"...I don't understand... ...Vanitas..." I opened my eyes and looked at the troubled face of Noé and the unreadable one of Vanitas from the corner of it when I heard Noé's voice.
"What is... ..."salvation" ?"
"...No idea.
Just mull it over on your own." He answered passively before loking at me from over his shoulder. "And what are you doing ?"
I looked down at the dust. "Praying for a poor little girl who didn't deserve that, can't you see ?" I answered in a little voice before turning to look at him. "It is common in my clan to pray for the deaths we encountered, even if we didn't know them."
I closed my eyes a few seconds as I took my book and hugged it close to me before opening them. "We believe that the soul will be more at peace this way." I explained.
"Because you really believe that ?" His tone seemed sceptical and I just shrugged.
"Why should I not ?"
"Fooooound... ...youuuuuu ! ♡" A female voice was heard.
The three of us turned around in surprise to see the fox masked girl from earlier. She attacked us with a trail of ice we avoided by jumping out of its way.
"Aaah... The stench, the stench, the stench !! It stinks of men, stinks of humans. This could not possibly be worse !!" She complained.
"Sorry but I am a woman !" I reiterated.
"Yes but you choose to be in their company so you are just as horrible !" She kind of scolded me.
'Why do you have such a problem with men...?' I thought, a deadpanned expression on my face so I wasn't really paying attention to what the boys said about her rewriting "formulas" with ease.
"Those are incredible eyes you've got... ..."Beastia" Veronica De Sade !" Vanitas exclaimed.
'Aaah... I kinda feel bad for Dominique...'
"Mine is not a name...
...For mere humans to use casually." She seemed really mad now as she attacked us again with ice.
Noé and I managed to dodge but Vanitas had a part of his leg stuck in the ice.
"First, I'll freeze you. And then... Let's see.
Dear little Domi tried to stop me...
...so I'll shatter you to pieces right in front of her !" Her voice was cruel as she spoke with a hint of amusement in her tone.
"Wait !" I exclaimed as I went to move but I had to dodge another trail of ice and I saw from the corner of my eyes that Noé looked like he had trouble to move while the woman was laughing.
"That's enough, Veronica."
I looked up, surprised to see the fox mask split in two and falling to the ground.
"Lord Ruthven..." Veronica called the man.
I frowned at the name. 'Lord Ruthven... I didn't think I would meet someone like him...'
"One granted the name of Beastia, "Queen's Fang," should not use her power in such an unbecoming manner." He scolded the woman who was thinking of killing Vanitas.
I sighed in relief before going over to Vanitas, ignoring what the two vampires might be talking about. I was standing beside Vanitas and touched the ice, inspecting it.
I was vaguely aware of someone blaming Vanitas for the curse-bearers coming here so I glared at him for the nonsense he was saying, he flinched when he noticed it.
But my gaze immediately went to Lord Ruthven when he was standing in front of Vanitas, his body half covered in ice.
"You heard him. Is it true ?" The vampire asked. "...Was it you who returned those individuals to ashes ?"
I was still staring at the man before turning to Vanitas at the moment he answered. "That's right. I'm the one who killed that girl."
Without thinking twice about it, I rushed in front of Vanitas and grabbed Lord Ruthven's wrist, also putting a knife at his neck because he was reaching for Vanitas with a kind of aura around him that I didn't like.
~~~
In that position, Cyndelle couln't see the look of surprise and shock that Vanitas wore because of her actions.
~~~
"Don't... You dare... Touch him..." I growled at the man, baring my fangs at him as I could feel the red getting to my eyes and put more strenght in my grip of him.
The man just stared at me in silence. "Do you have any idea who you are threatening ?" He asked me.
"Right now... You could be the Queen and I still wouldn't care because of what you did..." I muttered coldly, keeping my voice so low that only the people next to me would be able to hear it.
The corners of his lips seemed to lift up after he looked past my shoulder. "Then... I guess I should take care of you first..."
~~~
Everything went fast, Ruthven's other hand was reaching for Cyndelle this time. Vanitas was about to call out to her.
But everyone was surprised because the young girl got pushed by Noé who was putting himself in front of her, being the wall keeping Lord Ruthven from Cyndelle and Vanitas.
~~~
"Stop it... Don't... Touch them !!" He told the vampire in front of him while I stared at his back, still surprised but at the same time thankful. "I don't know... who you are, but...!"
I began to worry about him, I noticed he was panting.
"Listen. I ! Was talking to him ! And you people barged in and interrupted ! Who do you think you are !?"
'Wait... He really has no idea who this man is !?' I realized.
"Don't just hijack the situation ! You don't know anything about it ! Trying to shove the blame onto him because it's convenient is just --" He suddenly stopped himself. From where I was I couldn't see the kind of face he was making so I was worried of his state, being mentally or physically.
"... Heh !
Ha ha ha ha !" Lord Ruthven suddenly laughed out loud with a smile on his face. Now his aura was one of sympathy, nothing like the vibe he was giving me only moments ago. "Ah, my apologies ! I'd flattered myself that I was fairly well-known you see"
It looked like his words made Noé come back to reality.
"It seems that was conceited of me.
Your pardon, boy. As you say, I was the one whose manners were lacking.
I am Ruthven. I serve her majesty as a member of the Senate." The older vampire introduced himself.
Then Luca made his appearance, I was nothing but surprised to learn that they were of the same family, they both seemed so different in their way of acting but maybe the age difference is one of the reason for that...
Noé almost collapsed on the adult as he was leaning into him, I went to his side to support him, even though he was a little heavy for me. So I could do nothing about Ruthven using his black flames to set Vanitas free.
~~~
And as Noé was reaching a hand to Vanitas while he was passing out, Cyndelle could not see the dark look that was on Vanitas' face.
Later on, Noé was taked to a room so he could rest. Cyndelle, who got the opportunity to change her clothes, was looking after him. Relief evident on her face to see him fine.
She looked up when she heard something coming from the window and turned around to see Vanitas.
The vampire girl went and opened the large window.
"What is it ?" She asked him.
"Can you come ? I would like to have a talk with you." He answered her, making a mocement of the head towards a high place near.
"Don't you want to know how's Noé ?" She wondered, raising an eyebrow at him.
"He looks fine to me. You don't need to look after him more." The human's answer was immediate as he took a glance at Noé before loiking at Cyndelle once again.
The young girl thought about it a little and casted a side glance at Noé before looking at Vanitas. "Fine."
The both of them went, Cyndelle followed Vanitas until they were at the top of the building. Vanitas sat down near the edge so the girl did the same beside him.
~~~
"Sooo... What did you want to talk about, Vanitas ?" I started the conversation, turning my head to face him.