EPISODE 4

LET’S MEET THE SACRED BLOODED EMPEROR!

“What on Earth could you possibly need on a Saturday, Ryouta? I didn’t think you’d call me out so suddenly. And it’s just me…alone? Have I said something unnecessary, and that’s why you invited me…? Is this a blood punishment…? I’m sorry; please don’t hit me—my father now isn’t the type of person to do that! …But if you’re not going to, then…then maybe the reason you called me out on a weekend was to tell me that you… Kya!”

Tamaki, at their meeting place in the school, seemed restless.

Ryouta had come by himself from the Fuyukura household to the library.

Shiren must have felt somewhat uncomfortable announcing that she was the Emperor’s little sister the day before, so when Ryouta said he was going to the library to study on his own, she gave him a quick okay. She probably wanted to be alone, too.

He felt a little scared walking around without the chain on the collar, but the collar was apparently enough to show tentative ownership. If someone did force him down and drink his blood, it’d be all over, though.

“Sorry, I just had to see you, Shijou.”

“Oh my gosh, are you really going to confess to me…? Were you proposing to me, back there in the store…?”

“Like I said in my text, I want to get into the library to do some research.”

“Oh, um…that’s right. I apologize, as an eternal waste of human space, for having such expectations… Sigh, I can’t wait for the sweet embrace of death…”

Tamaki had gotten herself excited, and now she was getting herself down.

“I have a key, so I can take you anywhere you need to go. Actually, you will get lost if I don’t take you. People who go in without a member of the library committee never return.”

“What kind of dungeon is this?!”

But when they went in, he found that Tamaki wasn’t lying at all.

There were several rows of bookshelves, but there were also stacked piles of books walling off some of the spaces between the shelves. The aisles were impassable, literally buried in books.

“This library is on the high school campus, but it also acts as the national library. We are currently undertaking a mass rearrangement of our collection to obtain any material related to the Sacred Blooded, so that’s why everything looks like this. To be honest, it’s not very good for my mental health because the books always look like they’re going to fall over. Well, no one would mourn if my life were scattered to the winds, though.”

“I hate to interrupt your tragic soliloquy, but can I ask you about a book?”

“Sure. As long as you’re okay asking an unloved garbage heap like me, then please ask me anything.”

She wasn’t just being a pessimist; she also seemed to be pouting.

“Where could I find a book on the assassination of the previous emperor?”

Tamaki looked surprised, but she knew exactly what he was really after. “I understand now. You want to do research on Fuyukura, don’t you?”

“Right. She told me you understood her. I want you to help me.”

The Sacred Blooded history section was in a corner with an unstable tower of books.

“A great deal of books detailing the deeds of the previous emperor were published around the time the Empire was created. This is a small country, so by published, I also count self-published things like fanzines that only printed fifty or a hundred copies. That’s why the quality is mixed, from the very best to the very worst. The Sacred Blooded can be very attached to their self-published works.”

“Okay, as long as I get the circumstances, then.”

The assassination of the previous emperor was an important event, so even after reading just a few volumes, he got the gist of it. He thought he remembered reading about it online as well, but it was such a gruesome incident, he subconsciously forgot about it.

“The previous emperor fell in love with a Japanese woman who wasn’t his wife, and Shiren was their child, huh? His name isn’t written anywhere here, though.”

“His Majesty’s last name is so venerable, it cannot be published. His first name is the same, and we can only write the names of emperors starting three rulers ago. The previous emperor’s lover was Sairi Fuyukura. Hers is the most detested name in this country. They say she was a member of the Virginal Father and she assassinated her lover, then went into hiding. At the very least, that is the conclusion the present highest-ranking Imperial officers have come to.”

“Why would a member of the Virginal Father get romantically involved with the emperor of the Sacred Blooded?”

“It happens all the time in movies, doesn’t it? Forbidden love between spy and target, and it almost always ends in tragedy… But right now, I do sort of understand how Sairi felt.” Tamaki gave a passionate sigh and cast a sidelong glance at Ryouta.

“Why?”

“Well, you know, that’s, um… Ooh…I hate how weak my heart is…”

Tamaki would slip into negative mode if he left her to her own devices, so he steered the subject back on topic.

“I guess that’s why Shiren was stripped of the Imperial name, took the name Fuyukura, and began living as an ordinary person… Wait, what’s so ordinary about all this?!”

Ryouta slammed another tower of books in front of him in a fit of anger.

“She’s being treated like a criminal! Maybe she’s not technically being discriminated against, but if they force her to live with the name Fuyukura, they’re just broadcasting to everyone that she’s the daughter of a woman who committed regicide! And they’re just giving her a pension and telling her to make do by herself? That’s awful! Of course no one will be her friend!”

It would be stranger if Shiren Fuyukura wasn’t lonely after all that.

That was why all her classmates thoroughly avoided dealing with her.

This was different from bullying, but bullying was terrible, too. Either way, it was much too risky for any ordinary person to be associated with Shiren.

She may have been disowned by the Emperor, but she still inherited the previous emperor’s blood. Getting close to her might attract the Emperor’s attention, but if they attacked her, then what would happen to them if Shiren ever held power?

That was why no one even dared associate with her, and instead everyone left Shiren all alone.

They should know better. They should know that the child of a killer wasn’t a killer herself.

Everyone thought of the criminal’s daughter as a criminal, so much so that the daughter herself believed them, too.

“This is awful…”

He found himself whacking the book against the floor, even though a committee member was right nearby.

“I’m sorry. I was working to help her, but I ran away as well. I was afraid of the rumors I heard of people wanting to take Fuyukura’s life, so I put distance between us. I really am terrible. I’m like the soldier who gets killed off at the beginning of a story to demonstrate how strong the enemy is…”

“No, it’s not your fault. I mean, I get it. If someone asked you to be her friend, but actually being her friend could get you killed, of course you wouldn’t be able to get close to her.”

And Shiren was aware of that, too.

She knew that any person close to her would be ostracized or attacked, so she couldn’t even attempt to make friends. She wasn’t shy or anything. She was just very aware of the whole situation.

If there was anyone who could put a stop to this…

…it was the Emperor.

