Chapter 46: A Princess and a Problem
⸻
The stadium was buzzing with energy.
Students filled the stands, waiting for the combat portion of the midterm to begin. The lower-ranked duels had already started, but most of the spectators were waiting for the top matches—the ones that truly mattered.
Jessica walked through the crowd like she wasn't causing chaos just by existing.
Zyrenia held her hand, sticking close as they scanned for a place to sit.
Her small fingers gripped a little tighter as her nose twitched.
Jessica barely noticed, but Zyrenia did.
Her attendants were getting closer.
She could smell them.
And she did not want to be taken away.
⸻
Zyrenia's posture changed.
She stepped slightly behind Jessica, using her as a shield while still gripping her hand.
Jessica didn't notice the movement—her focus was on finding a good vantage point.
The attendants, however, noticed immediately.
Their footsteps slowed.
Jessica felt the shift in the atmosphere but didn't turn around.
She did, however, register the wave of tension from those nearby.
Zyrenia turned, keeping Jessica between herself and the approaching attendants.
Her eyes narrowed.
Then, without a single word, she bared her fangs.
The attendants froze.
Humans nearby went rigid.
Even though Zyrenia wasn't attacking anyone, the image of a vampire child hissing at her own escorts was enough to make people hesitate.
The lesser vampires among the attendants instinctively bowed their heads.
A sheer, shaded veil covered them, shielding their sensitive eyes from the direct sunlight. It was clear which of them needed protection from the sun.
A noble among the attendants, clearly higher ranked, shifted uncomfortably.
Jessica, meanwhile, remained oblivious.
She found a perfect open section near the middle of the stands and started leading Zyrenia toward it.
Zyrenia didn't look back.
Her message had been clear:
I am not going with you.
The attendants hesitated before slowly withdrawing.
⸻
⁃ The human students saw everything.
⁃ None of them wanted to get involved.
⁃ They absolutely did not want to deal with a vampire child baring her fangs.
More than a few nobles looked at each other, as if wondering whether they should report this.
But the demon envoy was present.
And so was Duke Vaelora.
That meant no one was about to interfere.
As long as Zyrenia wasn't attacking anyone, this wasn't their problem.
So, like most things involving Jessica Moran, they chose to pretend it wasn't happening.
⸻
The Duke was waiting for his daughter to arrive.
When the attendants finally approached, he immediately sensed something was wrong.
"You were gone too long," he said.
The noble vampire among them bowed slightly.
"Apologies, Your Grace. We could not retrieve her."
The Duke's golden eyes narrowed.
"You could not?" he repeated slowly.
There was a slight pause.
Then, reluctantly, the noble vampire said:
"She... bared her fangs at us."
The Duke stilled.
His son, standing nearby, stiffened slightly at the news.
"She bared her fangs?" the Duke repeated, his tone unreadable.
"Yes, Your Grace."
The attendants shifted uncomfortably.
"Why?" the Duke asked.
The attendants glanced at each other.
One of them swallowed.
"...I don't think she wanted to go."
The Duke was silent for a long moment.
His fingers tapped lightly against the wooden railing in front of him.
His son, Sevrin, narrowed his eyes slightly.
"She's normally polite with her attendants," the Duke mused. "Why resist this time?"
His son finally spoke.
"She's just a human, isn't she?" Sevrin asked, glancing at the attendants.
There was an odd silence.
Sevrin turned his gaze toward the other side of the stadium, where the nobles were still settling in.
And then—his breath hitched.
Because across the way, walking hand-in-hand with his little sister, was the same black-haired girl he had seen last night.
The girl doing the kata.
The one with movements eerily similar to the Heavenly Sword Demon Style.
She was walking casually, as if nothing was strange, as if holding hands with a vampire princess was completely normal.
And Zyrenia looked completely at ease with her.
Sevrin frowned.
Something was wrong.
Something wasn't adding up.
⸻
Jessica finally found a seat.
She sat down without hesitation.
Next to Hannelore.
Hannelore barely had time to register this when Jessica greeted her as if nothing was unusual.
"Hello," Jessica said simply.
Hannelore, who had not been prepared for Jessica to sit next to her, let alone speak to her first, barely managed a nod.
Then Jessica dropped the real bomb.
"Tobias will be watching your duel against the prince."
Hannelore froze.
Her thoughts stalled.
It wasn't just the statement itself.
It was the fact that Jessica was the one saying it.
Jessica had never commented on anything like this before.
But now, casually, in front of a vampire princess, she just... pointed it out?
And then, Zyrenia turned to her.
Hannelore felt the weight of two gazes—one calculating, one far too amused.
Her normally sharp mind completely short-circuited.
⸻
She stalled for time.
She took a slow breath.
Then, she nodded like she expected this all along.
"I see," she said evenly.
"That's... interesting."
"Well, I hope he enjoys watching."
