A few hours earlier, just after sundown, in the capital city…

Lily leaves the palace and walks through the guarded palace gates. The plumed guards look at her with uneasy eyes as she departs into the streets' darkness. Heading in the direction of the bell tower, her temporary seat of power, she walks in the center of the streets only lit by a lonely oil lamp here and there, hanged outside the storefronts by better off businesses.

The citizens walking the streets after dark with torches and lamps in their hands avoid her on sight in a wide arc, and the citizens without them bow low when passing by. She acknowledges neither, and simply continues onward.

She makes it to the bell tower, and walks up the stairs just below the top floor with the bell. Lily swings the hatch to the bottom floor shut with a loud thud, and with ease places a chest of drawers on top of it.

She pulls one of the drawers out, and takes a black sleeping nightgown out, changes into it, and lays down in a modest bed filled with straw and laid a mattress over the filling. She closes her eyes and drifts off into a still, breathless sleep. A death-like torpor.

…

The next morning, Lily opens her scarlet eyes. She yawns and stretches, groaning heavily. She changes back into her dress, and places the nightgown back into the dresser. She lifts it up, sets it beside the hatch, and swings it open.

「Good morning, baroness…」

The bell tower worker bows his head as Lily climbs down the steep stairs. The only response the man receives from her is a glare, and a scoff. She heads further downward, passing by the man without giving him even a second of her mind more, and he climbs upward to the bell.

Lily leaves the bell tower, closing the door behind herself. She turns around, and sees armed and armored men waiting outside, surrounding her in a semi-circle just a few paces away. Though their weapons are sheathed, their faces betray that they are visibly on edge.

「Oh? And what is this? Explain yourselves. In your own words.」

She feigns an exaggerated surprise, then ominously growls her demand with a glare. One man from the center of the group takes a few steps towards her.

「We are-」

The man attempts an introduction, but Lily immediately shuts him down.

「I know what you are. You are either incredibly brave, or incredibly stupid if you wish to ignore your queen's command. Did she not order you not to pester me, and other vampires?」

Lily asks with a composed, lady-like, yet incredibly disdainful and haughty expression on her face. Her elevated brows, and the slight downward tilt of the corners of her mouth almost by themselves scream insults at the man.

「So, we are supposed to stand idle while your kind freely murders ours?」

The man scowls at Lily, intensely glaring at her. Meanwhile, her expression is extremely difficult to decipher, only giving away an aura of frigid air.

「Hmm? Ah. You are referring to the incident from the other day, are you not?」

Lily asks with a subtle smirk on her face, tilting her head. The man doesn't reply, and only glares at her in anger.

「I was angered by it, too. The perpetrator has already been dealt with. There shall be no more slayings of humans like that.」

She sighs, and flicks her golden twin-tail off her shoulder behind her back with her hand. The man continues to glare in silence with his fists on his hips.

「Does that satisfy you… Hunter?」

She asks with a disdainful tone, tilting her head a little and smugly smirking.

「…And what did you do with him? Slap him on the wrist? I know I can't expect anything resembling justice out of your-」

The man asks with clear contempt in voice, crossing his arms. Lily cuts him off once more.

「I made an example out of him, and hung him up on the eastern wall.」

Lily maliciously smirks.

「What do you mean hung him up? You mean you acted out a little execution, and he cut himself off the rope after a few minutes?」

The man asks, still scowling with a hateful expression at Lily as he nods his head up.

「I mean that after I tore him limb by limb in front of the others, I nailed him to the eastern wall just above the gate for him to burn up in the morning.」

Lily smiles, and her smile slowly twists into an amused grin. The man's hateful face becomes deeply disconcerted and troubled.

「What?…」

He asks with furrowed brows, as the men behind him begin to whisper amongst themselves.

「…Is that what the nails were?…」

「…Some guys said they saw huge nails sticking out of the wall…」

「…I heard there was a corpse hanging above the gate…」

The men speak in hushed voices, though still easily audible in the quiet morning hours.

「Does that satisfy your thirst for blood, hunter? If not, petition your queen. I may be eternal, but I have no time for you, regardless.」

Lily says, and steps towards the man as if he was not even there. He moves out of the way on an instinct, with nervous eyes watching her pass.

「Wait, if vampires burn in the sun, why aren't you?」

He asks while Lily is walking away towards the rest of the men blocking her path.

「Aren't you curious? None of your business.」

She scoffs, looking at the man over her shoulder with an amused, disdainful smirk. It turns into a hateful glare as she scolds him, then turns her head back.

「Hold it-」

Another man from the group steps in her way. It takes Lily no time at all to glare up at him with eyes filled with pure hatred.

