060 – New Lord

Out of thousands of doppelgangers, a whole 300 or so were executed.

The reason, in short…

Was the absurd excuse that, when I was being held hostage, the doppelgangers hadn’t recognized me properly.

But knowing that the vampires were staging this execution as a show of appeasement to somehow soothe Isabella’s fury…

I munched on the snacks the vampires brought me, and watched the demise of the doppelgangers begging for their lives.

“I, really didn’t know… I’m sorry…”

“I want… to live… please…”

Seeing the doppelgangers, wearing human faces, begging for their lives made me think…

“Wow! This is really good. Bring me another one.”

My appetite was returning, just perfect, perfect.

Shouldn’t have failed to recognize me, should they have?

“Did I not tell you to move them gently?”

“Understood…!”

With the one doppelganger I’d promised to spare beside me,

I watched the others die, wailing and begging for mercy.

Even if they wore the faces of men, the fact remained: doppelgangers were a plague humanity needed to eradicate.

“The execution of all 372 doppelgangers associated with Mihan-nim is complete.”

“Oh… well done.”

“It is nothing. We are simply grateful for your acknowledgement of our efforts…”

I offered words of appreciation to the vampires who had executed a staggering 372 doppelgangers.

“What of the hostages?”

“Yes… they remain as they were.”

“See that they are returned to the Magocracy swiftly. Escort them, so they aren’t beset by monsters along the way.”

“As you command.”

I requested that the hostages I had promised to save be returned safely to their homes.

“…”

Hesitantly…

“?”

A vampire stood before me, clearly wanting to say something, yet unable to bring himself to speak.

“Is there something you wish to discuss?”

I eased the atmosphere, allowing him to speak freely.

As soon as he heard my words,

“If you could…explain to Mother…we would be eternally grateful…”

“Isabella-ssi?”

“Yes…! M-Mother…”

He asked me to explain to Isabella-ssi.

To explain…what, exactly? It was a strange request without any details.

“…I’ll do my best.”

There was a strong possibility Isabella-ssi was furious, in a way they couldn’t handle themselves.

‘I’m fine… but is Isabella-ssi alright?’

A needless worry crept into my mind.

“Hey.”

“Yes…!”

“Do you know where Isabella-ssi has gone?”

“I do…!”

“Go and check on her.”

“…M-me, you mean?”

“Am I going to go, in my delicate condition?”

“No! I will go and see her immediately…!”

I subtly commanded the doppelganger who assisted me to go and check on Isabella-ssi.

‘I wonder how angry she is.’

Perhaps, even I would have done the same.

If Isabella-ssi was truly a frail kitten, and I were positioned as the Emperor of some magical kingdom.

I’d want to tear apart the limbs of those who tormented my cat.

However…

If I, truly an Emperor, were to dismember my people, the populace would lose faith in their sovereign.

Who would trust a king who punishes his own kind over the sake of a mere cat?

Therefore, I couldn’t help but worry that this incident might cause other vampires to revolt against Isabella-ssi.

‘I just hope she isn’t overdoing it…’

*

“Nephira.”

“Yes, Mother…!”

“I heard everything.”

“I am sorry… truly, I am sorry…”

Isabella Lilith gazes down upon Nephira Lilith.

“I have nothing to say…”

Unable to lift her head before her mother’s words, a dagger lands abruptly before Nephira Lilith.

This very dagger was the one Meehan had received from Professor Layton roughly a month ago.

However, Isabella had taken it from Meehan’s back while he was asleep.

“…”

Nephira Lilith stares silently at the dagger.

He knew what his mother desired of him.

“I won’t bother saying it.”

He had harmed the human that Mother held dear.

He had neglected the human Mother cherished, even in their injured state.

“Yes.”

Some might say that death is too severe a punishment for such a thing.

But Nephira Lilith was originally a being long dead, only to be resurrected as a True Ancestor Vampire thanks to his mother’s existence.

And this was the situation for not only Nephira Lilith, but for all the other vampires as well.

