Her apparent age, her non-human race, the power deeply buried within her slender body, that ancient nobility—in Ryougi Rakuen's memory, the name of this being easily surfaced.
"So, little sister, what's your name? It's quite dangerous to be out alone so late," Ryougi Rakuen said, maintaining his seemingly disingenuous smile, following her lead.
Although, judging by their appearances, there wasn't much difference in their ages...
"My name?" Her crimson eyes cast a casual glance at Ryougi Rakuen. With the most noble tone in the world, the girl spoke her name, "...Big brother, you must remember, my name is Arcueid Brunestud!"
She stated her name without reservation, a testament to her pride, allowing no blasphemy, no concealment.
'As expected... The Princess of the True Ancestors, Arcueid Brunestud...' Recalling the countless titles and glories of the girl before him, Ryougi Rakuen's earlier momentary lapse of focus on her beauty immediately vanished. However, he still walked forward without hesitation—the girl before him was beckoning him to sit down.
At the same time, Ryougi Rakuen inwardly shook his head and smiled wryly. After all these years of wandering, had he finally encountered a being of this caliber?
The Princess invited him to sit, an honor Ryougi Rakuen naturally accepted. Moreover, sitting so close to such a beautiful girl was also a kind of good fortune.
Of course, the most important thing was his absolute confidence in himself... He believed that in this entire world, even if there was a being who could defeat him, they would absolutely not be able to kill him!
Sitting closely beside the girl, Ryougi Rakuen gently took a seat. A refreshing, subtle fragrance wafted over. Ryougi Rakuen took a deep breath. The girl sitting next to him seemed to blush, but quickly recovered her original smile...
"Hey, hey, big brother, it's very lively over there, do you want to go and see?" With an irresistible, almost coquettish tone, Arcueid pointed to the crowd gathered not far outside the park.
"Hmm... alright..." Ryougi Rakuen pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
Looking at the hand extended towards her, Arcueid was surprised. She hadn't expected this person to agree to her request so easily, had she?
'Does he not know the meaning of my name, or...?' Arcueid could feel that the young man before her possessed a strength not belonging to ordinary people, though it was extremely weak... 'Perhaps, he is merely one of the lowest-tier individuals in this world...' Thinking this, she smiled and placed her delicate hand into Ryougi Rakuen's palm.
Ryougi Rakuen's peculiarity, however, prevented Arcueid from realizing that the young man before her was not an ant, but a terrifying monster...
Walking along the brightly lit road, countless laughing people came and went, chattering and bustling. The festive atmosphere was exceptionally strong. Ryougi Rakuen held Arcueid's hand, moving with the flow of people towards the center. Arcueid's beauty was not something ordinary people could easily bear. One by one, they stared, mesmerized, at the girl who was more dazzling than the brightest stars in the sky... Yet, no one came to disturb them, nor were there any good-for-nothing young masters from third-rate novels. Everyone watched the two walking hand in hand with eyes full of envy, jealousy, admiration, or blessings... In their eyes, perhaps they were simply a pair of young lovers, and they were so well-matched. Even though the girl was so striking, the young man's presence was equally strong.
"Wow..." Cheers erupted from the crowd. Everyone celebrated the festive occasion with abandon.
Suddenly, a melodious tune drifted from the plaza. The chatter of the crowd gradually faded, and everyone listened quietly. Then, they invited their dance partners and began to dance joyfully to the beautiful music... Those without partners stood outside, watching the dancers and laughing heartily.
"Then, my beautiful Princess, may I have the honor of inviting you to dance?" As if infected by the atmosphere, Ryougi Rakuen, with perfect etiquette, invited the actual princess.
Arcueid looked at the noble young man, who was a gentleman, with her crimson eyes, and smiled enchantingly, more captivating than a hundred blooming flowers.
"I shall accept your request... Be grateful, for there are few in this world who can dance with me..." Her previous innocence completely vanished. At this moment, Arcueid was as noble as a queen, her arrogant expression making one want to kneel...
Ryougi Rakuen's expression remained unchanged at this seemingly natural transformation. He gently took the princess's hand and slowly walked into the dance floor, his left hand resting on the princess's waist like a lover's caress. Even through her clothes, that slender and exquisite form made Ryougi Rakuen's heart stir...
One was a noble princess who had traversed the world for centuries, and the other was a strong individual who had received an elite education from a young age and used his own power to learn. Dancing was effortless for both of them, and they moved with perfect synchronicity, dancing freely in this small dance floor.
As they got into the rhythm, the surrounding crowd was drawn to this perfect pair, and without prior arrangement, they stopped their own dancing. They simply encircled the two, captivated by their beautiful dance moves and noble aura, gradually losing themselves...
The consciousness of the onlookers finally returned to their bodies, but the young man and woman had already left the dance floor, leaving only the music playing on.
"Ah..." Someone in the crowd sighed deeply. The silent crowd slowly erupted with enthusiasm again. Although the enchanting couple was no longer there, and they felt a deep regret, the festival had to continue...
While the crowd was lost in their trance, Ryougi Rakuen quietly led Arcueid away... In his impression, the Princess before him was not such an innocent girl. Her noble queenly demeanor should be her true self.
