Recently, I'd been starting to think that I was seriously fated to die.
Sure, there were plenty of hairy moments when I had to interact with my charming subordinates, but I'm not talking about meeting my end through violence. More like expiring from stress or overwork.
In the past month, I'd worked nonstop, without even a single day off.
It was all that newspaper's fault. My false declaration of all-out war had spread throughout the Six Nations, so the enemy commanders were all vying for my blood. They'd even drawn up their own official declarations of war.
First off, we'd had a rematch against the Lapelico Kingdom five days after my duel. Commander Molekikki (the chimpanzee) had been determined to make up for last time by humiliating and torturing me to death. His assault had been several magnitudes more aggressive than before. In the final stages
of the engagement, the Chimpanzee himself managed to infiltrate our stronghold and lob a stinkbomb right at me! If it hadn't been for Mellaconcey grabbing it in the nick of time, I would have been a goner.
Anyway, after that, it had been battle after battle.
The day after the Lapelico fight, we'd gone up against the Gerra-Aruka Republic. Then the Haku-Goku Commonwealth after that. Followed by a bout with The Heavenly Paradise. Luckily, we always managed to eke out a victory just as it was looking like I'd have to step in. It was kind of a miracle that we'd managed to win all those battles.
Then, a new source of stress popped up for me to deal with.
News of the Seventh Unit's victories had the Mulnite citizens all riled up. They were in full-on party mode, even those who didn't care or pay attention to politics. According to Vill, my name was on the lips of everyone at the
Imperial Court. Curious to see for myself, I started reading the newspapers. Not a single day went by without at least one article on me. The Seventh Unit and the battles were barely mentioned; it was all stuff about my personal, private life. Reading the articles made me feel antsy and exposed. It was such
an invasion of my privacy. Stuff about what I'd been doing with my life before now, my favorite foods, what I liked to do on my days off…it was all such a huge source of psychological stress for me.
But there were other things giving my mental health a beating, too.
Take the banquet parties, for instance. My charming subordinates had completely lost their heads, drunk on victory, and would use any excuse as a pretext to throw a lavish shindig. Just this month, there had already been about twenty parties. I loathed each and every minute of them. I've always been terrible with big groups and being in public, so every time there was a celebration, I spent it painfully aware that the slightest misstep could mean blowing my cover. Plus, a lot of them devolved into drunken bingo games, or
even impromptu rap battles. A considerable number ended with fights to the death. For my part, I spent most of the time hiding in the bathrooms.
And that wasn't all, either.
Throughout this whole thing, I'd still had to keep on buttering up my subordinates to stave them off from rising up and overthrowing me. I'd started baking sweets and handing them out to all the troops. This actually worked really well. You should have seen the looks on their faces when I came around with my goodies and treats. "You really spoil us, Supreme Commander! You're a true angel!" They would applaud, openly weeping
over the cookies and the cakes. It certainly made all that time slaving over a hot oven seem worth it.
Anyway, all this time spent schmoozing the soldiers outside of battle was to my benefit, since it kept my approval ratings up high. But the closer I got to my subordinates, the more frequently new dilemmas popped up out of
nowhere, like bamboo after heavy rain.
Feeling close to me, their kindly leader, my troops had started to increasingly seek me out, swinging by my office all the time and engaging me in idle chitchat. At first, it was innocent enough stuff like them asking about my hobbies and favorite foods, but then they started oversharing about their personal problems. "I have doubts about my future career path, Commander…" "I just can't make myself wake up early in the mornings,
Commander…" "My magic skills have been a little sluggish lately, and Idon't know why, Commander…" "I wanted to talk to you about my love life, Commander…" All super-heavy, super-personal stuff. "This is my office, not
your therapy room!" I wanted to scream, but I had to keep making nice with them. So on top of my other duties, I also had to become a de facto agony aunt for five hundred weirdos.
Nevertheless, I tried to draw on all of my life experiences (not that there were many) to give the best advice (that I could come up with at the time) to people twice my age. I was worried that some of my recommendations would cause offense, but they seemed genuinely pleased. It got to the point where there would be a long line of soldiers outside the door to my office every day, and the other Crimson Lords had started up a running gag about Dr. Gandesblood's therapist rates and qualifications.
So what I'm saying here is that I hadn't gotten any time off in ages.
