"The next king? Last night, your subordinate exaggerated your status," the baby-faced girl pouted. Wearing the children's clothes prepared for Tales, she sat down beside the fireplace on the carpet, looking both comical and adorable, and continued speaking with her lisp: "But we found out that you aren't even a Prince anymore."
Of course not. Across the entire country, the number of people who knew the king had a son probably didn't exceed the fingers on both hands—Tales said inwardly.
Do you think I'm going to tell you that Gilbert only said that on purpose because he was annoyed at watching that blond guy show off? Tales rolled his eyes inwardly.
"I thought..." Tales drew a deep breath and looked at those crimson eyes before saying, "We agreed back at Weed Manor: since my blood tastes good, as long as you abandon the idea of draining me dry in one go, I'll provide you with a small amount of blood regularly. While you enjoy my blood, you'll work for me, and I'll guarantee that you'll have a safe place to stay in Star Kingdom."
"But you do not have that kind of power," Serena said slowly but firmly. "To protect us."
"All right, fine. I'm just an illegitimate son. So it won't be me, but my father who guarantees your safety..."
Serena stared straight at him and suddenly interrupted, "But you are not your father. You are not the king."
"So what?" Tales said helplessly. "I'm very sorry, but you're already in Mindis Hall, and we've learned your secret. I doubt the Cavendish Family would welcome you back, either..."
"Half a pint," the red-eyed little girl said expressionlessly.
"What?"
"Half a pint of your blood every day." She looked seriously into Tales' eyes.
"Half... a pint every day?" Tales narrowed his eyes as well, looking at the Archduchess from the Eastern Continent. Just for my blood?
This boy's blood is different. Serena thought silently. It was precisely this blood, full of vitality and power, that awakened me from my chaotic slumber. Though waking up to discover someone gnawing on my neck was not particularly pleasant. Serena pouted unhappily and touched her neck.
Tales, don't forget. Yesterday, she was the dried-corpse version of this "little sister"— On the other side, Tales thought with a shudder. She nearly took your life. Remembering how a dried corpse had once bitten his neck like a water pump... Tales' mood grew complicated, and he turned his neck awkwardly as well.
The two stared at each other in silence until one of them broke it.
"You've got to be kidding! Half a pint every day? You might as well drain me dry!" Tales rose onto his toes and slapped the table—otherwise he was too short to reach it—staring back at her without the slightest sign of weakness. Still, whenever he remembered her dried-corpse appearance, he felt a little creeped out.
"I wish I could drain every drop of blood from your body," Serena replied in a serious, horrifying tone, her red eyes fixed on him. "But having you provide blood to me over the long term is clearly more worthwhile."
"You're certainly good at calculating every last detail!" Tales retorted sarcastically.
"A quarter pint every day. I need to recover quickly." Serena's gaze turned cold, and her tone left no room for argument.
"Do you think I'm some cockroach that gets its health and mana fully restored every time it levels up?" Under her stare, Tales gritted his teeth. "Donate blood to you every day? Not a chance!"
"I do not understand what you are saying." Faced with the boy's inadvertent ravings, the cold-faced little girl simply ignored them. "Once a week. Two pints."
"Once every six months! One-tenth of a pint! That's already me being generous for the sake of our friendly negotiations." Tales spoke through clenched teeth.
"Once every two weeks. One and a half pints. Prove your friendliness to me through your actions."
"Once a month at most! I need time to make more blood after losing it, you know!"
Serena slowly rose from the floor.
Her crimson pupils turned toward Tales, making his scalp prickle.
"Brat, do not challenge my patience."
"The reason you can still stand here and breathe is that I am interested in your blood."
Serena's eyes narrowed. Her expression remained unchanged, but a chill suddenly appeared in it!
"If we are willing to pay any price to leave, you cannot stop us. Besides..." Serena's eyes moved mysteriously, but her pupils never left Tales' gaze, making the boy's hair stand on end. "The secret heir of Star Kingdom is hidden here. What do you think? Would those great lords and nobles be interested?"
Tales immediately felt his scalp go numb.
This damn Old Witch, Tales cursed inwardly.
But his fieldwork experience in his previous life made him realize that, as the other party in the negotiation, he could not show weakness.
"Sure," Tales forced a cheerful smile onto his face. "Your sister must miss you very much, too. Especially since you came to Star Kingdom for a vacation and even turned into an adorable chubby little girl."
"By then, I won't be able to become the heir, and you won't be able to return to the Night Kingdom. Since we're such a perfect match—"
Tales' smile grew even brighter. "Why don't you marry me?"
The words fell.
