Baigarten looked at Ruslan with a dark face, then spoke in a dry voice.
“……Sarka’s observational skills, acting ability, and talent for deception were inherited from his mother.
The word <Sarka> has the meaning of ‘one who mocks’ in vampire slang.
Camilla had been toying with Allend-nim and Sara from the very beginning.
The Count was deceived by a 16-year-old girl who pretended to be a pitiful victim asking for help.
The result was……devastating.”
“……”
Ruslan couldn’t continue speaking.
Baigarten continued with a gloomy face.
“After a long legal battle, Allend-nim, who fought desperately, succeeded in proving that the fraud was not his doing.
However, he failed to reveal that the fraud was Leogrante’s doing.
The court concluded it was fraud committed by a third family and declared the marriage defiled by fraud null and void.
Since the marriage itself became invalid, he could prevent Allend-nim and Sara from being dragged to Leogrante.
But the ownership of <Sarka>, who had already been born……was left floating in the air. There was no winner or loser, yet only a baby between the two existed.
The court ordered a ‘rematch.’ Fight a duel once more, and whoever wins between the two shall have ownership of the baby.
Thus, a rematch between Camilla and Allend-nim took place, but……
Even though they were both <Complete Pureblood> grade, Allend-nim grew up as a collateral descendant without much interest in power struggles, while Camilla was the direct heir of Leogrante who received the most fierce competitive education.
……They say it was a miserably one-sided match. Camilla practically toyed with Allend-nim for hours.
Allend-nim was humiliatingly defeated, and Camilla triumphantly left carrying Sarka.”
“……”
Ruslan fell silent in a devastated mood, then suddenly asked curiously.
“If there was such a difference in skill……why did Sarka’s mother deliberately lose at first?
It would have been simpler to just defeat Allend-nim from the beginning.”
At the questioning inquiry, Baigarten readily nodded.
“The initial plan was probably to do that. If Allend-nim accepted the <proposal>, she would have broken the promise as soon as the duel started and seized victory.
But someone among Camilla’s siblings, who sensed that if Camilla obtained a <Complete Pureblood> spouse her power in Leogrante would solidify……committed fraud in the duel to make Camilla truly lose.
……Thinking about it now, it was probably Sarka’s aunt with high likelihood.
Those two were the most fierce competitors for their entire lives, and didn’t discriminate in methods to eliminate each other.”
“Ah……”
Ruslan let out a small sigh.
Baigarten continued speaking gloomily.
“Camilla was flustered at first by truly losing contrary to her plan, but she calmly kept her mouth shut and went through with the honeymoon ceremony first.
When she luckily succeeded in conceiving Sarka right away, she tracked down that fraud during her pregnancy, found the evidence, then proceeded to forge it as the Hütivras family’s doing.
As soon as she gave birth to Sarka and he safely received the Complete Pureblood grade, she submitted the forged evidence to the court.
Fortunately, Allend-nim succeeded in proving that evidence was forged, so she couldn’t take Sara and Allend-nim as originally planned……but since he failed to prove that evidence was Leogrante’s doing, from Camilla’s perspective she didn’t lose anything.
Camilla leisurely returned to Leogrante, and the Pureblood Faction praised Camilla’s achievement of making one <Coexistence Faction> Complete Pureblood a laughingstock and even taking a child of that bloodline.
Not long after, Camilla succeeded in obtaining another pureblood spouse through a second wedding duel, and flourished as Leogrante’s heir and the Pureblood Faction’s renowned general.
When Camilla’s son <Sarka> also inherited his mother’s reputation by never once losing top place in the Complete Pureblood class, Camilla’s position literally reached the sky.
The head of Leogrante favored Camilla and Sarka most among all his children, and when everyone thought it was only a matter of time before Camilla inherited the family head position……Sarka’s aunt finally attempted to flip the board with extreme methods.”
Ruslan let out a breath.
He’d heard and knew that Leogrante had fierce power struggles and that Sarka’s mother had deceived Sarka’s father, but learning the details, Ruslan found it full of events he couldn’t even have imagined.
Baigarten continued speaking gloomily with a light sigh.
“But Allend-nim, who lost succession rights again as the marriage became invalid and also lost both children, came to be pointed at as the shame of the Coexistence Faction.
Amid criticism that he was blinded by one human woman and toyed with by the Pureblood Faction, all that remained for Allend-nim was now only Sara.
