At four in the morning, after a night of work, Valed returned to Dekenhove Castle. He opened the door as before, retracing his steps, and left the fourteen tomb guardians scattered throughout the grounds. As he approached his own room—
As Valed attempted to slip past it toward his quarters, the cat opened its eyes, parted its lips, and gave him a silent meow.
"I know, I'm back a bit late. I'll be more careful next time. Also, keep this secret for me. Next time, I'll share my tomato fish with you again." Valed shrugged and addressed the black cat.
The cat gave a distinctly human-like look of resignation, opened its mouth once more, and meowed softly at Valed. Then it stood up, gently pushed the door open with its tail, and stepped aside to let him pass.
"—Oh. Right." Exhaustion had nearly made him forget. Only when he reached the doorway did Valed remember he still needed the cat's help.
"Actually, I messed things up." Red crouched down and addressed the black cat. "None of the sixteen undead I took out with me returned. The Skeleton Wolves are one thing. But those fourteen Tomb Guardians? They were defective creations of my own making. Could you help out and complete the magical seals they need?"
"...Meow meow meow meow meow meow meow! Meow meow meow meow meow!"
"Speak plainly!"
"What on earth were you doing! It was so dangerous!"
"Well, just some kid's big adventure and stuff."
"—If you were a kid, I'd be a cat!"
Though both spoke heatedly, they kept their voices low to avoid drawing attention. Lady Celia the black cat pressed Light relentlessly about his whereabouts. Light clenched his jaw, refusing to utter a word. Instead, he demanded the cat cover for him. Naturally, Lady Celia refused. After a lengthy haggling session between man and cat (?), Valed finally persuaded the feline to cooperate. The price? Eight tomato-sauce fish and two magic crystals, each weighing at least fifty grams.
This female black cat, known as Lady Celia, had resided in the ancient Dekkenhof Castle for centuries—since Valed's grandfather was still alive. Over these centuries, while serving as the castle's guardian and spy, she had thoroughly established her status as a beloved pet. Possessing an exceptionally gentle temperament, she never grew annoyed even when Isabella tugged her tail as a child. One would never suspect she was a powerful magical creature capable of standing against dragons.
Valed knew her well—her laziness, her aversion to work, her insatiable appetite. And from her feline perspective and spy's vantage, she'd witnessed many of Valed's hidden secrets. They often struck small deals: Valed would bribe her with food and magic crystals to keep her quiet, while she turned a blind eye to some of Valed's actions.
After arguing with that black cat for nearly half the day, the time approached five o'clock. In June, the sun rose early. By now, dawn had broken. Only then did Valed feel the weight of exhaustion. Children naturally sleep more, yet he'd worked tirelessly all night without rest—waging the most demanding magical bombardments and pushing his body to its limits with intricate traps. Earlier, the thrill of discovering the treasure had masked his exhaustion. Only now, lying in bed, did he realize just how worn out he truly was.
Thus, after only a brief moment of wandering thoughts, Valed quickly fell asleep. He slept so soundly that he didn't hear his sister Isabella knocking on the door. This left Isabella, who had wanted to talk to Valed before school, feeling quite displeased.
Prideful of her lineage, Isabella looked down on the vast majority of vampires. Even the other three families, renowned alongside the Castane family, were no exception.
"The Lamia are nothing but a bunch of scheming, seductive whores. The Abrahahsin are a pack of muscle-brained fools. The Nilakochis are nothing but a bunch of complete lunatics..."
That was the gist of it. The other three families renowned throughout the vampire world—the Abrahahs, masters of martial arts; the Nilakochis, wielders of the most potent necromancy; and the Lamia, renowned for their beautiful women and schemers—were all dismissed as utterly worthless by her own sister. Fortunately, she only voiced such opinions privately to her younger brother. Even in front of their mother, she never revealed a single trace of such sentiments.
Perhaps it was because she thought Valed was still young—no, that wasn't quite right. Otherwise, she wouldn't have asked her brother to help with her homework.
