Chapter 105 - The Intruder!

Chapter 105: Chapter 105 - The Intruder!

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The reason Rin had left the place so quickly was quite simple. For several nights, she had unintentionally heard the sounds coming from Alear’s chambers during his intimate nights with the other girls. And, like any normal teenager, her imagination had done the rest, creating thoughts that she would rather not even admit to herself. Staying there while all those women practically put the possibility of her eventually falling in love with Alear into her head was definitely not a good idea. So, Rin simply decided to go for a walk, hoping to push those thoughts away before her own imagination started working against her.....

When her silhouette disappeared into the distance, Valerie remained silent for a few moments, watching until she completely lost sight of her. Meanwhile, she pondered Maria’s words and tried to gather the courage to deal with her own feelings. Although she had become something of a ’cultural lover’ and learned a great deal from Maria, she still lacked the confidence to face certain emotions. Maria had even shared part of her personal collection of recordings involving Alear, Mio, Seekvaira, and Ravel with her, which had certainly helped broaden her horizons regarding how amazing sex could be....

She wasn’t particularly bothered by the idea of sharing Alear with other girls. After all, she was a Dhampir, the daughter of a vampire and a human, and had grown up familiar with a culture quite different from that of ordinary humans. Her father had had several women over the years, and it was common for vampires to have more than one woman. They ended up being treated in an extremely objectified manner, serving primarily as sources of blood and intimate partners for the men.....

Perhaps that was precisely why Valerie didn’t find polygamy particularly strange. What bothered her was something much simpler: her own feelings for Alear. She knew she didn’t have to compete with anyone for him, but admitting to herself just how much she truly wanted to remain by his side required a courage she still didn’t completely possess.....

Even though he considered her a "pervert," she was still quite innocent and tended to become somewhat shy when the moment came to take that step, which was precisely where the courage she lacked became necessary....

...But why? Alear had been the one who rescued her from her prison. He was the one who saved her when no one else had been able to. Instead of using her powers for his own nefarious purposes, as her father had done, he taught her how to control them, helping her become stronger and stronger so that her freedom could never be taken away again. He had given her a house, a home, and, above all, a life in which she could finally be happy. Everything she had now existed, in one way or another, because of him. At some point, however, that gratitude had begun to transform into something much deeper. Perhaps it was similar to a vampire’s own instinct: just as blood becomes an impossible-to-ignore necessity, Alear himself had become something essential to her. He wasn’t merely someone she loved or someone to whom she owed her freedom; he had become an inseparable part of her own life. The more time she spent by his side, the more that feeling seeped into her heart, until she could no longer distinguish where gratitude ended and "love" began....

Ingvield noticed Valerie’s prolonged silence and, realizing that she seemed completely lost in her own thoughts, gently touched her shoulder.

"Valerie?"

Ingvield’s voice was enough to bring her back to reality. Valerie blinked several times, realizing that she had been staring into empty space for far too long, before turning her gaze toward her.

"Ah... sorry. I was just thinking."

"I noticed." Ingvield smiled discreetly. "You had quite a serious expression."

Valerie looked away for a moment, feeling a slight pang of embarrassment as she realized that she had probably allowed her thoughts to show more than she would have liked.

"I was just thinking about what Maria said..."

Maria noticed Valerie’s hesitation and immediately flashed a mischievous smile, moving a little closer to the Dhampir.

"Oh, so that’s what you were thinking about? Looks like you’re finally starting to understand how you feel, Valerie-san~."

Valerie merely gave her a sideways glance without showing any embarrassment.

"Maybe."

Maria blinked, surprised by the calm response.

"Huh? You’re not embarrassed at all?"

"Why would I be?" Valerie replied naturally. "You’re not saying anything I haven’t already considered."

Maria’s smile widened.

"Then perhaps I should explain it better..."

She took a step forward, clearly ready to continue teasing the Dhampir. However, before she could say anything else, a cold voice sounded behind her.

"Maria....."

The Succubus’s smile disappeared immediately.

The girls turned around at the same time and found Grayfia standing a few meters behind them. Her expression was perfectly calm, but the aura emanating from her body was so terrifying that the atmosphere seemed to grow heavier in an instant.

Maria froze.

"Ah... Grayfia-san..."

Grayfia walked toward her without hurry, maintaining that same cold gaze. Then, without showing the slightest effort, she grabbed Maria by the head.

"Let’s go....."

"Wait, Grayfia-san! I was still talking with them!"

"You’ve talked enough."

Grayfia began dragging her down the corridor.

"No, wait!"

"Mio-sama!" Maria desperately extended one hand toward Mio. "Help me! Please, Mio-sama! You can’t just stand there and watch while she takes me away!"

Mio, who had merely been watching the scene until then, remained silent for a few seconds.

"...Good luck, Maria."

"Betrayal!"

Maria continued protesting as she was dragged away.

"You’re my sister! How can you do this to me?!"

Grayfia continued walking as though she hadn’t heard a single word.

Before disappearing down the corridor, however, she stopped for a moment and turned toward the girls.

"Valerie-san, Ingvield-san, Meredith-san, Mio-san. I apologize for the interruption."

She gave a small, perfectly respectful bow.

"It was a pleasure speaking with you."

"Ah... yes."

"Of course..."

"See you later, Grayfia."

"Good luck, Maria..."

The four responded, although none of them seemed particularly willing to interfere.

Maria continued being led away, still protesting:

"Mio-sama! I’m going to remember this!"

"I’m sure you will."

A few seconds later, the two disappeared down the corridor.

