Chapter 6
Getting rid of drunkards is my specialty.
With my three years of experience working at an inn, I could tell at a glance that this drunk was the troublesome type. If I left him alone, he'd only get in the way, so it was best to deal with him quickly.
“That child... is Lillith's daughter?”
D muttered blankly.
Feeling that this was my chance, I lifted the hem of my skirt slightly and greeted him.
“Hello, Sir D. My name is Ella. If you don't mind, would you become my guardian?”
“My guardian?”
“Yes. I'm looking for a guardian right now. I believe someone as fair and honorable as you is someone I can trust and rely on.”
I smiled brightly like a well-behaved child.
D frowned.
“You knocked my friend unconscious just now, and now you're asking me to become your guardian?”
“But you didn't stop me either, Sir D. Didn't you also think your friend was being a little too noisy?”
At my words, D burst into laughter.
After laughing for quite a while, he cleared his throat.
“If all you wanted was a guardian, I'd gladly accept. But I don't think that's all you're after.”
How did he know?
I flinched, feeling as though he had read my mind.
D smiled as if he found my reaction adorable and turned to Shion.
“Mage. Do you have any proof that she is Lillith's daughter?”
“I do not. However, I heard that Lady Lillith entrusted a certain token to you, Sir D.”
At Shion's answer, D nodded and opened his right hand.
A snake-shaped bracelet appeared in his palm.
The silver snake was exquisitely crafted down to every scale, and a red gemstone was set into its eyes.
“Ella, this is something Lillith entrusted to me. If you are truly her daughter, wearing it will cause no problems. But if you are lying, you will pay a terrible price. Will you still try it?”
Without a word, I held out my hand.
The moment I accepted the bracelet, it suddenly began to squirm.
In an instant, it transformed into a silver snake and sank its fangs into my arm.
But my A+ Stamina meant my skin simply bounced its teeth away.
The snake tried biting me a few more times, looking increasingly flustered.
Finally, it drooped in defeat and turned back into a bracelet.
It fit my wrist perfectly, as though it had been made just for me.
I stared at it blankly.
So... does this mean I'm really her daughter or not?
I looked to D for an answer.
But he looked just as bewildered as I was.
“Normally, it confirms blood relations by tasting the person's blood...”
“...”
The snake couldn't even pierce my skin.
I glared at the useless snake.
“Then... does that mean my mother doesn't acknowledge me?”
“No. The bracelet transformed, so it must have acknowledged you.”
Isn't this a little too sloppy for a blood test?
Unlike my dumbfounded self, D smiled gently.
“Ella, I was your mother Lillith's friend. I'll give you that bracelet. I'm sure Lillith would have wanted you to have it.”
I gently stroked the bracelet that was now mine.
Knowing it had belonged to my mother made me feel strangely emotional.
“Sir D... I actually don't know who my mother is. Today was the first time I'd ever heard her name.”
“What?”
Startled, D turned toward Shion.
Shion shamelessly shrugged.
...Right.
I hadn't expected anything from you anyway.
“Could you tell me who my parents are? And what they're doing now?”
At my question, D let out a sigh and stood up.
“Come with me. There's something I want to show you.”
D led us to a large hall on the first floor.
Dozens of paintings hung along the walls.
I quickly realized they all depicted the same person.
At the very end of the hall hung an enormous portrait that covered the entire wall.
The woman in the painting was breathtakingly beautiful.
Stars glittered among her flowing black hair, and a moon floated above the hands folded before her chest.
Wrapped in a pure white chiton, she looked almost divine.
Yet her eyes were a terrifying crimson.
“This is your mother, Lillith. She was His Majesty the Emperor's twin sister, the co-ruler of the Empire, and the guardian deity who protected the nation. You should be proud to be her daughter.”
The co-ruler of the Empire.
The Shadow Emperor, Lillith.
According to D, she was my mother.
She doesn't look anything like me.
She possessed a sharp beauty like the edge of a sword.
Her hawk-like eyes carried an overwhelming pressure.
“Lillith was an extraordinary person. While she lived, no one dared challenge the authority of the Imperial Family.”
But nine years ago, news spread that Lillith had died heroically while fighting during a rebellion on the border.
“I don't know what truly happened to Lillith, nor do I know where your father is. I'm sorry I can't help you.”
The Empire's guardian deity.
Officially, she had died during a rebellion.
Yet in reality, she had survived and even given birth to a half-vampire daughter.
If the truth became known, it would cause an enormous scandal.
Isn't the Emperor going to hunt me down and kill me?
The only thought filling my mind was that I was doomed.
Needing confirmation, I asked,
“...Sir D. Is it possible for me to be acknowledged as an Imperial Princess?”
“Hmm... That would be difficult. His Majesty is unlikely to acknowledge a dhampir niece.”
After an awkward cough, D gently patted my shoulder.
“Don't worry. Even if you aren't recognized as a princess, I'll protect and care for you for the rest of your life.”
But I couldn't back down here.
If I didn't become an Imperial Princess, I'd die anyway.
“Sir D, thank you for your kindness. But the reason I came here... is because I want to live.”
“You want to live?”
“Because I'm going to die soon. The only way to prevent that is for me to become the Empire's princess.”
“My child... do you even understand what you're saying?”
D seemed to think I had lost my mind from the shock.
I smiled at him.
“Sir D, I'm proposing a deal.”
“A deal?”
“Help me be recognized as an Imperial Princess.”
“In return... I'll give you the cure for Moonlight Syndrome.”
The vampires in The Blood King were divided into seven bloodlines.
Each possessed its own unique powers and weaknesses.
The weakness of D's bloodline was Moonlight Syndrome.
Whenever the full moon rose, they lost their reason and went berserk.
Because of that curse, D's bloodline had long been mocked and despised as beasts.
“...You can cure Moonlight Syndrome?”
“I can't erase it completely. But if you take the medicine, you won't suffer from its agony.”
I repeated what I knew from the original story.
D's crimson eyes shook as though struck by an earthquake.
“Ella... can you take responsibility for those words? If you're lying, tell me now. I'll forgive you.”
An overwhelming pressure poured from D's body.
I had expected this reaction.
Without hesitation, I answered,
“I swear in the name of the Supreme God, Lil, that every word I have spoken is true.”
Lil, the God of the Moon and Darkness.
The creator of vampires.
An oath sworn in her name carried immense weight.
Personally, it meant little to me since I didn't believe in Lil.
But it seemed to affect D deeply.
Just then—
“You really are a troublesome person.”
White threads suddenly shot through the air and wrapped tightly around my body.
They were incredibly soft yet impossibly strong, just like a spider's web.
The next moment, I was yanked backward.
I fell straight into Shion's arms.
Holding me tightly as I hung there wrapped like a cocoon, Shion spoke firmly.
“Sir D, I'm sorry, but let's pretend this deal never happened.”
What?!
Startled, I tried to protest.
But the spider silk slid over my mouth and sealed it shut.
“What do you mean by that?”
Caught off guard, D frowned.
Shion looked at him with eyes as cold as ice.
“How shameless. Are you really trying to obtain the cure to your bloodline's curse by offering nothing more than becoming her guardian?”
“...”
“Her Highness is still a child. She spoke carelessly. Forget what she said.”
Shion turned and began walking toward the entrance of the hall.
Unable to let him leave, D hurriedly stepped in front of him.
“Mage, state your terms. What exactly do you want?”
Shion stared silently at him before answering.
“Absolute obedience.”
The icy contempt in his voice made D freeze.
“You and your entire bloodline...”
“...will become dogs that obey every single word she says.”