Although he didn't know why this Princess was acting this way, to witness such a side of Her Highness, even if he were to speak of it, no one would likely believe him.
In the eyes of everyone in the Moonlit World, the Princess before them was a supreme being, looking down upon all...
---
Arcueid's heart, which had been calm and still for centuries, began to ripple slightly.
How long had it been since she felt this way? Perhaps only when the Crimson Moon fell, when she was betrayed, and when she fought with Altrouge?
'It's merely because I'm seriously injured and unable to control my emotions...' Arcueid told herself this, finding a seemingly suitable reason for her actions...
Yes, a serious injury. Centuries ago, Arcueid fought with Altrouge, who at that time was merely a tool of extermination for the True Ancestors. While her guards were held back by the True Ancestors, Arcueid and Altrouge fought a fair battle. However, as a mixed-blood princess, she did not inherit the Crimson Moon's infinite energy. Although she snatched Altrouge's beautiful golden hair during the battle, she ultimately lost by a single move.
She was already severely wounded then, and was later ambushed by Roa, further aggravating her injuries. If her guards hadn't risked their lives to rescue her, she would probably have been sealed away, living a life without end, even if she hadn't died...
Afterwards, to recover from her injuries, she even made a contract with Wallachia's Night, granting him power while also being able to utilize him when she needed a large amount of blood to recover...
How could she, so severely injured, easily recover? Not to mention the Church's extermination of Dead Apostles, the White Wing Duke among the Twenty-seven Ancestors, who proclaimed himself the King of Dead Apostles, held the greatest say among them, but only nominally. The true power belonged to the Princess of the True Ancestors. To gain this power and solidify his title as King of Dead Apostles, he, who had become an enemy of Arcueid, pursued her relentlessly.
Throughout centuries of slaughter, her body's injuries never healed. Several large-scale attacks even worsened her condition. If not for the large supply of blood from Wallachia's Night, this Princess would probably have been too weak to even withstand a blow...
She secretly glanced at Ryougi Rakuen behind her, and the next moment, she frowned.
Such behavior should not appear on me!
Could it be that this injury is so severe? Arcueid suddenly felt a little distressed. Calling an unfamiliar person 'big brother'—if her enemies knew about this, they would probably laugh their heads off, wouldn't they?
Not long ago, she was ambushed by the White Wing Duke again when she was alone. Although she made him pay a heavy price, her old wounds, which were already chronic, made her injuries even more severe. She had no choice but to rest in this city and let her guards clear out the remnants...
She had to coax her guards for a long time to let them leave, despite their worries about her being alone...
Thinking about it, it was truly pathetic. I actually made my guards go to such lengths. When did I become as weak as a mortal princess? Although I am a princess, apart from a few loyal retainers, the other Dead Apostles, while not daring to oppose me, are still insincere in their obedience to my commands...
Centuries of fighting and hiding had already exhausted Arcueid's heart. Perhaps it was this current relaxation and lack of pressure that led her to act against her true nature...
However, young man, this is as far as it goes. I am the noble Princess of the True Ancestors, and the honor I have bestowed upon you is already sufficient...
Thinking this, Arcueid stopped walking. Ryougi Rakuen, who was following behind her, naturally stopped as well, looking at the noble figure in front of him with a slight doubt.
'This is the first time I've actively drawn blood from a male...' Arcueid's eyes met Ryougi Rakuen's. Their gazes locked, and a moment of trance passed. This was Arcueid's charm spell on Ryougi Rakuen. In her opinion, given the disparity in their strength, Ryougi Rakuen had already lost the ability to resist.
Ryougi Rakuen stood frozen in place. To Arcueid, this was a normal phenomenon. With elegant steps, she gently walked up to Ryougi Rakuen, extended her fair, lotus-root-like arm, wrapped it around Ryougi Rakuen's neck, and gently pulled his head towards her. To others, this might appear to be a shy girl seeking a kiss, perhaps?
When their heights were just right, Arcueid's mouth approached Ryougi Rakuen's neck, exhaling warm, moist breath from her lips. A faint sweetness drifted into Ryougi Rakuen's nostrils...
At this moment, Arcueid hesitated again. She had a good impression of him. Perhaps, she should turn him into her direct Dead Apostle?
However, the next moment, the cool and noble princess discarded this idea. Determination once again replaced her hesitation, because she knew that the young man before her had, to a certain extent, entered her heart, replacing an important part and becoming a small flaw for her, and Her Highness the Princess did not need such things...
Her lips finally touched Ryougi Rakuen's neck. Feeling the smoothness and moist sweetness, Ryougi Rakuen sighed inwardly. Of course, he wouldn't be charmed by Arcueid's simple charm spell. He was just playing along to see what the Princess wanted to do...
Now that he had confirmed his suspicions and knew that the Princess indeed intended to draw blood to heal her wounds, Ryougi Rakuen naturally had no pity for her. He wasn't a masochist and had no fondness for being bitten. If he didn't possess power, he would have long lost the ability to resist and would be on the verge of death by now...
The next moment...