Nocturne Academy had many strange classes—Bloodbinding, Night Combat, Vampiric History—but the one I feared the most had a deceptively pretty name.
Bloodrose Etiquette.
It sounded elegant, like something from a noble finishing school.
It wasn't.
The textbook on my desk was bound in black leather and opened with a hiss. The first chapter was titled:
"Obedience is the Language of Desire."
I was already regretting everything.
"All of you," said the instructor, a sharp-eyed woman named Mistress Halcia, "will be graded on poise, discipline, and submission response accuracy." She paced in front of us like a wolf among sheep. "In vampire society, control is power. To submit with grace is not weakness—it is the highest display of trust."
My cheeks burned. I could feel every pair of eyes glancing at me, some with amusement… others with hunger.
I wished I were invisible.
"You will partner with the student seated behind you," Mistress Halcia said. "Your partner is to test your responses to controlled proximity and touch. Begin."
I blinked.
Behind me?
I turned slowly.
And met the gaze of the quietest girl I'd ever seen.
She had pale silver hair, loosely tied with black lace, and her eyes were an unnatural icy violet. She wore the school uniform perfectly, not a wrinkle out of place, and hadn't moved once since class started.
She just… watched me.
"Oh no," I whispered.
Because I knew her.
Not by name—but by whispers in the hallway. She was the top-ranked duelist in the academy. Rumors called her The Quiet Blade. Others claimed she didn't speak because anyone who heard her voice fell under her spell.
And now she was my etiquette partner.
She stood without a word and stepped beside my desk, her gaze never leaving mine. I was frozen.
"Airi Shirogane," Mistress Halcia barked. "Begin your posture test. Let your partner guide your shoulder and chin alignment."
"O-Okay," I squeaked.
The silent girl stepped behind me, gently placing her hands on my shoulders.
Her touch was cold—colder than Lys's, colder than Rena's—but precise. Her fingers adjusted the angle of my head, the tilt of my chin, and the curve of my back with eerie confidence.
I bit my lip to stay still.
Then she leaned in, her breath brushing the shell of my ear.
"…You're too tense."
She spoke.
I gasped before I could stop myself. My heart leapt.
Her voice was quiet, melodic, like the faint chime of wind through glass. It wasn't enchanting—it was terrifying in how calm it was.
"I-I'm sorry…" I whispered, unable to look up.
"Don't apologize." Her breath was still near my ear. "Just breathe."
I obeyed instinctively.
Her hands slid to my waist, correcting my balance. My breath hitched. My body wasn't used to so much touching—so much deliberate touching.
She leaned down again, her lips close to my neck.
"You react easily," she whispered. "That's dangerous in this school."
"Y-You're… my partner, right?" I stammered. "What's your name…?"
She pulled back and looked at me for a long moment. Her eyes shimmered with something unreadable.
"…Tsukiko."
Tsukiko. It suited her. Moonlight in a blade.
"Do you want to survive here, Airi?" she asked, voice still low.
I nodded, even though I didn't know the answer.
"Then be careful who you let bite you next," she murmured. "The more contracts you make, the less you'll belong to yourself."
With that, she returned to her seat without another word.
I sat there, completely shaken, wondering what kind of girl had just touched me like I was a puzzle… and spoken like she already knew how I'd break.
One thing was certain:
Tsukiko was going to be a problem.
Next Chapter Preview:
Airi is summoned to the Tower of Discipline for a mysterious evaluation—only to find that Celene, the cold strategist of the academy, has planned a very personal test of loyalty and obedience.