I guess I reached my breaking point.
"I'm not doing it and that's that!!!" I shouted, slamming my hands down on my desk with a colossal THUD. Vill arched an eyebrow as she observed my outburst with cool detachment.
"What's wrong with you? The signing event is just about to begin."
"Why do I have to do that anyway?! That's not the work of a commander! Look at the other Crimson Lords! You don't see any of them signing autographs, do you??!!"
We were in the Mulnite Palace's Grand Hall.
My charming sicko maid had bundled me into my uniform with much manhandling and cajoling and had forced me to sit down on a fancy chair. Spitting with all the fury of an enraged cat, I'd demanded she tell me what
was going on. That was when she'd replied, "It's your autograph-signing
event, Lady Komari."
I could understand being forced to wage war (I mean, I couldn't really understand it, but I'd grown to accept it), but there was no reason for me to perform like some kind of idol for these people! …Maybe it was because I was a total knockout beauty?
"It's supply and demand, Lady Komari. The other members of the Crimson Lords are all stuffy old men, while you're a beautiful young girl, sweet and angelic. Everyone wants a piece of you."
"But there's other stuff I could be doing! I need to study up on magic books so I can recommend a good one to Marco. I need to finalize my cookie recipe because I promised Teressa I'd share it with her. Danilo's best friend is getting married, and he has to give the speech, so I need to write it for him. And I haven't even started concocting schemes Loran could use to patch things up with his wife yet. Oh, and Pekolle…"
"It's amazing the lengths you go to for your subordinates. Simply splendid."
"Splendid?! Give me some freakin' time off!!"
"But I have. Today's been written down on the books as paid vacation."
"This is corporate oppression!"
"Now, now, Lady Komari, your adoring public is about to arrive."
"But…wait, I…"
Before I could process the unfairness of it all, the doors to the Grand Hall opened and a river of vampires spilled in. I immediately pasted on a smile. All right, then! It looks like we're doing this! Signatures for all! But even as I
tried to switch up my attitude, I couldn't ignore my quickening heartbeat. Oh, I wanted to puke. I'd been expecting an audience of mostly girls my own age, but there were an overwhelming number of men, too. It was…kinda scary.
"Wow! It's the supreme commander in the flesh!" "Her aura is so…distinct!" "Wow, no wonder she's one of the youngest Crimson Lords ever." "But she's so much smaller than I was expecting." "That just makes her success that much more impressive."
The organizers shepherded my fans (fans?) this way. I wished I could slap the one who'd called me small. After all, I drank pints and pints of milk every day hoping to grow. It wasn't my fault. But I had to let it slide. I needed to put on my mighty commander persona.
"Erm, erm, my name's Rakuna! I'm your biggest fan, Supreme Commander! P-please, may I have your autograph?!"
The first in line was a young man with a bright red face. He was so nervous that he seemed like he might explode any second. Well, it made sense. I was a member of the Crimson Lords after all. Practically royalty, right? But his trembling approach actually put me at ease a little. A dweeb like this dude didn't warrant pulling out the tough girl act.
Taking the colored sheet of paper from his hands, I quickly signed my name with a flourish. I'd been practicing my autograph for a while now, anticipating the book signings I would hold as a published author. Just as I
was about to hand the slip back to the young man, I quickly changed my mind. Simply scrawling my name and handing it back seemed a little curt; rude even. I looked up at him and manufactured my biggest, warmest smile.
"Thank you, Rakuna. I'll do my best during the next battle, and when I leap into the fray, I'll think of you."
"?!"
The young man accepted the sheet, lips flapping wordlessly like he was trying to say something in response.
Um, was he okay? His ears looked like they were about to pop from too much blood flow.
"What's wrong, Rakuna? Do you have a fever?"
"Ah, n-no… Thank you!!! Good-bye!"
As I watched him scuttle away like a fleeing crab, I felt a nagging sense of unease. Vill leaned in, her expression sour, and spoke right into my ear.
"Lady Komari. Try not to tease your fans."
"Tease? I wasn't… Did I do something wrong?"
"For crying out…" But Vill trailed off, shutting her eyes for a second. Then her usual composed expression returned. "At any rate, please refrain from excessive friendliness with the guests. Next!"
