When he looked with a surprised expression, Baigarten hesitated slightly then added with an ambiguous expression.
“To be more precise… she’s my aunt.”
“Whaaat?!”
Ruslan gaped in shock.
Baigarten fell silent with a complicated expression as if not knowing where to start the story, then asked with a slight frown.
“You’ve heard of Sarka’s uncle, <Peter Hütivras>, right?”
“Ah, yes!”
Ruslan answered hurriedly, recalling his conversation with Alberich.
Baigarten nodded and slowly explained from there.
“<Peter Hütivras> was a <Bridge> sent to Esteban School when our father was attending this school as a guardian. Though his bloodline grade was low, he quickly adapted to human society with his cheerful personality, and he was very close friends with our father, who was his guardian.
<Sara Jung>, my father’s most beloved younger sister, had been frail since birth. When my father worried about his youngest sister’s health, Peter took my aunt to the vampire city so she could receive treatment from vampires with their advanced medicine.
That’s how <Sara Jung>, my father’s younger sister, and <Allend Hütivras>, Peter’s Complete Pureblood younger brother, came to meet each other.”
Ruslan’s eyes widened as he concentrated on this story he was hearing for the first time. Baigarten explained in a dry tone.
“I don’t know exactly when those feelings began to sprout between the two, but it seems both of them tried to hide those feelings from each other for a long time. Because they were in a relationship that could never be fulfilled.”
“Why… not?”
Ruslan asked cautiously. Baigarten chose his words, then explained slowly.
“It’s complicated to explain the Empire vampires’ marriage system… but when vampires choose a marriage partner, emotions like ‘love’ aren’t considered at all.
In vampire marriage, only <bloodline> matters. A <strong bloodline> that won’t dilute their own bloodline.
Vampire bloodline grades are divided into 10 levels, and the rules regarding this blood hierarchy are very strict—marriage isn’t even permitted between partners whose grades differ by more than 3 levels.
Count Allend Hütivras, who was of the highest <Complete Pureblood> class, and my aunt, a <human> who wasn’t even included in the bloodline hierarchy, were in a relationship that couldn’t be fulfilled even as a joke.”
“But then how…”
When Ruslan asked in bewilderment, Baigarten sighed.
“…Both of them knew that fact, but human hearts don’t just fold away because you know something.
When she turned twenty and became engaged to another human noble family, my aunt attempted suicide by poison the night before the engagement ceremony.”
Ruslan gasped.
Baigarten continued with a dark face.
“She was urgently transported to the vampire city and barely saved her life through vampire healing powers.
But that incident seemed to make the two acknowledge their feelings for each other.
Count Allend Hütivras, who was eighteen at the time and had reached marriageable age, declared he would marry the human <Sara Jung> he had loved since childhood.
…Needless to say, the Hütivras family was turned upside down.”
Ruslan swallowed. Baigarten spoke slowly, furrowing his brow.
“Count Allend’s father suspected his son had gone half-mad and tried to persuade him somehow, but Count Allend was firm.
He decided to leave vampire society, which didn’t acknowledge union with humans, and hold a human wedding ceremony in human society.
Greatly enraged, Count Allend’s father conspired with my grandfather to break his son’s resolve, even if it meant taking <Sara Jung>’s life.
Right at that moment, to Count Allend, who was desperately searching for a way to protect the woman he loved… a vampire girl came to him.
Sarka’s mother, <Camilla Leogrante>.”
Ruslan tensed his body without realizing it. Baigarten spoke in a very slow tone.
“The sixteen-year-old Pureblood Faction girl <Camilla>, who came with a tired and shabby appearance, reportedly told Count Allend while shedding tears.
That she was tired of living as a <Complete Pureblood>. That she was disillusioned with vampire society that evaluated and restricted everything by bloodline.
That she wanted to escape from a life filled with threats from siblings who only saw her as a competitor and endless power struggles, and live like a ‘person.’
That was… chillingly accurate, exactly what the eighteen-year-old Count Allend, who was disillusioned with being forced into a marriage based on bloodline, had been thinking.
Count Allend became interested in the Pureblood Faction girl who said the same words and expressed the same emotions as himself.”
Ruslan swallowed. Baigarten continued gloomily.
“Despite ideological differences, Camilla earned Count Allend’s trust by forming common ground as <Complete Purebloods>, and earnestly begged.
She would protect both him and the human woman he loved… so <please accept my proposal>.”
“Proposal?”
Ruslan asked in a surprised voice.
Baigarten explained dryly.
“As I said, unmarried minor vampires are ‘property’ of their family. They have no rights at all.
Only vampires who obtain a spouse befitting their <bloodline> gain the <right of succession> to inherit the family.
And only <heirs> who have gained the right of succession have the authority to take any ‘concubine’ they want, regardless of bloodline.
If he could obtain Camilla, who was a <Complete Pureblood>, as his spouse, Count Allend could declare Sara as his official ‘concubine’ and protect her safely.
That was the only way Count Allend could legally be together with Sara, who was ‘human.'”
Ruslan nodded blankly with his mouth open. Baigarten continued speaking slowly.
“Camilla persistently persuaded Count Allend, who felt reluctant about having to marry another woman while having <Sara Jung>.
She said he just needed to accept her into the <Hütivras> family by marrying her.
Then she could escape Leogrante and live freely as she wanted, and he could gain ‘succession rights’ and be with Sara.
She swore that they would only have an institutional union according to each other’s purposes, and his ‘love’ would belong only to Sara.
She said as just a friend, she would cherish and protect Sara, his <true spouse>, as her friend for life.
In return for accepting her into Hütivras… she would abandon all <Pureblood Faction> ideology and become a true <Coexistence Faction> member.”
