The Vampire

Vampire. It was a word steeped in mystery and elegance.

It conjured images of the night’s kin, enigmatic pale gentlemen and ladies who slumbered in ornate coffins by day and gracefully hunted their prey at lavish opera balls by night.

They were noble, refined, incomparable aristocrats of the darkness.

A beautiful vision, wasn’t it? But alas, that damned ‘but’ intruded.

In reality, vampires were far from the glorious beings of legend.

Perhaps they had once basked in glory, possessing a civilization that shone brightly.

Now, however, they were merely remnants, clinging to existence within the forgotten crevices of history.

Despite their decline, the rigid hierarchy, etched deep into their very bones, stubbornly persisted.

Noble Scion, Baron, Viscount, Count, Marquis, Duke, Prince, and at the apex, the True Ancestor.

These ranks formed the bloodline’s strict social order, where superiors held absolute dominion over their progeny, even their very lives.

The indifference and selfishness born from this hierarchical suppression, coupled with the animosity between different ranks, only hastened the bloodline’s decay and corruption.

To preserve the purity of their noble lineage, incestuous relationships within vampire clans were disturbingly common—mother and son, father and daughter, and so on.

Perhaps one might dismiss this as mere ‘dark taste,’ but I would argue that the ‘noble life’ you so envy is largely nonexistent.

Such an elegant aristocratic existence is simply unfeasible in a medieval era where religion still runs rampant.

Aside from those ancient monsters of pure blood who have lived for centuries or even millennia, what vampire could possibly endure a weekly Holy Water cleansing?

Consequently, save for a select few, most vampires either lived hand-to-mouth like common paupers or lurked in deep mountains and old forests, subsisting on raw blood.

Oh, you might then bring up the vampires’ eternal life. Yet, that is an even more tragic tale.

Vampires, in fact, boast the highest suicide rate among all supernatural beings.

To put it plainly, vampires are merely a disguised form of intelligent undead.

Their sense of touch is dulled, they fear sunlight, and beyond blood, they cannot even taste other flavors.

While these conditions might improve for bloodlines of high nobility and profound magical power, such comfortable existences are but a drop in the ocean compared to the vast ranks of the bloodline.

And this was during their most prosperous era.

In the bloodline’s current state of desolation, all that remains is a hollow laugh.

As for why the bloodline suffers such a high suicide rate? It is largely because most vampires are merely transformed humans.

Without the mindset of a true powerhouse or the worldview of a supernatural being, the fragile human spirit simply cannot withstand the ravages of time.

Given all this, the doll rejected the overtures of the noble vampire before her, who was considered quite distinguished among their kind.

“I refuse.”

“Why? If it is because you were offended by that idiotic fellow just now, I can offer my deepest apologies and subject him to the most cruel punishment.”

“Not really. That unlucky child has already suffered enough. The arrogance that comes with suddenly gaining power is quite understandable, and the color of his soul is acceptable.”

‘To merely scare a passing girl with a trick… a death sentence would indeed be too harsh. Though, this ‘single dog’ vibe he gives off…’

“Thank you for your boundless magnanimity!”

“Silence! You have no place to speak here!”

A foot clad in a black boot mercilessly kicked the young man lying sprawled nearby, sending him flying.

“My apologies for making you witness such a scene.”

“While the arc of your kick was quite graceful, I still refuse. Becoming a vampire is not what I desire. Even if my abilities would elevate my bloodline after the First Embrace, I have no such inclination. After all, I am not one who enjoys sleeping in coffins.”

“…My apologies for my presumption. The promised conditions remain unchanged: you may serve as an external elder of our clan, with status equivalent to a High Prince. What say you?”

The doll gazed at the red-eyed noble beneath the cloak, pausing for a moment with an unreadable expression.

“Has the bloodline truly fallen to such a state?”

“What are you saying? Our great—”

“Forget it. A High Viscount already wields such power within the clan, capable of promising such terms. And though you claimed to want that unlucky child executed just now, you truly wish to protect him, don’t you? My eyes are not blind…”

“A low-ranking blood member holds such power. And you even want to protect a Noble Scion who has only just been turned…”

“What else can you offer to convince me that the bloodline still thrives? Hmm? My dear cross-dressing Viscount?”

A desolate wind swept through, plunging the scene into dead silence.

“Heh… I truly am foolish, aren’t I? Exposed so easily.”

A bitter admission emerged from the noble’s mouth beneath the cloak, no longer the magnetic male voice from before, but a low, weary, hoarse female tone.

“My sincerest apologies. It was wrong of us to disturb you. We shall take our leave now.”

Observing the red-eyed girl, whose face had taken on a somewhat melancholic expression, the doll mused for a moment, stroking her chin, before finally speaking:

“What was the name of the queen you were just thinking of?”

“What?! You can read my thoughts?!”

“Rest assured, I harbor no ill intentions. This is merely a small trick.”

“Besides, even if I did harbor ill intentions, you wouldn’t be able to withstand them, would you?”

The doll’s body pulsed with a surge of magic, and her clothes instantly transformed from a traveler’s attire to the garb she wore in the Yoiz Deep Forest.

With a graceful sweep of her slender arm, vines and stones erupted from the forest floor, swiftly forming a stone table and two wicker chairs in the blink of an eye.

“Please, have a seat.”

The delicate face beneath her Victorian flat cap no longer held its previous aloofness; instead, it was graced with a serene smile.

‘Such control! Such rapid elemental shaping! It’s truly unimaginable!’

The red-eyed girl’s heart involuntarily filled with shock at the doll’s immense power.

“Didn’t you just refuse? How could you—”

With a stiff body and an urgent heart, Harriet hastily settled into the abruptly materialized wicker chair.

“Let your… junior come out. Although I refused earlier, I might become interested and even help you after hearing the true story of your castle. While I generally dislike trouble, I wouldn’t want to miss something truly intriguing.”

“…Alger, you can come out now. This esteemed lady will not harm you.”

“See? I told you you were too nervous. How could such a kind-hearted lady kill me over a little prank? And she even made me act like such a coward…”

Alger, with leaves still clinging to his head, emerged from behind the tree, muttering with a pout.

“Hmph, I wonder who was so scared they couldn’t walk just now, forcing me to kick them flying.”

The doll brewed black tea on the table, having produced it from a spatial rift, and then added another chair a short distance away.

“Heh heh, alright, everyone, please sit. Have some tea. Whether I can help your clan now depends entirely on your story. Try to be as truthful as possible, for these eyes of mine can discern truth from falsehood…”

Interrupting the interaction between the long, wine-red haired Harriet and her golden-haired subordinate, the doll smiled serenely as she sipped her black tea.

“No problem, I will tell you everything!”

The doll nodded, then focused her attention, preparing to listen intently to the story the Bloodline Viscountess was about to tell.

“Esteemed lady, you must have realized it already, haven’t you? I am not some independent Bloodline noble, but merely a humble handmaiden, blessed by my mistress’s favor.”

“Oh, yes, I had gathered as much. After all, those corrupted individuals, brimming with dark schemes, would never act as impulsively as you, no matter how anxious they might be internally…”

“Heh heh, as expected, you saw through me. I truly am quite foolish. Even my mistress… Her Highness Princess Annelise, the lady of Cainhurst Castle, often says the same.”

As she spoke, the red-eyed girl, a hint of melancholy in her eyes, tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear.

“I am merely a little maid who understands nothing. I even make mistakes when dressing my mistress sometimes. Yet, despite my shortcomings, I received her kindness and became one of her retainers.”

“I was so happy, so joyful. I believed such a life would last forever, but… that golden, horned helmet ruined everything…”