Notes:
() - Heroine's thoughts, Blue Text - Flashbacks
Jay - Prince of Norpli - Main Story
Chapter 1 - A Rendezvous at Night
Kingdom of Clergymen, Norpli, November...
When I looked up, the evening sky turned indigo with sparkling stars. After I received an invitation from Prince Jay, I visited his kingdom and looked around at the meet up spot.
(Pretty...)
I saw people coming and going as the streetlights made their pale robes shine softly.
(Since they have little color on them, the look even more magical...)
Somehow, I felt an intense presence approaching.
(They're like the Western clergymen that I saw in a book...)
Jay: Do you like it?
When I turned towards that affectionate whisper from behind me...
MC: Jay-san.
While combing up his hair elegantly, Jay-san smiled.
Jay: Hey, MC-chan. Is it that unusual to see? Your eyes are shining.
MC: Yes... It's a really beautiful town.
Jay: I see. Then, it's a good thing that I made you wait here. Since you through the trouble into coming here, I thought that you'll get bored quickly in the castle.
(Even though Jay-san is a prince, he's a really careful person...)
Jay: Now then, let's go.
MC: Go where?
Jay: Isn't it obvious? To where the adults play at night.
MC: Eh...?
Jay-san smiled as if there's a deeper meaning behind that.
Jay: Now then, the night's just starting. Let's go.
As Jay-san started walking ahead, he turned towards me.
(I wonder where we're going. Somehow... I'm getting excited.)
Just as my heart skipped a beat excitedly, I followed Jay-san...
Chapter 2 - An Intentional Malice
Where Jay-san took me to was a really nice wine bar.
(I might've gotten drunk...)
After we left the restaurant, the stars in the night sky looked slightly distorted. Due to the wine that I had during our lively conversation, my feet were staggering as I walked forward on the stone paving.
(My feet feel light...)
Jay: Are you okay?
MC: I'm fine...
After exchanging wry smiles, Jay-san held out his hand.
Jay: Your hand, Milady.
///Choices///
- Take his hand (☼)
MC: ...Thank you.
When I held Jay-san's hand as my heart was beating a little fast, his large hand gripped mine strongly.
- Be reserved (☽)
MC: I'm okay. I can still walk steadily...
Jay-san softly gripped my hand that I was hiding behind my back.
Jay: You'll feel more reassured instead of being reserved and falling down.
///Choices///
Relying on Jay-san's cold hand, we started walking in town. At that moment...
Clergyman 1: How shameless...
(Eh...)
When I turned towards that voice, there were people whispering to each other while looking at us. Just as an old man passed by us, he glared at Jay-san.
Clergyman 2: Disgraceful man... Leave.
After he said that, I looked at him from behind in bewilderment.
Jay: ...Let's go.
While pulling my hand, Jay-san walked.
MC: Jay-san, just now was...?
When I looked up at Jay-san, he lightly smiled at me. Then, another voice was aimed towards us.
Man 1: You. Halfwit.
Some men in black clothes were looking at me and Jay-san with grins. In those men's mouths, their sharp fanglike teeth shined.
(Somehow, they look like the vampires that I've read about in books...)
Jay: It's been a while.
When Jay-san lightly greeted them, he walked by in front of them.
(They might be some acquaintances of Jay-san. But, what did they mean by halfwit...?)
Jay: I didn't tell you? I'm half-vampire.
(A real vampire...!?)
While sending gazes at us from behind, the men that called Jay-san, halfwit, looked at us with smiles.
Jay: Sorry for showing you something like that.
MC: No... It's okay.
(More importantly, I wonder if Jay-san is okay.)
Even though I haven't noticed it earlier, the townspeople were whispering to each other while looking at Jay-san.
(They all seem to be speaking badly of Jay-san...)
Child: Look, it's the halfwit vampire! You're hated by the king, so you're not a prince!
(How cruel...)
Unable to bear it any longer, I turned around. Although... Jay-san held me by the chin and pulled me back.
