This is terrible.

Liora could feel her stomach turning up from the horrible sight. The enraged soldiers, determined to avenge their bellowed princess, spent the last couple of hours destroying this once magnificent city. But right now, it was nothing more than a pile of burned rubble and corpses.

The entire town was essentially completely wiped out. Even the screams had died out some time ago. The only sound left in the city was the sound of the soldiers piling up gold, jewelry, and anything else they considered of value. As Liora herself was wandering through the ruins looking for the supposed remains of the princess, and just as she expected, she found nothing. As if she was never here to begin with.

"I believe this will serve as a great lesson for humans. Don’t you agree, Miss Liora? "

Liora looked at young Dale silently. Do you even understand what consequences this will have for our motherland?! Contrary to her barely suppressed anger, he had a satisfied expression on his face. He is completely oblivious to what he has done. And that weird woman disappeared too. What a pain.

"If you say so... but you will have to explain this to Her Majesty."

"Naturally."

Young Dale gave her a confident smile and began to gather his personal guard for the trip back to Kaenem City. With a sigh, Liora gave Itten one last long glance before she began to prepare for the trip back.

…

"…you didn’t find her?"

Several days after the army of the Blood Clan burned the city of Itten to the ground and ransacked the rest of the country, Liora and the young lord, Dale, had returned to the capital and gave a report to the queen, who was just emotionlessly sitting on the throne with the prime minister by her side.

"Based on our information, her highness has been killed, which is wh-"

"You didn’t find her. You failed me."

When young Oren Dale attempted to inform the queen that the princess had been avenged by him, the queen cut him off, her gaze turning colder than it was.

"No, your majesty, we found her location but… We didn’t manage to save her."

"You didn’t manage to save her? Then that means…"

The queen lowered her head and began sobbing quietly. Liora and Oren Dale kept kneeling in silence. The only person who decided to break this silence was the prime minister.

"…this is tragic indeed. I guess that a mourning ceremony is in order as well as a state funeral... You brought her highness’s body, right?"

The prime minister eyed the two, while the queen’s sobbing only got louder.

"Your excellency, we actually didn’t confirm her highness’s presence, let alone her death. The only proof is the testimony of a dubious woman who disappeared right after making this claim."

Liora, unable to bear her old friend’s sadness, decided to speak up as she threw a single dirty look at Oren.

"…really? Is she alive then?"

The queen stopped sobbing and raised her head as she looked at Liora, her face filled with hope.

"Most likely, your majesty."

The queen’s eyes lit up; it was clear as day how much she was happy. The prime minister put his hand on her shoulder, calming her down from her sudden excitement.

"Lady Liora, thank you for your report. You may go now. There are still some matters to deal with my nephew."

"Understood. Eternal glory to the blood clan."

…

I told him that it was stupid, but he didn’t listen. Well, I guess he got what he deserved.

Not so long after Liora left the throne room, she found herself leaning against the castle wall in the garden overlooking the city. In particular, she was looking at the duo of the guard woman putting a severed head of the Oren Dale on the pike.

"…If he had just listened to me..."

"Then we would not be in this awful situation."

"Your excellency?"

Liora’s solitude was soon broken by the prime minister. He walked to Liora’s side and silently looked at his nephew’s head. Well, he was his uncle, so...

"I thought that with you there he would not do anything stupid. That he would gain some experience, you know?"

The prime minister paused for a moment before continuing with a bitter-sad smile on his face.

"But it seems that I underestimated his hot-headedness. And he had to be punished for it, and so I had to put my feelings aside and do what was necessary for the future of our race."

Liora just silently listened to the prime minister. Even though he was trying to not let it show on his face, it was apparent that he was shaken by his nephew’s execution. Well, who wouldn’t be if they had to sentence their own family member to death?

"But I guess that her majesty is just as hot-headed as he was. Right now, thanks to my nephew’s actions, we are at war with essentially every other nation, with the sole exception being our subjects. And her majesty has no interest in ending the war until her highness is saved."

Both of them sighed in frustration, hoping that the queen would come to her senses soon. But unfortunately, she did not, and many have fallen victims to her paranoia.

…

"That is essentially what happened back then, your highness."

Liora gave a polite bow as she finished her story. While Julia kept looking from Liora to Loriam.

