“HOW did it come to this…”Azusa mumbled in the garden surrounding the mansion.
People, not flowers, spanned as far as the eye could see. Every single person wore a casual dress or suit. Azusa was no exception as she donned the pale scarlet dress prepared for her. White tables lined with light snacks and drinks were scattered about the vast garden and were the focal gathering point for people to chat while they ate appetizers.
Azusa went to the farthest edge of the garden to be a wallflower—far enough for her back to actually be against the mansion’s outer wall—but people still took turns coming up to greet her. Of course they would.
“Azusa, you are beautiful. I would expect no less of today’s star,” Ichi complimented.
“Once again, congratulations on your contract, Azusa,” Subaru congratulated.
The party was being held to celebrate Kouya and Azusa’s newly established contract.
“Ichi, Subaru, this isn’t what we discussed. No one told me I had to do this.”
“Er, this was Master Akashi’s suggestion when he heard about your contract… Sorry about this. I am seriously sorry,” Subaru frantically apologized upon seeing Azusa’s embittered expression.
“We originally planned on having it take place without making a scene, but we were incapable of refusing Master Akashi’s proposal… Please forgive me for not saving you from this nightmare. It is normal to throw a meager party like this whenever a new contract is made. You would do best not to let it bother you. Everyone just wants to drink and go wild,” Ichi cajoled.
“Yup, yup. The real reason for the party is for everyone to remember the faces of both contractors so they can keep an eye out that no one else drinks their blood without consent. The goal is a bit different this time though.”
“Both…contractors…you say? Then where the heck did the all-important other contractor go!” Azusa fumed.
The other star of the evening, Kouya Doumeki, was nowhere to be found. Ichi and Subaru exchanged wry smiles and shrugged.
“Kouya most likely will not come.”
“After all, Kou hates things like this. His coming of age ceremony was held without him too… I feel bad for you, Azusa, but you shouldn’t expect much from him today.”
“Even though he’s more the star than some strange human girl like me?”
“Yeah.”
“Indeed.”
Their words put Azusa on the verge of tears. She didn’t mind being greeted by vampires. But she despised the way they sized her up with their eyes. She was the infamous Akaoni’s contractor and the contractor of the current Patriarch’s son. The guests came to the party to see what amazing woman could land a contract with him, only to find an average little girl you could dig up anywhere. And she was human at that.
It’s not hard to see why they would stare at me inquisitively. It makes sense, but still…
“I want to go home…” Azusa cried.
“Please endure for another two hours, Azusa.”
“Uggh…” Azusa sighed. Ichi pat her on the shoulder.
“By the way, Azusa, did you take care of that?”
“……” Azusa quietly turned blue.
Ichi’s face twitched. “Don’t tell me you…”
“…Then don’t ask.”
“What on Earth are you doing?! Today is the last day! And to make matters worse, there is an extremely high chance you will not see Kouya today!”
“It’s impossible for me! How could I get him to drink my blood one more time?!”
The paper Ichi gave Azusa the other day detailed the necessary steps to establish a contract. One sentence in particular bothered her.
“After the contractor drinks the contractee’s blood once, they must wait twenty-four hours and then drink the contractee’s blood within seven days.”
“These are the steps required to create a kindred familiar, and is common sense among vampires… or rather instinctual to us, but I created this list to help you understand it,” Ichi told her at the time, but her voice fell on deaf ears.
That conversation took place six days ago. Thus, today was the last chance to fully establish the contract between them by allowing Kouya to drink her blood for the second time.
“Didn’t you say you did not mind having your blood sucked?!” Ichi shouted.
“Depending on the time and situation! I didn’t think the next time would come so soon!” Azusa retorted.
“I understand you find it disagreeable, but if you miss your chance today, you will have to start the whole process over again! Meaning you will need your blood sucked two more times!”
“More than finding it disagreeable…I’m embarrassed!”
“Is it an embarrassing thing to do?”
“It is!”
Seeing Ichi’s confusion reconfirmed Azusa’s suspicion that humans and vampires felt differently about bloodsucking.
“…At any rate, Subaru and I will look for Kouya! Please stay here, Azusa! Let’s go, Subaru!”
“Hmm. I don’t think we need to go though.”
“Quit complaining and start helping!”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Azusa waved at Subaru as Ichi dragged him out of the garden by the collar. She sighed heavily once they were out of sight. She was swept back into the storm of greeting people and being the center of curious eyes. It was customary for the leading lady to wear a red dress, meaning everyone looked for the red dress as soon as they entered the venue.
Among the guests were people who were already drunk or out of sorts. All she had to do was listen and nod to their incoherent babbling to get them to happily go away, which actually made them more preferable.
One hour of greetings passed. The guests coming to greet her had grown sparse, allowing her to finally get her hands on something to drink. Downing an entire nonalcoholic cocktail in one gulp was less than elegant, but her mental exhaustion gave her little room to care about manners.
“You sure know how to drink, lass.”
Azusa turned toward the owner of the rasping voice to find a red-faced middle-aged man cackling with a glass in his left hand. His plump figure and thinning hair was a wretched sight to behold.