Lucile Tavanor soared through the air. She rode the wind, in the form of a dark cloud of smoke. The innate ability to change one's shape was a rare, but well known, ability of Vampires. When the Countess had reached level fifty and had her bloodline awaken, her family had been ecstatic.
The Asmoria family had always been somewhat outcast. Their choice to associate with Demons was far from popular. Demons had a nasty reputation, and the innate prejudice against them was held even by most vampires, who dealt with more than a little discrimination, themselves. Lucile, however, knew the truth. She had grown up around Demons, and they were no different, in any way that mattered, from any other race. They were people, just like any other.
Because of her family's struggles, when their eldest daughter had awakened a [Racial Talent] upon reaching level fifty, it had been a great boon to them. [Racial Talent]s were rare, and each person only had one chance to awaken one, when they reached level fifty. For vampires, a [Racial Talent] was a mark of prestige, said to represent the purity of one's blood. With her awakening of [Vampiric Form], Lucile had silenced all the opposition who claimed her bloodline was perverted by demonic taint. With the mark of status it provided, Lucile had been able to marry into one of the strongest vampiric houses there was.
House Tavanor was powerful, their family deeply entrenched in the power structure of multiple kingdoms. Of them all, however, one of the most prevalent branches was the position of Count Tavanor, in the Kingdom of Agoria. The family was not prominent due to their rank, but rather due to the strength of their bloodline. There had yet to be a generation in the house of Count Tavanor where they didn't have at least one family member awaken a [Racial Talent], and Dominik Tavanor was no exception. Lucile was able to marry into the house, becoming the wife of the current heir to the title.
As a couple who both had the mark of a powerful vampire, Lucile with her [Vampiric form], and Dominik with his [Blood Magic], they stood near the top of the social structure of vampiric culture. Furthermore, they also enjoyed a high standing in the aristocracy of Agoria. As a highly experienced Count, being over five-hundred years old in a kingdom of mostly humans and beastkin, Dominik was among the most powerful of his rank, within the kingdom. Additionally, as a woman who has seen generations of royals come and go, Lucile was a valued advisor to the royal family.
The only major downside to their situation was that Lucile had to spend most of her time in the capital city, Agor, away from her husband, who she had grown to deeply love, and her daughter, who had many struggles of her own to work through. For this reason, Lucile considered any opportunity to return to Crimson March to be a delight. Which was why, when she learned her daughter's own lady-in-waiting had become her [Battle Maid], and a local Baron had attempted to kill her, she wasted no time on a carriage. She informed Queen Titania of the situation, received permission to leave, immediately took the form of a cloud of smoke, and flew with the wind to get home as soon as she could.
When she saw the city of Crimson March below her, she changed shape into a giant bat, and dove straight for Tavanor manor. She landed in the courtyard, less than fifteen yards from the front door, immediately returning to her true form. As she walked up to the door, her husband's steward opened it for her. "Lady Lucile, it's a pleasure to see you again. Lord Dominik and Lady Verena are waiting for you in the atrium."
She nodded to the man, smiling calmly. "Thank you, Desmond. How have things been, since I left? Anything I should be aware of?"
He shook his head as she headed for the atrium. "Nothing you don't already know, my lady. Miss Marianne's new skill, the assassin, and the death of the Baron, are the only notable events since your last visit."
She stopped in place, turning to Desmond. "The death of the Baron?"
The steward paused before bowing apologetically. "I'm sorry, my lady, I thought you knew. Lord Dominik had Baron Morel killed, after the assassin was confirmed to be sent from him."
Lucile sighed, shaking her head as she resumed walking towards the atrium. "Dominik is far too fond of assassins, himself. While I understand his anger, instantly jumping to murder for any offense is too extreme, and it's going to get him in trouble."
Desmond took a deep breath before speaking. "With all due respect, my lady, I feel you're being a bit too harsh on his lordship. He's been using assassins far less often, recently. This was his first time in a few months."
Lucile gave him an odd look and then chuckled softly. "He always did prefer a steward with the guts to stand up to him. No wonder you've stayed in your position for so long."
He nodded respectfully before opening the door to the atrium. "Thank you, my lady. I'm glad to have your approval." With that, she walked into the atrium to greet her family.
The only people in the atrium, when she entered, were her husband, her daughter, and Marianne. As soon as the door was closed and they were alone, Verena ran forward, hugging her mother in delight. "Mother! It's so good to see you! How are you?"
