The Unexpected Refusal

Even at night, Emes Town, a vital hub on the western frontier, teemed with life.

From the eastern gate, where the main road led to the Royal Capital, to the western side, bordering the forest and the path to the Blood Manor, the entire central district glowed with countless lights. Throngs of people wandered through its vibrant streets.

“Ice cream! Delicious ice cream! If you don’t try it, it’s like you’ve never even been to Emes Town!”

“Special offer on recovery potions! [Excellent] damage-boosting gems! All half price! Everything half price!”

“High-end custom tailoring, noble service, personally endorsed by the Third Miss of the Krieg family! Dilan’s Home! A lady’s wardrobe…”

Truthfully, no other frontier city could rival the nightly hustle and bustle of Emes Town, save for a festive celebration.

However, tonight seemed particularly lively.

“Oh! Isn’t this… the pearl of the Krieg family, Lady Third Miss!”

As Seraphina and Claire navigated the bustling crowds, passing by [Dilan’s Home], the saleswoman, who had been loudly hawking her wares, suddenly noticed them.

Standing directly before them, the saleswoman bowed deeply.

“We are deeply ashamed that we failed to properly welcome Lady Third Miss upon your esteemed arrival,” she declared.

“If it pleases you, we humbly invite you to step inside. Our entire establishment will spare no effort to ensure your utmost satisfaction.”

“Uh…”

Raising her gaze, Seraphina looked at the golden-haired beauty beside her. Though Claire was half a head taller, she clung to Seraphina like a timid daughter, her expression clearly one of distress.

Claire.

Seraphina subtly winked at Claire, then glanced pointedly at the saleswoman in front of them.

‘If you don’t want to go in… just tell her directly,’ she conveyed with her eyes.

However, Claire’s response to Seraphina’s silent prompt was merely a bead of cold sweat.

Claire’s eyes were vacant, her gaze unfocused as she stared straight ahead, utterly lost. Yet, the hand clutching Seraphina’s arm tightened with increasing fervor.

Evidently, she was refusing.

Sigh.

Seraphina let out a long sigh.

After all, her heart wasn’t made of stone. Witnessing Claire’s obvious reluctance, Seraphina felt a pang of sympathy herself.

‘Should I speak for her?’

Yet, the thought flickered for only an instant before Seraphina dismissed it.

‘No, no, no… The whole point of this outing is to foster Claire’s confidence. If I keep speaking for her, what’s the use of coming out at all?’

‘But lingering here isn’t a solution either…’

Helpless, Seraphina resorted to gentle prompting.

“Claire,” she said, taking Claire’s arm and drawing her closer, “don’t you want to peek inside?”

Hearing Seraphina address her, Claire finally turned her head.

Still, she offered only a pleading gaze, remaining silent.

“Claire,” Seraphina said, hardening her resolve and biting her lower lip, “it’s alright, just say it boldly.”

“I… don’t want to…”

Finally, Claire spoke. Her voice was barely a whisper, no louder than a mosquito’s buzz, but she had spoken nonetheless.

“Um… Miss,” Seraphina began, feeling a weight lift from her chest and her own voice gaining strength, “Miss Claire says she doesn’t want to…”

“Hey!”

To Seraphina’s surprise, before she could finish, the saleswoman sharply cut her off. “I wasn’t asking you; I was asking Lady Third Miss!”

The saleswoman’s face was contorted with undisguised contempt for the subservient role of a maid.

Evidently, she had not heard Claire’s barely audible reply.

“Lady Third Miss,” the saleswoman said, turning to Claire with a simpering smile and rubbing her hands together, “what are your thoughts…?”

“…No.”

“Huh?”

“I won’t go!”

“Huh!!?”

Seraphina’s eyes widened, her face a mask of utter disbelief as she stared at Claire.

Claire… had actually refused on her own!

Seraphina felt tears welling up.

“Woohoo! Claire! You’re amazing!”

