The afternoon sunlight gently spilled into Liliath’s private garden.
Unlike the cold grandeur found elsewhere in the palace, this place felt more like a fantastical, tranquil sanctuary.
The air was filled with a mixture of strange floral scents—some sweet and intoxicating, others cool and distant, and even a few blue-purple flowers that shimmered with a soft, moonlit glow.
The meticulously trimmed shrubs on the perimeter were shaped into elegant or peculiar forms, and winding pebble paths led to unexpected scenic spots.
The moment Sairi stepped into the garden, her golden eyes widened with amazement and excitement.
Like a kitten that had never seen the world (though she had been blind before and truly hadn’t), her heart brimmed with curiosity.
She hurried over to a cluster of flowers whose petals looked as transparent as crystal, scrutinizing them closely. Then she crouched down to touch the impeccably trimmed, velvet-green lawn.
Sairi genuinely admired the beauty of the various flowers.
In her past life as a blind girl, she had heard from her grandmother about the brilliance of rapeseed flowers in vegetable fields, the charm of peach blossoms in the yard, and the cuteness of sunflowers standing tall by the roadside.
Beautiful.
Though she wasn’t sure if any of those flowers existed here now, the flowers of this world still couldn’t help but show themselves off to Sairi.
“Wow! Liliath, your garden is so beautiful! I’ve never seen flowers like these before!” Sairi exclaimed, her voice filled with delight.
Hilvia followed behind, her icy blue eyes revealing a hint of appreciation.
Though well-traveled, many of the rare plants in the vampire royal garden were truly a sight unfamiliar even to her.
The beauty here carried an otherworldly, serene, and mysterious aura that loosened even her tightly wound nerves.
“It really is beautiful, and impeccably tended,” Hilvia said sincerely.
Liliath, seeing their reactions, proudly lifted her chin, her silver-white hair fluttering gently in the breeze.
“Hmph, of course. This is my garden, the very place where the rarest and most beautiful species from the entire world gather.”
Liliath now resembled a child showing off her treasures, lost in the praise from Sairi and Hilvia.
The three of them strolled along the winding path, admiring the scenery.
Soon, they came upon a clearing at the garden’s center, filled with enormous blood-red roses, where an exquisitely crafted swing stood out.
Its frame was made of jet-black metal entwined with dark gold thorn patterns, and the seat was a wide wooden board covered with thick, soft, dark red velvet—both magnificent and comfortable, like a delicate work of art.
It seemed to be a swing a certain blood princess often sat on as a child?
“This is my exclusive throne!” Liliath patted the swing’s seat, a spark of excitement flashing in her crimson eyes.
“But today, I’m in a good mood, so I’ll make an exception and let you play on it for a while, little Sairi.”
Liliath glanced at Sairi, who was staring longingly at the swing.
Sairi’s eyes were already full of longing. She’d never been on a swing before, and back then, being a boy, she was too shy to try—it would have been embarrassing if anyone found out.
Now, she really wanted to try it. The swing looked both beautiful and fun.
She quickly nodded but hesitated nervously, her small hands anxiously twisting her clothes’ hem. “But… but will it swing very high? I… I’m afraid of falling…”
Before her reincarnation, she couldn’t see and had no idea what swinging felt like—only having heard that you’d fly through the air, which sounded dangerous. What if she lost her grip and flew off?
Hilvia noticed Sairi’s nervousness mixed with excitement and gently encouraged her.
“Don’t be afraid, Sairi. We’ll push you slowly and steadily. Give it a try—it’s really fun.”
With their coaxing and reassurance, Sairi finally mustered the courage and carefully sat down on the soft velvet seat, clutching the ropes tightly with both hands.
Liliath and Hilvia exchanged smiles and stood on either side of the swing. Liliath was the first to give it a gentle push.
The swing began to move slowly, bringing a subtle sensation of weightlessness.
Sairi let out a small frightened gasp and tightly closed her eyes, but the anticipated fear never came. Instead, she felt a gentle, wind-borne, wonderful sensation.
“Open your eyes and look, Sairi.”