Lucile hugged her daughter back, smiling warmly. "Hello, Verena. I'm very happy to see you, too. To answer your question, I'm doing quite well. More importantly though, how are you? Are you unharmed? How are you holding up? What happened to your hand? Was that from the attack? How did the assassin get in? Has the issue been fixed?" Lucile continued bombarding her daughter with questions, going into full mother-mode as she fussed over Verena for the next five minutes.
When she was satisfied, she released her daughter, stepping back. Dominik, standing off to the side, was laughing softly, and Marianne, who was a few feet behind Verena, was laughing much less softly. Lucile then turned to her husband, stepping up to him. She gave him a gentle kiss before speaking. "Hello, love. How have you been?"
Dominik smiled warmly, putting his arms around his wife. "I've been better, to be honest. Between Marianne's skill, dealing with the Baron, and my regular duties, I've been swamped. It's been a lot, but I'm managing."
Lucile gave him a deadpan glare. "Well, maybe you'd have a bit less work if you didn't immediately jump to murder as the solution to your problems." As she prepared to lecture her husband, she was interrupted by a nervous voice.
"My lady," Marianne spoke softly, seeming rather timid. "Having Baron Morel killed wasn't lord Dominik's idea. It was mine."
Lucile turned around, surprised. "Really? You suggested it? I thought you didn't approve of such actions."
The face of the young maid darkened, and she spoke with a vitriol that Lucile had never seen in her, before. "That walking waste of food deserved it. Anyone who tries to hurt my lady deserves to suffer and die." Lucile was shocked. She had never seen Marianne act like this, before. She had purposefully distanced herself from the world of death, and to see such hate in her eyes was unsettling. Then, Verena stepped up, gently putting her hand on Marianne's shoulder. This action almost immediately calmed the maid quite a bit. After a moment, she looked back at Lucile. "Apologies, my lady. I forgot myself for a moment."
Lucile, however, was more focused on how the woman had reacted to her daughter's touch. That immediate drop in anger was not something you'd see in a master-servant relationship. Not with a simple touch, at least. A theory was quickly forming in Lucile's mind, but she set it aside for the moment. "Don't worry, Marianne. Your dedication to my daughter is commendable. Just don't let it cloud your judgement." She stepped towards one of the doors out of the atrium. "Now, let's find a place to sit, so you all can tell me exactly what happened with all this."
The four of them made their way to Dominik's study, and they did just that. They gave Lucile a rundown on the events of the last week and a half, filling in whatever details she asked for. She was a bit perturbed when she learned the truth of Marianne's [Battle Maid] approval, but she ultimately agreed with Dominik that the law in question was ridiculous, and the Baron deserved to die, anyways.
Once they had finished retelling the events, so far, Lucile invited her daughter and her lady-in-waiting to join her for tea. The real reason for this was, of course, to get them alone, and away from Dominik, so she could interrogate them. By the way they acted while the tea was being prepared, and the looks they gave each other when they thought she wasn't looking, Lucile was now quite confident in her theory.
Once they had gotten situated, Lucile smiled wickedly and spoke. "So, how long have you two been together?"
Verena just chuckled while Marianne looked both embarrassed and scared. "L-lady Lucile, you know how long I've had my position, already."
Lucile just smirked as Verena shook her head. "That's not what I mean, and you know it."
Verena put a hand on Marianne's arm, smirking almost as widely as her mother. "I told you she'd notice. I win the bet, and you know what that means..." Verena gave the maid a smoldering look, which only served to make her blush even further.
Marianne was clearly panicking, and it amused Lucile to no extent. "My lady, please! Your mother is right there!"
Seeing the look in her daughter's eyes, Lucile felt just a little bad for the maid, but she chose not to intervene as Verena reached up and turned Marianne's face to look at her. "I know. That's why I'm having so much fun. Your embarrassment is just delicious..." Lucile watched, in real time, as Marianne's brain stopped functioning and Verena pulled her into a kiss.
Lucile was quite amused by the scene, and she wondered, offhandedly, if her grandmother, Verena's great-grandmother, might have passed down a bit more of herself than just her eyes to the young vampire. However, as amusing as it was, Lucile decided to stop them before things got out of hand. "Verena, give the poor girl a break."
Verena chuckled as she pulled away from a short-circuiting Marianne. "I understand your concern, mother, but I'm not the one you need to tell to calm down. This little vixen had been trying to get my dress off all day. This is just my payback." She smirked as she settled back into her chair, leaving Marianne to recover. "And to answer your question, it's been coming for a long time, but last night was when we actually made it official."
