The next day, Lycoris made plans to speak with the people overseeing the relief efforts. It only made sense to check in with the commanders as soon as possible, if she was going to be serving as the overseer to make sure things were proceeding apace.

  But Athena seemed reticent to arrange any sort of meeting, instead suggesting that they take a “day to relax after the trip,” as if this was some luxury trip!

  As someone who naturally never took a vacation day in her life—or former life, at least—Lycoris was going to have none of that, and ended up sincerely exerting her authority over Athena for the first time in who knew how long, forcing her to “get in contact with the local constabulary and gather the officers assigned by her mother,” so that she might hear how they intend to handle the situation and offer her own counsel…

  ‘We concur with the maid, for once. After such an arduous trip, would you not prefer to spend the day relaxing? You sounded quite… fatigued, last night.’

  …And as arranged, she was in the midst of her bi-daily check-in with Lilianna.

  Lycoris gesticulated wildly at the three dimensional projection of her mother above her phone, set upon the table. It was quite similar to a spell she’d seen used in the royal courts before, meant for negotiations and other important conversations where body language was just as important as vocal inflection. Except this was a far more advanced spell, having a perfectly crisp image, a full range of color, and uncannily fluid movement.

  Once again, Lycoris felt mildly annoyed by how impossibly advanced vampiric society was compared to the one she grew up in, but that wasn’t what had her in such a tizzy currently.

  “P-Put that conversation from your mind! I was just tired. And cranky. I’m an adult, ‘twould be silly to think that I start tearing up just because we’re a few thousand kilometers apart…”

  ‘But of course, darling flower. We would never consider sharing our adorable daughter’s moments of vulnerability with any. They are for us, and us alone.’

  “Ghhnn… A-Anyway, I’m going to have a meeting today! I want to resolve this outrageous situation with the Whispers as swiftly as possible. There’s no sense waiting around while people could be dying in that town.”

  ‘If that is what you wish. Just remember—’

  “I know. I won’t go there myself. I’ll leave it to the other— to the soldiers. Not as if I’m unaware how devilishly competent a detachment of vampires is.”

  The reason they were using this spell was quite simple.

  Lycoris wanted to at least see her mom.

  Lilianna had suggested they swap from standard voice communication to a “video call” instead, so they could see each other and ensure both were well.

  Obviously agreeing in a heartbeat, Lycoris kept her reasons to herself. As she had just said, she was a grown adult—by some sort of standard. It would be mortifying beyond belief to admit something like that out loud, even if her mother probably already knew the truth.

  ‘Very well then… We have business to tend to, so we shall leave it at that for now. Have a good day, Lycoris. Don’t stray from the side of your guards in public.’

  “I know.”

  ‘Be sure to consume three square meals a day. We don’t want you going hungry.’

  “I know…”

  ‘And ensure you don’t drink anything from unattended or open containers. Not even your own supply of animal blood.’

  “Okay…”

  ‘And don’t forget to contact us again after your day is done.’

  “I will.”

  ‘Alright. Good. Take care, we love you greatly.’

  “I… love you too, Mom.”

  Lycoris choked back the croak in her voice as they bade farewell to each other.

  She spent a long moment staring at the darkened screen of her phone, her mind still painting the illusory image of the woman where she had been standing in the air moments before.

  The warmth in her breast that lingered even after she turned away was a curious thing. There was plenty that she had to be upset about, but that sense of love and acceptance was too rich an indulgence.

  It was almost enough to offset the bitterness of her breakfast.

  With a sigh of longing, Lycoris exited her room into the penthouse’s kitchen, where she took one of the sealed jars of animal blood out of the chilling box and poured herself a meal.

  Hard to believe she really is a vampire when we talk like that… I wonder if that’s how families are supposed to be. Too bad that it means I still have to endure… this.

  She sighed again, much less wistfully, and wrinkled her brow as she lifted the goblet of slightly viscous liquid up to her lips.

  Fortunately, Seraphine wasn’t present in the grandiose living space of the penthouse suite, instead still resting within one of the other rooms on the floor, so at least Lycoris didn’t have to somehow pretend her self-inflicted meal was palatable in the slightest. Small mercy, that.

