In the public parlor of the Ten Courts district, Fema sat on a low stool next to the dessert table.
Her fiery red short hair was a bit longer than it had been five years ago, tied into a crooked low ponytail.
At thirteen, she had shot up in height, her limbs long and slender, but the areas of her shoulders and collarbones covered in crystal scales gave her a somewhat incongruous, rugged frame.
She was currently stuffing a third piece of savory jerky into her mouth. The honey cake from five years ago had finally been replaced with something she could actually stomach.
Lonia leaned against the armrest of the chair next to her, one leg crossed over the other, the hem of her black belted coat draping over the edge of the seat.
“So that nerd publicly burned someone else's paper when he was young.”
Fema paused in her chewing.
“...The Chief Grand Mage of the Mage Tower?”
“Yes. Wald. It was a long time ago. He was kicked out of the entire Mage Tower, but later fought his way back all on his own.”
“What do the affairs of humans have to do with us?”
“Fina said it. To understand what they care about, what they fear, and what they pursue.”
Fema's fiery red eyes shifted from the jerky to Lonia's face.
“...Since when do you care about things like this?”
“I don't. I'm just passing it along.”
“You seem pretty enthusiastic about passing it along.”
Lonia's eyes narrowed slightly.
“Do you want to hear it or not?”
“...Go on.”
Fema stuffed the jerky into her mouth, her cheeks bulging as she stared at Lonia with a seriousness she probably wasn't even aware of.
Lonia went on to tell the stories of Pope Beatrice and Riddell as well, though she didn't tell them nearly as well as Rafina did.
She omitted most of the details, leaving only the bare bones, and reassembled them in her own way.
Beatrice was a scammer running a pyramid scheme, and Riddell was a mass murderer who went around shouting about peace.
Fema fell silent for a few seconds after listening.
“...She knows everything.”
There was no jealousy in her tone.
Lonia recognized that tone, because she used it herself every single day.
“She really does know everything. The underground archives have everything.”
Lonia slid down from the armrest, stood up, and patted the wrinkles out of the hem of her coat.
“But you know what? She doesn't know how to peel chestnuts. Every time, she crushes the shells right into the meat and ends up with a mouthful of debris.”
Fema was taken aback.
“...She doesn't know how to peel chestnuts?”
“Yeah, so she always makes me peel them for her. And then she has to wrap her tail around them to feed me. Weird, right?”
“...”
Fema stared at Lonia with a look of pure pity for a long time, making her feel thoroughly uncomfortable.
...
After the gathering broke up, Lonia didn't take the side door.
She walked through the main corridor of the Ten Courts district, went up two flights of stairs, turned down a hallway, and pushed open the wooden door.
Rafina's room had a lot more things in it than it did five years ago.
The bookshelves had expanded from one wall to three, every shelf packed tight. The spines of the books varied in color, ranging from yellowed ancient texts to brand-new documents.
A row of small vials lined the windowsill, containing fragments of different colored ores—samples for magic research. The oil lamp at the head of her bed had been replaced with an exquisitely designed magic lamp, casting a soft, warm glow.
Rafina sat cross-legged on the bed, her long silvery-white hair spread out over the duvet, holding a book as thick as a brick in her hands.
The collar of her dark gray robe was unbuttoned by two notches, revealing a small patch of pale skin beneath her collarbone. Her bare feet peeked out from under the hem of her robe, her toes resting on the edge of the bed, while her tail slowly swayed left and right behind her.
Lonia kicked off her boots and climbed straight onto the bed, leaning her back against the wall. She stretched out her legs, clad in black stockings, and rested them next to Rafina's knees.
“What are you reading?”
“《A Comparative Study of Magic Circuits Among the Races: Volume VII》.”
“Just the title makes me sleepy.”
“It's actually very interesting. There's a chapter specifically about how the major factions view magic circuits.”
“The major factions? Is Esperfite in there too?”
“Yes. Esperfite views magic as something impure. They believe that magic power should only be channeled through supreme machinery. Everyone from the mages of the Mage Tower to the demons who are born with magic circuits is considered a heretic who defiles both magic and machinery...”
“Fina.”
“Hmm?”
“Do you like the Demon King?”
Rafina froze mid-word, her mouth half-open. The brick of a book in her hands tilted slightly, its pages rustling as a couple of them flipped over.
Three seconds.
Five seconds.
Rafina closed her mouth. An extremely rare expression appeared on her face.
