Free Web NovelWho was that?
Vieya suddenly felt that the tone of the voice behind her was familiar. Before she could react, that strange figure stepped forward and stood right beside her.
She tilted her head slightly and looked up. Over-shoulder black hair tied into twin tails, golden-red eyes that still gleamed vividly even behind a half mask, and that full, curvaceous body.
A black cat.
Strange. So you can make those ears and that tail disappear, huh?
Vieya reached out and, without hesitation, brushed her hand against the woman’s thigh.
“Hey!”
Slap!
The black cat smacked her hand away, voice edged with irritation. “You rude little human! Who told you it’s okay to touch a stranger’s thigh like that?!”
So it really was you, Helcat Red...
Vieya tilted her head. It seemed the other woman hadn’t recognized her master at all.
Hmm... and judging by the look of her, she was doing quite well for herself.
Blinking mischievously, Vieya gave the woman’s ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) soft backside a light pat and said affectionately,
“Big stupid cat, do you still remember me?”
“?”
The moment she heard big stupid cat, Helcat Red froze, every muscle in her body tightening, her pupils wide in shock.
What—what’s going on?
Did I get exposed?
But... she’s just some human brat!
Why would I be exposed because of this? Why would the vampires send a human child to unmask me?!
Then... should I kill her? Now?!
Her thoughts sharpened; fangs gleamed beneath her lips.
“You little human runt, watch your mouth! Don’t you know you can’t touch a tiger’s ass? I am a noble vampire! If it weren’t for this banquet tonight, I’d drain you dry and hang your shriveled corpse from the ceiling!”
“...Want to try?” Vieya asked, raising her milk-white arm, voice dripping with mockery.
“Grrraah!”
Helcat lunged and bit down hard on the offered arm, sneering inwardly. Let’s see how this little brat feels when I—
But something was off.
Why did this taste... strange?
She ignored it and bit harder—then for some reason, her nonexistent tail began to ache with a phantom pain.
...
At the same time—
Up on the throne, Elizabeth watched the rising excitement of the banquet with satisfaction. Everyone who should be here was here. And those who shouldn’t be... would arrive soon enough.
The infiltrator had some skill; they’d searched the entire castle for days and still couldn’t find her trace.
But it didn’t matter.
They had just lured that so-called Hero inside. And immediately afterward, another intruder had slipped in. To say the two weren’t connected? Even a ghost wouldn’t believe that.
Soon, they would drag out that fake “Hero,” expose her before the crowd, execute her on the spot—and whoever was hiding would surely reveal herself.
Elizabeth lifted a golden champagne flute, sipping the sweet, metallic blood. She licked her lips slowly, unable to suppress a low hum of pleasure.
A ticklish urge stirred in her chest, like a kitten scratching at her heart. She suddenly wanted a taste of the new blood herself.
Hehe... like opening a blind box—what a delicious thrill of anticipation.
Still, as the progenitor of the vampire race, she had lived for several thousand years.
Her self-control was impeccable.
Thinking that made her swell with pride. Unlike other Demon Kings who had to endure and suppress the corruptive influence of their authority, she could distribute that burden to her beloved children of the blood. No need for any desperate methods or madness to resist assimilation.
The guests had mostly arrived.
Setting down her glass, Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed. The new “cargo” was here—but... what was that vampire doing?
Why was she biting her merchandise?
How bold.
That one deserved to be dragged out and made to kneel—
Elizabeth froze.
She couldn’t issue a command.
She couldn’t even connect to that vampire through the blood link.
It was as if that “terminal” wasn’t in her local network—completely outside her control. freewebnσvel.cѳm
It happened too suddenly, without warning. Elizabeth’s dark red eyes deepened to crimson-black.
Was that the infiltrator?
But wasn’t she supposed to be allied with the Hero? Then why was she also biting her?
And that supposed “blood bag,” the one being bitten—she wasn’t even resisting.
An uneasy dissonance crept through Elizabeth’s mind.
