Rafina flipped a few more pages into the book.
Lonia couldn't understand the writing on them; the complex strokes looked like a tangled mass of thorns.
“What is this?”
“Ah... It's the Ancient Demon Language.”
Lonia turned the book upside down, examining it twice before stuffing it right back into Rafina's arms.
“I've never learned it. Read it to me.”
Rafina's gaze moved from the pages to Lonia's face. The girl's blood-red slit pupils were filled with natural expectation.
Then she lowered her head and turned the page.
“...This is about the God-Forsaken Era.”
Her voice was still soft, but slightly louder than before. She placed her fingertip on a line of ancient demon script, slowly tracing the strokes.
“A long time ago, the Creator took herself as the template to fashion the body of the Human Ancestor. Afterward, she gifted ribs, hair, tears, and baby teeth to the ancestors of the dragons, elves, winged race, and demons.”
“Then, she distributed the Authorities into the hands of the various Ancestors, and together they constructed the world.”
“Once the world was completed, she reclaimed the Authority she had bestowed upon all living beings.”
Lonia sat down cross-legged, her dress spreading out completely in the dust. A look of deep concentration appeared on her pale little face.
Of course, she had taken history lessons, and her teachers had taught this sort of thing before. But that didn't stop her from wanting to hear Fina explain it again.
“And then?”
“Then... everyone started fighting. Entering the Era of Strife.”
Rafina turned a page, the paper giving a dry rustling sound.
“The Human Ancestor joined forces with the other Ancestors to start a rebellion, stealing the First Fire and banishing the Creator, sealing her in an unknown place. This scattered the Authority all across the world.”
“After that, the Ancestors began to fight over the Authority...”
“Then the Black Tide appeared, ending the Era of Strife and ushering in the Era of Dragon Sovereignty, where the Dragon Clan and humanity ruled the world together...”
Lonia knitted her brows.
“Why the Dragon Clan and humans?”
“Because starting from that period... Transmigrators began to appear...”
“The beasts and demihumans, who previously had low status on the continent, received unprecedented power and standing because they were favored by the Transmigrators. Even the Dragon Clan, who had always embraced solitude, were pulled into marriage one by one by the Transmigrators...”
“Whoa...?”
“So... after the Black Tide was suppressed, it entered an era of joint governance by dragons and humans... until that man among humanity, known as the Wild Hunt King, rose to power. He waged countless wars, which directly led to the end of the Era of Dragon Sovereignty...”
“Just how many fights had to be fought?”
The corners of Rafina's mouth twitched, and her thin tail gave a gentle flick behind her.
“...The book has a map that marks the location of every major battle.”
“Show me.”
Lonia leaned her head right over, her black hair bun brushing against Rafina's shoulder.
Rafina stiffened, but she didn't shrink back this time. She only tilted the book slightly, angling the yellowed hand-drawn map toward Lonia.
The map was densely dotted with crosses in faded red ink, each with a tiny annotation beside it. Lonia couldn't read a single word, but she stared at those crosses with immense interest.
“Are all these crosses battlefields?”
“Mhm.”
“What about these boxes?”
“...Also battlefields.”
“And this...”
“They're all battlefields.”
Lonia looked up, locking eyes with Rafina for a brief moment.
The distance between the two little girls was unusually close. Lonia could clearly see her own reflection in Rafina's crimson eyes—a dark-haired, red-eyed little brat with a dust-smudged face.
“You know so much.”
Lonia remarked.
Rafina looked away, the tips of her ears flushing with a very faint pink.
“...Because there is nothing else to do.”
Lonia did not press further. She returned her focus to the book, pointing at a giant cross right in the center of the map.
“What is this biggest one?”
Rafina looked where she was pointing and fell silent for a moment.
“...The Plains of Holy Remains.”
“The Plains of Holy Remains?”
“Where the Wild Hunt King fell... the Battle of the Plains of Holy Remains, which decided the continent's layout today.”
The flame of the oil lamp flickered, casting swaying shadows across the profiles of the two little girls.
The old archives fell silent, save for the occasional rustle of turning pages and a low wail echoing from deep within Gloom Castle, whether from the wind or something else entirely.
Lonia suddenly stood up.
Dust trickled down from her hem. Patting her knees, she looked down at Rafina, who was still curled up on the floor, her red slit pupils reflecting the nearly spent oil lamp.
“I have to go out for a moment, but I'll be back. Read the rest to me when I return.”
Rafina hugged the book and opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she merely gave a small nod.
Only the tip of her tail perked up along with it.
...
Lonia returned to the side hall.
On the tray she had seen earlier lay a small dish of candied blood oranges, half a piece of bread, and a cup of blood that had already gone cold.
Previously, she wouldn't have spared a second glance at anything other than the blood. But this time, she completely ignored the cup of blood, stuffing the blood oranges and the bread into an embroidered handkerchief she dug out from her luggage.
Then she ran to her sitting room, pulling out a neatly folded black dress from the very bottom of her trunk.
It was a spare change of clothes her sister had prepared for her.
The Catori family's tailors were always impeccable. Even for a dress made for a six-year-old child, every single stitch was meticulously placed.
Lonia rolled the dress into a bundle and tucked it under her arm.
There were still no maids in the corridor. Those two, whoever knew where they had run off to, were nowhere to be seen. They probably figured a six-year-old vampire princess didn't require much supervision.
Lonia had no complaints about this; after all, it suited her plans perfectly.
She followed her previous route. When she reached the end, the iron door remained half-open.
Lonia squeezed her way inside. Rafina was still sitting in the exact same spot.
