Final Chapter: The Way to a Witch’s Heart

 

 

 

Final Chapter: The Way to a Witch’s Heart

 

ALL of the newspapers jumped on the arrest of Count Groves and the illegal gambling incident at once. It was a rarity for every paper, from the most trusted news source to the sleaziest tabloid, to report relatively the same thing on the same topic:

“The Fall of a Noble Dynasty. Was it All in the Art?”

“The Underbelly of an Exhausted Hylantian Gentleman. Marquis Groves Arrested for Illegal Gambling!”

Surely, Yuuri had read the papers and learned that Ernest’s classified mission was over. He was making his way through his mountain of paperwork as fast as possible so he could finish his work at the palace and go see her.

Though he was being used for odd jobs lately, his original job had been to serve at the King’s side and help him process approvals on various documents.

“Ernest, you seem distracted…” King Rodrick II said to his subordinate with a subdued expression from across the room, where he sat pressing his seal to a mountain of documents.

“You must be imagining things, Your Highness. There isn’t a purer soul among the nobility than I.”

“How impudent to misrepresent yourself so. Aren’t you going to see the young lady of the Watoh family?”

“Once I’ve cleared this mountain of paperwork. I would hate for anyone to accuse me of being lax in my duties.”

Ernest had been trying to hide the fact that he was anxious to see her, as the King had suspected. If he were being true to his heart, he might have said, “please let me leave on time today. Please don’t ask why and please don’t interfere.”

But the intuitive, honest king had rightly guessed what was on Ernest’s mind and called him on it.

“I need your help with a certain matter.”

“Anything you desire, Your Highness.”

“It’s about the new roadway and the construction on that bridge over Rhinwest River.”

He was referring to a multiyear initiative to build a bridge over the river that formed the western border between Hylant and their neighbor, Fosdan. Rhinwest River was wide, and the cost of building a bridge over it was enormous. In the interim, there was much debate over whether people should use the existing bridge or travel by boat to get across. They were trying to figure out which option would best allow trade to continue between their most prominent cities.

There were many things to consider. With the bridge benefiting both nations, how should the costs and labor be divided? Should any changes be made to the current tariffs in place? There was also the matter of small agrarian communities near the bridge and how they should be restructured to best benefit from the bridge.

“Would you be willing to travel to Fosdan as our plenipotentiary ambassador?”

A normal ambassador was dispatched to an allied nation to serve as a government liaison and advocate for citizens from his or her home country. But a plenipotentiary was expected to carry out negotiations and even sign off on policies on behalf of the king, essentially acting as his proxy.

Thus, King Rodrick intended to place the full burden of negotiations for the bridge over Rhinwest River on Ernest’s shoulders.

“Your Highness, don’t you think you’re working me a little too hard these days? I really could use a vacation…”

“I certainly do, but there’s a shortage of men of your caliber, my friend.”

Several prominent government officials had been arrested in the illegal gambling shakedown. It wasn’t enough of a scandal to shake the foundations of a nation with as rich a history as Hylant’s, but it did mean that some of its civil servants would be tied up for some time.

“…This really does pose a problem.”

Ernest’s hesitance wasn’t merely because he was in wont of a vacation. If he took the position and relocated to Fosdan, he could be gone for months or even years.

What would happen to Yuuri if he were gone for that long?

“Well, you won’t have to leave today. I can grant you three months to put your affairs in order.”

“Three months…? I see. Would you permit me to bring my bride with me then?”

If he couldn’t be sure when, if ever, he was to return, then obviously his only option was to bring Yuuri with him.

Rodrick was so shocked by the suggestion that the document he had been reading over fell to the floor. He furrowed his brow. “If memory serves, Count Selden, you are still single, yes?”

“I was hoping to wait a little longer, but I suppose if it’s in service to my most esteemed King, who am I to refuse? I will just have to move “happily ever after” up a bit on my calendar!”

“Most esteemed, huh? And do whatever you like! As long as the ‘bride’ in question is amenable.”

Ernest thought of the moody, raven-haired witch. He suspected the reason she kept her heart closed was because of their difference in status and her shame over her vampiric characteristics.

Even if he asked her to come along and told her he would be away for a long while, he doubted she’d agree. He could try to persuade her to come along as an employee, such as a servant or a private doctor, but that was a last resort. If he gave her the choice of being his employee, she would likely settle for that as the final destination for their relationship. He’d already tried to ease the awkwardness of her sucking his blood by saying it was a reward or compensation.

This was his chance. He couldn’t let it slip away.

“I don’t know if she’ll actually accept. That’s my concern. …This all really is too sudden.”

“She isn’t willing to marry you?! Then why not just free the poor girl of your advances?”

“As if I could, Sire! I’ll bring her with me.”

His mind made up, Ernest wanted more than before to finish his work at the palace and hurry to Yuuri’s shop. He straightened up and set right to work on the documents before him.

❦❦❦

THE worst of the summer’s heat might have passed, but Yuuri couldn’t tell. Maybe it was the heat, maybe it was her anxiety over Ernest’s absence, or maybe it was just her unquenchable thirst. All she knew was that, for several days now, she had a desperate craving for blood.

But her symptoms were light. She could hold out a little longer. Yuuri tried to appease her thirst as much as possible with tea, hoping that Ernest would return soon.

Occasionally, she received letters from him. The letters usually featured overtures so melodramatic that she was sure he had stolen them from the lyrics of some opera. She thought back to the love letters Joel Weller’s father had left behind. These were worse. She giggled at the thought that the deceased baron was so ashamed of his innocuous poetry while Ernest reveled in his own.

Yuuri blushed at the idea of anyone sending her love letters. She quickly resealed the envelopes. What he wrote might have been his true feelings, but she was too embarrassed to do more than skim it. It felt like some sort of punishment to her.

Ernest was intelligent and good with people, or at least that was how Yuuri saw him. But she had put him down, mocking his art and saying his writing style made him sound creepy.

That was only because she didn’t like the way his words threw her heart into chaos, not for lack of skill on Ernest’s part. She was both amused and mortified that someone could write such embarrassing things.

Yuuri’s responses were cold and matter-of-fact. She only reported events and sparse details, like how she was slowly becoming comfortable around Simon again.

She could never write something as sincere as, “I miss you, please hurry back to me.”

He hadn’t written anything regarding the position in Fosdan, so she was left to assume he was merely busy with work.

With her days steeped in loneliness, Yuuri was only just learning that the illegal gambling ring had finally been brought down.

On her way back from the bazaar that morning, the headline “The Fall of a Noble Dynasty. Was it All in the Art?” caught her eye and she purchased the newspaper. The article gave all the details of the final takedown.

Was Ernest on his way right now? Or was he still caught up in paperwork?

I shouldn’t get my hopes up.

Yuuri repeated those words over and over, but her heart’s desires would not be silenced. Before she knew it, she was running around, meticulously cleaning her shop and insuring (multiple times) that she had plenty of his favorite tea.

She usually fell asleep reading during the day, but she tried to keep busy enough so he wouldn’t catch her napping.

It was only once the sun was at its brightest that the man she had been so eagerly awaiting opened her door and stepped inside.

“Hey, Miss Yuuri! Sorry to keep you waiting! I bet you’ve been dying to see me!”

After a long month apart, Ernest walked right over to Yuuri, who was standing by the couch.

“Welcome.”

Ernest pulled Yuuri into his arms. Normally, he would hold her until he sensed she was genuinely trying to pull away, then let go. But this time, Yuuri made no attempt to pull away. She wanted to make up for all the time they had been apart.

“…I see. So absence really does make your heart grow fonder.”

Yuuri wanted to stay like this as long as she could manage. So she said nothing, merely listening to the beating of his heart. What normally frightened her was all she wanted today.