“If my meager life can appease Mother’s wrath…”

Without hesitation, he picked up the dagger and severed one of his tattered arms first.

“I will atone for my sins, and die in as much pain as possible. So… please, Mother, ease your anger…”

As his arm hit the ground, he crossed his legs in a kneeling posture, stabbing the dagger into both thighs.

He then immediately raised the dagger, preparing to plunge it straight into his heart, but…

“Who dares! What safety is this that you enter without permission!”

Suddenly sensing the intrusion of an unwelcome guest, Nephira Lilith began to seethe.

“I apologize…!”

The doppelganger, having intervened just before Nephira Lilith could take his own life,

Slammed his head against a massive rock and began to speak to Isabella Lilith.

“M-Meehan-nim gave the order…!”

“…”

The word “forgiveness” had barely escaped her lips when Nepheera Lilith, without a sound, lowered her head once more.

Regretting her failing, ready to end her life then and there.

“I… I want…”

“You said you wanted to see me?”

“That is…”

“I’m coming right away. Nepheera, stop.”

“….! …Thank you, Mother…”

Isabella Lilith, having stayed Nepheera Lilith’s actions, swept out, leaving her alone.

“…”

And so, in the end… Nepheera Lilith remained there, abandoned.

Still, she knelt, unmoving, in that same spot.

Endlessly, she began to wait for her Mother to return.

*

“Master!”

From afar, Isabella could be seen rushing towards him.

*’Wow… I really can’t get used to this, no matter how much I see it.’*

But… there was a problem.

The human-form Isabella addressing him as “Master,” and the fact that

Isabella was, appearance-wise, noticeably younger than him…

*’…Just a moment. Am I…?’*

Am I now, a terrible man, making a woman who looks younger than me call me “Master”…

“Did you miss me?”

“Judge, it’s a misunderstanding…!”

“Huh?”

“Isabella, we need to discuss… terminology.”

“Why?”

“…This isn’t right, ethically or emotionally.”

“But I like calling you Master…”

Let us imagine… returning to the Magic Kingdom like this.

Let us imagine Isabella, in her human form, walking beside him through the streets.

Then… first, all eyes would undoubtedly be drawn to the white-haired woman with skin like jade traversing the streets.

At that moment, Isabella would then open her mouth and declare, “Master!”

“Hmm… A lynching just waiting to happen, wouldn’t you say? If Isabella wishes for my death… I suppose I must allow myself to die?”

“…It’s that serious because of a title?”

“It will undoubtedly come to that.”

“Oh… What if I Animagus?”

“Then… …wouldn’t the very act of speaking be a problem?”

“Ah-ha!”

“When it’s just the two of us, you can call me whatever you like, but when other people are around, we need to be careful. Wouldn’t it be better for me to continue roaming around in this vampire form, anyway?”

If I just sort out the honorifics well, accompanying Isabella…might be alright.

“Thinking about it, I do like cats.”

“Eh? Why?”

“Can’t pat their behind.”

“Want to?”

“Want to, but…! Can’t do it.”

“Shall we go to the bedchamber?”

“Uh…!”

‘Rush to the bedchamber right this instant and pat Isabella’s behind in human form’ battled against,

‘You have Ella, who loves only you, what the hell are you doing, you crazy b*stard?’ his reason advised.

At the end of that bloody fight, the victor was, ultimately…!

…

Pat pat pat pat

Mrow~

He diligently patted Isabella’s rear in cat form.

Patting Isabella’s behind in human form required quite a bit of mental preparation, after all.

He was diligently patting Isabella’s rear when…

“Come to think of it,”

Mrow?

“Where is His Grace?”

Realizing that His Grace, whom Isabella had dragged away, hadn’t returned yet, he asked about His Grace’s whereabouts.

“If you go straight from here, you’ll find a cliff…”

Following the Navigator Nyaong’s words, he dragged his aching body and earnestly arrived at the location…

“…!”

He could see Nepira Lilithe, on the verge of death from excessive bleeding.

“…What have you done, Isabella?”

