In the throne room, after the evening bell…

Cycelia is sitting in her throne, slumped over to one side onto the armrest, propping up her frowning face on her fist. Her mood seems to marginally improve when she notices Straf enter in the corner of her vision. Her head perks up, and she gently smiles at him.

「You're still sitting here, Lia? Is that all you do these days?」

Straf asks, grinning a little while he approaches with his arms spread, and returns his hands back into his pockets.

「Straf…」

She utters out with a smile, then her face returns back onto her fist, frowning again.

「…I just don't have a lot to do anymore. The duties of a queen are overwhelming, but this…」

Cycelia adds, and lets out a large sigh. Straf stops right in front of the steps.

「What, not enough responsibilities for you? I thought you said you didn't want to be the queen. Didn't you say your brother was a better fit for a king?」

Straf scoffs, grinning. He shrugs his shoulders as he asks, looking at Cycelia's sulking face.

「And he was. But…」

Cycelia nods her head, agreeing with Straf, before letting out another large sigh.

「…It just feels wrong. I know this is what I wanted, and this is what I intended it to be, but… It just feels wrong. I can't explain it.」

She adds, shrugging her shoulders. She straightens out, rests both of her hands on her armrests, and looks down at Straf with a serious expression on her face.

「Have you ever felt like you are doing something against your innate purpose, Straf? Like you were born to do something, but are not working towards exhibiting your full potential? Your true strength?」

She asks with a gentle downward turn to her mouth, looking at him with her green eyes sharply focused on his.

「Yup. All the time.」

Straf nonchalantly replies, shrugging his shoulders.

「Huh? You have? Well… Then you must understand what a gnawing sensation it is. It takes actual, conscious effort to not to act upon it, and against my better judgment.」

Cycelia's eyes widen, and she appears a little surprised by Straf's answer, but then quickly regains her composure. She places her palm on her chest, just beneath her matching medallion, and explains her internal turmoil. Straf furrows his brows.

「Uhhh…」

《Hold on, that doesn't sound like… Well, everyone is different.》

He vocalizes with his index finger raised, searching for the right words as he looks aside, thinking.

「Well, that's just how it is, Lia. Everyone meanders and stumbles through life, looking for a place to belong to. You didn't want to be a queen, and you ended up being one. You had a place you belonged to, had something to do, but now you don't. Now you're left wondering if your job is being done correctly. Let it go Lia, it's not your problem.」

Straf says, shrugging with his hands before returning them to his pockets.

「But… But I feel like my place is being the peoples' queen-」

Albeit meekly, Cycelia refuses to relent, gently furrowing her brows.

「And you still are! You just have no more responsibilities as one, Lia. Let your responsibilities go. It's like quitting work, and waking up at night to an alarm you forgot to turn off.」

Straf insists, spreading his arms once more, encouragingly nodding his head.

「Huh?…」

She tilts her head, furrowing her brows at Straf's bizarre usage of the words known to her.

「Lia, you used to squeal from happiness at being able to stuff your face with sausages! What happened to that!?」

He asks, shaking his head while keeping his arms spread wide. Cycelia's jaw drops, and her emerald eyes snap aside, escaping to the windows.

「Ah!- Ahh… That was… That was a different time, Straf! I was starving, afraid, and deprived of all my rightful status! I had to hide like a rat from my very own subjects!…」

She exclaims, and her pale face with rosy cheeks quickly turns red along with the tips of her ears. She briefly side-glances at Straf every now and then, still facing the window.

「…And I still haven't properly thanked you for saving me from that, Straf. I wasn't, am not, and never considered myself some sort of a warrior princess…」

Cycelia turns her face back to Straf, bearing a light smile and a soft gaze. Straf places his fists on his hips, quietly listening with a tight-lipped grimace.

「…I was more of a scared, fleeing animal than a noble. I had nothing, no one, and I'm not even sure how I carried on. Maybe it was because of Albus.」

She shrugs, looking down at the steps between her and Straf with sullen eyes.

「I don't need your thanks. As special of a runaway dragon princess you are, I knew within the first few hours that you were just a regular high-class girl thrust into a low-class life…」

Straf says, shrugging his shoulders.

「…I didn't do it for a standing ovation, Lia. Just knowing you can relax and smile again was good enough for me.」

He adds, shrugging with his hands as he looks aside with a tight-lipped grimace.

《I did it to fuck up the contrived plot line a little early, after all. Rebel army? Pft.》

Straf thinks, smirking aside a little as he places his hands back in his pockets.

Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

「Straf…」

Cycelia quietly utters out. She places her palm on her chest, feeling for her seemingly irregular heartbeat. As if it was skipping a beat that was meant to be there.

Her face floods with warmth, and a burning flame sparks to flame in her heart. Her breathing becomes heavy on its own, despite leisurely sitting in the throne. She barely resists the uncontrollable urge to jump into Straf's arms there and then, and against her better judgment.

「Ah, there you are, your highness!」

Sir Vinis calls out from the door, approaching the throne with a paper in his hand.