“Miss Yuuri? What is it? What’s wrong?” Ernest asked in a soft voice.

Yuuri’s sudden display of affection had shocked him, and she liked that. When she had finally had enough, she pulled away to get a look at the expression he wore. His baffled face pleased her.

“I knew it. The one time I don’t push you away, you’re completely flummoxed…”

He knew how uncomfortable she was when he tried to hug her and teased her mercilessly for it. He was always the one in control. But today, she had taken control and taken him by surprise. But she was content to let him think she was merely acting on impulse.

“I’m not flummoxed.”

“Oh, so you’re just a poor loser then.”

“…Not at all. Why don’t you put your little theory to the test?”

He was such a cad. Now that he knew what she was thinking, he definitely wouldn’t give in.

“No, because I can see that look in your eye. You’re plotting something.”

“You’re as perceptive as ever, my little witch.”

Ernest gave up and took his usual seat. Yuuri went into the back to prepare some tea. She swiftly filled the camellia teacups she hadn’t used in his absence.

Unlike tea prepared in Hylant, the tea was transferred from the small teapot to the cups partway through the preparation process. If this step was done in a timely fashion, it allowed the flowery aroma to become even stronger. It also gave the tea itself a smoother, less bitter flavor.

She set two teacups and the teapot on the tray, along with some teacakes. She placed a cup in front of Ernest and took the seat next to him.

In the past, when she took that spot beside him, she always had to come up with some excuse. But over time, her feelings toward him, as well as their relationship, had begun to change.

“Oh, how I’ve missed the taste of this. It’s a bit different than what we have at my manor. I wonder why? Perhaps it’s only good if I drink it here?”

He was close. It likely wasn’t the place one drank the tea, but whom they drank it with that was important. One cup in the company of a special person was more delicious than a hundred cups anywhere else. But Yuuri couldn’t bring herself to say that out loud. So she silently sipped away, happy he enjoyed her company as much as she enjoyed his.

“So I see you and Simon have been getting along well in my absence.”

“Yes. After I gave him the hat, we paid a visit to the Aldridges, some family friends of ours, to see their cotton roses.”

The only thing Yuuri had done in his absence that was out of the ordinary was going out with Simon. That was why most of her letters were about her brother.

“Your letters are so concise. All you told me was that you went.”

“I’m not very good at letter writing. And I could never write those flowery, mushy sentences like you do.”

“I merely write from the heart. But I know you have a hard time being open… So tell me all about what you have been up to in my absence.”

Yuuri did have a lot she wanted to tell him. About their meeting with the elderly man who had been her grandmother’s good friend. About the stories he told them. About how she had finally learned to look Simon in the eye.

About how Ernest’s words were what had made her feel optimistic for the future.

But the thing she wanted to tell him most, she was too embarrassed to say.

He listened intently to everything she had to say, even as he interrupted from time to time to tease her.

❦❦❦

YUURI was stricken by an intense thirst as they chatted.

To drink his blood though, she would need to complete a task for him first. And she didn’t know if she could last long enough for him to find something for her to do.

She had realized he sometimes brought her tasks he could have solved on his own, just to give her something to do. But she couldn’t ask him to try and come up with something just after he had finished such a massive investigation.

She desired to ask for his blood outright, not under the pretext of being a reward or compensation. Because she desired it. And because only Ernest’s blood would do. That was all.

“Lord Ernest, I have a favor to ask,” she turned to him, finally resolved.

“Hm? You know I would grant anything you asked. What is it?”

“I…uhm…well, I’m a bit thirsty.”

“Oh? And?”

He was going to make her spell out exactly what she wanted.

“Please let me drink some of your blood. …Not as a reward, but because it’s what I want.”

“All right. …But only if you agree to do something for me. Fair enough?”

Ernest ran his index finger along Yuuri’s lips. It was his way of showing her that he expected something in return. Embarrassed, Yuuri had to look away, but the heat that filled her cheeks was already pulsing its way up to her ears. The last thing she wanted was for Ernest to see how easily he could have this effect on her.

“You understand what I mean, don’t you?”

“Can we do it later? Please let me drink your blood first?”

She was happy that Ernest wanted her. But she was afraid, and she had pushed her timid heart just about as far as it would go for now. She needed his blood to give her the courage.

“I’m afraid not. I can see you’re trying to weasel out of it.”

He had seen through her, yet again. Yuuri had no other choice. Her heart began to race as he wrapped his arms around her. Tears formed at the edge of her eyes. She squeezed them shut in hopes of keeping her tears from spilling over.

“Are you afraid?”

“I’m not afraid. P-Please, just hurry!”

Yuuri was terrified that if she waited any longer, she might lose her nerve. She had grabbed onto Ernest’s shirt without even realizing it. Ernest took that as his cue and placed his lips against hers.

The tears that Yuuri had fought so hard to hold back ran down her cheeks.

Her mind was heavy with anxiety. What did she want to do? What did the future look like for her and Ernest, days or months from now? She could scarcely imagine it in years.

Right now, all she wanted was his warmth.

She didn’t care that he was the king’s right-hand man, a dignified noble who knew far more about the ways of the world than a naïve shut-in like herself.

She funneled the intensity of all her worries and fears into that kiss and Ernest gave it right back to her, refusing to hold back just because it was her first. As long as that was the intensity of his love for her, that was all that mattered.

Finally, slowly, Ernest pulled away. It actually made Yuuri a little sad when he did. Some part of her was afraid to let him go.

“Are you all right?”

“…Yes. Just a little surprised.”

“Oh? Well, come here then, Yuuri.”

Her heart skipped a beat just hearing him call her name, with no formalities, no “Miss” or “Little Witch”. Just Yuuri.

They had been sitting side by side the whole time, and yet they felt even closer now. Yuuri slid into his lap without hesitation this time. She told herself it was so she could better drink his blood.

Ernest deftly removed his tie. Yuuri stroked his exposed collarbone over and over again.

“Come on. That tickles.”

Her lips trembling, Yuuri suddenly straightened up and kissed him in lieu of thanking him, then quickly pulled away. She then bit into his neck.

“You might look like a girl, but sometimes, you really are as enchanting as a witch. Do you know just how wicked you are?”

Euphoria had seized Yuuri’s mind and she couldn’t manage an answer. The last thing she thought as her consciousness fluttered away was, “no, I’m not.”

❦❦❦

THE morning sun had begun to pierce the curtains by the time Yuuri opened her eyes. She had vague memories of Ernest carrying her to her bedroom on the second floor after trying to entice her to go for dinner.

“I’m full. I already ate my dinner.”

“That wasn’t dinner though. All right, I’ll take my leave then. I won’t ask you to invite me in for the night. I’ll behave myself for just a little longer.”

She thought the conversation went something like that, but couldn’t remember clearly.

Yuuri leapt out of bed, feeling better than she had in a long time. She always felt this way after drinking blood.

Her clothes had become wrinkled after sleeping in them, so she hung them up to smooth the wrinkles out.

She took a different dress out of the closet and fixed her unkempt hair.

She made her way downstairs and headed for the kitchen, but stopped when she noticed a letter and a paper bag on the dining table. She picked it up.

To My Sweet Yuuri,

You were as sweet as a daisy and as beautiful as a rose last night.

I want nothing more than to arouse you from your slumber and ask how is it you can unseat my heart so.

But I must suppress the urge for now.

You look like a kitten when you sleep.

“Eeek!”

Yuuri let out a shriek, unable to continue. She knew what his letters were like, so why was she so surprised now?

She slumped down in a chair and grappled with her embarrassment.

She focused on calming herself, breathing in and out. Only once she had did she finally try reading the letter once more.

