The Perverted Devotion and the Impending Feast

“Quick, quick, quick, quick, quick! Blood, blood, blood, blood!”

Outside the reception hall.

Before Levian could even fully compose herself, Iqiyah rushed forward, her impatience palpable.

She plunged her hands frantically into the basin of blood Levian had just brought. With a desperate fervor, she pulled the fresh crimson liquid from the basin.

Before the blood could even begin to coalesce into its usual tendrils, she slapped it directly onto her body, smearing it haphazardly across her skin.

“Levian, take Seraphina to change her clothes,” Iqiyah called out to Levian, who stood attentively nearby. She continued to pull at the nascent blood-tentacles on her own form. “Put her in my old black evening gown.”

“But, but that gown hasn’t been worn in years…” Levian’s voice was barely a whisper, tinged with apprehension.

“Oh, don’t fuss over such details! Time is short and the task is urgent. I certainly don’t have the leisure to craft another one for her.”

“Yes, yes, Mistress…”

Hearing the tremor in Levian’s voice, Seraphina began to piece together the likely fate of that particular evening gown.

“You wouldn’t have actually… that gown…”

“Lady Seraphina, this is a serious occasion. Please, maintain your silence!”

Before Seraphina could utter another word, Levian’s hand shot out, firm and swift, clamping over Seraphina’s mouth.

“Mmph mmph mmph mmph…!”

Seraphina started to voice her protest, but then she turned her head. Her gaze met Levian’s, which were wide with desperate entreaty.

‘Please, this is the one secret that absolutely must not reach Lady Iqiyah…!’

“Seraphina, what was that you just said?”

“N-nothing at all!”

Without waiting for Seraphina to respond, Levian quickly interjected. She then scooped Seraphina into her arms, hoisting her unceremoniously onto her shoulder.

“Lady Iqiyah, I’ll take Seraphina to change her clothes now!”

“Alright, alright then…”

****

Inside a dry, meticulously clean room within the “Church of Worshipping Lady Iqiyah.”

The lights remained off, yet Levian, guided by memory, moved directly to a glass display cabinet. With a sharp chop of her hand, she shattered the glass.

From within, she carefully retrieved a black evening gown, perfectly preserved and as pristine as new.

“If you ask me… you should be the High Priestess,” Seraphina remarked, a little awestruck by the sheer volume of “collections” surrounding them. “Compared to your absolute devotion to Lady Iqiyah, I truly feel I fall short.”

“Please don’t jest, Lady Seraphina.” Levian gave the dress a shake, then moved behind Seraphina. “You are the saint the church is blessed with only once in a millennium. Now, please lift your foot.”

As Seraphina grasped the gown’s shoulder strap, pulling it up her body, an almost imperceptible whisper reached her ears—

“Um… I have the first edition here. Would you perhaps be interested?”

“First edition?” Seraphina turned, her eyes wide with surprise, to Levian, who was now crouching behind her, zipping up the dress. “First edition of what?”

“The video, of course. Oh, you’ve been quite busy lately, so you might not be aware~”

Levian then produced a small, square glass case from her pocket. Inside, strikingly visible, was a… compact disc?

‘Wait, do CDs even exist in this world? What kind of technological progression is this?’

“You absolutely must not breathe a word of this to Lady Iqiyah,” Levian’s voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, even though they were entirely alone. “This is the footage I secretly recorded yesterday, when Lady Iqiyah was mimicking a little puppy in the restaurant.”

“Huh?” The word “video” made Seraphina’s head spin.

“Don’t look so surprised; it’s incredibly sought after!” Levian placed her hands on her hips, her nose tilting slightly upward. A look of triumphant pride, like a battle-hardened hero, graced her features. “The initial fifty copies sold out the moment they were released, and we’re already on the third reproduction!”

“Huh?”

“If you’d like… I’ll give you my personal copy.”

“I don’t need that kind of thing at all!”

