I Was Kidnapped by a Vampire Queen, and Now the Vampire Born from My Soul Wants to Take Me Back

Iris's room was silent.

The curtains were drawn. The red crystal lamps were dimmed to half their usual brightness. The bed had been unmade since morning because Iris never allowed the maids inside to fix it.

And in the middle of all that, Iris stood in front of her mirror with the crown still on her head and her hands hanging loosely at her sides.

The party was over.

Iris had left the moment the queen allowed the noblewomen to start departing.

Before almost everyone else.

Far sooner than would have been polite.

She had told Elyra she was tired, given a perfect bow, and walked out of the hall without looking back.

Because she couldn't take it anymore.

She couldn't stand watching Matt dance with Noxx.

His hand on her waist, the other holding hers, slowly guiding her because Noxx didn't know how to dance and stumbled every three steps, while Matt never corrected her out loud, simply adjusting his own movements to cover for her mistakes.

And after that, it wasn't even just her.

Matt had been talking.

With all six of them.

With Kaela, who could barely walk.

With Celia, who kept asking him questions.

With Lisette, who laughed at everything.

With the noblewomen from the other houses, with the matriarchs, with whoever happened to approach.

With everyone.

Except her.

Iris removed the crown from her head and set it down on the vanity with more force than necessary.

CLACK!

Silence.

Iris remained there, staring at the mirror as she remembered that painful moment all over again.

Then, inside her mind, Eleonora's voice stretched lazily, like someone settling comfortably into an armchair.

"Well, well."

Iris didn't respond.

"So it really was getting to you."

Iris closed her eyes.

"The entire banquet, telling me you were fine. The entire banquet with that little smile on your face. And now you come back to your room, slam your crown down, and stare at the wall like a widow."

'...'

"Earlier you told me you were his blood sister. Very convincingly, too. So confident. So dignified."

'...'

"And now look at you. Even you don't believe it anymore."

Iris clenched her jaw.

"Shut up," Iris said aloud.

Her voice sounded irritated.

But it also trembled.

Iris realized it a second after speaking.

She brought one hand to her face and pinched the bridge of her nose.

Her eyes burned.

'...No, no, no. I'm not crying over this.'

Iris took a deep breath.

It didn't help.

'Why?'

'How is this even possible?'

Iris had spent years being the only thing living inside Matt's head.

Years.

Years sharing the same body, the same blood, the same memories, the same nights, the same pain.

Iris knew Matt's insides better than Matt himself.

Iris had been there when Matt had no one else.

Iris had literally been a part of him.

And now there was another one.

Another girl who had also come from him.

Another girl who was also his sister.

Another girl who hadn't even needed a full day before sitting on his lap.

'Can he really have another sister besides me?'

Iris lowered her hand.

'If he can...'

Iris became very still.

'...then I'll never be able to merge with him again.'

The room suddenly felt larger.

Eleonora started laughing.

"There it is."

"What is?"

"There you are. The same spoiled little shit you've always been."

"What?"

"You don't care about any of this. None of it. The only thing you care about is that if Matt has guaranteed independence, if he has someone else, if he has his own stable body and a new sister and his own weapons, then the chances of him and me ever merging again are zero."

"..."

"And if they're zero, you're stuck with me. Forever. Working. For the rest of your existence."

Iris laughed for a moment.

"Well..."

"Knew it."

"I didn't say you were wrong."

Iris turned away from the mirror and walked toward the bed.

"If I had merged with Matt," Iris said, "he would've used you."

"Uh-huh."

"You would've gotten the wielder you wanted so badly."

"Uh-huh."

"That's what you wanted."

Eleonora laughed again, louder this time.

"Iris."

"What?"

"Did you actually watch the banquet?"

"..."

"I mean, did you watch it? With your eyes? Were you physically there?"

"Eleonora."

"Because Matt has two Ego Weapons. At minimum."

Iris stopped beside the bed.

"Why the hell would he need me?"

"..."

"Iris, seriously. Sometimes I wonder if you use your brain for anything besides giving the crown somewhere to sit."

"Eleonora."

"Because if you used it even a little, you would've realized from the start that your little plan never had a chance."

Iris clenched her fists.

"Never. Not once. Not even at the beginning."

"And why is that?"

"Because Matt hates everything related to this kingdom."

Silence.

"He hates the castle. He hates the crown. He hates the body they gave him. He hates banquets. And he probably hates the queen quite a lot too."

Iris didn't respond.

"And you thought he was going to merge with you? Voluntarily? So he could go back to being the same thing he was for years, unable to make a single decision for himself?"

"..."

"Iris, that boy would rather die."

Iris sat on the edge of the bed.

Then, very slowly, she raised her head.

"Then explain something to me."

"Go ahead."