She skimmed the rest of it, saving herself the torture of reading overwrought descriptions of her sleeping face, until she reached the last two lines:

I bought some pastries and apples for your breakfast, so make sure you eat up. I’ll be taking a few vacation days soon, so you be a good girl and wait for me until then.

—Ernest

“I just wanted the facts.”

His words were even more self-assured than usual. He had called her his before, as if he owned her, but until now, Yuuri had written it off as a joke. Now that it was here, preserved in print for her, there was no mistaking it.

And so, Yuuri found herself with another letter she could not bring herself to read.

❦❦❦

YUURI was particularly active that day, invigorated from drinking Ernest’s blood. She finished preparing her orders for Watoh Company and even had lunch at a restaurant before delivering them.

She told them in advance that she was coming, so there should be no reason she couldn’t just leave everything with an employee and—

“Miss Yuuri, your mother is here today,” one of the senior staff members informed her.

The two of them could barely handle seeing one another. That’s why she always picked the day she came in advance and, if her mother planned to be in that day, she would change her plans,

Isn’t this why I always ask Simon or Father to make these arrangements for me?

“I see. Then I shall be on my way.”

Even just hearing about her mother caused Yuuri’s hands to ball into fists and sweat to break out on her forehead. She turned to make a hasty retreat.

“She commanded me to bring you to see her should you come by, m’lady.”

Her mother wanted to see her? If she wanted to reconcile, why didn’t she just say so? Yuuri tried to think about it logically, but dared not take a step.

“…And what of my brother and father?”

“They have business away from headquarters today, I’m afraid.”

She would have felt better if one of them were with her. But she understood. If the two of them had been there, they would have tried to prevent this meeting. Her mother was only asking for her because they weren’t there.

“I can’t! I’m sorry…I’m in a hurry, so I really must be going.”

“I see. Then I shall inform her.”

“I’m sorry, but I have a private matter I must attend to.”

Her mother was unlikely to be mad at the employee for failing to stop Yuuri. But still she apologized for mixing business and personal matters.

“Understood. Please allow me to prepare a carriage for you.”

Yuuri was on the verge of making her escape when—

“Miss Yuuri.”

Just as she was taking the stairs down toward the building’s entrance, a woman’s cold voice called her name. Yuuri didn’t have to turn around to know that it was her mother.

“…!”

“It has been awhile, my dear.”

Her mother was stone-faced. For Yuuri, that was still better than the usual anger and disdain with which her mother normally treated her.

“Y-Yes…”

“I have just one thing to tell you.”

“……”

“I’ve heard you’ve become close with a gentleman. And that the two of you attended a dinner party together.”

“I have. Is there a problem with that?”

It was considered improper in Hylant for an unmarried woman to be running around with a man without her father’s express permission.

But Yuuri’s own mother was the reason she had been living on her own and beyond their sphere of influence. Yuuri strengthened her resolve. If her mother was going to pick Ernest of all things to suddenly complain about, then she would give it all right back to her.

It was the first time she had ever felt like she could stand against her mother.

“I see. Well, that isn’t what I really wanted to speak to you about. …While I was at a tea party with some members of the nobility, Duke Harcourt inquired about you. Do you know him?”

“No, I’ve never met him. The only members of the nobility I’ve interacted with are Count Selden and his acquaintances.”

All of the members of the upper class who Yuuri had interacted with were those she came to know through the cases Ernest had brought her. If this man had business with Ernest’s witch girlfriend, he should go through Ernest.

“You stand out far more than a pureblood Hylantian. Remember that,” her mother warned in clipped tones.

“……”

“I haven’t accepted you as my child. And I never will. But that is due to my own intolerance. Your father and Simon are well aware of that. Even so, some things can never be changed. But if you are happy where you are, and keep your distance from me, then I will not attempt to intercede.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means you need to be cautious. You have made far too much of a spectacle of yourself as it is.”

“I see. If you have nothing else to say, I’ll be on my way,” Yuuri said, turning her back toward the woman who gave her birth and walking as quickly as she could to her carriage.

Even after she was in her carriage and then the comfort of her own home, Yuuri still couldn’t calm down. That was likely the last time she would ever speak to her mother. And she was angry with herself for letting the opportunity slip away.

Perhaps her mother’s warning had been out of genuine concern. If that was the case, she wished she had been a little kinder to her.

But then her mother said she could never accept her. Yuuri had been foolish to ever expect otherwise.

Yuuri’s mother had taken hold of her mind. No matter how she tried to distract herself with reading or housework, a sense of malaise swept over her.

The sound of a bell caught Yuuri’s attention from the back of the shop. There could only be one man who would dare visit her. She rushed to the front to greet him. In his letter, Ernest said he wouldn’t be back for several days, but she had no idea why.

It didn’t really matter. The only one who could lift her spirits was Ernest.

But Yuuri’s hopes were immediately dashed.

It wasn’t Ernest standing in the doorway, but a redheaded woman around twenty with her hands on her hips. Her face tightened into a scowl when she saw Yuuri.

“You’re not ‘The Witch Who Preys Upon Misfortunes’ are you?”

She made no attempt at hiding her displeasure in either her expression or speech. Most people first addressed Yuuri with that old nickname, but few ever did so with such resentment.

“I don’t care for that nickname! Who might you be?” Yuuri asked, giving the girl a scowl of her own. This girl clearly wasn’t a potential customer. And it was clear from her clothing that she wasn’t a member of the nobility either. Yuuri did not have many connections or political power, so she was unlikely to get in any trouble if she returned this woman’s hostility with her own.

“Does the name Rosie ring a bell?”

“I don’t recognize that name. Rosie who?”

“Dan’s fiancée, Rosie, that’s who!”

“Dan who…?”

Yuuri was even more confused than ever. This was her first time ever meeting this woman and she had never heard the name Dan.

“Don’t play dumb! You homewrecker!”

“Homewrecker? I’m sorry, but could you come back another day when you’re in a better place to calmly explain what you’re talking about? I don’t know who you or Dan are. …And I don’t deal with people who can’t listen.”

“Hmph! V-Very well… If you insist, I will spell it out for you.”

Rosie kept her scowl fixed on Yuuri the entire time as she moved to the sofa, where she helped herself to a seat.

“Not there. Wait a second.”

Yuuri felt that seat belonged to Ernest and Ernest alone. So she grabbed a chair from the dining area and set it at the counter.

“Here.”

“Fine.” Rosie was clearly displeased with the fact that she was being forced to sit on a hard, wooden chair when a couch was right there. She pouted, reluctantly settling into the seat.

This woman wasn’t a customer, merely a nuisance to Yuuri, so she cared little for her displeasure.

“You might think Dan is your lover, but he and I are engaged!”

“…Like I said, who is Dan?”

The idea suddenly pulsed through Yuuri’s mind. What if Dan was an alias Ernest used?

Lovers—? Yuuri wasn’t sure exactly what she and Ernest were, but he was certainly the closest thing she had to a lover.

Still, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t picture him being with this boisterous woman. Ernest seemed to prefer more subdued women.

“I’m talking about Baron Thewlis’ chef, Dan!”

“Oh. What does he look like?”

“His hair is brown, as are his eyes.”

The only two brunettes Yuuri knew were Simon and her father. At the very least, she could breathe a sigh of relief knowing this woman wasn’t talking about Ernest. While hair color could be changed, eye color could not.

“He does not sound like anyone I know.”

“Lying trollop! Dan said he was leaving me because he was seeing the witch who lived here…”

“He just told you that? Do you have anything other than his words for proof?”

“Are you saying he lied to me? Why would he do that?!”

As she watched Rosie, Yuuri began to suspect Dan had another reason for leaving her. Still, she lamented the fact that someone so hardheaded would come to her.