Ruslan’s face suddenly hardened with an ominous premonition. Baigarten explained in a dry voice.
“Count Allend trusted Camilla and accepted her proposal.
And the vampires’ marriage ceremony, the <Wedding Duel>, began.”
“Wedding… Duel?”
Ruslan made a puzzled face at the unfamiliar combination of words.
Baigarten explained calmly.
“The marriage systems of humans and vampires are completely different.
Humans, being a patriarchal society, mostly have a structure where ‘men’ inherit the family and ‘women’ belong to the man’s family.
But in vampire society, men and women duel and the ‘victor’ inherits their own family while the ‘loser’ belongs to the victor’s family.
The duel that decides this is called the <Wedding Duel>.
Vampires consider it most honorable to obtain a spouse of the ‘same grade’ through this duel.
Because that combination can most stably produce descendants without diluting one’s bloodline.”
Ruslan made an impressed expression at this story he was hearing for the first time in his life.
To Ruslan, who was concentrating with interest, Baigarten continued explaining.
“Since Camilla’s goal was to escape her family, she said she would intentionally lose the duel, and as promised, the Wedding Duel ended with Count Allend’s victory.
And the <Honeymoon Ceremony> was performed to prove that the ‘loser’ Camilla had become property of the ‘victor’ Hütivras family.”
“Honeymoon Ceremony? What’s that?”
When Ruslan asked with a curious expression, Baigarten explained with a slightly awkward expression.
“In front of the successor heirs of the victor’s family, the newlyweds spend their wedding night…”
“We-wedding night, you mean…”
When Ruslan stammered without realizing it, Baigarten added awkwardly.
“In a bridal chamber called the <Red Room>, with the heirs watching from beyond a red veil… the couple… um. Become one body.”
Ruslan gaped, then lowered his voice while blushing.
“Th-then they all watch… that together?”
Baigarten made a slightly embarrassed expression, then explained calmly.
“It sounds a bit embarrassing from a human perspective, but it’s an old tradition for vampires.
Probably since the couple’s hierarchical relationship is determined through a duel, it’s a custom that arose to prevent losers who couldn’t accept the result from killing their partner on the wedding night and fleeing.
There’s a purpose of surveillance, and probably an intention to firmly imprint on the loser that they must now obey the victor’s family.
Anyway, in vampire marriage, only after completing this Honeymoon Ceremony in the Red Room are they recognized as an official married couple.
Count Allend didn’t want to unite with any woman besides Sara… but it was a process he had to go through to gain the right to be legally together with Sara.
I don’t know whether to call it lucky or unlucky, but… <Sarka> was created as a result of that very ceremony.”
“…!”
Ruslan’s eyes, which had been avoiding his gaze awkwardly, widened.
When Ruslan turned with a hardened face, Baigarten continued in a gloomy tone.
“Count Allend felt sorry for unintentionally impregnating Camilla, and Camilla also apologized for becoming pregnant before Sara, begging that their friendship of three wouldn’t break because of this child.
She proposed naming the child in her womb <Sarka>, taking from ‘Sara’ and her own name ‘Camilla’.
To Camilla, who said she would cherish her friendship with Sara more than with Allend, Sara also gladly permitted that name.
Some time later, Sara also succeeded in becoming pregnant, and for a while the three seemed to maintain a peaceful relationship based on friendship, but…
As soon as Sarka was born and received the <Complete Pureblood> grade… Camilla revealed her true colors.”
Ruslan swallowed and tensed his body without realizing it.
Baigarten continued with a dark face.
“Camilla went to court and claimed that <fraud> had been committed in the Wedding Duel.”
“Fraud?”
Ruslan’s eyes widened. Baigarten nodded heavily and explained.
“Since it’s a structure where the victor takes everything, vampires’ <Wedding Duels> are very fierce.
Because there are many vampires who try to win even by committing fraud, the laws regarding fraud are very strict.
If it’s revealed that fraud was committed in a Wedding Duel, regardless of victory or defeat, the ‘side that committed fraud’ unconditionally becomes the other side’s ‘property.’
If Camilla’s claim was accepted… everything of Count Allend’s would become <Camilla Leogrante’s> property.
Count Allend, his son Sarka, his concubine Sara, and even the ‘child’ in Sara’s womb at the time…”
“…!”
Ruslan swallowed.
Baigarten continued gloomily.
“The <Hütivras> family, being Coexistence Faction, frequently had humans related to treaties coming and going, and reluctantly acknowledged the existence of a <human concubine>.
But <Leogrante>, the most extreme among the Pureblood Faction… is a place that hates humans so much that parents personally kill their own children if a human is born.
It was obvious that the moment she was dragged to Leogrante, <human> Sara would be killed, or live a life worse than death.
When the shocked Count Allend asked what on earth this was about, wasn’t that duel something she lost as promised, didn’t she promise to protect Sara as a friend…
Camilla reportedly burst into loud laughter while holding Sarka.”
“…”
“Did he really believe that a vampire of the Pureblood Faction would consider a <human> thing as a friend…? Truly worthy of a naive and stupid human’s dog.
She said she came personally because that bloodline was too precious to waste on a Coexistence Faction <Complete Pureblood> who fell into foolish delusions and refused marriage with vampires.
Fortunately she obtained a Complete Pureblood child smoothly, so the tiresome act until now was finally over.
She would clearly teach what treatment <humans> should receive from vampires… in her homeland <Leogrante>.”
Baigarten’s voice sank lower and lower.
“Sara, who sensed the betrayal of Camilla whom she had trusted, and the cruel death that would result, lost consciousness from shock and terror… and the child in her womb was stillborn.”
“…!!”
Ruslan’s face turned pale.
