Here we are at Chapter 37. Now that Yuki's harem is complete, let's get on with the story. I do not own Code Vein. They belong to Bandai Namco. I only own my OCs. Here's chapter 37. Enjoy.

Chapter 37: A New Endeavor

To say that May's maid training for Sophia was tough... would be an understatement. May behaves like a drill sergeant without all the crazy yelling. Sophia expected it to be tough. She didn't expect her life to flash before her eyes a few times during the training. A few doubted it was because of her upbringing making her unsuited to hard labor. May was simply that ruthless. Whenever she had the chance when her training was over, Sophia would use Yuki's lap as a pillow and cry her eyes out. Yuki would spoil her a little and pat her head, telling her to keep at it and not lose heart. Hiei and Hana gave silent prayers for their friend, hoping May wouldn't kill her before they all get married. At least, Sophia would have a chance to breathe again when they go to school. There, she's a student first and a maid-in-training second.

At school, more than a few people give Sophia second glances. It's quite possible that they learned of her leaving the Ramona family. Those that spoke to her like friends now gave her a wide berth. Sophia expected this. Considering only half her blood is of nobility, those that spoke to her before probably only did so because of who her former father is. Some were probably itching to start mocking her for her 'fall from grace'. They are either just waiting for the right opportunity, or are too cowardly to do it behind her back.

"Well, not like it matters to me," Sophia mutters.

They can all say what they want. Sophia is happy where she is now. No selfish father or self-centered brother to control and degrade her like some puppet. She's now part of a family that actually acts like a real family. And best of all, she's now engaged to the love of her life. She's free now, and she took her freedom with her own two hands. These people are stuck in cages, acting all high and mighty to mask their own insecurities and fears. It's pathetic, really.

"As long as I have Yuki, that is more than enough," Sophia mutters.

"Lady Sophia," Sophia looks to see Princess Iris approaching.

"Your Highness. A pleasure as always to be in your presence," Sophia curtsies to her.

"Come now, no need for that. We're friends, are we not?" Princess Iris says.

"Well, I am no longer a duke's daughter; a commoner now basically. So, I must address you differently now," Sophia keeps her head bowed.

Princess Iris pouts, "Oh, that just won't do. Do I have to order you to act like you did before? I'd rather not because it's too stifling. It matters not to me what your social status is. You and I are friends, not total strangers, okay,"

Sophia rises, "Okay, Princess Iris. Though, I admit it will be a little difficult to adjust completely like Yuki did,"

"Well, Yuki is unique, after all," Princess Iris points out.

Sophia smiles, "Yes. Yes, she is,"

Princess Iris leans closer, "Oh, and congratulations on your engagement. The royal family gives you their full support. Oh, and if you don't mind me saying, you look much happier now as well. Like a great weight had finally been lifted off of your shoulders,"

Sophia's smile gets bigger, "Yes, I am. Much happier now,"

With the conversation over, the two head off to their next class of the day. At lunch time, Sophia reunites with Yuki and the others. It feels even worse now that she and Yuki are not in the same year, or else she could spend more time with her.

"I hope no one's been giving you any trouble, Sophia," Hiei notes.

"Thank you, Hiei, but so far there hasn't really been anyone. Even if there were, their words would mean nothing to me. I'm perfectly happy where I am now. More so than back with my former family. Small dogs always bark the loudest to hide their lack of bite," Sophia says.

Hanazuki chuckles, "Heh-heh-heh, well, if anyone does give you trouble, just let me know. I have a few ideas on how to get proper payback,"

Veronica raises her hand, "Oh, I want in on that too. It would be so much fun to scare some of the other kids around here,"

"At least keep the traumatization to a minimum, or else it might cause problems for Yuki," Hiei acts as the voice of reason.

Sophia giggles, "Heh-heh, I appreciate the kindness, everyone, but I should be-,"

"SOPHIA!" a sudden shout quiets their table and those around them. They look over to see a livid Thorsen marching towards them. "You dare to trespass on these noble grounds after throwing away everything that makes a noble a noble?"

"Ah, good afternoon, Lord Thorsen. To what do we oh this pleasure," Sophia feigns respect in her greeting.

"Don't play coy with me. You through away your status as a daughter of the noble Ramona family. You have no backing. So, why the Hell are you still here at school when you are just a commoner with no money now?!" Thorsen looks quite upset right now.