“Wouldn’t this all be solved if the Emperor said her little sister was blameless?”

“Well, the Emperor is concerned about her. That’s why she comes to inspect the school once every other month or so. But the hard-liners have very strong opinions, so at the moment, she is unable to do anything.”

“Oh, right, the archbishop did mention something about an inspection…”

In that case, there was only one thing for him to do.

“Then the next time the Emperor comes, I’m going to ask her face-to-face. A direct appeal, if you will.”

Tamaki went deathly pale.

“That’s dangerous! That’s suicide! In the Edo period, any peasant who lodged a complaint to their lord would one hundred percent be killed. You’ll be crucified. It’ll be treated as a more serious crime than any regular Sacred Blooded could commit…”

“Eh, it’ll be fine. The Emperor’s Shiren’s big sister, right?”

He had absolutely no authority here, but he wanted to do at least this much for her.

If not, then he knew he wouldn’t be able to return to Japan. He still wanted to go back, even now, but if that meant leaving Shiren behind in solitude, then that was another story.

He had been alone in Japan, so he knew her pain better than anyone else.

And so, he wanted to fulfill his duty as minion before leaving.

“No! You cannot do something so dangerous!”

Tamaki’s voice echoed through the closed library, filled with an almost threatening aura he would never have imagined from someone so passive.

“It is much too risky. When has anyone ever said It’ll be fine and then it actually was? You might be killed, your body tragically hanged on the gallows, picked at by the crows, and never able to rest in peace, your soul left to wander an endless hell. And even if you had a grave made for you, it would be knocked over immediately, and people might spit on it! Oh, how pitiful you are, Ryouta!”

“Er, I don’t really need the pessimism… It makes me nervous…”

“I will do it in your stead! I will scatter my guts over the gallows!”

“I appreciate the sentiment, but you really don’t have to go that far!”

“No, it is the least I can do. I believe Fuyukura has accepted me, at least a little. And…you will never, ever make a decision that might end in your death. If it ever comes to that, I will take your place!”

“Shijou, you treat me really well, but I can’t put a whole life-and-death situation in your hands.”

“No. I will do it. Because I…ah—”

Tamaki faltered, shrinking back slightly.

Her shoulder collided with an unstable tower of books.

“Hey, watch out!”

The books fell in an avalanche coming straight for her. And a lot of them were thick as dictionaries—this was bad!

“Ah! All the sins of my past life are finally coming for me!”

“Shijou!”

He didn’t have time to hesitate. Ryouta leaped toward Tamaki. Had he never come to the library, she would never have gotten wrapped up in this. He was responsible!

“Owww… Are you okay, Shijou?” he asked, and he felt something oddly warm enveloping his body.

“Yes, I am all right…”

In their current position, it looked as if Ryouta had pushed her over.

“Sorry! I’ll get out of your way!”

He didn’t mention it, but her chest was pressed right against him. Her clothes made her seem more slender than she actually was, but that didn’t really matter at the moment.

“You don’t have to… You see… Um…I don’t want your blood or anything… You are purely…important to me, so…I don’t want you to risk your life…”

What was she talking about? This was getting weird.

Actually, girls had knocked him over plenty of times when he was in Japan, but this was the first time he’d done the knocking over.

Tamaki’s glossy black hair rested on Ryouta’s shoulder.

“Anyway, please don’t put yourself in danger. Someone like you never has fortune on his side, so you will die. But if you still insist on going, then…may we do a deed as man and woman…a bloody version of a scene you’d see before the climax of a Hollywood movie?”

“W-w-w-wait, wait, I…”

“I am sorry; I will become as a wolf for five minutes. I would appreciate it if you forgot about this in an hour.”

Tamaki’s face was right next to Ryouta’s arm.

“Now, if you don’t mind me taking your left arm. Don’t mind me— Nom.”

He felt a slight pain in his left arm, and at the same time, he felt paralysis overcoming him again.

But it was different from when the archbishop bit him. That time, it had all seemed like a dream because the sensation was so sudden, but he was conscious this time. It felt as if he was losing the area that had been bitten…

“Rgh… What on Earth? It feels like my motivation is being sapped away…”

“I don’t know the details, but being bitten by the Sacred Blooded produces a similar effect to that of dangerous drugs. Perhaps mine is of a depressive type? Nom, nom…”

A slight prickling pain ran up and down his left arm, probably because she couldn’t bite the whole thing at once. It was as if she were slowly consuming his body. But it wasn’t as unpleasant as he expected it to be.

Instead, it almost felt like nothing mattered anymore. Ryouta felt incredibly small, and he was beginning to want to give anything and everything to Tamaki.

“Shijou…I’m so useless, but if you’re okay with that…”

“You’re not useless at all. Your blood is so delicious; it’s unlike anything I’ve ever tasted. I barely have any hopes or dreams, and I’ve just lived as a good student without any direction, but I finally have dreams now. Um…I will give you everything I have, so please take it.”

He’d never seen such diligence and determination in Tamaki’s face before. It was way different from Alfoncina, who had just enjoyed biting him indiscriminately.

“Ohhh…Ryouta, your blood is amazing.”

“O-oh, thanks…”

“I am so sorry, Ryouta, but this will make you my minion…”

That was certainly how it would go according to the rules. But Alfoncina had already bitten him. How would this turn out?

He’d never been kissed, but if he counted all of Shiren’s bites as one, this would be the third time he’d been bitten by a girl… This had to be some kind of new record.

“I can still keep this up for another two minutes… But it would be bad if Shiren saw us…”

That was when they heard a set of familiar footsteps.

“Ryouta, I thought it was odd you were studying so hard at the library during the day off, but now I see it was a rendezvous…”

When he looked up, Shiren was right there.

His weariness vanished in an instant. “Ahhhhhhhhhh! Nooooooooo! Shiren, I have a really, really good reason for—”

“Be more of a minion!”

The moment he rushed to his feet, he was practically countered with a punch. He flew a good distance back.

And he was once again buried under a collapsing book tower.

“Does that hurt? Know that my fist is in more pain!”

“No, I am definitely in more pain… I thought I could do something for y— Nah, never mind.”

Trying to buy favors from her was a bad look. Ryouta shut his mouth.

