A few years later, at the Hemaluna manor…

Baron Hemaluna was returning from the manor library, when Lilia suddenly crossed the corner and almost bumped into him.

「Ah! Master! Apologies, I was just heading to-」

「Lilia…」

With his fists on his hips, the long-haired baron sighed out.

「…Yes?」

She nervously nodded as she was looking up at him. His soft gaze stared down at her, with his lips in a tight-lipped grimace.

「…Are you aware of just how badly your hair is tangled?」

He calmly asked, and Lilia looked at her golden, frayed, tangled, frizzy hair behind her.

「Ah.」

She uttered out quietly, with her mouth open in surprise.

「That won't do. You can go read in a moment, come.」

Baron Hemaluna said, and gently grabbed her tiny clawed hand into his, but also decisively pulled her with him as he walked away from the library. While Lilia was initially surprised, she obediently came along.

He pulled her into a little room, with all the hallmarks of it belonging to a woman. A fancy commode was prominent in the room, with a large mirror on top of it as a part of its design.

「Here. Sit.」

The baron lead Lilia to a tall stool in front of it, and shifted his grip on her delicate hand to gently guide her to the upholstered stool, in a manner befitting a genuine nobleman. She silently sat down.

Clllllunkclank…

「It should be… Ah, here it is.」

He mumbled to himself quietly, as he pulled one of the drawers out of the commode and rummaged through it. His clawed hand retrieved a brush from the drawer, and he pushed it shut.

The baron then hastily walked up to a nearby desk, and took the chair from it, placing it behind Lilia as she was sitting on the tall stool, and watched the baron almost dance around her.

He then sat down, took a wide, frayed belt of her golden hair into hand, and began softly brushing it. The young girl with frayed hair looked at the empty, mirrored room.

Krrsh… Krrsh… Krrsh…

It was almost entirely silent, if not for the quiet noise of the brush. With her back perfectly straight and her delicate hands in her lap, she gingerly looked around, doing her best not to interrupt the baron.

Indeed, the room was almost unequivocally belonging to a woman, at least at some point. As Lilia looked around, she saw a mostly-empty bookshelf standing in the corner.

She spent a few moments reading the titles on the spines of what was left. Of the books that remained, nearly all the titles sounded like romance novels, albeit with an odd fantasy, mystery, or a horror story mixed in.

Lilia glanced at her master's face, and he was too focused on putting her hair in order to notice. Her eyes returned to the mirror, and the reflection of the empty, dim, dusty room.

「Master…」

She quietly, hesitantly called out as he brushed her hair.

「Yes?」

The baron softly said, matching her volume of voice.

「…Is this a guest room? Has someone lived here? For a long time, I mean?」

Lilia asked, looking into his crimson eyes. He smiled back, and continued brushing her hair silently for a few moments more.

「…My wife.」

He sighed, and casually replied.

「Huh?」

Her confused scarlet eyes blinked at him over her shoulder.

「Ahaha… Surprising? Well…」

Her gently furrowed brows elicited a soft laugh out of the baron as his shoulders jumped up and down. He brushed her hair with a smile for another brief, silent moment.

「…Our marriage wasn't going well. She wanted a separate bedroom. It was not going well for a while, in fact… I loved her still, but I think at some point, her love for me faded.」

Baron Hemaluna continued, and took another band of tangled hair in his free hand.

「The only reason she stayed with me was our daughter. I know for a fact she loved our daughter very much so. But after she died, she had no more reason to stay, and left me.」

「She left you?」

Lilia asked, sounding shocked and outraged. He stifled a soft laughter.

「Do not think of her as a bad woman, Lilia. She was a wonderful wife, and a great mother. The mere fact, that she didn't leave for the sake of our daughter proves that. She was unhappy, but didn't show that to her.」

The baron defended his wife from Lilia's building outrage, and she lowered her head, gazing at her hands in her lap.

「She was very, very bitter because of the fact I decided to chance finding a cure, rather than stay with our daughter. She was a better parent than me, Lilia. She was right, after all. She did die before I returned.」

He added, gently brushing her hair.

「That- That's not true! I'm sure you were a great father, master! I'm certain your daughter loved you!」

Lilia protested the baron's self-deprecation, and looked at him with her brows heavily furrowed, clenching her small fists.

「Ahaha… You think so, Lilia?…」

He laughed in response, amused by her insistence. The baron smiled softly, and took another band of her hair.

「…I'm sure she loved me, too. But that doesn't change the fact I was a poor parent. I should have stayed with her in her final hours. My wife said that, and she was right…」

He said, and abruptly paused his brushing.

「…She then said she was tired, and didn't want children anymore. Then, she left. I remember walking up to my daughter's bed, and then nothing at all for the next two days. My next distinct memory is her grave.」

The baron added, resuming his quiet, gentle brushing.

