This morning, Kiz was woken up by an itching sensation. It felt as if something soft was sweeping across her face.
She opened her eyes blearily, and the first thing she saw was Elia’s face magnified in front of her, along with a lock of long golden hair gripped in her hand.
“What… what are you doing…”
“Helping you wake up,” Elia said with a smile, lightly brushing the tip of Kiz’s nose with the ends of her hair again. “Good morning, Sleeping Beauty.”
Kiz let out a sneeze from the tickling.
Well, she was completely awake now.
She rubbed her eyes and sat up, looking at the demon before her who was already brimming with energy so early in the morning. “What time is it…”
“It’s about 8:00 AM. Besides, don’t you have a guest to see today?”
“A guest?” Kiz paused for a moment before remembering. “Oh, right! Laura is coming today!”
“So, who is Laura?”
“An elf princess and also my… friend.”
But Kiz sounded a bit awkward when she used the word ‘friend.’
‘Hmm? An elf princess? And Kiz’s best friend?’
‘This is quite interesting… I’ve never heard of Kiz having a best friend before.’
“So, what is she here for?” Elia asked.
“She said it’s a visit, but I suspect she heard that I subdued you and is specifically coming to see the show,” Kiz said as she walked over to the wardrobe.
“To see the show?”
“Yeah.” Kiz picked up a black formal dress, looked at it, and then put it back. “Laura loves watching people make fools of themselves, especially me.”
At that moment, Elia hopped off the bed, rummaged through the wardrobe, pulled out a deep purple dress, and held it out to Kiz.
“Wear this one.”
Kiz glanced at it and frowned. “The tone… isn’t it too dark?”
“But it suits you. Besides, you need to maintain your dignity in front of your friend today, right? Darker colors look more imposing,” Elia said with a grin.
Kiz hesitated for a moment before finally reaching out to take the dress. Then she asked, “What about you? Are you going to see Laura?”
“Of course I am! After all, I am your ‘servant.’ It wouldn’t be proper if the master meets a guest and the servant isn’t present.”
Kiz looked at the gold-haired girl with a complicated expression.
She knew exactly what Elia was planning… She certainly wanted to watch Kiz put on an act in front of an outsider just so she could mock her once the guest left.
However, she really had no way to refuse.
The Blood Contract was right there, and… she didn’t actually want to refuse.
‘How strange… I clearly should hate this demon.’
But for some reason, the thought of acting alongside Elia in front of Laura actually made her feel a bit… well… expectant.
“Whatever you want. But remember, in front of outsiders…”
“You want to say I have to listen to you, act like a servant, and not embarrass you, right? I know, I know. You’ve said it 800 times already.”
Kiz glared at her, then clutched the dress and walked into the bathroom.
However, a meaningful smile curled at the corner of Elia’s mouth.
***
At 10:00 AM, in the drawing room.
Standing behind Kiz, Elia kept her head slightly bowed, her posture as perfect as any elite maid in the Vampire Castle.
Sitting on the sofa opposite the little princess was an elf girl.
The girl had long, emerald-green hair tied into high twin-tails, with pointed ears peeking out from between the strands. Her large eyes were a beautiful amber color… and she was currently observing Elia without any attempt to hide it.
As for the elf princess’s clothes… she wore a classic light green outfit, but the skirt was very short, revealing her fair thighs. On her feet were brown short boots decorated with leaf patterns.
“So, this is the legendary Saint? She looks so small… is she really that strong?” the elf princess, Laura, asked curiously.
Sitting in the main seat, Kiz asked indifferently, “Do you want to find out for yourself?”
“Forget it, I don’t want to be beaten to a pulp…”
After saying that, she looked at Elia again, revealing a sly smile.
“Hey, hey, Saint, is Kiz nice to you usually? Has she been bullying you?”
Elia glanced up at Kiz before lowering her head again. “The Princess is very kind to me…”
Her voice was soft, carrying a hint of perfectly timed timidness.
Kiz’s movement of drinking tea paused, nearly causing her to choke.
‘This girl… her acting is too convincing!’
Then, Laura stood up and walked over to Elia, continuing her questioning. “Really? But I heard that the Blood Clan is very strict with captives.”