“Oh. Ohhhhh…Fuyukura, Ryouta is not at fault here… This is all my fault… If you are going to punch anyone, please let it be me… You only need to punish me!” Tamaki pressed toward Shiren in tears.

“I can’t believe you’re blaming Tamaki, Ryouta. You’re the worst…”

“What? It sorta sounds like I’m turning into the bad guy here…”

Words are powerful.

“How much did you bite him anyway, Tamaki?”

“Roughly between sixty and sixty-two seconds.”

That was rather precise. Was it also the standard amount of time for creating a minion…?

“Okay, then he shouldn’t totally be your minion, so that’s not a problem. I’ll hear the rest of the story from Ryouta later. I’ll even allow the use of instruments of torture.”

“Allow? You’d be the one using them!”

He wouldn’t allow this at all. Ryouta decided to quickly change the subject.

“So why are you here, Shiren?”

“Are you blind, Ryouta?” Shiren quickly glanced to the side.

Standing there was a tall, stern-looking woman who didn’t seem to belong at a school.

She wore armor that made her look like a knight from medieval Europe, and strapped to her back, she had an enormous sword that was practically the same size as her. Her silver hair was pulled into a ponytail so as not to get in the way.

“Um, is she a cosplayer?”

After all, the archbishop looked like a character in some anime.

“This high school seems rather lively, doesn’t it?”

The lady knight placed her hand to her mouth and chuckled delicately. Her mannerisms made it clear she belonged to high society. Character-wise, she was probably better off switching with the archbishop.

“This is Lady Sasara Tatsunami, one of the Imperial guards. I’m showing her around the school.”

When Shiren introduced her, Sasara Tatsunami bowed reverently. “It is a pleasure. As she said, my name is Sasara Tatsunami, a member of the Imperial Guard. As the Emperor’s minion, I have come to conduct a preliminary inspection.”

“Wait, you’re a minion. Does that mean you’re not Sacred Blooded, but human…?”

He felt a little happy, as if he’d met a fellow Japanese person overseas.

“No, I am not. I am Sacred Blooded. A Sacred Blooded bitten by her own kind can still become a minion, can she not?”

Sure, the effect of a Sacred Blooded sucking blood should still work on those of the same kind.

“On Monday, the day after tomorrow, Her Imperial Majesty will come to inspect the school, so I am here for a preliminary inspection for the occasion. We cannot have any places where an assassin might hide, can we?”

The Emperor’s inspection. Ryouta tensed slightly—that would be his only chance to make his appeal.

“Of course, this room is full of unstable books, so it is not suitable for inspection.” Sasara’s elegant expression quickly transformed into one more imposing as she looked around.

“The knights of the Imperial Guard report directly to the Emperor, and all of them are nobility. They all need loyalty, a willingness to give up their lives for the Emperor, outstanding swordsmanship, and refinement worthy of a guard. That means the Imperial Guard are a selected elite! Oh-ho!”

“Shiren, you tend to act all big when it comes to other people’s accomplishments. It’s annoying, so cut it out.”

She had even put her hands on her hips to show off how important she was.

“I am simply fighting for the Emperor’s love. That is all. There is absolutely nothing to be proud of,” said Sasara. She looked exactly how he imagined a top-tier warrior to look. It was perfect.

But he saw something that caught his attention.

“By the way, what is that you have on your belt?”

A rather large stuffed doll hung over her hip. Honestly, he thought it might get in the way of her sword. It had long hair, so it was probably of some kind of girl character.

“This is a stuffed doll of the Emperor,” she answered. Kinda strange. “The Imperial Guard can never forget that no matter where or when, we are always with the Emperor. This doll is my lifeline, so that I will never forget that feeling.”

“Incredible, Lady Knight! An exemplary spirit! I hope Ryouta will serve me with the same enthusiasm one day!”

Ryouta wanted to say, Come on, think logically for a second. This girl’s a little nuts, but he decided to keep quiet. Maybe Sasara was just a single-minded person.

“I was originally thinking about getting a regular doll, but the face was not soft enough for me, so I decided to get a stuffed one.”

“Yeah, I’m not sure how the Emperor would feel about that,” he couldn’t help but comment. He was getting the feeling that everyone in this country was a weirdo.

“Wha…? Are you trying to deny my love for our emperor…? Could you be a demon sent to test my love for her?”

The guard was reeling from his comment.

“Well, no one’s said I can’t say what I think…”

“Additionally, there are a total of fifteen in the Imperial Guard including myself, and I surveyed the other fourteen. I received various opinions: ‘Gross,’ ‘This freaks me out,’ ‘You crossed the line, and it’s not funny anymore,’ ‘The Emperor’s freaked out, too,’ ‘This is too weird,’ ‘I almost don’t want to be friends anymore,’ ‘Do what you want, I guess,’ ‘Are you serious? You know you can’t just do whatever you want, right?’ ‘Just quit,’ ‘You’re an embarrassment to our country,’ ‘You’re an insult to the rest of our species,’ ‘Obviously bad,’ ‘If you made it to adulthood, then there must be a problem with our current education system,’ and ‘You’re dumb.’”

“All fourteen of them gave negative opinions!”

“I’m hungry. Get me a snack in five seconds!”

A woman’s voice suddenly came from somewhere.

“Oh, I didn’t realize I was gripping Her Imperial Majesty. Her voice box went off.”

“You gave her a voice box?!”

“I’m hungry. Get me a snack in five seconds!”

“You don’t have to keep playing it!”

“Well, that is all for me now. Thank you for showing me around, Fuyukura.” Sasara bowed courteously, then left.

“Wasn’t she incredible, Ryouta?”

“Incredibly weird, if that’s what you mean,” he said as Shiren hooked the chain onto his collar.

“You’re finished here now, aren’t you? We’re going home. Don’t leave your master alone.”

“Oh, yeah.”

Don’t leave your master alone.

Those words echoed like a physical weight in his chest. He needed to work hard so that she wouldn’t be alone, even without him.

But there was something Ryouta noticed about the guard that left him a little uneasy.

She called Shiren “Fuyukura”…

To the guard, Shiren was just a civilian with the last name Fuyukura.

