THE SOUND OF clanging metal brought Prince Kyanite to his senses. Howin, the man who locked him and loyal subordinate of Prince Chalcedony, was knocking on the cellar’s door gently but with unbelievable strength. “Your Highness, please wake up now! It is time for your meal.”
“W-Why am I here?!” he returned a question in a terrified voice. I was just… I wasn’t stuck in a dream?
“His Highness had ordered me to lock you here,” answered Howin, his vibe entirely different from when they first met outside the Cold Blood Palace. “Do you not remember, Your Highness?”
Prince Kyanite shook his head frantically. "No, I remember nothing! I don't know any of you!" He held his head and cried like a lost child.
Howin opened the metal door and, in an instant, he crouched in front of the Human Prince. "Your Highness…" He couldn't think of anything to say. The tray of food he was holding before rested on the bed of hay.
After a moment of hearing only Prince Kyanite's sobs and Howin's silence, the latter finally asked. “Do you really not remember anything? Do you not know any of us? How about your relationship with our Tenth Prince?”
The Prince looked at Howin with sad eyes. “I’m sorry, but I really don’t.”
And so, Howin began to tell a story. Turns out, every time Prince Chalcedony and Prince Kyanite cross each other’s paths, fighting is inevitable. Being a loyal subordinate, Howin had followed Prince Chalcedony in all his ventures, thus witnessing all of their fights. His prince was mad at the Human Prince for stealing Princess Guirec’s heart, but then when Prince Chalcedony finally got her, it was Prince Kyanite’s turn to get mad at him.
“Your fights always had Her Highness in the center.”
“How long have they been a couple?”
“Almost two years already, Your Highness.”
“And how long were we a couple?”
“Longer than that, Your Highness.”
Oh? This Princess chose that murderer over you? You really have the right to be mad, Prince Kyanite. If I were you, I would too! Oh, wait—I am you!
Prince Kyanite giggled at his thoughts, wiping away his tears as a smile flashed across his lips. “Are you alright, Your Highness?” asked Howin in concern.
“Yes, I’m alright. I just had a funny thought,” replied him.
The subordinate smiled. “You are not lying now, Your Highness. With all due respect, I would like to say I am glad about it.” But then, his smile faltered. "I apologize if I cannot tell you anything about White Rose Palace. I know too little of—"
“Ah,” Prince Kyanite’s eyes sparkled as he cut him off; “it's fine. And, oh! About the 'I am not lying' thing, it's about the ‘you can see through lies’ special ability thingy, right? I would like to ask, why do you have that?”
Howin stared at him in astonishment. “We are vampires, Your Highness. You do not even remember that?”
“EH?? Vampires?!” he exclaimed, standing up.
“Did you also lose your intellect along with your memories, Your Highness? You used to be able to put puzzle pieces together in a short period of time. His Highness had brazenly tasted your blood earlier!”
Bruh. I’m not Prince Kyanite; I’m Lazuli in his body!
He then managed to recall the events: Prince Chalcedony's pale, long, slender fingers pressing the side of his bandaged neck, him licking the small amount of blood that smeared the tip of his fingers, his statement about his blood’s smell and taste, and his confession of his murder of him!
“So that's how he… killed me?” asked Prince Kyanite, his voice bearing the tone of disappointment. "Drained, strangled, left in the river to drown…"
“That was what His Highness thought,” answered Howin. “You cannot swim, Your Highness. He even stated that if you come out alive, he would bring you to the high river and push you down the waterfall.”
“No!” he shouted out of the blue.
The red System popped up without the loud beeping noises. Prince Kyanite was somehow thankful that he didn’t say or do anything OOC. But what did he do this time?
【WARNING! You must not disclose your real identity as Player No. 8 (Lazuli).】
“Are you alright, Your Highness?” Howin’s voice brought him back to his senses. “You have been acting strange since we found you. Even Your Highness’ speech is different.”
“Sorry,” Prince Kyanite gave a small smile; “I just felt fear upon hearing his words.”
Why wouldn’t I feel fear? We are talking about the high river and waterfall where I… I don't know! Fell to my death?!
Howin gently tapped his shoulder. “Do not worry, Your Highness. My Master is not a ruthless murderer. Based on what happened earlier, I do not think he will continue that plan.” He pulled his hand back and chuckled awkwardly. “I apologize, Your Highness. I was not supposed to touch you without permission. You are a Prince and I am but a subordinate, after all.”
Howin stepped back to where the metal door was and smiled. “I shall take my leave now, Your Highness. If the food does not satiate you, please tell me. I will hear your call as long as I am within a two-kilometer radius.”
“Will he come to visit me? His Highness the Tenth Prince, I mean.”
“I am not quite sure, Your Highness, but he might. After all, you miraculously returned alive after four days in the river.” Howin bid his farewell and left Prince Kyanite alone in the cellar once more.
He sat down and picked the food up from the tray. Howin gave him a plate of pasta, two slices of bread, and a glass of cucumber juice, but he didn’t seem to have an appetite after learning about this new world.
What must I do to get into the good graces of the vampire, Prince Chalcedony? That’s the only way I could escape a second death… How about I become his servant? No, that’s too shameful. How about a harem? Oh, wait! No, no, no, that won’t work. I am not Lazuli right now. I am a man—a Human Prince! My seductive points are definitely below any man’s beauty expectations without my face, fit body figure in tight skinny jeans, and—not to mention—cleavage in a plunging neckline fitted top! Hmm, how about I befriend him? We might become the best of friends!
The System popped up.
【You are about to ask a question.】
“Wow. You can read my thoughts now?”
【No, but your excessive thoughts have triggered the System.】
“Oh? Fine. I want to ask… Is it possible for me to be friends with Prince Chalcedony?”
【Friends do not exist in Prince Chalcedony’s vocabulary, sorry.】
“O…kay. Well, romance must be his thing, given that he stole my character’s girlfriend. My question now, System, did Prince Chalcedony ever like any men? I mean, ‘like’ in general, not the ‘like’ like.”
【……】
Prince Kyanite laughed until tears fell from his eyes. In his mind, a perfect plan had just been formed. It was ‘Operation: Get in the good graces of the Tenth Vampire Prince’.
But before that, I should try to escape this place.