  While Lycoris was in the midst of choking down a sip of her breakfast, the door clicked open and the maid entered with a cheerful greeting.

  “Princess Lycoris, I’m back with good news~!”

  “Ghhhkk…” she croaked in response.

  “Oh dear, I see you prepared your own breakfast today," Athena whimpered. “I admire Your Highness’s proactiveness, but…”

  “*cough cough* But what about my request?”

  “I conveyed your message to the city guard, the meeting is to be held this evening, as the commander in charge of the entire operation wishes to allow as many captains to arrive as possible. And she also… well, nevermind.”

  “Evening?”

  Lycoris pouted as she glanced toward the massive wall of windows, the city skyline hidden beyond the tightly shut metallic venetian blinds. She was certain the sight of gloomy crimson daytime clouds overhead was gorgeous to someone, but it simply made her head spin so she opted to keep the automated curtain closed instead.

  The room was divided into four main sections, with a great circular living space at the bottom of wide sweeping stairs, a large crescent carpeted walkway raised behind it, a connected kitchen unit, and hallways leading to private rooms on either side.

  Lycoris offered Sera one of them, but the woman had refused even before Athena sent a stern look her way.

  Honestly, Lycoris was more surprised that she hadn’t joked about sleeping in her own bed like a big sister or something, given how often she talked up Lycoris’s adorableness.

  “It will only take an hour and change—depending on traffic—to reach the meeting place. Meaning we have an entire day to plan out an itinerary. Her Majesty gave me a list of materials to ensure Your Highness covers, but was there anything you wished to do aside from daily studies, Princess?”

  “Actually, there was one thing… Well, it’s more like a couple of things, but…”

  Lycoris wrung her hands together, feeling her face flush as she considered what she was about to suggest. It was the height of shame, but also something she had been thinking about ever since she first met Emma and Seraphine.

  “Oh? Do go on, so long as it is within my power, I shall do whatever Your Highness wishes! …A-Also as long as it doesn’t endanger you, also…”

  “You’re repeating yourself. Anyways, I… want to go clothes shopping. For some… normal civilian clothes.”

  She knew exactly what such a thing would entail, given her current form. It was utterly unthinkable to suggest. What sort of man would ever willingly go out and buy clothing purely for the sake of having cute casual clothes on hand!? But Lycoris couldn’t deny that she wanted some outfits that looked more like what she saw civilians wearing around town.

  Her mother would probably disapprove of her wearing “commoner fare,” but the clothes she had seen Emma and Seraphine in were still far nicer than anything she had ever laid eyes on in the Kingdom of Dauwen.

  “Hmmm… Her Highness isn’t plotting something, is she?” Athena tilted her head, putting a finger to her chin.

  “No! I just… I think they look nice, and different. All the clothes I have in the palace are basically the same as what nobles and the like wore back home… er, wore back in the Kingdom.”

  A wide grin spread across Athena’s face as realization struck her. “Ahhh, I see. You want to experience the culture of your birthright firsthand. There’s no shame in that, Your Highness! I’m sure there is a luxury boutique somewhere in the city that will have clothing both novel enough to satisfy you, and appropriately high-quality!”

  “It doesn’t have to be that fancy, Athena…”

  “Hm, I wonder if Seraphine knows of any— probably not, I imagine any suitable places would be outside her budget.”

  Lycoris let out a pronounced grumble as her maid calmly ignored her. At least she and Sera had quickly bonded, rather than remaining standoffish. Now if only they hadn’t bonded over how precious and in need of safeguarding Lycoris was.

  Well, beggars take the loaf they’re given I suppose…

  “Speaking of, how about I go fetch Sera while you look a place up?” Lycoris suggested.

  “Will you be alright on your own, Your Highness?”

  “It’s literally just down the hall, Athena. Wasn’t the entire point of the whole floor being reserved to ensure that nobody who isn’t supposed to be here can approach me?”

