#Episode 83
When they first met Todd, he was being pursued by holy knights, so it was only natural for Vasha to worry.
However, Laurus didn’t seem too concerned.
“When I decided to take Todd as my successor, I looked into the Lamphas Order’s tracking of Van Drake. There wasn’t a record of Todd’s facial features.”
“What, really?”
Considering that Todd had managed to evade capture until the moment he met Vasha, despite being pursued by holy knights, his ability to shake off pursuers was indeed impressive.
Still, it would have been normal for at least some record of his appearance to remain.
Noticing Vasha’s doubtful gaze, Todd scowled as if he had a bitter taste in his mouth and muttered.
“…Before the fall of our family, my father cast a spell of [Perceptual Confusion] on me.”
[Perceptual Confusion] was a lesser spell akin to the vampire’s [Cognitive Distortion]. While [Cognitive Distortion] transformed an intrinsic and existential discomfort into something favorable, [Perceptual Confusion] simply muddled the target’s senses.
For Todd, however, [Perceptual Confusion] was more than sufficient to aid in his escape.
“Ultimately, I did end up being tracked by the Lamphas Order, but since the effects of the spell lingered for a while, they likely don’t know exactly what my face looks like. It’s not like the family had any portraits of me either…”
“……….”
An awkward silence settled over them. Vasha shifted her gaze to the ground, regretting that she had pried.
In the uncomfortable atmosphere, Laurus quickly changed the subject.
“Still, people with black hair and golden eyes aren’t common, so it’s better to be cautious. I’ll ask the auction host to ensure that the holy knights can’t step foot in the auction hall. That way, there won’t be any chance of Todd running into them.”
“Would the host agree so easily? Avoiding holy knights at a Lantern Festival event?”
Since the Lantern Festival was a celebration of the Lamphas Order, excluding members of the Order from such an event wasn’t an easy thing to justify.
“Well, since I’ve secluded myself after painting the ceiling mural, it’s well-known that I avoid the Lamphas Order. If I claim that the holy knights’ attendance is solely to acquire my painting and that I don’t even want to share the same space with them, the host will likely understand.”
Laurus’ bold statement left Todd muttering in disbelief.
“You openly dislike the Lamphas Order, yet you’ve managed to avoid being labeled a heretic all this time.”
“That’s because the Lamphas Order’s influence has waned significantly compared to before. As the vampire clans gradually disappeared, faith in the Lamphas Order diminished as well.”
“They’re useless without fear to leverage?”
“Exactly.”
Todd let out a derisive snort. In the end, the decline of the Lamphas Order paralleled the fall of the Van Drake family.
Perhaps that’s why the Lamphas Order had worked so hard to bring down the Van Drake family. To assert their relevance, they needed a scapegoat.
Laurus continued nonchalantly.
“Moreover, this will be the first official occasion to present Todd as my successor. If I express concern that members of the Lamphas Order might approach my young and inexperienced successor to obtain my paintings…”
“I’m not young or inexperienced.”
Todd instantly retorted, as if someone had pressed a button. Folding his arms and frowning, Todd looked visibly displeased, but Laurus simply shook his head calmly.
“Appearing young and inexperienced works to your advantage. Only the Van Drake family would have a successor as meticulous as you at your age. Even royal family heirs aren’t like you.”
“……….”
At face value, it sounded like praise, but the nuance felt subtly different. Still, it was hard to pinpoint exactly what was off.
Feeling uneasy, Todd fell silent, while Laurus turned to Vasha. With a resolute expression, he sought to reassure her.
“Regardless, the host won’t reject my proposal. Trust me.”
“I always trust Laurus,”
Vasha answered with a soft smile. However, her response irritated Todd.
‘She just doubted her own familiar earlier, and now she’s praising someone else’s familiar instead? How could she humiliate her own familiar like this?’
Displeased, Todd pouted and grumbled.
“You didn’t believe me, though.”
“Huh? I always believe in Todd too.”
Vasha, oblivious to Todd’s mood, answered with a casual smile. Her response was thoughtless, but it carried an unintentional sincerity.
It was only natural. To Vasha, Todd was demanding and difficult, but still, he was like an answer sheet where she already knew the results. Furthermore, he was bound to her through a familiar contract. If Vasha didn’t trust Todd, then who else would she trust?
However, to Todd, Vasha’s immediate and effortless response felt insincere.
Did she think he was some kid who could be pacified with a few nice words?
Feeling as though he was being treated like a bothersome child, Todd flared up and raised his voice.
“When I said I couldn’t find Van Drake’s item in the catalog, the first thing you did was doubt my ability! In that situation, shouldn’t you have doubted the catalog first?”
“And yet, you didn’t doubt the catalog yourself and just sat there pulling your hair out! So I just thought it might be true!”
Suddenly being blamed, Vasha was equally baffled. She had no idea what had triggered Todd’s outburst.
Without giving her any time to think, Todd snapped back again.
“When you said Van Drake’s item would appear in the auction, I believed you right away!”
“Oh, so that’s what you’re going with now? Then why was it that last time…?”
Vasha immediately countered, her temper flaring as well. Although they hadn’t been together for a long time, their constant proximity had led to more than a few clashes.
“Do you know how many times I let it slide when you acted suspiciously without questioning it?”
“Oh yeah? Oh yeah? Do you think I haven’t held back from questioning you for your sake?”
And so, the two of them started bickering, arguing over who trusted the other more.
Laurus let out a small sigh.
Both Todd and Vasha had a subtle sense of pride, so once a conflict arose, it wasn’t easy for it to die down.
In a way, it seemed like they secretly enjoyed these little spats. Despite their sharp voices, the slight twitch of their lips revealed their amusement.
Trying to intervene and mediate at such times would only backfire.
Laurus signaled to Oliver with his eyes. Understanding his master’s intent, Oliver nodded quietly and prepared tea, which he handed to Laurus.
Amid the noisy quarrel, the only interruption was the occasional sound of Laurus sipping his tea, like a faint accompaniment.
***
As Laurus had assured, the auction host immediately accepted his request to exclude the holy knights from the event.
While there might have been an issue if it were the main Lantern Festival ceremony, the auction was ultimately a worldly matter. Keeping the holy knights out was easily manageable.
If necessary, they could simply donate generously to the Holy Nation to smooth things over. For now, pleasing Laurus was more important.
Thus, everything seemed to proceed smoothly.
Yet, for some reason, Vasha couldn’t shake the feeling that something had been overlooked, and her unease continued to grow.
‘Now that I think about it, this is the first time Todd will be outside the [Domain].’
The [Domain] referred to the range within which a vampire could move freely and use their magic. The auction venue, being surrounded by the Star of Lamphas, wasn’t a place she could easily watch over using spells.
‘It reminds me of when I first sent Todd into Haidus.’
Back then, the best she could do was use minions to sneak Todd in secretly.
Compared to that time, things were much better now. Todd was healthy, he had reliable allies by his side, and Vasha’s own magic had grown significantly stronger.
Yet, despite all this, her anxiety only grew more intense.
‘Sitting here worrying is pointless. I need to do something… But what can I even do?’
When Melina entered the room after sunset to draw the curtains and returned three hours later to change the water in the vase, Vasha was still sitting motionless on the sofa, lost in thought.
