The classroom had been quiet enough already, but my declaration brought a silence so complete it was as though sound itself had been murdered. The Regressor stared at me, her mouth hanging open, while Azi was still looking mournfully down at Mr. Puppetto.

All the while, I remained on one knee, maintaining my reverent pose.

Those corny old lines belonged in a museum, but they worked wonders on an ancient being older than most national treasures. This twelve-century-old vampire girl was immensely pleased, even knowing it was all an act.

'He certainly knows how to flatter someone. Well, I know he is only playing, but perhaps I shall hear a little more.'

"... You have my permission."

"Thank you, my lady."

Without a moment's hesitation, I kissed the back of her outstretched hand. Swept up in the mood, the vampire accepted even that without displeasure.

I carried an empty chair over, keeping it low, and set it down opposite her. Then I bowed toward her, seeking her permission once more. Only after she nodded did I wait half a beat and sit down across from her.

'Hmm. He does know his manners.'

She was astonishingly immersed. Like someone moved to tears by a musical or a play, she was overflowing with emotion despite being perfectly aware that this was an act.

How could anyone this sentimental claim she was fine? I couldn't even imagine what would happen if she had a body with a properly beating heart.

In any case, I continued my performance.

"Forgive my asking, but of which house are you a daughter?"

"None."

The vampire's answer was brief. Her thoughts, however, were not nearly so short.

'When I used to roam the world, many approached me, captivated by my looks. They assumed I was a noblewoman, and when I answered them this way, their reactions fell into three categories. They would change their manner and scorn me, treat me as though I were a servant, or hypocritically assure me it did not matter, pretending they were someone special.'

Turning the test back on me, the vampire tapped a finger against the table as though urging me to answer.

'Well, though this entire situation is only an act, let us see how you answer.'

I'd miscalculated.

The twelve-century-old girl's sensibilities far exceeded my expectations. Why had it taken her so long to remind herself that this was an act? Wasn't she getting a little too deep into character?

Well, there was nothing wrong with committing to a role. I'd respond in kind.

"Then you truly were sent down from heaven."

"Hm?"

"Are you truly a fairy? Of course, how else could such otherworldly beauty appear so suddenly, without context or even a whisper of rumor? How fortunate I am, to be the first to discover the beautiful fairy heaven has bestowed upon the earth."

'... Not bad...'

It was flattery so outrageously overblown that anyone listening would have been embarrassed.

But my audience was a vampire who had brought the sensibilities of the past with her. Even lines this painfully cheesy had been ordinary exchanges back then.

"I regret disappointing your expectations, but that is not what I meant. I meant that I have no house worth naming. My father belonged to a collateral branch of an obscure family. He left the family almost as though driven out and established a household of his own. In other words, I have nothing one could call a house."

"Ah, to think you were human, not a fairy. Part of me is relieved, yet another part despairs. Surely someone as beautiful as you already has a knight by her side, brave as a lion and noble as a peacock, his eyes blazing as he guards against jackals seeking his treasure. A man like me, with nothing but the clothes on his back, would surely never have even a second's chance..."

As I laid a hand over my heart and lamented my misfortune, the vampire replied with a soft laugh.

"You take my silence as license to make assumptions. Did I not say I had no house worth naming?"

No house worth naming. She had never become close enough to anyone to share a name.

In the old-fashioned way of speaking, she was saying she wasn't seeing anyone.

And throughout history, the world over, "I'm not seeing anyone" had always meant a passive yes.

"Then everyone in the world must be blind! To leave someone like you alone! Or have all the other men made a pact without me? To leave the most beautiful flower upon the highest cliff untouched, and only admire it from afar?"

"Hehe. Such nonsense."

After laughing delightedly, the vampire answered with a self-deprecating smile.

"Perhaps they noticed some other flaw that disqualifies me."

"That is precisely what I mean by blind. Beauty bears no guilt, and grace knows no distinctions. People prattle that sitting face-to-face with someone does not reveal their true nature, yet those very people are worldly bastards who judge by money, power, or bloodline—things they cannot even see before them."

As I spoke, I reached out and took her hand. The vampire no longer pulled away. If anything, her hand tightened slightly.

"I trust my eyes, which behold you; my ears, which receive your voice; and my hand, which now touches yours."

"... Do you know what I am?"

"Whatever you may be, I am not afraid."

After that brief, firm declaration, I let my gaze drift slightly aside and added,

"All I fear is that, weak and unworthy as I am, I may fail to satisfy you—that I may not be able to fill your heart. Nothing else."

"How arrogant. Did you think someone strong and accomplished could easily fill it? Do you take my heart for a merchant's scales?"

The vampire, who had been listening quietly, suddenly raised her voice. When I pretended to startle, she put on an angry expression and scolded me.

"A heart can be filled only with time. What sort of person you are, how little money you possess—none of that matters."

"Then will you permit me to stay by your side, so that I may fill you with my time?"

"Go on, then. Try."

I rose from my seat. As I walked around the desk toward her, the vampire held her head high and stared straight ahead.

I sat on her left as though that had been my place all along and took her left hand in mine. Reaching across with my farther hand inevitably brought our bodies closer. Quite naturally, I extended my right arm and wrapped it around her small shoulders, one of which fit neatly beneath my hand.

