[ Arc 01 - The Royal Family of Vampires. ]
Chapter 10 - Part 01 : The Day I Planned My First Step to Get Along with the Triplets.
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Ahh, this is bad.
Lately, the triplets have begun to show their hatred toward me. I know Kanato hates me from the first time we met, and it has become worse after his stolen sweets case and the breakfast event from the other days ago; then Raito, I think he began to avoid me since his leg got stuck in my trap; and the last one Ayato, I don't even know what is his problem with me, but he started to glare dagger at me for no reason since dinner yesterday! Damn it, is this what they called the triplets' conspiration?!
Well, I'm fully aware that I am in a dangerous situation. Even though I managed to change Cordelia, all of my efforts would be in vain if her children still held their negative emotions in them. If I don't do anything about this, my plan to create a total change on the plot will be messed up, also I might get killed by the triplets sooner or later in the end!
Argh, that's really worst.
I massaged my forehead as my golden orbs casted on a piece paper with a serious expression. My hand that held a fountain pen started to dance on top of the plain paper, creating letters on it.
The first solution, try to befriend their mothers by attracting their attention or interest, in progress.
Cordelia: Done. Beatrix: Not yet. Christa: Not yet.
My eyes moved down to the second sentence.
The second solution, gain their full trust by being kind to them, in progress.
Cordelia: Done? I think. Beatrix: Not yet. Christa: Not yet.
I moved on to the next sentence.
The third solution, do a massacre in this mansion, not yet.
As I read again the third solution, my eyes were dead like a fish.
Did my unconscious immature side of me write this ...?
I quickly stood up and crumpled the paper, then smacked it down into the nearest trash can with full force.
"What am I? A motherfucking serial killer?!"
Slowly, I backed down and sat in my seat again. A tired sigh left from my mouth as I leaned forward to my desk and plopped my head between my crossed arms.
"Wow, that's really a long sigh," commented Ror as she suddenly appeared from the mirror and sat on top of my desk. "Something stuck in your head, Dear? Perhaps, that bunch of troublesome vampires brought matters to you?" she asked with her usual sassy, mocking tone.
Thunk!
Her words shot like an arrow aim for their target.
I widened my eyes at her. Is she always good at guessing something?
"Wait, that's not right. Let me correct myself." She hummed to herself. "You're getting on their nerves lately, so they got their wacky revenge on you, and now you're at the edge of the line, am I right?" Her jade looked directly on mine.
Stab!
This time, her words pierced me like a thousand needles stab on my back.
Does she have clairvoyance ability*[1] or what ...?
A sly smirk appeared on her lips. "From seeing your reaction, did I hit the bullseye?" She began to chuckle. "Hehe, so childish, how cute is that."
The fact that her cruel words were right and she got her way to mock me like that, I felt my pride as an adult was trampled mercilessly. But to think she put me down like this ... surely, she really enjoyed her time testing me out.
"How mean." I pouted. "That's not something nice to say to someone who has kindly protected you by sacrificing herself to face the Hysteric Boy's wrath." At the end of my statement, a small smirk created on my lips.
She scoffed. "You're making a big fuss about it." She rolled her eyes and continued, "I didn't ask you to protect me, so why bother to do that?" she inquired.
"Isn't that obvious? I don't want to make things end more troublesome."
Ror looked back at me in a funny look. "So, you're saying you take the blame instead? Doesn't that still not change the fact that you are still in trouble?"
"Any choices were meant to be troublesome to pick, anyway." I shrugged. "Life is full of complicated choices. But isn't that how life works, giving us something to learn? Or maybe, that's how life just trying to give some spice and color in our monotonous life ...?" Shaking my head lightly, I continued, "Whatever the answer is, one thing that I know is ... life and the choices given to us are so exhausting, never really more than that." I sighed in exasperation like an old man struggling with their stressful life.
Ror who had been listening to my speech in silence, suddenly burst out laughing. "Oh my, I never thought I would hear such an answer like that from a child!" She reached her hand on top of my head and began to ruffle my hair messily. "You're so strange, yet I have never seen a child as interesting as you."
Hey, what's with those ambiguous words? Are you trying to praise me or insult me?
I frowned at her remark for a second but found my way back again to grin at her as I decided to continue to play along with the conversation.
I grabbed her hand to stop her action even further. "So, you're saying that I'm more interesting than Karlheinz?" A mischievous grin slid on my lips.
"No, he is more interesting, the best if I have to say. At least, better than you if I have to be honest."
Stab!