Silence returned to the hall.

Valerie, Ingvield, Meredith, and Mio exchanged glances.

Then, almost simultaneously, they all swallowed nervously.

"...She’s scary," Valerie murmured.

Mio nodded slowly.

"When Grayfia gets like that, it’s better not to try to stop her."

Meredith let out a small nervous laugh.

"I’m definitely going to avoid ending up on her bad side...."

Ingvield merely nodded in silence, looking toward the corridor where Grayfia had disappeared.

The four continued talking without Maria present until Valerie decided that she wanted to take a walk. After that entire conversation, she felt that she needed some fresh air and a few minutes to organize her thoughts.

"I think I’m going to take a walk through the garden."

Mio nodded.

"Of course. Take the opportunity to rest for a while."

Valerie simply smiled and moved away from the others, following one of the corridors leading to the palace gardens.

A little while later, she left the hall behind and found a much quieter environment. The garden stretched across a vast area of the grounds, with carefully trimmed trees, small stone paths, and various species of flowers scattered throughout the flowerbeds.

Valerie walked without hurry, enjoying the silence as she tried to put her thoughts in order.

It was then that she noticed something moving near one of the bushes.

A black cat emerged from among the plants and stopped in the path, looking directly at her.

Valerie slowed her pace.

"Hm?"

The animal remained still for a few seconds, watching her with its bright eyes. Then, apparently without showing any fear, it approached and rubbed its head against her leg.

A small smile appeared on Valerie’s face.

"You’re quite friendly, aren’t you?"

She crouched down and began gently stroking the cat’s head, running her fingers through its soft fur. The animal immediately closed its eyes, apparently pleased with the attention.

Valerie continued petting it for a few moments before slightly furrowing her brow.

"But how did you get here?"

She looked around, trying to figure out where the cat had come from.

"Do you belong to someone? Or did you simply decide to wander into the garden?"

The cat merely answered with a calm "meow," continuing to rub itself against her hand.

Valerie let out a small laugh upon hearing the meow and shook her head.

Valerie eventually gave in to the display of affection and spent a few more seconds stroking its fur before sighing.

"Well... I can’t just leave you here alone."

She extended her arms and carefully picked up the cat. The animal offered no resistance; on the contrary, it settled comfortably against her chest, appearing perfectly at ease in that position.

"Come on. I’ll take you inside and ask the servants if anyone knows where you came from."

Valerie began walking back toward the palace, carrying the small animal while absentmindedly stroking its head.

"Maybe someone is looking for you..."

The cat remained completely silent. Behind that seemingly docile expression was an unusual glimmer in its eyes. For a brief moment, an almost human intelligence seemed to emerge from its gaze before disappearing once again.

Completely unaware of this, Valerie continued walking calmly toward the palace, convinced that she had simply found a lost cat. After a few minutes, she finally reached the palace’s inner corridors and, still carrying the cat in her arms, encountered several maids who were organizing the final details before the guests arrived. Upon noticing the animal, they all briefly stopped what they were doing and looked at it with evident surprise.

"Hm? Valerie-sama, where did this cat come from?"

"I don’t know either." Valerie replied, looking at the animal. "I found it in the garden. It seemed to be alone, so I thought I’d bring it inside and find out if anyone knows who it belongs to."

The maids exchanged confused glances.

"A lost cat?"

"But how could it have gotten in here?"

One of them frowned, clearly trying to find an explanation.

The H?angenti Family’s territory was enormous and possessed countless security systems. Besides, this was the Grand President’s palace. It wasn’t exactly a place where some random animal should simply be able to enter without anyone noticing.

"That really is strange..." another maid commented.

Valerie also found it peculiar, but before she could answer, the cat raised its head and let out a small meow.

"...Meow."

The maids remained silent for a few seconds.

Then, one of them discreetly brought her hands to her face.

"How cute..."

"Look at those little paws!"

"He’s so adorable!"

The atmosphere changed completely. The confusion that had existed moments before was quickly replaced by a collection of delighted expressions as several of the maids approached to get a better look at the animal.

Valerie let out a small laugh.

"Looks like he’s already won you over."

"It’s impossible not to like him, Valerie-sama."

"Can we keep him until we find out who he belongs to?"

Before Valerie could answer, one of the nearby maids, Lotte, approached and gently stroked the cat’s head.

"He seems perfectly healthy. Maybe he simply followed someone here."

The cat closed its eyes while receiving the affection, appearing completely satisfied.

Lotte then turned her attention back to Valerie.

"But, Valerie-sama, shouldn’t you be getting ready as well?"

"Me?"

"Yes. The guests will begin arriving soon." Lotte discreetly pointed toward the corridor. "There are still a few details to organize, but the most important thing now is for everyone to be ready to welcome the guests."

Valerie looked at the cat in her arms and then at the maids.

"Ah... right. I almost forgot."

Lotte smiled.

"You can leave the little kitty with us. We’ll take care of him while we find out where he came from."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course."

The other maids immediately nodded.

"Don’t worry, Valerie-sama."

"We’ll take care of him."

Valerie hesitated for a few seconds before finally handing the cat over to Lotte.

"All right. Then I’ll leave him in your care."

Lotte took the animal into her arms and immediately began stroking its fur.

"Leave it to us."

Valerie took a few steps down the corridor, but stopped and looked back one last time.

"And don’t let him run away again."

"We won’t!"

She nodded and finally continued toward her chambers to get ready.

As Valerie disappeared down the corridor, Lotte turned her attention back to the little cat.

"Well... Looks like you’ll be staying with us for the time being."