“…I can’t speak for someone I don’t even know. Why don’t we do this? Ask this Dan when exactly he met me. Get exact dates and times. If he gives you ten and I can prove even one of them was a lie, then perhaps all of it is, right?”

“Are you stalling? Trying to run away?”

“Run away from what? This is my home. I have nothing to prove here. I’m merely offering to help you because I don’t like people suspecting me of wrongdoing.”

“You certainly are cocky. Fine, I’ll be back soon.”

“I’d be just as happy if you didn’t come back.”

Just when she was hopeful that she finally had a genuine customer, it turned out to be unwanted trouble. Perhaps because yesterday was such a good day, today had to be bad to retain the balance.

“‘Life is a balance. We must take the bad with the good.’ I believe there’s a proverb like that from Xingka.”

Her mind mired in depression, Yuuri couldn’t be sure. Overcome with exhaustion, she leaned back on the couch and heaved a sigh.

❦❦❦

THE next morning, Rosie returned, but this time, she brought a young man with her. It was immediately obvious this was the Dan who was supposed to be Yuuri’s lover.

“I’m so sorry!”

Yuuri heard him shout. She didn’t stop what she was doing long enough to notice that he was bent over in a deep bow.

“Why did you use my name?”

“I figured a foreign witch with such a bad reputation wouldn’t mind one more little sin on her pile. And I was so afraid of my girlfriend. But I never expected her to barge in on you like this!”

Yuuri regretted ever trying to make sense of the irritating couple.

The nickname, “Misfortune Devouring Witch” was supposed to be a compliment, as her grandmother would seek to resolve that which ailed the people of this town. But then the name took on a life of its own, becoming “The Witch Who Preys Upon Misfortune” instead. Yuuri hated that new name because it dishonored her grandmother’s memory. Despite that name, not one bad thing about her grandmother had ever been said.

“Why did you want to break up with me then?!”

“Well…”

Rosie now directed the anger she had for Yuuri yesterday at Dan. Dan approached her, his eyes moist with tears.

“Would you two mind taking this outside? I really don’t care…”

“No, please, you must let me explain myself. The truth is…”

And then, despite the fact that Yuuri wasn’t even listening, Dan launched into the story of his life.

He was born in a town about half a day’s ride from the city. His parents and brother managed a factory, but he chose to come to the city to look for work.

As luck would have it, he was taken in by the baron’s estate, and found himself with a stable lifestyle.

And yet…

“I became the guarantor for my family’s debts. I was afraid that, after we got married, someone might show up, looking to collect…and you would think I was pathetic…but I was so embarrassed I couldn’t tell you. I was just afraid anyone coming to collect may go after you, Rosie.”

“Don’t you think involving a complete stranger is even more embarrassing?”

A woman could never truly understand a man’s pride. Somehow, having his fiancée think he had cheated was less shameful than her knowing he had debts to his name.

Yuuri definitely didn’t get it. She thought the former was far worse.

“I’m sorry. But everything’s all right now. Someone came to the baron’s home to collect and, when I explained everything to the baron, he paid the debt on my behalf.”

“Dan, that’s wonderful!”

“He’s going to take it out of my monthly pay, but he agreed not to charge me interest.”

For them to come all the way to his workplace, it sounded like these lenders weren’t legitimate. They were likely the sort to charge a high interest rate and no matter how much the borrower paid, the principle total never went down. For the baron to pay down Dan’s debts, he must have truly been a generous man.

“That is good.”

Yuuri had no reason to fret over the collectors, as she had only just met Dan. Moreover, she resented him for dragging her into his personal problems. But at least the incident had resolved without issue.

“Uhm…actually, I hate to trouble you further, but I have a request.”

“…What now?”

“Rosie and I have very little education. But we’re about to go sign our promissory note and we were wondering if you would stand in as our witness?”

Yuuri was shocked. She thought the whole ordeal was over.

“I don’t want to be involved any further.”

“I understand. But what got my family into this mess was not understanding things like interest. So as embarrassing as this is, would you please come along and help us?”

Dan had dragged Yuuri into this, so there was no real reason for her to help them. But something deep down wouldn’t allow her to abandon people who needed her.

And they weren’t asking for much. They didn’t seem to be bad people either.

“All right. I’ll help you.”

“Really? Thank you, Miss Witch!”

“It’s Yuuri.”

The three of them set off for Baron Thewlis’ estate.

The couple assured Yuuri that their carriage was waiting just off on the main road, so she left her parasol in the shop, electing to walk in their shadows instead. As they were walking, Yuuri sensed someone behind her. She glanced back and noticed two tough-looking men heading her way.

“A-Are those the bill collectors? Why are they here?!” Dan’s voice wavered.

“I don’t know. We’d better run the rest of the way to the carriage!” Rosie grabbed Yuuri’s hand, even though she wasn’t the one they were after, and they took off running.

“Wait! You there. Miss Yu—”

They burst out onto the main road, the men’s voices drowned out by the hustle and bustle of the crowd. Yuuri was out of breath, but somehow, she made it to the carriage and jumped in.

“I thought the baron paid off your debt?” she questioned.

“I thought so too! Those aren’t the usual collectors though. Maybe not all of their collectors were informed? Either way, we’ll be safe at the manor!”

I knew I shouldn’t have gone along with this. Yuuri lamented as the carriage rolled on toward Thewlis Estate.

❦❦❦

THEWLIS Estate was a gorgeous, stately manor. Artwork from around the world adorned the hallways and the parlor. Yuuri understood that it was all valuable, but none of it was anywhere near her tastes. Next to a contemporary piece by a popular artist was a bronze statue from a southern nation and a Hinomotoese ink painting in a gilded frame. There seemed to be no unifying motif or taste behind the artwork.

The baron had paid off his employee’s debts, so Yuuri figured he must be a nice man. But a nice man with horrible taste in art.

She felt apprehensive as they sipped tea in the parlor. The employee, his fiancée, and Yuuri, the odd one out.

There, someone (likely a steward, Yuuri thought) was explaining the matter of the promissory note. The promissory note itself was fairly straightforward. Naturally, it spelled out just how much would be deducted from his current monthly pay, as well as what would happen should he need to leave the position, or how unexpected illness or death would be handled.

She explained the contents of the note to them, ensuring there were no discrepancies or disputes, and took the time to look everything over. Finally, Dan signed the note and the task was completed without incident.

“Yuuri Watoh. I apologize that one of our employees has caused you so much trouble. My lord would like to express his apologies in person, so please wait here for a moment.”

“No, that isn’t necessary,” Yuuri declined, but the steward had already gone to summon the baron.

A few moments later, the baron appeared with two male servants. Just like everything else in the manor, they were overdressed for a midday tea.

Finally getting a good look at his face, Yuuri’s eyes grew wide.

Baron Thewlis was the man who had tried to pick a fight with Yuuri when she was disguised as a page at the gentlemen’s club.

“You’re still here? You’re dismissed. The only one I have business with is that Eastern girl over there,” the baron said coolly to Dan and Rosie.

Yuuri broke out in a cold sweat. There was no way this was pure coincidence.

“Heh heh, so it is you. I’ve searched high and low for you. …Never did I think to look for a young woman.” The baron approached Yuuri, a lascivious grin creeping onto his face.

His interest in her hadn’t waned since that day at the club, and he’d been searching for her ever since.

“What’s going on?”

“Huh…? Do you two know each other? My Lord, did you fall in love with her in town somewhere? Is that why you wanted us to arrange a meeting? I mean, not that there’s anything wrong with that, but—”

Dan and Rosie had absolutely no idea what was happening. The baron shot Dan a look as he rambled incoherently.

“Keep your incessant thoughts to yourself! Or I’ll cancel my promise to pay your debt! Now get lost!”

