“Mm… So it really is you?”

Kanata widened her eyes slightly. She could see clearly now—the person before her was none other than Alessia, the one she despised with every fiber of her being.

In all of Falling Cherry City, only one person spoke to her in that insufferably condescending tone.

So why did a faint flicker of joy stir in her chest? She didn’t understand.

“Why did you come…? Don’t you… hate me?”

A bitter smile tugged at her lips as she raised a hand to wipe the trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth.

But the next second, Alessia crushed their lips together—no answer given.

The sight of blood sent a thrill through her. That sharp, metallic scent only deepened the parched thirst in her throat.

The kiss held no tenderness—only raw, one-sided taking. Kanata’s tongue ached; her lips stung where skin had torn. Alessia’s sweet lip gloss mingled with blood, creating a strangely intoxicating taste.

“Hah…”

They stayed locked for a breathless moment.

As for the werewolf—Alessia had tossed it something “special,” binding it just long enough for the Sovereign to recover.

“Do you have any idea how furious I am? Furious enough to teach you a lesson right here. Without something unforgettable, you’ll never remember my words.”

Alessia recalled it perfectly: after Kanata’s father—their teacher—was executed, her first words to Kanata were, *“If you need money, come to me. Never resort to shady paths.”*

She’d warned her endlessly: *Don’t gamble with your life. Don’t stray beyond the Cherryfall Dominion’s borders.* Yet Miss Kanata had stubbornly gone her own way.

“But enough. Punishment can wait. For now—”

That kiss was merely an appetizer. It wouldn’t stop here. Tonight, an inexplicable heat burned in Alessia. She craved more blood. She wanted to make the stubborn, disobedient Miss Kanata feel every bit of it.

Kanata, too weak to resist, could only surrender to the Sovereign’s will. Rough hands yanked the zipper and Velcro of her protective suit, then tore at her shirt collar.

The already-loose button popped off and vanished into the shadows.

“Hey… my button…”

It wasn’t about the cost. Kanata just dreaded the Imperial Guard’s discipline officer scolding her for “improper conduct” or “sloppy attire.” That strict woman would make her copy the *Appearance and Conduct* chapter of the Cherryfall Dominion Imperial Guard Code—even for a skirt one centimeter too short.

Alessia, utterly self-centered and indifferent to others’ worries, couldn’t care less if the shirt was ruined.

“Children like you, who refuse to obey, have no right to argue. Forget the button. Fail to please me, and I’ll strip you bare and leave you here.”

*…Has she lost herself completely?* Kanata wondered.

Clothes tore. Cool night air kissed newly exposed skin, raising goosebumps instantly.

Her black shirt clung, soaked in sticky blood around the abdomen—beyond saving.

Alessia’s left hand cradled Kanata’s waist; her right supported the back of her neck. Her tongue traced lightly over the collarbone, lingering near old bite marks—a spot she found irresistibly alluring, her favorite place to sink her teeth.

“Time to feast~”

Crimson lips parted. Sharp fangs pierced mercilessly into Kanata’s pale skin.

“Hah~”

A helpless, breathy sigh escaped before she could stop it.