Volume 1, Chapter 45 – The Withering

For two days after that incident, Camilla had shut herself in her room, only emerging to eat or when Yisi needed to go out, at which point she would follow Yisi closely.

Yisi could do nothing about it. She faintly guessed that the maid’s and Owen’s words had made Camilla aware of her own abnormal behavior—acting beyond the bounds of her orders—plunging her into self-contradiction. But such things could only be resolved by Camilla herself. All Yisi could do was give her a little push at the critical moment.

Dinner was heavy with silence.

Only the clinking of cutlery could be heard.

This has gone on for two days now.

Yisi glanced at Camilla sitting across from her. Since two days ago, dinner had become like this—if Yisi didn’t speak, Camilla wouldn’t utter a word. Though it had been the same way when Yisi first arrived in this world, having grown accustomed to Camilla’s proactive demeanor, this sudden return to silence felt unnatural.

Of course, Camilla wasn’t entirely the same as before. She still changed into different outfits every day, and the bat-shaped hair accessory Yisi had given her remained firmly in place atop her head.

After a while, Yisi set down her chopsticks and waved her hand, dismissing the maids waiting nearby. Among them were not only vampires but also humans assigned by the Church. When it came to confidential matters, they naturally had to be sent away.

“I’m going to Refina’s place tonight.”

“Refina…” Hearing the name, Camilla, who had been frowning all this time, suddenly regained focus in her eyes. “Are you going to the brothel again?”

I specifically avoided saying ‘brothel’ by using Refina’s name instead…

While internally sighing, Yisi continued.

“There are less than three days left until the hostage exchange. I need to check on their situation to make sure they don’t do anything reckless. Also—”

“To replenish your blood, right?”

“Nix has reached his limit. If he buys any more slaves, the trading company won’t have enough funds to keep operating. So for the next few days, I’ll need to go to Refina’s place.”

After a moment of hesitation, Camilla set down her knife and fork, her crimson eyes flickering with reluctance.

“Couldn’t the blood servants in the mansion or… I suffice?”

“The blood servants have recovered somewhat, but they’re not yet in a state to provide blood. As for you, Camilla, we agreed—only once a month.”

“But you haven’t even taken the first one yet.”

“The first day I arrived here—no, doesn’t the time you ambushed me during my bath count?”

“That doesn’t count!” Her voice rose slightly before Camilla caught herself, lowering her head with a blush. “Forgive me, Onee-sama. That was improper.”

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Yisi waved her hand dismissively.

“It’s fine. Anyway, I’ll be going to Refina’s tonight.”

“Then… May I come with you?”

“I don’t mind, as long as you don’t find it troublesome.”

Dinner ended quickly. After some brief preparations, Yisi and Camilla arrived at the brothel’s entrance.

As with Yisi’s previous visits, the place was bustling at all hours, with countless men and women streaming inside. The sounds of flirtatious laughter mixed with the scent of tobacco, making even the magical lamps scattered throughout the hall seem hazy.

Fortunately, the tobacco in this world was simply dried leaves set alight—nothing like modern cigarettes—so it was far less suffocating. Otherwise, Yisi would have surely frowned, causing the brothel manager to panic and fall out of his chair.

Literally speaking, Yisi was now the true owner of this brothel. Its establishment had been funded by her father, Count Pescia, and the manager himself was a vampire highly trusted by the Count. Thanks to his assistance, the “pets” had been able to infiltrate Niru City unnoticed.

Given Yisi and Camilla’s striking appearances, the male patrons couldn’t help but steal glances at them. Some of the bolder ones even approached with drinks in hand. Naturally, the manager wouldn’t allow such behavior. Before they could get close, he shooed them away and personally escorted Yisi inside.

Everyone saw how the once-proud manager was now sweating profusely, offering the two girls an ingratiating smile.

It didn’t take long for Yisi to enter the pets’ room. As expected, all of them were dressed in revealing, seductive outfits and greeted her in unison.

“Welcome back, Master.”

“At ease. I’ll be leaving soon.”

“You’re leaving already?”

As usual, Refina, standing at the forefront, was the first to speak. Her purple side ponytail paired with a white dress gave her an indescribable elegance.

“Yes. For the next three days, I’ll be coming here daily—I need blood.”

“It is our honor to offer our blood to you, Master.”

Surrounded by the pets, Yisi maintained her stoic expression and sat behind the only desk in the room, crossing her legs.

“It’s been several days. You must have received word by now. What did Father say?”

The “word” referred to the message Yisi had previously asked the pets to relay to Count Pescia—that she wished to stay in the human world a while longer.

Refina stiffened slightly, as if afraid Yisi would be angered. After a long pause, she answered timidly.

“The Count said… he cannot allow you to remain in the dangerous human world.”

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“Even though I possess magic capable of destroying everything?”

“Yes. The Count insists you return no matter what. He also mentioned seeing the divine punishment looming over Niru City. Though he believes it to be a human trick, a spell of that scale is likely only one tier below the one you used to annihilate the Niru Forest.”

“Tch.”

She had dug her own grave.

Of course, Yisi hadn’t expected Count Pescia to yield so easily. As anticipated, without concrete achievements, he would never agree to her request.

Leaving outright was an option, but it would trigger a war between the two races. Yisi wasn’t the type to act selfishly—war would claim countless lives. As a third party, she might have pitied them, but if it was a war she could have prevented, the guilt and remorse would haunt her for life. No one wanted to bear such a heavy sin.

As Yisi rested her chin on her fist, lost in thought, a cup of tea was placed before her.