“Then I’ll just be taking my leave as well. I’ve completed my business on Dan’s behalf,” Yuuri said, offering the baron a small bow before nonchalantly taking a step toward the door. The baron took a step toward her, blocking her path.

“You Eastern women are so frigid. So Yuuri is your name, is it? It sounds rather masculine, but it does have a certain ring to it. Yuuri…Yuuri… Bahaha!”

“The only ones who may call me by that name are my family and Ernest. I really will be leaving now!”

When Ernest first called her name without formality, it had filled her heart and tickled her ears. She was happier than she had ever been. But when the man before her did the same, it rotted on his tongue, polluting the sound she had previously cherished.

She became increasingly angrier, her tone grew tenser. She kept chanting, “calm down, calm down” in her mind.

“Ernest? …Ahh, Count Selden? Well, I regret to inform you that, though I am only a baron, my father is a duke! I outrank your sweet count. I can drape you in finery that fool could only dream of.”

Yuuri immediately realized he must be the “duke’s son” her mother had mentioned.

“I despise cowards like you. And I can buy my own finery, thank you.”

There was no point in trying to reason with this man. From what he was saying, this sounded like retaliation. Retaliation against her, Ernest, and Major Conquest.

“I do relish that defiant look in your eyes. Taming you promises to be a most amusing challenge…”

He had never intended for Yuuri to stand on equal footing with him. His one goal with her was always subjugation.

“I pray that your father is the just sort of man who would punish such an insolent son. I would never waste my time on some sniveling child who thought social ranking granted him the right to do as he pleases.” Yuuri emphasized the phrase “insolent son”. She knew angering him was dangerous, but he repulsed her so much, she couldn’t keep her mouth shut.

Baron Thewlis’ eyes bulged on hearing a girl younger than him mock him so. He grabbed her by the wrist.

“Impudent wench! I can see it’s time to teach you your place!”

He slapped Yuuri across the cheek. Unable to pull away from his grip, Yuuri took the brunt of the blow. There was pain, then the taste of blood in her mouth.

Yuuri could do nothing, save fighting back tears and vowing never to forgive this man. Using her vampirism to her advantage at this point would be too dangerous.

“Aaaah!” Dan screamed, leaping at the baron. The baron released his hold on Yuuri as he and Dan toppled to the ground.

“How dare you attack your betters!”

“Run! Both of you, go! Rosie, hurry, I can’t let anyone else—ungh!”

The steward and the two servants leapt in, pulling Dan off the baron. They dragged him off and punched him in the stomach over and over.

Yuuri crumpled to the ground, unable to watch the violent spectacle any longer.

“Let’s go!”

“After them!”

Rosie yanked Yuuri up off the floor, desperately trying to steady her on her feet. They darted for the door. However, the servants and the steward were faster, stopping them in their tracks.

“Ugh, let us go! It’s illegal to keep us here…”

Yuuri had been knocked onto the cold, hard floor and was being held facedown by one of the servants.

Baron Thewlis’ cackle as he closed in on her made her skin prickle. She was so terrified and felt so ill that tears began to flow down her cheeks. She had to stop herself from giving in to her vampiric instincts and attacking him, for fear of how that would end for both of them.

“That’s enough!”

The door burst open and a cold voice cast a chill over the room.

Yuuri tried to lift her head just high enough to see who the voice belonged to. It was someone she knew very well, yet never expected to see here.

“Lord…Ern…st?”

It was definitely Ernest who stood before her. And at his back, Major Conquest and several men who were likely members of the military police.

“Get off of her.”

That deep growl was one Yuuri had never heard before. The servants, terrified of Ernest’s white hot rage, released Yuuri immediately.

“Who ordered this?”

“…Baron Thewlis.”

“Ohh. Did you hear that, Major? Catching him in the act means you can arrest him, doesn’t it?”

“Unlawful imprisonment and assault are serious crimes. Seize him. …And see to that man’s wounds.”

On Conquest’s orders, his subordinates rushed the room and took the baron and his men into custody. Dan was clearly in pain, holding his stomach as he tried to talk to the soldier attending to him.

“F-Fools! How dare you trespass upon my estate?!” Baron Thewlis shouted, kicking and trying in vain to break free.

“I announced myself at your door, so I see no problem here. But I have no interest in arguing with criminals. So butt out. Yuuri, let me see your wounds.”

“Ohh…I’m so sorry.”

Ernest loomed over Yuuri, who was still on the ground. He was so frightening, so different from the Ernest she knew, that she couldn’t help but apologize.

But as she got a closer look at him, she could see beads of sweat glistening on his forehead and his strained, uneven breaths.

She still wasn’t completely sure what was going on, but it was enough knowing that he had come to her rescue.

“Doesn’t look like you’ve got any broken bones or lost teeth. How did you manage to give my guards the slip?”

“Guards…?”

“It’s so stuffy here. We’ll talk more once we’re back at my manor.”

“Those two tried to help me too!”

Rosie and Dan hadn’t known what Baron Thewlis was planning, nor had they intended to lure her into a trap. Once they figured out the baron’s plot, they had tried to help her escape.

“But they’re the reason you were caught up in this mess. You’re far too trusting.”

“…But…”

Ernest was so different from his usual self. While his words and tone weren’t any harsher than usual, it was clear that he was upset. Yuuri found it difficult to argue with him like this. She couldn’t be selfish in the face of all he had done for her.

“All right. Major Conquest, we’d like to be going, is that all right?”

“I’ll need to hear her testimony later. But until then, I leave her in your care. We’ll take this man with us and see to it he gets the optimal medical care.”

“Let’s get out of here. A gentleman like myself can scarcely stand to breathe the same air as this degenerate,” Ernest said, scooping Yuuri into his arms.

Yuuri was used to always seeing Ernest smile. But now he was expressionless. His steel blue eyes were emotionless and cold.

“I’m so sorry…”

“I’m not upset with you.” Sensing Yuuri’s fear, Ernest flashed her a brief smile. His smile was fake and did little to calm her apprehension.

Yuuri couldn’t help but feel guilty for making him worry and causing him to wear such an expression.

❦❦❦

BACK at the Selden estate, Yuuri decided to have a bath and change her clothes before speaking with Ernest again. She only realized how much danger she had been in once she saw how red her cheek was in the mirror. Imagining what could have happened had Ernest not come to her rescue made her eyes well up with tears.

After Tarrah finished helping her get ready, Yuuri made her way to her usual guest room, where Ernest was waiting.

“Are you hungry?”

“Not really…”

She had missed lunch due to all that had happened, but she found she didn’t have much of an appetite.

After some time, black tea and baked goods were delivered to her room. Ernest urged her to at least drink something, so Yuuri drained a cup of tea blended with plenty of sugar.

Ernest took a seat next to Yuuri, just as he did back at her shop. She felt uneasy though. It wasn’t that Ernest had done anything wrong. She just didn’t want him to see her swollen cheek up close. Not only that, but her wrist where the baron had grabbed her felt dirty even after her bath. She felt embarrassed to even be sitting next to him.

“Do you feel up to talking? I thought maybe I was just paranoid, but I had a couple of my personal guards stationed around your shop, just in case.”

“Why?”

“Because it was made public that I was the one who had infiltrated the illegal gambling ring. You’re…my weakness. I was afraid someone might take you hostage, you know?”

Ernest had to sneak into the illegal gambling ring in order to bring its illicit dealings to light. But when he was the only one not busted, it quickly became clear that he was the mole.

He couldn’t avoid the fear that someone would seek revenge, so he sent guards to those closest to him just to be safe.

“So the people I ran away from were actually the guards you sent to protect me?”