「…The one outside?」

「Yes…」

Lilia asked, and he lightly nodded his head in reply.

「…Though I waited for her return. She knew where her home was. I waited, and waited… But she never returned. I suppose she returned to her family, or found a man she loved.」

Baron Hemaluna sighed, and continued.

「…How long were you waiting?」

Lilia asked another question, and her master returned a soft smile.

「…Until my service to my master was over. I only gave up then. He was harsh, but I think my master was a kinder person than I gave him credit for. He heeded my plea, and demanded a very short service in return…」

He let out another sigh, and readjusted all of Lilia's hair with his hands, pulling it a little towards himself.

「I told him I was waiting for my wife to come back, and he called me an idiot. Laughed at me, told me to give it up. Every day he mocked me for it, but I kept waiting.」

「That's… He doesn't sound kind at all.」

Lilia remarked with an upset pout. Her master chuckled softly, and smiled back.

「I thought so too. But then, I realized he was merely tempering my expectations. He was right, after all. She never did return.」

He nodded, and finished adjusting Lilia's hair. It was now silky, well-groomed and perfectly straight. He set the brush down on top of the commode, and stood up.

「There. Much better. It's a shame you can't see your reflection, Lilia. You look like a very cute, proper lady now.」

Baron Hemaluna said, holding her gently by her shoulders, as he leaned forward and looked at her pale face. She smiled bashfully, and lowered looked down at her lap.

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「…But you know what would make you look even cuter?」

Cllunkclunk.

He said, and pulled a drawer out of the commode again. This time lower. He pulled out two, narrow black strips of cloth, and noisily pushed the drawer shut. Lilia looked at them with curious, scarlet eyes.

Baron Hemaluna then took approximately a half of Lilia's hair from her left, and fiddled a little with the strip of cloth by her head. He let go, and she noticed the bulk of her hair was still up.

Her master then took the other half, and had done the same to the other side. Lilia cautiously examined the long, narrow, golden tails stretching from the sides of her head.

「Show yourself, Lilia.」

The baron said, taking a few steps away from her upholstered stool, and the commode. She stood up, and turned to face him.

「Well, now you look like a fine, proper noble lady, Lilia!」

Baron Hemaluna commented, chuckling with his fists on his hips, and grinning with his fangs bared. Smiling, Lilia did a little curtsy, eliciting even more giggling from him, and approached him.

「But master, how do I tell when I look disheveled? It's not like I can look at myself in the mirror anymore…」

She asked, and looked back at the mirror. He squatted down, took a hold of her shoulders, and looked into her scarlet eyes.

「Lilia, that's what others are for. You can always come to me. And if I'm not there, you can just politely ask some human to tell you.」

He said with a soft gaze and a gentle smile, then stood back up.

「…A human?」

She echoed, tilting her head. Her golden twin tails jiggled lightly.

「Yes. But remember, Lilia… Some of them may be frightened, and some of them may be trying to flatter you to get into your good graces. It will be their subjective opinion, and you should treat it as such.」

Baron Hemaluna said, and turned to the door, holding his hands behind his back in a manner befitting a nobleman.

「…Go read now.」

He smiled at her, with a gently tilted head…

…

A few centuries later, in an age of strife and death…

Lilia looked out the window of the library. Though it was as dark as night outside, she could see clearly with her vertically slit pupils. Far, far away, a gigantic chimney spewed ash and black smoke ceaselessly, high into the air. Behind it, another one, even farther away. And in the horizon, the tip of another one could be seen, also producing unending stream of smoke into the sky. Hugging her new book, she left the library, heading for her room.

「…I have already told you, and I'm certain Baron Roskiel knows… They are my cattle, and they are not for sale.」

Baron Hemaluna said with a tone of voice she rarely had a chance to hear, but used increasingly more often these days. Lilia walked out to the center of the manor's foyer. Her master was talking to three vampires at the door, who were almost slithering right in through any gap he'd offer them. Opposite of the door, a large group of terrified humans her master took in was trembling, huddled together in a large mass. Their frightened eyes focused on her indifferent ones, and she tilted her head.

「But Baron Hemaluna… Our master is going to be really disappointed you turned his generous offer down! He may deem it as an insult, even!」

One of the vampires pestering her master said, grinning at him. The other two chortled, baring their fangs, patting each other on the shoulders in good cheer.

「An insult?…」

She heard her master quietly say, while she looked at the scared men, women and children inside the manor. All of a sudden, she felt a strange feeling. As if a thicker air washed over her, coming from the open door.

「…An insult!? I was courteous to Baron Roskiel, and you this whole time!」

Baron Hemaluna growled loudly, and the three vampires visibly shrunk. Their mirthful mood dissipated instantly.

