Myraa had never been on a business trip before, but she was pretty sure they weren't supposed to feel like espionage missions.
The day started with Hajime's car pulling up to the Reizei estate at the crack of dawn. The sleek black vehicle radiated power and intimidation—just like its owner. Myraa hesitated at the door, clutching her overnight bag like it might shield her from whatever nightmare Hajime had planned.
"Relax," Kyra said, stepping up beside her. As always, she looked effortlessly composed, her tailored pantsuit crisp and flawless.
"That's easy for you to say," Myraa muttered. "You're not the one about to embarrass the entire Reizei family."
"You'll be fine," Kyra replied, giving her a small, almost imperceptible smile. "And I'll be there. Just focus on surviving Hajime's theatrics."
"Surviving sounds like a stretch," Myraa muttered, but she followed Kyra into the car anyway.
---
The Reizei Hotel Empire
The destination was one of the Reizei family's flagship properties: the Hoshikawa Grand Hotel, a five-star resort that looked more like a palace than a hotel. As the car pulled up to the grand entrance, Myraa stared out the window, slack-jawed.
"This is a hotel?" she asked, craning her neck to take in the towering structure, the cascading fountains, and the fleet of uniformed staff waiting to greet them. "It looks like a Bond villain's lair."
"It's one of the most prestigious properties in Japan," Kyra said. "You'll be expected to represent the family during the meetings and public events."
"No pressure or anything," Myraa muttered, clutching her bag tighter.
---
The First Test
Hajime wasted no time throwing Myraa into the deep end. As soon as they arrived, he led her and Kyra to a private conference room where a group of executives were already waiting.
"Myraa," Hajime said, gesturing for her to take a seat at the head of the table, "this is your opportunity to prove yourself."
Myraa froze. "Uh… prove myself how?"
"You'll lead the discussion," Hajime replied, his tone calm but firm. "The topic is expanding our brand's appeal to younger audiences. Let's see what you can come up with."
Myraa's stomach flipped. "I… I'm not exactly qualified for this…"
"Then consider it a learning experience," Hajime said, his sharp gaze daring her to object.
Kyra, seated beside her, leaned over and whispered, "Just speak from the heart. You're better at this than you think."
Taking a deep breath, Myraa nodded and turned to face the room. "Okay. So… younger audiences. Let's talk about that."
---
The Unexpected Success
To her surprise, the meeting went better than she expected. Myraa's ideas—while a little unpolished—were fresh and creative, and the executives seemed genuinely impressed.
"Social media campaigns featuring relatable influencers?" one of them said, scribbling in their notebook. "That's a brilliant idea."
"I wouldn't call it brilliant," Myraa said, blushing. "It's just… what I would want to see, I guess."
Hajime watched the exchange with a calculating expression, but he said nothing. When the meeting ended, he simply stood and gestured for her to follow him.
"Not bad," Kyra whispered as they walked down the hall.
"Not bad?" Myraa repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Was that… a compliment?"
Kyra smirked. "Don't let it go to your head."
---
Reina's Interference
Meanwhile, Reina was determined to ensure that Myraa's success wouldn't last.
"How's Myraa doing on the business trip?" she asked one of her minions, who had been keeping tabs on the Reizei estate's gossip network.
"She, um… apparently did well in a meeting," the minion replied nervously.
Reina scowled. "Of course she did. That girl could fall into a pit and come out with a trophy. It's infuriating."
"What should we do?" the minion asked.
Reina's eyes gleamed with malicious intent. "We're going to remind everyone that Myraa isn't as perfect as they think. Let's just say I have a few… friends in high places."
The Spiked Champagne Incident
The gala was going well—too well, in Myraa's opinion. She'd managed to avoid tripping, spilling anything, or accidentally offending a diplomat, which felt like a minor miracle.
But then came the champagne.
"Miss Myraa," a waiter said, offering her a glass. Myraa hesitated for a split second but decided it was time to try and "blend in" with the sophisticated crowd.
"Uh… sure, thanks," she said, taking the glass.
Kyra, standing a few feet away, noticed immediately. "Myraa—"
Too late. Myraa, feeling unusually thirsty (nerves did that to her), downed the entire glass in one go.
"Refreshing!" she said with a grin, not noticing Kyra's sharp frown or the waiter's suspiciously hurried retreat.
Kyra crossed the room in record time, placing a steadying hand on Myraa's shoulder. "You shouldn't have done that."
"What?" Myraa asked, blinking up at her cousin. "It's just juice, right? Fancy… bubbly juice?"
Kyra leaned in, sniffing the glass. Her jaw tightened. "It was spiked."
"Spiked?" Myraa repeated, tilting her head like a confused puppy.
Kyra didn't reply, instead guiding her firmly toward the nearest exit. "We're leaving. Now."
---
The Private Suite
Kyra escorted Myraa to one of the family's private suites in the hotel. By the time they reached the room, the effects of the spiked champagne were starting to kick in.
"I feel… weird," Myraa said, plopping onto the plush sofa and immediately flopping backward. She stared at the ceiling, her arms spread wide. "Is the ceiling spinning? Or is it just me?"
Kyra sighed, pulling off her suit jacket and draping it over a nearby chair. "It's just you."
Myraa, still sprawled on the sofa, suddenly sat up as if she'd remembered something important.
"You know what your problem is?" she declared, pointing dramatically at Kyra.
Kyra raised an eyebrow, leaning casually against the armrest of the sofa. "Enlighten me."
