Chapter 15: 15

15 "Thanks to you."

On the white bed, Fana was sleeping with a small snore on top.

I and Crenna, both exhale at almost the same time, looking at her finally in calm state.

"I'm sorry about earlier... all that mess."
Crenna gives a wry smile and says.

After our match was over, Fana suddenly collapsed and stopped moving, as if the string that had been stretched too tight had finally snapped. I was worried that I should take her to a doctor, but according to Crenna, it was just because she was tired and fell asleep.

I carried Fana who had lost consciousness to Crenna's room and put her to bed.

After watching Fana sleep quietly, I asked Crenna.

"Do things like this happen often?"

"Yeah, I mean... Fana-chan is a really good kid at heart, but she has this... a really strong sense of duty, which can sometimes become overbearing."
Crenna said that and then lowered herself onto her bed.

Unlike the room I was borrowing, Crenna's room had two beds. Fana had insisted that "I, as her bodyguard, should sleep in the same room as Lady Crenna" when I asked to borrow the room, so there wasn't much point in having the same room now that she was asleep.

"Do you want to sit next to me?"

"......yeah."

I sit next to her, as she invites me.

"Do you remember the time I told you about how I left the vampire territory without anyone knowing?"

"Yeah, you said if I hadn't helped you escape, you would have been stuck there."

""Yeah .... I don't really like saying this, but the biggest reason is Fana-chan."
Crenna spoke in a calm voice.

"Fana-chan didn't want me to go to the school in the capital. Not to mention, she was against me even leaving the vampire territory. It was only natural though. Fana-chan is my bodyguard, so she wouldn't agree with any actions that could put me in danger. Even so, I wanted to go outside. I knew that there were things I couldn't get if I just lived a protected life. So, I tried to convince Fana-chan, but... she didn't agree. So, I snuck out of the vampire territory by myself."
Saying so Crenna stood up and approached Fana.

"I'm sorry I made you so anxious. I didn't mean to be such a troublesome master." She looked at Fana with gentle eyes and lightly petted her head. Fana's expression seemed to ease.

"So, you... didn't like being bound and left the vampire clan to live as a human."

"Yeah."

"But even if it's a branch family, doesn't that mean the bindings are still that strong?"

Since I wasn't too familiar with aristocratic society, I couldn't really imagine what it was like. I wondered what kind of position Crenna had in the vampire clan.

Crenna answered while sitting back on the bed. "Even if it's called a branch family, I'm the granddaughter of the previous king."

"What?"

I was bewildered by her answer and stopped thinking for a while.

The previous king's granddaughter? Crenna in front of me is a genuine noble lady.

"Well, um, where should I start? There's something called a 'succession struggle' in the vampire world too."

"Then... the title of 'king' is only given to the person with the highest rank among the half-breeds, right? Then... the succession right itself can't exist if that's the case..."

"Yeah. That's why it's called a 'succession struggle' in the first place."

Crenna explained.

“The person with the most "prestige" will be king. There's no doubt about that. But that king's blood relative won't automatically become the king. There's a special place for the king, and he becomes a foster child there. ......That's because if it weren't that way, the politics wouldn't work well. What the king needs is "nobility," but his subordinates need strength and intelligence, and all sorts of other things. That's why it's not guaranteed that the king's blood relative will have all those things, so it's necessary to have a separate place for him.”

“......I see.”

So in other words, the conflict over who will become the king is a competition to see which family is the most worthy to inherit the throne.

“The current king is called the king father. He is the father of the current king and he is currently serving as the previous king. The previous king had two wives, so the conflict arose over who the new queen's mother would be, the wife of the current king's father or the wife of the previous king.
My grandmother was the second wife of the previous king, but she lost the conflict. The first wife of the previous king became the queen mother and the current vampire king is her foster child.
Even though she lost, my grandmother didn't vanish. Her family, the Viliens family, became a branch family, but she still gave birth to my mother normally. So my mother is the daughter of the previous king.”

So in conclusion, Crenna is the equivalent of the eldest daughter of a duke in human society.

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"I guess it would make sense for the restrictions to get stronger too..."

As far as I'm concerned, the nobility next to the royal family is like beings from the clouds. I don't actually know what kind of life they live, but... it's probably not something normal.

"But I regret it a little now. After I left the vampire clan, I was immediately attacked by imperial soldiers. The empire's soldiers were more obsessed with my blood than I thought. No one came to save me, and I finally realized... that I can't do anything by myself. I need someone like Fana. If only I had talked to her more…

I just silently listened to Crenna’s words.
I'm not sure when it happened, but... since we've been attacked several times on the way here, my feelings might have changed.

"Kale, really... thank you."
Unexpectedly. Crenna thanked me.

"... What is it, suddenly?"

"It's not sudden. I'm really grateful to Kale."
She looks down and says.　

"I was just dragged into it all, one-sidedly. And after that, you protected me... and today, you said you would follow me to the vampire clan territory. I really appreciate it."

"I regret that I made Fana sad. But I think it was right for me to leave the vampire clan and attend the academy. All the school events- the sports festival, cultural festival, school trip, and martial arts festival- look like they would be a lot of fun. It's been a while since I felt this way. All of this is thanks to Kale. If you weren’t there, I might've be captured by the empire right now. And then I wouldn't be able to attend the academy. So, I really appreciate you, Kale. Thank you"

"Thank you...? You don't need to thank me. I've already decided on my reward."

"But that's not what I mean. I want you to accept my feelings, Kale."
Hearing the purity in her voice, my heart was swayed a little.

I'm sure she was being sincere when she thanked me.
But it's not just her.

"No, I'm the one who should be thanking you."
Then she looked at me with round eyes.

"Ever since I met you, my life has been getting better and better. I was able to beat up all the guys who've been making fun of me for years, I was able to join a guild for the first time... it's all because of you."

It feels nostalgic, just thinking about it.
If I hadn't met Crenna that night... I probably would be living the same gray life I had before.

"So I have to thank you, Crenna. From the bottom of my heart, thank you."

I look straight into her eyes and say it.

"Crenna, I'm really glad I met you."

"Kale... “

I felt like Crenna's eyes were moist.

There's a sweet smell. I think Fana said Crenna was taking a bath. So, she probably finished recently. When I look at her, with her flushed face and glossy red lips, I can't help but be captivated.

She has a pure and innocent face, with long lashes that give her an air of vulnerability. I can understand how she could have such a large fan club after only being at the school for two days.

We stare at each other, neither of us making a move.

I can't take my eyes off her. I'm being pulled in by her charm…

"I will protect you, Crenna-sama!"
Fana suddenly shouts this.

We both jump, startled.

"Hey, sleep-talking ...?"

"That's right ..."

My heartbeat is intense. My face got hot all at once. Immediately I feel embarrassed.

Crenna and I flip up our shoulders almost at the same time and stiffen.
Slowly looking towards the bed ... Fana was sleeping again.

"Well, I'm going to bed now." Suppressing the turmoil, I stood up and headed towards the door.

"Yeah, me too."

I couldn't look back into her eyes but as I was leaving  I thought I heard Crenna mutter in a small voice.

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