EP.61 Wholesome Life
The classroom was already on the quiet side, but with my declaration, silence descended as if sound itself had been murdered. The returnee gaped at me with his mouth wide open, and Aji was still looking down at the puppet man with melancholy eyes.
Meanwhile, I maintained my kneeling posture, keeping up my supportive demeanor.
It was a childish, old-fashioned line that belonged in a museum, but it worked remarkably well on an ancient who was older than most national treasure-class artifacts. In the case of this 12th-century girl vampire, she was highly satisfied even while knowing it was an act.
'You know how to recite quite the accommodating lines. Well, I know it's play-acting, but let me hear a little more.'
"...I permit it."
"Thank you, my lady."
Without a moment's hesitation, I kissed the back of her extended hand. Intoxicated by the atmosphere, the vampire accepted even that without displeasure.
Quietly picking up an empty chair, I set it down across from the vampire, then bowed toward her once more to seek consent. Only after the vampire nodded did I sit across from her, half a beat late.
'Hmmm. You know how to observe proper etiquette.'
Her immersion was tremendous. Like someone who watches a musical or play and sheds tears, she was clearly conscious that this was acting, yet her emotions overflowed.
How could someone with such sensitivity say she was fine? I couldn't even imagine what would happen if she had a body with a properly beating heart.
Anyway, I continued the act.
"Excuse me, but may I ask which noble house you belong to?"
"I have none."
The vampire answered briefly to my question. The answer was short, but the vampire's thoughts were not as short.
'When I was going about the world, many were drawn to me, captivated by my appearance. When I answered those who thought I was a noble, their reactions were threefold. They would change their attitude and despise me, cast me aside as if I were a servant, or play the hypocrite, pretending to be someone special while saying it was fine.'
Rather, with the intent of testing me, the vampire tapped the table with her fingers as if urging an answer.
'Well, even if this situation itself is an act. Let me see how you answer.'
She had thought wrong.
The 12th-century girl's sensibility far surpassed my expectations. Why was I so late to realize that she was fully aware this situation was an act? Hadn't she immersed herself too deeply in her role?
Well, there was nothing wrong with focusing on her role. I would just respond accordingly.
"As expected, you must be someone sent from the heavens."
"Hm?"
"Are you truly a fairy? Of course, otherwise, a beauty that seems to come from beyond the world would never appear so suddenly without any context or rumors. I am fortunate indeed. To be the first to discover the beautiful fairy that heaven gifted to earth."
'...Quite...'
An enormous fuss, enough to make the listener blush.
But the other party was a vampire who had brought her past sensibilities intact. Even such toe-curling lines were words ordinarily exchanged with the sensibilities of that time.
"I am sorry to seem to betray your expectations, but that is not what I meant. I meant I have no house to speak of. My father was a collateral line of an unnamed house. He left the family as if driven out and set up a separate household. In other words, I meant I have nothing that could be called a house."
"Ah. So you were human, not a fairy. Part of me is relieved, while another part of me despairs. Someone as beautiful as you must already have a knight as brave as a lion and as noble as a duke guarding your side. With eyes blazing, lest some jackal coveting treasure appear. For someone like me, who has nothing but what I wear on my body, there would surely not be even a second's chance..."
As I placed my hand on my chest and lamented regretfully, the vampire chuckled and replied.
"You say I have nothing, yet you presume as you please. Did I not say I have no house to speak of?"
No house to speak of. She had never been in a relationship to share names with anyone.
According to the old way of speaking, it meant she was not currently involved with anyone.
And throughout all times and places, the meaning of "I have no one I'm seeing" implied passive affirmation.
"Surely the whole world must be blind! To leave someone like you alone! No, or perhaps the other men made a pact? To only watch and not touch the most beautiful flower atop the highest cliff?"
"Hehe. Nonsense."
After laughing pleasantly, the vampire replied with a self-deprecating smile.
"Perhaps they noticed my other disqualifying flaw."
"That is what being blind is called. Beauty has no sin, and elegance has no distinction. People may prattle that they cannot grasp the essence when sitting face-to-face, but such people are the secular ones who immediately weigh invisible money or power or bloodlines."
So saying, I reached out and took the vampire's hand. The vampire no longer avoided my hand. Rather, she even put a little strength into it.
"I believe my eyes that hold you, my ears that hold your voice, and my hand that now touches yours."
"...Knowing what I am."
"Whatever it may be, I am not afraid."
After saying that briefly and firmly, I slightly clouded my gaze toward a corner and added.
"What I fear is that I, weak and unsightly, might not satisfy you, might not be able to fill your heart completely. That alone."
"Arrogant. Did you think the strong and handsome could easily fill it? Have you regarded my heart like a merchant's scale?"
The vampire, who had been listening quietly, suddenly raised her voice. When I feigned a startle, she scolded me with an intentionally angry expression.
"The heart can only be filled with time. Whatever one's background, however little money one has, that is irrelevant."
"Then, would you permit me to be by your side, so that I may fill you with my time?"
"Well then, try it."
I stood up. As I walked around the desk toward the vampire, she held her head high and looked straight ahead.
I sat in the seat to the vampire's left as if it had been my place from the start, and took her left hand with my left. Reaching across meant our bodies inevitably drew closer. Very naturally, I extended my right arm and wrapped it around her small shoulder that fit in one hand.