Serena's expression did not change. Her gaze did not shift, and her body did not move.
Yet for some reason, Tales shuddered and felt an icy chill pierce his bones in an instant!
The two stared at each other for more than ten seconds.
Amid the silence, Serena slowly spat out a sentence.
"It seems you truly wish to sever ties with me."
As she spoke, Serena suddenly grinned, revealing two tiny fangs!
Tales was startled.
His right hand hidden behind his back trembled, and the JC Dagger was already ready to stab at any moment!
"Very well." Serena curled the corners of her lips mysteriously and licked her fangs.
At this angle and distance, I can hold out for more than ten seconds.
Tales lowered his head and furrowed his brows, swallowing hard.
As long as I don't run into Chris, Yordel can arrive in time. The guards are in the corridor, along with Jinnie and Gilbert, but Istrone and Rolana—damn it!
But since the worst possible result had already come, Tales could only choose to accept it.
He bent his legs slightly and spread his feet apart. His left arm was ready to rise, and his right hand gripped the dagger firmly. He was just about to assume the standard Iron Body Style.
Northern Military Swordsmanship—though I only practiced it for two hours, I hope you'll prove worth the price. Tales smiled bitterly inwardly.
For the first time, Serena suddenly broke into an unsettling smile.
Her childish voice rang out, sounding especially terrifying in Tales' ears.
"Then I can only compromise. As you said, once a month."
"How many pints, Tales? You decide."
Use my left arm as a shield to block her first attack. Based on my experience with that dried corpse last night, I wonder if she'll—huh?
Tales suddenly realized what Serena had said.
What?
Compromise?
Tales opened his mouth in shock, wide enough to fit two of Serena's fists.
I was just about to use Yasashi, and the enemy has already... surrendered?
Why isn't this following the original script?
Something even more frightening happened afterward.
Two faint dimples appeared on Serena's adorable little face.
The little girl smiled shyly. "Dear Tales, I've already compromised. Shouldn't you show some sincerity as well?"
Tales frowned and regarded her suspiciously.
Watching the emotionless girl suddenly transform into a smiling little girl, he was completely unable to react.
All he could do was answer awkwardly in a dry voice.
"What... ahem... what kind of sincerity?"
The little girl smiled even more brightly.
In that instant, Tales suddenly felt that those strange crimson eyes were actually quite beautiful.
"Promising young Your Highness Tales," she said with a friendly smile. "Let us form an alliance."
"I will help you overcome your current difficulties... and successfully ascend the throne."
"And you will support me." A strange glint appeared in Serena's crimson eyes.
"To reclaim my throne."
Tales froze.
Reclaim... her throne?
The Eastern Continent's... Night Kingdom?
The adorable girl blinked.
"Uh, that goal is still too far away." Tales scratched his head—his dagger had long since been tucked back into his pocket—and spoke awkwardly and hesitantly. "If I really become king someday, then, well, depending on the circumstances..."
Before he could finish, the little girl's eyes grew crystalline, and she slowly leaned toward him.
Tales stared dumbfoundedly as the strange girl extended both hands and gently linked them around his right arm.
"I know Tales needs me very much, too!"
Before Tales could pull his hand away, he saw a pair of red pupils gazing at him, brimming with tears.
Serena blinked her unusually bewitching eyes, pursed her lips, and gently rocked his arm, just like an ordinary little girl acting spoiled.
Looking into those eyes, Tales felt his whole body jolt.
His mind grew inexplicably dizzy.
"To prevent your identity from being exposed, you cannot simply let us go." Serena bit her lower lip, the corners of her lips curving into a lovable expression. "Because my value and status are sensitive, you cannot easily dispose of me, either..."
"So we can only form a win-win alliance." The girl gently rubbed the back of his hand with the soft skin of her arm, a strange, obedient light flickering in her eyes. "Compared to the helplessness and circumstances at the manor, isn't it perfectly normal for allies to help each other?"
"That way, we'll both feel a little more at ease..."
Tales pulled his arm back with an ugly expression.
But the strange sensation on the back of his hand seemed to linger.
"If this can reduce the hostility between us..." Tales sighed. "We can cooperate temporarily, but for now it can only be limited to providing you with a Sanctuary..."
"You know that my own situation is awkward, too. Before my identity is acknowledged, I can't help you reclaim your throne."
"All right, all right." Serena's expression suddenly became animated, like an ordinary girl who had found a cloth doll. Biting her lower lip, she nodded vigorously with a happy smile. "I understand, I understand!"
"I knew Tales was the best to me!" The girl's eyes curved into crescents as she grabbed Tales' arm again.