“I should have told you. I’m sorry. And I never expected he of all people would target you.”

Yesterday, all Ernest knew was that Yuuri had a visitor. He hadn’t learned the visitor’s loose connection to Baron Thewlis until this morning. By the time he thought to have her brought to his manor for safekeeping, she had already left the shop.

That was when Ernest went to Major Conquest and asked him and his subordinates to help him “pay a friend a visit”.

“Normally, a warrant would be required to investigate someone’s home, but if serious crimes like kidnapping or assault become apparent during a routine visit, the military police are able to take drastic measures.”

“I really was careless. I’m so sorry.”

Ernest had scolded her for her recklessness many times. And yet, Yuuri had trusted Rosie and Dan so readily and in turn, been tricked.

“You need to be mindful of those around you… You especially need to heed your intuition when it comes to other men. This time was my fault though, so I won’t badger you about it further.”

Baron Thewlis had become infatuated with a page by the name of Saizoh and sought to have him for himself. He was quickly able to determine that the page had some sort of connection to Watoh Company because he served Ernest.

No matter how he searched, he could find no information on a black-haired, black-eyed boy. But Yuuri likely did come up over the course of his search.

The baron didn’t care if Yuuri was Saizoh or vice-a-versa; either would do. He saw Yuuri as a rare raven-haired doll to be put on display for the amusement of his peers.

“Where’s Rosie?”

“It seems she knew about her fiancée’s debt all along and agreed to play along. It wasn’t mere happenstance that she found her way to your shop. She bore you no ill will, but she wasn’t exactly upstanding either.”

One condition of Baron Thewlis paying off Dan’s debt was that they would bring Yuuri to him. It was the baron’s steward who had penned this illicit farce, with Dan and Rosie aware of their parts well in advance.

But the two of them had no malicious intentions. They were merely under the impression that they were facilitating a meeting between Yuuri and the baron. So when they saw what the baron was really planning, they tried to help her escape.

“It’s precisely because there wasn’t a hint of malice in them that you were so easily deceived,” Ernest said, his eyes fixed on the witch as the truth finally dawned on her.

He was far from his usual lighthearted self. That lighthearted nature made him seem so gentle and kind. Because everything was a joke with him, it gave Yuuri a way out if she was feeling uncomfortable. But there wasn’t a hint of that gentleness now. He was letting her feel the full weight of just how much trouble she had caused him—and just how much worry.

He had lied when he said, “I’m not angry with you.” He was angry.

“You poor thing, your cheek’s all bruised.”

Yuuri knew that, as much as she might want to, she couldn’t pull away from his hand nor avoid his gaze.

“You don’t want me to touch you?”

“You’re a little scary right now. But…”

“But what?”

“But you’re here with me, so I don’t want to waste a second of my time with you… I hated it. You’re the only one I want to touch me or call me by my name…that’s why…that’s why…”

Yuuri buried her face in Ernest’s chest. As soon as she did, it felt like all of her horrible thoughts and feelings had been swept away.

“That’s right. You’re mine and mine alone,” Ernest proclaimed, asserting his claim on Yuuri once more. It was terribly arrogant of him.

But Yuuri was his, for she was so fragile that she would die without him.

Was it really because of her vampirism? Or because of her feelings for him? She couldn’t be sure. But she wanted to give him everything he ever wanted. And at the same time, she wanted all he was to be hers as well.

She decided that it was time. There should be no secrets between them anymore.

“I have something I’ve never shared with you before…can I tell you now?”

Without him to give her blood, Yuuri would die.

She had been terrified to tell him of the burden that rested on his shoulders. But she felt like a traitor for keeping it from him for so long.

Ernest had always been so forthcoming, so considerate of Yuuri. He always made sure she knew exactly how he felt. Yuuri resolved to do the same for him.

“All right.”

He flashed Yuuri his usual grin for the first time that day.

“For those of us descended from vampires—”

Just as she was about to tell him, she sensed someone was in the hall. Tarrah knocked on the door, informing them of a visitor.

“We’ll talk tonight.”

Major Conquest had arrived to interview Yuuri and Rosie.

Ernest had promised they would speak that night, but Yuuri was afraid her courage would wane long before then.

❦❦❦

YUURI and Ernest headed for the parlor on the first floor to speak with Major Conquest. As they entered, they saw a woman with glasses seated next to him. She wore a uniform similar to that of the military police and introduced herself as military secretary Ashleigh Lind.

“I was asked to accompany the major in the hopes that having another woman in the room might make you more comfortable. We thought being stuck in a room with Major Conquest alone might be a little too much to ask.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Yuuri wasn’t afraid of Major Conquest exactly. But after such a harrowing experience, she was grateful to have another woman present.

Especially since the major was being his usual taciturn self. Ashleigh took over and filled Yuuri in on everything, including Dan’s condition. He had a few cracked ribs, but his life wasn’t in danger.

Meanwhile, Rosie was in another room in Ernest’s manor, talking with another member of the military police. Those involved with the incident at Baron Thewlis’ manor had been taken into custody.

“Even if they go to jail, they will likely be out soon. You would do well to exercise caution, Count Selden.”

“I’m well aware. But his father at least should have enough sense to keep him on a short leash for a while…and don’t worry, I won’t make the same mistake again.”

“That's all that matters.”

The one who should have exercised more caution wasn’t Ernest, but Yuuri.

She thought back to everything that had happened up to that point, especially the moment when she told him her welfare was none of his concern.

But even Major Conquest could see the truth that she could not.

She knew that she never wanted to go back to being witch and client.

It made her sick to think that a complete stranger had realized how important she was to Ernest before she had. She just wasn’t ready yet.

As they were talking, a servant arrived with an urgent summons, calling Ernest back to the palace immediately.

“Sorry, but there’s a lot going on right now. Can you handle it from here?”

“Yes. Have a safe journey.”

“Major, Miss Lind, I leave the rest to you.”

After Ernest departed, they asked Yuuri about the events that led up to her being taken to Baron Thewlis’ estate. Major Conquest was aware of everything after the baron entered the parlor.

Yuuri told them about how Rosie and Dan had visited her shop and how she had become embroiled in their quarrel. She also revealed that she had agreed to serve as a witness to their promissory note without due consideration.

They finished questioning Yuuri there, intent on hearing the rest from Dan.

“Still, that Count Selden certainly is a bold man, marching into the Major’s office and demanding use of his troops like that. I couldn't believe the Major just relented immediately."

“Be quiet! I did not cave. I just felt I should be flexible with him was all.”

The way Miss Lind told it, Ernest forced Conquest to lend him his men. But that was against the rules, so they framed it as a “friendly visit”. After all, the military police couldn’t act in a case like this without proof.

“Uhm, did Lord Ernest cause you a lot of trouble, Major? It sounds like he made a lot of unreasonable demands?”

“He did!”

“I'm terribly sorry.”

“There’s nothing for you to apologize for, Ms. Watoh. The count is lucky I don’t have to reCOUNT his actions.”

“Major, your jokes are terrible.”

“I have not told a single joke in my life.”

“Uh-huh.”

Major Conquest was normally a taciturn, humorless man. But with Ashleigh here, he was different. His speech patterns and attitude might not have changed. And yet today, he seemed gentler somehow. She seemed to serve as the straight man to his understated antics. Watching them made Yuuri feel better.

Yuuri watched them with a smile. The two demonstrated the perfect boss-subordinate pairing.

“Well, we should be going. Are you planning to spend the night here? If you need to return home, we can escort you.”

“Ah, uh…mm, I should wait here until Lord Ernest returns.”

Yuuri didn’t live in this manor, after all. And it wasn’t normal for an unmarried, unrelated woman to be staying overnight the way she did. But she couldn’t just leave while Ernest was away without saying anything.