If I pulled her like this, our bodies would touch. Even so, the vampire did not particularly refuse.
Hmm. It would be fun to pull her in like this, but it's drifting a bit from what I calculated.
Returnee, are you just going to watch?
"St-stop! Just how far are you going to go!"
Nice timing, returnee.
The returnee slammed the desk with a bright red face. The flow was broken, and I stood up with a chuckle, raising both hands.
The act was over. The air that had briefly melted sweetly turned cold in an instant. Changing my attitude as easily as flipping my palm, I approached the vampire with a smile.
"Trainee Tirkanjaka."
The vampire answered half a beat late.
"Y-yes?"
"Honestly, you were a bit intoxicated by the atmosphere, right?"
At my question, for a very brief moment, the vampire was greatly confused. It was because my attitude had changed too abruptly.
But the heart follows the body. The turmoil was momentary. The vampire, whose heart did not beat, quickly feigned composure, and the stopped blood flow cooled her body in an instant.
The vampire said in a leisurely tone not much different from usual.
"W-what are you talking about. It was merely an amusing diversion, so I simply played along."
"A diversion?"
"Yes. A diversion."
What diversion. She's a vampire with 12th-century chastity notions and she takes this attitude? She should make sense.
"So it was just a brief diversion?"
"Of course. You said all of this was acting, so wouldn't I have approached it with a light heart as well?"
The vampire nodded to herself as if persuading herself. Feigning composure, she sat with her back straight.
I approached with a swagger, wearing a mischievous smile.
"Oh ho. I see. So Trainee Tirkanjaka is someone who readily throws herself into another man's arms as a brief diversion? Were you always that easy?"
"What are you saying? I would never."
To say she wouldn't was self-contradictory. The attitude she had just shown no longer held up.
I always feel this way, but the person who sends themselves into the abyss is always themselves. Why say things you can't handle?
"I, I did say. Knowing it was acting, hmph, I approached it with a light heart."
She made a hasty excuse, but the effect had worn off. I crossed my arms and muttered.
"Drop just one psychological hurdle and the person changes in a flash. Is this acceptable? You were the one who had something to say even if I just held a puppy's hand?"
"Woof?"
Aji reacted at the mention of her name. Perfect timing. Let me show you what you and I just did.
"Aji, hand."
"Woof."
Aji promptly held out her hand, and I took it. I stroked the soft hand with its hidden claws while observing the vampire's reaction.
Sure enough, she was watching with scandalized eyes. Even though she had been sitting right next to me just a moment ago.
"Did you see? Trainee Tirkanjaka was like this just now."
"T-that can't be! That's slander!"
"Trainee Shea. How was it? Please speak fairly."
The vampire and the returnee's eyes met, and the returnee averted her gaze slightly and nodded bashfully. That attitude from the returnee became the greatest proof of all.
Finally cornered, the vampire covered her face with her parasol and cried out.
"Fine! I let my guard down for a moment! I admit that! But!"
Swish. The end of the parasol pointed at me. From beyond the parasol, the vampire shouted resentfully.
"So what! You're already someone who has seen inside my chest anyway!"
At that moment, the returnee slipped in place. Having fallen in the most unseemly manner, the returnee flailed about and looked this way.
'What? Seen what? Chest, inside? What the hell were you two doing?'
Oh my. Seems like there's a serious misunderstanding.
Be that as it may, the vampire, already cornered, continued speaking without caring whether the returnee heard.
"Your fingers have touched me countless times already, and just this morning I received your service! What more do you expect me to guard against?"
'This morning?! What about? What did you do this morning?!'
Goodness, how noisy. One is talking and the other is thinking, it's a complete mess.
"It's a bit much for me to say this, but Trainee Tirkanjaka has a tendency to give her heart too easily. It seems she has that attitude because she's immortal and somewhat strong, but these days, living like that is a sure way to get your nose cut off. Try cultivating a habit of doubting a little."
"If what you say is true, then I should never have revealed my heart to you from the start!"
"Oh, that's the correct answer."
To realize it so easily. I couldn't be more thrilled.
"Why reveal everything when you don't even know what kind of person I am? If I were to harbor ill intentions, even for Trainee Tirkanjaka, it would be immensely painful. Opening your heart to someone, or opening your chest like that, is that dangerous a thing."
"Did I not?"
The vampire slightly raised her parasol. From beneath the pitch-black parasol, reproachful eyes glowed red, directed at me.
"Even though there were chances time and again, you did not pour malice into me. And yet you tell me to doubt?"
"There's no guarantee you won't do so in the future."
"...Hah, fine."
The vampire stood up abruptly. For once, she used her own feet to stride directly to the training room door.
"As you say. From now on, I shall live doubting everything."
So saying, she left the classroom. In her wake, darkness surged, and the door slammed shut.
Once the vampire disappeared, the returnee, who had been standing with her mouth agape, stiffly turned her head and began jabbing her finger at me.
"Y-you, you, you, you."
"Now then. You'll believe me now, right? I've planted doubt in her, so even if Finlay says something, she'll filter it through first."
"No! That's not it! What exactly are you going around doing with Tirkanjaka?!"
Huh?
What's this. I planted doubt so she'd keep her distance from Finlay, just like you wanted. What exactly is the complaint here?
All talk and no follow-through, this one's over-investing too.
Sighing, I answered.
"As of today, I've become your new stepdad. Go ahead, call me Father."