Lucile nodded calmly. "I see. And, does your father know?"
Verena recoiled. "Oh, by the gods, no! You know exactly how he'd react if I told him about this!" Lucile did, indeed, know how her husband would react to the news. He was slightly insufferable when it came to relationships with shorter-lived races, and the lecture Verena would get if he knew she was romantically involved with Marianne would be agonizing. "I wasn't planning on telling him unless I had you to support me."
Lucile sighed, but she understood her daughter's decision. "Well, I can help you with that, for certain. Now, how are you feeling? Has there been anything odd, today?"
Verena looked confused for a moment, but then, she narrowed her eyes. "You do know something."
Lucile gave her daughter a look of concern. "Something about what? What's happened?"
Her daughter stayed quiet for a moment, but then she said something that left Lucile astonished. "Mother, why do I have a class condition that should only be possible for incubi and succubae?"
Lucile stared at her daughter in disbelief. Had she heard that correctly? "C-class condition...?"
Verena simply nodded. "Yes. My class unlocked as soon as Marianne and I were done, last night. Now, do you know why?"
Lucile sighed, lowering her head. "Probably because you're one-eighth succubus."
Verena froze. "What?"
"Yes, my maternal grandmother was a succubus. It's where your eyes come from."
Verena stared at her mother blankly for a few seconds. Then, "What!? You knew!? All this time, decades of hunting for my class, and you never thought to mention it!?"
Lucile shook her head. "I never told you because it shouldn't be possible. It's been studied over and over. Race-specific classes and class conditions can't show up unless the system identifies you as that race. If your system says you're a vampire, and nothing else, you shouldn't be able to have a sexually-oriented class."
This time, it was Marianne's turn to calm down Verena. She grabbed her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as she turned her head away from her mother. "Hey, it's okay. Calm down, love. Even if you'd known, it wouldn't have changed anything. Your condition wasn't something that could be manufactured."
Verena took a deep breath, leaning forward to rest her forehead against Marianne's. "Yes, you're right. Even if we'd known it was a possibility, it wouldn't have made a difference. Honestly, I'm a bit happy we didn't know to try that route." She reached up, putting her hand on Marianne's cheek. "It means I still got to give my first time to someone I truly care about."
Once Verena had calmed down, Lucile leaned forward. "Now I'm too curious. What was the condition, exactly? What do you mean it couldn't be manufactured?"
Verena smiled as Marianne blushed. "Have sex with someone I have a strong emotional connection with."
Lucile nodded slowly. "Yes, that would be impossible to force." She sighed heavily. "I'm truly sorry, Verena. I never told you because I didn't want to worry you about it. I know how much you struggle with self-image, and it was just another meaningless addition to your worries."
Verena nodded, understanding where her mother was coming from. "Alright. I understand, mother." She slowly stood up. "There's more I want to talk about, but I'd like to speak with you and father, together. Furthermore, it's getting late, and I'm sure you're tired from your journey."
Lucile stood as well, walking around the table to give her daughter a hug. "Good night, Verena. I love you."
"I love you too, mother."
Lucile then paused for a moment. "Would you like me to speak with your father about your relationship, tonight, so he has some time to cool off before you talk with him?"
Verena smiled softly, nodding. "That would be wonderful, mother. Thank you."
As Lucile turned to Marianne, the maid bowed slightly. "Good night, lady Lucile."
Lucile, instead, grabbed Marianne, and pulled her into a hug. "None of that, dear. I can see the way my daughter looks at you, and whether Dominik likes it or not, I'm going to be your mother, in the near future. No more formalities, alright?"
Marianne blushed profusely, looking up at her soon-to-be mother-in-law. "O-okay... Good night... mother..."
With a wide smile, Lucile went to go find her husband. As she left, she heard her daughter speak to her lover in a low, sultry tone. "Now... about that bet..."
Remembering something, Lucile peeked back into the room. "Oh, you two are being safe, right? I know you're a woman, Verena, but you're still fully capable of knocking up the woman you love so much."
This, finally, broke Verena. Her calm, teasing face broke and she turned bright red. "Mother!"
Marianne just laughed. Seemingly, the point that broke the limit of Verena's stoicism was also the point that broke the limit of Marianne's embarrassment. "Yes, we're being careful. I'm taking Brown Leaf."
Lucile just smiled. "Good. Have fun, you two." Then, she left, leaving behind a giggling Marianne, and a mortified Verena. "You know, I think I might feel just a little bad for the poor girl." Even she, herself, wasn't sure if she was talking about Verena or Marianne.