"You swore an oath. Eternal loyalty." Caerus stares her down, his shadow stretching across the cold stone. "Is this how you keep it?"

Yulia blinks. Never trust a woman's word in bed. Well, it wasn't a bed... but the logic stands.

"I'd be a rot-breathed vampire without you," Yulia says, her voice a perfect, hollow chime. "You gave me life. I'll serve you until I'm dust, my dear Lord Dragon."

The dragon-god doesn't flinch at the flattery. "Drop the chores. Do what you were made for."

Yulia sighs and retreats to the kitchen. She prepares the milk tea—one sweet, one salty. The cream hits the dragon's tongue, and the lethal edge in his eyes softens.

"Forget the old Lord," Caerus mutters, setting the cup down. "The man is dust. You choose the replacement."

Yulia freezes, her hand hovering over the tea tray. "You're serious?"

"I gave you the chance to break the world, Yulia." He stands, his black robes billowing like smoke. "The era is yours to build."

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They reach the Duke's mansion by noon. The servants cower in the corners, eyes fixed on the floor as they wait for the new executioner.

Yulia stands on the marble steps, looking out at the "brides" and the household staff. She clears her throat, the sound sharp in the dead silence.

"I'm giving you two choices," Yulia says, her voice carrying across the hall. "Choice one: take this gold coin and walk away. Live your own life."

She holds up a shimmering gold piece. "Choice two: stay. We're rebuilding the Old Pigeon district, and I need hands."

"We don't house idlers," she adds, her gaze sweeping the room. "You work, you get paid. Simple as that."

The girls don't hesitate. They think of the clean rooms at the Temple of Abyss, the shared meals, and the protection of the knight. They choose to stay.

"Are you our Lord, Princess?" one girl asks, her eyes bright with hope.

"No," Yulia says, stepping aside. "Meet Jojo."

Giotto turns crimson, his boots shuffling against the marble. The girls stare at the "clumsy beauty," their disappointment written in the silence of the room.

"Don't look at him like that," Yulia laughs, patting the boy's shoulder. "He's a Duke's son. He knows the system. He'll do fine."

Yulia lays out the blueprint for Giotto. New seeds, agricultural reform, and a line of restaurants to stir the economy.

"And these," she says, pointing to a sketch of red berries. "Coffee. Find them. They'll make us more gold than the vegetables ever will."

Giotto scribbles notes with a shaking hand, his head drooping as the weight of the office hits him. "I... I don't want to let you down. Like my brothers said I would."

Yulia softens, leaning in to pat his arm. Giotto slumps, his head nearly touching her shoulder like a tired puppy.

The door bangs open. Caerus stands in the archway, his golden eyes flaring with a sudden, jagged heat.

"What are you doing?" the dragon-god rasps. From his angle, it looks like Yulia is reaching for the boy's neck.

"Just talking," Yulia says, stepping back. Great. He thinks he caught me in the act.

Caerus looms over Giotto, his shadow swallowing the boy. "I told you. No blood from him. Get out."

Giotto bolts before the dragon can finish the sentence. Yulia rolls her eyes. "He's just a kid, Caerus. Why scare him?"

"A kid?" Caerus sneers.

"He's older than you."

"It's a maternal instinct. He's a 'clumsy beauty.' You wouldn't get it." Yulia shrugs.

"Fine. No biting him. No biting anyone."

"No," Caerus says, his voice dropping to a low, lethal hum. "You can bite me."

Dinner is Mao Xue Wang. The spicy aroma of the blood stew fills the dining hall, sharp enough to make the eyes water.

The girls stare at the bowl of dark, spicy blood. They hesitate, clutching their pieces of white bread.

Then they watch Yulia. The Princess is hunched over a massive bowl, her face flushed red, eating with a frantic, satisfied hunger.

They take a tiny bite. The spice hits first, followed by the rich, tender texture of the meat.

Within minutes, the dining hall is a war zone. The girls scramble for the remaining soup, their fear of the Abyss forgotten in the heat of the chili.

Caerus sits at the head of the table, his plate untouched. He watches Yulia scrape her bowl, a smear of red oil on her lip, his golden eyes unreadable.

"Not good?"

Yulia licks her lips. A ghost of a fang glints under the torchlight... the same fangs that tore into his skin yesterday, desperate for a taste of his blood. That sacrilege was permitted, yet now the hunger has faded.

She ignores him entirely, her eyes fixed on the bowl of red chili. Caerus watches her, his jaw tightening as she focuses on the spice instead of the god beside her.

He beckons Menningen into the shadows. "Dump the rest of that blood stew."

"The Princess... she'll raise hell, my Lord," the knight's jawbone clicks. Caerus doesn't blink. "Let her."

Morning light hits the floor. Yulia shields her eyes, her movements slow and heavy from the lingering vampire genes. A crimson blur streaks past the window.

"I'm back! I'm back! Delivering mail is a death sentence!" Ollie bursts through the glass, feathers ruffling. "Lily! You look... okay. Can I have some of that blood stew now? I've been dreaming about—"

Caerus's finger flicks out. The phoenix tumbles back into the open sky. He slams the balcony door shut with a sharp crack.

"Too loud," Caerus mutters. He turns to Yulia. "Get ready. We're going on a trip."

The dragon's wings beat against the clouds. They soar past the Necro-wall and the jagged spires of the south. Yulia looks down, her hair whipping in the wind.

"Where are we going?" she asks, but the wind swallows her voice.

The sun hits a honey-colored spire in the distance. A hexagram symbol catches the light, glowing with a divine, ivory radiance.

Gaia Academy.

The heart of the Far East City, filled with the finest mages in the world. Every soul down there wants the Black Dragon dead.

"What are we doing here?" Yulia rasps, her knuckles turning white against the dragon's scales. "This is a suicide mission."

Caerus doesn't slow down. "Business."

The golden barrier ripples. A hole tears open, wide enough for a dragon to pass through. It was designed by the God of Radiance to incinerate dark creatures, yet it yields to his touch.

They land in a quiet grove. Caerus moves with a blur of speed, knocking out a whispering couple and stripping their white cloaks.

He activates the memory-blurring spell. They walk through the halls of the academy. Students stop and stare, caught by their beauty, but the details of their faces slip through their minds like water.

"Why are we here?" Yulia whispers again.

"To see someone." Caerus walks ahead, his steps measured and silent.

Yulia turns a corner and slams into a wall of cold, heavy steel. She stumbles back, rubbing her forehead. "Watch it. That hurts."

The knight stops. He looks down at the girl, her golden-sand hair spilling from beneath the white hood. He remains motionless for a heartbeat, his breath hitching as he takes in her face.

"My sincerest apologies, Miss," he says, his voice stiff and disciplined. "My armor is indeed quite rigid. If you don't mind, please allow me to take you to see Dr. Simon. I must ensure you have no injuries."

Yulia opened her mouth, stunned. She shook her head.

"...No need... I'm fine..."

The man drops into a formal knight's salute, his dark blond hair catching the light.

"I am Loren Eir," he says, his gaze locking onto hers. "Commander of the Temple Knights."