Jay: Lady, you're going to ruin your cute face. Come on, smile, smile.
MC: But...
Jay: It's fine. I really don't mind. It's only true that my father hates me for being half-vampire. Besides, worrying about everyone that are looking at me is idiotic. Come on, let's go for one more round of drinks. There's a place that has some pretty good vintage wine.
When Jay-san held my shoulder, we left from there. While hearing Jay-san's footsteps on the cold stone paving in town, I felt myself calming down...
Chapter 3 - I Can't Become Anyone...
With Jay-san pulling my hand, I entered the castle and waited for him in a fancy room.
(He said that it's a place with good wine...)
The lamp shined on the furniture.
Jay: What's wrong? Sit down.
(This is Jay-san's room, right...?)
///Choices///
- Sit in a chair (☼)
MC: O-Okay...
Jay: There's no need to be so nervous...
- Leave the room (☽)
MC: Intruding your room is really...
Jay: Just have one glass with me.
///Choices///
Jay: Ah... I'm not going to attack you or anything.
MC: Ah, attack is...
Jay: I'm called a half-vampire, but I don't need to drink blood. Even if I attack you, I don't have the power to turn you into a vampire.
MC: I... see.
Jay: Well, you'll feel better once you drink. Want to try it?
MC: Eh...?
Jay-san had a mischievous look in his eyes.
Jay: I'm kidding... It's just that you should try drinking some wine to calm down.
He poured some dark ruby-colored wine in a glass.
Jay: More importantly, word got out faster than I thought. I actually wanted to tell you that we should've returned here though. What's scary is probably the people's power. I had you waiting at night because I can't get hit by the sunlight no matter what. Doesn't that make me like a vampire?
While leaning against the stool, Jay-san took a sip of the wine.
Jay: When I was in boarding school, I got attacked by a vampire*. If help were a step late, I would've turned into a vampire. But, I became something that's different than a human.
T/N: Read Alfred's story for more details
MC: I see...
-Flashback-
Clergyman 2: Disgraceful man... Leave.
---
Man 1: Yo. Halfwit.
---
Child: Look, it's the halfwit vampire! You're hated by the king, so you're not a prince!
-Flashback-
(Even though Jay-san didn't do anything bad, he was spoken to so cruelly...)
Jay: ...You don't seem to find anything wrong with it. ...I know. There's one more thing that I can do that's vampire-like.
When Jay-san quickly puts down his glass, he suddenly held me.
MC: ...!
The next moment... The glass window broke and countless glass shards scattered around the room.
MC: B-Bats!?
Jay: Just when I thought things have calmed down after drinking. That man from earlier... He's evil.
When Jay-san stood before me, he looked at the bats threateningly... The bats flew out from the window in fear.
Jay: I may be a halfwit vampire, but it looks like bats are lesser than me.
I looked at Jay-san and... Blood was flowing down from his arm because of the shiny glass near his feet.
MC: We need to hurry and give your arm some treatment.
Jay: I'll be fine. Here, look.
After Jay-san said that, I looked at his arm and...
(The wound on his arm is healing up so quickly...!)
Jay: See, it's back to normal.
MC: Wow...
Jay: ...You're a strange girl. Usually, wouldn't this sort of thing be scary?
(Really...?)
Jay: ...
As Jay-san looked at me, he casted his eyes down with a smile.
Jay: ...Talking to you might be a good thing.
Jay-san picked up a painting that was in a corner. I looked at the painting that was forgotten in dust adoringly.
Jay: Before... I wanted to become a painter. I loved painting pictures. Painting was enough to make me happy...
MC: And... now?
Just as he made a sad look for a moment, he looked away from the painting as if he was running away.
Jay: Pictures are made from light and shadow. Since I can't go into the sunlight, I don't paint anymore.
(That's... so sad...)
MC: ...I want to see the pictures that you painted.
Jay: When I stopped painting, I burned them all. Everything here was made by another artist.
MC: Then, can you paint now?
