VBFSOCL 02

Chapter 2 — The Saint of Rare Blood

“From today onward, you are my wife. Fiene—the Saint of Rare Blood.”

“R–rare… what…?”

Those sapphire-blue eyes fixed on her without the slightest intention of letting her escape.

“Your blood is something called rare blood. It’s very… alluring. It has a sweet, fragrant scent.”

“N-no one has ever told me something like that…”

“Of course not. It’s only ‘alluring’… to vampires.”

“V-vampires…!?”

The carriage began to move slowly, the wheels jolting as it rolled forward.

With the sudden sway, Fiene lost her balance and stumbled forward—falling straight into Oswald’s chest.

“I-I’m terribly sorry! The Ertze carr—!”

Her words broke off halfway.

Because she finally noticed.

(…His canines are long… like fangs. And his eyes… they’re red…)

Oswald gently closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, they had returned to their usual sapphire blue, and he offered her a soft, reassuring smile.

“Have you realized it now? Yes. I am a vampire.”

“…A vampire…”

Vampires were nothing more than beings from legends and picture books.
For one to appear before her like this—she couldn’t hide her shock.

“Your blood is rare, you see. To a vampire… it’s a delicacy.”

At those words, Fiene held her breath.

A cold tension ran through her body, as if the man in front of her might take her life at any moment.

(I see… so I was bought… to be eaten by him.)

Imagining what awaited her, her expression slowly went hollow.

(It’s not like I haven’t suffered before… or been failed by every previous arrangement.)

She closed her eyes.

Starved and mistreated, she had grown thin and frail—disappointing nobles who had only taken interest in her body.

Another had rejected her outright, calling her emerald eyes “disgusting,” leaving her outside in the freezing snow.

Once, in another household, she had been unable to prepare a meal properly—and had boiling soup thrown on her, leaving burns on her skin.

Voices echoed in her mind like a curse from those days—

“Shut up and do as I say!”

“Do you really think I’d be satisfied with a body like that?!”

“What’s with those eyes? Disgusting!”

“Don’t come any closer, you fake saint!”

Fiene slowly opened her eyes again and looked up at Oswald.

Then she gave a faint, almost self-deprecating smile.

(I suppose… being eaten by a vampire might be the most fitting end for me.)

As if she had accepted something—her death, or perhaps something beyond it—she smiled.

Oswald’s expression turned serious.

“Do you… think I’m going to eat you?”

“…Huh?”

She blinked, confused.

He gently placed a hand against her cheek, guiding her face up toward his.

And then he looked at her with an unusually tender gaze.

“I won’t do that.”

Softly, he brushed her hair aside.

“I won’t eat you. So… you can relax.”

He leaned in and placed a light kiss against her.

The touch was brief—almost careful.

“I’m not going to eat you. I promise.”

His low, sweet voice warmed something inside her, and Fiene’s body temperature rose just slightly.

Thank you very much for reading.

I’d be happy if you enjoyed it!

[Author’s Note]

Personally, I think I prefer calling them “vampires.”

What about you all? “Kyūketsuki,” “vampire,” or maybe “banpaia”—which do you like best?

Just a thought from me.