And there he was.
The bat in white.
Zinac Camazotz.
Dressed head-to-toe in silk so bright it could blind Ghidorah. His long cape trailed behind him like some royal predator pretending to be holy.
The moment our eyes met, his lips curved into that familiar smirk — irritatingly charming. And those fangs? Yeah, still there. Still shiny.
Zinac: "Well, well, if it isn't the little stalker, Yurio. Quite the… revelation."
His crimson eyes traced my outfit — slowly.
I could practically hear his inner monologue's.
Yurio: "And you heard in the boutique I was not stalking her. I only wanted to apologise."
The word apologise did came a bit hesitantly.
Zinac: "And you want me to believe that?"
Yurio: "I don't give a fuck if you believe or not."
He looked at me again — no, scanning me again.
Like, seriously?Why?
What is wrong with everyone? I've always worn this type of clothes!
From my memory, none of them ever looked at me like that before!
Then why now!?
Did I went a bit extreme?
Tonight I'd gone all in — low V-cut black suit, ruby embroidery, transparent red-and-black coat.
Scandalous? Sure. But elegant.
If the empire was going to whisper about me, I'd give them something worth whispering about.
Zinac: "You've changed."
Yurio: "Changed?"
Zinac: "In a fun way."
I tell you — chills.
That's the kind of line male leads say to the female lead.
Why the fuck is he throwing that at me?!
Dude. Fly away.
Zinac chuckled, that smug, silky sound that probably made maids drop trays somewhere in the palace.
Yurio: "Your bat eyes got dull or something, Lord Zinac?"
Zinac: "Dull? Hardly. In fact, I've never seen so much cleavage outside the ladies' wing. Are you trying to outshine the noblewomen tonight?"
I blinked.
Then blinked again.
First, this body is fucking minor.
And second, he is wearing it even lower than me!
And the least,
Did this bastard just—
Yurio: "…You're really bold for someone whose wardrobe screams virgin sacrifice."
He raised a brow.
Yurio: "And what's that cape for, huh? Planning to tie up Eliza after the ball and have your way with her, you nasty bat?"
The air cracked.
Zinac froze for a heartbeat before his grin returned — wider, sharper.
Zinac: "My, my. You really have changed. The old Yurio would've fainted before saying something like that about Eliza."
I almost rolled my eyes.
Yurio: "The old Yurio was too polite."
Zinac: "And this one?"
Yurio: "Honest, I guess?"
Zinac: "Honest, hah!"
He laughed , like he was enjoying this.
And honestly, I wasn't sure if I wanted to punch him or pour him a drink.
He leaned closer, voice dropping to a whisper only I could hear.
The hall seemed to shrink around us.
Two heirs. Two beast. One ridiculous amount of tension.
Zinac: "But do you know what's the most interesting thing these dull bat eyes have seen today?"
He met my gaze.
Zinac: "You've awakened, young master."
Fuck.
Zinac: "Your brown scales are glowing."
Of course he noticed. The Camazotz were born of night—they saw everything.
I forced a smirk, masking the rush of heat crawling up my neck.
He stepped back, grin still in place, and casually snatched a wine glass from a passing tray.
Zinac: "Well, at least you're more entertaining now. I was starting to miss the old Yurio's melodrama."
Yurio: "And I was starting to miss the days when you kept your tongue to yourself, bat."
Zinac: "As long as you don't harass Eliza."
Yurio: "I've never!"
He raised his glass in mock salute, eyes gleaming.
Zinac: "Now, now, let's not start another war before the ball begins."
Yurio (muttering): "You'd lose it anyway."
And just then—
The sharp, booming voice of the royal guard cut through the hall.
"Duke Harlow Amethyst and Lady Alina Amethyst. Their heir, Luan Amethyst."
The Dukedom of the Blue-Purple Phoenix. Scholars, historians, and geniuses.
They all shared that ethereal mix of lilac hair and cool blue eyes — and a rumor that they kept their bloodline… pure.
Luan Amethyst. The second love interest of Eliza in the original book.
Nineteen. The strategist.
Smart, dangerous, and useful. Especially for my dragon hunt.
Zinac's peaceful silence lasted all of five seconds before he opened his cursed mouth.
Zinac: "That damn bird family — don't know any fun except breeding among themselves."
I was utterly speechless.
Bro. Heir of a dukedom, and that's what you say in a royal ball?
Yurio: "You wanna start another mess in the noble fraction?"
He shut up.
Briefly.
Until Luan approached.
Luan: "Greetings, Lord Zinac. Lord Yurio."
Zinac: "It's been a while, bird-head."
Luan: "Shut up, you rat."
Unprovoked. Wow, they are besties.
Their eyes flashed — one crimson, one blue.
And there it was. Power humming between them, dangerous and beautiful.
Oh gods. They're doing the thing.
The transformation spark, the same one I had when my eyes turned red.
The two heirs squared off like wild beasts pretending to be civilized.
And I just stood there, half in awe, half panicking.
…And there are still two more love interests left to appear.
Author, what kind of cast did you even make!?