“I will look the other way this time, Tamaki, but you will be thankful until your death that I decided to let it go.”

“Isn’t that kinda patronizing?!”

“I’m sorry…,” Tamaki murmured. “I will cut out my tongue and die…” That was the most negative he’d seen Tamaki so far.

“Oh, and, Ryouta,” Shiren said, turning to him, “I will be hearing what you have to say so I can torture you.”

“Your method and goal are backward!”

If she was being open about having torture as the goal, he was terrified.

What would she poke and bend this time…?

“We’re going now, Ryouta. Hop to it!”

She tugged sharply on his chain, and he almost fell forward headfirst.

He could tell just at a glance that she was pissed; her pigtails were practically standing straight up.

“You anger me any more, and I will drink enough of your blood to make you anemic!”

“Stop… I’ll actually pass out…”

“You are probably the sole Japanese person in the Empire, Ryouta. That’s why these mistakes happen. I understand why it happened, but…I’m still furious.”

Shiren was stewing in anger the whole way home. Ryouta was tense the entire time, too, since he didn’t know when she might suddenly bite him.

“So what were you doing with Tamaki in the library?”

The moment they got home, she got straight to the point and asked him. She was being sincere, he could tell.

And it was hard for him to answer straight…

“Tamaki has more going for her than I do, doesn’t she? Am I too childish for you?”

For a moment, he didn’t understand what she’d said.

“Huh?” Ryouta stared at her blankly, but Shiren’s face was starting to flush red.

“I—I mean, wasn’t there a whole mood going on between you? We’ve never had anything like that before! But I can’t get into a relationship like that with my minion…”

She was half an inch from her wit’s end. A smile almost unconsciously crossed his face.

He was starting to feel stupid for going out of his way to hide the truth.

“Shijou and I were researching the Emperor.”

“…That was unnecessary.” Shiren’s voice suddenly dropped to almost a whisper. Her expression was unreadable—maybe she was happy, maybe she was sad, but he couldn’t tell. “Ryouta, you are a hard worker, truly. You have no brain-to-mouth filter, but you are a man of action.”

“Thanks.”

“So you don’t need to go out on the weekends.”

Her voice was so quiet, he had to concentrate to catch her words.

Ryouta was slightly miffed. “What do you mean by that? Are you planning on treating me like a child? Or a slave?”

“That’s not what I mean! I don’t treat minions like slaves!”

“Then why are you forbidding me from going outside?”

“Because you’ll go back to Japan.”

Ryouta had no response for her when she said that. When she found him yesterday in the mountains, Kiyomizu had been trying to help him get away. That meant Shiren at least knew he was trying to run.

Shiren’s face was devoid of color, as if she had just lost something. “You might not understand, but I don’t mind my circumstances. Somebody has to bear my mother’s crimes. I can survive. So if you don’t mind it, I want you to stay here. I’ll do the shopping. If there’s something you want, I’ll get it for you. So, so…don’t go off on your own and leave me behind.”

Before she realized it, her voice was quavering with tears.

“You’d probably want to be the minion of some other Sacred Blooded, not someone everyone hates. I get it. But I only have you. I really, truly only have you. I know this is selfish, but you have to stay… This isn’t an order. Just a request.”

That was how Shiren really felt, something she hadn’t been able to honestly express this whole week.

She hadn’t noticed how tense her fists were. He couldn’t read her face from this angle, but he wasn’t going to try.

“…Ryouta, is there someone you love back in Japan?”

“Yeah…there is.”

It was a girl named Ouka Sarano, his first love.

“If you had the chance to go back, would you?”

Ryouta couldn’t even open his mouth.

“I’m sorry.” Shiren’s head lowered. “Yes, I suppose you are popular. I’m just causing problems for you by not letting you go back, aren’t I? I’m sorry.”

Shiren was much too kind. She couldn’t be selfish when it came to the most important things, and she couldn’t ignore how other people felt.

She would enjoy life much more if she just didn’t think about Ryouta’s circumstances.

Ryouta was staring straight at her—or maybe it would be more accurate to say he couldn’t look away.

But staring at her wouldn’t save her.

“I’ll stay at home the rest of today and tomorrow. I promise.”

He’d spend those two days at home working out a draft for his appeal.

All so that Shiren wouldn’t be left alone.

And then, it was Monday. Inspection day.

“I will be meeting the Emperor. I cannot make a single blunder. Are there any wrinkles in my uniform? Is there any dirt on my shoes? I put on makeup for the first time in a while, but is it natural looking? Did I record today’s morning drama? Did I set the timer to record my variety shows?! Do I have my member card for Freshmart Warakia in my wallet?”

“You’re getting your regular morning checklist and your meeting-your-sister checklist mixed up.”

Shiren was a bundle of nerves first thing in the morning. She had spilled a bit of her miso soup three times already, and the fourth time, it went all over the place. She even tripped over the door when they left.

She’s like a girl getting ready to go on a date.

For some reason, Ryouta found himself jealous. But she was just going to see her sister, and even if she were going on a date, his jealousy was his problem. He still had his first crush anyway.

But on the other hand, Ryouta was nervous, too.

He would be asking Shiren’s big sister—the Emperor—to absolve Shiren of her crimes.

Frankly speaking, it was hard to tell if it would go well. The worst outcome would be a reply like Relieve her crimes? No. To the gallows with you, too! But that probably wouldn’t happen. He wanted to believe so anyway.

But if she was praising herself in the contents of their English textbook and all that, there was no doubt she would be the excessively self-conscious type. She was older than Shiren, so she had to be around twenty years old—she was probably extremely proud.

With those thoughts running through his head, they went to school.

“We don’t need the chain anymore,” Shiren had said, so he only had his collar on. He was getting tired of wearing it, too, but he couldn’t take it off if he didn’t want the townspeople seriously coming after him.

There was a solemn air all throughout the school.

First of all, the Empire’s national flag flew over the school. The design was of a white dragon over a red background. It was cool but also hard to replicate by hand.

