Volume 4, Chapter 15 – Something Quietly Changes

“Check.”

Watching the count’s eldest daughter bite her lip, stare intently at the board, and seriously contemplate her next move, Yisi ruthlessly announced the end of the game.

“Ugh…”

Just as Edith had said, she had “completely mastered” it, but this mastery was limited to the rules. When it came to actually playing, her moves were no different from a beginner’s.

The reason Edith dared to say she had completely mastered the game and was sure she would beat Yisi was probably because Fran and the others were at such a low level.

Yisi smiled wryly to herself as she watched Edith’s face. She had only played two games with Camilla, and most of the time she was just an observer. The only matches Edith had seen through her eyes were those of the beginner Fran and Camilla. When her frame of reference was wrong, it was only natural for her to think that chess wasn’t difficult.

But Yisi could say with certainty that Edith was just a novice.

The count’s eldest daughter was forced to move her king one space to the side, and Yisi pursued with her queen.

It easily turned into a checkmate.

“Checkmate.”

“…There must be another path.”

Edith’s eyebrows were tightly knitted together. She scanned the board, trying to find a piece to block the queen’s checkmate.

Yisi sighed.

“Give up. You were too focused on offense from the very beginning, and that’s why it turned out this way. There’s no way to save it.”

As if she hadn’t heard Yisi, the count’s eldest daughter continued to stare at the board, not even realizing she was biting her thumb.

The sight of her being backed into a corner was unexpectedly cute.

Hiding her inner thoughts, Yisi quietly appreciated Edith’s anxious expression.

What would Edith’s reaction be when she realized there was no escape? Would she sweep all the pieces away, claim there was another path, and then shamelessly break the bet? Or would she refuse to acknowledge the loss, claiming that their skill levels were unequal?

Although they had only known each other for less than a week, Yisi couldn’t imagine Edith doing either of those things. The count’s eldest daughter, who considered lying to be an act of cowardice, could she really go back on her word?

Considering the stake of the bet—that Edith had to fulfill any request Yisi made—Edith might really pretend nothing happened. In fact, Yisi hadn’t taken the stake seriously. A promise that was too grand felt unrealistic.

Moreover, Yisi had no intentions for Edith. She was not short on money or power. While there were things she lacked, such as a romantic partner, this had nothing to do with a command. Yisi couldn’t possibly use the bet to give Edith a ridiculous and utterly foolish command like, “From now on, you must love me.” Love was not a master-servant relationship.

But at the same time, Yisi also became aware of something dark inside herself.

She was hoping the count’s eldest daughter would go back on her word.

It wasn’t so she could command her, but a more sordid emotion. The image of the count’s eldest daughter—proud, cold, and cruel; never running away even when she was in a life-or-death situation and betrayed by everyone—was deeply ingrained in her heart. Yisi admitted that if she were in the count’s eldest daughter’s position, she would never have the courage to go to the Pescia territory’s capital.

One side controlled the entire military force of the Pescia territory, while the other had only a handful of people. Any sensible person would not choose a frontal confrontation, but the count’s eldest daughter had done exactly that.

If it were anyone else, Yisi would think it was reckless, but Edith was the exception. Even though Yisi had absolute control over the body, Edith had never begged her or acted pitifully to gain sympathy. If she had done so, Yisi would have surely softened and given up more time, or perhaps even helped her reclaim her position directly. But Edith had never shown weakness, instead choosing to negotiate with Yisi as an equal.

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Perhaps this pride could be attributed to noble honor, but it was clear that not all nobles possessed it; it was as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. That spirit of never giving up was something Yisi lacked, and precisely because she couldn’t achieve it herself, she hoped others couldn’t either.

If Edith went back on her word now, Yisi would probably think, that’s all you are, or she would secretly mock her and feel a sense of relief. Perhaps some people are born to wish others well, but it’s undeniable that most are the opposite. Even if they outwardly bless people who are working hard and try to convince themselves that they wish others well to hide their own sordid thoughts, they still feel a sense of relief in their subconscious when they see someone fall down a mountainside, hoping that everyone is as weak as they are.

This was the dark side of human nature that could not be avoided.

Subconsciously, Yisi’s hand moved to her queen.

“Want to take back a move?”

Silence.

After almost ten seconds, the count’s eldest daughter gave a light snort and removed her hands from the board.

“A loss is a loss.”