「You dare imply that I am insulting him!? Despite my repeated explanations that none of my cattle is for sale!? Why are you here then, as his messengers!?」

He snarled, louder than before. Never before did she see her master this angered.

「I have said all I had to tell you, and you are not welcome here any longer! Or are you here because Baron Roskiel wishes to declare war on my house!?」

The baron screamed a question at the now silent vampire trio, and slammed his hand onto the doorframe, leaving menacing claw marks. A prolonged silence began, as the three stared at him with huge, crimson eyes.

「…No, baron. We'll leave.」

The lead vampire meekly replied with a tight-lipped grimace on his face. He turned around, but warily watched the baron over his shoulder, and stepped down the manor stairs.

「…Some other time, then.」

Another vampire remarked, and grinned at the terrified human crowd within the manor, baring his long fangs at them. They all whimpered, and huddled together tighter. The third vampire simply chuckled, and patted the second one on the back, as if to congratulate him for something. The long-haired baron shut the door, and turned to face the crowd. His brows rose, when he realized Lilia was listening, too.

「…You are safe with me, as promised. Do not mind them. They are worthless lackeys with no power, and Baron Roskiel is cowardly by nature.」

Baron Hemaluna reassured the humans with a loud voice, and a gentle smile. Lilia approached him, with her golden twin tails trailing behind her in the air.

「Who were they, master?」

Lilia asked, tilting her head.

「Nobodies, Lilia. Worthless trash. Baron Roskiel simply thinks everyone is an easily intimidated coward, like himself. Pay it no mind.」

He replied, smiling as he pet her golden head, and left to another part of the manor.

Lilia glanced at the frightened crowd again, terrifying them even more with her mildly confused eyes before she carried on to her room…

…

Many decades later, in the manor's foyer…

「Ah, Lilia, there you are…」

Baron Hemaluna said with a smile, as she descended the central stairs.

「You were looking for me, master?」

She asked, approaching him with her brows curiously raised.

「I am going to the village to talk to the serfs. Since it looks like the ash will be clearing soon, I want them to try farming again.」

He nodded and approached the manor door, holding the door handle.

「I see…」

「…And I want you to join me in a few moments, Lilia. We don't have to eat, you and I, but if the barony is mismanaged the humans will die, Lilia. It's high time you do more than just read, and learn how to manage it.」

The baron said with a soft smile, and opened the door.

「…Okay.」

She quietly replied with a meek nod, hugging her thick tome.

「And don't dawdle. They are more afraid of you, than you are of them, Lilia.」

Baron Hemaluna said, smiling at her through the gap in the door, and closed it as he left.

「…Can't they just manage themselves? Good grief.」

Lilia grumbled with a pout on her face, and walked to the library. She placed the book she completed back where it belonged, in one of the many shelves many times larger then she was.

She walked up to the window. Sunlight was faintly pouring in through the dark, gray, hazy sky. The ever-present chimneys that dominated the landscape were nowhere to be seen. She let out an exasperated sigh, and left the manor.

Obediently listening to her master's demand, she descended the manor's hill, and made her way to the human settlement at its foot. Lilia entered the outskirts of the village. It was surprisingly empty, with no soul to be seen, not even her master.

She wandered and wandered, looking amidst the huts, before she entered the village center. The serfs were centered around someone, or something, and she approached them, believing it was her master addressing them.

With noble and ladylike air about her, she calmly drew near, holding her dress up a little to not stain it in the ubiquitous mud. One of the peasants looked over his shoulder, and gasped for air in terror.

Lilia furrowed her brows and tilted her head at his reaction. After all, her master did not harm them, and they only took blood with their permission, as he promised. They had no reason to fear her. Obedient to her master, she was never discourteous to a human. Then, more of the people reacted in the same manner, backing away from her in panic.

「…What's wrong? Where did Master Hemaluna go? Is he talking to your village chief, or whoever it is you obey?」

She asked them, just about anyone from the crowd. Her twin tails swayed as she swiveled her head left and right, scanning the village with her scarlet eyes. The serfs looked at each other with terrified gazes, and backed away further.

Pop!

A fire crackled. Lily involuntarily tilted her head at the surprising noise, as there were no campfires in sight.

「Wh-?…」

She quietly partially uttered out. While there were no campfires, there was a fire in the center of the crowd, revealed to her when they took more steps back away from her.

A long, burning wooden stake was impaling the muddy dirt, surrounded by waterlogged ashes forming a human silhouette. She looked at the pile, and noticed a handful long, wrought iron nails in the ashes.

Each of them was embedded in the dirt at the silhouette's hands, ankles, elbows, forearms, and shins. Some parts had multiple, even.

「Ha. Ha… What is this?…」

Convinced it was some form of a practical joke, she pointed her clawed finger at the ashes, grinning nervously a little and baring her fangs to the terrified crowd. The crowd looked back at her with eyes full of pure terror…