The Bewitching of Fourierina and Claire’s Devious Plan

“So… you were actually human before, then?”

“That’s right. I only became a vampire after the [Initial Embrace].”

“It wasn’t that little girl from last time, was it?”

“Oh, you remember her…”

On Seraphina Scarlett’s third day at the manor, the servants were astonished to discover a monumental reversal in Fourierina’s attitude towards her.

“Seraphina Scarlett, time to wake up. I’ve brought you breakfast.”

“Thank you, Miss Fourierina.”

“Seraphina Scarlett, I have the bucket. Just tell me anytime if the mop needs more water~”

“Miss Fourierina, you’re so thoughtful.”

“Seraphina Scarlett, let’s go to the dining hall together.”

“Okay, let’s go, Miss Fourierina~”

“Um…”

“What’s wrong?”

Pausing with her spoon, Seraphina Scarlett gazed at Fourierina, whose face was etched with unease. She half-expected another one of her antics.

“Nothing, it’s just that I wanted to…”

“It’s alright, please speak freely.”

“It’s just…could you…could you please not call me Fourierina?”

“?”

“Alisa…just call me Alisa. That’s my real name.”

“Alright, Miss Alisa.”

‘It seems this one is just like Fulkarn Wright, outwardly gloomy but secretly quite timid.’

“Um…just Alisa is fine. I don’t want to feel so distant from you…”

‘Not just timid, but overthinking things too, it seems.’

****

Meanwhile, at another dining table not far away.

“Good heavens…Miss Fourierina and I have worked together for two years, and only now do I learn her real name is Alisa.”

“And yet, this one, who was practically pummeled into the ground by Miss Fourierina just the day before yesterday, has her utterly captivated today. Truly worthy of a vampire, with their legendary, irresistible charm…”

The servants who had previously assaulted Seraphina Scarlett sat together, their faces clouded with suspicion, watching the two maids who were now so chummy.

“Hmph! This must be a vampire’s trick!” A butler slammed his spoon onto the table. “I’ve heard that vampires mate by sucking each other’s blood, so their bodily fluids contain aphrodisiacs…”

“Are you implying…?”

“Damn it!” The butler roared, “That rat must have used its blood to bewitch Fourierina!”

“Hold on, hold on,” another maid quickly interjected. “You’re reacting so strongly; could it be that you’re interested in Miss Fourierina?”

“Interested? What nonsense…” The butler’s face immediately flushed crimson. “I’m just worried Fourierina might be seduced by the vampire….”

“Hehehe, your face suddenly turned red, Mr. Jefferson.”

“Hehehe…you keep calling her ‘Fourierina’ so intimately. It’s obvious you…”

“Hahahahahahaha……”

The laughter spread quickly, and soon, the entire dining hall was filled with a lively atmosphere.

“Silence!” Furious, the butler abruptly stood up. “All of you, shut up! How dare you slander someone’s good name…”

“Not you, Mr. Jefferson.”

“Huh?”

Hearing someone call out to him, the butler froze instantly.

Behind him, the old maid from yesterday approached, hands on her hips, and raised an eyebrow at the butler.

“Shouting so loudly, are you trying to announce something?”

“I was just being foolish…”

“Good that you know. Report to the confinement room. You’ll be out this time tomorrow.”

“Poor guy.”

Watching the butler’s retreating back, the remaining servants chuckled amongst themselves.

“Still, I find it very strange. Miss Fourierina used to hate vampires so much…how could she do a complete 360-degree turn so suddenly?”

Naturally, the servants grew curious about Fourierina’s drastic change.

“Perhaps she really drank the blood?”

“Unlikely. From what I know of Fourierina, she’s not the type to become infatuated with someone due to carnal desires.”

“Then, there’s only one possibility.”

“This vampire…might truly be different in some way.”

****

That night.

“Seraphina Scarlett… is someone looking for you?”

“Yes, I need to leave for a bit. You should head back to the dorms first.”

“Alright…”

‘You’ve only just managed to get rid of Fourierina, Seraphina Scarlett. Don’t go and….’

She rushed towards Claire’s room.

“It seems your little friend, Miss Jiatou, still has a few tricks up her sleeve,” Cardo chuckled, emerging from Seraphina Scarlett’s body.

