[Vol. 7] Chapter 214: An Unspeakable Relationship
Especially in the past two weeks or so, ever since the World Academy Joint Exchange Conference officially began, Lady Violet and the two young ladies had been spending much less time at home. During the first round of the event, they were even out for a full seven days in a row.
As a high-ranking maid who was actually a fourth-generation vampire marquis, Mia had access to quite a lot of information through her connections. Many of her “friends” who helped supply blood were people with high positions inside Sainz, so she clearly understood what her masters were doing every day, but she never mentioned any of it unless necessary.
“Sigh... I really wish Lady Violet would rely on us more... Even if she treated us more roughly, it’d still be completely fine...”
With a soft sigh, the maid who had completely accepted herself as a tool but would never show any complaint or doubt in front of her master, took a deep breath, calmed herself, and raised her hand to knock on the door.
“Hello? Is anyone there?”
Right now, she was standing in front of a normal-looking apartment in the seventh district. Living inside was a Tree Spirit Tribe girl who was currently studying in the same seventh district of Sainz.
That girl didn’t have any special background or family ties. At least, as far as Mia knew. But aside from being an ordinary student, she also served as Mia Constantius’s blood donor, also known as a “friend.”
Tree Spirit Tribe lived closely with nature all year round, and their clean, natural scent had always been popular among vampires. They were one of the top choices for becoming “friends.”
Both Mia and Selna had built a network of over ten such “friends” throughout the academy city of Sainz. Most of them were young women from different races. Vampires had extremely high standards when it came to blood. Not only did it need to be fresh and pure, but also “compatible” with the individual vampire, something that was hard to find and couldn’t be forced.
So whenever they came across a good candidate, they would usually try to approach them gently, build a relationship over time, and then, when the moment felt right, subtly explain their true identity and ask if they’d be willing to offer a bit of their blood regularly, usually in exchange for something.
Of course, under the strict rules of Princess Lucine, leader of the “stable faction,” even if someone refused, vampires were absolutely not allowed to force them or use mind control to get what they wanted. All they could do was erase the person’s memory and leave, disappointed.
Because of this, any “friend” they managed to build a relationship with was seen as a very valuable resource for the vampires living in Sainz.
As long as they were careful and didn’t overdo it, vampires didn’t need blood as often as normal creatures needed food. At a pace of feeding once every few days, Mia usually only needed to visit this place once every two or three months. If Lady Violet was willing to take her and Selna away after the tournament ended, this might even be the last time she worked with this person.
While letting her thoughts wander, Mia began to consider whether she should drink a bit more blood this time, maybe even store some in a sealed container, just in case she needed it later. However, something soon puzzled her. She had been knocking on the door for quite a while now, but no one was answering. That made her frown slightly.
Could she have gone out? But just a few days ago, Mia had delivered a message and confirmed today’s meeting time...
Even in Sainz, being a vampire was still considered a sensitive identity. So whenever they fed, they usually chose a quiet and private place. Although this apartment building had a number of residents, most people were either at work or school during the daytime.
In other words, even if something happened here, it was unlikely that anyone nearby would notice.
Tilting her head in confusion, the maid knocked a bit harder on the door.
“Miss Philoae, are you home? It’s Mia. If you can hear me, could you please respond?”
Wait a minute… there was a sound inside.
Even though the faint rustling was very soft, Mia, being a marquis-level vampire, had senses far sharper than ordinary beings, on par with top-tier Sky-level warriors. So she could clearly pick up the tiny noises.
Getting dressed…? Or talking to herself? No, it sounded more like a pained moan… What’s going on in there?
“……”
A faint, cold glint of blood-red light flashed in her beautiful eyes. Silently, the girl slipped her hand beneath her maid outfit, and with practiced ease, took out something and hid it in her sleeve.
Just then, a familiar voice called out from inside the room, sounding rushed and a little flustered.
“Ah—yes, yes! I’m home, Miss Mia! Please wait just a moment!!”
The low, muffled moaning sounds faded away in an instant, as if they had never been there. In their place came the sound of hurried, heavy footsteps. Before long, a young girl opened the door from inside.
She wore a loose nightgown, her light green hair hanging freely down her back, clearly unbrushed. With the long, pointed ears typical of Tree Spirit Tribe, she looked like she had just gotten out of bed, and carefully peeked her head out of the door.
When she saw the maid’s slightly helpless expression, the girl gave a sheepish little smile.
“Ehehe… Miss Mia, you’re so early again. You’re always right on time.”
“Haah…”
With her dark red hair tied into twin tails, the marquis-level maid, who had changed out of her uniform into a simple casual outfit with a short skirt, sighed and gave a wry smile. She pointed outside toward the daylight.
“Early? It’s almost noon, Miss Philoae. I know it’s a rare holiday, but don’t you think it’s time to learn some self-discipline and keep a healthy schedule? If you don’t take care of your body, your blood quality will drop. You don’t want me to stop our arrangement just because your blood doesn’t taste good, right?”
“Ahaha… It’s fine once in a while, right? I know you’re not that cold-hearted, Miss Mia! Anyway, enough about that, come in, come in!”
After warmly inviting Mia into the room and closing the door behind them, Philoae, still looking like she had just woken up, poured a glass of water for her special “customer.” After saying a few words, she quickly ran into the bathroom to take a shower.
This was already a routine both of them were used to. For vampires, drinking blood was a serious act, almost like a ritual. So, when possible, both parties would clean themselves in advance.
Everything seemed normal. Their conversation was natural too… Was that sound earlier just Mia’s imagination?
Listening to the sound of running water from the bathroom, Mia glanced at the messy bed, sighed softly again, and driven by her professional habits, began tidying up the room for her somewhat sloppy friend.
“By the way, Miss Philoae,” Mia said casually, “just now I thought I heard someone talking in your room. Was it another friend?”
From inside the bathroom, Philoae’s muffled voice mixed with the sound of water quickly replied.
“Talking? Nope, I was sleeping the whole time. Must’ve been sleep-talking or something.”
“Oh… Talking in your sleep isn’t a good habit. You really need to fix your sleep schedule, Miss Philoae.”
“Aww, give me a break, Miss Mia! You sound just like my strict mom and dad, always nagging. If I can’t even sleep in on my days off, what’s the point of life!?”
“…Your idea of life’s purpose is way too casual.”