Chapter 431: Treatment is for Doctors, Nursing is for Nurses

The woman I hadn’t seen in a while was wearing a nurse uniform.

So she really is an actress—what, did she pick up a costuming hobby now?

I looked her up and down and said.

“What are you doing here in a nurse outfit? Did you get a job?”

“I’m about to quit. They don’t even pay me, and the work’s nonstop. The only thing I like is the uniform. If the outfit wasn’t this cute, I’d have bailed last night.”

Grumbling with dissatisfaction, Hilde tapped her nurse uniform with a playful smile, as if she suddenly remembered something.

“How do I look, Father? Me, in a nurse uniform?”

“Clothes do make the woman.”

“So that’s a compliment, right? Hehe! What’s gotten into you?”

“I was complimenting the outfit.”

Honestly, that uniform feels too nice for someone just tending to patients.

Or maybe I am thinking about it the wrong way.

The uniform was designed because someone had to take care of patients—it exists thanks to their kindness. I should be grateful for that sentiment.

Of course, the person in front of me isn’t one of them.

I asked Hilde.

“What kind of intel are you trying to get by sneaking around here?”

“Shh. Somewhere quieter first. Here, wear this.”

Hilde quickly wrapped a few bandages around my head and body, slapping together a disguise.

In a flash, I looked like a patient.

She led me to an empty room, closed the door, and wedged a piece of paper into the crack.

Setting her little trap, she went to the corner and finally spoke.

“So you came here too, Father.”

“So I did. Sounds like you found something.”

“Don’t act like you don’t know. You knew from the start, didn’t you?”

Crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at me, Hilde continued.

“Tyrkanzyaka’s dominion is weakening.”

“Oh. Maybe because she was gone for three hundred years?”

“That’s part of it, but it’s not just about authority… her pure dominion is weakening too. Tyrkanzyaka is the heart and mind of the Duchy. Every vampire she created was an extension of her. Rebellion was structurally impossible…”

Didn’t she say she was once in the Crusaders?

That’d explain why she knows vampires so well.

At least she wasn’t wandering around cluelessly.

Then Hilde delivered the most critical thing she’d learned.

“The vampires are planning a rebellion. The dead Elder’s retainers are the most active, but… they’re not the only ones.”

“So you found proof?”

“One of Luscynia’s retainer was killed by Tyrkanzyaka herself. And apparently, in his final moments, he left a message. After that, other covens started moving. I’m not sure what it was exactly, but…”

“It was probably this: ‘The Progenitor has cast off the Shackles of Blood.’ I was there.”

“Ugh. Then the worst-case scenario has come true. The Progenitor has lost the dominion that made her… the Progenitor. And…”

Hilde naturally pushed me.

– Thunk

My back hit the wall and she cornered me with a sharp look.

“You did this, didn’t you?”

I played dumb quickly.

“Me? Did what? How would I even…?”

“Don’t play coy. There were reports that the Progenitor’s retainers seemed weaker than historical records suggested. Yuel couldn’t see well because of the darkness, so the data was unreliable, but… if the abnormalities started before she came out of the Abyss, then it had to be either Shei or you.”

“Ms. Shei did it.”

“If Tyrkanzyaka had followed Shei, I might’ve believed that. Don’t make me betray my family, Father.”

You don’t need Mind Reading when someone’s bearing down on you like this.

Overwhelming pressure forces the truth out.

Fine.

It’s hard to lie once the facts start stacking up.

I admitted it without resistance.

“It was a side effect. Tyr’s power weakening wasn’t intentional. I only did what she wished for.”

“What did you do?”

“I restarted her heart. Brought it back to when she was alive.”

“What? Another’s heart? The Progenitor’s heart? How? The dilemma… Is that also a power of the King of Humans?”

“Probably.”

“Then this means the Progenitor has been resurrected.”

Trying to piece the situation together, Hilde grimaced.

No matter how experienced she was running the intelligence bureau of the Military State, grasping the whole picture in this foreign land wasn’t easy.

“I have no idea how this’ll play out, but one thing’s for sure. A huge bloodbath is coming, and we have two choices. One, we run. Or two…”

Hilde sighed as if frustrated.

“We side with the Progenitor. Try to expose the rebellion ahead of time, rally her allies, and crush the insurgents. The first is safe, but it earns us nothing. The second is dangerous, but could win us everything.”

“This is a full-blown palace intrigue now.”

“And you’re the devastatingly beautiful consort who caused the crack~ I’ll play the poor handmaiden who struggles behind the scenes to support her, I guess~”

“What kind of handmaiden abandons her lady and sneaks around in a nurse outfit?”

“One who works in her stead when the lady can’t move. Anyway, Father. Are you going to run, or are you staying?”

“I can’t run from something I caused.”

Even if I do leave, I’ll stay until the end.

I said it with firm resolve, but Hilde seemed to interpret it differently and nodded.

“You have to. If we win here, we gain everything. If we run, whether the rebels win or the Progenitor does, we’ll be branded untrustworthy.”

“Then I’m counting on you, Hilde.”

“You work too, Father! For the Progenitor you love, for the Duchy that’ll be yours, for me, and for yourself! If Tyrkanzyaka loses, the rebels will make sure to execute the consort and her handmaiden first!”

“Alright, alright. So all I need to do is warn Tyr and cut the rebellion off at its root, right? Sounds like a job fit for a consort.”