"Because the Crystalglove family is paying for my tuition and have generously allowed me to stay and work for them," Sophia replies calmly.

"You... They... What?" Thorsen didn't expect that.

"It's true. I work as a maid for the Crystalglove family now. Lady Emilia was also kind enough to lend her support in my future business endeavors. Most importantly of all, I'm now engaged to Yukitsuki Crystalglove as her third fiance," Sophia explains.

"You mean you're actually going to marry this commoner girl? Have you truly thrown away your dignity as a noble when you cast away your family name as well. I knew you were foolish, but I can't believe your tastes were that terrible after all," Thorsen sneers at Yuki. "Though, I can't say I'm surprised. I guess trash attracts trash after all,"

Yuki stands up, "You can say what you want about me, but I will not just sit idle when you insult someone I love. Besides, Sophia severed her ties with you and your father because you treated her so poorly. Just leave her alone since you never truly cared about her. And leave us be while you're at it,"

"And what gives you the right to talk in such a manner to me? We both may be from ducal houses, but I am the one with noble blood running through his veins," Thorsen argues.

"You may have the blood, but you don't have the power," Yuki's eyes start to glow. A faint cool breeze flows around her, which the others can feel including Thorsen. "A person's true worth is measured in their abilities, their talents. Sophia may not have the full blood of a noble, but she has her beauty, her intelligence her talent with magic. And that's just to name a few things. Meanwhile, what do you have? You go on, proclaiming your supposed superiority just because both of your parents are nobles. But, are you as smart as Sophia? Can you perform magic like she can? No. Because in the end, you have nothing while she has so much. And that's why you're so angry with her. Because you're jealous of her,"

It felt like glass just shattered in the room. Thorsen stood frozen from Yuki's words. Him? Jealous of Sophia?

"Me? Jealous of that half-breed wench? How could anything sound more ludicrous?! I have nothing to be jealous of when it comes to her," Thorsen barks off.

"Then why are you so fixated on her?" Veronica asks. "You don't like her, but now she's out of your house, your family, and basically your life. She wants nothing to do with you, and yet, it was you who walked to our table first and started spouting off your nonsense. It's like you're obsessed with her. Why? Well, if you ask me, it's because she's shown you up so many times, in so many ways, that you can't stand it. You have to try and break her down, make her feel like garbage, just so you can feel better about yourself. To mask your own insecurities. Only small-minded, weak men would do something so stupid,"

Thorsen's face turns red, "You-You dare insult me?! You dare think you know me so well?! You're just some common beast whore from the Dragon Alliance who came here because you snuck into someone's bed. That's about all you're good for most likely,"

Veronica starts glaring at him, "Would you care to repeat that?"

Before Veronica is about to do something she won't regret, Yuki gently places a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't bother with him, Veronica. He's not worth it. Lord Thorsen, I will only say this once: Leave us alone and we will leave you alone. But, if you try anything against my friends or my family and you will understand what it means to do battle against a member of the Crystalglove family," Yuki gives him a subtle warning.

Thorsen looks around, seeing a lack of support for his side. Especially from all the exchange students from the Dragon Alliance. Seeing as how he's got no one to back him up here, Thorsen turns one last glare towards Sophia.

"You are nothing without the Ramona family, just remember that," Thorsen says before turning and walking away.

"No, I'm more than that. More than I'll ever be when I was a part of that family," Sophia mutters as she watches him leave.

Yuki sighs, "Are you alright, Sophia?" Yuki turns to her.

Sophia smiles, "I'm alright, Yuki. He can't hurt me anymore. And I won't waste anymore breath on him or his father anymore either. I've moved on with my life,"

"That's what matters. Moving forward," Hiei adds.

"Think he'll try anything to get some payback?" Hana asks.

"Maybe, but I doubt it. My father has always been careful not to let the Ramona name get sullied or have dirt on it. And Thorsen has always been my father's little lap dog since he was the heir and never wanted to lose his position. More people respect Yuki's family than theirs, and her recent endeavors have made more people respect Yuki as well. Even if Thorsen wanted to do something, I'm sure Duke Ramona will keep him on a tight leash like he used to do with me," Sophia answers.

"Well, as long as he doesn't bother us anymore," Veronica shrugs.

