"...Oh my, are you awake?"

  When I opened my eyes, I wasn't in a luxurious canopy bed, but on the usual chaise longue in the salon. My body, sunk deep into the fluffy cushions, felt as heavy as lead.

  Lifting my heavy eyelids, I saw Lady Sofia in her crimson dress, gracefully crossing her legs and looking down at me. Beside her stood Anastasia, wearing an unusually somber expression.

  "A-Ah... I was..."

  I tried to sit up and brought a hand to my neck. I expected a throbbing pain to linger, but there wasn't a single scratch. My skin was perfectly smooth, and the pain had completely vanished. Was it a dream? No, that's impossible. That overwhelming pleasure and the sound of my blood being sipped were unmistakably real.

  "...What happened earlier... that wasn't a dream, was it?"

  When I asked in a trembling voice, Lady Sofia swirled the red liquid in her gss (which I now knew for certain was not wine) and lowered her eyebrows in a troubled manner.

  "No, it was not a dream. ...I apologize that my adorable servant showed such disrespect toward you."

  Lady Sofia gnced to her side, and Anastasia bowed her head deeply.

  "...My deepest apologies. It is solely due to my own immaturity..."

  "N-No! Please don't apologize! ...I mean, I was surprised, but..."

  I frantically waved my hands. Seeing the always-perfect Anastasia looking so depressed was somehow far more shocking to me than the fear of having my blood sucked.

  "So... um..."

  Gathering my resolve, I asked the question.

  "Sucking blood means... the two of you are, after all..."

  "It's a pain to hide it, so I'll just tell you."

  Lady Sofia smiled mischievously and narrowed her red eyes.

  "We are 'Vampires'. ...Well, a long-lived species, as you humans would call us."

  I knew it. I had figured as much, but hearing it directly from their mouths hit differently. I instinctively backed away, pressing myself ft against the backrest of the sofa.

  "...How long have you been alive?"

  "Me? I was born in Rome. At the time, it wasn't even an 'Empire' yet, but a Republic ruled by the Senate and the citizens."

  "Eh?"

  "If we're talking about the Western calendar... let's see, it would be B.C. I was already alive by the time Caesar cast his die at the Rubicon."

  "T-Two thousand years...!?"

  The scale was so vastly different that it didn't even feel real. In terms of Japanese history, that's the Yayoi period. Way before Queen Himiko even existed.

  Timidly, I looked at Anastasia standing next to her. She, too, stood there with an inhuman beauty.

  "Then, Anastasia-san is also...?"

  "...I am still but a fledgling compared to the young dy."

  Anastasia quietly opened her mouth. Her voice was as still as the bottom of the deep sea.

  "I was born in a northern country... in the nd where the Grand Duchy of Moscow once stood, which is present-day Russia. My life as a human ended in the year 1431."

  "1431..."

  "It is only an estimate, but I was 19 years old when I died. ...I was in the depths of despair when the young dy picked me up. Since then, I have served as her shadow."

  "...I see."

  All I could do was nod and utter a weak "Wow..."

  "...But why would such incredible people go out of their way to come to Japan? And specifically Kamakura, of all pces?"

  Trying to change the subject, I asked. Instantly, Lady Sofia's face lit up.

  "Good question! There are three reasons."

  "T-Three?"

  "The first is securing our safety. The power of the Church in Europe is incredibly annoying, so this isnd nation with its eight million gods (Yaoyorozu no Kami) is quite comfortable. ...And the second reason is that I have a certain attachment to this nd called Kamakura."

  Lady Sofia looked out the window with a nostalgic gaze.

  "I dropped by here briefly a long time ago. During the Heian period... long before the Kamakura Shogunate was even established."

  "Wait, you've been here before?"

  "Yes. I believe he was called the 'Commander-in-Chief of the Defense of the North' (Chinjufu-shogun)... I tagged along with a group of samurai who were heading north to Oshu for a war, just to kill some time."

  "Commander-in-Chief...?"