I felt another painful stab on my bleeding heart.
Wha-what is this shameful feeling from getting cornered by the triplet children; then getting mocked by the troll spirit; and last to be compared to the Gary Stu Father, yet only to get demeaned?
Goddamnit, where is my justice?
I felt my self-esteem points had decreased drastically. In exchange, my loathe points on this world, Diabolik-fucking-Lovers, had been increased.
"Oh, what's this?"
While I was in the middle of mental breakdown, Ror bent down and picked up the crumpled paper that I had thrown before.
My eyes lashed at her in a speed of light. And without saying anything, I snatched the crumpled paper away from her.
"Hey, I haven't read-"
"Enough. Don't say anything about it," I hissed with my eyes turned dark as I looked down on the crumpled paper. I began to tear down the paper, wiping all the plan evidence.
Damn it, she didn't read that embarrassing sentence, right?!
Ror stared at me for a moment before gradually threw her smirk at me. "I didn't know a child can think something like that."
"You read it?!"
"Only the last sentence."
God, why?!
Ror looked beyond amused, she walked up to me and slid her arm on my shoulders. "Actually, I can help you with it," she whispered into my ear.
"Just command me, and I-" She paused for moment and did a throat-slitting gesture to my neck. "... Will slice them like this if you want me to," she purred.
A tiny cold sweat dripped from my small face as I began to shiver from the drop temperature. I gripped my black-red frilly dress tightly to ease the uneasy feeling.
"What do you think? Isn't that a good idea seeing this mansion covered with their nasty blood?"
Her dark playful voice had made my shoulders shudder in tense.
"Remember that I will always accept your request with open arms, after all ..." Her smile went wider and wider. "I can't miss this exciting opportunity, right?" Her breath became much heavier as her face flushed in red.
I could sense the obnoxious aura lurked from the green-haired female. Her relaxed demeanor was nowhere to be trace from her, as if her usual attitude never existed before. She had changed into something ... ferocious, or murderous ...? I couldn't find the best word to describe her.
But to think she is someone who can be very dangerous like this ... well, is a bit, haahhh ...
When I first met with her, I never really thought that she could be someone with a threatening level- no, I never took her seriously until now. That's my mistake for being too naïve and gullible to a stranger. Sometimes, these bad habits of mine frustrate me so much. Ahh, it feels terrible ...!
But now that I know she cannot be taken sidely, I have to put my thoughts carefully from here.
Well, think about it again. From the conversation that I had with her from the other days, she seemed to know a lot about Cordelia and the other vampires who lived in here very well. She also claimed to be Karlheinz's servant before he gave her to me. That means, she might have served Karlheinz for a long time that she could even know about this family to the specific details. Possibly, she is one of Karlheinz's loyal servants.
So then, why would Karlheinz give this ghost to me? If I were Karlheinz, I wouldn't give one of my loyal servants to someone that I just met for the first time.
... Unless, there is a hidden intention behind of it.
Ugh, the more that I think about Karlheinz and Ror, the more they look sinister to me.
But one thing that I know.
The two of them are monsters that I don't want to deal with.
Poke!
Eh ...?
A slender finger landed on my cheek, waking me up from my inner mind. I stood frozen in place as my eyes widened from meeting with the shapeshifter's eyes that closed into an arc.
"Why giving me such a face? It's just a joke!" She grinned at me and began to pat my head.
Wait, what ...?
"Haha, I see. A joke, huh ...?" I forced my smile to bloom as I shifted my weight awkwardly.
"Yes, did I scare you?" She tilted her head with a sullen expression, which is obviously fake; then she laughed a bit. "My bad, my bad!"
Thanks goodness, I thought she was serious about that before. Stupid me for taking it so seriously. Well, I think I need to stop my bad habit of overthinking things-
... Or not.
Yeah, like hell I would believe and think something naïve like that!
I'm not an idiot. I'm completely sure that I wasn't imagining or overthinking it. I have learned from my mistake before, and in this present time, I trust my own instinct.
Back there, her eyes reflected something.
Something disaster.
This mob character*[2], who had never even appeared in the game, is truly dangerous. The worst part of her, I don't even know anything about her. And without having complete background information about her, I couldn't predict what action she will take.
That sadistic ghost may actually stab me from behind.
With that looming possibility in mind, there's no good reason to recklessly ignore her existence. In order to be truly safe, I need to take her more seriously and keep my eyes on her and-
"Fwuehh ...?"
"Oh my, look at yourself! Your face looks cute like a squirrel!" chirped the female ghost.
