"Ugh—"
Himeragi Yukina let out a heavy, helpless sigh, her shoulders slumping.
"Yukina…" Kirasaka Sayaka looked at her, embarrassed.
"Don't worry, Sayaka—I'm not blaming you," Yukina shook her head. Her small face showed no chill in her expression.
"R-really?" Sayaka asked, unsure.
"Really. I have no standing to blame you."
"Exactly. If anyone's going to complain, it ought to be me," La Folia cut in, smug.
"Your Highness… what's it got to do with you?"
"Because I'm Shichen's woman now, and you're not. Of course I have standing."
"I was here first…" Sayaka couldn't help pouting.
"And yet you only know how to play tsundere and won't confess your feelings."
"Don't get cocky, Your Highness. Shichen likes petite girls like Yukina. As you get older and older, he'll stop liking you."
"…," La Folia's mouth twitched. Age and a more mature look were a weak spot—but then she thought of something and smiled.
"No need to worry about that."
"What do you mean?"
"Shichen is a Primogenitor. If I become his Blood Servant, my appearance will never change."
"Wha—ugh, I actually forgot!"
"So, La Folia, does that mean the Sensei hasn't drunk your blood yet?" Yukina blinked.
"Oh? Do you care?"
"No…"
"Hehe~ I'll ask Shichen to drink my blood later."
"…Maybe the Sensei won't like yours."
"You're overthinking it. I'm a princess; I have excellent medium aptitude. No different from you—my blood suits Shichen just fine."
"…," Yukina frowned and bit her lip; she had no retort.
"And do you know why Shichen accepted me so quickly?"
"Why?"
"It's not just that I'm pretty, and not because he's 'responsible.' It's because my blood matches his taste. Otherwise he wouldn't accept me. You do know he doesn't like every cute, pretty girl, right? For a Primogenitor like him, the only thing that truly captures him is the quality of your blood."
"Is that how it is?" Sayaka looked like she'd just learned something. So he put up with her stubborn antics because she suited his taste… because he'd taken a liking to her? So "punishing" her was teasing, not real punishment? But he hit that hard… though he did heal her afterward…
"Sayaka, are you… running your own mental playthrough again?" Yukina said dryly.
"I am not!"
"Your face is red…"
"Mm…" Sayaka turned away, covering her face, mortified.
"Hehe~ you two are really something. Innocence is nice—maybe that's why Shichen likes loli-type girls."
"Is that so? Then how do you explain Minamiya-sensei?" Yukina asked.
"Well… feelings that grew over time? And you know how possessive Shichen is."
"True…"
"I see you've been talking smack about me the whole time?" Shichen finally emerged from the bathroom.
"Sensei…" Yukina glanced at him, embarrassed.
"Shichen, what took you so long?"
"He was definitely eavesdropping!" Sayaka declared, face scarlet. She'd forgotten he was even around—only now realizing he might have heard everything she'd said. The thought made her squirm.
"What are you talking about—what's worth hearing? I was half-asleep and dawdled a bit," Shichen said, rolling his eyes. Not entirely untrue—but he had listened. Not that he feared a catfight; it's just that with him there, they might hold back. And hearing Sayaka's confession—he rather liked that.
"Sensei, hurry and eat—there's not much time before class," Yukina urged.
"I'm the teacher; I don't have class this morning," he said lazily, strolling to the table. Breakfast was waiting—everyone else had already eaten. Aurora had rushed out ahead; it was her day on duty. Kaguya didn't care about tardiness, but since Shichen had "claimed" her, she felt no need to cling to him every day.
"But I have class…"
"Right, I'll be quick," he said, nodding and eating in big bites.
"Mm," Yukina smiled. He always dawdled, but never enough to make her late. Favoritism? Maybe.
"Shichen dotes on her, huh? She could've gone on ahead," La Folia mused.
"No. I'm the Sensei's monitor—he must go with me," Yukina said.
"Isn't it that you must go with him?"
"What's the difference?"
"Big difference. You're saying he needs to accommodate you. I'm saying you accommodate him. You're the ones 'guarding' him; shouldn't you fit his schedule?"
"Um… the Lion King Agency told me to keep a normal life. I can't skip class…"
"Then go to class properly."
"No, I have to be with the Sensei. I'm his monitor."
"You're so rigid. Good thing you're cute—otherwise Shichen wouldn't humor you."
"…" Yukina had no rebuttal. She already knew the Agency sent her to monitor Shichen because her looks matched his "interests."
"Alright, alright—no point arguing. As a Sensei, I should be on campus on time. Yukina, I'm going to change."
Two, three gulps and he was done. He went to change; time was short, so he took Yukina straight to campus with a space shift—La Folia and Sayaka came along.
"Sensei, I'm heading to class," Yukina said, trotting.
"Go on—you're almost late."
"Um, and don't leave campus without telling me," she added.
"Why would I leave for no reason?"
"You snuck out yesterday, didn't you?"
"That was to save Sayaka and Her Highness. You wouldn't have me not go?"
"I didn't say that… Just—tell me next time."
"Alright. I'll let you know whenever something comes up," he said, ruffling her hair.
"Mm." Satisfied, she ran for class.
"So youthful," La Folia sighed at Yukina's bright, lively silhouette.
"How old are you again?" Shichen chuckled.
"About two or three years older," she said. Seventeen or eighteen—the best age for a girl, in her mind. She used to be confident about it—but Shichen seemed to like girls a year or two younger, or with a smaller build. She was already fully grown. He did like her, but compared to loli types, she might come up short.
"You're just fine," Shichen said.
"Really? Not just because of Kanon?"
"…Try believing in your own charm."
"You like younger girls."
"I keep saying I'm not a lolicon," he grumbled.
"Alright, alright—you're not," La Folia said, obligingly.
"Anyway… what are you two doing today?"
"I'm guarding Her Highness. I'm sticking with her," Sayaka said first.
"Mm~ I wanted Shichen to show me Itogami, but I suppose you'll go along with Yukina… Oh, right—you still haven't drunk my blood," La Folia said, remembering.
"Why bring that up all of a sudden?"
"You're a vampire. If you don't drink my blood, it means you haven't fully accepted me," La Folia said seriously.
"What kind of logic is that… Don't vampires only drink when they're aroused?"
"Then you're not aroused by me."
"…," Shichen said nothing.
"Her Highness wants you to make her your Blood Servant so she'll stop aging," Sayaka said bluntly.
"I see… You couldn't have just said that?"
"I'm trying to show a little modesty…" La Folia murmured, cheeks pink.
"Are you sure you'll still be so modest later?" Shichen stepped in and put an arm around her.
"What do you mean?" She looked up at him.
"Being bitten can lead to… unexpected impulses."
"Then let's find somewhere private."
"Alright…"
"Wait!" Sayaka cut in, flustered, as the two were about to take off together.
"What now?" La Folia shot her a teasing look.
"You're just going to leave me here?"
"You're not a child."
"I'm supposed to guard you!"
"Not with Shichen here."
"…"
"Hehe~ If you don't say what you really want, we're going," La Folia said, smiling.
"Mm… F-fine! Shichen, drink my blood too!" Sayaka blurted, face flaming.
"Don't follow La Folia's lead."
"I'm not—I'm serious! Make me your Blood Servant too!"
~~~
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