  "They built a Hachimangu shrine right here at Yuigahama beach to pray for victory in battle. ...Back then, there was absolutely nothing here but an empty field."

  (I feel like I learned about this in Japanese history css...)

  "I intuitively knew that this terrain, surrounded by the sea and mountains, was perfectly suited for defense. It seems my eyes did not deceive me."

  Lady Sofia swirled her gss and then lowered her voice slightly.

  "And my primary objective for coming here. ...I am searching for the Treasure of 'Buei'."

  "Buei...?"

  Unfamiliar with the word, I tilted my head. Was it a person's name? Seeing my reaction, Lady Sofia sighed in exasperation.

  "Oh my, you don't know? Would it ring a bell if I said the Lord of Kamakura?"

  "Lord of... Kamakura...?"

  "...Shigure."

  Unable to watch my confusion, Anastasia threw me a lifeline.

  "For a modern Japanese person, you would know him as Minamoto no Yoritomo."

  "Ah! Yoritomo! I know him! The 'Let's make a good country' guy!"

  "Yes. That Lord Yoritomo's affectionate nickname among his close confidants... his Chinese-style title (Karana), was 'Buei'."

  "Ohh... I see. (So it's a nickname, huh.)"

  Lady Sofia rested her cheek on her hand, looking bored.

  "I go way back with that guy. To celebrate the founding of his Shogunate, he promised to give me a certain 'treasure'. ...But he went and died before I could receive it."

  "He died?"

  "Yes. Fell off a horse or something, quite anticlimactically. ...It's really troublesome how easily humans die."

  Lady Sofia bit her lip in frustration.

  "After that, I also left Japan, so I missed my chance to retrieve it. Finding that treasure is one of the reasons I've returned this time."

  "Make sense... (So she's looking for lost property.)"

  "And finally! The third reason! Actually, this one is the most important..."

  Lady Sofia suddenly leaned forward, her cheeks flushed, and shouted.

  "Because I absolutely love this country's 'Chibi/Super Deformed' culture!!"

  "...Deformed?"

  "Exactly! Rome and Greece, where I was born, were entirely focused on 'Realism'! Muscle fibers, veins, and nothing but that! But this country was different! You have no idea the shock I felt when I first saw a Haniwa cy figure! That spirit of 'simplifying things to make them cute' is the very origin of the Moe culture connected to modern manga and anime!"

  "U-Uh-huh... (This person is just a massive otaku.)"

  Watching Lady Sofia deliver her passionate speech, my tension completely dissolved. I thought they were terrifying monsters, but talking to them, they're surprisingly normal... no, they're just weirdos.

  I decided to ask a few things I'd been wondering about.

  "Um, is sunlight really lethal to vampires?"

  "Not particurly. However, the sunlight is far too bright for us. That is why heavy sungsses and a parasol are essential when walking outside during the day."

  "I see... Then, what about food? Can you only drink blood?"

  "We can eat human food, too. We can taste it perfectly fine. However, it provides us with zero nutrition."

  Lady Sofia pointed at the cookies on the table.

  "It's like chewing gum for humans. It has fvor, but it won't fill your stomach. The only thing that can satiate our hunger and thirst is blood."

  "I-I see..."

  "By the way, we also have preferences when it comes to the taste of blood. Generally, the blood of an unblemished virgin—male or female—is considered the finest quality. It supposedly has a remarkably sweet scent and tastes as delicious as sugar candy."

  Lady Sofia shot me a quick gnce.

  "Personally, I don't mind the aged, matured blood of the elderly... But Anastasia absolutely loves sweet things."

  "Kh... My Lady, please do not expose me."

  Anastasia looked down, her face turning bright red. Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure she muttered "Sweet" at my neck yesterday...

  "Furthermore, gourmets also have preferences regarding the 'location' from which they draw blood."

  Lady Sofia smiled bewitchingly, slightly lifting the hem of her dress and trailing her fingertips up her thigh.