With the drama dealt with, the group finish their meals and move on to their next class for the day. When Yuki goes to her etiquette course, they have the new teacher, Professor Regina Coswell. A noble lady with experience teaching etiquette to young noble ladies, she had been hired to replace the previous teacher, Professor Tiana Walters, was removed from her position for her role in the attack on the school a while back. Thankfully, this new teacher has given no problems to Yuki, which is a breath of fresh air. In today's lesson, everyone is practicing their dancing techniques again. However, this time Yuki is practicing with Princess Iris as her partner.

"I hope you don't mind me asking Princess Iris, but why did you want to be my partner for today?" Yuki asks as they dance.

"Oh, just for some fun mostly. To be clear, I do prefer men over women. I just thought you could also use a break from all the boys trying to hit on you. I can't understand why some people can't simply take a hint. You're already taken, and with other women no less. They're barking up the wrong tree. Besides, we're friends but we haven't spent that much time together. It's almost like you're trying to avoid me," Princess Iris fake pouts.

"Sorry. Things have been... quite busy lately," Yuki apologizes.

"Oh, I'm just teasing. However, I wanted to ask you: have you noticed a few changes lately?" Princess Iris asks cryptically.

Yuki cocks her head, "Huh? Noticed what?"

Princess Iris glances over with her eyes and Yuki follows her direction. Yuki notices a particular thing about a few of the other dance pairings in today's class. They're women dancing with other women. There are some pairings with young men, but there are a few men stuck on the sidelines waiting for a turn since the rest of the girls are currently taken.

"See what I mean?" Princess Iris smiles.

"I see more girls dancing with each other than the boys," Yuki mutters.

"That's because of you and your family, Yuki. You all have shown that women, whether commoner or noble, can be more than what society deems them to be. What's more, you've shown them that there's nothing wrong with being in a romantic relationship with someone of the same sex. I always thought that there were at least a few women in noble society who had those specific tastes, but perhaps there were more than I thought. They were simply too afraid to speak out or too preoccupied with adhering to the norms of aristocratic society. To do what their families tell them to do rather than listen to their own hearts. You and your family gave them the courage to be themselves. It's quite the accomplishment," Princess Iris explains.

"I wasn't expecting anything like that to happen. I was just acting according to my own desires," Yuki notes as the princess gives her a spin.

"Exactly. You were doing what you wished to do, not what was just expected of you. That's precisely why you've inspired others to try and do the same. Just as your mothers did before you. Of course, this does present a new, yet old problem," Princess Iris laments with a light sigh.

"What problem?" Yuki cocks her head.

"The problem that two women together cannot conceive a child. Women in noble society are expected to produce heirs to continue the bloodline, or daughters to marry off to other families to build connections. Commoner women may not have that issue as much, but noble women certainly do. And while it was the case with you, adoption may not always be an option either. You were adopted, but you were adopted into a powerful family. Adopted personally by the hero of our nation herself. What's more, you have many talents under your belt. You were safe. But not every young woman in the world will be as lucky or as gifted as you. And some families won't even consider the idea of adoption because of their beliefs related to bloodlines. I fear many of these women will only find heartbreak and despair at the end of their pleasant dreams," Princess Iris explains.

"Hmmm..." Yuki hums in thought.

The princess has a point. She was incredibly lucky to have been found and adopted into the Crystalglove family, but not everyone is as lucky as her. If two women could have a child together without the need of a man or adoption, it would solve this and maybe other problems. Even if they did find a way, there would be those who would oppose such an idea. The church would be one example. Not to mention all the male nobles who don't see women as their equals and only see them as ornaments to possess and birth sons for the most part. But still, if they could... then other women wouldn't have to feel afraid or ashamed of being who they are. Who knows, it may lead to other great changes in their kingdom if women could show they are more than just what society decided for them to be.

"Perhaps I'll talk to Mother Fuyumi," Yuki mutters.

...

When the time came and she had a chance to, Yuki returned to her family's estate to speak with Fuyumi. Considering Fuyumi numerous abilities and knowledge, she might have an idea on how to solve this issue before it becomes one. She had Emilia, Anelia, Hikaru, and her lovers with her as well. Yuki explained the situation for them and waited for their opinions on the matter.

"Hmm, that is quite the conundrum, isn't it. I'm glad to hear that more women are opening up to their true desires when it comes to partners and romance, but when it comes to having a child of their own, I'm afraid I don't know how to solve that issue. Even with all of my power, I can't fix basic biology like that. Then again, my powers were geared towards combat, not childcare," Fuyumi says.

