Chapter 252.2: PUNISHMENT TIME (for real)

253 – PUNISHMENT TIME (for real)

The explanation to Kuro and the Demon King has finished. What they do afterwards is up to each of them. Well, in the situation where they can’t see my hidden cards, if something so tasty is dangled in front of them, it’s obvious that they’ll take the bait though. Kuro still seems to be a bit suspicious, but the Demon King should take the bait. After all, there’s no other option available.

Even if they don’t take the bait then it’s okay. I’ll just have to reveal my hidden cards. Ultimately, the Demon King will definitely come to my side. Then, she should be more than willing to transfer the authority of the Ruler of Gluttony to me. If that happens, then there’s only a few remaining.

I turn away from Kuro and the Demon King, teleporting. It seems the two of them need a bit more time to consider it. After they think it through, they just need to come begging to me. In the other dimension I teleported to, the vampire girl is sullenly standing with a daunting pose. It seems she woke up at some point.

「Who, was that?」

By “that”, I guess she’s referring to Kuro. She thinks that he got in the way of her fight with oni-kun it seems. Or rather, he did actually, yeah.

「Kuro. He’s the same kind as me.」

「The same kind as goshujin-sama.」

When I said he’s the same kind as me, vampire girl made an understanding expression. But, the dangerous light in her eyes doesn’t weaken.

「Let me meet him.」

What’ll you do on meeting him – I don’t even need to ask I guess. She’ll definitely bite his head off. I mean that she’ll literally try to bite his head off. When she found out that he was the same kind as me she should have understood that she has no chance of winning, yet look at this damn battle junkie. Well, it’s not like I have duty to let her meet him anyway.

「No.」

「Why not?」

In the first place, why should I have to go out of my way to do that? Particularly when I know for sure that you’ll cause problems. Do you think that all your desires have to be granted? Aren’t you pushing your luck a BIT too far? It seems I have to make you remember your own position, even if just a bit.

「The man ruined everything just when things were finally getting good. He better take responsibility.」

「I don’t care.」

「I do care though! Let me meet him already!」

「Be silent.」

At Mera’s words, vampire girl tries to object by reflex.

「Ojou-sama, to surrender yourself to a vampire’s instincts in self-indulgence, that must have been pleasant I’m sure. Nobody will defy you. Nobody can defy you. Yes, you yourself enticed them after all. Was it like a dream? Or perhaps, did you actually think it was a dream? Did you actually think those incidents were all just in a dream, with no relation to reality?」

The butterfly dream. The current vampire girl is overwhelmed by her desires as a vampire, and the distinction between dreams and reality has become vague I guess. Or perhaps otherwise, it’s that her consciousness as a vampire has become too strong, and her consciousness as a human has been shrugged off completely.

「Ojou-sama, I shall ask again. As you are now, are you walking the life your parents proudly walked?」

Vampire girl doesn’t answer. She can’t answer. The retainer she trusted the most, the one she never thought would betray her has slapped her, waking her from the dream. Her dazed face is slowly becoming pale.

「Ojou-sama, I cannot serve you as my master. That is because my masters are your parents.」

As the subject of her parents is raised, inside of her, vampire girl’s consciousness as a human is jolted.

「Therefore, even if I have become a vampire with you as my “parent”, that cannot overwrite what is in my heart.」

Those words, at first glance, appear to be a snub. To the vampire girl, Mera is a significant existence. He is someone who has continuously supported her at her side since she was a child after all. If she is snubbed by such a man, how will she react.

Vampire girl mutely shakes her head in denial. Those eyes have a suspicious light in them for an instant. But, what brings her back, is a second slap.

「I have already devoted my heart to your parents. I will not hesitate any more. I will doubt no more.」

Vampire girl hangs her head in shame. Her shoulders tremble repeatedly.

「Your parents, have entrusted only one thing to me. To take care of you, ojou-sama. No more than that.」

Slowly, Mera hugs vampire girl in a gentle embrace.

「I was asked to take care of you. I shall watch over you until I die, ojou-sama. I will never abandon you. If you lose your way then I shall remonstrate you. Until you return to the proper path, I shall raise this hand as often as necessary. However, if there is something I can do, then please let me lend a hand.」

In the end, if you ask what is the best punishment, then the most effective one is for a child to be scolded by their guardian. With regards to the circumstances in which vampire girl fell into such a bad state, her guardian Mera not being by her side is likely a significant factor. The Demon King said that if these two were allowed to be together then they would depend upon each other. However, I don’t particularly have a problem with that. Being able to depend upon someone, if that’s the case then isn’t that a blessing in itself? For me, that is something I’ll never be able to do after all.

Whatever happens next is up to the two of them. However, I personally think that the two of them should be allowed to work together as much as possible. I shall discuss that with the Demon King later.

From that dimension, I gently drop off the two of them in Mera’s private room. Okay, it’s the last thing remaining, but I guess I’ll go visit the other reincarnator now.