Jay: You say such unreasonable things...
MC: Unreasonable... you say? But, the moon is pretty today. Since the moonlight is bright... Look, it's making shadows.
Outside the window, the soft pale light made shadows from the trees. Jay-san's eyes widened.
Jay: Geez...
Jay-san started smiling.
Jay: Then, come paint with me. If you do, I'll paint too.
///Choices///
- Hesitate (☽)
MC: I...
Jay: It's fine, right? Even if I'm the only one painting, don't you have some time to spare?
- I want to try painting (☼)
MC: Really? I do want to try painting.
Jay: Then, it's decided. Let's hurry and get ready.
///Choices///
As Jay-san was preparing the art supplies, I watched him from behind somewhat excitedly...
Chapter 4 - A Canvas of a Moonlit Night
As the moonlight was shining softly, Jay-san and I painted each other on canvas. Although, I haven't moved my paintbrush since we've started.
(Somehow... I'm feeling nervous. It feels like he can see though my thoughts completely.)
As Jay-san's dark colored eyes were looking straight at me... It felt like my loud heartbeat could be heard that I hid in the shadow of the canvas.
Jay: Lady, show your cute face. I can't paint if you hide it.
When he chuckled, I showed my face from the canvas' shadow as I held my warm cheeks.
Jay: Good girl. Then, try smiling next.
I slightly smiled from Jay-san's light-hearted words. Then, a few minutes later. After I was done painting, I turned it around and Jay-san looked up at it.
MC: ...Please don't laugh, okay?
Jay: I won't. Weren't you painting seriously?
(Compared to Jay-san, who was aiming to become a painter, my painting is...)
Readying myself, I looked at Jay-san's painting...
(...Is this... art...?)
With a composition that was like the Mona Lisa, it was a painting that had a scenery of blue and white overlapping with each other and a round head over a really long neck... Even though I don't know where to look, I almost laughed from just looking at it.
(Is this... supposed to be... me?)
Just as I was about to laugh, I placed my hand on my mouth.
Jay: Weren't you the one that said not to laugh?
MC: I'm sorry... But...!
Jay: This is why you're a child. You don't need to understand art.
When Jay-san shrugged his shoulders unnaturally, he showed a smile without any hesitation.
Jay: In my kingdom, it's good to paint a picture the way anyone can see it. But, the scene that you hold in your heart is seen differently. Isn't it fun to paint what you saw yourself?
Jay-san placed my painted picture by the window.
Jay: That way, people can convey their feelings through what they pain. Just like this painting. It's a painting with a gentle warmth...
(He's praising my picture...)
Jay-san's fingers touched the Jay-san in the painting. As the moonlight shined on the side of Jay-san's handsome face, he looked like he was in pain.
Jay: I... So, I make this kind of face when I'm with you.
(I wonder what's wrong. Is my painting strange...?)
Jay: Well then, it's about time for you to go to sleep.
MC: Eh...?
Jay: Even though it's noon for me right now, isn't it different for you?
///Choices///
- Look at him silently (☼)
(I want to talk to Jay-san more...)
Jay: Making that kind of face in a man's room... Could you be seducing me?
MC: ! ...N-No.
Jay-san smiled teasingly.
- I'm still okay (☽)
MC: I'm still okay.
Jay: Haha! ...You would go that far to become friends with a halfwit?
MC: That's not what I'm saying...
///Choices///
Jay: Just be good and listen to what the adult says.
When Jay-san smiled sadly, I couldn't say anything else.
Jay: Let's meet again at night.
I became overwhelmed as I was feeling reluctant. As the moonlit night shined on him, Jay-san saw me off when I left the room.
After I entered the room that was prepared for me, I set up the painting that Jay-san gave me. When I laid down on the bed, I looked at the painting.
(I don't understand art, but... The me inside this painting looks like she's enjoying herself...)
While thinking of seeing Jay-san again tomorrow night, I started to fall asleep with a warm feeling in my heart...
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