Regardless of everything, Elia thought Kiz looked quite pretty like this.
Still, she reached out and pressed her hand against Kiz’s ankle. The wound from the bite healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.
“Alright, it doesn’t hurt now, does it?” Elia asked with a smile.
Kiz didn’t say a word; she just glared intently at her.
“What’s wrong? Do you want to go another round?”
“…No!”
“Then that’s that.” Elia stood up and tidied her clothes. “I’ll go get you some blood. You just lie down for a while.”
With that, she turned and left the room.
A few minutes later, Elia returned carrying a tray. On the tray sat three cups of blood that looked very high-grade.
“Drink up.” She handed a cup of blood to Kiz.
Kiz took the cup and took small sips, but her eyes remained fixed on Elia.
“What are you looking at?” Elia asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Noth… nothing.” Kiz lowered her head and continued drinking the blood.
After three cups of blood were finished, her complexion finally recovered a bit.
“So, can you still go to the Training Ground this afternoon?” Elia asked.
“I can.”
“That’s good.”
Elia sat down on the sofa with a thud and looked at her hands.
Hmm, the black nail polish she had applied earlier was completely dry. Not bad.
“By the way, Kiz, do you think my nails look better painted black or the way they were before?” she suddenly asked.
Kiz stole a glance and whispered, “…Both look good.”
“Oh? Really? Don’t lie to me now.”
“I’m serious!” Kiz said hurriedly. She was terrified that this Demon would find another excuse to discipline her… In her current state, she couldn’t handle a second round of torment.
“Then which do you prefer?”
After hearing that question, Kiz stopped talking.
Elia waited for a moment, then she chuckled and stood up. “Fine, I won’t force you… I’m going for a stroll in the Garden. You rest up.”
“Wait.” However, Kiz called out to stop her.
“Hmm?”
“…I’m going too.”
Elia raised an eyebrow and asked, “Don’t you need to rest?”
“I’ve rested enough.” Kiz stood up and straightened her dress and silk stockings. “Besides, I have to go to the Training Ground this afternoon anyway. It’ll be good to take a walk in the Garden now.”
“Sure, let’s go then.”
In the Garden, a dense floral fragrance permeated the air. It was even more fragrant than the last time they had visited, making even Elia feel refreshed and relaxed.
Kiz walked in front, while Elia followed half a step behind her.
Neither of them spoke.
When they reached the Pavilion in the center of the Garden, Kiz stopped.
“Shall we sit for a bit?”
“Sure.”
The two of them sat down in the Pavilion.
The teacups from yesterday were still on the stone table. Elia casually used Magic to clean them… essentially returning them to their original places through the air.
“You’re very skilled with Magic,” Kiz said suddenly.
“Yes, I’ve been learning these things since I was a child.”
“Do you know? A Saint’s Light Magic is pure poison to the Blood Clan. It can even instantly kill those of us who possess extremely strong self-healing abilities.”
“I know. That’s why I never use offensive Magic in front of you.”
“…Thank you.”
“Huh? What are you thanking me for now?”
“Thank you… for never thinking about using Magic to hurt me.”
“Hmm? Haven’t I hurt you in enough ways already? Do I really need Magic for that?”
Kiz’s face turned red instantly. “That… that’s different.”
“How is it different?”
“It just is… You bite me, you tickle me, and you play with me like a doll… but you’ve never used Magic to actually harm me.”
Elia fell into a sudden silence.
What Kiz said was true. Although she had been bullying Kiz constantly, she had never once thought about truly hurting her.
Biting her and drinking her blood was due to the requirements of the Kin Contract, tickling was her favorite method of punishment, and the other teasing was just to see her embarrassed and indignant expression.
But she had never intended to cause her injury—not in a real sense.
Why was that?
Was it because the contract bound them? Or was it…
Elia shook her head vigorously and changed the subject. “How long will you be inspecting the Training Ground this afternoon?”
“About 2 hours. I have to see the results of the new recruits’ training.”
“Can I go?”
“What would you do there?” Kiz looked at Elia helplessly.
“Watch you train them~ You must look quite interesting when you’re disciplining people.”
Kiz glared at her and said, “I’m going there for work, not to put on a performance!”
“I know.” Elia shrugged. “That’s why I want to go and learn about our Princess’s majesty!”
Kiz was once again unable to argue. She could only say, “…Suit yourself.”
“Then it’s a settled.” Elia nodded with satisfaction. “But there’s still some time before the afternoon. What should we do now?”
“…I don’t know.”
“In that case, help me paint my nails again.”
“Aren’t they already painted?”
“I’m talking about my feet.” Elia lifted her leg and took off her small white leather shoe, revealing her foot clad in a short white sock.
“How about painting the toenails black too?”
Kiz froze just by looking at the delicate foot.
Elia’s feet were about the same size as hers, and the white sock wrapped around the ankle, looking clean and cute.
“Why… why do you want to paint your toenails?”
“Because I feel like it,” Elia said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Why? Do you have an objection?”
Kiz: “…”
Looking at the dangerous smile on the witch’s face, she got goosebumps.
“…We’ll paint them when we get back,” Kiz said.
“Why?”
“There! Are! No! Tools! Here!” the Little Princess shouted.
“Oh, right. Let’s go back and paint them then.”
She put her shoe back on and stood up. “Let’s go. We’re heading back.”
After returning to the Sleeping Palace, Kiz obediently took out the nail polish tools. She then squatted in front of Elia and began helping her paint her toenails.
This posture was quite amusing to Elia.
A Blood Princess squatting on the ground to paint her toenails…
Who would believe such a sight if it were told?
The Blood Clan Elders certainly wouldn’t… but if they were to see it, the expressions on their faces would surely be magnificent.
Kiz’s movements were even gentler now than when she had painted her fingernails.
Elia’s toes were just as sensitive as Kiz’s, and she couldn’t help but curl them slightly whenever the brush stroked across them.
“Don’t move,” Kiz whispered.
“It tickles.”
“…Endure it.”
Elia smiled but obediently stopped moving.
She looked down at Kiz. From this angle, she could see the top of Kiz’s white head and her slightly trembling eyelashes… The Little Princess’s expression was focused, her lips slightly pursed, as if she were performing some sacred task.
“Kiz.”
“Now what?”
“Have you ever thought about what would happen to us if the contract were dissolved?”
Elia felt a strange urge to ask this question.
Hmm… Laura probably thought she could easily break the contract, and Elia had given her a pre-fabricated answer at the time.
In reality, she didn’t know if she could actually break the contract or not.
But if she really could, it would prove that the contract was breakable… and people in this world… especially the Heavenly Saint Race and the Church, would definitely find ways to try and destroy it.
Kiz’s movements paused for a moment. Then she said, “…I haven’t.”
“Why?”
“Because… the contract cannot be dissolved.”
“Huh?”
“The Blood Clan’s Kin Contract is for life… Unless one side dies, it will never be dissolved. Even the Master cannot break the contract.”
Elia was stunned.
This… this was truly the first time she had heard of this! It wasn’t in the original host’s memories, and Kiz had never mentioned it before.
“For life… You mean we’re tied together for the rest of our lives?”
“Yes, you could say that…” Kiz lowered her head and continued painting the nails.
However, the tips of her ears had turned red.
A complex emotion welled up in Elia’s heart.
A lifelong bond… it sounded terrifying.
But strangely, she didn’t feel repulsed by it.
Instead, she felt a sense of relief… So, what was she actually thinking?
She… didn’t understand. She really… didn’t understand.
She had been trying to avoid thinking about these things, but current events were forcing her to face them.
Could it be… that she really liked Kiz?
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