“That’s true,” Levian conceded, a faint, almost wistful frown appearing on her smiling face as Seraphina refused. “After all, given your relationship with Lady Iqiyah, getting another reproduction would be utterly effortless for you, wouldn’t it…”

‘Hey, what’s with that crestfallen expression on your face!?’

Yet, despite everything… this was truly unexpected.

Watching Levian so eagerly promote the short video she had recorded, a previously taut knot of anxiety within Seraphina’s heart finally began to loosen.

‘I had thought Levian and the “Church of Worshipping Lady Iqiyah” might be displeased with me for toying with Iqiyah in such a manner.’

‘But it seems they are even more enthusiastic about witnessing Lady Iqiyah’s adorable side…’

‘This is truly a fortunate turn of events.’

“If you desire, I can increase production in the future~”

“Oh? Really? That would be an immense help!”

‘An immense help for what? To generate content for your social media?’

Seraphina offered a helpless smile, observing the incredibly excited Levian.

‘You vampires, truly each one of you is more depraved than the last…’

****

The black evening gown was breathtakingly beautiful. Layers of black lace cascaded over the bust, while a tightly cinched waist accentuated her slender figure.

A daring slit that reached the knee ensured the look wasn’t overly mature, yet the boldly exposed back and shoulders exuded an air of sophisticated adult allure. The entire ensemble was harmoniously balanced, each element complementing the next.

Aside from the delicate spaghetti straps that felt a little tight, it was an absolutely perfectly designed evening gown.

Had it been just a few days prior, before he had transformed into a girl, Shulk might have been so utterly captivated by Seraphina in this attire that he would have been rooted to the spot.

Now, she stood beside Levian, positioned before a host of maids and behind Iqiyah.

As she watched Iqiyah converse with the envoy, her demeanor graceful and her tone harmonious, an inexplicable sense of unease began to stir within her, gradually expanding.

‘I just have a feeling… something terribly amiss is about to unfold…’

“Lady Seraphina, please refrain from biting your finger.”

“Ah, ah, yes, of course.”

It was only when Levian’s gentle reminder reached her that Seraphina truly registered the extent of her own tension.

‘No, no, no, this is all wrong. It’s not her conversing with the envoy, so why this overwhelming nervousness?’

Subtly wiping the lingering stickiness from her fingers onto the hem of her skirt, Seraphina pricked her ears, intently listening to the dialogue unfolding between Iqiyah and the envoy.

“My master has entrusted me to convey his deepest apologies. He has been utterly preoccupied with affairs recently and was truly unable to come and visit…”

“Mm~ no matter, no matter. Didn’t I manage perfectly well without his presence?” Iqiyah offered a faint, knowing smile. “In fact, I rather wished he wouldn’t come at all~”

‘Sounds like nothing more than trivial family gossip…’

As Seraphina listened to Iqiyah’s veiled barbs directed at her father, the heavy weight that had settled in her heart slowly began to lift.

But then, in the very next moment—

“Young Mistress, I shall now proceed to state the primary purpose of my visit.”

At the envoy’s words, Seraphina’s heart instantly clenched.

As if struck by a sudden premonition, her breathing grew rapid, her heart hammered against her ribs, and her calves began to tremble uncontrollably like a sieve. Even her pointed ears unconsciously twitched.

“Please, do proceed, Mr. Shakarn.” Oblivious to Seraphina’s mounting tension, Iqiyah merely extended a delicate hand, gesturing for the envoy to continue.

“It is thus: I trust you are aware that in just a few days, the Blood Feast will commence—the centennial gathering of the vampires.”

“Mm-hmm.”

The Blood Feast. This was the fixed assembly held by the vampires once every century, an event all principal members of every noble family are absolutely obliged to attend.

Of course… with the notable exception of Iqiyah, the seasoned recluse. She had always sought every conceivable excuse to politely decline such meaningless social obligations.

Only this time…

“Compared to previous years, this particular Blood Feast presents no significant differences… save for one crucial detail.

“My master has instructed me to inform you that, by decree of the Royal Court Council, the designated venue for this Blood Feast…”

“Will be established at the Blood Manor.”