“Oh, good morning everyone. This is Tamaki. Today we have our bimonthly inspection by Her Imperial Majesty the Emperor. Will she tell me she is angry with me and sentence me to death? I was so nervous I could barely sleep, and now I worry I will yawn the moment she enters. The idea had me so frightened I couldn’t sleep, so now I worry I will yawn the moment she enters. The idea had me so frightened I couldn’t sleep, and now I—”

“You’re just going in endless circles now, Shijou.”

Their other classmates were stiff, too. One of the bubblier guys barely spoke at all. Even the girls in the back who were always chatting stayed in their seats today.

And, as always, no one spoke to Shiren. They didn’t hate her—they just didn’t know how to treat her, so they stayed away.

He understood how they felt. But in the end, it was still unusual.

But he had always been unusual, and that was why he could do anything.

His position wasn’t as sad as hers, but he had always been treated differently because of his spell. He wanted friends, but people put distance between him and them. He couldn’t just chat with anybody.

That was why he understood Shiren just a touch more than the other classmates.

If the Emperor offered her relief, then things would change ever so slowly. Shiren wasn’t shy at all, so she would probably open up to her classmates herself. The rest was just a matter of time.

And then his job would be done, and he’d go home to Japan.

In the middle of second period, the time finally came.

A whole mass of footsteps were approaching the classroom. The Emperor obviously wasn’t walking around alone—she probably had attendants with her, like Sasara Tatsunami from yesterday.

And then he saw someone wearing a dress stand before the classroom door.

The Emperor of the Sacred Blood Empire would soon enter.

“Okay!” Ryouta whispered to himself and leaped up.

If he moved slowly, they’d catch him and pin him down. At that point, he would be just a simple criminal. He might even be killed.

But this was the only thing he could do.

Victory would go to the one who acted first.

He stood before the door to the classroom and threw himself to the floor.

“Your Imperial Majesty! I may be just a minion, but please listen to my request! Absolve the crimes of my master, Shiren Fuyukura! Your little sister has done nothing wrong, Your Majesty, and I bet you know that, too! As her minion, I guarantee she isn’t a bad person! I don’t care what happens to me, but please, please give my master, Shiren Fuyukura, the right to walk boldly beneath the sun with a smile on her face!”

He said it. He really said it.

He had been planning on going with the flow with more polite language, but he obviously ended up being more casual than he wanted to. When he forgot to say please that one time, he just had to keep going with it.

And after his cry, the class fell completely silent.

It was the casual speech that got him, wasn’t it? But otherwise, he didn’t think he’d said anything wrong or insulted the Emperor in any way…

He didn’t hear anything from the Emperor. Maybe that was why no one could say anything.

Please just respond with anything. These few moments of silence have been too heavy. Or maybe because someone of her exalted standing wasn’t to speak directly to people of common birth.

“Wait…”

After a while, he heard her speak.

It was a familiar, high-pitched voice, similar to the one he’d heard from the guard Sasara’s stuffed doll.

“Whoa… Don’t tell me—is that…you, Ryouta? Ryouta Asagiri?”

Why did she know his name? He hadn’t mentioned his last name was Asagiri.

Despite himself, Ryouta looked up to see the Emperor’s face.

Standing there was a girl with bright-red hair, clear blue eyes, and a face more overwhelmingly beautiful than anyone else’s. Despite the many years they’d spent apart, he recognized her right away.

Sure enough, it was Ryouta’s very first love—Ouka Sarano.

“Wait, wait, hold on… You’re the Emperor, Ouka?!”

Sasara, her guard, was just about to draw her sword, but Ouka held up a hand to stop her.

“Sasara, it’s seems I’ve been sweating a little. Fix my makeup. Come along!”

“Oh, Your Majesty, why have you taken my hand so? Could this be forbidden love between wome—? Ow, ahhhh! If you pull so suddenly, I will fall over!”

The group was gone in a flurry, like a storm. Fifteen minutes later, Ouka came back with only Sasara in tow.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Her makeup was on clearly more neatly than it had been just a moment ago. She had also changed her dress to one with a lot more sparkle.

“Ryouta, I’m sure you have a lot to say, so let us go elsewhere to talk… And you come, too, Shiren.”

When Ouka had finished speaking, she left without bothering to confirm with Ryouta.

She didn’t even look at Shiren.

“Wait, Ryouta, why do you know the Emperor…?” Shiren asked slowly, shocked.

“Ouka was my classmate in elementary school.”

And then Ryouta added:

“And my first crush…”

“Again, it is a pleasure to see you. I am the one hundred seventh emperor of the Sacred Blood Empire, Ouka Elisabeta Alexandra Florentina Sylvia Rosanna Sarano. My first name is correctly written with the characters for ‘strike’ and ‘fire,’ but that isn’t a very nice name, so please use the characters for ‘king’ and ‘flower’ instead. Please make yourselves at home.”

They would have loved to, but they were surrounded by furniture that a whole lifetime of earnings could never purchase, so it was hard to relax.

After their earlier exchange, Ryouta and Shiren had been ushered into a long limousine—they had no idea where she would have even bought it—and taken to a castle.

It was a castle. On the mountain in the west side of the old city of Akinomiya, an enormous Western-style garrison towered over the rest of the town.

“Ah, we started building this castle three years ago under the pretense that it would be a personal manor. Obviously, we could not have completed it in the months since our country was founded. There were several television reports about an odd house being built, which worried us, but it all worked out in the end. It also has a very safe and reliable anti-earthquake design. As long as Godzilla doesn’t step on it, it will never collapse.”

“I never imagined you’d be the Emperor, Ouka…”

“It truly has been quite a long time. Seven years, is it? It was right when we were in fourth grade that Papa took the helm of our movement to become independent. People started coming after us, so I ended up transferring suddenly. We then started gradually moving other Sacred Blooded into the Akinomiya area, and so that’s how we managed to pull the whole thing off in April of this year. Somebody killed Papa two years ago, though.”

Ryouta felt as if he were in a dream—she was telling this unbelievable story so casually.

He thought he’d been living a weird life, but this was on a whole other level.

“But I can see you made it this far without knowing I was the Emperor… You didn’t come to see me, did you?” Ouka sighed, a slight frown on her face. “You didn’t hear my name anywhere? I thought you’d know when you heard the last name Sarano.”

“All the textbooks and TV shows just call you the Emperor.”