  "The nape of the neck is merely standard table manners. ...The truly delicious spots are the inner thighs, or the blood vessels deeper inside, closer to the nether regions."

  "H-Hah...!? (N-Nether regions!?)"

  "The arteries there are thick, and above all, the life force is densely concentrated. The taste and aroma are incredibly rich; once you taste it, you'll be hopelessly addicted."

  "Eek..."

  I instinctively covered my crotch and shrunk back. She didn't say, "Apparently, it's addicting." She said, "You'll be addicted." In other words, this young dy was speaking from "experience."

  "Besides, the taste of blood changes drastically depending solely on the emotions of the prey."

  Lady Sofia continued, sounding thoroughly amused.

  "Blood pale with terror isn't bad, but the ultimate delicacy is... blood feverish with 'pleasure', melted and sweet."

  "P-Pleasure...?"

  "Yes. That is why we have a tendency to instinctively make our partners feel 'in the mood' in order to enjoy our prey at its most delicious."

  Lady Sofia traced her own lips with a slender finger.

  "For example... exchanging a sweet kiss before feeding, or gently caressing their sensitive spots to raise their body heat. The blood drawn from a partner aroused in such a way is truly exceptional."

  "...!! ///"

  I remembered Anastasia's actions from yesterday. The princess carry, the whispers in my ear, and then being pushed down... Were all of those instinctual actions, too!?

  "For us, the act of drinking blood is 'dining', but it is also simultaneously an act that satisfies our 'lust'. ...Sometimes, our reason simply flies out the window, just like Anastasia yesterday."

  "Y-Yes... I understand perfectly. (From personal experience.)"

  My face burning red, I had no choice but to nod.

  "Now then, Shigure. I will give you a choice."

  Returning to a serious expression, Lady Sofia pointed at me.

  "If you are afraid, you may quit right now. I will erase your memories and send you home."

  It was a proposition I couldn't have hoped for. For a normal high school girl, this would be the moment to nod without hesitation and run away.

  "However, if you choose to continue... I will raise your daily wage to 60,000 yen."

  "S-Sixty thousand!?"

  "Yes. That includes hush money and an apology for Anastasia's blunder. It seems your blood quite suited our maid's pate, after all."

  Sixty thousand yen. If I work for a month... even a simple calcution yields a massive sum. With this, I can pay for all my living expenses and the installment for the school trip. And above all—.

  I looked at Anastasia. She was staring back at me, looking anxious. If I said I was "quitting," how would she feel? Could I really abandon someone with such sorrowful eyes?

  "...I'll do it."

  I raised my head.

  "If the daily wage is 60k, I'll give you as much blood as you want! I'm broke, after all!"

  At my immediate reply, Lady Sofia's eyes widened, and then she chuckled deep in her throat.

  "A penny-pincher, I see. I like you. ...Nastya, you've picked up quite a fine maid."

  "...Hehe. Yes, truly."

  Anastasia smiled, looking deeply relieved. That smile was so breathtakingly beautiful that my heart skipped a beat yet again.

  "Well then, the contract is established. I have to catch up on this season's recorded anime, so I'll be returning to my room. Anastasia, see her out."

  With a flutter of her hand, Lady Sofia disappeared into the inner rooms in high spirits.

  "...Watch your step."

  The long corridor leading to the entrance. Once we were alone, Anastasia remained silent, looking somewhat awkward. But just before opening the front doors, she suddenly stopped.

  "Shigure."

  "Yes?"

  When I turned around, Anastasia was staring at me with an earnest gaze. She took a step closer and gently enveloped my hand with both of hers. It was a cool, yet soft sensation.

  "...Are you truly certain about this? We are monsters who will prey upon you."

  "Well, I guess so... But I've realized you aren't bad people. Besides, I somehow just really hate the thought of seeing you make a sad face, Anastasia-san."

  When I said that to hide my embarrassment, Anastasia's eyes widened as if caught completely off guard—and then, she broke into a radiant smile, like a flower blooming.

  "...Kh, you are... truly..."

