Chapter 544: Decisions.
Natalia looked at the man with his head slightly lowered, feeling complicated now. How could she not?
Victor was asking her to betray Vlad, to betray the purpose her Clan existed for.
Natalia's sense of duty and feelings were warring within her.
The reason for this is simple. Victor never asked anyone for anything, and the women around him could count on their fingers how many times he'd asked them for something.
This was the first time Victor had asked for something big, which was why the three Heiresses, and the Mothers of those Heiresses, were supporting him.
Seeing the man she'd come to admire like this made her decision harder because God knows, even if she wasn't a vampire,
She knew how meaningful his gesture was. Just looking at the faces of the Vampires around her could tell that.
Who was Victor?
He was a Progenitor, and even if the Vampires around him were not his direct children like the Maids, they still felt attached to him, especially those who directly drank his blood.
Eleonor was not exempt from these thoughts in her head.
She was Eleonor Adrastea, and her Clan was the King's shield. Her Clan had willingly volunteered themselves to their King to go to the borders so the monsters wouldn't invade. If that was not a show of loyalty, what else was?
Clan Adrastea and Clan Alioth were, without a doubt, the most loyal Clans of Vlad Dracul Tepes.
Eleonor bit her lip to the point of spilling blood. Her face was marred with a difficult expression, and her heart beat wildly. The sense of duty that was imbued in her by her dead parents and her feelings for Victor were struggling now.
Only Eleonor knew how much she loved this bastard who had his head slightly bowed.
From the first meeting where he played with her mare, Chloe, he always stole her attention, and those feelings blossomed when they went on the expedition together.
Their time spent on expeditions, his expression of enjoyment in killing the monsters she hated, saving her and her precious subordinates who were like sisters to her.
Fuck, she loved that bastard! If he asked her to marry him, she would say a big 'YES!'
"Eleonor..." Rose looked worriedly at her Leader.
Rose had raised her as a daughter after her parents died. So if there was one person who understood Eleonor the most present here, it was Rose.
Eleonor bit her lip and squeezed her hand tightly. She just couldn't stay calm.
Thoughts like:
'What would happen if I rejected him?'
Will he be disappointed? Would he not like me anymore? Would he not talk to me anymore?
Victor was not only a man she liked but also a great friend of hers.
Someone who understood her and who had the same tastes as her... Losing their friendship would be devastating for Eleonor.
'What happens if I accept?'
'Will my parents be disappointed in me? Will my family's work go to waste? What will be the point of 3000 years of loyalty to the King of Vampires then?'
'The work of my grandfather, father, mother, great-grandmother, ancestors... Will everything be thrown in the trash?'
'How will my citizens react?'
It was simply too big a decision to make right now.
If for Eleonor it was difficult, for Natalia it was even worse.
Every time the Maid became caught up in her thoughts, she thought of even more bad things and the consequence of this potential decision.
Clan Alioth, a Founding Clan... They'd been here since Nightingale was founded when it was merely a Progenitor's dream and not the monumental Faction it was today.
The first Clan Leader was Vlad's close friend. It was he who had discovered this dimension, this planet, and it was him, that human, who became the King's Right Hand.
Since then, 3000 years have passed.
3000 years of pure servitude and protection!
Vlad protected the Alioth Clan with just his presence. There were many who desired the Clan's powers for themselves... Yet...
Nobody wanted to risk the wrath of a Progenitor of the Elder Vampires who could erase Souls. Everyone knew the consequences of having their Soul erased. One would literally cease to exist and have no chance of being reincarnated or revived. A True Death and the end of everything, reverting the victim to a state of nonexistence.
The man who was Vlad's first friend died, and his Unique Eyes were passed on to his son, along with his duty.
'Serve the King of Vampires as his right hand.'
Since then, all of the Alioth Clan members have been trained to be direct advisors to the King from childhood.
Natalia was no exception. She just wasn't fulfilling that role because her father was still the Leader of the Clan.
And only Clan Leaders could assume that role. Her father was a damn genius, one never before seen in the Alioth Clan. The control and proficiency of his powers were on the same level as the Clan Founder, if not even surpassing him. After all, a lot of time had passed, and the Clan's Techniques had improved since its founding.
And one of these techniques was 'making' Time around the user move at a slower rate. Because of this technique that he'd acquired in childhood, Alexios only looked like a middle-aged man, even though he should be an elderly man by human standards.
'Perhaps, I won't even assume the position of the King's adviser in this life.' After all, unlike Alexios, who had the Clan's Unique Eyes to help him, Natalia didn't have anything of the sort, and she only had control over Space, not Time.
This role was passed from Father to Son, generation after generation, carrying the stigma of Nightingale's last stand and the King's advisor.
They were with Vlad from the beginning and would be with him until the end.
Natalia was sure that if it were her father who heard this question, he would merely snort in disdain and walk away.
But the problem was, she wasn't her father! She was Natalia, and this silly human loved this man too much. She admired him too much.
She took pleasure in serving him and did not doubt that this man would protect everyone and everything.