“You never could keep up-to-date on things, could you? Don’t tell me you ended up in the Empire because you didn’t know that Akinomiya had become our territory or anything like that?”

Bull’s-eye.

“And now that I’ve given you my name as the Emperor, courtesy demands that you give yours! Or I’ll hammer a rusted nail under your nails!”

Oh, right, this is the kind of person Ouka is…, Ryouta thought.

“You probably know already, but my name is Ryouta Asagiri— Ow!”

Shiren smacked him from behind. “You’re not Ryouta Asagiri! You’re Ryouta Fuyukura! Be more conscious of your role as my minion!”

A dark cloud passed over Ouka’s expression.

“M-minion…? Her minion…? You still smell a whole lot like a human… Tell me everything that happened! Right now!”

Ryouta told her the story of everything that had occurred in the past ten days. It felt as though it would only get even more complicated if Shiren interjected at any point, so he gave the entire account on his own.

…

“So basically, you came into the country without a single clue as to what was going on; Shiren was the first to find you, then bite you, but you couldn’t be completely subjugated, so you were living together at her house, but in the meantime, two others ended up biting you and kind of made you their minion, too… I’m impressed—they call me the Iron Woman, and even I’m starting to feel dizzy.”

“Your Imperial Majesty, please don’t tell me that this dingy boy was your first—”

“Silence.” A fan flew at Sasara’s head.

“Ouch… But this is the Emperor’s lash of love…hnnnng…”

Ouka completely ignored Sasara’s reaction and continued with the conversation. “And not only that, but one of those two who bit you was Alfoncina… No matter the season, that woman is always in heat…”

As befitting her status, Ouka addressed the archbishop without her title. But of course, it wasn’t like Alfoncina ever acted very important to begin with. Even at school in her uniform, she’d still say unbelievable things like “I hope you’re staying healthy. I mean not just normally, but sexually, too.”

“And, Shiren, I’m surprised you managed to run into this man. You may be my younger sister, but I still admire your good luck. He was a terrible philanderer back in Japan, if you didn’t know.”

“Yes, he has told me about it…”

“Hey! Don’t drag me like this! You do know that it’s out of my control, don’t you?!”

He had been insulted so casually, he had to step in. Ouka was ruthless when it came to this stuff.

“It’s fine. I bet you’re happy you get to chat with girls your age normally, aren’t you? They looked at you like meat back at home, after all.”

“People here still look at me like I’m meat because I’m Japanese and miraculously still around,” he retorted.

Ouka’s ears twitched lightly. “There’s something I want to check; could we safely call you the sole Japanese person in this country? Demographically, you just might be.”

“Probably. But why are you asking me?”

Ouka tapped the fan against her palm like a percussion instrument.

Then she tapped Ryouta’s head with it. She was clearly making fun of him.

“I can’t believe you’re so calm about this. Let’s say the sole Japanese person in the Empire gets attacked. Our international reputation will plummet, and it will give the Self-Defense Force a justifiable reason to step in. This means you are an extremely important item! Do you understand?!”

She was right—from the perspective of the head of state, this was a problem she couldn’t just overlook.

“I mean, I guess my deal is pretty important, but what about Shiren’s problem?”

Still, Ryouta pressed Ouka as if it was the next logical step in the conversation, and he wasn’t even trying to be polite this time. The nerves he’d felt earlier had also vanished. It was obvious that if he tried to call her Your Imperial Majesty, she’d just say, Ew, that’s gross; don’t say that—it was Ouka, after all.

Shiren’s expression clouded when her name came up.

“I heard your risky appeal loud and clear, Ryouta. I was actually unsure of how to deal with Shiren myself.”

Ouka turned to Shiren. Shiren herself seemed very uncomfortable. It had been so long since she had been together with her sister.

“Why do you look like you’re going to cry? I’m not going to punish you. The opposite, actually! Be happy! Yay!”

Those sounded like Ouka-style words of encouragement to Ryouta.

“Well, I’ll need to get rid of what’s troubling you, won’t I? Shiren, I will absolve you of your crimes, and you will come to the palace officially as the Emperor’s younger sister. You will also take the name of Sarano, which is only allowed for the members of the Imperial family.”

At that moment, Shiren’s face opened up into a grin, like a flower of joy blooming on her face.

“Th-thank you so much, Your Majesty!” Shiren fell to her knees.

“No need to be so dramatic. I wanted you to live in the palace right away, you know. The reason I’ve been visiting the school every once in a while was to prepare for this. But without some sort of catalyst, the national sentiment would not readily shift in favor. That was why it was perfect that Ryouta said what he did when he did. I’ll just play the part of ‘kind emperor whose heart was swayed by a loyal minion.’”

“I dunno, that’s bad taste.”

“It’s politics. Dark rumors were also starting to circulate, you see, and I wanted to do something as quickly as possible. There was word of fundamentalists after Shiren’s life.”

Ryouta was sick of this. Why did people do these things, even when the Emperor herself didn’t want that to happen?

“What a nuisance, isn’t it? Well, it will never be more than a rumor, but just in case, it would be better to live within the castle. We’ll start getting you ready for the move, let’s say…tomorrow.”

The conversation pressed onward, as if all their worries from earlier were just a dream.

“Oh no, Ryouta! We need to go home right away and start packing! Be sure to take out Eden of Pleasure from beneath your blanket!”

“I’m not hiding anything! And why is all the porn in this country Eden of Pleasure?!”

Was Tamaki selling less-than-legal goods out of the Fuyukura house? He’d have to double-check later.

“Man, living in a castle, though. Hard to imagine.”

He hadn’t even dreamed of such a drastic change to their modest living situation.

“Of course, that means all the cleaning, cooking, and laundry will be your job at the castle as well, Ryouta. You must obey the orders of the Emperor’s younger sister with more loyalty than you ever have! You will commit yourself to me! Oh-ho!”

When Ryouta saw Shiren’s high spirits, he felt a twinge of fear, knowing he’d be worked into the ground.

If I really end up living like a butler in a huge mansion, I’m gonna burn out before long…

“Hold on, Shiren. Listen to everything I need to say.”

