“No take-backs.”
Luwei wore a smile that could be described as terrifying as she stepped closer to Lilique.
Although her “shou-ya personality” was acting up again, Luwei wouldn’t really take advantage of someone in a vulnerable state and bully Lilique at a time like this.
In her heart, she was actually calculating what kind of contract she would have Lilique sign later.
Spending a hundred Life Potions in exchange for a beautiful young girl with a Golden Trait!
‘What a bargain.’
Thinking this, Luwei deliberately stomped her feet heavily, intending to scare the other girl a bit…
“Boo!”
She made a scary face at Lilique.
But the result was somewhat unexpected.
The little one wasn’t crying or shouting something like, ‘Wah~ Lilique is going to be defiled…’
Instead, the expression on her face was… complicated?
“Why… would your goal be this?”
Lilique hung her head, as if resigned to her fate.
“…Why… me?”
“Is there a problem? You’re so cute, it’s hard not to have such thoughts.”
“Cute?”
Lilique’s voice suddenly rose a few octaves.
She really was finding this human harder and harder to understand.
“Everyone else says my temper is bad. Why is it ‘cute’ to you…?”
She muttered, but her voice clearly reached Luwei’s ears.
“Dead wrong. That contrast is the moe point.”
Luwei pressed a hand on her shoulder.
“It’s just that the people around you don’t get it. That doesn’t mean you’re not cute.”
“Contrast… moe point? What does that mean…?”
Lilique didn’t quite understand, but she felt like Luwei was praising her.
“In other words, your cuteness is ahead of its time.”
Luwei’s expression was serious, not like she was joking.
“What strange things are you saying now…”
Lilique turned her head away, but a complex mix of thoughts rose in her heart.
As the Vampire Princess, a Grand Archmage, a Formal Professor at Evia Magic Academy, a powerful vampire who slept most of the time but had indeed lived for three hundred years!
Her birth… was actually a very complicated story.
She was the only royalty in vampire history born from The Embrace.
Unlike ordinary vampires… they mostly experienced birth, aging, illness, and death.
The Imperial Family’s bloodline granted Lilique immortality, while the experience of The Embrace made her appearance forever fixed at that of a young girl.
As expected, Lilique’s identity as the Vampire Princess was met with fierce opposition from the Traditionalist Faction at first.
To be honest, Lilique herself didn’t want to inherit the throne of the Blood Clan Queen either.
So she came to Evia Magic Academy, immersing herself in magic ever since, rarely even socializing.
But as her power grew step by step, the harsh voices gradually faded.
At some point, only false flattery and sycophancy remained around her.
She couldn’t distinguish the genuine voices, nor did she have the heart to try.
Influenced by this body, Lilique’s mind wasn’t very mature.
So she only recognized one rule: [Those who approach her with sweet words all have ulterior motives.]
Lilique once thought Luwei was the same, until she realized that in Luwei’s eyes, she wasn’t wearing those lofty, unattainable titles.
Luwei’s approach seemed to really be just because of… simple fondness?
Thinking of this, Lilique stared into Luwei’s eyes for a long time.
The sincerity in the other’s gaze was a bit blinding, making her want to look away.
But whenever Lilique’s gaze shifted even a few degrees…
“Shy? So cute…”
The other’s inexplicable praise would land on her head.
“Then tell me, what exactly is cute about me?”
Lilique’s tone returned to its mature demeanor, trying to intimidate Luwei with her presence.
But Luwei made a strange expression.
“The way you asked that question is already very cute.”
“Huh, this expression is good too. The confused look is cute.”
“Hey!”
“The angry look is also…”
Lilique seemed to finally understand.
No matter what she did, this person would call it cute, and couldn’t even give a specific reason.
Wasn’t that just an outright lie?
Thinking this, Lilique’s eyes couldn’t help but dim a little.
Luwei was just like the others, approaching her with pretty words but having ulterior motives.
‘How laughable.’
“You say these nice-sounding lies to get close to me, but what you really want is my body, right?”
“Heh… But, as long as you give me enough Life Potions… I won’t mind.”
But hearing Lilique’s words, Luwei just felt confused.
“I want your body precisely because you’re cute, right?”
“And how could saying you’re cute be a lie?”
But hearing Luwei’s words, Lilique fell into deeper silence.
She vaguely sensed that there seemed to be some misunderstanding between her and Luwei.
So, carefully, tentatively, she asked one question:
“You want my body… you don’t mean you want to drink my blood?”