Hilvia’s gentle voice sounded as she pushed a little harder, making the swing go higher.
Sairi timidly opened one eye and was greeted by the garden’s wondrous, upside-down-and-right-side-up view. The breeze brushed against her cheeks, carrying the scent of flowers and a sense of freedom.
She couldn’t help but gasp in awe. Her fear gradually gave way to novelty and excitement.
The world before her shifted up and down. Seeing the ground beneath rise and fall, along with the occasional feeling of weightlessness, only deepened Sairi’s interest in swinging.
“A little higher, a little higher!” Sairi began to ask softly, her face lighting up with a radiant smile.
Liliath and Hilvia laughed, working in tacit harmony to gently push the swing.
Watching Sairi transform from scared to delighted, her bell-like laughter echoing through the garden, their hearts lifted in pure joy, as if soothing a child.
After playing for a while, Sairi climbed down from the swing, her cheeks flushed with excitement.
At that moment, Vera appeared silently like a shadow, followed by several vampire maids carrying trays.
Under a nearby white marble pavilion, they quickly set up a delicate afternoon tea.
The three-tiered dessert stand was filled with tiny, adorable macarons, fruit tarts, scones, and assorted chocolates.
The silver teapot brewed fragrant herbal tea with a fruity aroma.
Beside it were a special bright red fruit juice, seemingly an upgraded version of the “Crimson Dew,” prepared especially for Sairi, and a dark red drink meant for Liliath.
At Liliath’s invitation, the three moved to the pavilion and sat down.
Liliath and Hilvia naturally displayed elegant postures, sipping the floral tea delicately and using small silver forks to daintily pick up their desserts—their movements pleasing to the eye.
Sairi watched them, then glanced at the towering pile of snacks she had collected herself, along with the oversized fork she held, also self-chosen. The scene felt a little off—was she being too rough?
Now that she was a girl, maybe she should also eat elegantly like Liliath and Hilvia, like a proper lady?
Sairi had a small idea and tried to imitate Liliath, raising one finger and carefully poking a tiny macaron with the tip of her fork.
But because she wasn’t used to it, her hand trembled and almost flung the macaron away.
She then tried sipping tea like Hilvia, only to find it slightly too hot and stuck out her tongue.
Her clumsy and earnest mimicry made both Liliath and Hilvia laugh out loud.
“Hahaha, silly Sairi, you don’t have to copy us,” Liliath laughed shamelessly, nearly knocking over her teacup. “Just eat however you like. Seeing you enjoy it makes us happy.”
Hilvia also couldn’t help but smile warmly. “Yeah, Sairi, just be yourself. The way you eat is adorable—universally the cutest.”
Sairi blushed a little but felt relieved.
She immediately abandoned the “elegant” route and went back to her natural self, chomping down half a fruit tart in one bite, cheeks puffed out in satisfaction, prompting more gentle laughter from the two.\
***
The cheerful afternoon tea passed in a relaxed atmosphere.
The warm sunlight, the waves of floral fragrance—it was all so soothing, almost sleep-inducing.
Liliath lazily leaned back in the pavilion’s comfortable recliner, yawning slightly as a trace of weariness tinged her crimson eyes.
“Ugh… I’m a little sleepy after eating… dealing with Mother and work today really drained me…”
She casually pointed to two empty recliners beside them. “Hilvia, you’ve just recovered from your injury. Want to rest a bit? It’s quiet here—won’t disturb your mind.”
Hilvia did feel some fatigue. From being hunted, to severely injured, then finally relaxing, her spirit needed rest too. She nodded.
“Alright.”
“And you, Sairi?” Liliath looked toward the girl who was finishing the last of her treats.
Sairi shook her head energetically after swallowing.
“I’m not sleepy. I still want to go look over there—I think I saw a glowing blue butterfly!”
Sairi was now full of eagerness to explore the garden.
“Fine then, go play by yourself, but don’t wander too far or cause trouble.” Liliath waved her hand and reminded, “If anything happens, come find me or tell Vera and the others. Stay safe.”
“Got it!”