There was a chill in Ouka’s voice that froze Shiren in place.

“You will be living in the castle, Shiren. As for you, Ryouta, the direct appeal made today is considered a crime of lèse-majesté. As punishment, you will be stripped from your position as Shiren’s minion. A minion’s sins are his master’s. I mean, you weren’t even officially her minion in the first place.”

““What?””

Ryouta and Shiren inadvertently spoke as one.

“But that means Ryouta is without a place to stay, so…so you will be my minion. A minion under direct service of the Emperor. Be… Be thankful. This is all because we have no other choice, do you hear me? This means I’ll have to drink your blood… But this is the only thing we can do. As long as I keep my composure, everything will turn out fine…”

“Hey, what on Earth are you talking about, Ouka?”

“What I’m saying is not strange at all. As a Japanese person who wandered into our country, you must be received appropriately. This is consistent with the Empire’s national policy. You were almost subjugated twice in the ten days you were with Shiren, correct? We can’t leave you out in such a place. You might be her minion candidate, but the claim is still unreliable. In which case, you just need to start off as my minion, the Emperor’s minion. I highly doubt anyone is audacious enough to try to steal a minion from the Emperor, and the Emperor’s minions automatically receive a title and earn a place among the nobility. I’m sure the people of Japan wouldn’t think terribly of you if they found out a Japanese citizen had been made a noble in another country. Knowing your blood was sucked might affect your reputation negatively, but considering the risks of staying as a pure Japanese person, it’s a fantastic bargain. There’s also the rumors of those ultranationalists after Shiren’s life. It would never happen, but if you were to be killed because you were her minion, that would put the entire Empire in an awkward position, internationally. And so that is why you should live with us as my minion. Well, my logic is perfect, if I do say so myself.”

Her reasons might all be correct, but…

“I mean, sure, but I can’t just do it out of the blue…”

“I’m sorry, Ryouta, but you are in such a unique position that you cannot live freely in this country. And I thought I said this a long time ago…that I would protect you,” Ouka said, her face slightly flushed, her gaze averted. “I was just a powerless elementary school girl back then, but I’m not now. With the authority I have now, I can make any wish you have come true. I can put an end to your days as prey. I doubt you have any reason to refuse,” she explained. “Or does the idea of becoming my minion really repulse you that much?”

“Well, that’s not what I mea—”

“I cannot allow this!”

Suddenly, someone intervened—Sasara, the Imperial guard.

“What is the meaning of this, making more minions?! I stand in firm opposition to your subjugating this nondescript, horse manure–like human! Not to mention he’s a boy! You must stay as pure white and unsullied as snow, Your Imperial Majesty!”

“Hold on! You could at least be a little nicer about it! Why manure?!”

“Why not manure?! The horse-dung sea urchin is an exquisitely high-quality ingredient!”

“No, you were definitely using it to insult me!”

“But of course! You will not approach Her Impe— Guh!”

Ouka smacked her fan on the crown of Sasara’s head. “You, be quiet. I am speaking to Ryouta. You will be given the ax. And I mean that quite literally.” She really didn’t mean it in the metaphorical sense. Sasara fell silent in fear.

“What I’m saying is, since Shiren and I live together, I can’t just leave her alone—”

“No, it’s fine. Thanks for everything you’ve done for me so far.” Shiren patted him lightly on the shoulder. “It’s all exactly as the Emperor says. The longer you stay with me, the more danger that puts you in, Ryouta. I can’t ask you to do that.”

“I know it makes sense, but…”

Ryouta was bewildered to see Shiren giving in so easily.

You can’t ask me to do something? That’s not like you at all.

Despite how outrageously she’d been acting, she seemed way too pleased with this arrangement.

“We’re going to start living separately tomorrow on. Are you okay with that?”

“I won’t be alone anymore.” Shiren’s expression seemed incredibly mature, but also slightly sad. “There are no crimes to my name. I can start making friends now. If I relied on you forever, I’d just stay the same, wouldn’t I?”

“Yeah, I get it, but—”

“Your service ends today.”

With one short sentence, it felt as if his connection with Shiren had been cleanly severed.

Judging just from the situation, Ryouta shouldn’t have any counterarguments. The whole reason he tried to go back to Japan was to see Ouka, and he’d managed to complete his goal in the end. Not only that, but he would become Ouka’s minion.

But he still wasn’t satisfied with this. It felt like he was making a big mistake.

When Ouka saw the expression on his face, she took down a large sword that was hanging on the wall.

“Take this sword, Ryouta.”

She held it out to him. The sword was shivering—Ouka’s hands were shaking.

“Wait, I can have this…?”

“Just take it, quickly! I’ve never held something as heavy as this!”

With no other choice, Ryouta took the sword. It was just as heavy as its large size suggested.

“What?! He took the Royal Sword… But that’s supposed to be the symbol of the Imperial Guard!” Sasara cried. “This means the likes of a human will be joining the ranks of the Guard! This is unheard-of!”

“Wait, wait, what? I didn’t know this! Hey!”

But Ouka didn’t seem bothered at all by Ryouta’s bewilderment.

“All the Emperor’s minions are obligated to protect her when the time calls for it. This sword is the symbol of that idea. You will protect me with all the strength you can muster. Oh, and the Emperor’s orders are absolute, okay? You can hate me as much as you want. And as long as I don’t find out, you can do as many naughty things to me in your mind as you want. Being in this job, I’ve gotten used to people hating me. Gosh, it is a crime to be this beautiful,” Ouka added with a straight face.

Neither Ryouta nor Shiren had the power to erase this whole conversation from history. They couldn’t even put together an argument that made sense.

“Well then, you shall hear the details from me in due course. I can’t separate you so suddenly right now, so both of you go home together. Wait in front of the gates, and the car will come for you.”

They both had a bad taste left in their mouths; neither of them could say anything.

If only the car would come faster.

But before it could, Sasara came rushing toward them.

“I made it! Here is a personal letter from Her Imperial Majesty. It seems she has something to tell you two.” She held a sealed letter in her hands. “By the way, I have not opened it to read the inside or anything like that.”

“If you have to tell us, it sounds more like you did…”

“She found out I did that once, and she almost gave me the ax for real. Literally.”