I must have been signing autographs for hours. It sucked so badly. I couldn't even drum up any excitement about it, like I'm sure I would have if I were signing copies of a novel I'd penned myself. Just more ridiculous
supreme commander busywork. I hated it!
Despite that, at least the fans were nice. Most of them said things like, "We're rooting for you!" and "Do your best!" but then a lot of them made weird demands that I didn't quite understand, like, "Please make me miso soup every morning," and "Please enjoy my miso soup every morning." Still, my interactions with them were surprisingly pleasant, which was a relief.
"Supreme Commander! Would you like to go for a drink with me after— GACK!!!"
Toward the end of the event, Vill suddenly sprang at one of the fans and seemed determined to wring the life out of him. That had been kinda weird. But apart from that, there had been no major incidents. Then, at last, the autograph session was over. By the time we were finished, it was already evening. After watching the very last customer exit the Grand Hall, I collapsed across my desk.
"I'm done. Finished. Wanna go home."
"Well done today, Lady Komari. You have no further duties today, so you're free to return home. Let's take a bath together. I'll scrub you in all sorts of hard-to-reach places…"
"Yeah, sure… Wait, I didn't mean that! I wasn't paying attention!"
Sheesh, I couldn't let my guard down around her for even a second. But actually, she hadn't intruded on my bath again since the evening of my duel with Yohann. The day after that, she'd tried it, but I'd told her straight up: "If
you don't quit the sexual harassment, you're going to seriously lose my favor!" And surprisingly, this had worked. Vill had gotten all quiet and had simply withdrawn. I wasn't sure why, but I was glad putting my foot down
seemed effective. Just as I was making up my mind to be a lot firmer with her in the future, I heard a familiar voice.
"Hello, Komari. You're working hard, it seems."
"Daddy?"
I turned to see a tall vampire standing there, dressed in a black cloak.
"What are you doing here? What about work?"
"I just happened to drop by on my way home. I had a little chat with the Empress. Also"—he grinned in a satisfied sort of way—"the signing event seems to have been a huge success. The public's got Komari Fever, and that's no overstatement. At this rate, you just might be able to end up on the Empress's throne, Komari."
Oh shoot, I'd forgotten all about my becoming Empress one day.
"Cut it out, Daddy. I have no intention of ending up in charge…"
"Now, now, Komari. Even if you don't think that way now, you'll change your mind later on. Besides, the Empress holds your abilities in high esteem, I'll have you know."
"That perv—I mean, the Empress does?"
"Indeed. But there's been a lot of hoo-haa and to-do over terrorism lately. You know that group Inverse Moon? Well, having strong Crimson Lords in place is a very good deterrent for threats of that nature."
"Er, yeah, but I'm not strong at all…"
"That hardly matters. After all, you—" But then Daddy suddenly paused.
"Ah, never mind that. More importantly, Komari, you have a special invitation from your so-called pervert Empress herself."
He reached into his chest pocket and withdrew an envelope, which he handed to me. I was immediately struck with a sense of deadly foreboding.
"It's a party invitation! For you!"
***
Do I get paid overtime for official military parties? What's that? I don't? Noteven a bean? Well, do I get to take a half day off in compensation? I don't? Oh, okay. I get it.
…SCREW EVERYTHING!!!
But my scream was internal. Shouting out loud wouldn't change my situation after all.
A day after the autograph session, I was standing in the Mulnite Palace's Hall of Applause.
The Empress herself had forced me to attend this buffet gala. Scrumptious dishes covered the tables littering the hall, and the various Mulnite aristocrats were having a grand old time stuffing their faces and guffawing loudly
together as they heaped their plates high with meat.
Meanwhile, I was cowering in a corner trying to blend into the wallpaper.
Beside me, as ever, was my creepy maid, Vill.
But to my other side stood the murderous dog, Bellius Hund Cerbero.
Why was he here? Why was Vill? Well, the invitation from the Empress stipulated that I should bring two guests. I should have brought Mellaconcey, really, since he was the most highborn of my officers, but I was afraid he would break out into an embarrassing rap.
There was no way I could deal with that. After much contemplation, I chose Bellius instead by a process of elimination. Even though he was a murderer, he was still the least risky
choice of party guest.
I'd put on something extremely fancy (or to be accurate, I had been forced into an exquisite dress), and as soon as we'd arrived at the party venue, I'd scuttled to the safety of a far corner and nervously sipped a glass of milk as I cowered behind my two guards. The possibility of schmoozing or making small talk with the other guests petrified me.
