To say that Aku was put off by his so-called cousin would be an understatement.

It had nothing to do with Cordelia's looks. In fact, as someone who knew how to appreciate beauty, Aku could assert how beautiful the woman was. Her skin was flawless alabaster, smooth and cold to the touch like high-quality porcelain. Her hair, gently curling at the ends, was a mesmerizing shade of violet, a trait inherited from her father's clan: the Vibora. And her eyes, her most redeeming feature, were emerald green, deep and bottomless as they filled themselves with endless lust and greed.

As an "Eye Connoisseur," Aku enjoyed how her pupils shifted from oval to thin slits whenever the woman's mood flared. It was the perfect manifestation of her Vibora origins.

But he digressed.

Aku disliked his cousin because she was the only hope for his race to strive if he wanted the First Blood to come back to life. What Aku loathed was the idea of copulating with the woman to ensure the survival of his species.

Now, do not get him wrong, Aku wasn't against women.

He didn't hate the idea of sleeping with one, either to satiate his lust or because he fancied the girl. Aku simply couldn't bear how much Cordelia reminded him of that whore that gave him two mutts to call his children.

Nevertheless, as an accomplished diplomat and someone who nurtured ambitions, Aku saw no loss in trying to acquaint himself with his dear cousin.

If needed, he'd steal her eggs and have them artificially inseminated or something. No one really needed to know how the child came to be so long as it preserved the Founders from disappearing.

What's more, Karlheinz's First Wife, Cordelia, had access to information regarding the Vampire Clan that Aku could not find anywhere else. She was an important piece, a pivotal character that could very well tilt the power scale if given too much but also wreak havoc if not given enough.

Cordelia was a rose. A gorgeous flower with inviting petals and dangerous thorns, but one that needed special care and attention lest it wilted or turned into weed.

So there he was, sitting under one of the Sakamaki's rose garden's gazebo, a cup of tea sitting in front of him as he graced the female Vibora with a ghost of a smile.

Aku did not care if Cordelia turned against her paternal clan or her Husband's. He'd use her until she destroyed herself or got destroyed by outside influences.

Cordelia did not love her Husband.

In fact, apart from her father, Cordelia never really loved anyone.

That is not to say that she lusted after her father, but the purest form of affection that ever emanated from her went to her father and perhaps her mother.

Cordelia didn't lust for her Husband as she lusted for the boy-toys she gifted Kanato. Cordelia liked the idea of Karlheinz as the Vampire King, a ruler, a strong and powerful Demon Lord that inspired awe and fear at the mere mention of his name. She loved the idea of such a powerful man being hers just as much as she feared it.

As the youngest and most powerful Demon Lord of their realm, Karlheinz was everything a princess like Cordelia could hope for in a husband. It was something that came with the duty of royal blood.

What Cordelia feared when she imagined a wedding with Karlheinz was the image of her mother. Her mother, a noble from a destitute family (or so she heard), was a pitiful woman. Menae, maiden name Mikazuki, came from a Duke family from a long-standing ally of the Vibora clan. Of all the years Cordelia knew her mother, she never saw the shadow of a relative, and during the bloody full moon that took her away, no one shed a tear or gave a sigh of regret.

Cordelia was afraid of turning like her mother. She was scared of the day her emerald eyes would dim, losing their shine and luster to turn ashen and lackluster. The image of her mother's bright golden eyes warping into a muddy, unrecognizable yellow remained engraved in her mind. Maybe that was why she liked Karlheinz's eyes so much. Their color reminded her of before. Cordelia feared the day she would lose all hope, her hair thinning and breaking, her skin crackling, and her flame diming.

Cordelia did not want to be like her mother. She never understood why her mother died with a hint of a smile on her lips, but she didn't care to understand anymore. She just knew that she couldn't lose herself in a loveless wedding, and if it meant twisting and destroying everything to prevent herself from drowning, then Cordelia would gladly become the source of all chaos.

She would wear the skin of a tyrant or villainess with eagerness.

So no, Cordelia did not regret sleeping with Richter and being his Lover. She had an inkling that Karlheinz knew, but it didn't matter. She had tried to love the man, but cold refusal was enough for her to go and look elsewhere. Was Richter using her? Yes, indeed he was. But Cordelia also used Richter to solidify her power, so who was she to judge?

No, Cordelia did not regret the treatment she gave her children. Ayato was the heir. The brutality of his education was a given; great results required great sacrifices. Cordelia knew best the rigor of such teachings as a royal heir herself, and she was not afraid of sacrifices. Kanato and Laito, in her eyes, were no more than spares. Not getting attached to your children when you were a King's wife was the first and last teaching she ever received from her mother. And because she knew Ayato would always strive to be in her eyes (like she strived for her father's acknowledgment), Cordelia had no qualms about using the two kids as entertainment. Slowly and piece by piece, she broke them to remind her of how alive and striving she was, and if later it became a source of pure joy and not a rope to grab to remind her that she was alive, Cordelia ignored it and continued.