“Mm…”

Yisi felt a slight disappointment. If the count’s eldest daughter had asked to take back a move, the fascinating image Yisi had of her would have collapsed. But Yisi was also relieved that the count’s eldest daughter had not disappointed her. This wavering emotion didn’t mean Yisi liked the count’s eldest daughter; it was something more complex and difficult to express.

For now, Yisi couldn’t name what it was.

Edith, sitting on the other side of the chessboard, watched Yisi with great interest.

“What’s wrong? You seem to be thinking about something else… Let’s see… disappointment, relief, self-reproach, panic—you’re more interesting than I imagined.”

Realizing that the count’s eldest daughter was tasting her emotions through telepathy, Yisi snapped out of her thoughts.

“Didn’t you say it was rude to pry into someone’s mind?”

“You’re in no position to say that. And do you think I want to read your mind? Even if I refuse, the emotions that come through are something one subconsciously pays attention to—I see. I was wondering why I was becoming so fond of you. Looking back now, it must be this telepathy that made me subconsciously pay attention to you. What a troublesome thing.”

“I feel the same way.”

Yisi spread her hands.

She really hoped this telepathy would disappear soon, or she couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be attracted to the count’s eldest daughter in the future.

“So what are you going to make me do? A bet is a bet. But if you tell me to kill myself and give you the body, I can only say I’ll do it when I’ve lived long enough.”

“I’m not that bad.” Yisi crossed her arms. “I haven’t decided what I want you to do yet.”

“How about putting on a collar and walking around the garden naked like a dog?”

“Is that what you want?”

Even if Edith wanted it, Yisi wouldn’t do it. Most people would look at Edith, but Yisi, who was leading her, would also become an object of attention—she would be labeled a pervert.

“If you give me that command, I’ll cut off your limbs and keep only your head and torso as my pet.”

Despite the playful tone, Yisi felt the seriousness in Edith’s words.

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“How fortunate.”

Even though they were using the same body.

Very naturally, Edith reset the chess pieces.

Yisi blinked.

“…Are you going to play again? I don’t think you can beat me, and I still haven’t made you fulfill your promise.”

“Tell me when you’ve decided what you want me to do.”

A sense of stubbornness came from the count’s eldest daughter. Yisi couldn’t help but smile wryly. Anyone who loses at chess feels this way.

“Alright, alright. Then let’s ignore the previous stakes and just play for fun, okay?”

Otherwise, Edith would lose everything, right down to her underwear.

“Instead of talking, you should hurry up and set the pieces.”

The game restarted. The first move was still Edith’s.

However, in less than two minutes, Yisi declared the end.

“Checkmate.”

“Tch.”

The fastest way to die in chess, Fool’s Mate, a checkmate in two moves.

Edith, playing as white, moved her pawns to F3 and G4, clearing a path for Yisi’s queen to attack her king and checkmate her.

Although such a move usually makes the opponent angry, if Yisi had gone easy on her, Edith would have been even more upset.

Yisi cautiously looked up at the count’s eldest daughter. Her brows were so tightly knit they were almost touching, and her jaw was clenched. Finally, she grudgingly squeezed a remark through her teeth.

“…One more game.”

It would be impolite to run away after winning, so Yisi continued the third game with Edith.

And after confirming that the count’s eldest daughter’s chess skills were not very high, Yisi began to have the luxury of talking about other things.

“Earlier, on my way here, I saw the ‘food’ from your banquet. The servants said they were going to bury the dead ‘food’ on the back mountain.”

“So what?”

The count’s eldest daughter was staring intently at the board and didn’t seem to be paying attention to Yisi’s words.

Yisi carefully chose her words.

“I wanted to ask if you could let them live in the future. Taking a little less blood wouldn’t be a loss for you. You can satisfy your physiological needs with just one bite, there’s no need for endless draining.”

The count’s eldest daughter’s queen was taken by Yisi’s queen for going too deep. The count’s eldest daughter clicked her tongue and looked up.

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“Would you put down your weapon just because livestock screamed before they died? No one would complain about having too much food to eat.”

“But they are people.”

“So what? All humans are livestock. Beastmen and elves are the same.”

“I’m not telling you not to drink blood. What I mean is, don’t drain the same person endlessly. If you raise them, you can reuse them, can’t you?”

“That would increase unnecessary burdens. Livestock need food, too. When you’re done, just buy new ones.”

The count’s eldest daughter’s tone was very light, without any psychological burden.