It felt as though this long period of indulgence, this unnatural tranquility, was merely the silence before the storm.
Clatter!
The golden champagne glass slipped from her fingers and shattered on the floor.
Elizabeth’s hand froze in midair. The entire hall fell silent.
Laisa, now changed into fresh clothes, stared in disbelief—she had never seen her Queen lose composure before.
She bent down to pick up the broken glass, meaning to hand it back, when the Queen whispered softly,
“The big one is coming.”
Elizabeth’s low voice rippled through the quiet.
Helcat released her bite and stared at the golden-haired girl before her—the taste on her tongue, the feel of that aura—so achingly familiar. Her body trembled.
“You—you, you—”
“Shh.”
Vieya pressed a finger to her lips.
“Cat. Quiet.”
...
Rumble...
As if the gates of heaven split open, thunder roared and billions of raindrops crashed down.
The entire residential district fell under lockdown. Knights on horseback galloped through the flooded streets, hooves splashing arcs of water.
At a ramen shop, the owner raised his hand nervously, eyes darting toward the white-haired girl who had just eaten ten bowls of noodles.
“Sir Knight, this woman’s been eating like she’s possessed! She even started chewing on the plates! It’s terrifying—I didn’t even dare ask for payment! I swear she’s the one eating children around here—the butcher with the blade but no umbrella!”
“Eh?”
The mirage demon froze, confused. “Didn’t you say it’s free if I didn’t like it?”
“Free or not, that doesn’t matter! What matters is catching this suspicious imposter!” The shopkeeper cowered behind the armored knight, suddenly emboldened.
“My apologies, Miss Vieya.”
The knights’ faces were hidden by heavy helmets. “This area is under lockdown. Please cooperate and return home for now. Await further notice.”
“?”
The mirage demon blinked. “What’s going on? I was just eating noodles—”
The knight frowned and stepped forward—then stiffened in shock, as if struck by lightning.
Warm blood splattered across the mirage demon’s face. Her mind couldn’t process what she was seeing.
It all happened too fast. The shopkeeper hadn’t even screamed yet. The knights hadn’t reacted either.
A pale arm had pierced straight through the knight’s chest.
With a dull thud, a thin, gaunt man shoved the corpse aside and looked coldly at the mirage demon. “Miss Vieya, you’re in the way.”
“Stop!”
Thunder crashed endlessly overhead. Blinding white lightning illuminated the world for a heartbeat, then vanished into blackness again.
Like a flickering lamp, dying and flaring in the storm.
Meanwhile, the knights conducting house-to-house searches throughout the district suddenly encountered vampires.
“Stop! My husband can’t be a vampire! You’ve made a mistake!”
“Madam, please cooperate.”
A baby’s wail pierced through the rain, echoing through the streets—sharp and haunting.
Bang!
A headless man burst through a window. His severed head reattached midair, but before he could run three steps, a pursuing knight drove a wooden stake through his heart. He collapsed in the street, his blood mixing with the rain.
A woman knelt at her doorstep, clutching her infant and sobbing.
The knights had no time to console her. They couldn’t even deal with the corpse. They just rushed on to the next house.
The entire district plunged into chaos.
“Saintess, why are you here? It’s dangerous—”
“Don’t mind me.”
Lilian, wearing her nun’s habit, walked through the streets, her face calm and expressionless. “Continue your duties.”
Before anyone could reply, a cloud of bats swept overhead.
Drops of blood fell onto Lilian’s face, only to be washed away by rain.
Everyone looked up.
A monstrous figure, nearly three meters tall, stood silently atop a roof.
“Blood Demon!”
Shing!
The knights drew their swords in unison, forming ranks.
At the same time, vampires were being discovered—and battles breaking out—in multiple locations.
...
Soft piano music drifted over the banquet.
Laughter, music, clinking glasses.
The heavy scent of wine filled the air. Vieya and Helcat sat together at one of the tables, while the Vampire Queen rested her cheek on one hand atop her throne, looking for all the world as if she might fall asleep.