"Loriam? How many did you kill?"

"What could you mean, I wonder?"

Loriam was visibly uncomfortable with Julia’s question. She began to sweat nervously as she felt Julia’s gaze piercing her soul.

"When I got kidnapped, how many did you kill? Liora mentioned "victims of paranoia", so how many?"

Loriam looked away nervously, having no desire to answer, but unfortunately for her, Liora was more willing to.

"After your royal highness got kidnapped, there was an enormous hunt for traitors, thanks to which there were days where her majesty did nothing but sign death sentences."

"Liora!"

Loriam shouted at Liora when she noticed Julia’s already pale face getting even paler, Liora merely shrugged.

"Her highness was bout to find out eventually, it is better that she would find now rather than later."

"Maybe she should know that, but she definitely didn’t need to know it for a few hundred years! She is only 25, you know?"

Only 25? Why is she talking like I am some little kid? Oh yeah... she is an old vampiric hag. I almost forgot. But I wonder...

"If I am only 25, then how old are you, mother?"

Liora and Loriam stopped bickering and looked at Julia. Both of them had expressions filled with surprise and shock. Did I say something wrong?

 "Your highness… it is rather rude to as-"

"Julia! What did you say? Can you say it again?"

Loriam cut Liora off, giving her full attention to Julia with sparks in her eyes. Julia herself was baffled as to why Loriam was looking at her so happily. What the hell?! I just asked her age. Why does she look so happy?

"I asked, how old are you?"

"No, not that part. The last part you said, can you repeat it?"

The last part? What did I say that she wants to hear it again? Julia couldn’t figure out what Loriam wanted from her, so she just continued to stare at her blankly.

"You called me a mother. All on your own, can you please say it again?"

Did I? Julia was shocked to hear that. There was no way that she would call this vampire her mother if she didn’t have to. There is no way that I ever would.

"No, I definitely didn’t call you that. There is something wrong with your ears."

Julia refused Loriam’s claim, but she didn’t seem interested in dropping her claim.

"No, I clearly heard you say "mother." Right, Liora? You heard her too."

"Your majesty, is this really the part you want to focus on?"

Liora sighted as she asked. Loriam, however, looked at her confused. Is there another part I should focus on? She seemed to ask Liora with her gaze.

"Forged it, like mother like daughter, it seems."

Liora sighed again as Loriam and Julia exchanged confused glances, but they shook it off and Loriam returned back to her smiling self and inched closer to Julia, who retreated to the very corner of the carriage.

"So… you want to know how old your mother is? It is rather rude to ask a lady her age, but since my little girl is curious, then I guess I could answer."

Who the hell you call little girl you hag!? Julia cursed mentally but chose to remain silent and endure it. After all, she wanted to know how old she was exactly.

"Listen well, sweetie, because I am not going to repeat it. Ever."

Julia nodded as Loriam inched uncomfortably close to Julia and began whispering in her ear.

"I am 305 years old."

"Huh?!"

Julia couldn’t suppress her surprise. She began to eye still smiling Loriam from head to toes.

"…I thought you were younger."

"Oh really? How old did you think your mother is?"

Loriam was still smiling, but it was obvious that she was suppressing anger. Julia gulped nervously and answered honestly.

"150 years old. Because you were coronated exactly 124 years ago, if I remember correctly."

Julia explained as she watched Loriam’s smile get wider before she threw herself on Julia and hugged her tightly. while patting her head for good measure.

"Is this really the age that you guessed? How nice of you, but unfortunately your mother isn’t that young anymore."

Do you call being over a hundred years young? Just how much different is the concept of age for vampires?

"How much do vampires live?"

Julia asked Loriam, but she seemed more interested in patting Julia, who gave up on resisting.

"The oldest member of the blood clan in recorded history lived up to 736 years, I believe. But your esteemed grandmother lived to 644 years."

736!? Vampires are insane. Julia couldn’t even imagine living as long as Loriam, let alone this guy.

"Your majesty, we will arrive soon."

"oh, we’re almost there. Are you ready, Julia?"

Loriam finally let go of Julia and asked her with a concerned expression. Julia only nodded. There was no reason she should be nervous because of some noble brat’s birthday. If anything, she should be nervous when we arrive at her birthday. I am the princess, after all.