Chapter 3
She winced as her skin began to sting from the contact. Someone stirred, letting out a groan from above her on the bed. She froze.
"What..." a figure sat up. "what filthy being dares disturb our sleep?"
The voice was soft and smooth, but anger caused it to be lower, rougher. Yui looked up slowly, and was met with a familiar babyish face and lilac hair.
She gulped. Kanato was not happy.
_____________________________________________________
Yui gasped upon seeing glowing, fuchsia eyes, demonic rage swimming within them. Ironically, at the same time, he looked quite angelic due to the thin, golden ray shining on the back of his head, creating a bright, warm ball of aura around him.
The silky blanket fell off his shoulder as he continued sending daggers at her. "You," Kanato whisper-seethed. "How dare you think you have the right to disturb us. I should kill you right at this moment."
Yui shook her head as she scrambled back, stumbling with her quiet protesting.
Kanato made an amused sound. "How pathetic. Che, you're lucky I'm not in the mood to get up, and that Guinee-san and Teddy are asleep, or else that twiggy throat of yours would be crushed."
Fear was evident in her eyes as she watched him rummaging, messing up the sheets and slipping his hands underneath the blanket a few good times. His eyes, already turned back to its violet hues, was searching frantically around him, his lilac hair swishing along with every turn of his head.
He frowned after a moment of searching. "Where is Teddy?" he asked, voice too steady.
"I-I don't know..." Yui stuttered, tone hushed.
"Of course not. Why would you?" he snapped. He went silent for a moment. "...Dammit. Now I have to draw these curtains, but..." He turned and looked at the sleeping woman beside him with slightly troubled eyes.
Yui averted her eyes from him, landing them on the stuffed teddy bear that she tripped over. Her heart skipped a beat. The room began spinning as her brain frantically tried to find a strategy to escape this situation at hand. Before she could do anything, a small, feminine growl came from the dark-haired woman as she turned, facing Yui's direction. She cracked her left eye open—a beauty mark was evident underneath the corner of that eye— to reveal a captivating silver orb.
She sat up immediately, staring at the platinum blonde with both, widened eyes before tilting her head. "Who...?"
Yui scrambled to her feet. With a bow, she spoke quickly, "I-I'm Yui Komori. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you!"
Guinevere blinked, surprise fading from her slightly upturned eyes as they returned to their normal size. "...It is fine. Are you perhaps...a sacrificial bride?"
Now it was Yui's turn to be caught off-guarded—not that she wasn't the whole time. She nodded. "Yes."
"I see. That explains why a presence of a human like you would lie in this lion's den," Guinevere replied, wearing a slight smirk on her face.
Her smirk dimmed slightly as she felt on the small tugging of her nightgown from behind. She turned around and let out a light hum, eyes landing on an unpleased Kanato.
"Guinevere," he said. He then glomped her, lips pouting slightly as his pale cheeks puffed out.
She wrapped an arm around him in response, the other petting his head while a shocked Yui looked back and forth between them. She never thought she would see a day where Kanato was not disturbingly eerie.
"You smell good...like cream and vanilla," he spoke again, voice muffled in her chest.
Guinevere smiled upon seeing a tint of pink on his ears. "Why thank you, precious. You smell wonderful as well. Like sweets and freshly baked cupcakes." She was cooing slightly, causing him to bury his face deeper into the silk fabric of her nightgown.
She then looked at Yui, face gentle. "So, is there a particular reason why you are here?"
The platinum blond's eyes brightened in response, as if she remembered something important. "Oh! That's right! I was originally with Ayato and Laito but they left me so... I tripped over t-teddy when I tried to get out of the room, since you two were sleeping..." she tried to ignore Kanato's glare and continued, "A-Anyway, I just...I just wanted to say thank you." She bowed once more.
Guinevere raised an eyebrow. "Me? I did not do anything to deserve such gratitude from you."
"You...you changed my clothes...didn't you? So the brothers didn't have to do it..."
A look of recognition adorned her face. "Oh. I see." She then smiled and resumed stroking Kanato's hair. "There is no need to thank me. I did what a fellow female would do."
Yui blushed lightly at her kindness, admiration shining in her doe-like eyes. Curiosity suddenly came back to her, and she asked, "Um...Miss...?"
"DeRosa Guinevere. Pleasure to be your acquaintance."
