Volume 1, Chapter 38 – Breakdown (Part 2)

Something had changed.

That was Camilla’s first realization.

With this change came unease and fear.

But Camilla couldn’t pinpoint the source of her unease—she didn’t even know what she was afraid of.

Fear often manifests in two emotions: dread and hope. Dread of something, and hope for salvation—whether from someone or through some means—this was the core of fear. Yet she didn’t know what she dreaded, nor what she hoped for. Like a leaf drifting aimlessly on the ocean’s surface.

The only thing she knew was the cause of this change—Loiswell Edith Pescia.

Not the sister from before, but the sister now—the one after her first escape.

Perhaps it had started the day she was allowed to sit at the dining table. The change had crept in silently, yet unstoppably.

Haa—

She exhaled softly, slowly removing her tattered clothes before sitting blankly on the bed.

Issuing inexplicable, even contradictory orders; declaring that Camilla wasn’t allowed to leave her sight, only to disappear herself. Not to mention her penchant for doing the most unpredictable things.

Though Camilla was the second daughter of a count, among vampires, she was treated as less than a servant. In a society where bloodlines determined status, a human appearing among them could only expect the worst treatment. Of course, Camilla had never complained—or rather, she didn’t even know what complaining was, or why one would do it. As an obedient doll, all she had to do was follow her master’s orders.

This was how Camilla had lived her entire life. Whether it was her parents in her childhood or Count Pescia, who took her in, they had all molded her into such a tool. If one were to name the greatest upheaval in Camilla’s life, it wouldn’t be fighting beasts barehanded or enduring harsh assassination missions—it was the period when her parents abandoned her.

It must be said that Camilla felt no familial attachment to her parents. The despair she experienced then stemmed solely from losing those who gave her orders. Like a fish out of water, doomed to die, Camilla could only curl up in a street corner during that time, too afraid to take a single step. She feared being abandoned by her masters, feared having no commands to follow, while also hoping her parents would take her back to that dark little room.

But her wish wasn’t granted. Just as Camilla was on the verge of dying from hunger and cold, Count Pescia picked her up, and she became the count’s second daughter.

Having experienced abandonment, she threw herself into completing tasks to ensure she would never again face a moment without orders.

No one knew how long that period lasted. By the time she had lost all sense of time, Camilla had lived solely by following orders—until Yisi appeared half a month ago.

If Yisi allowing Camilla to sit at the dining table was the unnoticed beginning of change, then what followed in the days after—treating Camilla not as a tool, speaking to her in ways Camilla found utterly baffling—was the preparation to turn the heavy gears of transformation.

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And then, there were the clothes and accessories bought on the shopping street days ago.

For an ordinary woman, buying clothes and accessories might simply be a gesture of goodwill to strengthen bonds. But for Camilla, it was nothing short of earth-shattering.

While purchasing clothes for herself, Yisi had also bought half a store’s worth of items for Camilla—something Camilla had never experienced before. If this could be called sympathy, then the matching bat hairpins they bought afterward made it clear that Yisi’s attitude toward her was entirely different from that of Count Pescia or her parents.

It was this completely different attitude that had, unnoticed, begun to change her.

Though Camilla didn’t know what to call this attitude.

And then, there was what had just happened.

The spark that made Camilla realize something inside her had shifted.

As an obedient doll, she should always protect her master. If necessary, she must sacrifice herself to buy time for her master’s escape. This was a slave’s fundamental lesson, and also the knowledge Count Pescia had most frequently instilled in Camilla.

Yet when the explosion occurred, Camilla hadn’t even realized what was coming. If Yisi hadn’t pulled her into Advanced Teleportation, she might have been reduced to fragments.

Why didn’t she use me as a shield? And why did I bandage her wounds without orders?

These were Camilla’s greatest questions.

Thinking this, she stood from the bed. The unease born of ignorance threatened to drown her heart, anxiety and irritation flooding her mind.

Change always comes with pain—but Camilla hadn’t yet learned to adapt.

It was destined to be a long night.

◇

Strange.

Something is definitely strange.

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Watching Camilla, who had actively taken her hand, Yisi was convinced.

This was the third day.

Over the past few days, Camilla’s behavior had been utterly abnormal. The moment Yisi opened her eyes, Camilla—who had been waiting by the bedside—would immediately bring water and tools for washing, then remove her bandages and help her dress.