Wha-what? She is pulling both of my cheeks ...!
"He-hey, stop that!" I tried to swat her hands off my cheeks, but she just laughed at me.
"Too bad, girl. Your voice is not valuable enough to reach me." She threw her usual annoying smirk at me.
A small throbbing vein popped on my head.
At that time, behind my twitching smiling face, the back of my head swore to make the shapeshifter ghost in front of me regret her words she had just said.
She may be annoying, but she is very dangerous to deal directly. If I really want to be safe from her, I have to stay calm and ...
Begin to arrange my plot to eliminate her before she did it to me.
Stay patient, Kori. You will get to dip that fucking mirror into sewer later.
With that in mind, I made sure of myself to follow the plan when the opportunity came in time.
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~...~
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For now, I need to get along with the triplets somehow and make sure they don't go batshit and stuff. It will be troublesome if they make everything deviate from what I planned.
... But who should I start from?
Kanato? Nah, absolutely not. That demonic child will murder me in place if I land one of my toes in his room or his territorial space. And if his eyes meet with me, he will start to throw his nonsense tantrum again to me. Then again, what's that sociopath shota*[3] problem anyway?!
In conclusion, it's impossible to get near to Kanato without some proper strategy. That's why I need to prepare myself and put some extra thoughts before I go talk to him.
Then, how about Raito? Yeah, he is the easygoing type, also the most friendly living being in this mansion. That's the bright side of him, not counting his sadistic personality. But anyway, it will be easy to get along with him. So, should I choose him? Nope!
Why is that? Because he always teleports himself to some other place whenever we meet each other! How do I suppose to get along with him when I can't finish my line to him as he always runs away from me?!
In conclusion, it will be a different story if there is no conflict between us. Ugh, curse that stupid trap! Curse Raito for stepping on that stupid trap! And curse me for making that stupid trap too, arghh-!
Okay, that's really frustrating. So back to the topic again, there is only one brother left from the triplets-
"Oi, Dirtybag!"
Speak of the devil.
I whipped my head back and looked at the red-haired boy who stood not too far from me with both of his hands on his hips. His emerald cat-eyed glared at me in bold, reminding me of a cat king that showing his dominance to a trespasser who dares to challenge them. He looked pretty irritated with my presence, assuming from a frown latched on his face.
I put my best smile in front of him. "Ah, Ayato-kun! What are you-"
He clicked his tongue. "Cut it off with your shit play, it disgusts me."
What the ... I'm trying to build a nice atmosphere here, why you have to ruin the mood with your rude remark?!
My smile twitched a bit.
Ayato suddenly pointed his accusatory finger at me. "Spit it out already!"
I tilted my head. "Err, what ...?"
"Yours Truly can sense you're up to something!"
I looked at him in amazed. He is pretty good with his instinct, huh?
"... Oh, um, like ... getting along with you ...?"
He scrunched his nose like he just saw an alien puke in front of him. "What the fuck are you saying?"
Eh, it's not?
Ayato gritted his teeth. "Are you trying to fool me like what you did to Mother?!" His voice shattered the quiet hallway, rumbling, almost dangerous.
Ah, I see. It's about Cordelia that he wanted to talk about.
I turned my golden eyes to my side and saw three maids carrying brooms in their quivering hands. They seemed a bit hesitant to walk past us, so they only swept the same exact spot together. It looks like they won't move until Ayato and I leave the hallway.
I sighed and looked back at Ayato with a smile. "Ayato-kun, how about we go to the kitchen and chat in there while having nice snacks together?"
"Huh?"
I walked up to him and tapped his shoulder. "I'll tell you the truth," I whispered to him with a low serious voice.
He stared at me in wide.
I responded him back with a small smirk before putting on my childish grin on my face. "Let's go, Ayato-kun! I'm pretty hungry right now!"
No lies, it's true that I was hungry right there.
The first reason I even came out from my room was to go to the kitchen to have a snack. The lunch from before wasn't enough to stop my stomach from grumbling. Yeah, I mean, who will even get full when the lunch menu merely consisted of baked potatoes, Brussel sprouts, and a bowl of fruits?
What is that? A diet menu for royalty?
Well, it doesn't really affect the vampires, but for such as a human that came from a modern world like me, it really affects my sense of hunger. This is a big matter for me, alright?!
Haahhh ... I already miss all of my lovely sandwiches from Wal-Mart*[4].
