“Wonder what got Gabriella so pale? Well, paler than usual, to be more accurate,” Noire says a little after her Dark Knight Dullahan escort dashed out of the lounge.

Shortly after, a flurry of steps come approaching the room. “M-Milady! It is urgent!” a maid exclaims as she rushes in.

“What could it possibly be this time?” Noire asks.

“It is Guild Master Eugus! He is here! With his representing adventurers along with a Harpy convict!”

“WHAT?!” Konjiro exclaims as he stands from his seat. “That’s impossible! They shouldn’t be here until later this evening!”

“Goodness, could they also have a Transportation Crystal in their possession? Although, I am more concerned about this Harpy convict that was mentioned,” Julius comments.

“Do you know anything about that Harpy in particular?” Noire asks the maid.

“Milady, we believe that she is the widely-known ‘Terror of the Skies!’ Tyvera of the Duke of Demon’s Disciples!”

“…”

“Huh? Wait, isn’t that—” Beelzebub starts, until …

~~

After Eugus greeted to the maid who answered the door of Lady Krauss’ cottage, she rushed inside to report our arrival to her mistress. We’re all currently outside with our things on hand (Erizora’s lugging my MIB along with her own things at her suggestion, leaving me with only Nyra holstered on my side), waiting for permission to be let inside. Eugus thanked Kostos and Pantos for their short service some time ago before they left.

“Aaaah~! I can’t get over how cool you were, Jinma! ‘Jinma Kotori and Twilight Sky have arrived, and we have much to discuss.’ I’m still tingly from the goosebumps spreading all over me! I don’t think I could even breathe if that tone was directed at me! This has been the best day ever!” Sue exclaims during her what my otaku/mangaka aunt would properly dub a good ‘fangasm’ over my talk with Gabriella not too long ago.

To be frank, I was so pissed after overhearing her earlier plan of aborting the quest in such a manner as directed by her superior, Rowling, that my ‘sadist’ side kind of leaked out. Seeing a cute girl like Sue getting all excited over something like that though was giving me mixed feelings of bashfulness and embarrassment.

“I think I got my own goosebumps growing in places I didn’t think was possible. If I was a weak Harpy, I’m sure all of my feathers would fall from the sheer fright.” [Tyvera]

“I kind of wetted myself a little after hearing that, too …” [Erizora]

“Just goes to show that Master is a person one should not mess with and expect to walk away alive.” [Ren]

Seriously, are these scary comments about me supposedly compliments in demon culture? There was a time I was self-conscious about my ‘scary looks’ for a while back home, you know?

BWOOOOOOOOOON!

Just as I was listening to Nyra’s comment in my mind, a sudden heavy pressure falls on us. I recall Kenaka using something similar when I first summoned him, but this pressure has far more malice and anger possible that even makes me stiffen up some.

“W-What the?! This … magical pressure!” Eugus exclaims with a strained voice while most of the others barely caught themselves from the surprise. Even I feel my chest tightening from its struggle to breathe air.

“Jin! Inside the building!” Ume calls.

I look over to where she’s pointing but I only see a wall, but it’s when I activate my Magic Sense skill that I realize what she’s referring to. Numerous people are gathered in what looks like a living room, most look to be of the Demon-Kin with their maroon-colored auras, but there’s one cyan one that identifies it as a human. There’s an aura that’s strangely purple while remnants of cyan emanate from it. It’s like the purple aura’s covering the majority of the cyan’s color before fading away by its true color.

And then there’s the one that stands out from the rest. Its color is also maroon, but currently spiking like a blast that overwhelms the other auras surrounding it. I could even make out a little of the figure from its contours alone, wearing an extravagant dress from the looks of it with long flowing locks.

“Is that …”

“If what we were guessing on the circumstances is correct, then Lady Krauss had just put everything together when she was not in the know until now,” Ume answers for me.

“This is going to be … interesting.”

I look over to see it was Sue who muttered that calmly, strangely unfazed by the pressure in the air as she looks towards that building with one arm holding her massive breasts, and the other putting a hand over her mouth, but that did little to cover the expression on her face that somehow sent chills down my soul.

Eyes squint to slits and a smile that could possibly split her face in half from the strength of her cheekbones, a sadistic expression of one ready to see a bloodbath unfold right in front of her, like a kid watching a live performance taken place on stage.

Just who … or what are you, Sue?

~~

“Milady!” Gabriella screams, interrupting Beelzebub as she runs into the room with her armor clanging about. “Whatever you do, do not answer that—”

BWOOOOOOOOOON!

“Gah!” Gabriella grunts, suddenly stopping in place, but in a position to see Noire’s current expression.

