3 bar menu

Volume 5 Vampire Tea Party Part 9

That being said, all of the abilities that have been bestowed upon Vampires make sense and were given to them for a reason, and all Vampires instinctively know that for a fact. And right now, that very instinct as a Vampire was issuing a warning to Leticia.

 

. . .  A warning that this incident is undoubtedly going to bring dark clouds over the entire Vampire race.

 

「. . . .The royal succession. Maybe it would be better for us if it were to be held earlier than initially planned?」

 

「My oh my! Have you gotten more motivated to become the next Vampire Queen, Your Highness Leticia?」

 

「I guess you could say that, but just a little bit. Carla, I would like you to continue digging up as much information about 「The Laplace Demon」as you possibly can, and as for you, Lamia. . . . . .  I want you to forget everything you just heard.」

 

「I know, and I will make sure to do just that. I wanted this to be just a social gathering of the two princesses in the garden filled with beautiful flowery scenery, but all of a sudden it has changed into quite serious strategy meeting, and too be honest, it is getting a little too noisy and serious for my tastes. Not to mention that the hour is growing quite late.」

 

And so, the three of them looked at each other and nodded in agreement. Then, when Leticia looked at the sky and towards the sun, she noticed that it has indeed started to set, so they really must have had this conversation of theirs last for way longer than they have originally intended. Leticia stood up from her chair and turned towards her father’s office.

 

「I have to talk to my father about what we just learned, and the need to provide our protection to the remaining Gods of the Celtic Pantheon. Carla, you are coming with me.」

 

「As you wish, my lady. Now then, if you will excuse us, Lady Lamia. Also, I would like to apologize for spoiling your tea party with such serious topics. I promise to make it up to you during the next one. I will definitely bring some more appropriate stories and topics to talk about to the table.」

 

「Oh please, do not worry yourself with that. If I am going to collect compensation from someone for spoiling my tea party, then that someone is definitely going to be none other than my dear sister.」

 

「I should have expected as much from you, Your Highness Lamia. In that case, I will leave the matter of making up for today entirely in Her Highness Leticia’s hands.」

 

「Goodness gracious, who would have thought that my maid and my little sister were actually such a horrible people? Truly, I feel so disappointed in the both of you that I do not know what more to say. Hmpf!」

And then all three of them laughed at that little comedy bit, after which Lamia saw Leticia and Carla off while waving them goodbye with her hand.

 

「. . . . . . Goodbye, my dear sister. During the next tea party, I will make sure to savor the delicious taste of the tea that is going to be prepared by you personally. Oh how I cannot wait for it!」

 

「Understood. I will try to do my best to live up to your expectations, even though they seem to be a little bit blown out of proportion.」

 

And with that, Leticia finally turned around and left the garden with a faint smile on her lips, aiming to really surprise her little sister during the next tea party she would be organizing, no matter when that next time would be.

 

In the land where the Celtic Gods originally lived, black tea is so valuable that some actually started calling it the Celtic Water of Life, so the Celtic Goddess of fertility is surely going to have access to the best tea leaves possible that are going to make the most wondrous tea possible, and Leticia could already picture Lamia’s surprised face at the moment she was going to serve that tea to her. Thinking that this has to the most ridiculous reason for protecting the Celtic Gods at all costs, Leticia moved forward with a happy, satisfied smile.

 

*          *          *

These were the simpler times. Happier times.

 

The time when she made an important promise to her precious little sister. Recalling that an eternity has passed since she was not able to fulfill that promise that she made to her so long ago, The Queen of Vampires cried quietly in the solitary confinement of her lonely throne room.

 

*          *          *

The only sound that could be heard echoing throughout the throne room was the sound of tears falling to the ground from Leticia’s cheeks. Other than that, there was no other sound that could be heard, not even the sound of the wind howling through the air outside.

 

No sound of the wind.

 

No sound of people’s voices.

 

No sound of bureaucratic matters being taken care of.

 

No sound of the battle cries shouted by the knights performing sparing matches in the training grounds.

 

No signs of the Head Maid who would always mouth off to her at every chance she could get, and no signs of the little sister who loved her so much and whom she loved so much.

 

The only sound that was allowed to be heard in this empty, silent throne room where the lonely Demon Lord resided was the sound of her tears, as beautiful and round as jewels, dripping down her cheeks. In other words, the throne room has been filled with nothing but emptiness, just as it always was.

 

「. . .  A dream from the past, huh?」

 

How long has it been since that time? Leticia does not know, because she was sleeping this entire time. The only thing that she understands is that the time that has passed cannot be something short like one hundred or two hundred years. She had no doubts that she must have been sleeping for thousands, or perhaps even tens of thousands of years.

 

When she has succeeded the throne and became The Vampire Queen Leticia has gained immortality because she has been connected to the Dragon, but the Vampires who are not the members of the royal family usually have a lifespan of around two hundred and fifty years at best, so even if some of the traitors who rebelled against her did manage to survive her purge, they have surely already died of old age a long time ago. Even if Vampires are still alive in the world, they would only be the ones who have nothing to do with Leticia herself. She knew that this would be the logical and pragmatic conclusion based on her current circumstances. . . . . . . . . . but a part of her still wished for the opposite to happen, even though she knew that being so unreasonably emotional would do nothing for her revenge.

 

Leticia Draculea sighed heavily.

 

She has to see them all turned to ash by the flames of cremation. She will not forgive the traitors and those who remained after them until they all die.

 

Until her entire clan is eradicated from the face of the earth, the flames that continue to burn inside of her chest will never be satisfied, and they will never be allowed to burn away. And just as she was being swallowed by the tears of grief and resentment at the precious things that she lost mixed with the raging flames of anger and vengeance. . .  she was interrupted by a voice that sounded more like a song of small bird at the meadow at dawn.

 

「You know, I really did not want to intrude since it looks like you are having a rather emotional moment here. . . .  but do you not think that going as far as killing all of your brethren for the sake of your revenge is a little bit overkill?」

 

*SLAM!!!*

 

And with that sound, both halves of the doors to the throne have been opened rather vigorously, and the intruder did not even bother to state her name when she entered, but that was to be expected. . . . because she has already introduced herself the last time she appeared before Leticia.