Anyway, the other reason I came out from my room was to run my plans into actions. Otherwise, I have no reason to come out and risk myself to the vampire brothers, and will stay in my room like a good hikikomori*[5] would do.
I let out a small sigh and looked to my back.
Thankfully, Ayato didn't reject my offer from before and followed me from behind like a cute little duckling. Though, I would be very grateful if he stops dusting off his shoulder, the place where I touched him before.
Jeez, kids these days are so annoying.
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"So let's just cut to the chase, is there something that you feel displeased about Cordelia-san and me, Ayato-kun?"
"Of course there is, you dumbass!" He glared at me rather annoyed. "What kind of goddamn magic did you cast to Mother?"
"Huh?"
For a second, Ayato caught off my guard when he suddenly sprang out an absurd question from his mouth, which made me gave a weird look at him.
"I'm sorry, Ayato-kun. But what are you trying to say here?"
"Damn it, stop acting like an idiot!" He slammed his hand on the small table and stared at me sharply. "I know that you're the one who made Mother strange! All of a sudden, she became more quiet around us. Whenever we get a chance to talk to her, she always brags about you, and you, and fucking you in all of her conversations!" His emerald eyes darted on mine in furious while balling his fists tightly.
Whoa, have I become Cordelia's new obsession?
Ayato gritted his teeth. "I should have known at first, that fucking Rotten Old Fool brought you here to give us more misery," he spat, clearly with hatred.
"Not just stealing Yours Truly's hard efforts, you intended to steal our three places too, right?" With half mocking and half despair smile, Ayato continued, "Are you satisfied now with your noxious works, Dirtybag?"
Wait, I think he's gone too far.
"First of all, you need to calm down, Ayato-kun," I said while facing him. "The second is, there seems to be a misunderstanding in here-"
"Then explain!" He immediately cut off my line. "Why did she avoid us? Wasn't that because of you?!"
What ...?
This time, it was my turn to slam the poor table. "What do you mean she was avoiding you and your brothers?" I stared at him in round awide, disbelief.
"Huh ...?" He looked a bit taken aback for a moment, but soon replied back with his glare. "Yours Truly is the one who asking you here, so answer Yours Truly's question first, you fucking Dirtybag!"
Unfortunately for him, his insult didn't reach deep to me as I was in the middle of mental conflict.
No way ... this couldn't be. Where did I go wrong ...?
I saw with my own eyes; Cordelia had changed. But why did she avoid her own children? Did she intend to ignore her children like how she did in the game?
Why ...?
When I think that everything will flow as I planned, there is always this kind of obstruct event that preventing me from reaching my goal.
Stupid me for believing Cordelia will shower her children with love that easily.
Haha, to think my idealism had blinded me from seeing things.
What a naïve of me.
I covered my eyes with my hand and murmured under my breath, "Silly."
"Did you just call me silly?!" He grabbed the collar of my dress. We were facing face to face, making fierce eye contact as a result.
Finally, I cut off our fierce eye contact as I looked down at my feet. "I'm sorry, Ayato-kun," I whispered abruptly and continued, "... I never knew this would end like this. It's all my fault for this to happen to you and your brothers." I forced myself to smile and looked up to him again. "But don't worry! I'll fix it for-"
Bam!
He slammed his right hand on the wall beside me pretty hard, but not enough to crack the wall like Subaru from the game did. His left hand still gripped my collar dress tightly.
"I don't fucking need that," he hissed. "If you're feeling sorry about it, then speak the truth! Spill everything to the last one of it with your damn mouth!"
I bit my lips for a second and opened it again, finding myself ready to tell him the truth.
... Or so that I thought at first.
It all came to a stop when a big shadow immediately corrupted us. We automatically froze up in our place, still in the position of kabedon*[6].
"So this is where you've been, Ayato."
That familiar voice. I knew that.
Ayato knew that too, as he widened his eyes and began to loosen his grip on my collar dress. Slowly, glancing at the figure who stood behind him with no emotion.
"Mo-mother ..."
Translation Note :
1. Clairvoyance ability*[1] : The ability to perceive events occurring over a timelike.
2. Mob character*[2] : A character who plays a minor role.
3. Shota*[3] : A Japanese slang term for a cultural version of a more youthful or childlike male appearance.
4. Wal-Mart*[4] : A multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets, discount department stores, and grocery stores.
5. Hikikomori*[5] : A person who has withdrawn from all real-life social interaction.
6. Kabedon*[6] : A situation in which a guy slams his hand against the wall, pinning a girl against it.
TBC
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