Tales raised his brows. Unaccustomed to seeing her like this, he instinctively tried to pull his arm back, but the girl held on tightly.
Serena's expression changed again, her smile turning into one of grievance and hesitation.
"It's just..." The girl pressed her lips together unhappily and poked Tales' arm.
"Just what?" Tales furrowed his brows again, feeling completely unable to deal with her.
"It's just one little thing..." Serena rocked Tales' arm and said pitifully, "One-eighth of a pint each month is too little. I'll starve to death..."
Tales' face darkened. "Why don't you go drink someone else's blood?"
"Because I think Tales is the most special person of all," the girl said with an expression as if she were about to cry, blinking her eyes. "We're good allies..."
Tales frowned, his head throbbing.
In the end, the blood-supply agreement was set at one-eighth of a pint per month. Tales counted it out on his fingers. It wasn't much.
But he still felt he had gotten the short end of the deal.
"In exchange, you'll receive the assistance of two Transcendent Rank experts and one Extreme Realm Expert." Serena suddenly reverted to an expressionless little girl, but her gaze remained sharp. "Your path to becoming the heir will be much smoother."
That's true. Tales thought gloomily. If you gained the support of a powerful Western Continent kingdom, your path to reclaiming the throne would surely be much smoother, too.
"And for the sake of Tales' promise, I'll also work hard to help you become the heir and ascend the throne!"
Promise? Tales' face twitched.
I clearly never agreed to that just now, did I?
Why did she interpret it that way on her own?
Also, hey, what's with that cold expression that suddenly came back?
Watching the little girl stagger out, Tales suddenly realized that he was covered in cold sweat.
He had a vague feeling that something was wrong.
"By the way, I have a question." As she was leaving, the little girl turned around and asked with her restored, usual expressionless face, "What secret does your blood contain?"
"How can just a little of it awaken me?"
"That wasn't 'a little' blood last night!" The boy, full of inexplicable frustration, complained unhappily. "For that question, go read some books, look up some information, search the records, or just ask my parents!"
Unexpectedly, Serena nodded seriously. "If it is profitable, I will. She raised her eyes. "Your blood and my power, your throne and my throne—our cooperation is actually very worthwhile."
The next moment, Tales was surprised to see Serena sway her small body and take a step backward.
"For this, I apologize for my own and my subordinate's recklessness, and ask for your magnanimity and forgiveness."
Serena bowed once more. With her chubby little hand, she pinched the nonexistent hem of her skirt and said softly in a childish voice, "Future Your Highness Tales Starcrest."
Tales was stunned.
Tales Starcrest.
This was the first time anyone had called him that.
Just as Serena had said earlier: after all, he was not even a Prince right now.
From beggar to Your Highness—sure enough, I'm still not used to it, Tales thought bitterly.
This witch... Tales, drenched in cold sweat, kept reminding himself of that. Don't be fooled by how she looked so stern and expressionless before. As expected of a former Archduchess, I suppose.
Thinking this, Tales let out a deep sigh, feeling that today's negotiation had been somewhat discouraging.
He seriously extended a hand and helped the little girl to her feet. Though the sight of two children doing this looked comical, both of them became incomparably solemn.
"Your Highness Serena Corleone, I accept your friendship."
Tales moved his right hand in front of little Serena, his expression serious. "From now on, we're allies."
Serena looked at him, her crimson eyes flickering.
After a moment, she extended her chubby little hand and placed it in his palm. "Of course. Star and Night—pleasant cooperation."
Their two little hands gently clasped together.
"Also, keep your people away from my guards in the future. They have an unbreakable blood feud!"
Tales looked meaningfully at the girl who was a head shorter than him. "Next time, you can tell me how you plan to reclaim your throne. There's no need to go to such lengths to test my attitude. Istrone's acting is terrible."
"On this point, we need to be open and honest and trust each other."
"Trust?" Serena's crimson pupils narrowed slightly, and she nodded as well. "All right, future Your Highness Tales. If you inherit the throne and we form the Starry Night Alliance, then our relationship will be rather unusual..."
Serena revealed a strange smile. "For the future of our two countries, perhaps we'll even form a marriage alliance!"
"Of course we have to trust each other!"
Tales' frustrated face twitched.
He was so choked up that he wanted to vomit. Can someone please take this lisping nuisance away?
Did this chapter's clichéd plot disgust anyone?
If it did—even enough for someone to delete the book—hee hee, then I win.
If you can endure this maliciously cutesy act from a soft and delicate old little girl, then later... Guess what will happen later? (Continues smiling mysteriously.)