Jessica just nodded.
As if the entire conversation wasn't anything special.
Zyrenia was grinning.
Desperate to take back control of the conversation, Hannelore grasped at something neutral.
"You missed your magic exam," she said, trying to shift topics.
Jessica, utterly unfazed, responded without hesitation.
"I improved my magic exam."
Hannelore blinked.
Jessica continued in the same simple, even tone.
"Last time, I scored a negative one. This time, I scored a zero."
Silence.
Hannelore felt another short-circuit in her brain.
She stared at Jessica, struggling to process how blatantly she had just blown off the midterm.
Jessica, meanwhile, casually adjusted Zyrenia's grip on her carving tool, completely unfazed.
And then Hannelore realized something worse.
Jessica had told Tobias to watch her match.
Or had she?
Did Tobias decide on his own, or did Jessica tell him?
She suddenly didn't want to ask.
Because if she did...
Jessica would answer.
And Hannelore wasn't sure which would be worse—knowing the truth or not knowing at all.
⸻
Jessica sat comfortably, arms resting on her knees, completely unbothered by the chaos she had just caused.
Zyrenia sat beside her, clearly pleased with herself, while Hannelore was still internally processing everything.
Tobias, who had only just arrived and spotted Jessica sitting next to Hannelore with a ten-year-old vampire princess, stopped in his tracks.
He had no words.
Magnus, behind him, sighed.
"This is going to be a problem, isn't it?"
Tobias didn't answer.
He was still buffering.
Meanwhile, Jessica had another thought.
She turned toward Zyrenia and, without consulting Hannelore or Tobias—**without consulting anyone—**asked a simple question.
"When I go up, do you want me to take you back to your father, or do you want to stay with Hannelore or my brother?"
Silence.
Hannelore blinked.
Zyrenia tilted her head.
Tobias, still approaching, froze mid-step.
Magnus exhaled sharply.
"...She didn't even ask us first."
Jessica, as if she had done nothing unusual, continued neutrally.
"You can pick whoever you want." She gestured vaguely. "There's the loud one—" (she pointed at Tobias) "—or you can stay with Hannelore."
Hannelore stiffened.
Tobias snapped back to reality.
"I—what? No. No. Don't just—" He gestured wildly at Zyrenia. "You can't just pawn off a vampire princess on me!"
Jessica blinked at him.
"Why not?"
Tobias sputtered.
"WHY NOT?! You—you can't just throw her at people!"
Jessica tilted her head slightly.
"I didn't throw her," she pointed out. "I gave her options."
Tobias looked like he wanted to strangle something.
Hannelore, meanwhile, was still trying to process the situation.
Zyrenia's crimson eyes flicked between Tobias and Hannelore.
She could feel Tobias' frustration.
She could sense Hannelore's hesitation.
Then she looked at Jessica, who was watching her expectantly.
Zyrenia pouted slightly.
Her father's attendants would try to drag her back.
She didn't want to go back yet.
And Hannelore looked like she was overthinking everything.
So, naturally...
"I'll stay with the loud one," Zyrenia declared.
Tobias visibly flinched.
"—Wait. No. I—"
But it was too late.
Zyrenia had already decided.
Tobias looked at Jessica, betrayed.
Jessica simply nodded.
"Alright. That's settled."
Tobias let out a frustrated groan.
⸻
Hannelore, still processing everything, finally sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"I don't suppose asking for an explanation will do any good," she muttered.
Jessica glanced at her.
"For what?"
Hannelore exhaled deeply.
"For any of this."
Jessica considered that for half a second.
Then shrugged.
"No, probably not."
Hannelore gave up.
She just gave up.
Zyrenia was smiling, satisfied.
Tobias looked beyond frustrated.
Magnus was already distancing himself from this mess.
Jessica?
She was already looking toward the stage, completely unfazed.
⸻
The Duke leaned back slightly in his chair.
One of his attendants whispered something in his ear.
His fingers drummed against the armrest.
His son, Sevrin, stood nearby, arms crossed, still watching from a distance.
The Duke finally sighed.
"She didn't return to us?"
"No, Your Grace."
"Then where is she?"
A pause.
"She appears to be... with the Moran Girl again."
The Duke's golden eyes narrowed.
Sevrin let out a quiet breath through his nose.
He wasn't sure which part was more ridiculous—the fact that his sister had outright refused to return, or the fact that she had willingly chosen to be babysat by a human.
But more than that—
His gaze returned to the black-haired girl.
Jessica Moran.
The girl who looked eerily like the figure he had seen training the night before.
She was sitting comfortably in the stadium, completely unaware of how absurd her mere existence was becoming.
He tapped his fingers against his sleeve, watching.
His father's voice was quiet.
"Interesting."
Sevrin wasn't sure which part he was referring to.
But he had a feeling—
They were going to find out soon enough.