So, it must be trust. The kind born of blood. Or perhaps something more extraordinary existed between them. This made Valed feel somewhat uneasy whenever he faced Isabella.
Valed's room was divided into three sections. The innermost section was Valed's bedroom, featuring a large wardrobe. The middle area was the largest, housing a study, recreation room, washroom, and reception room. The outermost section was the smallest, serving as the room for the young maid, Maya. Isabella knocked from outside. Valed, sleeping soundly in the innermost chamber, hadn't heard a thing. In the end, it was Maya, busy tidying the room, who opened the door.
When Maya opened the door and saw Miss Isabella standing there, she instinctively took a step back. The young lady had a notoriously bad temper and never gave the castle servants a friendly look. Due to her job, Maya spent a lot of time around Valed. If she were plain-looking, it might have been better. But she happened to be quite pretty. Naturally, Isabella disliked her intensely. She found any excuse to pick on Maya.
"So, has my brother still not risen?" Isabella frowned impatiently, standing at Valed's door and eyeing Maya in her voluminous maid's dress. Her slightly pale, thin eyebrows and thin lips gave her a somewhat sharp appearance. Still, overall, she was undeniably a beautiful woman.
"Yes, yes—if you wish, Miss, I can call the young master—" Maya's words were cut off mid-sentence by Isabella.
"What do you mean by that?! If my brother hasn't risen yet, it means he needs more rest. This is crucial for him! And as his maid, your duty is to serve him, to fulfill his every request—not to cause him trouble!"
"Yes, yes, Miss..." Maya stammered, bowing her head in submission. Truthfully, she was likely too terrified to even process what Isabella had said. Yet that didn't stop her from trembling like a frightened fawn.
Of course, despite her insistence on ensuring her brother got adequate rest, her voice was far too loud. ...it also roused Valed. This greatly displeased the vampire boy who'd stayed up until dawn.
Though stepping out now meant facing his sister, the combination of morning grogginess and a foggy mind gave Valed a sudden surge of courage. His sister, who always seemed to enjoy rubbing his face, suddenly didn't seem so terrifying. Thus, still in his pajamas, Valed rubbed his eyes and opened the door. In a slightly annoyed tone, he addressed his sister: "You're too loud, Isabella."
Witnessed by someone unaware of the truth, this scene might easily be misinterpreted as: A maid-obsessed brother's sister, who is obsessed with her brother, had done something inappropriate to her brother's adorable maid, thus earning the disapproval of her brother—who is obsessed with his sister—and her maid.
Of course, the truth was nothing like that. Valed felt no special attachment to his personal maid and meal provider. Though they'd spent years together, a sudden replacement might cause a few days of adjustment. But that was all. It was like a child complaining to their parents, "Hey, that's my usual pillow & cup & pen!" A little grumbling, and he'd accept it.
Yet even this minimal level of care meant everything to Maya. To exaggerate it further, Valed's tiny, insignificant cherishing was the sole reason she'd found the strength to keep living after eight years in this world.
Though such a statement made Maya seem cheap, for a girl of humble origins like her, utterly alone, this price was already exorbitant. Her parents had sold her to the vampires of Dekkenhof for five gold rals—a price that was one-fifth of what Miss Isabella had once paid for experimental materials.
Noticing Valed's slightly displeased gaze, Isabella felt a flicker of irritation. She almost reached out to cup his face as she usually did, pressing him against her chest and nuzzling him fiercely. But the thought vanished as quickly as it came, swiftly dismissed.
"There are servants present. I must uphold my brother's dignity." The realization filled Isabella with quiet pride. She believed this made her stand in stark contrast to Maya, the young maid who never once considered Valed's reputation. She had undoubtedly won this round.
Though, to be fair, comparing herself to Maya from the start was fundamentally flawed. They were utterly incomparable. She was a vampire noble, the eldest daughter of the Castanin family. Maya, however, was merely a pitiful little maid...