Lilique’s shocking statement turned the tables, stunning Luwei.
“Me? Drink your blood? Why would you think that…?”
Luwei was a bit flabbergasted.
“I heard human noblewomen all like to drink the blood of young girls… wanting to stay young forever like vampires.”
Lilique said hesitantly.
Actually, Lilique had noticed that Luwei kept hinting at blood-drinking intentionally or unintentionally, even suspecting Lilique was a vampire when she hadn’t shown any signs at all.
If Luwei also drank blood, then this probing behavior could be explained…
“I remember you asked me if I wanted to drink your blood, so I just assumed…”
Lilique stared intently at Luwei.
“You mean you’re not?”
So… that was it?
So Lilique was scared because she thought Luwei wanted to drink her blood…
Luwei felt a deep sense of guilt rise in her heart.
‘How pitiful…’
‘How could I bear to bully such a pure child?’
‘And even make such filthy jokes with her…’
Luwei suddenly came to a realization…
When exactly did her thoughts become like this?
‘It must be because of Shuangna and Guan Luoxi…’
Luwei thought with a dark expression.
Those two almost seamlessly accepted the idea of feelings between girls.
That mindset had even corrupted Luwei.
‘…Is it a special setting for northern beauties that girls easily fall for girls?’
Such a thought even rose in Luwei’s heart.
And facing the confused Lilique, Luwei didn’t know how to explain.
So she simply didn’t speak, just her eyes taking on a somewhat meaningful look…
Gradually, Lilique finally started thinking in that direction.
“Wait a minute…”
Lilique’s expression became incredibly dramatic.
“You… want my body? You mean you want to… do… that kind of thing with me??”
Lilique’s eyes were wide open.
“Between girls, how could…?”
Lilique’s cheeks visibly turned bright red…
And seeing Lilique’s slow-to-react look, Luwei’s little heart pounded wildly.
‘That’s illegally cute!’
The urge to tease rose again, trying to seize the high ground of reason…
Luwei wanted to admire Lilique’s shocked expression a little longer.
“Um…”
As if she’d done a lot of mental preparation.
Lilique tugged at the hem of Luwei’s clothes.
“Um…”
“Huh? What?”
“As long as it’s ten Life Potions… I’ll… comply…”
Lilique’s voice was so soft it seemed to spin in her throat.
Seeing this, Luwei almost laughed out loud.
“Ahem, how come you’re lowering the price now?”
“Weren’t you regretting it earlier, wanting to raise the price?”
Lilique hung her head even lower.
“I thought you wanted to drink my blood… Getting bitten… hurts. That’s why I regretted it…”
Her gaze was somewhat evasive.
“But you said… you like me… for real?”
“Ten potions I can give you, but you have to promise me you can’t drink them all at once…”
Luwei said, looking into Lilique’s eyes.
Can’t drink them all at once…?
“Why emphasize that?”
Lilique asked, somewhat puzzled.
“Because the way you were before was really worrying.”
Luwei said matter-of-factly.
“Potions are a small thing. What if something happens to your health?”
‘Is she… concerned about me?’
Lilique’s heart had never been so confused.
Could there really be someone who cared about her without any ulterior motive?
“Mm…”
She nodded with a complex look.
“Let’s sleep early tonight. I’ll bring you the Life Potions tomorrow morning.”
Luwei sat back in her chair…
But Lilique, still kneeling in the corner, didn’t move.
She just kept staring at Luwei stubbornly.
“Sleep early…?”
“But… we still have something to do.”
Lilique felt she couldn’t take her things for free.
Perhaps for the first time, someone wasn’t nice to her for her titles, not to take something from her, but just because she was Lilique…
Lilique felt very unaccustomed to it.
“Huh? It’s fine, no need.”
Luwei waved her hand.
“Didn’t we agree? It’s not a big deal.”
So, she shook her head helplessly, somewhat amused.
“Heh, that was all just teasing you, you little fool.”
But for some reason, the Lilique before her didn’t laugh.
This made Luwei somewhat alert.
“Teasing me…?”
“You mean… everything you just said to me was just to tease me?”
Luwei realized Lilique was a very serious person.
“Wait, that’s not what I meant… Saying you’re cute is of course the truth.”
She hurried to comfort her, but it was somewhat ineffective.
“Didn’t you say ‘no take-backs’?”
Lilique’s tone was a bit off.
Luwei flinched slightly…
She seemed to smell something dangerous.