Volume 4 Chapter 32

Volume 4 + Chapter 32: The Caged Bird

The Crimson Empire, Bloodborne Royal Palace.

Within the vast palace of the blood race, a contingent of royal guards escorted a vampire royal prince toward the rose garden belonging to the vampire princess—Miu Miu Borgia.

This royal “prince” was a tall, striking beauty dressed in masculine aristocratic attire, a long red-and-black coat, white gloves, black boots. Yet even such sharp, commanding clothing could not conceal her breathtaking appearance.

Her name was Flora, a noble of exceptionally pure lineage. It was said that in ancient times, her ancestors had once served as kings of the vampire race.

Flora’s family now belonged to the faction closest to the current Vampire King, and thus enjoyed special privileges—including permission to enter the Vampire Palace armed, even without an official summons.

Led by Flora, the group arrived at the rose garden, which also served as the princess’s living quarters.

“Princess, the time has come. You should be awake by now, yes?” Flora called out.

“……”

There was no reply from within the rose garden.

Flora raised a hand, signaling the guards.

To the guards, the prince’s command was equivalent to the Vampire King’s authority. They immediately took forceful action, using their weapons to tear apart a large patch of roses and forcibly clear a path through the garden.

“What are you all… doing?”

A furious voice echoed from within the rose grove.

“Stop! Don’t you dare destroy my garden!!”

The guards’ first reaction was not to obey the princess—it was to look toward Flora.

Only after she nodded did the guards stop and withdraw behind her.

“Your Highness, we assumed you were still asleep, so we had to take certain measures,” Flora said lightly.

From the rose garden emerged a petite vampire girl, anger burning across her beautiful features.

“All of you—get out! Do not disturb my rest!”

“……”

“That is an order!” Miu Miu snapped.

But not a single guard moved. None even loosened their grips on their weapons—they merely stood behind Flora like statues.

A vampire prince barging into the princess’s quarters with an armed force was undeniably an outrageous violation.

Yet it was a violation openly sanctioned by the Vampire King.

For Miu Miu now held no real power at all.

Ever since she returned from the Dragon Kingdom, the Vampire King—her father—had stripped her of every authority she once possessed. Now she was merely a decorative “princess” in name, and her commands carried no weight whatsoever.

“Princess, we do not wish to trouble you,” Flora continued, “but the time has come—for you to take your medicine. This is His Majesty’s decree.”

“……”

“This concerns the future of the vampire race. That is why His Majesty entrusted this to me. You understand that.”

Flora wasn’t asking for Miu Miu’s opinion. She did not care for the princess’s will. Her tone was simply one of formal notification.

“I refuse!!”

Miu Miu raised her hand and slashed her wrist with her nail; bright crimson blood welled up.

“Blood Magic—Spray!”

With a violent flick of her hand, droplets of blood scattered outward, infused with the destructive force of blood magic.

“How… stubborn you are.”

Flora sighed and drew the weapon at her waist—a longsword. She pressed it to her wrist and slashed deeply, drawing a rush of her own blood.

“Blood Magic—Blood Unleashed.”

Vampire energy surged from her body. With one step forward, she erupted in a crimson barrier that blocked Miu Miu’s attack.

Then a flash of red swordlight burst forth, cleaving through the barrier and pulverizing the ground beside Miu Miu.

Flora had done this deliberately.

As Miu Miu instinctively stepped back, she felt cold steel press against her neck—Flora had already moved behind her.

“Princess, don’t struggle. I don’t wish to harm you,” Flora said calmly. “But if you attempt anything unnecessary, I will take further measures.”

“You… all of you…!”

“That’s enough. I don’t have time to indulge your tantrums.”

Flora grabbed Miu Miu’s cheeks, pulled out a pill, shoved it into her mouth, and forced her fingers inside—roughly making Miu Miu swallow it.

“Mmh—ah!”

Miu Miu collapsed to the ground, clutching her head, crying out in agony.

“No… don’t… don’t corrode me…!!”

“There. That should do it.”

Flora nodded in satisfaction.

Her assigned duty was to administer this special drug to the vampire princess at regular intervals—an order from Miu Miu’s own father, Herman Borgia.

Miu Miu was now effectively under house arrest in the Vampire Palace, forbidden to leave, and required to ingest these specially formulated medicines.

“No… no… I don’t want to… disappear…”

Her trembling plea was heartbreaking.

Flora looked at the girl before her—and instead of sympathy, she smiled.

A perfect image of a caged bird—stripped of freedom, its fate entirely in the hands of others.

But this was all necessary to mold Miu Miu into a better “vessel.”

This was the future she had been destined for—unchangeable since the very moment she was born.

“Your Highness, rest well.”

Flora turned and led the guards away.

Only Miu Miu remained in the rose garden, her sobbing echoing through the night.

After a long while, when she sensed all of them were truly gone, she stood up—her expression sliding instantly into a sly grin.

“Bleh~”

Miu Miu stuck out her tongue.

It wasn’t merely a teasing gesture.

From her mouth fluttered out a tiny creature.

It was her familiar, Little Black—shaped like a chubby black dumpling, adorable and round, sporting a pair of wings and a single big eye.

And from Little Black’s mouth dangled the pill.

All that earlier agony had been complete acting.

Miu Miu had fully expected Flora to force the medicine on her, so she had secretly instructed Little Black to hide inside her body and retrieve the pill the moment it was inserted.

“Thank you, Little Black. You’re so capable! I’ll reward you later!”

She patted its head, took the pill, and crushed it effortlessly.

Then she lifted her gaze.

It was night—full moon hanging above, silver light spilling over her form. The glow reflected in her scarlet eyes as they began to shift.

The silver-haired, red-eyed vampire girl… did not intend to remain in this cage.

“I’m going… to escape.”