  “Well, yes, but—”

  “I’ll be fine. The elevators are locked to the floor below, and Seraphine ensured the staircases were blocked off as well.”

  Besides, she was the daughter of the Exaltare, and a former soldier herself! Sure, she had lost her nerve before, but that was just… she had her concentration broken. It wouldn’t happen again.

  It was just a bizarre coincidence, a reminder of something that had happened long ago when she had been a little kid. Being confronted with the same relative perspective had shaken loose things she’d subconsciously buried. That’s all.

  So long as she was mindful of it, there was nothing for Lycoris to fear.

  Ignoring Athena’s needless worried fidgeting and shoving aside the hazy unpleasant memories, Lycoris hopped out of her chair and marched to the door. She had a warmly padded nightgown and slippers on, and her hair was undoubtedly still a mess, but it wasn’t like she was going to be presenting herself publicly. She doubted it mattered to maintain appearances when it was only Seraphine. She’d passed out in front of her before after accidentally imbibing blood, there was hardly any more dignity for her to damage.

  The top-floor hallway of the hotel was remarkably similar to the floor of the palace that she’d come to call home. The walls were made of the same off-white plaster, there was the occasional potted plant adding some green to the decor, and the soft yellowish-white lights shone through fogged glass hanging overhead.

  The only real key difference was instead of plush red carpeting, the floors were all tiled stonework, with a thinner multi-patterned rug rolled out atop them. The thought of how long it must have taken someone to fully weave such a long and intricately designed rug made Lycoris’s head spin harder than when she’d accidentally looked out the windows of the penthouse living space.

  The smell was also different; instead of the familiar warm and soft woody scent that permeated the Elysian Sanctum, it smelled more… chemical-y, like an alchemist’s workshop that had just recently been through a deep cleaning after a particularly odorful experiment. It wasn’t the most unpleasant aroma, but the accompanying chill made her nose sting as she walked past rows of identical doors, the numbers engraved into each one the only reminder of a distinction between rooms.

  “Seraaa, are you up yet?”

  Lycoris knocked on the door to room 739 as she called out to the room beyond. Her hair brushed against her legs as she reflexively glanced left and right down the hall, the chill of the air causing a shiver to run through her.

  For a moment, she was worried she had the wrong room when there wasn’t an immediate response, but after several seconds the lock to the door clicked open from inside and Seraphine poked her head out.

  “Lyco? You know you could just open up and come in on your own, right?”

  “Oh… Right, but that would hardly be polite! I wouldn’t want to walk in on you while you’re getting changed or anything like that.”

  “I’m not so shy that a little girl walking in on me nude would bother me, but thank you.”

  Sera stifled a yawn, smiling after a moment as she looked over Lycoris.

  There were clear marks of fatigue under her eyes, and she was wearing nothing but the tank-top and underwear that she had likely slept in. It looked as though Lycoris woke her up, even though it was fairly late into the morning. Or that she hadn’t actually slept.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “On that note, are you sure that you should be out wandering around?” she chuckled. “You look like you just crawled out of bed.”

  “Says the person in her underwear still. Aren’t you cold?”

  “I’ve dealt with colder years than this. So, have you come to have me do up your hair today, in lieu of the maid?”

  “H-Huh? No, of course not. I wanted to tell you today’s plans.”

  “…You could’ve just texted me.”

  “When we’re only a few dozen meters apart?”

  “It’d still be quicker, you know~ Here I thought you’d be excited to have any excuse to use your new phone.”

  Honestly, she was still having trouble grasping that she could just talk to—even see—her mother whenever she wished, regardless of distance. Sure it wasn’t the same as being in the same room, but perhaps it was a relief that even vampires hadn’t found a way to transfer things like body heat and scent over the phone. The thought of completely replacing physical attachment with purely simulated phenomenon felt somewhat terrifying.

  Without realizing it, Lycoris hugged herself and shivered.

  “Are you sure you aren’t cold…?”

  “Ah, um, no… I was just thinking about… stuff.”