"If he hates all of this..."

Iris clenched her teeth.

"...then why did that idiot look so happy dancing with that bitch?"

"..."

"At a ball!" Iris raised her voice. "At a public ball! In front of every house! In front of the heralds! In front of the whole damn kingdom that's going to recognize his face now!"

Iris stood up again.

"He spent three years hiding! Three! And now he comes out, dances, smiles, accepts six maids, an elven painter, and a crown! Did he become an idiot?!"

Silence.

"I don't know."

Iris blinked.

"What?"

"I said I don't know. I don't have the answer."

"...You don't know?"

"No."

"Then why are you using that tone?"

"What tone?"

"That tone! That mocking tone! Like you know something!"

Eleonora laughed with genuine amusement.

"Ah. That."

"Eleonora."

"I'm not laughing because I know something, Iris."

"Then why?"

"I'm laughing because I find it hilarious that you're like this because you listened to the queen."

Iris went still.

"'Sit down, Iris.' And you sat down. 'Smile, Iris.' And you smiled. 'Don't do anything tonight, Iris, it's your brother's day.' And you did nothing."

"..."

"And now look at you."

"Don't talk about my mother."

"Why not?"

"Eleonora."

"Seriously, why not? That's an honest question."

Iris clenched her fists.

"Because technically that old woman has given you the worst possible advice since the day you were born. No exceptions. Every single time."

"Eleonora."

"'Let Matt mature on his own.' 'Don't pressure him.' 'Sit down, sweetheart.' And look where you are now."

Iris squeezed her eyes shut.

"Listen to me."

"I'm listening, partner."

"I can tolerate every insult you throw at me. Every single one. As many as you want. You can say whatever you want about me."

"What a generous partner."

"But I won't let you insult my mother."

Silence.

Then came a click of the tongue inside her head.

"Tsk."

Iris waited.

"And what are you going to do? Tell your mommy on me?"

"..."

"Because if you do that, Iris, I'm warning you right now, you'd drop pretty far in the princess rankings."

"Shut up."

"Very, very far. And at this rate, especially after tonight, you're definitely going to lose the throne."

"Shut up, Eleonora."

"And who knows. Maybe you'll end up as a maid."

"..."

"Or worse."

"..."

"Maybe you'll end up as the slave of the next princess Matt creates."

Iris opened her eyes.

"..."

"Transform."

"Excuse me?"

"Turn into your human form."

"Why?"

"So I can beat the shit out of you."

Eleonora laughed so hard Iris could feel her vibrating inside her own head.

"Oh, Iris."

"Transform."

"No."

"Eleonora."

"Have fun fighting my metal form. I don't feel like being human today."

Iris turned toward the black sheath resting against the wall beside the vanity.

Inside it, perfectly still, the sword didn't move even a millimeter.

"Coward."

"Oh."

"Coward."

"Look at me trembling."

Iris turned around, walked over to the bed, and threw herself face-first onto the sheets.

FWUMP!

Then she kicked the mattress.

Once.

Again.

And a third time with all her strength.

"Very dignified. Truly befitting a princess of the kingdom."

'Shut up.'

"A future queen, even."

'Shut up.'

"With kicking technique like that, I'm sure the houses respect you deeply."

'SHUT UP.'

Iris remained sprawled facedown, her face buried in the sheets and her white hair scattered everywhere, breathing heavily.

Silence.

A long silence.

Then Eleonora's voice returned.

But this time it was different.

Softer.

Almost casual, like someone tossing out an unimportant thought.

"Hey."

'...What?'

"The party ended a while ago."

'I know.'

"All the noblewomen have already left."

'I know.'

"And right now, Matt is probably in his room."

Iris didn't move.

"With that Noxx girl."

Iris opened one eye against the sheet.

"Alone."

'...'

"And, well. I'm just saying. You could go over there. Talk to them. Be polite. Smile."

'Eleonora.'

"Build a bond. A healthy one. A sisterly one. With both potential future queens of the kingdom, considering that technically, after what happened tonight, that rookie is in the line of succession now."

Iris lifted her head from the sheet.

"It would be very mature of you."

Iris suddenly sat upright on the bed.

"No."

"No?"

"I'm not losing to a rookie."

"I didn't say anything about losing."

"I'm not losing to some rookie who's been alive for less time than half the furniture in this castle. She can't talk. She can't dance. She doesn't know anything."

"Uh-huh."

"I'm not losing to that."

"Okay."

"I'm not losing."

"I heard you."

Iris took a deep breath.

She ran both hands through her white hair, pushed it back, and remained sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the floor with her bare feet resting against the carpet.

She stayed like that for a while.

Then Eleonora spoke quietly.

"...Iris."

"Yes?"

"...And Matt?"