Lucius' aesthetics for women have never been 'normal'.
In his view, first of all, a beautiful woman needs to maintain her body and mind purity. In addition to that, her skin also has to be tender enough to give off the fragrance of virginity. It's the perfect rosy colour on her delicate skin that made his appetite rose.
Probably it was the colour and the flavour…
That sounds like a culinary commentary, doesn't it?
Lucius's view of human women was always like this. No matter how beautiful she was, in the end, they were all his food. So, he divided them into a delicious and unpalatable category. The purer the body and mind of the girl, the more delicious they would taste.
Of course, it was his own personal preference.
But Lucius still has a basic human aesthetic. He can feel a woman's beauty, although he only found a few beautiful women. Such as the first time he met with the Lich King Arthas and the spirit Tokisaki Kurumi. They both have their own charm.
Comparing girls to flowers was perhaps the most appropriate analogy. Arthas was a delicate stamen blooming amidst the frost and snow. While Tokisaki Kurumi was probably like a poppy, she was beautiful and deadly.
So, what about the young girl in front of him?
The moonlight shone through the window. A girl that was pale as the moon looked beyond the window. She was wearing a luxurious purple evening dress. Her long black hair has been coiled up. In the moonlight, the Empress changed into a shy and delicate demeanour a young girl should have.
"Why do I have to wear this?" Naiya seemed to dislike the long skirt evening dress. Her feet felt so awkward from walking in a high heel. She pulled her skirt. She had the urge to break free of the restraint but stumbled when she tried to take a step forward.
"Ouch…"
She let out a sad cry. Her high heels stepped on the hem of her skirt, and she fell down.
Well, Lucius retracted his opinion of 'Comparing girls to flowers' analogy. In Lucius's current view, Naiya was rather like an ugly duckling. Before she met Lucius, this ugly duckling lived carefree with her friends every day. She thought that she could spend the rest of her life comfortably like this. But after she met him, he turned her into a white swan that stood on the stage of the world and had to raise her neck proudly...
But Naiya's heart was still the little duckling. Just like Cinderella in the fairy tale... Lucius gave Naiya a crystal shoe and turned her into an Empress. But no matter how beautiful she was, it was only for a moment.
But, even though she didn't fit the image of the delicate Cinderella… Her beauty she presented right now in front of Lucius was real.
"Do you want to wear men's clothing to the Ball, Your Highness?" Lucius half squatted down and extended his hand to Naiya, who had fallen to the ground. "Today, the Emperor was holding a celebration party to celebrate the glory you created for the Empire today. This is the chance to introduce you to the whole city. I think the gentle and beautiful Empress is more suitable than the stereotypical image of a Valkyrie."
Naiya raised her head, somewhat confused. Her pretty face was painted with light makeup. The Emperor had tasked another person responsible for dressing the Empress.
Illuminated by the moonlight, Lucius was mesmerized by the Empress's flawless face closely. This made him thought she was delicious even if she had vampire blood in her body. ꟷUnder certain condition, a woman's beauty is directly related to the deliciousness of their blood. Don't doubt Lucius' culinary study. Although he didn't have deep knowledge of it, he still knew some basics.
Naiya held Lucius's hand tightly. After standing up again, she found that harnessing the weird high heels under her feet was tougher than harnessing the great sword Arondight. Why do women have to wear something so inhumanly? She simply couldn't understand.
The thing that Naiya can't understand even more was… "Why should we care about my image? On the coronation day, the Saints will descend and…"
"You'll kill them, right?" Lucius certainly knew what she was thinking.
Although Lucius wasn't sure about her for so long, after being exposed to this world and gaining enough knowledge of the world, he knew her emotion for revenge has not faded. At least, her loyalty was enough.
To follow his own orders…
"Yes." Naiya didn't want to show up in public. She was terrible at facing such things.
"It's fine if you don't want to go." Lucius didn't mean to force her. Tonight was Lucius's only remaining mercy for Naiya.
"I'll whisper it to you, Junior."
The silent night sky was covered with colourful fireworks, breaking the silence. Now, the entire Capital City was immersed in a festive atmosphere. Lucius whispered in Naiya's ear. He's whispering what the city would become after tonight.
"Tonight will be the last time you will be able to go freely as the Empress with your 'kindness'."
"What do you mean?" Naiya found Lucius's eyes turned into deep scarlet. Naiya nearly fell in his gaze.
"Aren't you getting into the character called 'Empress' too deep, Naiya?"
Naiya froze. She unconsciously found that the darkness around her had begun to gather.
"Don't forget your true identity. You're my Junior. A being lived with the darkness, not some benevolent Empress... So, Junior, after tonight darkness will envelop the Capital City and your kindness will only become an obstacle." Lucius stretched his finger towards Naiya's face. The view reflected in her eyes was only Lucius's scarlet eyes. "After tonight, gave up your useless kindness, pick up your sword and become my puppet on a string!"
Puppet…
After a few days of living in comfort at the Capital City, Naiya had forgotten the terrifying existence. Tonight, she finally remembered it.
The demon that took everything away from her!
As Naiya trembled and blinked. She found that the scarlet eyes that shook her heart had disappeared.
As if everything happened just now was an illusion, Lucius stood in front of her with a smile, "So, Your Highness, have you decided to go to the Ball?"
Naiya trembled and stretched out her hand. She finally gathered enough courage to take Lucius's arm.