She was the Heiress of Clan Alioth, a Clan that founded Nightingale. Was she ready to be the first to break her loyalty to Vlad that her Clan had upheld for the past 3000 years?
Tears threatened to fall down her face, and she opened her mouth.
"I-..." Just as Natalia was going to say something,
Victor approached her and pulled her into a hug.
Smelling the heady scent of his body, her insides contracted, a shock ran through her entire body, and a flushed expression appeared on her face.
"I'm sorry." A gentle voice muttered, and it completely penetrated her entire existence.
"… Eh?"
Victor squeezed Natalia slightly tighter, not enough to hurt her fragile body but enough to convey his feelings, and stroked her head a little.
"V-Vic-."
"Ruby and I... No, I didn't think this through clearly."
"This is an extremely difficult decision for both of you." He looked at Eleonor with gentle eyes that made the woman's body visibly shiver.
"Vic-…"
"No." Victor just shook his head and interrupted Eleonor.
"I was selfish, I rushed this, and because of that, I tried to impose my will on you two… And that isn't something I want. That isn't fair."
"..." Eleonor's face became kinder, and she smiled slightly.
"Are you okay?" Rose asked in a neutral tone but one that carried genuine concern.
"Mm..." She wasn't fine, but she wasn't going to say that now. She was not that weak after all.
'The one who's shaken up the most is probably Natalia.' Eleonor, as well as all the Countesses present here, knew the history of her Clan.
Victor pulled away from Natalia a little and looked at the Maid. She, who was usually always stoic and playful, was a step away from crying.
Victor smiled gently with an ache in his heart. He didn't like this sight.
"..." And that feeling was something the women connected with him felt.
Ruby, Violet, and Sasha looked at each other, and the three nodded simultaneously with serious expressions.
Each of the girls pulled their respective mothers aside and started talking to them.
"Don't think about it, okay?" He wiped the tears from Natalia's face and cupped her face in both of his hands.
"B-But-"
"It's okay... No need to think about it. Just keep being yourself. Stoic, playful, sometimes scary, and sometimes brilliant."
"Just keep being yourself, okay?"
"… Mm." Natalia became lost in his gentle, serious eyes.
Those words she heard were like needle points piercing her turbulent heart, and her face couldn't help but brighten and become a little embarrassed, which was rare for the playful and stoic Maid.
A sight she showed to very few people.
"...." Jeanne and Morgana smiled slightly when they heard what Victor said as they experienced a kind of deja vu of their respective pasts.
'He's a fool... A reliable fool.' The two thought at the same time.
"Haah…" Trying her best to regain her senses and the mask she always wore, she spoke, "I was really thinking about it, you know? I felt my heart almost come out of my mouth."
"I'm sorry." He laughed lightly in a depressed tone.
"..." Natalia willingly hugged him, and she calmed down more now:
"I can't give you an answer right now, but I promise I'll think about it."
"For me, that's enough, don't feel pressured, okay?" He stroked her head.
"... Idiot." She murmured lowly. All her effort to calm down was thrown out the window with that caress on the head, and soon after, she continued:
"If it were anyone else, they would have already seduced me and used some kinda Charm on me, you know? My powers are just that useful." She teased, but Victor wasn't amused.
He stopped hugging her and looked seriously at Natalia.
"V-Vic?" She was taken aback by this abrupt change.
"Yes, your powers would make the transition and future plans much easier, but… I'm not after you just because of your powers."
"..." Natalia opened her eyes wide, and at that moment, Victor's face was imprinted into her existence without her even knowing it.
"There are several ways of achieving the result that your powers do. Yes, the process will be time-consuming, and I will spend a lot of resources, but it is possible."
"I'm asking you to come with me, Natalia, for the simple reason that you've been with me since the beginning, just like Kaguya and Violet."
"I don't want to lose your company."
"I want you to be there by my side."
"..." Each sentence made Natalia's heart beat wildly as her face took on an even redder hue.
Hearing those words from someone you admire and like, was simply too powerful.
And their effects were even worse when that someone was supernaturally beautiful, both physically and internally.
"Y-You... I-..." She tried to say something but just stuttered and bit her tongue.
And that only made her more embarrassed.
Natalia hyperventilated, displaying an even rarer expression than the previous one. Victor patted her on the head and spoke in a solemn tone:
"Being in a room with Kaguya and Violet, without you there, is going to feel like something is missing, you know?"
He remembered lying with his head in Violet's lap, and the two maids were nearby. This was a very precious memory for Victor because it happened right after he became a Vampire.
"Do not think so little of yourself."
"... Mm... Let me go, please." That was all she could say before Victor let her go. Natalia quickly lowered her head to hide her expression and went to the corner of the room, where she tried to pretend that nothing had happened. She just wanted to become invisible now! Or crawl into a hole and come out only a few hours later!
Her emotional state was not stable. Her body was hot, and she felt afraid she could throw herself at Victor at any moment. Now, if that happened… Her father would gain a son-in-law.
.....