"Supreme Commander, what do you want us to do?"
Bellius frowned, at a loss. I drained my glass of milk in one big gulp and shot him a look from under my bangs.
"You don't like sophisticated get-togethers?"
"…No, I don't, to be honest. I've always tried to keep my distance from all that aristocrat stuff."
I recalled reading on his résumé that he was from a lower-class area.
Bellius tutted with annoyance.
"These nobles, they only think of themselves. They see the rest of us commoners as little more than insects. Oh, I'm not including you in this, of course, Commander."
Hmm, sounds like there's some background there.
"Well, don't worry. If anyone comes over here and tries to talk smack about you, I'll chase them off. My family is actually one of the finest bloodlines in the Empire. All I have to do is drop the Gandesblood name, and those lower-level aristocrats will run off with their tails between their legs."
"Oh no, I'd hate to trouble you, Commander…"
"Now, now, no need for courtesy. I'm your leader after all. Besides, I wouldn't want you to debase yourself. Why, your efforts thus far have brought you all the way here; you joined the Imperial Army, distinguished yourself in battle in the Seventh Unit, and now you've even been invited to one of the Empress's parties. Most normal vampires couldn't achieve half as much. You should feel proud of yourself."
"Oh…Commander…"
Bellius gazed down at me, his eyes filled with emotion. I felt a little scummy for sounding so pompous just then, but he seemed to appreciate the sentiment.
"Anyway, let's distract ourselves from the awkwardness by filling up on some of this food. Although we may get caught up in small talk by the buffet tables. Oh, why don't we chat instead? No one will interrupt us then."
"Very well, Lady Komari. Where are your erogenous zones? Mine are right below the navel, and—"
"Pipe down, you! Someone might overhear!"
"All right, I'll ask you that question later, when we're alone…"
"Enough! Right now, I am speaking with Bellius, not you!"
I turned my back on Vill and faced Bellius once more. Now, to have a nice conversation, so I didn't look like an awkward loner at this party. I felt like I could talk to him. I mean, he was like a dog, wasn't he? Like a pet.
"…What is it you wanted to…'chat' about?"
"Anything. The weather forecast. Stuff you're into lately. Your favorite snacks."
"In that case, I'd like to ask you your opinion on the current balance of political power among the Six Nations."
"P-political power?"
"Especially the Gerra-Aruka Republic, which has been heating up as of late."
"Oh…Gerra-Aruka, eh? Yeah. I heard they have really great fried shrimp over there."
"That's not the sort of discussion I had in mind…"
Bellius looked like he had something he wanted to say, but just then I heard a high, tinkling female voice.
"If it isn't the delectable Komari! Are you enjoying the party?"
With a sinking feeling in my chest, I reluctantly turned around. There she stood, utterly gorgeous, with shining silvery hair and eyes, the color of moonlight. She was dressed in a luxurious gown, with her boobs prominently
on display. And she was about my height. By which I mean, unusually short.
It was her, the stealer of my first kiss…the perverted ruler of the Mulnite Empire.
Vill and Bellius immediately dropped to a knee. I quickly attempted a curtsy myself, but the Empress shot her hands out to grab my shoulders and prevent me from doing so.
"Now now, no need for formalities. Besides, you and I are friends, Komari! I do grow weary of being treated with such reverence all the time."
"Er…really?"
"Oh, sure, sure! In fact, I'd love it if you'd call me Len."
Whoa. Back off. Too close, Len! And why are you massaging my shoulders? I've got goose bumps!
Though I turned my head to and fro in search of help, Bellius was just standing there in attendance, like a faithful hound. Vill, on the other hand, was trembling, her face twisted as if she were sucking on a lemon. Wait, was
she jealous?
"By the by, Komari…how's the Crimson Lord life going?"
"It's…going."
"Oh dear, that bad, huh? But you don't give yourself enough credit. Why, since your tenure began, you've smashed four countries in battle! That's all of them, except for the Enchanted Lands! You're a natural! I've never seen a Crimson Lord do so well!"
But that was all just luck.