「Sir Vinis?」「Tsk. That prick again…」

Cycelia lifts her gaze up to Sir Vinis, while Straf clicks his tongue and looks aside with a sour expression.

「I see Minister Vindict is here too, that's good. This matter concerns him as well…」

「What matter are you speaking of, Sir Vinis?」

Cycelia asks, tilting her head at him while he walks beside Straf, and hands him a paper. Straf reluctantly accepts it, scrunching his mouth to the side heavily.

「What is this shit?…」

Straf says, skimming through the paper's contents.

「Your highness, I intend to turn the throne room into the temporary seat of the government. However, I thought it would be unwell, if I didn't ask your highness for your explicit permission to do this.」

Sir Vinis explains, with one hand holding up the other behind his back, with his head held high as he speaks.

「Ah… I see. I ruled from the throne room as the queen, but you don't really have any place that would serve for this purpose.」

Cycelia nods, furrowing her brows a little.

「Yes, your highness. My ministers and I have been assembling at my estate, but I think it's likewise unwell to mix politics and business.」

Sir Vinis nods back, and turns his face to Straf, sending him a little covert wink. He scowls at him in return.

「Are you fucking insane? This will suck every single fucking coin I worked hard for from the bank-」

Outraged, Straf glares at Sir Vinis while holding the paper up. Something makes him pause, and squint with one eye.

「Wait, why wasn't I invited?」

Straf asks in an accusatory tone, pointing at the smirking man's face.

「Oh. I'm sorry if I was presumptuous, minister, but we both know how unlikely you would be to accept my invitation, so I thought to leave you out of it for your peace of mind. Please, consider yourself invited to every session henceforth.」

With a faked gasp and a farcical apology, Sir Vinis bows lightly towards Straf, smugly smiling at him as he delivers his permanent invitation. Straf clicks his tongue, disdainfully sneering at him.

「May I know what that paper is, Sir Vinis?」

Cycelia asks, glancing at the paper in Straf's hand, before returning her emerald eyes to the man's fox-like visage.

「…May the queen have the budget, minister?」

Sir Vinis asks Straf with a smile, pointing his hand at Cycelia. Straf clicks his tongue again, and sighs. He walks up the steps, and hands her the paper, then puts his fists back on his hips and continues glaring at Sir Vinis from the throne's side.

「…Wasn't this young guy standing here usually? What happened to him?」

Straf remarks, looking at the ground where the captain of the guard would usually be found standing, while Cycelia reads through the paper.

「I dismissed the captain for tonight, he is working too hard. My personal guards are enough, anyhow.」

Sir Vinis replies with a smug smile, and shrugs his shoulders with his hands behind his back.

「…Straf is right. This a lot of money, Sir Vinis. I understand this is necessary, but I'm not sure the kingdom's treasury can take this right now.」

Cycelia remarks, lowering the paper in her hands down to her lap.

「Please look closely, your highness. It's a series of payments, not a lump sum. The total is just the estimated full amount. We need a dedicated building for the government and its workers, my private estate simply cannot do for public matters.」

Sir Vinis bows his head as he insistently replies. The paper rustles when she brings it back up to her eyes. Her brows furrow, and she lowers it again.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

「I see… In that case, I think it's fine.」

She says, nodding her head.

「And the matter of the throne room?…」

Sir Vinis asks, and his brows rise inquisitively, as if asking a question on their own. Cycelia lets out a prolonged, discomforted sigh, almost grunting.

Her expression turns into a troubled grimace. Her small hands grip at the armrests, and her eyes drop down to her lap.

「…Of course, the throne would be secured appropriately. I would not dare to let anyone but you sit upon it, your highness.」

Sir Vinis reassures her, bowing his head towards Cycelia. She looks aside, down at the ground. Her dainty finger rapidly taps on the armrest.

Her emerald-green eyes look Straf into his bored ones for aid, searching for the right choice within them, while she's dealing with an internal turmoil. They silently maintain the eye contact for a moment.

Straf shrugs, saying nothing, and Cycelia lets out a long, long sigh while her troubled emeralds return back to the throne's steps. She freezes for another moment, glumly staring at the ground.

「…Very well. So be it.」

Cycelia says while looking at Sir Vinis, then sighs again. Her shoulders slump, and she slouches back in her throne with a dispirited frown.

「Thank you, your highness! I will inform the ministers the first thing tomorrow!」

Sir Vinis bows low with his hand on his opposite shoulder.

「Hold the fuck up, what ministers are there, even?」

Straf points his finger at the man when he straightens out of his bow.

「Why, there's the Minister of Trade, the Minister of Work, and the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, with a few more to be appoi-」

「Hey!」

Straf''s angry shout interrupts Sir Vinis, while he angrily stomps down the steps and gets in his face.

「Are you trying to replace the Ministry of Security!? Did you think you are being clever, huh!?」

He shouts in the confused man's face, causing him to lean away a little.

「…Where did that accusation come from, minister? I don't understand.」

Sir Vinis says, still leaning away from Straf.