But this was to be expected. To the blood clan, people of other races were just livestock for providing blood, just as humans always put themselves at the top. Every race thought they were the chosen darlings of God.

On this point, Yisi probably wouldn’t be able to change Edith’s mind.

Yisi advanced her pawn, and Edith did the same.

“By the way, the Fallen Mark on my body is gone. Was that your doing?”

“Probably.”

An expression that was probably happiness appeared on Edith’s face.

“That’s a great gift. I have to thank you.”

Is that a +1 to her favorability?

Yisi tilted her head. Then she moved her queen to a position where it could diagonally take Edith’s king. Because they had both advanced their pawns earlier, Edith’s king was exposed to Yisi.

“Check. This is the impression you gave me, so it’s not my fault for thinking that.”

“Mm…” Once again, she was in check. Edith’s hands pressed tightly on the table. “Your perception is too shallow. If I got angry and yelled at you, would you give me the body back? It would be a good strategy to enrage you and reduce your control over the body, then seize control, but in reality, it would accomplish nothing but making you angry. I realized during the blood frenzy that I’m not your match in terms of mental ability, so it’s better to pursue a common goal from the start. Of course, if I get a chance to get rid of you before we find a way for both of us to exist independently, I will not hesitate.”

She really said it out loud.

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll get rid of you instead?”

“Would you, who have always avoided killing, kill me before I take any substantive action?”

In other words, the only reason she was sitting down and talking to her now was because she had no other way to deal with her, so she was resorting to negotiating.

What a realistic answer.

Once again, with no pieces to block the queen’s path, the count’s eldest daughter could only move her king horizontally one space to avoid being taken by Yisi’s queen.

“Whether I kill you or not depends on the situation.” Yisi continued to move her queen diagonally, right in front of the king. “Checkmate.”

Moving left would lead to her being taken diagonally by Yisi’s queen. The right side was blocked by her own rook. Behind her was the edge of the board, and in front was Yisi’s queen.

No escape.

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“Tch…”

Edith clicked her tongue in frustration.

“Speaking of which, what did you talk about with the lord of Termi City today? Borrowing troops? If you want to deal with that impostor, it’s absolutely impossible with your current forces. Samael is on her side and could assassinate you at any time.”

“He won’t come. Samael’s impression of me is still from the time you were residing in my body. He fears me.”

“Should I start charging a protection fee?”

“I didn’t ask you to protect me. I’ll handle my own affairs.”

There she goes again with that phrase.

Yisi shrugged.

“So, did the lord of Termi City agree to lend you troops?”

“Of course. My uncle has been waiting for my return. If a civil war starts, he will unconditionally stand by my side.”

“A civil war? You’re not planning to lead an army to surround the capital city of Elden?” ¹ i change the previous name, its too literal (Aertin)

“The moment I stand before Father, the impostor’s tricks will fall apart. There’s one thing I was wrong about. No matter how strong the impostor’s mind magic is, it’s impossible for her to control Father. Father, as the master of the Tower of Alexia, has resistance to mind magic that is almost on par with a fallen angel. Even the fallen angel most skilled in mind magic couldn’t control Father.”

“So the impostor only cast an illusion to make herself look like me in Father’s eyes.”

“But then how do you explain everyone else still seeing the impostor as an impostor? And with just a simple imitation of appearance, the differences in behavior and habits should have been noticed by your father long ago.”

“I don’t know, but Father can’t be mentally con—”

Her words were cut short. Like a doll that had suddenly lost power, Edith’s body swayed, and her entire presence wilted. But this change only lasted for a moment before she returned to normal.

Yisi didn’t miss this anomaly.

“What’s wrong?”

As if nothing had happened, Edith waved her hand.

“What’s wrong? It’s getting late. There’s no point in continuing the game now. We’ll continue after I get used to it. This body is yours now.”

Without any warning, like a kite whose string had been cut, the count’s eldest daughter’s body went limp.

Her soul must have returned to that dark space.

Yisi shook her head and regained control of the body.

Because Edith had replenished an excessive amount of blood in the evening, the body now had more energy than usual.

It was precisely because this feeling was so easy to get addicted to that vampires would drink blood endlessly. But that was a part of the count’s eldest daughter’s time; Yisi hadn’t gotten to experience the taste of blood. For her, the time to savor blood had just begun.

“I’ll go check out that inn from the afternoon first.”