Volume 9, Chapter 10 – The Ring

After returning from the Divine Religion, Yisi greeted Camilla at the mansion and told her not to make her dinner for the day. Then, she immediately headed to the Blood Clan’s royal capital, Alvier, using a series of teleportation spells. Because the Duchy of Chloe was located at the western end of the continent, a considerable distance from Alvier in the east, there was a significant time difference—one side would be in the early morning while the other was still in the evening. As a result, even for Yisi, the journey took nearly an hour.

Of course, if she could have skipped the trouble of positioning, Yisi could have arrived in just ten minutes. Most of that hour was spent on navigation. The range of [Advanced Teleportation] far exceeded the maximum range displayed by her [Omniscient Map]—beyond that limit, the map screen would freeze as if it had crashed. Since Yisi had never traveled between the Duchy of Chloe and Alvier before, she had no beacons set up between them. Therefore, after each teleport, she had to stop, take out a paper map, and determine her approximate coordinates based on the nearby cities shown on her [Omniscient Map]. Then, she would correct her direction, set a new marker, and continue with the next teleport.

Now, Yisi had arrived in the garden in front of Andrea’s bedchambers.

This was the place where she and Andrea had reunited. Back then, when she first entered the royal castle, it was as Pepe’s servant. While wandering around, she happened to see a group of suspiciously behaving individuals preparing to assassinate Andrea. To warn Andrea in advance, she had found the sleeping Andrea in this open area, covered only in short, evergreen grass.

But now, I am a regular visitor here—would it be more appropriate to call myself the lady of the house?

Various thoughts flashed through her mind as Yisi, sitting on the ground, tilted her head up slightly.

“Lady Yisi, I have finished testing all of these magic items.”

Andrea’s voice pulled Yisi back to reality.

The two were sitting face-to-face on the sun-drenched lawn.

Although it was the middle of the night in the Duchy of Chloe, due to the time difference, it was still daytime in Alvier on the other side of the continent. As for why the Blood Clan’s royal capital had sunlight, it was a barrier created by Andrea using the Tower of Alvier. Only in Andrea’s bedchambers could one see such a bright sun. Of course, to avoid burning the guards, this was actually a false sun created by magic. It could emit light and heat, but unlike the real sun, it wouldn’t turn lower-class vampires into charcoal.

Her gaze fell on Andrea’s pink, twintail pigtails, and Yisi was slightly surprised.

“Eh? Has it only been a week? You have a lot of official duties, Andrea. You don’t have to be in such a hurry. Well… I’m glad they’re all tested, though. Thank you, Andrea.”

The praise made Andrea, who was sitting sideways on the grass, grow shy. She bashfully twirled the tips of her hair with her fingers.

It was a very common gesture, but on Andrea, it became endearing.

“…The territories have recently started to develop in a good direction. The refugees from the noble rebellion are being resettled, and the voices of opposition against me have gradually quieted down since Augustin was exiled. Oh, right, Charles and the others have also helped me a lot, catching several assassins who slipped through the net.”

As she finished, Andrea affectionately petted the few Cerberuses circling around her and Yisi. Under Andrea’s meticulous care, the Cerberuses had recovered their original white fur. They looked so fluffy that just looking at them made one want to go and stroke them vigorously.

“I feel like they’re like Lady Yisi and my…”

“Ahem.”

Before Andrea could get the bashful words out, Yisi coughed. She knew what Andrea was going to say, but no matter how cute Charles was, they were still Cerberuses. They absolutely could not be the fruit of her and Andrea’s union.

Yisi pretended to inspect the magic items laid out before them. The reason she had come to the royal capital of Alvier was, on one hand, to see Andrea, and on the other, to check on the status of the trigger-activated magic weapons.

On the way to the Duchy of Chloe, she had secretly created a batch of trigger-activated magic items. Since it was her first time making them, there were many imperfections, such as the trigger points being set too sensitively, or the power being so great it would affect the caster. These needed a professional to help point out the problems. Since Avis was currently engrossed in restoring magitech and couldn’t be disturbed, she had thought of Boris, the captain of Andrea’s Royal Guard. She hoped Boris could test this batch of items for her and point out where improvements were needed.

As it turned out, when she delivered them, Andrea proposed that she wanted to test them together with Boris, which led to the current scene.

