A Modern Guy in the Lesbian Vampires' Court 5 (Patreon)

A Modern Guy in the Lesbian Vampires' Court 5 - or ‘My business as the treasurer is surely a troublesome one among those ‘supposed’ world-conquerors’ (Castlevania Animated Series, Vampire!SI)

I had expected for Dracula to plan retaliation, a limited one compared to the suicidal push he orchestrated in the original timeline, but still something to kill off the scum of the Earth.

What I didn’t expect him to do was for him to send his son as a diplomatic envoy to secure our support. Adrian Tepes was a Dhampir. By already being what he was, he had a stain to his reputation before the pure-blooded vampires of Styria.

It was no surprise that Carmilla was quite irked by his presence, the fact his father was a ‘powerful male vampire’ made her misandrist mind tremble in silent anger and, despite the fact that she was not willing to exactly hear from him, that was not her role in the council.

Lenore found Adrian a ‘simple individual’ and saw fit to treat him with respect due to his parentage being worthy of this and, perhaps, more. What really got me surprised wasn’t even Adrian’s arrival. It was Lenore’s perspective on him that had been on the edge.

“He’s also kind of cute.”

I could only blink at that for a moment, then frown. “Is that so?”

“Are you perhaps jealous?” Lenore inquired softly, her smile betraying the teasing mood she was in. “I find his thirst for knowledge and lack of pride in being lectured quite amusing. He’s like a smart puppy.”

“I just hope you’re not planning to be his owner, leash and all.”

The redhead actually giggled at this as we turned the corner. The halls were as bustling with activity as usual, and those around us paused just briefly to nod and greet us with formal words.

All in all, nothing much was happening as we were checking around for any ‘surprises’ from Carmilla. The woman may be careful nowadays with her plotting, but the presence of Adrian may get her to ‘be a child’ just this once.

So, we were wandering around, having a most normal chat when-

“Well, if it isn’t the group I was looking for.”

Carmilla decided to ‘find’ us.

“Oh, how may we help you, sister?” Lenore took charge of the rebuttal side, and yet Carmilla was clearly looking at me.

“It is more something I wish to discuss with John over a reorganization of Graz’s infrastructure. I don’t think it is a diplomatic affair, so you can return to your chores, Lenore.”

The smile vanished from the redhead’s face, and she… gave me a look. I winked at her and she nodded- it was a ploy, we couldn’t be shown as weak. “I suppose you’re right. I will leave you two to it, then.”

Lenore left, but the unease remained within my mind as Carmilla rewarded me with a ‘barbed’ smile. “Good, let me show you my office.”

Her office worked as her bedroom too. I don’t need to explain that, when I first noticed this, I just knew what she was up to. Or I hoped she wasn’t trying to do but- well, ended up doing anyway.

There were plans on Graz’s infrastructure on the desk, but Carmilla spent very little time making a case. All those additions were reasonably good, but it didn’t look like something that truly demanded a ‘private’ consultation, as it could have been handled by our subordinates.

And… she was soon sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Is it true that you and Lenore are in a relationship?”

“We are not. In an understanding situation, perhaps.”

“That’s a curious terminology for closeness,” Carmilla rebuked, almost disgusted by my guarded approach. “And perhaps, true to your nature. Not pushing for her because you want more.”

I cracked a smile. “I believe that-”

“That you are above the rest? That you don’t find the allure of a woman like me to be better in all ways to that little rabbit?”

“That would be correct.”

Her smile… weakened. It was clear she expected me to be more aggressive or too submissive, but either mood was not going to see me victorious. I just kept myself composed around this troublesome bitch.

“I suppose you prefer a rabbit to a proper woman. A fragile thing to a piece of art.”

“It doesn’t matter how ‘beautiful’ someone is compared to others, that’s not the point of me pursuing a potential relationship,” I replied dryly. “You see, Carmilla. You are a gorgeous woman, but you could only hope an idiot would just ignore what makes you a dangerous individual- you’re arrogant, power-hungry, extremely selfish and equally frustrated by the notion of others being happy. I don’t need that in my life, and I suggest you don’t badmouth Lenore around me ever again.”

“Is that a threat?” Carmilla narrowed her eyes on me.

“Oh no, it’s just a promise. I have enough dirt on you from things you decided against cleaning up that could see your role as a ‘dreamer’ changed as the one that has been causing us plenty of issues,” I flatly pointed out, baring my fangs much to her surprise. “You may be stronger than me, wiser than me, but I am not a pet for you to claim. If you think I am stuck with you in this room, you will be surprised by this- You are stuck here with me.”

She was quiet, angrily, and I just left. I think she tried to call for me to stay, to keep fighting, but I was not in the mood to play with this brat. This interaction proved a rather dangerous point- she was encroaching on Lenore and I, which meant she was trying to infiltrate our groups.