“Using Fourierina’s change in attitude towards you to pique the interest of the other servants…that’s far more effective than just killing one to warn a hundred~”

“Indeed.”

“However, now that she’s been ‘conquered,’ it’s time to tackle the next problem.”

Just seeing the door to Claire’s room, Seraphina Scarlett felt a chill run through her…even though she currently lacked ‘that’ particular anatomy.

‘This woman…I truly don’t know how much longer I can endure her.’

Thanks to ‘English,’ Claire managed to reduce Seraphina Scarlett to tears every single night.

As for where those tears flowed from, that’s best left unsaid.

Evidently, as long as ‘English’ remained a factor, Claire would maintain the upper hand in their constant duels, eventually ‘conquering’ Seraphina Scarlett completely.

“Hehe… what do you say? Out of options, aren’t you?” Cardo revealed a knowing smile. “How about I…”

[True Ancestor’s Blood] materialized in her hand.

“Let me lend you a hand~”

“……”

Without a reply, Seraphina Scarlett pushed the door open and entered.

“Oh, my dearest little bat, you’ve finally arrived❤️”

‘…How incredibly greasy.’

Gazing at Claire, who was clad in translucent white stockings and a revealing ‘victory’ outfit, kneeling on the bed with her legs spread wide, exuding seduction, Seraphina Scarlett instantly tensed, entering ‘sage mode’ in a flash.

“Oh my…even I would be heartbroken to hear you say such a thing.”

Crawling to the edge of the bed, Claire embraced Seraphina Scarlett under her armpits, pulling the shy vampire into her arms with a strong tug.

“You must be exhausted from your journey, aren’t you?”

Producing a glass bottle, Claire popped open the cap with a ‘pop’ and swirled the transparent, unknown liquid within, whose ingredients remained a mystery.

“Tonight is still long. Why don’t you have a sip of water to moisten your throat~”

“……”

Observing the ‘water’ Claire offered, Seraphina Scarlett cautiously leaned forward and sniffed it.

It carried a delicate fragrance, reminiscent of jasmine.

Yet Seraphina Scarlett knew that, up until now, she had never encountered jasmine in this world.

‘Is this really water? Why does it have such a strange smell…’

“Oh? Does my scent seem strange?”

“What did you just say…Mmph!!”

“Oh dear, you’ve been exposed~”

Cupping Seraphina Scarlett’s tender cheeks, Claire forcefully parted her lips.

Before Seraphina Scarlett could even react, the glass bottle was already pressed against her mouth.

Gulp, gulp…the unknown liquid slid down her throat.

As it reached her throat, a wave of warmth instantly engulfed Seraphina Scarlett’s body, and her consciousness began to grow hazy.

‘Hiss…why is this so similar to the [First Embrace]…’

Having only reviewed information related to ‘conquering,’ Seraphina Scarlett was utterly ignorant of the effects of vampire fluids.

‘Could this stuff be tea with ‘pink flowers’ added?’

“Mhm, just as the books described. The effects are outstanding~”

‘What on earth is this…’

Hazy and indistinct, she lost consciousness.

Lifting the vampire’s now limp chin, Claire surveyed Seraphina Scarlett’s tender, marshmallow-white, vulnerable face from side to side, then suddenly smiled.

“What it is, you don’t need to concern yourself with.”

“But rest assured, I’ve already tasted it for you. This stuff has no side effects.”

“Only effects.”

As if playing with a toy, Claire lightly poked Seraphina Scarlett’s now unresponsive body with her finger, trailing from her collarbone, all the way down…

“Just relax and immerse yourself in this wonderful gentle embrace, my little bat❤”

At this moment, Claire was convinced she held complete control of the situation.

What she didn’t know, however, was that beside her bed, an invisible golden figure, holding a black rectangular object, was gazing down at her from above.

“Oh, my dear Miss Krieg.”

Levitating the [True Ancestor’s Blood] before his chest, Cardo clasped his hands together, encompassing it, then sharply pulled them apart.

With a tearing sound, the [True Ancestor’s Blood] split into two parts: one whole, one fragmented.

“Though I apologize to both you and Seraphina Scarlett, I cannot allow any variables outside of the plan.”

Picking up the fragmented piece of [True Ancestor’s Blood], Cardo pressed it against Claire’s forehead.

“You absolutely cannot become Seraphina Scarlett’s [Master].”