Chapter 76: Ina’s Temptation

Led by Alicia, Ina walked through the opulent corridors of the Imperial Court.
The decorations were unlike anything she’d seen in the human world.

Above the corridor, rare light-attribute magic crystals hung in abundance, shaped into chandeliers that illuminated the path.
Even in the Borus Empire’s palace, Ina had never seen such extravagant use of magic crystals.

Given their number and size, they could probably fund a lordship in the empire’s heartland.
And this was likely just a fraction of the Imperial Court’s grandeur.
Who knew what other marvels lay in its depths?

Ina trailed Alicia, her mind racing.
‘So… Cynthia’s the princess of the Kalmoz Empire. She’s incredibly powerful. And judging by this place, she’s probably richer than entire nations?’
‘No wonder she doesn’t care about money.’
‘At home, she probably sees coins as scrap metal and paper as trash!’
‘As the queen’s only daughter, she must’ve grown up drowning in love!’

‘Ugh… so jealous.’
‘Time to eat a lemon.’

Ina stared at the tiny Cynthia sleeping on Alicia’s shoulder, her gaze hardening with resolve.
‘I’m holding onto this golden thigh! No one’s prying me away!’

“Ah, Your Majesty… Is that Her Highness Cynthia you’re holding?”

Ina hadn’t noticed they’d left the corridor and entered a spacious hall.
Servants with varied hair and eye colors bustled about, all sporting pointed ears, fangs, and uniforms like Lilith’s.

Seeing Alicia and the childlike Cynthia, they swarmed over, cooing and gently touching her.
“Oh my~ Her Highness’s sleeping face is so cute”
“Her little cheeks are so soft”

One maid even poked Cynthia’s face, beaming with delight.

Alicia stood smiling, letting the maids fuss over Cynthia without restraint.
She seemed unbothered by their boldness, even proud as they praised her daughter.
“Right? Come on, say it with me: Little Cynthia is number one in the world!”

“Little Cynthia is number one in the world!!!”

The maids’ unified chant made Ina feel like she’d stumbled into a pyramid scheme.
Alicia, the queen, seemed like its charismatic leader.
Without her regal gown and crown, no one would guess she was the empress.

“Oh, Your Majesty, who’s the person behind you?”

A sharp-eyed maid finally noticed Ina, who’d been lost in thought.
She tilted her head, questioning her queen.

“This is Cynthia’s friend, a human.”

“Hey~ Not food?”

A short-haired maid eyed Ina, her nose twitching as she licked her lips.
“She smells so good~ I wanna taste her~”

‘Huh?!’

Ina shivered at the words, glancing at the maids.
Their gazes were like a pack of wolves eyeing a juicy lamb—and she was the lamb.

Recalling Cynthia’s hungry night attack in Bazerol, Ina’s lips went dry.
She edged closer to Alicia, fearing the maids might pounce and devour her.

“Such a pity—she belongs to little Cynthia, so give up that idea.”

Noticing Ina’s discomfort, Alicia waved the maids off with a smile.
“Get back to work, or I’ll call the head maid.”

“Ah~ So scary~ Scatter, scatter!”

The maids laughed at the mention of the “head maid” but obediently dispersed, resuming their tasks.

Alicia turned to Ina.
“What? Scared just now?”

“If you ask… maybe a little.”

Ina patted her chest, sighing softly.
“It felt like they meant it.”

“They did, if you weren’t Cynthia’s friend.”

Alicia stepped forward, continuing down the hall.
“But now they know, so they won’t touch you.”

Gulp…

Ina swallowed hard, silently thanking Cynthia.
‘Even asleep, you’re saving my life. Thank you, Cynthia, my savior!’

Ascending another floor, Alicia led Ina to a lavish bedroom.
It was pristine, clearly maintained daily.
Beyond the luxury seen elsewhere, Ina noticed unique items.

Like the white box in the corner, faintly emitting ice elements.
‘Is that… an air conditioner?’

Opening the door, a cool breeze hit Ina, just like an air-conditioned room.
She’d never seen such a device elsewhere.
‘Is the Kalmoz Empire’s tech tree different? Are these vampires leaning into magical science?’

“Well, Ina, you can stay here.”

Alicia approached the grand, ornate bed in the room’s center, gently placing Cynthia on it and tucking her in.

“Stay here?”

“Yes, I’ll have the maids prepare food for you. Rest easy.”

“But… there’s only one bed?”

Ina scanned the room, finding no second bed.
‘They don’t expect me to sleep on the carpet, right?’
Though, the carpet looked as plush as a bed…

Alicia’s next words made Ina question her ears.
“Hm? Isn’t this a bed?”

She patted the space beside her, smiling.
“Oh, I forgot to mention—this is Cynthia’s room, so there’s just this one bed.”

“One bed? So…”

Ina blinked rapidly as Alicia’s smile widened brightly.
“Yup, why don’t you two just share it?”