I found Lenore waiting by my office, clearly nervous as she perked up as I returned with a sour look.

“It went bad?”

“It went troublesome,” I corrected her and… gave her a hug. She tensed up a bit in this move, but she didn’t push me away. “I need you to be on guard around Carmilla’s group. Not her personally, but I think she will try to get you disgraced.”

“So?” She hummed, nuzzling against my chest while looking up.

“So, we’re plotting.”

Interest flickered in her gaze as we started to whisper, still hugging, still letting out a few giggles and chuckles while…

Striga and Morana stood by the doorstep, both trying to decipher what we were up to. It didn’t take long for the former to interrupt what was going on by clearing her throat despite Morana wanting to see more of ‘what was going on’.

Lenore and I shifted to look at them, but didn’t break the hug on the spot.

“The council session is soon to begin.”

We both nodded, and Striga retreated while shaking her head, with Morana mirthfully guessing what was going on with us.

“...Ready for victory?”

“Always,” Lenore remarked happily and soon we both walked up to the council chamber.

The floor was given to the dhampir, with Dracula’s soon taking the stage to lay down the situation: Dracula wasn’t asking for a total war, but rather a consultation for revenge against his honor and vampires in general. After all, the Church in the area had deemed it an assault on the ‘vampiric’ presence in the region.

Such a notion was a bit surprising considering that no one suspected a vampire was related to Lisa until Dracula started his war. But it was the intervention to save Lisa that perhaps shifted the logic behind the church’s recent actions.

…And this worked in a pleasant manner for us all. Especially for Lenore and I.

“It’s truly tragic what happened, Lord Adrian. I hope Lady Lisa is able to recover properly and be subjected to this hideous hatred no more,” I commented once Adrian was done. “Still, from my understanding and I hope this is a shared opinion, Lord Dracula is not planning a military expedition of sort but is rather interested in pursuing an understanding on the next steps to take without ‘shaking the boat’ so to speak.”

“Yes.”

I nodded. “If so, then I presume, through your visit, that you pursue advisors to serve him temporarily to prevent any conflict of interest or potential damaging ramifications for Styria and other vampiric covens with his actions.”

“That’s the reason for my visit, yes,” Adrian nodded, pleased that this was being smoothly addressed.

“Then… I want to draw the assumption he would rather prefer the best advisors possible rather than anyone that is ‘proposed’ among our subordinates.”

This time, Adrian paused and took a moment to understand my words. “I believe so.”

I nodded and smiled, turning to the rest of the council. “I would like to raise a proposal. Considering the implications of this circumstance and the request of Lord Dracula, someone that we all recognize as the Lord of Shadow, I would like to ask Lenore if she would be interested in joining me in this endeavor to personally visit Lord Dracula and briefly help with this matter.”

“Objection!” Carmilla swiftly blocked. “Sending two of our most valuable members sounds like a dangerous proposal.”

“And yet Striga and I went to handle Carinthia,” Morana pointed out, but, rather than use this opportunity to stab back at our current foe, Lenore jumped in Carmilla’s ‘defense’.

“I believe what Sister Carmilla is trying to say is that the distance and treacherous circumstance may be more damaging in the long run,” The redhead remarked, still smiling. “Yet, I think I share this feeling with John by saying that our departure, if limited by roughly a week or so, should not be meddlesome for Styria’s affairs. I can speak for myself, but I already have my work done for the entire month.”

“Likewise, I have mine done for the time being. My departure would also have me see to have a temporary replacement to take care of the economic businesses without struggles or potential troublesome developments.”

“Well, if you two are indeed prepared for the trip, I wouldn’t oppose it,” Morana pointed out, and Striga nodded.

“It would be good… for you two.”

Ah yes, the planning of using affectionate situations to push an agenda that wasn’t there. After all, both Morana and Striga saw it as two lovers trying to find some private times together, something I know through my spies in their groups was done by them during the Carinthian campaign.

So, Carmilla was outmatched once more, and yet she held back from fighting for it. After all, our departure offered her an opportunity to spy on our groups by ‘trying to take over by seducing our deputies’. The one thing she wasn’t prepared for was that it was something we planned up ahead.

As we would be going out for this jolly trip to Romania, the real deputies would work in the shadows as we would announce ‘fake deputies’ to act as parrots and repeat what they were told to say or do. All in all, we were going to put Carmilla in such a spot that no amount of lashing at us was going to stop her potential downfall.

With Lenore already aware of some of the shady business she committed and the extent of the hatred Carmilla had towards her, we were more than welcoming of her downfall… but Lenore had stated a ‘compromise point’.

Instead of killing her, Carmilla could be of use to her in ‘another way’~.