“Seducing women is your specialty. I’ll leave the pillow talk to you~”

Come on now.

People will get the wrong idea if they hear that.

“What pillow talk? You’re trying to frame me as some woman-obsessed lecher, but I’m not, okay? If I were, at least it wouldn’t be unfair.”

“Oh? You’re not? Funny how you only have female vampires around~”

“The Crimson Duke assigned them. Besides, vampires don’t even have sensation, so nothing like what you’re imagining ever happened.”

Well, now that I’ve engraved sensation into her, things are a bit different.

Not that Hilde would know about what goes on at the top floor of the castle.

“I see~ That’s a shame. Tyrkanzyaka may be infamous as a vampire, but her beauty is legendary. Yet here you are, her consort, reaping no benefits…. Ah!”

Suddenly, Hilde lifted a wooden tablet from her robes and covered her face.

When she lowered it, ‘Tyr’ was smiling playfully.

With a mischievous expression the real Tyr would never make, Hilde tapped my chest and whispered,

“If you ever want it, just say the word. I can mimic her body and face perfectly. I’ll serve you in her place since the Progenitor is beautiful but as cold as stone~”

Why is she so determined to frame me like this?

I was about to retort—but then paused to think.

…On second thought, maybe this isn’t so bad?

“Thanks for the offer. I’ll use it well later.”

“…What?”

“Too bad. I’ll pass on the nurse’s services for now. I just stepped out for a bit.”

I pointed to the slip of paper Hilde had wedged into the doorframe.

The paper, imbued with Qi, was trembling slightly from subtle vibrations—someone was approaching.

Hilde noticed too and got ready to leave.

She covered her face once more with her wooden mask, returned to her own face, and lowered the mask just enough to cover her mouth as she spoke.

“Just in case, please don’t go too far upsetting the Progenitor, alright? In the worst case, you could win the gamble and still lose everything.”

“Upsetting her? Like what?”

“Like flirting with other women just now. I’m only keeping quiet because it’s me. If Tyrkanzyaka really has reclaimed her heart, then doing something that makes her jealous could put you in danger.”

“You’re the one who did it first, and now you’re demanding I stay chaste?”

“That’s the fate of a consort. Well then, I’ll be off.”

Leaving behind that ambiguous warning, Hilde slipped over the windowsill and vanished—like a snake over a wall, not making a sound.

Moments after she left, the door opened, and the paper fluttered to the ground.

Countess Erte entered, puzzled by the falling paper, then spotted me inside and approached.

“It’s finished. My apologies for the concern. Retainers who’ve lost their Elders tend to become reckless, like wild horses off their reins.”

“As long as he’s dead, I don’t care.”

“…If that’s how the consort feels, then I’m relieved, but in the Duchy, the death of a retainer is a matter with many implications. Would you consider returning to Plenilune Castle for now? Please report this to the Progenitor and ensure your own safety. You’ll be secure while staying at the castle. In the meantime, I’ll report to the Crimson Duke and finish cleaning up the traitor.”

That’s oddly similar to what Hilde said.

Have Tyr protect me and make preparations.

Hmm, it’s a reasonable suggestion, but…

“Wait a minute. If I tell Tyr what happened, she’ll assign a guard detail to me, right?”

“Of course.”

“And that means I won’t be able to go out freely anymore. I’ll be trailed by escorts every time I leave.”

“That is likely… but only temporarily.”

“I’ve had enough of vampires’ idea of ‘temporary.’ How long are we talking? A month? A year?”

“At the very least, until the Night Ebb Tide passes.”

“What?! That’s way too long!”

At my whining, Countess Erte blinked slowly, clearly thrown off.

Taking advantage of her silence, I made a suggestion worthy of a spoiled consort.

“How about we don’t tell Tyr anything? Let’s just pretend none of this happened.”

“Why? There’s no reason to hide it from the Progenitor. Your safety is her utmost priority. If she knew, she would take proper action.”

“But I don’t want to be locked up in that castle. Even if I am allowed out, being trailed by a bunch of guards will feel just as suffocating. Wouldn’t it be better to keep it quiet? Tyr’s already got so much on her plate. There’s no need to stress her out over something minor!”

Wow. I sounded exactly like a brainless noble child just now.

Judging by the look she gave me, Countess Erte thought so too—and not in a good way.

“Please reconsider. That would—”

“No, you reconsider. I’m Tyr’s consort. Who understands her mood better than I do? Me, of course. So, when it comes to matters involving Tyr, shouldn’t it go my way? Besides, didn’t the Crimson Duke assign you to assist me?”

With the Crimson Duke’s order dragged into it, Countess Erte had no choice but to agree.

Her tone was one of resigned acceptance.

“…Understood. However, please take me with you whenever you go out.”

｢He seemed like someone who acted decisively out of confidence, but maybe he was just someone with no sense of danger. That’s troubling. Unlike vampires, humans die far too easily—how am I supposed to protect someone like this? If there’s more than one attacker, even I might not be able to handle it…｣

She was a vampire who’d seen her share of battles.

She knew full well that humans don’t always make wise decisions.

It seemed Countess Erte had now written me off as a reckless child.

“Then I’ll go look around the hospital some more. It’s kind of fascinating.”

“We just fought a battle here… No, never mind. Do as you please.”

｢They say when a consort gains influence, the whole country goes to ruin. Who knew it would happen literally in the Duchy.｣

Thus, the loyal retainer’s worries deepened alongside the shadows of the Duchy.