Kara poured red tea blended with flowers picked from the rose garden into the teacups, wearing a mischievous smile as though she were rebutting her mistress on her behalf.
"Lady Leticia, commanding the Dragon race with her golden hair flowing loose, is like a flower on the battlefield. Countless heroes admire Your Highness and wish to propose to you, you know?"
"...Is that so? Then is there any hero my sister has taken a liking to?"
Lamia asked with slight unease.
Leticia shook her head, showing an even more troubled, wry smile.
"How could there be? A vampire as far removed from romance as I am would never be pursued. Besides, I have no intention of starting a family before inheriting the throne and settling everything."
Leticia's answer made Lamia nod happily.
"Th-that's true! Though I said that just now, Sister is a great figure known as the treasure of our vampire race. There couldn't possibly be a man worthy of you."
"Just as Lady Lamia says. Anyone wishing to propose to our princess general must first defeat us, the number one and number two members of her fan club!"
Kara declared proudly with her chest raised, making Lamia blush shyly.
As though she had not noticed, Leticia smiled.
"What? In that case, only an extraordinarily valiant hero could become my husband. Even the captain of the knights praises Kara's swordsmanship. I would lose one match out of three against her."
"Exactly. An ordinary hero simply would not do. To become the partner of our princess general, one must be able to clear that level of trial with one hand."
Mm-hmm. The head maid and the Second Imperial Princess nodded together, making no effort whatsoever to conceal their desire not to see Leticia married off.
Leticia drank her tea and