And no, Cordelia did not regret antagonizing both of Karleinz's concubines— they couldn't be anything but that in her eyes. Beatrix was a scheming witch who threatened her standing in the mansion, bearing two sons before her and coming from a renowned Vampire family. Cordelia would be stupid not to guard against the woman's apparent ambitions. As for Christa, she was unfortunate collateral damage. There wasn't much to add to the poor woman's situation. Yet, Cordelia was not kind enough to pity her and spare her of her temper tantrums.

Cordelia's ambition was to be free and do as she wished, and so far, after marrying Karlheinz, she was on the right path to be.

That was without counting on the unknown variable sitting in front of her. A male Demon of unknown but powerful origin who did not lust after her yet showed interest in her person.

If the man wasn't after her body, then what did he want?

Because up until now, all men and women who approached her wished to receive her favors, Cordelia could not imagine anything more valuable in her person other than her figure and standing within the Vampire clan.

"Lord Aku, was it?" Cordelia spoke, breaking the delicate silence as she set her teacup down. She gave the male her usual simper, lips twisting in a demure smile as her eyes gently bent to reflect the pale shine of the sunlight.

"Yes, you may address me as such, Lady Cordelia," Aku acknowledged, leveling his golden eyes to look into Cordelia's emerald orbs.

"I didn't expect for you to come and find me after our last meeting, My Lord," she said with a chuckle. None of them mentioned that the so-called last meeting included Cordelia naked with Richter by her side.

Aku hummed, and the way his golden eyes darkened under the shade of his lashes reminded Cordelia of Menae's irises. Now that she thought about it, the pale shade of his strawberry blond hair was also somewhat similar to her late mother's. He was truly a beautiful demon, one that exuded charisma and power with the littlest moves. 

She did not know which clan he emanated from, but she could assert that whichever it was, the male held power. The man's features were pure and ethereal, giving off an alienating kind of aura when he wasn't smiling, yet the moment the edges of his almond-shaped eyes bent, followed by the slight quirk of his lips, it was like snow under sunrays. The feeling of intimidation would melt away, welcoming a sense of inextricable attraction.

"I have been meaning to meet with you for quite some time now, My Lady, but the opportunity never arose until now," Aku confessed, face unapologetic and carrying the same hint of a smile as before.

"Oh?"

"Yes, Karlheinz—" Cordelia noted the use of her Husband's name and the smoothness of the Demon's voice as he uttered it, "is a secretive man. It is quite hard to get a read on him."

Cordelia's eyes narrowed a fraction. "That is quite true. My Husband likes to keep things to himself. He is always away working on experiments or meeting other nobles as far as I can tell."

Aku nodded. "I suppose that you wouldn't know what he has been working on, My Lady?"

There was a slight pause in Cordelia's speech as she ascertained that the male in front of him wanted her to keep tabs on her Husband. She wasn't sure of the hostility between this Lord Aku and the Vampire Lord. She only knew that information shouldn't be given out for free. So Cordelia smiled. She played dumb and waited for her bribe.

As if awaiting this moment, Aku snapped his fingers. "If you will," he said, motioning to the Shadow Demon that appeared by his side and the box carefully held in his hands. "A small token of my appreciation."

Cordelia accepted the box with a dubious smile. She brushed over the engraved crest, feeling it to be somewhat familiar as she opened it with gentle care. The old-fashioned pendant that laid inside, a ceramic cameo of high quality hanging from it, left her momentarily breathless.

How long had it been since she last saw a shadow of this face?

Aku's lips twisted into a knowing smirk, his eyes glinted a calculative light, and he chuckled.

Cordelia did not know if the man was friend or foe, but she felt that with such a connection, there was nothing to lose in telling him more about Karlheinz's plans.

"Ah— Father!" the sweet voice of the girl filled the training ground as she abruptly stood from her sitting position to hurry to the said First Blood. Her blond curly hair flew behind her as her pair of wolf ears twitched in excitement, the swishing of her tail adding to her animated display.

Aku spared the girl a look, his golden eyes carrying nothing but passive acknowledgment as he allowed his lips to twist in a shallow smile.

"Did you come to see us, Father?" the girl excitedly asked as she neared the male. Consciously, she left two meters in between them.

There was a pause on Aku's side as he observed his youngest train with the makeshift dummies. His movements were flawless and precise. Even those with sight wouldn't necessarily do better than him. Omega was born blind, but it didn't seem like much of a handicap when he fought.

"Yes."

Alpha refrained the squeal from leaving her lips. Her rosy cheeks turned a healthier color as dimples appeared on each of them, and her golden eyes twinkled with unhidden joy. To say that Alpha loved her Father would be an understatement. Alpha absolutely adored and revered him, and if that had to do with some intensive brainwashing Kagamine submitted her to since she was young, she had no idea.

Aku's eyes remained on Omega's figure for a few more seconds, quickly taking notes of how the younger put more effort the moment he laid eyes on him before he slid his gaze to look at Alpha.

"I have a task for you. Follow me," he ordered.

Alpha grinned, her sharp canine peeking out as her eyes shone in bright delight, a feral light glinting through them at the thought of another mission.

Alpha and Omega were twins raised to become guards more than children. Since young, the number of missions they went on was uncountable, but one thing was for sure, it outnumbered the times they met or talked with their father.

The female werewolf's tail swayed in unhidden happiness as she giddily followed behind her father, a calculated meter standing in between them as per protocol.