"You're too perfect!" Myraa said, wagging her finger. "It's suspicious. Nobody's that perfect. You've gotta have a secret. Like… maybe you're secretly a robot. Or an alien. Or, ooh! A vampire!"
Kyra smirked, folding her arms. "A vampire? Really?"
"Yes!" Myraa insisted, nodding so hard she nearly tipped over. "Think about it. You're too good-looking. You never mess up. You always swoop in at the perfect time. It's unnatural. Admit it—you sparkle in the sunlight, don't you?"
"Only on weekends," Kyra replied dryly, clearly enjoying herself.
Myraa squinted at her, then gasped. "Wait a minute! That explains why you're so protective. You're not just a knight—you're my vampire knight!"
Kyra laughed softly, shaking her head. "You're unbelievable."
"Unbelievably accurate," Myraa corrected, jabbing her finger toward Kyra's chest. "I've cracked the code. You can't fool me, Mr. Sparkles."
"Mr. Sparkles?" Kyra repeated, raising an eyebrow. "That's a new one."
"Shh," Myraa said, holding up a hand. "Don't argue with me. I'm a genius when I'm… whatever this is. Champagne-drunk genius."
---
The Honest Ramble
The laughter faded into a comfortable silence as Myraa leaned back against the sofa, her eyes half-lidded. For a moment, she looked peaceful, almost thoughtful.
"You know…" she began, her voice softer now. "I've never really had someone like you before."
Kyra tilted her head. "Someone like me?"
"Yeah," Myraa said, fidgeting with the edge of her dress. "Someone who always shows up. Someone who makes me feel… like I'm not completely alone."
Kyra's expression softened. "You're not alone, Myraa."
"I know that now," Myraa mumbled, glancing up at her cousin. "Because of you. You're… you're like my anchor, you know? Like, when everything's spinning and I feel like I'm about to fall apart, you're just… there."
Kyra blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the honesty in her voice. "Myraa…"
"Don't leave, okay?" Myraa said, her eyes wide and pleading. "Promise you won't leave me."
Kyra hesitated for only a moment before nodding. "I promise."
"Good," Myraa said, leaning her head back against the cushions. "You're the best knight a girl could ask for. Even if you're secretly a vampire."
Kyra chuckled, her gaze lingering on Myraa as she drifted further into her drunken ramble.
---
The Video Escalation
As Myraa continued to mumble about vampires and knights, Kyra pulled out her phone again, unable to resist capturing more of the moment.
"Tell me more about how great I am," Kyra teased, holding up the camera.
Myraa squinted at the phone, then pointed at it. "Is that a camera? Are you recording me again?!"
"Absolutely," Kyra said, grinning. "This is gold."
"You're evil!" Myraa exclaimed, flopping dramatically onto the sofa and throwing a pillow over her face. "Vampire robot knight evil!"
"You're not going to remember any of this, are you?" Kyra asked, leaning down to pull the pillow away.
"Wrong!" Myraa said, sitting up suddenly. "I'll remember everything! Like how handsome you are. And how much I like it when you're around. And how your hair always smells like—like—what is that? Pine trees?"
Kyra blinked, startled by the sudden shift. "You've been smelling my hair?"
"Not on purpose!" Myraa said quickly, her face turning red even in her champagne-induced haze. "It's just… there. Existing. Smelling good. It's very distracting!"
Kyra laughed, a rare, genuine sound that made Myraa's heart skip a beat—even if she couldn't fully process why.
---
The Unexpected Moment
As the laughter subsided, Myraa slumped against the sofa again, her head lolling to the side. She looked up at Kyra with a sleepy smile, her gaze uncharacteristically soft.
"Hey, Kyra?" she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Yes?" Kyra replied, leaning in slightly.
"Thanks for taking care of me," Myraa said, her eyelids drooping. "Even when I'm a mess. Especially when I'm a mess."
Kyra's chest tightened at the sincerity in her words. "You're not a mess, Myraa."
"Liar," Myraa mumbled, her eyes fluttering closed.
Kyra watched her for a moment, her usual smirk replaced by something gentler. She reached out, brushing a stray strand of hair from Myraa's face before standing and draping a blanket over her.
"Goodnight, Myraa," she said softly, sitting down in the chair across from the sofa to keep watch over her.
---
The Morning After: Maximum Embarrassment
When Myraa woke up the next morning, the first thing she noticed was that her head felt like it had been stuffed with cotton. The second thing she noticed was Kyra sitting across from her, casually scrolling through her phone.
"Morning," Kyra said, not looking up.
"Ugh… what happened?" Myraa groaned, sitting up and rubbing her temples.
Kyra smirked, holding up her phone. "This happened."
She pressed play, and Myraa's own voice filled the room: "You're like my vampire knight! Handsome and sparkly and distracting!"
Myraa stared at the screen in horror. "Delete it. Delete it right now."
"Not a chance," Kyra replied, leaning back in her chair. "This is going in my personal archive."
"Kyra!" Myraa wailed, burying her face in her hands.
"Relax," Kyra said, chuckling. "It's safe with me. Besides, it's not the worst thing you've ever said."
"That doesn't make me feel better!" Myraa groaned.
Kyra leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. "You should feel honored. Most people don't get to see this side of you."
"What side?" Myraa mumbled through her hands.
"The honest side," Kyra said, her voice softer now. "The one that's not afraid to admit what's on her mind."
Myraa peeked at her from between her fingers, her cheeks still red. "You're impossible."
"And you're adorable," Kyra said, her smirk returning.