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All eyes turned to Tenra and Elmenhilde. The air between them was thick with tension, a mix of pride and desperation.
Tenra broke the silence first, his tone playfully exaggerated. "Miss Elmenhilde, you're actually asking me for help? Are you sure you're not an imposter?"
"I'm serious!" Elmenhilde snapped, her cheeks burning red.
A proud vampire princess, she'd once looked down on Tenra—back then, she wouldn't have given him the time of day. Even after they'd become more familiar, she'd never imagined herself groveling for his help like this. The humiliation stung, but with Carmilla's fate hanging by a thread, pride didn't matter anymore.
"Red Emperor, I apologize for my past rudeness. Punish me however you see fit, but please—help us. We need your strength!"
She bowed deeply, voice trembling on the edge of a plea.
Behind her, the vampire attendants averted their eyes, unable to bear seeing their proud Lady forced so low. But Elmenhilde's unwavering posture—shoulders squared, head bowed—held them silent.
"Please, Lord Red Emperor, help us!"
One by one, the attendants bowed as well, their voices echoing her plea.
Even Yubelluna and the other girls looked startled. Tenra himself was taken aback. For Elmenhilde to cast aside her pride and beg—Carmilla's situation must be worse than he'd thought.
And in just a few days, this vampire princess had matured more than he'd expected.
Tenra stepped forward, gently lifting Elmenhilde upright. "Enough. Miss Elmenhilde, tell me exactly what's going on. Your territory was attacked, yes, but with Carmilla's forces, you should've been able to handle it, right?"
He frowned, voicing the question on everyone's mind.
The vampires who'd turned into Evil Dragons had grown stronger, but they'd lost their intelligence—mindless beasts driven only by destruction. If Carmilla's army was organized, they should've been able to hunt them down without much trouble.
Elmenhilde shook her head, her expression darkening. "At first, we had the advantage. We were picking off the Evil Dragons, pushing them back. But then… that huge one appeared—the one with a human face. It smashed through our defenses like they were nothing."
Her voice faltered, memories of last night flashing in her eyes.
Tenra's gaze sharpened. A dragon with a human face—Marius Tepes. Rizevim's pawn, the one Tenra had let go in the chaos. He'd flown straight to Carmilla's territory, spreading ruin.
"I've seen that one myself. He's stronger than the rest, but your Queen and the elders should be able to handle him, no?"
"At first, they could suppress him," Elmenhilde said, fighting to keep her composure. "But he's different. He kept his vampire regeneration—and he grows stronger by devouring other dragons and vampires. After last night, he's become a monster. He killed so many of us. Even Her Majesty, my mother, and the elders… they're all wounded."
Her voice cracked. Tears brimmed in her eyes.
"When I saw Her Majesty and my mother defeated, I thought… I thought our whole world was ending. If even they couldn't stop him, who could? Are we doomed to extinction?"
In her despair, Tenra's name had come to her. If anyone could turn the tide, it was him. She didn't know exactly how strong he was—whether he could beat the dragon that had crushed even Carmilla's greatest—but he was their last hope.
Tenra nodded, understanding dawning. "Miss Elmenhilde, I'm willing to help."
"R-really?" Elmenhilde's face lit up, hope warring with disbelief.
"Of course. But you know as well as I do—I don't owe Carmilla's vampires anything. I don't help for free."
He met her eyes, voice firm. "I'll deal with the dragon, but I expect proper compensation."
Elmenhilde didn't hesitate. "That's only fair. If you can save us, I'll do anything you ask!"
Tenra raised an eyebrow, giving her a slow, deliberate once-over. "Anything?"
Elmenhilde stiffened under his gaze, suddenly remembering Tenra's reputation—the so-called "Lecherous Emperor," always surrounded by beautiful women. What if he demanded something… scandalous? What if he wanted her as his—
"No! Absolutely not!" She blurted out, clutching her chest and stumbling back.
Tenra grinned, eyes glinting with mischief. "What's the matter, Miss Elmenhilde? Thinking strange thoughts, are we? If I want payment, I'll talk to your Queen, not you."
Elmenhilde sputtered, face burning with embarrassment. She would never admit what had just flashed through her mind—never!
"Come on. I'll take you to Her Majesty," she said, glaring at Tenra and refusing to meet his eyes.
Tenra chuckled, satisfied with her reaction. Teasing the proud vampire princess was as entertaining as ever, but he let her off easy this time.
He turned to Tosca. "Sorry, Tosca. Let's hold off on Isaiah's memorial until we finish here."
Tosca shook his head, smiling softly. "It's fine, Lord Tenra."
"Alright, let's go. Time to meet the Queen."
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