had to describe the sight of the Holy Kingdom in one word, it would be…
‘A chessboard?’
The main streets were a chessboard.
The buildings alternated between white and black.
Obsessive balance freaks.
They had even balanced the colors of the city.
Being here reminded me of an Easter egg. There was a flawed spot where a white building followed another white one, breaking the black-and-white pattern.
The moment you noticed it, it became as distracting as reading a sentence like, ‘You are now aware of the air coming out of your nose when you breathe,’ or ‘You are now conscious of whether you’re blinking naturally or putting too much effort into it.’
Those vicious developers.
Fortunately, the clothes of the people walking around were as colorful as in any other city. Most were followers of the Church, but there were ordinary tourists as well.
“Shall we go, Sister? I will escort you to the convent.”
“Yes…”
Guided by Lucas, we arrived at the convent. Nuns in outfits identical to Elize’s were walking about.
A real nun’s habit isn't form-fitting enough to reveal one's figure, nor does it expose the legs, and it certainly doesn't involve full-body tights or garter belts.
An inconvenient truth.
A red pill I didn't want to swallow.
But this was a fantasy world.
For the sake of satisfying user needs, historical accuracy was blithely ignored. And thus, the truly “proper” nuns were born.
Shameless outfits that supposedly emphasized purity.
A beautiful harmony born from the ultimate contrast.
Now this is what I’m talking about.
This is why I travel.
While I was busy admiring the view, Lucas finished his conversation with an elderly woman who appeared to be the Mother Superior.
“I’ve explained the situation. If Sister Elize wishes, she can continue her work as a nun here, just as before.”
“Huhu, I appreciate your kindness, but a convent in the Holy Kingdom… It’s too much for someone like me…”
“This is a wonderful opportunity, Elize. You’ve made it big.”
A thin line formed on Elize’s lips. But nowhere else on her face was she smiling.
She stared at me like that. Having done nothing wrong, I simply met her gaze with a smile of my own.
In the end, Elize was the first to back down.
“…I will be in your care.”
Lucas watched her with a pleased expression.
“It seems my role here is done, so I shall take my leave. If you need anything, please come find me at the Hall of Healing. I will do my best to make time for you.”
“Understood.”
“May all be set right when Order is established.”
After murmuring a concise prayer, Lucas departed.
“I’ll be on my way as well.”
“You too?”
I had nothing to do for the time being.
“We’ll be seeing each other again soon.”
*
Elize’s adjustment to the convent went smoothly.
She would wake at the crack of dawn to compose herself and prepare for worship. She centered her mind through prayer, meditation, and reading the holy scriptures.
In the morning, she assisted the other nuns with preparations for rituals and served lunch to the children at the orphanage run by the Holy Kingdom.
In the afternoon, she was supposed to provide aid where needed, but as a newcomer, she was exempt.
In the evening, there was worship once again.
She would end her day by sharing her thoughts on the day’s work with the other nuns and chatting before bed.
The life of an ordinary nun.
She hid her distinctively long vampire ears with magic. Sunlight didn’t bother her, and she was unfazed by the sight of a cross. Though, a stake through the heart would kill her.
‘A stake through the heart would kill a human, too, you know.’
In essence, she was a vampire, but as long as she didn't use her vampiric powers, there was no reason for her to be discovered.
She was exceptionally beautiful and always wore a gentle smile, which made her popular with the children. As a once-promising nun-in-training, she was also familiar with the duties. She was already being hailed as a talented individual among the other nuns.
And so, Elize lived happily ever after as a nun.
“Haaa…”
Of course, that wasn't how the story went.
For one, she was living far too virtuously.
Before coming here, she had slept and eaten as she pleased in a quiet country village, but the convent was mercilessly strict.
On top of that, even if Elize was a nun who could wield divine power, the fact remained that she was a vampire.
The vampiric bloodthirst.
Elize, too, needed to drink blood periodically.
But she had never once drunk it, for the simple reason that she found it disgusting. Her personal preference was stronger than her vampiric nature.
Thus, Elize suppressed her bloodthirst by drinking milk instead. Since she wasn't a pure-blood vampire, that was enough.
There was milk here, too, but the freshness was on a completely different level. Before, she used to carry around freshly squeezed milk from a dairy farm in the next village.
But now, that was impossible. Milk that had been collected, processed, and stored was bound to lose its freshness. Such milk was not enough to suppress her urges.
‘What should I do?’
She had some time for now, but she couldn't be optimistic.
This was Kassilon, the heart of the Church.
The slightest slip-up could lead to disaster.
Flying would make travel instantaneous.
Should I look for a cow in a nearby village?
“Hmm…”
Then, a certain person suddenly popped into Elize’s mind.