Allend-nim swore he would never again trust <Pureblood Faction> vampires, and from that day turned his back on vampire society and entrusted himself to the human imperial family.
Allend-nim swore that if they protected Sara, he would pledge loyalty as the imperial family’s subordinate guard, and the imperial family accepted the <Complete Pureblood> vampire’s oath of loyalty.
They granted the <Count> title to Allend-nim, who had no title since he wasn’t a direct line of Hütivras, and formally recognized <Sara Hütivras> as the Countess.
Even the Coexistence Faction denounced the Count for abandoning vampire society and pledging loyalty to humans, calling him <a human’s dog>……but the Count paid no heed.
He lived in human society like a human couple and was satisfied with that life.
A few years ago, when he obtained a child again with difficulty from Sara who had recovered her health……he was extremely happy.”
Baigarten’s voice sank and mixed with complicated emotions.
Ruslan felt he now vaguely understood why Baigarten respected and trusted Count Allend.
He seemed to have felt something like awe toward the vampire who abandoned everything for the woman he loved and knelt before humans.
He probably also had tender gratitude toward the man who protected his aunt until the end while enduring criticism from his own kind.
Ruslan, who had been lost in thought, paused at the next sentence that flowed out in a murky voice.
“Before the Count and his wife, who had been finding their own peace……fourteen-year-old Sarka returned.
The eldest son who inherited his mother’s stubborn Pureblood Faction ideology.”
“……!”
Ruslan’s head shot up.
Baigarten looked at Ruslan gloomily and continued speaking slowly.
“Two years ago, Sarka, who fled to the Count escaping his aunt, proposed that in exchange for accepting him, he would return the ‘succession rights’ to the Hütivras family that his father had completely given up on.”
“Succession rights? How?”
Ruslan asked with widened eyes.
Baigarten explained calmly.
“While fleeing Leogrante, Sarka brought forged evidence of the fraud that occurred 15 years ago as his mother’s doing.
If that’s submitted to the court, now conversely everything of <Camilla> becomes ‘property’ of Allend Hütivras. Including ownership of the minor Sarka.
At that time, Sarka’s ownership was held by Sarka’s aunt who had ascended to the position of Leogrante’s family head.
Ownership of a minor whose parents died goes to the family head of the family that gave that child their <name>.
The aunt who eliminated Sarka’s mother and the family head, and all of Sarka’s siblings, would have had no intention of letting Sarka live.
Sarka, who barely escaped while evading exorcists and his aunt’s pursuit, apparently begged in a miserable state.
He would give this evidence, so please allow him the <name> of Hütivras.
The moment Sarka’s name changed to <Hütivras>, <Leogrante> could no longer touch Sarka. That was the only way for Sarka to survive by escaping his aunt.
Sarka swore that if he was accepted as his father’s son, he would abandon everything Leogrante taught and become a <Hütivras>.”
Ruslan suddenly frowned. Baigarten let out a light sigh.
“Right. It was exactly the same situation as 15 years ago when <Camilla Leogrante> came.
A seemingly fragile <Pureblood Faction> vampire promising succession rights and swearing to abandon their ideology…….
……The Count refused. He must have been afraid the nightmare would repeat.
The second child he obtained with difficulty was just six or seven years old……He wouldn’t have wanted any risk factors nearby.
The Count, who had already turned his back on vampire society, would have had no lingering attachment to succession rights anymore.”
“……”
“But my aunt, <Sara Hütivras>……persuaded the Count to save Sarka.
That Sarka was still too young, and the situation was different from Camilla.
That we also bear responsibility for Sarka growing up in the Pureblood Faction, so regardless of succession rights, shouldn’t we at least……give Sarka a chance to change his ideology?”
Ruslan let out a breath.
Thinking that the Count had no intention of accepting Sarka from the beginning if not for his human wife’s persuasion, all that coldness now seemed understandable.
Baigarten continued speaking bitterly.
“After agonizing, the Count decided to accept Sarka respecting his aunt’s will.
On the condition that he abandon all the <Pureblood Faction> ideology inherited from Camilla and become complete <Coexistence Faction>.
But after a year of attempts……he concluded it was impossible.”
Ruslan swallowed dryly.
Baigarten lowered his gaze and spoke in a dark voice.
“From the position of having a <human> wife, keeping a <Pureblood Faction> vampire who hates humans in the household is too dangerous. Especially a <Complete Pureblood> vampire with tremendous power.