"I invited you here today to praise you for your excellent work, you know. Now come, come, eat and drink as much as you like! Shall I fix you a plate? See here, we've got summer vegetables with hemoglobin sauce, crocodile
simmered in blood, one-hundred percent blood juice, oh, I forgot you don't like blood… In that case, let us head to that table over there! It's got plenty of plasma-free dishes. Come, come!"
Grabbing my arm, the Empress hauled me off with incredible grip strength. We cut through the crowd of laughing aristocrats and headed to a table across the room. I hadn't seen the Empress in a while, but she was just as weird and eccentric as I remembered. To be honest, I didn't really like her. And why did she have such enormous…assets? They were jiggling and pressing against my arm as we walked. Goodness, what had this woman eaten to make them that big? It must have been blood, right? …Curses!
"Hee-hee-hee. Actually, to be honest, I'm quite relieved."
The Empress lowered her voice as she piled sausages onto a plate.
"You've been a shut-in for three whole years. I was worried you wouldn't be able to rejoin society if your hermitage went on much longer. That bet with your father ended up working out after all."
"…Bet?"
"Yeah. We wagered on whether we could get you out of your room and into the Seven Crimson Lords. It was risky, though. A lot of shut-ins tend to protest if you try to drag them back out into society. They scream, wail, throw tantrums, and sometimes even murder their own parents…but you managed the transition just fine!"
Well, yeah. What would be the point of crying or throwing a tantrum? The mark of our contract had been seared into my belly. Plus, the threat of spontaneous combustion for shirking my duties as a Crimson Lord was
hanging over my head. And who did I have to blame for all of that? That's right. This busty gal right here.
"Do you hate me for forcing you into a contract? Your father asked me to do it, you know. And how could I turn down an offer in the tens of millions?"
So! An under-the-table deal, was it?! What corruption!!!
I shivered at the depths of their subterfuge as the Empress broke into a smile.
"No, you don't despise me… I see that red light in your eyes, the same scarlet hue of Mulnite's sunsets… This new lifestyle of yours…you're
actually enjoying it."
"Er…"
She reached out and pressed her hand against my lower belly for some reason. Then she began to pat and stroke it through my clothes.
"You're not alone anymore, Komari. Do you understand what I mean?"
Er, no. Enlighten me.
"You have so many subordinates who you can trust and rely on. Ah, and not just your soldiers. The whole of the Empire adores you. Everyone's turned into hardcore Komarists! Why, tonight's guests were all talking about
how desperate they were to share a few words with you. But decorum dictates that none should approach you before I had my chance, so they all refrained."
Hold on. The heck are Komarists? They sound insane.
But never mind that now…
"I'm really not on my own?"
"Of course not. You never have been, but now you have so many people who love you! There's no need to be afraid! Just open wide and have some of this."
As I chewed on the sausage she'd just popped into my mouth, I couldn't hide my befuddlement.
Swallowing my mouthful of meat with difficulty, I spoke again.
"Why are you so concerned about me anyhow?"
The Empress blinked.
"Ah-ha-ha. That's a good question. All right, I'll tell you something astonishing. The reason I'm so attached to you? It's 'cause you're the child of my ex-lover."
My jaw fell open. But the Empress quickly shook her head.
"Don't misunderstand me, I'm not talking about your father here, just so we're clear?"
"So you mean…"
"Many years ago, your mother and I were betrothed…"
"…"
Er, what? What were you doing, Mommy?!
"But then, that blasted Armand…I mean, your father…stole her away, right from under my nose! Ah, Yulinne, you never did have any taste. How could you have allowed that man to bewitch you when you had me?"
Yuck, I did not want to hear about my parents' past romances.
"But whenever I look at you, Komari, I see Yulinne. Once you grow up a bit, you'll be a beauty to rival your mother, I bet. Oh, I just can't wait to see you blossom!"
The Empress slid her hands around lasciviously to knead my buttocks.
She truly was on a level of perversion that put even Vill to shame.
Just as I was starting to sweat, the Empress suddenly released me and held her palms up innocently. "Just joking!" She giggled.
"As I said, I always like to get verbal consent. That tale about kissing you in your bed, that was actually a lie. I didn't do a thing to you. There are other ways to seal a contract, you see."
Then she turned to leave, addressing me over her shoulder.
"Anyway, what I wanted to tell you is that you aren't alone. You have many supporters, myself included. So make sure you don't give up and sink into despair…like you did three years ago. Now, enjoy the party, my dear."