  “Hehe, thinking about your mom? I’d recognize those baby myrh eyes anywhere. I wouldn’t dare get between the scary mama bat and her little pup. I’ll take care of some things on my end while you—”

  “Wait! Wait wait wait, first of all, I do not miss her that much. Second, I came to tell you what our plans for the day were so you could prepare accordingly. You’re in charge of my security after all! And third, I already talked to her a short while ago. Also, most importantly… are you alright, Sera?”

  She could tell that the woman was distracted, and it wasn’t because she had only just woken up.

  If anything, it was probably the opposite. Seraphine was far too dismissive to be in a healthy state of mind. She didn’t immediately pounce upon the opportunity to pick the pajama-clad girl up in a hug. She likely hadn’t slept much, and there was one particularly obvious reason why that’d be the case.

  “Of course, Princess. I’m just… I’ll be fine with some fresh air. You needn’t worry—”

  “Well I am! And I’m not asking as Princess or Heir-Significate or even your supervisor. Just because I look young, doesn’t mean that I can’t lend my shoulder or ears to you. They’re a lot bigger now, even.”

  “Thank you, Your H—Lyco. I guess I can’t help it, and I can’t hide anything from an Aphtangloa, can I?”

  Seraphine stepped back, opening the door invitingly and turning around with a sigh. She was absentminded enough that she didn’t even comment on the remark about Lycoris’s ears being “bigger.”

  While much smaller than the penthouse suite, the luxury room was still more impressive than even the greatest inn-room in the capital of Dauwen. And this was just a random city on the border of the Empire.

  Not that it was necessarily larger than an inn-room in the Human Kingdom, but it was absolutely better furnished, and with much higher quality goods.

  Lycoris walked in behind Sera, glancing at the somewhat disorderly room. It was impressive she had managed to make it look like a hurricane tore through in a single evening. Her clothes and bedsheets were haphazardly scattered about, rather ill-fitting the impression of a disciplined soldier Lycoris had originally gathered from her.

  Either her mental state is even worse than I thought, or Emma is probably the one who does all the cleaning in their house… I hope she really will be alright.

  The woman flopped down onto the bed, resting her face in her palms briefly, before inhaling sharply and shaking away the fatigue clinging to her. After a moment of introspectively boring a hole into the floor with her stare, Seraphine slouched her shoulders and sighed.

  “I know that she’s fine, that she can see her way through a disaster like this without me there to babysit her, but not even being able to contact with her has me anxious. If it didn’t mean my certain death at Her Majesty’s hands, I’d have half a mind to shirk my duties to rush off to Kranes right now just to make sure she’s alright. Sorry, I know it’s irresponsible to even suggest such a thing.”

  Lycoris sat down beside Seraphine on the bed. “That’s a perfectly normal reaction, Sera. I had the same compulsion when I first found out myself. Hell, it’s… sort of how we ended up meeting in the first place… ‘cause Athena was taken, and I kinda… ended up going after her on my own. That’s the real truth of why I was out on my own that night. I couldn’t stand the thought of something bad happening to her while I sat idly by.”

  It felt awkward having to reach up to pat her on the shoulder, rather than how she vaguely remembered comforting those under her command.

  The woman looked down at her with a somewhat startled smile.

  “Your Highness really is a good kid. I’m a little surprised.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean!?”

  “Hehe, just that I always figured noble children were all a little bratty and spoiled, and… well… I assumed you’d be more reserved with your empathy, like Her Majesty. Especially after that display at your formal debut.”

  “That’s…” Lycoris trailed off, muttering quietly, “just cause he was being rude to Mama. I’m not normally like that! Especially not to my friends.”

  “Right. Thank you, Lyco.”

  Seraphine reached over to ruffle Lycoris’s already frizzy bedhead, looking more at ease already.

  The Princess reached up to take Seraphine’s hand in hers, squeezing it emphatically in front of herself.

  “You don’t need to thank me, it’s like you said, Emma will be just fine. We still have plenty of time, that Vanas guy won’t be able to easily slip out of the city while the Whispers are there, and there’s no way the army wouldn’t notice him either after all.”

  “V-Vanas?”

  “Huh?”