“I told her to apologize on her own, and she did that.”

“…Excuse me?”

“That’s the truth!”

Nepira Lilithe attempting suicide after being told to apologize on her own.

And Isabella Lilithe just leaving her child like that…

‘Mother and daughter, alright.’

Wait a moment…

“…Isn’t that my sword lying there, of all things?”

“When you return to the Magic Kingdom, you’ll say that the lord purged Nepira Lilithe! This sword is proof, eueueueh-“

He pulled on both cheeks of our Isabella, who was cheerfully watching her own child die.

He was very grateful that she was furious that her lord was choked and thrown but.

He didn’t want Isabella to be influenced by violence.

“His Grace also seems to have reflected a lot, let’s stop here now.”

“Do as you please. I only care if the lord is alright!”

Slowly, I moved my body, walking towards the Lord.

“My Lord.”

“I greet… the Mistress of my Mother…”

“Hmm…”

The words ‘Mother’ and ‘Mistress’ in the same sentence felt…wrong, but deciding it wasn’t important for the moment, I pushed past it.

“Can you recover from your injuries?”

“I must offer my apologies… I wish to die as I am…”

“Your apologies are accepted, forgiven.”

“My Mother…”

“I have forgiven it all. It is alright. Lady Isabella has agreed as well.”

“…Thank you.”

“Returning to the main point, can you recover from your injuries?”

“…Human blood is required. For a vampire to recover…human blood is needed…”

At the Lord’s words, that human blood was needed to recover…

“Hah…”

With Lady Isabella still draped across my shoulders…

Slowly, I lowered my head, picked up the bloodied dagger, and wiped away the gore.

“…What are you doing, Master?”

“The Master cleans up after what their pet has done.”

“Don’t…!”

“Ah-ah. If you stop me here, your butt-pats will be confiscated for three years.”

“T-Three…years…?”

“Surely you’ve reflected enough with this. Isabella, no more getting angry. Understood?”

“…Fine.”

With the dagger, now somewhat cleaner, I lightly sliced my hand, drawing blood.

Drip… Drip…

“Drink.”

“…Pardon?”

“That is an order.”

“…!”

I began to let the blood flow into the Lord’s mouth.

“I cannot give much. My body isn’t exactly in the best condition, so recover just enough, and let’s leave the rest to natural healing.”

Drip…Drip…Drip…Gush…

…

‘What is this…?’

I had only given a little blood, like donating…

But the Lord’s injuries were healing so quickly, it felt…unjust, somehow.

‘Is this…that thing? The lower your health, the more you recover with blood-sucking…’

Before I knew it, the holes that had been in both of their thighs were closing, and the Lord slowly rose to their feet.

Giving any more blood would be a strain even for me, so I clenched my hand tightly, stopping the blood flow.

“Well, it seems like we’ve finished up everything we needed to do here. Shall we head back home?”

“Let’s go!”

Now that we had truly finished everything that needed ending within this vampire den, as I was about to return home with Isabella…

“How… how should I address your mother’s master…”

Nepira Lilith asked, her tone resolute.

“Call me whatever you like.”

“…Any title is acceptable?”

“Anything is fine, just not your mother’s master.”

There wasn’t any particular title I desired.

It didn’t seem like we’d be seeing much of each other in the future, so when I replied, telling her to call me whatever she pleased…

“We greet our new liege.”

“That’s not… a good idea.”

Do you know what it feels like to suddenly have thousands of vampires placed under your command?

“Just give the orders, my liege.”

“?????????????”

Why is my opinion being ignored?

I am your mother’s master.

Listen to me, you vampire scoundrels.

“So–”

Thus, as I was about to suggest that maybe ‘brother’ would be a better title than ‘liege’…

A brilliant idea suddenly flashed through my mind.

“…Doppelgangers are supposed to obey the vampires, aren’t they?”

“That is correct.”

“And I am now in a position to command all doppelgangers.”

“Your statement is true.”

“Then… I suppose I should fulfill my responsibilities as liege for the time being.”

“We thank you, my liege!”