She sat cross-legged on the floor, the massive book spread across her knees, still open to the same page.
The moment she heard footsteps, her silver-white head snapped up.
Lonia saw her arrow-tipped tail stiffen at first, then very slowly perk upward.
“...You really came back.”
“I said I'd come back, so of course I did. Members of the Catori family don't make empty promises. Once we say we will do something, we do it.”
Lonia stepped over the shredded paper, squatted down, tossed the dress from under her arm onto the ground, and untied her handkerchief, laying it out between them.
“Here, blood oranges.”
Rafina's gaze fell upon the dish of blood oranges, shifted to the half-eaten piece of bread, and finally settled on Lonia's face.
“...These are for me?”
“Who else would they be for, the mice? Eat quickly.”
Lonia stuffed the bread into her own mouth and began taking small bites.
Rafina watched her for a moment longer before reaching out to pick up a slice of blood orange.
The moment the fruit entered her mouth, her crimson eyes blinked.
“...So sweet.”
“Of course it's sweet, it's candied. Haven't you had it before?”
Rafina didn't answer, but she picked up a second slice.
Lonia nibbled her bread while watching her eat. Once Rafina finished the last slice, Lonia set her bread aside and picked up the bundle of black satin from the floor.
“Rafina, what you're wearing is too tattered. It doesn't look good at all.”
She shook out the dress, unfolding it in front of Rafina. The satin gave off a soft, gentle sheen under the oil lamp. The dark rubies were like a ring of congealed blood beads, and the lace trimming was so delicate it was nearly transparent.
Placed next to Rafina's old, crookedly patched dress, they seemed like products of two completely different worlds.
“Here, we're about the same size. Try it on.”
Rafina stared at the dress, freezing in place.
“...I cannot wear this.”
“Why not?”
“This is... yours.”
“Yes, it's mine. I'm telling you to wear it, so wear it.”
Lonia declared matter-of-factly, stuffing the dress into Rafina's arms.
Rafina held the dress and lowered her head.
“...But what if I get it dirty?”
“If it gets dirty, just wash it. Are you going to wear it or not?”
Lonia put her hands on her hips, tossing her chin up.
“...I will.”
Her voice was as quiet as a mosquito's buzz.
“Then hurry up. Take the old one off.”
Rafina set her book aside and hesitantly placed the new dress on her lap.
She reached her hand behind her back to undo the old dress's straps, but they were tied in a dead knot, and her short arms couldn't reach them no matter how she tried.
She squirmed and struggled for quite a while, her crystal horns bobbing in the lamplight while her tail thrashed anxiously.
Lonia let out a helpless sigh.
“So clumsy. Turn around.”
She crawled on her knees behind Rafina, pulling over the tangled heap of straps.
The knot was tight and messy, as if it had never been properly tied in the first place, or rather, as if someone had just given it a few haphazard twists and called it a day.
Lonia dug her little fingernails into the knot, taking quite some effort to pry it apart.
The back of the old dress loosened, exposing Rafina's back.
Against her pale skin, the contours of her spine were painfully prominent.
“You're so thin.”
Lonia wrinkled her nose, her tone carrying an indiscernible mix of distaste and something else.
Rafina slid the old dress off her shoulders, crossing her arms over her chest. Although there was nothing on her six-year-old body that truly needed covering, she still instinctively curled inward.
“...It's always been this way.”
“It's because you eat too little. I'll bring more tomorrow.”
Lonia picked up the new dress and stretched open the collar.
“Raise your hands.”
Rafina hesitated, then slowly uncrossed her arms and raised both hands above her head.
The satin slid over Rafina's silver-white hair, over her pair of tiny crystal horns, down her narrow shoulders, and finally came to rest above her knees.
Lonia walked back to the front, looking her up and down.
The dress was a bit too big.
Lonia was more developed than Rafina, so the dress hung loosely on Rafina's frame.
The neckline slumped to one side, revealing a collarbone and half a shoulder. The sleeves were a bit too long, completely covering her fingertips.
Yet, the luster of the satin beautifully complemented her silver-white hair, and the dark rubies perfectly mirrored her crimson eyes.
Lonia tilted her head, watching her for a long time.
“...It's decent, I suppose, though a bit worse than when I wear it. After all, you're just too thin.”
Rafina pinched the excess fabric at her cuffs, gently rubbing it.
“...Thank you.”
“Hmph, there's nothing to thank me for. My house has plenty of these anyway.”
Lonia sat back down and picked up her half-eaten bread to continue nibbling.
“Read to me.”
Rafina nodded, moving the book back onto her lap.
The satin of the new dress was much slicker than her old cotton one. The book almost slid off her lap, but she quickly pressed down with both hands.
Even her tail snaked out from her waist, wrapping around the lower spine of the book to help keep it in place.
She turned back to the previous page.
“...The Elven King's sister fell in love with the third son of the Human King, but she was subsequently betrayed and died on the battlefield. This incident directly led to the complete deterioration of relations between humanity and the Elven King, who already despised humans...”
Lonia listened as she chewed her bread.
Rafina's voice was slightly louder than before.
Lonia realized she was beginning to read the things Rafina left unsaid from her tail alone.
Swirling meant hesitation, drooping meant depression, and perking up probably meant happy?
She realized that, most of the time, the tail was perked up.
Her bread finished, she brushed the crumbs off her dress onto the floor. Shifting closer to Rafina, she leaned her shoulder against the other girl's arm.
Rafina's voice faltered for a beat, and then she continued.
Rate on N.U.
