"Well, maybe our Daniel will be the first to awaken them," she joked.
"Haha…" Alice laughed softly as she patted his back.
"Maybe." Daniel smiled, though he knew it was all childish fantasy. There was little to no chance of him awakening such a rune.
Especially considering how unlikely it was for males to awaken their runes at all.
"Anyway, Daniel, come to my room later. Your awakening ceremony is just around the corner. Multiple noble families will be visiting, and even my mother, your grandmother, will be coming."
"Your mother? That means..." Daniel looked up.
"Mhm, but she's not the queen, if that's what you're thinking. She's a relative of the current ruling queen."
"Ah… I thought it was the queen herself who was coming." Daniel laughed nervously, feeling relieved. It would feel strange if the queen attended such a small event.
"Hmm? Who said the queen wasn't coming? Naturally, she's your aunt and will be attending as well," his father said in a puzzled tone.
"What!?" Daniel was shocked. "Why would the queen attend such a small event personally?"
"Daniel, mind your manners," his father said sternly, motioning for him to sit back down.
"Ah, I apologize."
"No worries, but be more mindful next time." His father nodded and added, "The event isn't as small as you think. You're a boy who was born with a magic rune and are of royal blood. You may not realize it now, but this is no small matter."
"Ah, yes, Dad," he replied.
Daniel stopped eating, deep in thought about the upcoming ceremony.
What if he didn't manage to awaken anything?
Wouldn't he instantly become the laughingstock of the entire empire?
He discreetly glanced at his poor sister, who had endured humiliation because she hadn't been born with a magic rune.
He didn't want to relive the bullying from his past life.
His heart felt a slight heaviness.
Later, as Daniel went to his father's room, memories of the previous night flooded back, making his face turn red.
'What's wrong with me? Am I a pervert?'
No.
'Ever since I became a vampire, I've found it harder to control my instincts. Not only that, but my expressions are also often out of control. I can't even stop myself from blushing. Is this something specific to vampire males?'
It seemed likely.
"Daniel, you're here!" his father called out as he noticed the head maid standing by his side, holding hangers of expensive suits.
But all of them looked utterly repulsive to him.
'I hate the color pink,' he thought, frowning at the array of bright, shiny pink suits.
Maybe it was because, in his previous life, despite having a feminine appearance and features, his mind had still been that of a normal man?
"See, I had these made by the county's best tailor, just for you. Come, try them on, and then we can choose the best one."
The head maid approached him with the suits.
Daniel sighed but endured it, trying on each suit with a nonchalant expression. His father cheerfully chatted about various things the entire time, most of which Daniel automatically ignored.
"So, which one do you like the most?"
After a few hours, his father asked.
"If I say none of them, will that be okay, Dad?"
"Of course..." His father smiled with closed eyes. "...Not."
Daniel looked at his father's face, feeling speechless.
He glanced at the multiple suits laid out and, in the end, chose one of the darker ones. It was light blue in color, and though the design bothered him, it was better than the others.
"Then this one."
"Excellent choice!" Ervin nodded and patted his son's head.
Afterward, Ervin moved on to selecting his own clothes.
"Dad..."
"Hmm, what is it, Daniel?"
Without turning around, his father asked while sorting clothes with the head maid.
"What if I don't manage to awaken a rune during the ceremony?" Daniel finally voiced what had been weighing on his mind. He wanted to reduce the number of guests if possible.
"Then that's that. What of it?" his father replied nonchalantly, still busy trying on coats.
"Huh!? What do you mean, Dad? Wouldn't I become the laughingstock of the entire empire?"
Daniel's expression was one of disbelief.
Ervin finally stopped what he was doing and turned to look at his son with a puzzled expression, as if saying, 'What are you talking about?'
"Why would you become a laughingstock? It's disrespectful to think that, even about yourself."
"But I… I mean, if that happens, won't I be declared runeless?"
"Yes, and that's normal. We men have a very low chance of awakening a magic rune in the first place. Even those born with a rune often fail to awaken it. Didn't you know?"
"Wait, does that mean the guests are coming, already expecting me not to awaken anything?" he blurted out.
"Naturally, Daniel. As far as I know, most of the nobles are coming to be graced by the queen's—your aunt's—presence."
Ervin put a hand under his chin, contemplating.
"We men already have a negligible chance of awakening a rune. It's even harder to actually awaken one. And even if you do, it's not like you'll be sent to the battlefield or any other laborious tasks." Ervin paused before adding, "The women handle external matters. You just need to rely on your wife and be good at housework in the future. Let your wife worry about such trivial things. We men must always be presentable at home, so make sure to dress perfectly for the ceremony."
With that, Ervin returned to selecting coats, leaving Daniel with his mouth agape.
He had a blank expression as he listened to his father's words.