The smile that’s on the noble Vampire’s face at the moment looks plastered, fake, yet still could fool anybody under normal circumstances as she has practiced putting such a mask on for any occasion over the many years she has been alive; however, if a normal person was in that room at that moment, they would not be able to stand under the sheer magical pressure that has everybody else frozen in place under the audacity that is Noire Scarletine Krauss’ silent rage.

Being the fiancé of Perseus Shalowreed Rowling, the leader of the Duke of Demon Disciples, Noire had a chance to see and know every member of that esteemed party at least once. The moment she heard ‘Tyvera’ and her party’s name together in the same line, everything came together for her at an instant, and in contrast to the smile on her face, Noire is currently not happy as she looks towards the Dullahan’s direction.

Noire calmly raises an open hand towards her bodyguard’s body. “Heavy Sin.” At her chant, a magic circle appears below Gabriella’s feet and sounds of chains could be heard.

“Guh! M-Mi … lady …” Gabriella grunts as a great pressure and weight are placed on both of her legs. She couldn’t budge them an inch, despite how light they actually are in real-time. It’s as if everything from the waist down had turned to stone for her, and while she could still move her torso, she cannot force her legs to budge even a millimeter for the life of her.

That’s to be expected of Noire’s Curse Magic spell, Heavy Sin, allowing the user to inflict a single target with the ‘disabled movement’ ailment, which disables any of its attempts to run away. They could still try to fight back, use some skills, and cast spells with what they can move from the waist up until the ailment wears off, but Noire’s magical pressure that everyone in the room’s currently put under has also made Gabriella’s resistance pointless.

Seeing the affliction being a success, Noire consciously lessens the pressure enough for her servants to move. She then snaps her fingers while keeping her smile on. “Seize Gabriella’s lying head, restrain her body and move it to the cellar, at once. Oh, and strip the armor off of her as well. All. Of. It.”

“Yes, Milady.”

“H-Hold on! Stop! You cannot do this, Lady Krauss! I am not just your bodyguard! I am a representative of Lord Rowling! Whatever ideas you have going on, he will not be pleased!” Gabriella exclaims as the maids quickly remove her head and tied the body’s wrists together in the back before moving down to the ankles. As the body was taken away, the maid who’s holding the head removes it from the helmet, revealing Gabriella’s face to everyone in the room. The contortions on her face show how much she’s struggling to break free of the restraints the maids are putting on the body, but with so many ganging up on her at once and their senses of direction split between it and the head, the resistance quickly grows to be pointless.

“And I think you and Rowling are forgetting something here,” Noire says as she bends over slightly to Gabriella’s level, staring her straight in the eyes that are currently dull gray with black scleras as she tips the head up by the chin. The sharpness of Noire’s squinting glare, despite the contrasting smile, would be enough to stab right through Gabriella’s own if that was possible. “With the current status of our ‘relationship’ right now, he is not the one who stands above me. As long as I bear the Krauss family name, he will submit to our whims, and when Father hears about it by the end of all this, it will not be I who will be standing above hot water here. Though you and Tyvera are only following orders, both of you shall also receive your due punishment.”

“Ghk!” Gabriella grunts while flinching, a subtle hint of red is shown on her cheeks.

“Ah~, from the looks of your face, it seems they are already working to strip your under armor. I love it when they work quickly, and your body’s more sensitive than I thought if you are making such expressions.”

“M-Milady, when you ordered them to strip me of all my armor, you didn’t mean …” Gabriella strains.

“I would rather not mince words when making orders, Gabriella. As much as I want to see your body squirming, I have important guests I need to attend to, so just sit back and watch for now and do not try to break anything down there in that cellar, or you will pay for them dearly.”

Thwack!

“Ow!”

To add insult to injury, or technically the reverse of it, Noire flicks Gabriella by the nose before straightening her posture and looks up to the maid holding the disembodied head. “Make sure she keeps quiet.”

“Yes, Milady.” The maid takes out a towel she has on hand and shoves it in Gabriella’s maw to gag her. She wouldn’t be completely silent, but at least her rebuttals will be incoherent and muffled down.

It should also be noted that the towel was used before made into a gag. Gabriella is currently tasting the filth of whatever the towel cleaned off before getting washed properly.

The other guests who’re currently in the living room, even though the pressure from Noire’s magic has worn off a while ago, they’re still rather stiff and quiet after witnessing what had just transpired.

Noire sighs out some of the tensions that were building up in her body moments ago before smoothing out her hair and the wrinkles from her clothes from the sudden surprise. She even made sure her voluptuous chest was rather presentable.

The males do not dare comment on such improper actions of a lady if they don’t wish to be put into the same position as the currently restrained bodyguard. Noire’s aware of that, and so she ignores their gaze.

She then turns to Beelzebub after fixing herself up enough. “How do I look?”

“A-As beautiful as always … like a million karos,” Beelzebub slightly stutters.

Noire then takes one last breath to calm and compose herself. “Only let Eugus, the two representing escorts, and the captive Harpy inside and keep the others occupied until further notice.”