“Please just retire.”

“Anyway, I’ve handed it over now! Please be sure not to lose it, so read it when you return home!”

And then the long limousine finally came.

They returned home and opened the letter.

With delicate, careful writing, it said the following:

Shiren & Ryouta Fuyukura,

I am so sorry for causing so much chaos. It was all very sudden.

However, I had no other choice but to do so. I believe this is the most peaceable way to settle things.

If it is all right with you, I would like you to come once again to the castle tonight after eight PM, to the back garden. It won’t be too extravagant, but I want to have a party with you two. Also, since Sasara and the other guards were nearby, there were some things I wasn’t able to talk to you about. I could give you a call, but the phones might be bugged. If you show the guards at the rear garden the sword I gave you, they will let you through right away.

I will be waiting.

Ouka Elisabeta Alexandra Florentina Sylvia Rosanna Sarano

“We should at least part with a smile, Ryouta.”

Shiren’s expression looked like a smile on the surface. But—

Your eyes aren’t smiling at all…

Hiding her feelings was too advanced for Shiren. Ryouta knew that well.

But at that moment, he couldn’t point it out to her.

“Yeah. And it doesn’t seem like there’s any way for us to tell her no.”

He was hoping to put his all into making his last dinner with Shiren, but if Ouka was going to prepare a feast for them, that was still a relief for him.

“Ryouta, I was really happy with what happened today.” Shiren produced a key and slipped it into the keyhole on his collar. “When you faced the Emperor and put your life on the line to say that, it meant so much to me. I would have cried if there weren’t anyone else in the classroom. This story might end up in the morals textbook next year. You are the best, the most authentic minion—I’m proud to have been your master. That’s why you don’t need this collar anymore.”

Shiren took the loosened collar and tossed it into a corner of the room.

Two feelings welled up in his chest at the same time—relief at being freed from his shackle, and loss from their breaking connection.

“On top of that, I can openly call myself Sarano as the Emperor’s little sister. That last name is only something the Imperial family can use.”

“It sure is an unusual name.”

“The character for ‘blood’ can be broken down into two smaller characters: the kanji of sara and the katakana no, you see. We just made up some kanji to go with it. And so blood itself is the perfect last name for the family that governs the Sacred Blooded.”

The majestic resonance of the name was certainly suited for an emperor’s bloodline.

“This has been the happiest day of my life. I finally understand that the Emperor has been thinking of me this entire time. We are sisters, after all.”

Ryouta was also relieved that Shiren’s big sister was Ouka; he knew she would look after her little sister. She’d always seemed like the type to fuss over other people.

But even though Shiren said she was happy, that sentiment didn’t appear on her face at all. Shiren wasn’t addressing Ouka as a sister—she was still calling her the Emperor.

“That’s right; you’re being promoted.”

“So are you. The Emperor’s minions might be considered servants, but in reality, they are very close to her, and they’re treated as nobles, status-wise. So be happy! You don’t have to look so awkward!”

Shiren slapped him several times on the back.

“Did I look awkward…?”

“Really, Ryouta, you look like you’re in pain! We aren’t going to be apart forever! Be happier like the clueless child you are—you’re leaving Shiren Fuyukura’s side to join the Emperor as her minion! If you don’t, I’ll…I’ll just end up sad, too…”

She gave a small sigh to wipe her feelings away. She was right—nobody would end up happy if they dwelled on it anymore.

“All right. Then we’ll make tonight’s party one to remember.” He ruffled Shiren’s hair.

“Exactly, that’s what I’m— Hey, how rude can you be toward your master?!”

She punched him straight in the sternum. “Guh… You can’t immediately resort to violence like that… I’m going to report this to the UN’s Human Rights Commission…”

“It is a lash of love toward one’s minion. Don’t forget it. You are only my minion for another few hours. I will expect no less than perfect service.” Shiren rested her hand gently on Ryouta’s back one more time. “For another few hours yet, you are not the Emperor’s. You are mine.”

“Yeah. I’m still your minion.”

Only for the few hours until the date changed.

“Hey, Ryouta, could you let me drink your blood one last time?”

Ryouta leaned forward a little; Shiren was too short to get a good bite on his neck. “As you wish, Master.” Even if she wasn’t his master, he’d still let her drink as much blood of his as she wanted. Once he became the Emperor’s minion, it would probably be illegal. For Shiren or anyone else.

Then would this be the last time?

But if this completely turned him into Shiren’s minion, what would happen to him?

The Emperor probably didn’t have the right to nullify a contractual relationship that had already been established.

“Here goes— Nom.”

He was starting to get used to the pain in his neck. The part she was biting into slowly felt as if it were being encased in ice. And then a spot of blood started oozing out.

“Sigh… Your blood is strange, Ryouta. I don’t know why I can taste a mix of so many flavors from it. It really warms me up.”

“I don’t know if I’m happy to be complimented for my blood, but sure. Thanks.”

He wrapped his empty arms around Shiren’s back. He wanted to feel a bit closer to her, since this would be the last time.

In the end, Shiren slowly licked the wound she left behind by her bite twice.

“Okay, Ryouta, spin around three times and say in a loud voice, I am Lady Shiren’s minion.”

“Huh? Why do I need to act like an idiot?”

For a moment, he didn’t get it, but after a quick think, he remembered this check was in that book, My First Minion…

“…Oh! Uhhh, spin three times—”

As he was about to spin around, Shiren grabbed his hands to stop him.

“Don’t force yourself. It’s like I thought—I don’t have the power to make my own minions. I finally realize that. It’s not that I was maturing slowly, and it’s not because I’m a child. My power to make minions is weak because I’m half human. That’s all.”

A mature, mirthless smile rested on Shiren’s face.

“You really were lucky I was the one who picked you up, Ryouta!” She showed him another smile this time, one she had probably worked hard to summon.

“Yeah, I really was.”

“Oh, right, we haven’t had lunch yet. Let’s go to the neighborhood soba shop! My treat!”

“If it has blood in it, then no thanks.”

“Okay, then we’ll eat in.”

“Wait, so it did have blood in it?!”

The clock in the room was pointing to a little past one.

The party was on in just under seven hours.