Chapter 39: The Man in Black and the Blood Feast

Elia had made all the necessary preparations, but the next three days were calm and peaceful.

Everything seemed perfectly normal.

“It’s too quiet… so quiet that I want to stir up some trouble.” The Little Saintess was currently leaning on the sofa in the study, watching the Little Princess process documents.

Her words were enough to make Kiz look up.

“Don’t,” the Little Princess said.

“Oh? And why not?”

“Because whenever you cause trouble, I’m the one who ends up unlucky.”

Elia gave a deep, meaningful smile. “You certainly know me well!”

“Obviously.” Kiz signed her name on a document.

“How long have we known each other now?”

Elia thought for a moment. “A month? Something like that…”

“It’s been a little over a month, but it feels like a hundred years to me.”

“Is that so? To me, it feels like only a single day has passed.”

“…Why?” Kiz looked genuinely bewildered, a rare expression for her.

“Because I feel like time passes so slowly when I’m with you…”

At those words, Kiz’s face turned red again.

“You — you’re saying things like that again!”

“Like what?”

“Like… that kind of stuff…”

Kiz couldn’t finish her sentence and could only glare at her.

Elia walked straight behind Kiz, leaned down, and leaned into her ear. She whispered softly while blowing a gentle breath. “What kind of stuff is that?”

“Get — get away from me…”

“I don’t want to. Your scent is constantly tempting me…”

Kiz was completely speechless now. She could only lower her head and let Elia’s breath wash over her neck.

It felt ticklish and tingling, making her heart race.

Just as the Little Princess was about to lose herself in the moment, Elia suddenly asked, “Kiz, if someone actually managed to steal me away from you… what would you do? Answer me seriously. Don’t be a tsundere.”

She had asked this several times before, but this time she was very serious.

Kiz looked up at Elia and saw that the Little Saintess’s expression was grave, not showing the slightest hint of a joke.

Kiz whispered, “I… I would kill that person in the most cruel and bloody way possible… If there’s more than one, I’ll kill everyone involved. I mean it.”

Elia saw genuine killing intent in her eyes.

‘As I thought, even if Kiz’s feelings for me aren’t love yet, she definitely considers me the most important person in her life… This Little Princess really is a tsundere.’

Tsunderes might be considered an outdated trope, but Elia still liked this Little Princess. If Kiz were completely submissive or clung to her immediately, she might actually find it a bit uncomfortable… So, let’s keep things as they are!

Tsunderes are the GOAT, and a tsundere who can be teased until she cries is a goddess!

“Then I’m relieved.” Elia straightened up and returned to the sofa.

Kiz watched her back with a complex gaze, but in the end, she said nothing.

In the evening, Elia went for a walk in the Garden alone.

If she didn’t love Black Roses so much, why would she bother coming to this place she’d visited at least 800 times? Her main goal was the roses.

Elia’s footsteps were crisp as she walked along the garden path. The only sound in her ears was the rustling of leaves in the wind.

Halfway through, she suddenly stopped. “Come out.”

The air was silent for a few seconds. Then, a dark figure stepped out from behind the bushes.

It was a person in a black cloak. Since their face was covered, she couldn’t see their features, only a pair of cold eyes.

“Lady Saint… my Master told me to bring you a message.”

Elia raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What message? Speak.”

“Our Holy Grail is ready… You can return at any time.”

Hearing this, Elia wore a meaningful smile. “Return? To where?”

“Back to where you belong.”

“Where I belong? I’m already exactly where I belong.”

The person in black fell silent for a few seconds before bowing slightly. “My Master said… you would change your mind.”

With that, his body turned into a cloud of smoke, looking as if it were about to dissipate.

Elia’s gaze sharpened. She raised her hand, and a golden light shot from her palm, instantly enveloping the smoke.

“Aaaaaah — !” A scream echoed from within the smoke.

Elia withdrew her hand and looked at the scorched mark on the ground.

‘A Clone Technique… and a high-level one at that.’

She crouched down to inspect the mark, but she found that the man had left no useful information. It seemed the opponent was very cautious.

Elia stood up and looked toward the Vampire Castle.

She thought for a moment and decided not to tell the Little Princess yet.

She wanted to see what this so-called Master was planning.

Elia licked her lips, a spark of excitement flashing in her eyes.

Two more days passed.

On this particular evening, the castle suddenly became bustling without warning.

“What’s going on? Did something happen?” Elia looked at the maids bustling back and forth in the corridor with a bewildered expression.

Standing beside her, Kiz said helplessly, “It’s the Blood Feast today…”

“Blood Feast?”

“How should I put it… It’s an annual celebration of the Blood Clan’s origins. It was originally supposed to be hosted by the Vampire Queen. But since she fell into her deep sleep, I’ve had to do it in her stead,” Kiz explained softly.

“I see… Is it tiring?”

“It happens every year. How could it not be tiring?” Kiz sighed. “And I have to deal with those annoying nobles this year.”

“Nobles?”

“Yes, the Blood Clan has over a dozen great families. Usually, those guys guard their own territories, and they only gather at the castle during the Blood Feast. Every year at this time, I have to deal with their various demands… like land grants, resources, and marriage alliances…”

When she mentioned “marriage alliances,” her tone clearly faltered.

Elia caught this keenly. “Marriage alliances?”

“They want to marry their daughters to me,” Kiz said.

Elia’s gaze turned cold.

‘Is the Blood Clan a clan of lesbians? Why do they all love this trope so much…’ Elia had thought her love rivals would be men, but they were still women.

However, she would never allow any love rivals to appear.

“Marry you?” Elia asked.

“Yes, every year… It’s annoying. I’ve rejected all of them.”

“What about this year? Is there someone who wants to marry you this year too?” Although Elia asked with a smile, it was a rather chilling one.

Kiz swallowed hard. “Actually… there are.”

“How many?”

“…Three — three.”

“Oh, three…” The smile on her face deepened. “Then, could you introduce them to me?”

“W — what do you want to do?” Kiz took a step back, intimidated by the overwhelming pressure. Her calves were even trembling.

“Nothing much. I just want to get to know them and have a little chat.”

Kiz felt a chill down her spine. “Don — don’t do anything reckless…”

“I won’t do anything reckless… I just want to see what kind of girls dare to eye what’s mine. After all, you belong to me.”

Kiz’s face turned so red it looked like it was about to catch fire.

“Who — who belongs to — “

“You do.” Elia interrupted her tsundere protest.

“It’s written in the Blood Contract. You, Chis Camarilla, are mine.”