Furthermore, to Yisi’s amusement, Boris had quietly led the soldiers away from Andrea’s bedchambers earlier when he sensed the atmosphere was not right. He, who had initially opposed her relationship with Andrea on the grounds that the royal family needed heirs, was now voluntarily giving them space. For Boris, who had watched Andrea grow up, it must have been a very conflicted feeling. From the perspective of a subject and a citizen, he hoped for the royal bloodline to flourish, but from a personal standpoint, he also wanted Andrea to pursue the future she herself desired.

To make Boris smile happily without any worries, the only hope was what Andrea had mentioned before: finding magic or a potion that could allow reproduction between women. A wry smile appeared on Yisi’s face.

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“Have you, as Boris and I suggested, moved those who previously opposed you to sinecure positions, Andrea?”

“Yes, I’ve assigned them to leisurely posts. The people I’m using now are mostly talents promoted by Sister Evelyn.”

“Speaking of which, how is the ‘Talent Exchange Program’ you and Evelyn discussed going?”

“The first batch of volunteers to go to the Ymir Territory should have already started their jobs. The supplies Miss Evelyn secretly transported to the Pescia Territory via the Niru Diocese have also been in use for a long time. Although the second exchange hasn’t started yet, it’s proceeding in an orderly manner.” At this point, a hint of helplessness appeared in Andrea’s golden eyes. “Although Miss Evelyn promoted many talented individuals while using this body, most of them are lower-class vampires and races other than the Blood Clan. Because I’ve been relying on them too heavily recently, it has caused dissatisfaction among the pure-blood and high-class vampire nobles. During the recent noble council, there were faint signs of factions forming again.”

“As long as they don’t have any ill intentions toward you, Andrea, just pretend you don’t see it. It’s enough to mediate between them occasionally.”

After all, just thinking about such things was a headache. Even the faction of nobles born of pure bloodlines, to have survived until now, must possess special talents. Rashly suppressing them would not be a wise move. Besides, as long as the conflict didn’t get out of hand, letting the two sides check each other to some extent was also a good thing for Andrea as queen. This was probably the most basic and superficial art of being a ruler.

Andrea, who understood Yisi’s thoughts, looked slightly troubled.

“You are so kind, Lady Yisi, but when it comes to matters like this, you become very dark, like a different person.”

“Ahaha, I just read it in a book. And you can’t take my words as gospel. How to act specifically is still up to you to decide, Andrea… What’s the saying? Ruling from behind the scenes? If those nobles think I’m pulling the strings, things will get troublesome.”

“If any noble dares to say that about you, Lady Yisi, I will make sure they come to see Charles.”

Andrea suddenly straightened up, her eyebrows raised in displeasure. Dressed in her night-colored gown, her petite frame of under fourteen was once again outlined. Her cute, protective manner made Yisi smile. Andrea probably didn’t even realize she was unconsciously pouting. Though she was the monarch of a nation, she always showed a childish side in front of her.

No, perhaps it was precisely because she had to maintain her dignity in front of others that she couldn’t help but act spoiled whenever I appeared.

Feeling both happy and worried about Andrea’s immaturity, from the perspective of what was best for her, Yisi should tell Andrea right now that she ought to be more serious. But she really didn’t want to say words that would stifle Andrea’s innocence.

Of course, even if she became serious, Andrea would still be the cutest in the world in her eyes, just like Mary.

In the end, Yisi could only wave her hand in resignation. “Yes, yes, I will obey all of Her Majesty Queen Andrea’s commands.”

“There you go again, Lady Yisi. Honestly.” Pouting, Andrea patted the Charles beside her, signaling them to move away. Then she moved closer to Yisi, her expression turning serious. “Um… I came across a book by chance recently… It might be related to you, Lady Yisi.”

“A book? What did it say?”

“It’s about something called the ‘Calamity That Brings Ruin.’ Some also call her the ‘Witch of Destruction.'”

A vague memory was stirred, and Yisi pondered. “Ah, I’ve seen that in a book published by the Ymir Church. It’s a legend, right? Possessing wisdom and sensibility like a human, yet her body has the features of many different creatures. Upon death, she becomes a calamity for the world, bringing destruction to all living things.”

Her exquisite face was filled with seriousness. Andrea’s current appearance held a temptation that made Yisi want to kiss her cheek forcefully.

“Yes. Didn’t you show me before, Lady Yisi? You have cat ears, dragon wings, and a soft, fluffy tail like a fox. Plus, your strength, Lady Yisi…”

Andrea’s voice grew smaller. The clear golden pupils reflected in Yisi’s eyes flickered slightly, filled with worry.