“Yes, Milady.” The maid who answered the door first bows and makes her way back to the front and let Noire’s guests inside.

Ah, it is no good. After that little moment of drama, I’m still on edge. I’m sure those outside have also felt that pressure that I admit was going rather overboard on my part. Those escorts are my only hope to make this situation more doable. I pray they aren’t too frightened of my influence just then, Noire thinks as Eugus makes his appearance first in her sight with Tyvera in tow with a purplish-black rope.

“Lady Krauss, it is an honor and pleasure to see thou again so soon,” Eugus greets while bowing.

“Likewise, Eugus. Tyvera, I see you have been doing well.” Noire’s mask of a smile along with the slight sarcastic remark sends shivers down the Harpy’s spine.

“Y-Yeah, never been better. Hey there, Gabriella. They got you, too, huh?” she asks shakily while straining a smile.

Gabriella could only snort in a huff at her cohort, both in frustration and disappointment in Tyvera’s failure.

“Hey, there, Eugus.” [Konjiro]

“Greetings, Centaur.” [Beelzebub]

“Good morning, Eugus~!” [Julius]

“… I expected Konjiro, but Julius … and Lady Beelzebub, ‘tis a surprise,” Eugus says drones.

“Beel—!?”

Pachi!

A shout followed by a slap over the mouth sound from the entryway, out of sight from those in the living room.

“Fufufu~n. I see~, for you to react in such a manner from my name, you must know of the great powers I possess and are in fear of me,” Beelzebub says while standing up before waving her arm to the side. “Well, you should fear me, lowly peasant! For I—the Great Beelzebub!—am here as an acquaintance to Lady Noire to observe and judge your worthiness to become her escort in the dungeon crawl quest—!”

“Who are you to call my Jin ‘lowly,’ you—” a scantily-clad woman with large curves and sapphire scales over parts of her body growls as she steps out of hiding and was about to unleash hell at the Flyran, only to be stopped and interrupted by having her arms locked back by another pair in black sleeves curling from behind.

“Ume! Get ahold of yourself! We’re dealing with nobility here!”

“Ah …” The moment the human man appears in her sight, Noire’s sense of time drastically slows to a near standstill.

Dokun.

Pitch black hair, strong, piercing eyes that could make anybody stop and tremble in fear with a single glance. They may not be aiming at her, but the mere sight of those features going along with that face suddenly makes her chest feel very tight.

Where have I …

Dokun.

Her powerful heartbeat feels like it’s trying to break free of its sudden restraints. This wasn’t the first time she felt this way, though. No, Noire feels like she experienced something similar before, how long ago, she can’t seem to figure out for the life of her, but it was only ‘similar’ in comparison.

What Noire’s feeling now is far different towards the young man before her. She had never felt her body crying out to her in such significance before. She had never felt so warm that the hottest summer days couldn’t possibly bring her. She had never thought the tightness in her chest that’s making her feel breathless, would ever make her feel so light and fuzzy. She had never thought of wanting to be stuck in such a frozen state of time so she could take in the details of each sensation in her body at that moment for the rest of her days.

Dokun.

Could it be due to a spell? It could be so in some form, but not in the way she’s thinking. Even so, she wants to be kept spellbound, because this is the first time in her long life that she truly felt like a woman, a maiden at its truest form, who actually wanted a man to look at her without any nefarious gains.

This isn’t … what I think it is, is it? she thinks while placing both hands to the center of her chest, taking in the swelling that’s occurring in her large bosom all the while.

No, Noire, you mustn’t! How could you even think of such an act towards someone at first meeting?! He is your guest! Your potential escort to the dungeon! Compose yourself, woman! Even if that strong, bulging, healthy neck looks delectable enough to sink your fangs into and—no! What even are these feelings?! I have never even felt these when I make all of those pairings with those bishonens! Pairing him with either Konjiro or Julius may seem rather charming, but these are going beyond those things!

The black rank Human Brawler, Jinma Kotori … just what kind of man are you to rouse these feelings? I must investigate this thoroughly. Personality, background—does he have a thing for the yakuza with that attire?—relationships with his party—it’s an eye-opener he’s even the mate of a Lizardman female— preferences, does he like them big or small, blood type, what he eats, kinks like getting bitten—why is your mind going into that direction, woman?! Stop it!

Calm and composed as she may seem on the surface, the subtle red tints on her cheeks shows for the first time how her body really felt from her mind, whether she’s aware of it or not.

It’s at this moment that the lady, Noire Scarletine Krauss, just experienced the first taste of something that dropped in the hole of her heart, and was desperate to fill it up to the brim, even if it means resorting to her instincts as one of the noble lineages of Vampires that they’re so well-known for.

This is where the noble closet fujoshi Vampire’s love story truly begins.