It was Karami.
‘He said we’d meet again soon.’
He’d turned her into a slave, and yet days had passed without him showing his face.
She didn't know what strange scheme he was plotting, but Karami knew she was a vampire.
If so, wouldn't he have some idea of her current situation?
She knew his location.
She could feel the origin point of the shackle not too far away.
Fwoosh!
In an instant, Elize's form changed.
She was no longer human, but a small bat.
Elize soared into the night sky.
*
The finest inn in Kassilon.
Karami had brazenly taken over an ultra-luxurious room typically reserved for foreign royalty or high-ranking nobles.
He was engrossed in a book, popping bite-sized pieces of cheese made from cow's milk into his mouth and sipping expensive wine.
If there was one thing he never compromised on, it was comfort and food.
‘This is the last leg of the journey anyway.’
I should spend lavishly. Anything left over will just go to waste.
For the first time in a while, he was enjoying a quiet moment, unburdened by anything.
Tap, tap, tap.
It was then that he heard a tapping on the window.
Karami’s room was on the third floor.
Logically, it was impossible for someone to be knocking on his window, but Karami wasn't surprised. As if he'd been expecting it, he leisurely opened the window.
Outside, Elize was hovering, her back slightly hunched as she flapped her wings.
“May I come in?”
“Of course. Please do.”
Elize entered the room.
Her wings folded away with a flutter.
She strolled around the room, taking it all in.
“You’re staying in quite a nice place. With fine wine and food, no less. And here I am, locked away in a convent.”
“Locked away? If a nun isn't in a convent, where else would she be?”
Elize quickly formed an assessment of the man named Karami.
He was a man who had mastered the art of getting on people's nerves with his glib remarks. If you listened to his plausible-sounding words, you'd find yourself swept up in them before you knew it.
“Care for a glass? Ah, but you're a nun. Is alcohol forbidden?”
He was doing it again.
It was like he was just toying with her.
I can't let myself get swept away.
Taking a deep breath to compose herself, she smiled sweetly.
“I’d love one.”
She wasn't that devout a nun. A little drinking was fine.
Elize reached for a chair to pull it out—
Thunk.
—but Karami slid it out for her with his foot.
Wink.☆
“A gentleman's touch.”
“……”
Don't get swept up… I can't get swept up in this.
“Heehee, thank you.”
Elize managed to maintain her smile as she sat down.
Karami took out another glass and poured the wine. He pushed the glass, filled with a purplish-red liquid, toward her. Elize took a sip with an elegant gesture.
After moistening her mouth with the sweet wine, she brought up the topic.
“What are you going to do with me? Do you plan to kill me, too?”
“Of course not. I've never stained my hands with another's blood.”
“I suppose you're just going to watch as the clergy burns me at the stake.”
“Such negative thinking is bad for your health. Let's dream of a happy future together.”
Karami held out his glass.
Elize lowered her gaze to stare at it.
“A happy future. I do hope I’m included in it. Please.”
Ting~
The two clinked their glasses and drank again.
“So, what brings you to me in the middle of the night?”
“I need fresh milk. Without it, I can't suppress my vampiric urges.”
“Could it be…”
“I'm talking about cow's milk, you see~ Not yours. A tiny little amount like that wouldn't do a thing for me.”
Elize cut him off sharply before Karami could say anything more.
He'd wanted to make that joke at least once.
Karami licked his lips, disappointed.
“Don’t most just drink blood?”
“Why would I drink someone else’s disgusting blood? Not when there’s perfectly good milk.”
“An eminently correct statement. Though not one I’d expect from a vampire.”
Elize knew nothing about what kind of person Karami was, why he had enslaved her, or how much he knew about her.
But letting herself be pushed around was not in her nature.
“You will cooperate. If my identity is discovered, you won't get away unscathed either.”
“Why is that?”
“Because I'll reveal that you knew I was a vampire and hid it.”
Those who colluded with witches, vampires, or heretics were punished together.
In other words, Karami and Elize were in the same boat.
Karami let out a dry laugh at her confident attitude, so unbecoming of a slave.
“Very well. That won't be difficult. I don't have any milk, but as luck would have it, I happen to have something good on hand.”
Karami pulled a small, crimson box from inside his coat.
While it was hard to guess the contents of a box before opening it, this one had a particular shape that made it easy to surmise.
It looked just like a ring case.
“…Excuse me?”
As if opening a clamshell, Karami opened the box. Inside, just as she’d suspected, was a black ring set with a red gem.
The very ring a certain princess of a winter kingdom had secretly been hoping for.
He held it out to Elize.
“This is my sincere heart, which I offer to you. Will you accept it?”