「Out of my way, worm. My patience is at its limits.」

She snarls at the man, and he jumps out of the way in panic. Lily scoffs angrily, and walks past the men into the streets, disappearing behind a corner of a building.

「…What the fuck were we even supposed to do?」

One of the men asks, looking at his fellow hunters.

「Nothing. At least nothing yet… Why doesn't the sun burn her?…」

The group's leader replies, still staring in shock in the direction of Lily's departure. His eyes drift downwards as he mumbles to himself.

Heading towards the palace, Lily is staring down at the cobblestones in deep thought.

《…I'm starting to sound like master… Except he could keep up the act longer than a few minutes. And he wasn't acting.》

Lily sighs, and continues onward amidst the terrified crowd avoiding her…

…

「…And that's how things are right now.」

Queen Cycelia apologetically explains. Millie nods, standing in front of her wheelchair and breathing heavily.

「I see… It's fine, your majesty… I- We can wait…」

Millie replies, smiling at Cycelia, though her blue eyes bear a pained expression. Cycelia grunts quietly, as her face becomes visibly troubled.

「Millie, just sit down, it's okay. And stop it with your majesty, we're friends, aren't we?」

Cycelia urges, furrowing her brows at Millie as she continues standing and gasping for air. Millie shakes her head, flapping her flowing golden hair around.

「No… I insist…」

She replies, pausing between words to catch her breath despite not doing anything particularly fatiguing.

「Millie, sit down. That's an order.」

…Donnnngggggg… Gonnnngggggg… Donnnnggggg… Gonnnnngggg…

The bell tower rings out. Cycelia commands with a serious tone and face. Millie's deep blue eyes widen in surprise. She reluctantly sits in her wheelchair, and lets out a large, relieved sigh.

「You did great, Millie. You're getting better.」

Louche leans in from behind Millie and says with a hushed voice. Millie nods, still catching her breath.

「Your highness, is that all in that case? I'd like to take Millie to her room so she can rest.」

Louche asks, glancing down at Millie every half a second or so.

「I…」

Cycelia almost says something, but stops herself. Her brows furrow as she stares intently at Millie and Louche, rubbing her lips with her thumb in deep thought with a troubled expression. A few moments later, Straf walks into the room with one of his hands in his pocket.

「Yo. Lia, have you written those laws up yet?」

Straf asks as he walks up to the throne.

「Oh, and there's the recurrent characters too. I thought you'd be written out on basis on ethics.」

Straf smirks, looking at Millie and Louche.

「Straf! Long time no see!」

「Yeah, luckily.」

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Straf scoffs, and looks back at Cycelia. She looks back at Straf, still rubbing her lips.

「Straf. I have good news and bad news.」

Cycelia says, twiddling with her thumbs.

「Oh boy.」

Straf lets out a singular chuckle with a suppressed grin.

「Well, there's more good news than there is bad news… So that's good news in and of themselves, right?」

She puts her fingers together and tilts her head with an awkward smile, almost begging for affirmation of her statement.

「I guess. You can look at it that way.」

Straf shrugs, spreading his arms. He then places his hand back into his pocket.

「Okay. Do you want good new-?」

「Bad news first. Hit me with the worst you've got.」

Straf replies without waiting for Cycelia to finish, taking her aback a little.

「Um… Okay? Well, you see…」

Cycelia taps her fingers together, looking aside and breaking eye contact with Straf.

「The people that are in physical control of Millie's land refuse to return it to her. They say that they invested time and money into it, and it's rightfully theirs. Normally I would be inclined to agree, but they do not have the claim on that land to begin with…」

Cycelia looks at Millie as she explains, shrugging her shoulders while still nervously tapping her fingers together.

「And you want me to kick the shit out of them?」

Straf grins, shrugging his shoulders.

「…I wouldn't say it like that, but…」

Cycelia sighs, and slouches in her throne.

「Alright, fine. Do I just kill them all-?」

Straf shrugs again as he asks, and Cycelia starts violently shaking her head.

「No no no no. If you can help it, please don't kill more people than you absolutely have to. Okay? I'm not asking you to risk your own life for someone else's, just please try talking them into complying first. Please? I know it's a big favor to ask-」

Cycelia pleads with puppy eyes directed at Straf with her hands clasped. She adds a tilt of her head, in an almost practiced manner as she pleads again. Straf sighs.

「Fine. I'll do it. How much time do I have?」

「Well, technically… You can do it anytime, but… They will be expecting a response. They have more or less subtly declared war…」

Cycelia shrugs with her hands, with a troubled expression on her face again as she looks aside once more.