“Laura, watch your words,” Kiz reminded her in a cold voice from the side.
“Oh, my, I was just joking!”
Laura returned to her seat on the sofa.
“But honestly, Kiz, it’s incredible that you could subdue the Saint. All the powers on the continent are talking about this right now. The Human Empire, in particular, is about to explode with rage, hahaha!”
“Then let them be angry. They don’t dare to do anything anyway.”
“That’s true. With a monster princess like you around, who would dare to bring trouble to the Blood Clan?” Laura waved her hand and laughed.
“Who are you calling a monster?”
“You, obviously! Ruling the entire Blood Clan at only 400 years old while also being able to subdue the world’s strongest combatant—if that’s not a monster, what is?”
Kiz only looked at her coldly.
Of course, Laura wasn’t afraid of Kiz’s attitude and continued to smile cheerfully.
Standing behind them, Elia quietly observed their interaction.
‘It seems Kiz and this elf princess really do have a good relationship… Even if they’re sharp-tongued, that relaxed atmosphere can’t be faked.’
Furthermore…
Elia’s gaze fell on Laura.
The elf princess appeared innocent and lively, but an occasional sharp light flashed in her eyes. She likely wasn’t a simple character.
“Actually, there’s something else I need to tell you,” Laura said suddenly.
“What is it?”
“The Heavenly Saint Race is making a move. They seem to be preparing some sort of ceremony. I don’t know the details, but it definitely has something to do with a ‘Sacred Artifact.'”
Hearing this, Kiz’s brows furrowed deeply. “A Sacred Artifact…”
“Yeah. My father told me to remind you to be careful. Those old fossils of the Heavenly Saint Race have always disliked the Blood Clan. Plus, now that you’ve subdued the Saint, they might try something in the future.”
“I understand. Thank you,” Kiz nodded.
“Don’t mention it! After all, our elf race and your Blood Clan are currently allies! And unbreakable ones at that!”
After she finished, she looked at Elia again. “By the way, Saint, can I ask you a question?”
Elia looked up and said, “Please, go ahead.”
“Are you truly content with being subdued by the Blood Clan?” Laura asked with her head tilted. “With your strength, if you wanted to resist, you should be able to, right? I don’t believe someone as strong as you could be trapped by a mere contract.”
This pointed question caused Kiz’s expression to stiffen.
However, Elia remained unfazed.
She simply glanced at Kiz and then said in a small voice, “The Princess gave me shelter… When I was betrayed by the humans and had nowhere to go, she took me in. Therefore, I, Saint Elia, am willing to be loyal to the Princess.”
She spoke with such sincerity that she almost believed it herself.
Kiz: “…” She was truly speechless.
Laura seemed a bit surprised, but she still smiled. “Then Kiz, you must treat her well. Such a loyal servant is rare to find.”
“You don’t need to tell me that,” Kiz said irritably.
The conversation that followed was much more relaxed.
Princess Laura shared some interesting stories from the elf race, and Kiz briefly introduced the recent situation of the Blood Clan… as well as some gossip.
At noon, the three of them had lunch together.
Once at the dining table, Laura became even more talkative than before.
“Speaking of which, Kiz, have you been to the Moonlight Forest lately? I heard the Moonlight Flowers are blooming there recently, and they’re beautiful!”
“I don’t have time. Too many government affairs, too busy,” Kiz replied after taking a sip of blood.
“How pitiful. Unlike me, who can play around every day!”
“Then, how about you help me handle some of these affairs?”
“No, no.” Laura waved her hands hurriedly. “I would go insane.”
Elia simply sat beside Kiz and ate her food quietly.
***
After lunch, Laura spoke up again. “Hey, why don’t we go for a walk in the garden?”
‘Why do you all like gardens so much…’ Elia complained internally.
“I’m not going. I want to go back and catch up on some sleep,” Kiz refused decisively.
“Let’s go, let’s go! I haven’t been here in a long time. I want to see if those Black Roses are still there!” After saying that, Laura walked directly toward the garden.
Kiz let out a helpless sigh and was forced to follow.
Elia naturally followed behind them.