"And there's no magic spell that can help with that regard either. Otherwise, it would've been done by now," Anelia adds.

"What about you, Hikaru? Anything or anyone back home that can help with this?" Fuyumi asks.

Hikaru shakes her head, "I'm afraid not. Trust me, if that were the case, you and I would've had several dragon children by now," she smirks a little, making Fuyumi blush.

"Ladies, focus, please," Emilia chastises them.

"Okay, then is there really no way to help these women?" Yuki asks, her hope depleting.

"I may have an idea for this," Veronica suddenly chimes in.

"Veronica?" Yuki asks.

"The truth is, for a very long time, I've been studying and experimenting. Studying magic, alchemy, medicine, everything I could. And after so many, many years of painstaking hard work, I may have finally accomplished my goal," Veronica reaches into her dress and pulls out a small vial filled with red liquid.

"Is that... blood?" Hiei asks cautiously.

"No, it's not. This is a type of medicine that I created after decades and decades of study and trial and error. There are two halves to his little formula. This is one half; the other is in another vial. What this is exactly... is a medicine that will allow two women to conceive a child together," Veronica explains.

This revelation surprises the group, "You mean, this can make one woman become impregnated by another?" Hikaru asks.

"Yes. Fused with a few magical properties as well as a medicinal formula created by yours truly through studying medicines and herbs as an apothecary, this little guy can alter the biological components needed for a woman to be capable of birth. Their eggs and their essence, so to speak. The second one alters the other woman's essence, allowing it to fertilize a woman's eggs and thus make that woman pregnant. Both need to drink these individually together and then engage in their love making before the effects wear off. I've tried this on a few patients in the past. There were a few hiccups at first as I was perfecting the formula," Veronica explains.

"Hiccups?" Hana asks.

"A-Anyway! The point is we have our solution. Once I perfected this formula, I tried it on a few willing participants and the process was a success," Veronica changes the subject.

"You mean they actually had children of their own? But, why haven't we heard about anything like this before?" Hiei asks.

"Because, I asked those people to keep it a secret for safety reasons and because that was a LONG time ago. But now, things are different. I believe this is the right time to reveal this to the people. And we can start right here," Veronica says.

"Um if you don't mind me asking, why did you embark on such a task?" Anelia asks.

Veronica rubs her stomach, "Because... I always wanted a child of my own. But, I only like women, so that's basically it. But now, I want to have a child with Yuki. I want Yuki to bear my child!" she says without shame, making a few women blush.

"Hold it, we still haven't gotten married yet. We can't talk about kids right this second!" Hiei berates the demon princess.

"We don't have to do that now. But, if you guys are still unsure, you can always test it," Veronica holds the vial up while looking at the adult women in the room.

"Us?" Hikaru asks, and Veronica nods. "Hmm... I suppose we could try"

The women were first confused, then a little wary, but if what Veronica speaks is true, then they could have children of their own and solve the problem of women wanting children together in one fell swoop.

"I say we try it," Emilia says. "And I want to try it with Fuyumi,"

"Emilia," Fuyumi mutters in shock.

"I love Yukitsuki. She is OUR daughter, regardless of bloodline. But, the idea of having a child of our own with you, Fuyumi... I want to see if it's possible," Emilia explains.

Seeing her determination in this matter, Fuyumi nods, "Alright. Veronica, we'll test it out to make sure it works and is safe. With my strong constitution, I should be fine should something happen,"

"Alright then, I know you'll enjoy it," Veronica winks.

After discussing the matter a little further, everyone decides it's time to eat.

...

Later that night, Fuyumi and Emilia are alone in their room with the vials Veronica gave them. Fuyumi drinks the one for her as the giver, and Emilia drinks the one for the receiver. They don't feel that much different, except for a small urge to mate.

"Here goes nothing. Of course, I plan on enjoying you either way," Fuyumi smirks, leaning in close to her wife.

"You say the sweetest things to a lady," Emilia giggles.

Fuyumi leans in to kiss her and the two fall onto their bed. It would be a night to remember for both of them.

And that's the chapter. Sophia gets used to being a part of the Crystalglove family, and Veronica drops a bombshell on all of them. Will her medicine really work as she said it would? Until then, please Read and Review.