Sairi happily jumped down from the chair like a freed bird, bounding along the path, her golden and bleached hair dancing in the breeze.
Once Sairi disappeared behind the flower bushes, the pavilion grew quiet again.
Liliath and Hilvia relaxed in their recliners, enjoying the peaceful afternoon.
After a while, Liliath suddenly spoke, her voice lazy yet curious, directing a question at Hilvia.
“By the way, Hilvia, how did you find this little treasure? When I met her, she was clumsily wandering around in the forest where I was hunting.”
Hilvia looked out at the swaying shadows of flowers outside the pavilion, a soft glow of memory in her icy blue eyes.
“A few days ago, about three days back, I was hunting in a section of the Black Forest near the border, hoping to earn some money.”
“Midway, I heard sounds of a fight and rushed over to see a pack of Shadow Wolves attacking a frightened, trembling little girl who looked no older than ten or so—Sairi, that was her.”
“So you saved her?” Liliath asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes. She was panic-stricken and nearly got hurt by the wolves. I intervened and rescued her.”
Hilvia paused, her tone growing a bit complicated.
“Later, as I talked with her, I learned she seemed to remember nothing—not where she came from, who her parents were, why she was there.”
“She knew very little about the world, as if she’d appeared out of thin air. Seeing her alone and a little… foolish, I couldn’t bear to leave her and took her along with me.”
“Appeared out of thin air? Memory Loss?” Liliath pondered. “No wonder… what about that strange constitution and that thing that can hold your hairpin?”
“The hairpin she was wearing from the start, and the constitution we discovered gradually.”
Hilvia shook her head. “She doesn’t fully understand the special traits on her body. She just instinctively knows how to use the hairpin to store things and… eats an extraordinary amount.” She smiled faintly at that.
Liliath was silent for a moment, her crimson eyes narrowing slightly.
“Have you felt… besides the vampire aura and that ‘huge appetite’ trait, something else? A more subtle energy fluctuation? Sometimes it feels familiar, other times completely alien, even… layered in a way that’s hard to describe?”
Hilvia’s expression grew serious. She nodded.
“Yes, I’ve felt that too. Especially that time when she erupted with power to temporarily repel Barrios while protecting me—that energy was pure and strange, unlike anything an ordinary or even strong person could have. And that hairpin—I can sense an immense, ancient spatial power sealed perfectly inside it.”
Hilvia looked at Liliath. “You’re knowledgeable. Are there any records in vampire history about similar constitutions or powers?”
Liliath shook her head, her silver hair spreading over the recliner.
“No, at least not in any texts I’ve seen. ‘One-way energy conversion’ with complete resistance to the vampire’s initial assimilation—that’s unheard of. And that hairpin…”
She paused, lowering her voice.
“I secretly tried to sense it, but there was no reaction. That’s definitely not something a normal craftsman of this world could make. Whoever made it—or gave it its power—must be on a level beyond imagination.”
The two fell into a brief silence. Only the gentle rustling of flowers in the garden could be heard.
“Seems like our little Sairi’s origins are far more mysterious than we imagined.”
Liliath finally concluded, her crimson eyes sparkling with growing interest.
“Perhaps it’s related to her ‘Memory Loss’ past? Or… that occasional feeling of familiarity I get from her?”
“No matter,” Hilvia said softly, her tone resolute, “she is Sairi, and that’s enough. What we need to do is protect her until she figures everything out herself, or… until those secrets come looking for her.”
“Agreed.”
Liliath smiled, a trace of possessiveness in her voice.
“Besides, she’s my descendant now. Anyone who wants to touch her will have to ask me first.”
Sunlight filtered through the carved pavilion roof, casting dappled shadows over them.
Their brief conversation about Sairi’s origins ended for the time being, with no clear conclusions—only deeper questions and curiosity.
Liliath and Hilvia realized that the secrets surrounding the pink-haired girl were only beginning to surface.
Fatigue crept in, and they fell silent, closing their eyes to savor this rare moment of rest—no work, no royal hunts, just peace and comfort.
In the distance, they could faintly hear Sairi’s lively exclamations as she discovered new and fascinating plants.