「They declared war? And you're not drafting troops to deal with it?」

Straf shakes his head in surprise, grinning out of confusion.

「No, no, no… It's not that they actually declared war. It's just the letter could be constituted as such. It's very vaguely worded and somewhat threatening. You know, the type of words used when you are really concerned you might have to fight someone, but don't particularly want to.」

Cycelia shakes her head and explains, twiddling her thumbs nervously again, almost as if stuck in a loop.

「Yeah, 「I know kung fu!」 and such…」

Straf scoffs and rolls his eyes.

「Huh?」

Perplexed, she tilts her head.

「Forget it. I'll handle it. Now, how about those laws?」

Straf rolls his eyes again and shrugs his shoulders.

「Millie, Louche, you can go now. Straf will take care of everything.」

Cycelia nods at Millie and Louche with a smile and an upbeat tone. Both of them look at Straf with gentle, grateful smiles.

「Thank you, Straf. I don't know how I'll ever repay you.」

Louche says as he turns around with Millie towards the door.

「By keeping your relationship tastefully implied, instead of obscene and on-screen. Go do your daily tea ceremony, or whatever you call it.」

Straf says, watching Louche as he wheels Millie away. He abruptly pauses, almost ramming into Lily with the wheelchair when she suddenly appears in the doorway from behind the corner.

「Oh!- Sorry!」

「Tsk. Pest.」

She scoffs and glares at them, taking a few steps aside to walk around them with a scowl on her face. Both Millie and Louche stare at her with frightened expressions, and he hastily rolls his sister out of the throne room.

「Straf! There you are!」

Lily calls out to Straf with a wide smile on her face as she walks up to him.

「Lily! What brings you here again?」

Cycelia asks, leaning towards the captain of the guard as she still looks at Lily.

「Straf, what else? I was going to ask you where he might be, but it seems I don't have to look far.」

She smirks, and looks at Straf.

「Captain, fetch me the documents from my room please.」

Cycelia says quietly to the captain, and he nods his head.

「Yes, your highness!」

He runs off down the steps past Straf and Lily, and disappears behind the corner beyond the open doors.

「By the way, I will also need an office.」

Straf shrugs his shoulders as he announces.

「An office? Very well, I believe there is a room or two that would be fit for one. If you don't mind bookshelves, they're likely ready to be used right now…」

Cycelia nods her head, inquisitively tilting her head a little.

「…What do you need an office for, though?」

「I'm the finance minister, remember? I need an office. Are you finished with your government stuff yet?」

Straf replies, shrugging his shoulders.

「No, not yet… And there's an election to be held, too. But it has to be kingdom-wide, and I can't do it until Millie's problem is solved.」

She sighs, and places her head on her hand, propping herself up on her armrest with fatigue on her face.

「So… What were those good news then? You kind of left me hanging.」

「Ah! You're right! My bad, Straf.」

Cycelia re-animates and her head pops back up, with her emerald eyes open wide.

「First good news is, King Rankor has apparently decided to accept the peace deal… But he also called it ridiculous, and said that he will re-negotiate it. Still, that at least temporarily solves our gold problem.」

She happily explains with her index finger extended.

「Re-negotiate? Heh. Good luck.」

Straf scoffs, grinning.

「To be frank, Straf. I do intend to negotiate for less harsh terms. Likely for some favorable trade deals.」

Cycelia adds with a serious expression on her face.

「What!? Why!? It'll ruin everything!」

He shakes his head and spreads his arms, loudly exclaiming in outrage.

「Holding the Rankor Kingdom to such unfair peace will ruin everything as well, Straf. If you are concerned about the gold flow, don't worry, I have the second piece of good news.」

Cycelia reassures Straf with a confident smile, and extends her index finger again. He clicks his tongue and crosses his arms, looking away at the window. Lily smirks.

「Straf, do you remember that little village between Ossen and Murusburg? The one with the sword?」

「Yeah, what about it?」

Straf sighs, then looks at Cycelia and asks with a frustrated tone.

「Apparently, the villagers have discovered a motherlode of gold and rare metals. It'll take some time for them to set up, but I've heard it's very promising. And I have taken the liberty of offering the villagers a payment in drakes for the mine. Is that okay?」

Cycelia asks, clasping her hands again and tilting her head.

「Wait, you did?… That's… Good? No, seriously, good job, that's going to seriously add some credibility to drakes right from the get-go. That, or they'll be seen as worthless mining scrips.」

Straf's brows rise, and he nods his head in approval.

「Great! Well, the first part, that is…」

Cycelia smiles, and covertly hides it with her clasped hands in front of herself…