One tug would bring our bodies together. Even so, the vampire made no particular objection.

Hmm. Pulling her closer would certainly be entertaining, but it would take things a little off course.

Regressor, are you just going to watch?

"S-stop! Just how far are you planning to go?!"

Nice timing, Regressor.

Her face bright red, the Regressor slammed her hand onto the desk. The spell broke, and I chuckled, threw both hands up, and stood.

The performance was over. The air, briefly melted into sweetness, turned cold in an instant. Switching my manner as easily as turning over my hand, I approached the vampire with a smile.

"Trainee Tyrkanzyaka."

The vampire answered half a beat late.

"H-hm?"

"Be honest. You got a little carried away, didn't you?"

For a very brief moment, my question left the vampire utterly confused. My attitude had changed far too abruptly.

But the mind follows the body. Her agitation lasted only a moment. With no beating heart, the vampire quickly feigned composure, and her stagnant blood cooled her body in an instant.

She spoke in a leisurely tone little different from her usual one.

"W-what are you talking about? It was rather amusing entertainment, so I merely played along."

"Entertainment?"

"Yes. Entertainment."

Entertainment, my ass. A vampire with notions of chastity from twelve centuries ago was trying to pull that? At least say something believable.

"So it was just a bit of passing entertainment?"

"Of course. Since this was all an act, naturally I too approached it lightheartedly."

The vampire nodded to herself as though trying to convince herself. She sat bolt upright, feigning nonchalance.

With a mischievous grin, I sauntered closer.

"Oho. I see. So, Trainee Tyrkanzyaka, you're the sort of woman who willingly lets a man embrace her for a little entertainment? Were you always so easy?"

"What are you saying? I would never—"

Saying she would never do that would contradict herself. It wouldn't square with what she'd just done.

I was always struck by how people were inevitably the ones who sent themselves tumbling into ruin. Why say things you couldn't back up?

"D-did I not tell you? I knew it was an act, ahem, and approached it lightheartedly."

She hurried to excuse herself, but the excuse had lost its power. Folding my arms, I muttered,

"Amazing how much someone changes once you lower a single mental barrier. Is this really acceptable? From the person who scolded me for so much as holding the puppy's hand?"

"Woof?"

Azi reacted to being mentioned. Perfect timing. Let me show you exactly what you just did with me.

"Azi, paw."

"Woof."

Azi promptly offered her hand, and I took it. Stroking the soft hand with its claws tucked away, I watched the vampire's reaction.

Sure enough, she was looking at us as though it were scandalous. And she'd been sitting right beside me just moments ago.

"See? This is what you were doing a moment ago, Trainee Tyrkanzyaka."

"I-it was not! That is slander!"

"Trainee Shei. What did you think? Please give us an impartial opinion."

The vampire's eyes met the Regressor's. The Regressor averted her gaze slightly and gave a shy nod. That reaction was stronger evidence than anything else.

Finally cornered, the vampire hid her face behind her parasol and shouted,

"Fine! I let my guard down for a moment! I admit it! But!"

With a sudden swing, the tip of her parasol pointed at me. From behind it, the vampire shouted reproachfully,

"What does it matter?! You have already seen inside my chest anyway!"

At that very moment, the Regressor lost her footing. Falling in the most undignified way imaginable, she flailed and looked over at us.

'What? Seen what? Inside her... chest? What on earth have those two been doing?'

Whoops. She seemed to have gotten entirely the wrong idea.

Regardless, the already cornered vampire went on without caring that the Regressor could hear her.

"Your fingers have already touched me countless times! I received your services just this morning! What else am I supposed to guard against, and how?"

'This morning?! What on earth? What were they doing first thing in the morning?!'

Good grief, what a racket. With one talking and the other thinking, I could barely hear myself think.

"I know I'm hardly one to talk, but you tend to give your heart away too easily, Trainee Tyrkanzyaka. You seem to think being immortal and rather strong makes that acceptable, but these days, living like that is asking to get fleeced. Try getting into the habit of being a little suspicious."

"By your reasoning, I should never have exposed my heart to you in the first place!"

"Oh, correct."

To think she'd grasp it so easily. I couldn't have been more moved.

"How do you know what sort of person I am, exposing everything like that? If I ever had malicious intentions, even you would suffer terribly, Trainee Tyrkanzyaka. Opening your heart to someone—or opening your chest like that—is that dangerous."

"But you did not."

The vampire lifted her parasol slightly. Beneath its pitch-black canopy, her glowing red eyes turned a reproachful gaze upon me.

"Though you had opportunity after opportunity, you never poured malice into me. And still you tell me to be suspicious?"

"There's no guarantee I won't in the future."

"... Hah. Very well."

The vampire sprang to her feet. For once, she used her own feet to stride all the way to the classroom door.

"As you suggest, I shall live in suspicion of everything from now on."

With that, she left the classroom. Darkness surged behind her and slammed the door shut.

Once the vampire was gone, the Regressor, who had been gaping all this time, turned her head stiffly and began pointing at me.

"You, you, you, you."

"Now, then. Do you believe me? Now that I've planted that seed of doubt, she'll take whatever Finlay says with a grain of—"

"No! That's not it! What on earth have you been doing to Tyrkanzyaka?!"