Unable to contain her joy, Seraphina lunged forward, embracing Claire’s waist right there in the street, attempting to lift her high into the air. Only then did she realize that Claire was not as petite and dainty as the youthful Iqiyah.

‘Hehe, hehe, it doesn’t matter, after all…’

‘After all, she spoke!’

‘Even if her voice was still only a bit louder than a mosquito, she had at least spoken on her own! What a monumental step forward!’

Lost in her elation, Seraphina remained oblivious to what was unfolding just beyond her sight.

Thump.

Thump.

Staring at the golden-haired girl with icy eyes, and the surging, palpable killing intent radiating from her, a fierce message echoed in the saleswoman’s mind, transmitted by magic, lingering like a chilling whisper.

[If you still want your job… show me some respect!]

“Y-yes… yes…!”

Her legs trembling uncontrollably, the saleswoman could barely stand. Scrambling and stumbling, she fled back into the shop in a panic, a picture of utter disarray.

She fled all the way back to the counter, then slid down the wall to sit on the floor, gasping for breath as she tilted her head back.

“Hmph… Impossible!”

The distraught saleswoman’s mind replayed the Third Miss’s resolute words and her sudden, drastic shift in demeanor.

“It can’t be! Normally… aside from the Butler, the Third Miss has never protected a maid like that, never!”

“Could it be…?”

Cautiously, the saleswoman glanced at the glass display beside the counter, her eyes falling upon the maid she had deliberately insulted just moments ago.

“It’s her!?”

‘Could she be some obscure but important figure!?’

‘Protected by the esteemed Third Miss of the Krieg family, no less!?’

Cold sweat streamed down her back, and panic surged within the saleswoman.

‘Perhaps… I should leave Emes Town as soon as possible…’

***

Of course, Seraphina remained entirely unaware of these developments.

“Th-then, um…”

Seraphina paid no mind to the stares of the surrounding crowd, but Claire was far less composed.

A deep blush spread across Claire’s face. Her eyes, swirling with emotion as she felt the soft, yielding embrace tightly against her waist, had turned into veritable whirlpools.

“Seraphina! So many, many people are looking… at us!”

Her hands flailed, unsure where to settle, as she longed to return the equally fervent embrace. However, constrained by her ‘subjective’ feelings and the ‘objective’ presence of the surrounding crowd, she simply couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Moreover, even without “that,” the scorching gazes of the onlookers were truly mortifying.

Stifling the impulse to playfully hold and caress the fragrant, supple vampire, Claire struggled to calm her racing heart. She finally spoke, her voice laced with awkwardness:

“Sh-shouldn’t… we eat first…?”

“Alrighty.”

Upon hearing the word “eat,” Seraphina instantly regained her composure, detaching herself from Claire.

“So Claire, what would you like to eat?”

“W-well… um…”

Claire once again clung to Seraphina’s arm, her eyes darting away nervously, her lips tightly pressed together, forming two adorable dimples.

‘This coy demeanor, it’s just like a little girl about to make a request she knows is unreasonable…’

Watching Claire’s hesitant movements, Seraphina paused in silence for a moment, then suddenly broke into a relieved smile.

‘This girl, she probably just got praised, so she’s deliberately taking advantage of my good mood to fulfill some unreasonable desire of hers.’

‘No matter. There’s nothing too outlandish to eat on this street anyway, so a little reward won’t hurt.’

‘Who knows… it might even encourage her to become more confident!’

Smiling, Seraphina gently stroked Claire’s soft, silky golden hair.

“Go on, tell me, you can have anything you want, after all, you’re the boss now~”

“O-okay…”

As if making a solemn vow, Claire puffed out her cheeks. Then, with a sudden, all-or-nothing resolve, she turned and pointed to a familiar storefront behind them.

“I want ice cream!”

“Huh!?”

Gazing at the familiar ice cream shop, Seraphina’s back instantly broke out in a cold sweat. In her mind, she saw the image of a pouting, white-haired figure.

‘Isn’t this the same ice cream shop where Iqiyah threw a tantrum last time!?’