  Seraphine’s hand immediately went clammy in Lycoris’s grip. Her face blanched. Her pupils dilated.

  Even though Lycoris couldn’t read minds, her ears could pick up the rapid acceleration of the woman’s heart in the quiet room. She looked like Lycoris just told her that Emma had just been captured by vampires.

  …Well, technically she had, but not in the context Lycoris was envisioning. The unlucky souls who were captured alive in a village raid were presumed to be given a far worse fate than death.

  But this wasn’t like that! It was supposed to be comforting, not terrifying! Nothing would happen to her before they could get to her. The point was Emma was safe in the vampires’ hands, as strange and alien a concept as it might’ve still seemed to the young princess.

  “W-Wait, it’s okay Sera! Like I said, worst case scenario, they have her captured and have to get her out of the region first, right!? She’ll be okay! We’ll save her! I… promise…”

  Lycoris trailed off. From the depths of her mind, an unpleasant beast that had laid dormant began to stir, whispering into her soul.

  What if they couldn’t?

  Was it really the worst case scenario that she had been captured? Wouldn’t that be the best case, if anything?

  What if she was already dead? What if it was just a hollow promise? What if her mother had been wrong? What if this was all just a massive waste of energy?

  What if Lycoris had already failed again, before she even began?

  What can I even do, like this?

  Her hands lost their strength, as she let go of Seraphine and began feeling for the locket around her neck, seeking his assurance.

  “Well if the daughter of the Exaltare says so, who am I to claim otherwise? Hehe.”

  Seraphine pulled her hand away from Lycoris, stubbornly placing it back atop her head.

  At the same time, something in the room began to buzz. It sounded like it was coming from… a nearby chair.

  The woman quickly stood up and paced over, tossed the loose shirt aside, scooped her jacket up, and slipped her phone out all in a singular swift motion.

  After glancing at the screen for a moment, Seraphine turned back to Lycoris with a wry smile.

  “It seems as though you’re being summoned back. And my workday is starting already.”

  “Ah, right I suppose… we do need to get dressed still, don’t we?”

  ＊　＊　＊

  The three girls walked down the street, with one somewhat out of place security guard accompanying them. His name was Patton, apparently. He hadn’t introduced himself, but Seraphine informed Lycoris that he would be serving as their escort around town.

  Athena was certain that she would be enough to safeguard Lycoris all on her own, but Patton was there to serve as something between a guide and liaison, bridging the gap between Seraphine and the city guard.

  He wore armor similar to the guards in the palace, though he didn’t sport a cape with any crest, and it was less plated and more padded. Like the difference between full plate and half plate, only it was whatever strange gray-black ceramic-like material they used instead.

  His hair was cropped short, and he wore pitch black sunglasses to obscure his gaze. He had a wire stretching up from under his armor into his ear, not dissimilar to a pebble-sized commstone.

  Though it was presumably far more advanced, like everything else about their society.

  Lycoris frowned up at the bright yellow and blue lights hanging over the street, indicating the flow of traffic. There were far more vehicles in Condore than in Ljosdeyja, but the street lights and extra space on the sides for civilians kept things moving surprisingly smoothly.

  It was a far cry from the streets in any Human settlement, where people had to shout from atop their wagons and carriages to clear the road ahead of them, or in the capital Traskia where the members of the Fifth Ray were almost entirely dedicated to handling zoning and traffic management…

  Though it also meant everything was significantly further apart, which meant a lot more walking, and all the accompanying awkwardness as the four of them waited at a street corner for the traffic to halt and let them cross while dozens of civilians gawked at them.

  Most at least moved along after getting their fill of the little princess, and some—mostly the fluffy-eared ones—didn’t even seem to care. None dared get within ten meters of them, thanks to a peculiar artifact that Patton had affixed to his belt. It painted a thin red circle on the ground around him, which paralyzed anyone that crossed the threshold.

  It seemed a little extreme to Lycoris, but it certainly did its job well… and it didn’t actually hurt anyone. Probably.