"DeRosa...Guinevere?" Yui repeated, the foreign name odd yet beautiful as it slipped from her tongue.
"Yes?" Guinevere answered, amused. "If my name takes too much effort to pronounce, then Guinee is fine, as people quite often call me that."
"O-okay...Guinee-san..." Blood rushed to Yui's cheeks. She gave out a light cough, ignoring Kanato's scoff. "I'm...I'm sorry if this is too personal...but what's your relationship with the Sakamaki brothers?"
Guinevere hummed, eyes boring into the human before her who was currently looking at her shoes. "Just a moment. Could you please hand me Teddy? And you do not mind, do you Kanato? Unless you want me to retrieve him myself..." Kanato quickly shook his head as he buried his face into her chest again.
Yui warily picked up the stuffed toy and walked towards the bed, placing it in Guinevere's extended hand. She thanked Yui as Kanato delicately grabbed it from her, the other arm still wrapped around her torso. His eyes reflect slight gratefulness as he looked at Yui. But that only lasted in the blink of an eye before he snuggled back into Guinevere's warmth.
"Well," Guinevere began. "I am this little fellow's half-cousin."
"I am not little."
"Eh, really?!"
Kanato and Yui said at the same time.
Guinevere placed her chin lightly on Kanato's head. The vampire's gaze flickered upwards to look at her as she continued, "Yes, and if you do not know already, Ayato and Laito are the other two of the triplets, meaning..."
"Meaning that...you're also Ayato and Laito's half-cousin," Yui concluded. "But aren't all the six brothers related?"
"No. The brothers have separate mothers, so I only am related the triplets. Let us leave it at that." Guinevere's tone left no room for argument.
"Okay..."
Guinevere smiled. "Now, I think you should return to your room and get properly dressed. Reiji will arrive soon to inform you to join us for dinner."
Yui looked confused. "Dinner? Isn't it morning?"
Kanato turned to look at her, the side of his face still pressed against Guinevere. "Stupid mortal."
"Now, now precious, be nice," Guinevere tutted, petting his head. She focused her attention back on Yui. "Us vampires have a different daily routine than you humans do. We consider breakfast around six at dusk, while dinner around six at dawn. Hence, lunch is at midnight, for us, and midday is when we vampires are supposed to be asleep, in replacement of midnight in human terms."
A small 'oh' escaped Yui's lips before Guinevere's words fully registered in her head. When they did, her eyes widened.
'Wait, Guinevere's a vampire as well? But...she's not like the brothers. She's so kind, and gentle...Maybe, maybe I'll rely on her more,' Yui thought. 'Yeah, I'll do that.'
"You better get going." Guinevere tilted her head towards the door, implying her statement. She and Kanato watched Yui scurry out of the room.
"Hmm...I shall think of a nickname for her," she said.
Kanato blinked. "Why?"
"Why not? It will be nice to see what I come up with. The world probably developed quite a bit during my long period of slumbering, so it would help giving me ideas."
Kanato's eyes darkened at the mention of her slumber. Nonetheless, he continued his intended statement, "Hmph. That mortal doesn't deserve such attention."
Guinevere giggled and poked his puffed-up cheek. "How adorable. Rest assured, my precious, I will not drive my attention away from you, so stop sulking, alright?"
Kanato hugged her tightly "Fine. But you're baking with me and Teddy later."
"Most certainly. I need to get dressed now. You should get ready as well."
She sighed when Kanato ignored her.
++++++++++++
"Bitch-chan, where have you been?"
Yui clutched her hands tightly together, pressing them against her chest. "Y-you left me there, remember? And um, could you please move? Please? You're kind of...blocking the doorway, Laito, and I need to get in my room..."
"No~pe," he responded, giving her a closed-eyed smile. "Did you go anywhere other than her room? Because you did take a while to return here~"
"I was lost..."
"Is that it?"
"Y-yes. What else—oh! I was able to thank Guinevere!"
Laito's eyes widened. He cocked his head. "How? Is she's awake?"
Yui nodded. "A-And Kanato, as well." Her voice was quiet at the mention of the lilac-haired vampire.
"...I see. Thanks for the information, Bitch-chan~!" Laito waved at her as he waked away.
Yui blinked. For a split second, she saw his eyes portrayed the same, unusual coldness before it was clouded with its usual lust.