The Count, who had resolved never again to endanger Sara and Sara’s child, is now trying to completely take away Sarka’s <power> for not abandoning pureblood ideology.
He can’t change the <Complete Pureblood> bloodline itself, but instead all the social position that bloodline has, all the influence it can have as a bloodline, even the pride and self-respect as a vampire…….
……This is probably my guess but……I think some ‘vengeful feelings’ are also……dwelling there.
The hatred and rage toward <Camilla Leogrante>……transferred to Sarka who insists on the same ideology.
……Otherwise……to his own son, to such an extent……”
Baigarten’s voice wavered, then blurred without finishing.
As if recalling the discipline, Baigarten briefly closed his mouth and fell silent with furrowed brow.
Every time he recalled the conclusion and course of action taken by the person he respected, he seemed to have complicated emotions.
Ruslan also fell silent lost in thought, then carefully asked.
“When Sarka……first said he would abandon what he learned at Leogrante……was Sarka sincere?”
Baigarten remained silent with an expression lost in thought for a long while.
After several heavy breaths, he murmured in a murky voice.
“……I don’t know.”
Ruslan stared intently at Baigarten.
Baigarten gazed into empty space lost in deep thought, then spoke slowly.
“Pureblood ideology……isn’t easily abandoned. Especially being a talent who was highly regarded even in the heart of the Pureblood Faction, the center of <Leogrante>……means he himself had completely accepted that ideology.
Sarka didn’t flee because he hated the <ideology>. It was just a choice for <survival>.
The Pureblood Faction’s greatest pride is precisely that <survival>.
The Pureblood Faction’s vampires don’t consider it dishonorable to temporarily abandon pride and deceive in order to survive. Because that way they can grasp the opponent’s throat at the right time. Like <Camilla> did.
For the Pureblood Faction, only one thing, <death>, is defeat and shame, an indelible dishonor.
Sarka, educated that way, would have thought he must bow down for now if it’s to survive.
……Whether that was sincere or acting.”
Baigarten’s eyes were cautious and deep.
Ruslan suddenly recalled what Sarka had said in the rare books archive.
[Vampires and humans cannot be friends.
They might deceive each other and remain pretending to be friends in order to grasp each other’s throats at the right moment, but……]
“……”
A deep silence flowed between the two for a while.
Baigarten, who had been gazing into space lost in thought for a long time, let out a light sigh and concluded.
“……As you can see, Sarka inherited his mother’s talent and has excellent acting ability.
No one knows what that guy is really thinking.”
—
Ruslan, who returned to his room, carefully mulled over the information Baigarten had given him.
He could somewhat guess why he’d disclosed all those stories to Ruslan.
Baigarten had saved Sarka and covered for Sarka who had decided to kill all the students.
However, the fact that Sarka had truly decided to kill all the humans in this school didn’t disappear.
The two treated each other as if that week had never happened, but both probably hadn’t forgotten that they remembered that fact.
When Ruslan, who had been called out to the tea table, said he’d become Sarka’s <real> roommate, Baigarten hadn’t answered.
He just looked at Ruslan with a thoughtful face and told him briefly.
That Sarka has been quiet lately.
That he’s become very quiet, as if he’s forgotten to torment him.
The monitor was walking very carefully over that quiet peace.
He knew the power Sarka possessed, knew Sarka’s talent and background.
If the decision that day to choose to trust Sarka had been a mistake.
He also knew how fatal the price would be.
To the human who might pay that price first from the closest place, the monitor was trying to warn.
How dangerous trusting a <Pureblood Faction> vampire could be.
Ruslan carefully thought about Sarka’s actions, the words Sarka had said, Sarka’s silences.
The boy still riddled with numerous questions and confusion seemed to be beyond a veil.
But after long thoughts, Ruslan reached one conclusion.
He couldn’t yet know exactly what Sarka’s intention was in tearing up the paper airplane and accepting Ruslan as his roommate.
But one thing was certain.
Sarka had accepted the rule Ruslan proposed, <I will be on your side in any case>.
Then, there was no reason for Ruslan not to accept the rule Sarka proposed either.
<If Ruslan asks, Sarka will answer honestly>
Sarka was still standing beyond the court.
Then, Ruslan must also face the game without running away.
If they don’t believe each other will play fair, the game cannot continue.
Until the game ends, we must trust each other and pass the ball back and forth.