And with that, the Empress floated gracefully away across the room.
I had no time to contemplate the meaning behind what she'd just told me.
The other aristocrats, who'd been watching our conversation intently, now started to crowd around me as if unable to delay gratification for even one more second. "Good evening, Supreme Commander!" "What an honor it is to meet you!" "Would you consider our son for the Seventh Unit?" "Would you consider meeting our son about marriage…?"
As they all crowded around me, I cringed out of awkwardness and embarrassment.
It certainly seemed true that everyone here had taken an interest in me. But that was because they believed I was this superstrong Crimson Lord. They were just like my Seventh Unit and all the fans I had in town…
completely convinced I was something that I wasn't.
The Empress had told me I wasn't alone.
But if the truth about Terakomari Gandesblood came out, how many vampires would remain by my side?
At that moment, however, I wondered why I even cared.
What had happened to the old Terakomari Gandesblood? I'd been a lone wolf, an artist. The only thing I'd needed out of life was curling up to write and read books. So who cared what the others thought of me? Mutiny aside, that is.
That's right… I knew who I was. I was a shut-in vampire princess.
That was how I'd always been, ever since that day three years ago. And I remained one to this day.
"Terakomari, may I speak with you as well?"
I flinched. Who was this, addressing me by my full first name?
She was wearing a fox mask, the girl who'd just spoken to me. And she was staring straight at me.
What was her deal? This wasn't a masquerade ball. Didn't she get the memo?
"Um, yes…? Who are you?"
"Just a passing aristocrat. Do you have a problem with that?"
"Er, no, not especially…"
Why was she being so combative? Excuse me for noticing how obviously fishy she was. But this gala was under the protection of a boundary spell, so if she'd been able to waltz in here, that had to mean she was safe, right?
Still, I switched instantly into commander mode.
"Hmm. All right. So you want to chat, eh? Go ahead, then. Don't be shy. This is a soiree after all. We're supposed to mingle and make small talk."
Why did I sound so stiff?
The fox-faced girl threw her head back and cackled. "Ha-ha-ha!" I blinked, taken aback.
"Fascinating. Just fascinating. You're really pretending to be carefree and relaxed, aren't you? Just like I'd heard. But your subordinates are making you look good, eh? Winning all those engagements for you."
"Huh…? I mean…I guess you're right."
"But do you really trust your troops so much? That band of freaks?"
"My confidence in them has nothing to do with how they do their job. They're crazy about war. All I have to do is release them, and they storm the battlefield to rack up hundreds of kills."
"Even while you do nothing?"
I nodded absentmindedly before catching myself. "Ah…no… Of course, if I joined them in combat, it would all be over in a matter of seconds, so where's the fun in that?"
She snorted with amusement.
"Wow, you've got it all figured out. But it is true that battles these days are little more than a show of force. Entertainment for the masses. So as you say, it's best to keep the circus going. If you leaped into the fray and started,
uh, 'slaughtering' left and right, well, that would be no fun at all."
"Yeah, yeah, totally. That would never do. Even though I'd much rather be lopping off heads than dealing with the public, heh-heh."
"But of course… Still, in my opinion, these silly conflicts, which are good for nothing other than political pissing contests, make a total mockery of the sacred art of war."
…Er, what? What were we even talking about here?
"Ah, well, yes…I suppose that's one way of viewing it…"
"Right, and the one besmirching it most of all is…you, Terakomari."
"Excuse me?"
"I neither like you nor what you represent. How can you stand as a member of the Seven Crimson Lords, behaving as you do? How can you even show your face in public? Do you really enjoy everyone pampering you so much?"
Er. What?
"It's because of people like you that society is going down the drain. I was like that once. If it wasn't for you…if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be… But no, never mind that. I'm happy with my lot in life. Breaking with my country and joining Inverse Moon was always my destiny."
The heck was this fox face saying…?
"Uh, excuse me, but—"
"Ah, sorry! My name is…Millicent Bluenight. I've come to collect what you owe me, after what happened three years ago."
Then she whipped off her mask.
Revealing a face that, as much as I wished otherwise, I could never erase from my memory.
Millicent. The reason why I'd wound up becoming a shut-in.
Her blue skirts flipped up and she took a step forward, even as I stiffened in surprise. Clutched in her right hand was a shining silver dagger.
"Commander!"