“That’s right. Count Selden has been busy making preparations for his journey, settling all his affairs and so on. I hope he comes back soon.”

“Preparations for what journey?” she asked instinctively.

Conquest and Ashleigh grew pale as if they had just said something they should not have.

“…Ah, well…”

“Settling what affairs? …Is he leaving for an extended period of time?”

This was absolutely not the sort of thing she should have heard from strangers. If Ernest declined to tell her, maybe it was because he didn’t want her to know.

She understood, yet he wasn’t there for her to ask.

“We thought you knew. It was a gaffe on my part.”

“Where is he going? Is this for another secret investigation?”

“No, this is a public matter.”

“Then it shouldn’t hurt for you to tell me, right? You shouldn’t need his permission to tell me.” Yuuri wasn’t asking; she was pressing them to go on with it.

“…I, uh, suppose you’re right. Count Selden is being relocated to Fosdan to serve as our ambassador there. He’ll be leaving in three months’ time.”

“I see. For how long?”

“It depends on how negotiations proceed. He likely won’t be back for at least half a year.”

Half a year without drinking Ernest’s blood was a death sentence for Yuuri. She hadn’t told Ernest that she couldn’t drink another’s blood or even that she preferred death to being away from him. This must be her punishment for not being open with him.

“Thank you for telling me. I will miss him, but there’s not much that can be done if it’s for work. But not telling me…he can be so cruel….how sad.”

Yuuri wasn’t sure what story her posture and expressions told, but she hoped her words at least were enough to be convincing.

She saw the major and secretary as far as the entrance to the manor.

“You look unwell. Are you all right?” Ashleigh asked, peering into Yuuri’s face.

“Do I? I suppose I’m just tired from everything that’s happened. But I really am all right.”

As soon as she let her guard down, all of her doubt and anxiety had found its way onto her face. Yuuri tried to pull herself together and forge a smile.

“Please, get some rest.”

“Well, we’ll be off now.”

After they left, Yuuri took a break in her usual guest room. It had been a trying day, and she felt at ease under the watchful eye of Tarrah and the other maids.

Once Ernest returned home, she joined him for dinner. He figured out right away that something was wrong. But she refused to reveal the anxieties that weighed so heavily on her heart.

Instead, she said she was just distressed from the events that had taken place at Baron Thewlis’ manor. Yet the truth was that she had almost completely forgotten about the day’s events in favor of her worries over losing Ernest.

To calm her fears, Ernest insisted that she was out of danger once and for all. She could return home without fear. Baron Thewlis was in a place where he could never harm her again. Since the sun had already set, she would stay the night at Ernest’s estate and return to her home the next morning.

Ernest asked Yuuri to resume their conversation from earlier, but she lied and said she was far too tired.

❦❦❦

UPON returning to her shop, Yuuri curled up in her bed and closed her eyes.

Normally, she slept quite well, but last night, she barely slept a wink.

It was because reality had come crashing down before her without warning.

She just lay there, chasing the eternity she and Ernest thought they would have through her mind.

She dozed on and off, to the point where she became unable to tell when she was asleep and when she was awake.

Ernest had always been honest with Yuuri. But she had been fearful, distrustful, and kept her true feelings from him.

Maybe I should get a job, like as a servant or maybe a counselor, and travel with him…?

That felt unfair to Ernest. After how honest he had been with her, was she really just going to pretend that was the way she wanted things to be between them? And as kind as he was, he likely wouldn’t complain.

I don't have any choice though.

What if she told him and he rejected her? What would he think of her, knowing she feared being apart from him or dying of thirst? But he would be heartbroken if she never told him and he only found out after the fact. That possibility hurt Yuuri most of all.

She had intended to tell him last night, but had lost her nerve. To think that doubt could be the weakness of creatures as powerful as vampires.

She lay there, steeped in worry just beneath her covers, when a knock came from outside. From the front door of the shop, to be precise.

“Yuuri! Are you home?”

It was Ernest. Ernest, who was supposed to be busy preparing to leave the country.

Yuuri pulled the quilt up around her face. She hadn’t adequately gathered her thoughts just yet. If she saw him now, she wasn’t sure what she would say. She lay completely still, listening to him call her name, just hoping he would go away.

“Are you ill again? …Sorry, but I’m coming in,” he called.

She heard the door clatter open.

“How?!”

She heard him coming up the stairs and toward her door. She had absolutely nowhere to run and so just stayed under her quilt as Ernest entered the room.

“Aha, I knew it! Pretending to be out, were you?”

“H-How did…you get in?”

Her new lock was supposed to be much more secure than the old one. So how did he get in?

“Certainly not with this,” Ernest drawled as he twirled the key on the chain playfully. It was exactly like the key he had given her.

“That’s my…”

Her eyes shifted to the wall. Her key was hanging on the hook, where it belonged.

“No, this one’s mine. I figured you wouldn’t mind me having one, but I guess I was wrong. I’m sorry.”

The old lock had been crude and insecure, so Ernest had hired someone to change it out for a better one. Both on that day, the day she had been sick, and that night three nights ago, he had locked Yuuri’s home when he left, ensuring she would be safe and sound. He wouldn’t have been able to do that without his own key.

She should have realized it sooner, but somehow it was almost too obvious.

“Please don’t just barge into my house!”

“Were you crying? …You look awful.”

“No!”

Yuuri tried to sound threatening, but Ernest approached her bed, undeterred. She tried to pull away from him and ended up against the wall.

“I hear Major Conquest was running his mouth about things he shouldn’t have last night. He’s usually so taciturn, but that’s because when he actually does open his mouth, he’s usually got his foot in it. I thought you had been acting strange last night. …His attendant, Miss Lind, was the one who told me.”

“They only told me that you were going to Fosdan. Was I not supposed to know?”

“You weren’t. Not before the right moment.”

Ernest grabbed Yuuri’s quilt and yanked it off.

“The right moment?”

He drew close to her, the frightening intensity gone, and gently kissed the back of her hand. He then lifted his head and looked her in the eye.

“Yuuri Watoh, will you marry me?”

“Huh?”

“Is that your answer?”

Yuuri gave the question a full twenty seconds of thought.

“But I ca—!”

Ernest placed his hand over her mouth before she could finish.

“Don’t. If you refuse me so effortlessly, it’ll break my heart. Just answer me this for now: you love me, don’t you?”

Yuuri shook her head vigorously. Love needn’t equate to marriage.

“I was going to tell you about Fosdan only after we had properly dated and you accepted my marriage proposal. I’m sorry we’re having to do this backwards. I wanted to spend so much more time getting to know you, but I wasn’t given a choice. I want to take you to Fosdan with me, as my wife. …So, what’s your answer?”

Ernest slowly pulled his hand away. He told Yuuri he didn’t want her to reject him so easily, but what other answer was there?

“You already know how I feel! But, I can’t! The relationship between you and I is unbalanced. …I would feel guilty.”

“Our social standings are irrelevant. His Majesty gladly gave his permission, seeing as you’re the daughter of renowned merchants from abroad.”

“But, what about my condition…?”

If they married and she bore him a child, it was likely that child may inherit some of her vampiric traits, introducing it into his family line. It would be difficult for them to live a normal human life, as it had been for her.

“You mean the condition that makes you single-minded, awkward, and extreme when you’re in a lovey-dovey mood? Do you think those things make you unlovable somehow? Yuuri, your grandmother and your ancestors before her got on well enough with humans to bring you into this world. And yet you think there’s something wrong with you exclusively?”

“But…”

Yuuri had been certain it would never work because Ernest was a nobleman. It was why she had rejected him so intensely.

She had always been afraid they would eventually be pulled apart, yet it was never what she wanted. But now his words were swaying her. Could they really be together?

