Movira had left. Yes, she had truly left.
But in Seraphina’s eyes… it would have been better if she hadn’t come at all!
A Movira lurking in the shadows could do anything she wanted to her.
Even though, in broad daylight, Seraphina couldn’t stop her anyway… at least she could prepare herself mentally!
Especially after saying all those outrageous, completely improper things!
Who knows, one day she might inexplicably end up preg… preg…
Pregnant with a ball?!
Movira’s final gaze had lingered on her chest…
Right now Seraphina felt as though every ounce of strength had been drained from her body. She collapsed onto the bed with a thud.
Those strange, chilling words echoed in her mind for a long time, their implications making her skin crawl.
She hurriedly grabbed the quilt and wrapped her delicate new body inside it like a cocoon.
…
When sunlight poured into the ancient castle, a new day arrived.
Seraphina forced herself up, washed briefly, and did her best to conceal the exhaustion under her eyes.
By the time she reached the dining hall, Duke Dekrian and his family were already waiting. The long table displayed human cuisine even more dazzling than the previous night’s banquet.
“Your Highness, good morning. I hope you slept well,” Dekrian said, rising gracefully with a polite greeting.
His sharp eyes caught the weariness between her brows. Though he found it odd, he made no reproachful remark…
So there was no need for him to mention it.
“It was acceptable. Thank you for your concern, Your Grace.”
At the family’s insistence, Seraphina reluctantly took the seat of honor while Lina stood quietly to the side.
Finiel offered a gentle smile, while Ailinuo was visibly overjoyed, barely able to contain her excitement, gazing at Seraphina with the same fervent admiration as always.
Breakfast proceeded in a calm atmosphere. Just as it was about to begin, Seraphina glanced at Lina standing behind her and spoke to Dekrian.
“Your Grace, would you mind adding one more place settings? Lina, sit down too. We’ll be leaving soon; there won’t be time for you to eat later.”
Though spoken softly, those words caused a momentary hush over the table.
Ailinuo’s eyes widened in astonishment, darting between Seraphina and Lina before shining even brighter.
Her Highness was inviting a human maid to dine with her?!
She could scarcely imagine such a thing happening in the Demon Realm. Just how magnanimous and respectful was Princess Regent Seraphina to make such a decision?!
Dekrian showed only a flicker of surprise before returning to perfect composure. He instructed a nearby vampire maid, “Do as Her Highness says.”
He then subtly glanced at Lina. It seemed this human maid had long transcended the bounds of ordinary servitude.
Perhaps he ought to reassess the influence of this so-called “maid.”
Lina herself remained calm. No one knew how dramatically her heart had shifted; even she was still reflecting on it.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Having experienced so much, she had formed her own opinions about the rigid hierarchy.
She answered softly, then sat gracefully in the newly added seat without any awkwardness or overwhelmed gratitude.
Breakfast continued, and the mood subtly changed. Ailinuo became even livelier, occasionally gathering the courage to ask Seraphina questions about clerical work.
Seraphina answered as concisely as possible while Dekrian observed the occasional glances between Seraphina and Lina, trying to decipher their meaning.
The discomfort in her stomach and the fog in her mind forced her to split her attention to keep up appearances, all while calculating how soon she could return to the Demon King’s Castle.
Finally, breakfast ended. Seraphina announced her departure, and the Dekrian family saw her off respectfully.
Just before leaving, Ailinuo stood beside her father holding a small leather suitcase, cheeks faintly pink, eyes brimming with dreams of the future.
“Your Highness,” Dekrian said with a satisfied smile, clearly pleased with the outcome. “I entrust my daughter Ailinuo to your care. For her to learn at your side is an honor for our clan. Of course, should she ever displease you, feel free to punish her as you see fit.”
“…Very well.”
The carriage wheels rolled over the Demon Realm’s characteristic gravel road, producing a monotonous, oppressive crunch-crunch.
Inside the compartment, Seraphina leaned against the soft cushions, staring blankly at the barren landscape outside the window.
The dazzling strangeness of the Bloodborn ancient castle felt like a fleeting dream. Once awake, she would return to that Demon King’s Castle saturated with Movira’s presence.
Her physical exhaustion had not fully faded, but what truly unsettled her were Movira’s whispers from last night…
“Sometimes I wonder… if there were a child who carried both our traits…”
“Right now, your most important task is to take good care of your body… The road ahead is still long, and you’ll need far more… ‘nourishment’.”
Those words coiled around her like a python strangling its prey, bringing a near-despairing suffocation.
She could still vividly feel Movira’s hand on her lower abdomen, burning with a fateful, bone-chilling heat.
“Nourishment”… nourishment for what? Why did she need it?
The answer hovered just on the edge of consciousness, too terrifying to acknowledge.
Whatever it was, it filled Seraphina with a fear and nausea that sank into her very marrow.
“Ugh…” A violent wave of nausea surged up her throat. She instinctively covered her mouth, face turning pale.
Ailinuo, sitting opposite, immediately looked up in alarm. “Your Highness… are you all right?!”
Seraphina forced down the sickness, shook her head, and rasped, “I’m… fine. Just a little motion sickness.”
She refused—absolutely refused—to expose her inner fragility in front of Lina and Ailinuo.
She accepted the fresh motion-sickness sachet Lina silently offered, held it to her nose for a moment, and let the cool scent slightly clear her foggy mind.
Lina then passed her a waterskin. Seraphina did not refuse; she took it and sipped slowly.
She looked at Lina. After everything they had been through, she had almost forgotten that this human girl once tried to kill her.
In the shifting light from the window, Lina’s profile appeared softer than before. Seraphina could sense Lina’s attitude toward her changing little by little.
The hatred had not vanished entirely, but now it was mixed with conflict… and a trace of pity.
Yet that pity was far from enough. Lina’s kindness could save neither Seraphina nor the entire Demon Realm. In truth, no one could save her.
Moreover, that kindness… was not pure.
If Seraphina’s grudging acceptance of this completely new female body was already her greatest compromise, then to force the soul that still considered itself male to do that kind of thing…