「What does the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries do? Well? I'm listening!」

He shouts again, glaring at Sir Vinis. In response, he shakes his head a little in confusion and furrows his brows.

「…He's tasked with ensuring the fishermen and the peasants are unimpeded in their efforts to provide the kingdom with food, and he's meant to take care of their problems. I don't still don't understand, minister.」

Sir Vinis explains, still greatly confused. He glances at Cycelia, but she's equally confused as he is.

「…That's it?」

Straf asks, growing confused himself.

「That is it, minister. What else should he do? Take care of the mages' issues? Public health?」

Sir Vinis asks as Straf retracts from his face, allowing him to stand straight again.

「…So he isn't going to spy on anyone, or arrest anybody?」

Straf asks, crossing his arms and looking at Sir Vinis with a wary glare.

「W- What? What are you even saying, minister? That's preposterous-」

Straf's bizarre question trips Sir Vinis up, and causes him to stumble over his words.

「Alright, fine, whatever. I'll be keeping my eye on you, though.」

Straf warns ominously, before turning back to Cycelia.

「Have you figured out the Academy thing yet, Lia?」

He asks, spreading his arms.

「No, not yet. I'm trying to get a hold of Tolwick, but he's busy all the time.」

Cycelia shakes her head in response, sitting up straight and leaving her slouch with a sigh.

「That is quite ridiculous, your highness. A court mage he may be, but how can he not have the time for the queen!? You should fire him, your highness!」

Sir Vinis chimes in, with manufactured outrage in his voice.

「No, you misunderstand, Sir Vinis. He's difficult to find to begin with, he's very often out in the city somewhere…」

Cycelia explains, shaking her head and her hand.

「…When I finally caught him in his workshop, he did respond to me, but he was also in the middle of casting some spell, and he said he will die if he loses focus, so… I thought it would be for the better, if I returned later.」

She adds, and shrugs her shoulders.

「What the fuck? What is he doing all day?」

Straf asks, spreading his hands and glancing at both Sir Vinis and Cycelia.

「…I haven't the slightest clue, Straf. I'll try again tomorrow.」

Cycelia lets out a large exasperated sigh, and shrugs again.

「…Alright. Well, I've got a busy day tomorrow. Again. So I'll just leave you be. Let me know whenever you're done. Goodnight, Lia.」

Straf shrugs with his hands, and turns for the exit, placing them back in his pockets.

「Goodnight, Straf.」

Cycelia nods her head, and bids Straf goodnight in return while he's walking away.

「Sleep well, minister-」

「I wasn't speaking to you, go stub your toe.」

Straf barks back at Sir Vinis, and angrily stomps out of the throne room…

…

A few moments later, Straf shuts the door to his room behind him. He lets out a fatigued sigh, turns with with his back towards the bed, and leaps into it.

Thwomp.

He sinks into the soft bed and lays still for a few seconds, staring at the canopy with his bored eyes. He lets out another short sigh, and peels the blanket off the bed, wriggling himself beneath it.

Straf lays his head on the unbelievably soft pillow, fluffy like a cloud, and closes his eyes.

Mere moments later, he hears the distinct noise of the window opening, a dress fluttering, and the wind blowing softly. He lets out another large sigh.

「What is it, Lily? Hungry again?」

He asks as he opens his eyes. Vertically slit pupils carved in rubies are already staring down at him from the bedside.

「Not so much…」

Lily replies softly, looking at Straf's face. He sits up with a grunt, and looks at her with a tight-lipped grimace.

「What is it then?」

Straf asks maintaining eye contact with his bored gaze.

「…I've spent the last night working, and so, I have went to sleep quite late.」

Lily explains, looking at Straf with a serious expression. Almost the same as her usual one, but ever-so-slightly different.

「I see… And now you can't sleep, huh?」

Straf sighs, and asks with his mouth aslant.

「Yes… Would you like to spend some time with me, Straf? I can show you how I rule my barony.」

She asks, looking intently deep into Straf's eyes, with one hand holding the other's wrist in front of herself in a dignified pose. A brief silence begins, then is broken by Straf snapping his fingers.

「Yes. Yes, I would…」

He says, pointing his finger at her.

「…I was getting kind of tired of democracy, anyway. A vampire monarchy is a nice change of pace.」

Straf adds, throwing the blanket off of himself. Lily smirks, and walks up to the window.

「Come with me then, Straf…」

She says, hops onto the window frame, and leaps out of it. Straf clicks his tongue, places his hands in his pockets, and lets out a mildly annoyed sigh while he walks up to the window as well.

「…Use the door, Lily.」

He says as he rolls his eyes, then steps onto the window frame, and jumps out as well.

Knock knock.

Mere moments later, a soft knock. The door opens, and Cycelia peeks her face in.

「Straf, do you have a momen- Huh? He's not here?…」

She thinks out loud as she look at Straf's empty bed, and the open window. Its curtains flap and flutter in the gentle breeze. She lets out a large, disappointed sigh.

「…Aaand I steeled my resolve for nothing. Again…」

Cycelia grumbles, pulls her frowning face out of the room, and softly shuts the door…