Someone tackled me from the side and sent me flying. I hurtled across a nearby table, getting drenched in meat sauce. Spaghetti hung from my ears. Scrambling to my feet, I whirled around to see a scene that I could barely even process.
The girl had buried her knife into Bellius's stomach.
"Oh dear. I missed."
"Guh! Ahhh!"
Blood spurted from the wound and splashed across the floor, forming a big puddle. The other guests were screaming. I was in a total panic. What just happened? How could there have been so much blood? So much bright,
scarlet blood?
"Lady Komari! Get back!" Vill screamed.
Then, with clearly advanced magic power, she conjured a multitude of throwing knives and sent them zooming through the air. Millicent grinned and bent down to pluck the knife out of Bellius's chest before she jumped away like a monkey. The throwing daggers missed their target and thunked into the tables and the fleshy bodies of the other guests. Purple, poisoned blood began to pour from their wounds. The party was in pandemonium, with
guests screaming and scrambling in panic, slipping on the fallen plates of food. I cowered where I stood, my eyes filling with tears of terror.
"Whoa, watch out, maid! Those daggers almost hit me!"
"Next time I won't miss!"
"Give it up. I'm far stronger than you."
The girl grinned. A smug, knowing, sarcastic sort of grin.
The heck was happening?!
She just tried to gut me…? But Bellius took the hit for me…?
"S-someone grab her!" "She's an intruder!" "What happened to security?!" "This has never happened before!" "What is to become of us?!"
The hall was filled with the screams of the hysterical aristocrats. But the intruder remained calm, still beaming smugly.
I was frozen, completely paralyzed by fear.
Millicent hadn't changed a bit since three years ago. She still thought nothing of inflicting pain on others and never dropped her smirk, even under the harshest moral criticism.
She was completely wicked.
"You! Commoner! How dare you destroy my lovely gala? I hope you're ready to die for this!"
"Be quiet, Empress. I didn't mean to ruin the stupid party. I just… Yeah, actually, my plan was to dispatch you, Armand Gandesblood, and then Terakomari, trembling over there. Then I'd be satisfied."
Millicent turned to me.
It felt like she was rummaging around inside my mind.
Those eyes of hers… Clouded, like a muddy swamp. Because of her, I'd spent the past three years…
"You're too stupid to bother addressing. Killing you is the only way. Now die!" shouted the Empress.
Flames sprung up from her fingertips. Millicent cackled and shot high in the air, landing beside me. As she leered at me, snakelike, I froze like a terrified rabbit.
"Lady Komari!"
"Pfft…some hostage. You're such a sniveling coward."
Vill and the Empress were standing helplessly as Millicent pressed her blade to my neck.
"Boring. You're no fun like this. Where's the joy in taking your life now? I want to execute you while you're actually fighting back."
"Wh-what do you mean?"
"Like you could ever understand how I feel. Anyway, I'll be back, Terakomari. Next time, I'll kill you. I'll show you the taste of true death—
when there's no chance of revival.
"Enjoy…"
Millicent hissed that final word in my ear, grinning, as she reached out to cast magic with her left hand. But it wasn't attacking magic she was casting. I realized that a moment too late.
"She's opening the void! You're not gonna escape that easy, you fox-faced wench!"
But Millicent disappeared into thin air even as the Empress's thunderbolt zipped through the air toward her. It continued along its trajectory and smashed into the wall of the party venue. Several guests died in the ensuing rubble, but that couldn't be helped. Collateral damage and all.
Looking uncharacteristically distraught, Vill flew to my side.
"Lady Komari! Are you hurt?"
"N-no…I'm fine. But Bellius…"
The dog-headed beast-man was lying unconscious on the floor. But Vill simply grinned.
"Oh, don't worry about him. He'll be right as rain in a few hours. Dark Core and all, remember?"
"Yeah, but…"
I'll be back, Terakomari.
I continued to tremble in terror, the strands of spaghetti jiggling as they dangled from my ears.
This felt like the start. The start of my life going completely off track.
Millicent Bluenight.
Why? Why was she here? I hadn't done anything wrong. Why had she come back to torment me again? Why?
"Lady Komari…?"
I couldn't respond. There was a door in my mind. A door I'd kept sealed up tight for three years, too afraid ever to open. But it was opening now. With an ominous, creaking sound.