If these could still be considered a servant’s duties, then practically forcing Yisi to sit at the dining table was downright excessive.

Even though Camilla’s expression remained as blank as ever, her tone was just as devoid of emotion.

“Onee-sama?”

Noticing Yisi’s distraction, Camilla stopped walking.

“Ah, let’s keep going.” Thinking this was a positive change, Yisi didn’t resist. “Camilla’s clothes—”

“Do they… look nice?”

“They’re very pretty…”

Had it not been for the incident where Camilla insisted on bandaging her, Yisi might have even wondered if Camilla, like her, had had her soul replaced.

After hesitating for a long while, she finally stammered out a question.

“Um… is another Camilla in control these days?”

“Another? Does Onee-sama mean the original Camilla?”

Camilla tilted her head slightly, walking out of the main hall at a somewhat brisk pace.

“Yeah. It feels like you’re different from before.”

“You could say that, but not entirely. Every Camilla is still me.”

Did the two personalities merge? Or did one disappear?

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Before Yisi could reach a conclusion, Camilla had already seated her at the dining table. Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, making Camilla’s golden hair shine brilliantly.

“Onee-sama said before that when the weather was nice, I should remind you to go out. So today, I waited for you to wake up early.”

No, no—you’ve been early every day lately.

Camilla’s excessive enthusiasm made Yisi eat with unusual caution, warily eyeing the expressionless girl while taking small bites. She found herself missing the old Camilla, who wouldn’t move without orders.

Finishing her breakfast of milk and bread at lightning speed, Camilla wiped her mouth with a napkin.

“Does Onee-sama have any plans?”

“Hmm—I’d like to check out the city’s outskirts.”

Demons had been flooding into the city in increasing numbers lately, to the point where it was impossible to ignore. A rough estimate put their numbers at over three hundred. Yisi was certain this was a failure on the city guard’s part—the church hadn’t noticed the demonic invasion at all.

The demons might be planning to wage war.

Yisi felt the urge to leave Niru City immediately. Though her Omniscient Map revealed that these demons were only around Level 10, if any possessed special magic capable of harming her—such as skills in games that ignored defense and dealt direct HP damage—things could get troublesome.

If possible, Yisi wanted to investigate the demons from a safe distance.

Camilla signaled to a servant, who brought over a staff resembling a tree branch, its tip crowned with a large flower bud.

“I’ll go with you.”

“Mm. Tell the servants to let the nuns know they don’t need to come today.”

The nuns were prey Yisi had recently discovered. For some reason, their blood carried a sweet flavor. As for how Yisi had sampled it—that story began two days ago.

A nun had come to the mansion to clean the religious statues, and Yisi had casually asked to taste her blood in exchange for two gold coins. Expecting to be punched, she was shocked when the nun readily agreed.

Only later did Yisi learn the nun had a gambling addiction. Though Yisi felt such a person hardly qualified as a nun, as long as the blood was delicious, it didn’t matter. From that day on, Yisi’s mansion became a frequent stop for nuns.

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Camilla paused at Yisi’s words.

“Can’t my blood replace theirs? …Is it really that bad?”

“No, Camilla’s is the most delicious.”

This wasn’t flattery—it was Yisi’s genuine feeling. Not even the pets kept by the count’s eldest daughter could compare to the intoxicating allure of Camilla’s blood. But Yisi had been restraining herself from taking it, so she had only tasted it once so far.

“Then why not use mine?”

“Even if you say that… I mean, I could, but if I took blood from you endlessly, you’d eventually die.”

“…”

Camilla froze.

Yisi couldn’t help but smile. The old Camilla would’ve said something like, “Even if I die, it’s fine.” No—strictly speaking, she wouldn’t have offered her blood in the first place.

Yisi shrugged.

“That’s how it is. If you absolutely insist on using your blood, let’s limit it to once a month.”

“…Understood.”

Camilla’s voice sounded somewhat dejected, but that might’ve just been Yisi’s imagination. In reality, it was no different from usual.

For some reason, Yisi felt inexplicably cheerful. She set down her chopsticks and wiped her mouth.

“Let’s go once you’re ready.”

“Yes, Onee-sama.”