“Onee-sama, please drink.”

“Ah, thank you.”

Absent-mindedly, Yisi took the cup from Camilla. Instantly, the atmosphere in the room turned strange.

All five pets were staring at Camilla, especially Refina, who narrowed her eyes with undisguised hostility.

The Church might not know Camilla’s status, but the pets serving Yisi were well aware. Nominally, Camilla was the second daughter of House Pescia, but in reality, her standing was little better than a servant’s. In the past, she wouldn’t even have been fit to polish Yisi’s shoes, let alone serve tea so intimately. The eldest daughter of the Count would have flung the cup to the ground without a second glance, rebuking Camilla for daring to touch a pureblood despite her lowly status.

Yet what they had just witnessed overturned their understanding. To the pets, it seemed Camilla had seized their place while they were unable to attend to Yisi.

To confirm this, Refina took a small step forward.

“Master, has Camilla joined us?”

“Camilla is assisting me in governance. This is Father’s arrangement. I won’t waste his intentions.”

In other words, Camilla wasn’t a pet.

“But with her lowly status, how can she attend to you? I believe you should appoint—”

“Enough. Silence.” Yisi’s icy, authoritative tone made all the pets lower their heads. “I’m not here to entertain your doubts. If you’re dissatisfied, you may leave at any time. I have no use for those who disobey.”

At the threat of abandonment, everyone—including Camilla—flinched.

“Refina, come here.”

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Hearing her name, Refina trembled slightly before stepping forward.

Without hesitation, Yisi grabbed Refina’s collar and pulled her close—close enough to expose her neck.

Having learned from past carelessness, Yisi knew she had to assert the Count’s daughter’s capriciousness now, or risk raising suspicion. Before Refina could react, Yisi sank her fangs into the pale skin.

Instantly, pain twisted Refina’s expression, but it vanished just as quickly. Her golden eyes glazed over as she clutched Yisi’s shoulders, biting her lip as if resisting something, soft moans escaping her throat.

This was the hallucination caused by the vast gap in their bloodlines. Though she was being drained, Refina could only feel bliss.

Yisi, too, could share in this euphoria for a moment. Refina’s blood tasted like cherries—a sweet, fruity tang with a warm richness. Every time, Yisi worried her greed might leave Refina drained. In fact, the first time the Count’s daughter had fed from Refina, she had nearly lost control and killed her.

As Yisi drank, the other four pets watched with a mix of envy and jealousy. No matter how hard they tried, they could never overcome the innate inferiority of their blood.

After a few moments, Yisi released Refina, who staggered back, panting heavily, her face flushed.

“Thank you, Master.”

“Consider this your reward for delivering my message. As for Father, tell him to be patient. I’ll explain everything to him personally after the hostage exchange in three days.”

“Understood, Master.”

Kissing Yisi’s fingertips, Refina retreated two steps. Though she still glanced at Camilla, the hostility in her gaze had lessened.

Licking the last traces of blood from her fingers, Yisi stood, her white hair swaying behind her.

“I’ll return tomorrow. Camilla, let’s go.”

“…Yes.”

For some reason, Yisi sensed unease in Camilla’s voice—softer and more fragile than before.

What had happened?

Yisi couldn’t understand. Under the pet’s watchful eyes, she headed for the door. But just then, one of them suddenly rushed to her, pleading in a desperate voice.

“Master, please… grant me your favor too…”

If no one else were present, Yisi might have indulged the request. But with everyone watching, the Count’s daughter despised losing control—especially when subordinates acted out of turn.

In a cold voice, Yisi stopped and glanced back.

“I said I’d return tomorrow.”

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“Eileen, what are you doing?!”

Before Yisi could decide how to respond, Refina stepped forward and dragged the pet named Eileen away—more like forcibly yanking her back.

“The Master has no need for disobedient servants!” As the leader of the pets, Refina scolded Eileen harshly before turning to Yisi with fearful, pleading eyes. “Master, I will punish Eileen. Please… don’t abandon us…”

“Hmph. That depends on your performance.”

Without another word, Yisi left the room. Camilla lingered for a moment, glancing back at Refina and Eileen, who was now on the floor, before following Yisi.

……

The sudden brightness of the mansion’s interior made Yisi exhale in relief. Thankfully, Refina had inadvertently saved her earlier—otherwise, she would have had to devise some punishment, despite her complete lack of experience in such matters.

Stretching her stiff joints, Yisi turned to Camilla, who was staring at the ground, her mood abnormally gloomy.

“What’s wrong, Camilla?”

She expected Camilla to brush it off with a “Nothing,” but this time, the girl hesitated for a long while, as if mustering the courage to voice her pent-up thoughts. Her hands clenched tightly, and she couldn’t meet Yisi’s eyes.

“If… if I disobeyed you… would you abandon me, Onee-sama?”

“Of course not. You’re you, Camilla. Didn’t I say this before? I want you to live freely, unbound by orders. Honestly, I’m the one who should be worried. If you ever find me unbearable, you’re free to leave a note and go.”

“I see…”`

Seeing Camilla still downcast, Yisi tilted her head.

“Are you unhappy?”

“No. I just thought of something. Onee-sama, if someone wanted to become your familiar… would you accept them?”

Familiar?

It was too late to check the Count’s daughter’s memories now. Yisi cleared her throat.

“That depends on the situation. It’s getting late—let’s go to bed.”

“Yes, Onee-sama.”

No one noticed the winterbloom in the parlor, quietly withering away.