She wants to say I might be the ‘Witch of Destruction.’ Finding Andrea’s wild imagination amusing, Yisi gently placed her hand on Andrea’s pink hair. It was as silky and smooth as ever.

“You’re just worrying too much, Andrea. The Witch of Destruction only gains the power of the curse after she dies. Do I look like I’m d—”

“Mmph.”

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Before Yisi could get the word out, Andrea frowned in displeasure and covered Yisi’s mouth with her hand.

But more than Andrea’s concern, Yisi’s first thought was that Andrea was wearing perfume today.

“Don’t say that word.”

Only after Yisi nodded in agreement did Andrea let go and pull back her upper body, her innocent face once again filled with anxiety.

“I knew you would say that, Lady Yisi, but the point about having features of many different creatures… only you, Lady Yisi… and it’s a strange combination of a dragon, a cat, and a fox. I’ve searched through books for a long time and haven’t found any similar creature.”

“Eh, you looked for it, Andrea?”

“Of course I had to. Because it’s you, Lady Yisi,” Andrea said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

A sense of fulfillment filled her heart. Yisi, kneeling on the grass, patted her own lap.

Not understanding her action, Andrea tilted her head cutely, a question mark appearing above it. “Lady Yisi?”

Her cheeks feeling a little hot, Yisi fought back her shyness and said with forced composure, “I mean for you to sit here while we talk.”

“Eh…”

If Andrea continued to be shy, she would become shy herself.

Yisi pulled Andrea in front of her and had her sit down, then coughed as if it were nothing.

“Waah—”

“Mm, it’s easier to talk like this.”

“B-But I can’t see your face like this, Lady Yisi.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll always be looking at you, Andrea.”

Even sitting on the grass, Andrea was much shorter than her. She must be nervous; her shoulders seemed to be trembling slightly. Feeling a mischievous urge, Yisi first quietly wrapped her arms around Andrea’s shoulders, then suddenly hugged her tightly from behind.

“Eek!”

Like a startled kitten, Andrea suddenly tensed up, letting out an expected shriek.

Teasing her really is cute.

The tip of her nose was tickled by Andrea’s hair, but the sweet fragrance from the pink locks made it hard for Yisi to let go easily. Noticing Yisi’s sniffing, a shy Andrea began to squirm, trying to struggle out of Yisi’s arms. But with that amount of force, it was less like she was trying to break free and more like she was adjusting into a more comfortable position.

“Wait… Lady Yisi, this is too embarrassing…”

“You’re wearing perfume and still say such things? That’s not something a girl of your age should be using.”

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“I am already the Queen of the Blood Clan. Wearing perfume is proper etiquette.”

Although she couldn’t see Andrea’s expression, judging from her sulky tone, she must be pouting. Yisi hugged Andrea a little tighter, and the petite, soft feeling immediately filled her arms, like candy ice cream that melts in your mouth, or a small cat stretching.

“It’ll be alright. You’re overthinking things, Andrea. And even if I am that witch or whatever, as long as I make sure not to go looking for the first queen of the Blood Clan, nothing will happen.”

To coax Andrea, Yisi secretly switched to her third form, extending her fox tail from behind her to Andrea’s front and gently tickling her cheek.

It must have been ticklish, as Andrea squirmed a bit more vigorously, and the seriousness on her face uncontrollably turned into a smile.

“L-Lady Yisi, this is cheating!”

“Oh? But you look like you’re enjoying it, Andrea.”

“If you keep this up, I’ll bite your tail off!”

“You’ll chip your teeth, you little…”

Although she wanted to say something like ‘little fool,’ it felt a bit cheesy. Yisi couldn’t help but find her own actions amusing. If this was what lovers in love were like, then all the couples in the world who had experienced this feeling before her should just explode. It was too sweet, making it hard to control oneself.

The cool late-summer breeze made the green grass curl. The refreshing sensation brushed past her neck and earlobes, making her long hair and the hem of her skirt dance.

Enjoying this rare moment of peace, the two fell silent. After a long while, Andrea finally murmured in a low voice, “Where are you traveling now, Lady Yisi?”

“The Duchy of Chloe, at the main base of the Divine Religion.”