  It did make waiting at the crosswalk much more awkward, however, as the other people waiting to cross had to do so in the middle of the sidewalk. It also left Lycoris wondering what effect it would have on vehicles, if any…

  “All of this because I said I didn’t wish to ride in a car again. It’s almost enough to make me feel a touch guilty,” she groused.

  “Are you tired, Your Highness? We can return and travel by car instead if you so wish.”

  “That’s an entirely new sentence, Athena. I’m fine. I just… worry for the people around us.”

  Lycoris cast a look at the people waiting awkwardly just outside the circle, who waved and smiled at her in response.

  “You need pay them no heed, Your Highness. Your subjects exist to serve you, not the other way around. The state of their being should not even register on your radar… …I can explain what a radar is as we walk.”

  The signal lights changed as Athena preempted Lycoris’s question, and they crossed the street as the bizarre lamppost opposite them beeped strange noises, sounding almost offended by their casual gait.

  True to her word, Athena began describing the principles behind a radar, though then she began to realize she’d have to explain what radio waves were, and so on… Ultimately, she chose to condense Lycoris’s lesson down to writing it off as a form of magic that allowed one to send signals over a large distance. She didn’t exactly have that much time to actually explain, as they reached their destination fairly quickly.

  That had been part of the reason they even decided to walk. The store Athena had picked out was only a few blocks down from the hotel.

  The actual storefront itself looked just like the one Lycoris stumbled over to on her very first night out.

  Mannequins stood in various poses just behind glass windows, all sporting colorful and stylish outfits and accessories. Beyond them were tables stacked with different sorts of garments, with even more pre-tailored outfits lining the walls and hung from racks.

  “I understand that Your Highness is excited, but you shouldn’t press your face against the glass like that.”

  “Huhwha!? Oh, um. Right.”

  She pulled herself back as Seraphine chuckled quietly, though that was promptly stifled by a sharp glare from Lycoris… who only did so after a sharp glare from Athena. It wouldn’t do for the Princess to not be the one rebuking her servants, apparently.

  “Can we just, go in then? Is the store prepared for me, or whatever the case may be?”

  Seraphine nodded. “Yes, the store has already been cleared out for the duration of your visit.”

  “Oh, then it wouldn’t do for us to keep them all waiting!”

  A little embarrassed by her own bumpkin-like behavior, Lycoris cleared her throat and folded her hands together as she walked around to the doors, which magically slid open on their own at her presence.

  “Oh wow…”

  The store beyond was even more magnificent than she could see from the windows.

  There were multiple walls covered in every kind of shirt, pants, undergarment, footwear, headwear, and accessory she could imagine. Brightly colored price tags indicated particularly popular items. Large banners dangled from the ceiling, advertising brand names Lycoris had no frame of reference for, but looked flashy and self important.

  As she glanced around with barely-contained excitement, a nervous sales clerk hastily walked over to her and bowed deeply.

  “It is an honor to have you grace our store with your presence, Princess Lycoris. My name is Maria Boltonne, but you may refer to me however you wish. Is there anything in particular that has brought you to our establishment today?”

  Lycoris paused a moment before answering, looking around the store. “I think I might browse, for now. Athena?”

  At her command, the others accompanying her stepped inside the store behind her, with Athena bowing down to whisper to Lycoris.

  “The Boltonne Family owns a large portion of the textile industry. They’re endorsed by the Ochros. I have never met Miss Maria personally, but I do recognize her name.”

  “I checked with the family ahead of time, she is the genuine article,” Seraphine added, nodding toward the woman.

  The apparently not-a-sales-clerk nodded and stepped back wordlessly, looking between Athena, Seraphine, and Lycoris.

  Patton remained out front, leaning his ear into his shoulder and seemingly talking to himself.

  “I… see. Then if the store is safe to wander through, I shall begin looking around. Miss Ethlow, accompany me if you please.”

  “Yes, Your Highness.”

  Already, Lycoris could feel her legs trembling as exuberance overpowered her hesitation.

  She walked as quickly as she could while still maintaining an air of grace and dignity, plunging into the depths of the store. There was certainly no shortage of ground for her to cover, after all.