Speechless.
“...Nia.”
“What?”
“He's hundreds of years old.”
“So what? Age doesn't matter to demons, does it?”
“He's my teacher.”
“Teacher-student romances are very common. Ellie showed me several books—”
“The things Ellie reads shouldn't be used as a reference.”
Rafina closed the brick of a book and placed it beside her knees.
“I do not like the Demon King that way. I respect him. Those are two completely different things.”
“Oh. Then Fina, do you have someone you like?”
Rafina's tail twitched.
“Working and attending meetings with the Demon King every day, you must know a lot of impressive people, right? The Court Heads of the Royal Court, the heirs of the various bloodlines, and those foreign emissaries who come to Gloom Castle to negotiate. Is there anyone who makes you feel...”
Lonia gestured in the air.
“Your heart beat faster? Blush? Want to look at them a little longer?”
Rafina's crimson eyes lingered on Lonia's face for two seconds. Then, she blushed and gently pressed her hand to her chest.
“...Why are you suddenly asking this?”
“My sister mentioned before that she wanted to introduce me to some prospective marriage partners.”
Rafina's tail suddenly snapped.
“She said it's just an introduction, to see if there's anyone I find agreeable. Since I'm still young, we won't actually be making any official engagements yet.
Then she showed me a stack of portraits, all of eligible bachelors from the various Courts.
Aside from those of our own vampire clan, there were some from the Shadow Demon Court, the Lich Court, and even one from the Gargoyle Court who looked like a fortress wall.
Oh, and that Louis you mentioned. He looks like a girl, but his expression is way too fierce.”
Lonia's mouth twitched downward.
“So I rejected all of them.”
“...Why?”
“They were either too fierce or too ugly.”
Rafina smiled.
“Are they really that ugly?”
“They're hideous! The one from the Shadow Demon Court has eyes like two hollow pits, the one from the Lich Court is just skin and bones, and the one from the Gargoyle Court... I don't even want to describe him. My sister said I'm too picky, but how is this my fault? Their faces are an assault on my eyes!”
“What about your own clan members?”
“I'm one of them, so don't you think I know exactly what kind of people they are deep down?”
Lonia cradled her head in her arms, leaning her back against the wall.
“That's why I'm asking you. You know more people and have seen more of the world than I have. Aside from Louis, is there anyone who is at least decent-looking?”
Rafina lowered her head, her gaze falling on her interlaced fingers.
“...I've never thought about things like that.”
“You're thirteen and you've never thought about it?”
“I've been busy. The Demon King's health is getting worse, the affairs of the Ten Courts are piling up, and we still haven't found any clues about the curse...”
“So you plan to keep yourself busy for the rest of your life, without ever giving it a thought until you grow old and die?”
Rafina's eyelashes fluttered.
Her tail lifted from the bed and rested against her hand.
“...Not for the rest of my life.”
“Then for how long?”
“Until the curse is lifted. Until everyone can live in peace...”
“But when will that be, Fina? You can't just put everything else on the back burner.”
“...I know.”
“No, you don't. You haven't even noticed if there are any handsome guys around!”
Rafina nodded gently.
“...As expected, Nia knows me best.”
“Duh. It's been so many years. Anyway, there's no way I'm letting my sister arrange a marriage for me. No matter who it is.”
“...Then what do you plan to do?”
“I'll wait until I find someone I actually want to marry.”
Lonia stared at the ceiling, her tone as casual as if she were commenting that today's chestnuts were sweeter than last week's.
“If I can't find anyone, I just won't get married. Being alone is perfectly fine too. Besides, having you to talk to is more than enough for me.”
Rafina's tail tightened slightly around Lonia's hand.
“...Nia.”
“Hmm?”
Rafina raised her crimson eyes from her interlaced fingers to look at Lonia.
The warm light of the magic lamp fell on the duvet between them, tinting the dark gray fabric a honey hue. Their silvery-white and black hair tangled together at the edge of the pillow, making it impossible to tell which strand belonged to whom.
“Those prospective marriage partners you mentioned just now...”
“The ugly ones?”
“...Yes. In the portraits Court Head Eliza showed you, were there any women?”
“...?”
Lonia was taken aback.
“No.”
“Oh.”
“What about it?”
“Nothing.”
Rafina lowered her head, picked up the brick of a book beside her knees, and flipped back to the page she had been on.
Her tail did not let go of Lonia's hand.
Rate on N.U.