Atwood hadn’t told her not to reveal that the Divine Religion’s main base was in the Chloe Kingdom, so it was fine to tell Andrea. But Yisi felt that even if Atwood had told her to keep it a secret, she would have told Andrea everything anyway. People in love are never rational.

“The Divine Religion? I have some impression of them.”

Andrea tilted her head up, resting it against Yisi’s front, and looked up into Yisi’s eyes. The cherry lips so close in front of her made Yisi freeze for a moment, then she looked away. Unfortunately, Andrea didn’t notice this.

“They came to inquire about you before, Lady Yisi. I had Boris capture them all.”

“I see… so that’s what happened.”

Evelyn had said the same thing. No wonder Lin knew she was a member of the Blood Clan. After sending out so many spies, it would be absurd if they didn’t even know she was a vampire. In Alvier, she had never hidden her pure-blood identity and walked around with her wings out every day.

“I’m so envious of Mary…” Andrea whispered as if in a dream.

“Why? You’re a queen, and Mary is just a commoner. To say you want to be a commoner at this point would be a betrayal to those who are loyal to you.”

“Mm, I know. But I’m envious that Mary can always be by your side, that she can travel with you. If I weren’t the queen…”

“No—you—can’t—” Yisi gently tapped her index finger on Andrea’s lips. “You were born to be a queen, Andrea. If you weren’t the queen of the Blood Clan, you wouldn’t be you. Let me see… hmm, you’d lose a lot of your charm.”

“If I weren’t the queen, would you leave me, Lady Yisi?”

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At this, Andrea turned her body to face Yisi.

Yisi smiled. “Of course not. I’m just saying that you are you, and Mary is Mary. The two of you are different.”

“I see… Then I’ll look forward to our promise. Once the territories are stable, I’ll live in seclusion with you—we must live in a wooden cabin!”

“Yes, yes. We’ll do everything according to your orders then. But the cabin will have to be a bit bigger.”

She didn’t think Pepe and Camilla would let it go so easily. If she didn’t leave room for her companions, not only would Mary and the others be sad, but Pepe would probably tear the roof off. But in the end, it seemed she had never seriously thought about what to do in the future.

Just extending the thought a little would lead her to a situation where she didn’t know what to do. Would Andrea accept it? What about the others’ thoughts? Every time she thought about these things, she would feel frustrated with her own indecisiveness. If she had been more decisive back then, she wouldn’t be so conflicted now. But just as she had said about Andrea, if she could do that, she wouldn’t be herself. In the end, if she could do that, then even after watching the two-year dream with Andrea, she should have rejected Andrea’s confession.

Damn it.

“Mm.”

Andrea first stared at Yisi’s conflict-filled eyes for a moment, then, as if she suddenly remembered something, she took out a ring inlaid with an amber-colored crystal from her pocket. While Yisi wasn’t looking, she quietly slipped it onto Yisi’s ring finger.

“Eh? What’s this?”

“A gift,” a faint smile appeared on Andrea’s face. “This way, it can represent me and travel with you, Lady Yisi.”

“…I see. There’s a way like this. Mm, I accept it. It will witness my journey on your behalf.” Gently stroking the ring with the pad of her finger, she adjusted it to the most suitable position. Yisi looked up. The sun was about to set without her noticing. “I have to go back. If I’m any later, Camilla will start to worry.”

“Mm.”

Nodding, Andrea stood up and watched as Yisi moved away.

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[Advanced Teleportation]

Returning to her room with a teleportation spell, Yisi looked around—it was already early morning. Laxy was standing by the bed.

“My Lord, welcome back…?” Halfway through her sentence, Laxy noticed something was off about Yisi. “What’s wrong? You seem to be holding something back.”

Yisi quietly put the hand with the ring behind her back and said with forced casualness, “No, it’s nothing. Excuse me, Laxy, could you please heat some water for me? I’d like to take a bath.”

“Yes, I understand.”

The door clicked shut. After hearing Laxy’s footsteps fade away, Yisi finally couldn’t hold back the excitement—mainly joy—in her heart. Like a fish leaping out of the water, she threw herself onto the bed. Then, casting aside trivial thoughts like messing up the quilt and sheets, she began to roll around on the bed without a care.

“Whoohoohoohoo~! Ooooh~! I got a ring from Andrea! It’s a ring!! A ring~!”

Lights turned on in half the mansion due to Yisi’s cheers.

Until Laxy returned with the heated water, Yisi continued to roll around on the bed like a fool, giggling silly.