  She pulled my hand closer and pressed it affectionately against her own cheek. The cool mask had fallen away, revealing the clingy, sweet expression of a girl her actual (apparent) age.

  "Thank you, Shigure. ...I am truly happy that you did not reject me."

  "A-Anastasia-san...? (S-So close...)"

  "As the young dy said, your blood is sweet... it was far too stimuting for me. But next time, I promise to be much gentler."

  Looking up at me through her eyeshes, her feverish gaze crawled over my neckline.

  "...Please, let me taste you again, alright?"

  "~~!!"

  The destructive power of those words and her teary eyes was astronomical. Is this the "instinctual temptation" Lady Sofia was talking about!?

  "W-Well then, see you tomorrow! Excuse me!!"

  Feeling like my face was literally on fire, I bolted out of the mansion as if my life depended on it. From behind me, I thought I heard a happy, bell-like chuckle: "Hehe."

  Pant... Pant...

  Passing through the heavy iron gates, I finally caught my breath. My heart was still hammering like an arm bell. What is up with those people? They're too beautiful, their personalities are too intense, and they keep seducing me. Is my part-time job life really going to be okay?

  "My, running away so soon?"

  "Whoa!?"

  Suddenly called out to from above, I jumped in the air. Looking up, Lady Sofia—who was supposed to be in her room just a minute ago—was somehow gracefully sitting on top of the gate pilr.

  "L-Lady Sofia!? When did you...!?"

  "Hehe. I took a shortcut."

  Lady Sofia smiled mischievously. I could have sworn I saw a single bat flutter away from her feet, but maybe my eyes were pying tricks on me.

  "...It seems Nastya doesn't show it much on the surface, but she's grown quite fond of you."

  "Eh..."

  "I wonder how many centuries it's been since that child acted so clingy and sweet."

  Lady Sofia narrowed her eyes, sounding somewhat amused, yet delivering a slight warning.

  "That child has an incredibly strong sense of possession, so please, bear with her, alright?"

  "P-Possession...?"

  "Yes. She is the type who will absolutely never let go of a 'treasure' once she has obtained it. ...Do your best to let yourself be loved."

  Leaving those meaningful words behind, Lady Sofia lightly leaped down from the gate pilr—and the very next second, vanished into thin air like mist.

  "...Eh?"

  All that was left behind was the quiet night breeze. Sense of possession. Treasure. Chewing on the meaning of those words, I began walking down the dark mountain pass.

  And so, I officially began working as a "Sacrifice-cum-Maid" at the mansion of vampires.

  (End of Chapter 4)

  [Author's Historical & Terminology Notes]

  Chinjufu-shogun (Commander-in-Chief of the Defense of the North): During the Nara and Heian periods, this was the general in charge of military administration in the Tohoku region (Mutsu Province). The samurai Sofia tagged along with, "Minamoto no Yoriyoshi," was an ancestor long before Yoritomo, and he held this position.

  The War in the North (The Former Nine Years' War): The "Zenkunen no Eki" which began in 1051. It was a long war fought by the father-son duo, Minamoto no Yoriyoshi and Yoshiie, against the Abe cn of Tohoku.

  Building a Hachimangu Shrine to Pray for Victory: Minamoto no Yoriyoshi transferred the divided spirit (Kanjou) of the Iwashimizu Hachimangu shrine in Kyoto to "Yuigahama" in Kamakura to pray for victory in battle. This is the origin of the current "Tsurugaoka Hachimangu" shrine (Moto-Hachiman). It seems Lady Sofia had her eyes on Kamakura ever since this time.

  Buei: Refers to Minamoto no Yoritomo. When Yoritomo was appointed to the government post of "Uhyoue-no-kami" (Captain of the Right Division of Outer Pace Guards), the Chinese-style name (Karana) for this office was "Buei" (武衛). Therefore, he was called this out of respect and affection. This nickname occasionally pops up in Japanese historical TV dramas!

  Lady Sofia seems to have been in Japan for an incredibly long time...