“You’ve been mine and mine alone since the moment you first drank my blood. If we’re torn apart, you’ll die, right?”

“You knew? Since when?”

“I more or less figured it out that day we went to the cemetery. I was sure after I saw how you didn’t react to seeing Major Conquest’s blood. Weren’t you going to tell me about it last night?”

“…Lord Ernest, you’re always one step ahead of me.”

Normally, she could never tell when he was joking and when he was serious. But right now, it was clear that he was completely serious.

Somewhere along the way, Ernest had completely figured her out. His kindness was all-encompassing, but she was afraid that, if she gave into it, with how weak her confidence already was, she would stop being the self-sufficient girl she always had been. But she couldn’t bear to be apart from him either.

Yuuri had no choice but to admit defeat.

“So, your answer?”

“I love you, Lord Ernest. You are the only one I want, now and forever. It’s true, because of the bond forged in your blood, I could never be apart from you, but that is only because I accepted you. The bond only forges after we have chosen who we are truly in love with. …I belong to you, and you alone.”

He kissed her cheeks, which were stained with tears. Then her forehead, just above her eyelid. When his lips finally found their way to hers, her heart pounded so furiously, she feared it might burst.

She still wasn’t used to kissing him. And she feared that, without being intoxicated on his blood, she may never get used to it.

❦❦❦

AFTER that, Yuuri became very busy with preparations of her own.

She would be accompanying her husband, the ambassador, to Fosdan, after all. There was much she had to learn, so she was given a room at Ernest’s manor.

She returned to her shop intermittently to gather her things and clean up. Thankfully, Simon was taking ownership of the shop, so Yuuri wouldn’t have to say goodbye to the home she had shared with her grandparents just yet.

She was exhausted. Her mornings were filled with lessons on everything she needed to learn to be a good ambassador’s wife. Her afternoons were filled with dancing lessons.

Ernest found her in her room, sipping tea, happily free from the day’s obligations.

He had been scrambling to try and pull together a respectable wedding in only three months. Most noble weddings took anywhere from six months to a year to prepare. And gaining the proper acceptance and permission to marry into the nobility took some time.

“No ordinary man would be able to pull all of this together in such a short time. I suppose I’m just that amazing,” Ernest boasted, though the truth was he had been planning this well before he even asked Yuuri. He had even been meeting with her father, ever since she first drank his blood.

“I wish you had told me, rather than done so much behind my back.”

“Shame on you, you wicked witch. I was so madly in love that I couldn’t contain myself, and there you are, holding back and letting me make a fool of myself.”

“You’re the wicked one.”

This time, it was Yuuri’s teasing words that hurt Ernest. But he merely laughed it off. Having her call him “wicked” actually made him feel proud somehow.

She took a sip of tea as a sign of defeat, just as a knock came at the door. A maid entered a second later.

“M’lady, a letter has arrived for you!” a woman in a polished servant’s uniform announced, far louder than most servants would.

It was Rosie, wearing one of the manor’s maid uniforms.

“Please stop addressing me that way. What are you doing here, Rosie?”

“The count hired me! We’re coming with you to Fosdan too!”

Yuuri had heard that Ernest had hired Dan after he could no longer work at the baron’s estate. But why Rosie too? Yuuri gave Ernest a quizzical look.

“Just for insurance. I didn’t want anything to happen to her if that creep ever got out and tried to take revenge. …We’ll need servants when we go to Fosdan, so why break them up?”

Dan had received reparations from the baron over his injuries. But they weren’t enough to cover all the debt the baron had paid off. And Dan was unemployed.

Ernest took over the remainder of the debts, with the caveat that Dan would pay a little back from his salary each month. But as Dan would have to come to Fosdan, he couldn’t just force the man to leave Rosie behind.

“All right, I’ll just set your letter here then.”

Yuuri wasn’t sure if she should correct Rosie on her boisterous manner.

She felt someone watching them from the door and looked up to see Tarrah standing there, seething.

“Rosie, come along now. …Master, I beg your pardon, she is still learning. Please excuse us.”

It was inappropriate for Tarrah to wear anything but a smile in front of the head of household. But it was clear as day that Rosie was in for quite the lecture.

“It never is boring here, as you can see. Is it from your family?”

“Yes. I wrote to them regarding the wedding…and…”

With everyone gone, Yuuri could read the letter in peace. But her face clouded over and Ernest could guess what it was about.

“Is it your mother?”

Yuuri had asked her father if her mother would be attending her wedding ceremony.

“He said why let someone who cannot share our joy sour our special day?”

“Are you all right with that?”

“Yes. I suppose I knew she would choose this all along. After all, she did say she would never accept me.”

It was so strange. For most of her life, the fact that Yuuri’s mother had shunned her was like a millstone that she struggled to carry through life, weighing heavy upon her heart.

Children revered their parents above all others. So if her mother hated her so, then she must truly be a despicable creature. A monster.

But the words from the man she loved were even more powerful. Knowing how deeply he loved her, that she was in fact lovable, set her free.

Her mother was neither right nor perfect. And she could finally admit it. So she no longer needed to be bound by what this heartless woman thought of her.

“Are things different now?”

“…Yes.”

To Yuuri, Ernest’s words were her truth. Because he told her she was not a monster, though she was “determined, awkward, and extreme in her expressions of love,” she felt free.

“Ohh. And just why have you become so positive all of a sudden? Care to tell me?”

“No.”

“I see. Too bad. I have an idea anyway. By the way, this is your room, for you to use as you see fit…for now.”

“Thank you very much.”

Why was he bringing up the room all of a sudden? What was he really getting at?

“……”

Ernest gave her a wounded look, though she wasn’t sure what she had done to upset him. She had merely thanked him for letting her have use of the room.

“That’s not what I was looking for. This is a guest room and you are no longer a guest, so you won’t be able to stay in here forever. Just prepare yourself for that.”

This room had an expiration date? What would happen then? He certainly wasn’t going to run his fiancée out of the manor, so where would she go? After he said “prepare yourself,” she had a good idea of what he was implying.

Ernest lifted a lock of Yuuri’s ebony hair to his lips. Startled, she tried to scoot away, but found herself trapped by the armrest. He was always so intimidating when he closed in on her like this.

Surely, it was his right as her future husband, but still, she wanted to wait just a little longer.

She was trying to squirm away, but she ended up on her back. She didn’t want him any closer, so she grabbed his shirt, and gave a mighty shove.

“Ohh, you’re being so aggressive today!”

No matter what happened, Ernest had the uncanny ability to rewrite every situation in his favor.

Yuuri was trying to push him off of her so she could evade his advances, but Ernest was treating it like she was trying to take his shirt off.

“N-No, I wasn’t! …Stay back or I’ll bite you!”

“Go ahead.”

His lips curled into a mischievous smile as he swiftly undid his tie.

“Never mind, I think I’ll pass for now!”

No matter how Yuuri’s eyes filled with tears or how much she glared at him, he only smiled brighter. He usually gave her an out. But this time was different. Was it different because he was more serious than ever…or because this was exactly what she wanted as well?

Ernest gave Yuuri no time to think it over.

❦❦❦

COUNT Selden’s wife, Countess Yuuri, was known as the “Misfortune Devouring Witch”. Anyone who had problems that needed solving could visit her at the manor. But in order to gain the witch’s help, there were two rules one need follow.

One: All requests for aide were to go through the count himself first.

Two: No one was to request jasmine tea from the countess.

The count could be rather jealous and couldn’t bear to see anyone else drinking jasmine tea his wife had made.

If you can manage to follow those two rules, the kindly witch from a distant land will happily devour your misfortunes too.

But what becomes of those who have their misfortunes devoured—?

 

The End