Chapter 617: Daughters Before Warriors

Maria was pacing in circles across her room, the hem of her gown fluttering around her ankles as she moved restlessly from one end to another.

Her face was pale with worry and she had barely slept the night before.

After all, she couldn’t stop thinking that something had gone wrong.

When she had come back from her bath last night, she’d expected to see Joy and Carmela sitting where she’d left them.

They were just there a moment ago.

But when she stepped back into the room, it was empty, and their voices were gone.

At first, she thought nothing of it.

Maybe they had gone out for a walk.

Maybe they were chatting somewhere.

So she waited. And waited.

But the hours passed.

Midnight came and went. And still, they didn’t return.

By morning, the beds were still untouched and the silence in the room felt unnatural.

She had asked the maids—every single one she could find—but all had shaken their heads with clueless expressions.

No one had seen Joy or Carmela since last evening.

That was when panic began to set in.

This was because, Joy usually always told her where she was going.

Even when it was for dangerous hunts or church matters, she would at least leave a note.

The only times she didn’t were when the situation was dire—when something so urgent came up that she couldn’t afford even a moment to explain.

And Carmela...though she was newer to the family, Maria already saw her as one of her own.

The thought of both girls disappearing together sent dread straight into her heart.

She tried to calm herself, tried to remind herself that they were both strong—two of the strongest women on the continent.

But that did little to soothe her.

To her, they weren’t warriors.

They were her daughters.

And as if that weren’t enough—Cassius, too, was missing.

When she’d asked the servants, they only laughed softly and reassured her.

"The Young Master often goes out without notice." they said. "He’s unpredictable. There’s nothing to worry about, Madam."

But how could she not worry?

Her imagination raced wildly.

What if Joy and Cassius had argued again?

What if Joy, in a moment of anger or hurt, had done something rash?

She wasn’t normally the type to lose control, but Maria knew her daughter’s emotional state lately—turbulent, uncertain.

And Cassius, with his teasing, could so easily provoke her.

Or worse—what if both Joy and Carmela had gone after Cassius?

What if something had happened to all three of them?

The possibilities tore at her mind until she couldn’t bear it any longer.

"I can’t just stand here." She muttered, wringing her hands. "I’ll go speak to Aqua. Maybe she can—"

But before she could take another step, the door to her room creaked open.

Maria froze mid-stride and then her breath caught in her throat.

Standing in the doorway were Joy and Carmela.

Her heart leapt with relief at first, an overwhelming flood of joy washing through her.

"Oh, thank the Goddess!" She gasped, rushing toward them.

But that relief evaporated almost instantly—replaced by sheer horror.

Both women were covered in blood.

Joy’s white nun’s robe was soaked through, every inch stained deep crimson. Her hair, once pink, was streaked with red.

And Carmela—her dark skin was splattered with blood across her cheeks and neck, her crimson eyes gleaming against the contrast, her lips dark and red, her fangs slightly visible, making her look all the more terrifying.

Yet both of them wore faint smiles, like people returning from an enjoyable night out.

Maria’s voice trembled.

"You two—what...what happened to you?"

She cried, rushing to them.

"Where have you been all night? Why are you covered in blood?!"

Joy stepped past her mother without answering, her tone calm.

"Do you really need to ask, Mother?"

Maria turned, stunned.

Joy sighed, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

"It’s the same thing as always." She said dryly. "I was out on the hunt. For sinners."

Her tone was casual, but the way she exchanged a quick glance with Carmela told Maria it had been no ordinary hunt.

"There were many tonight. Far more than usual. Carmela and I...took care of them."

Carmela nodded in quiet agreement, wiping a faint streak of dried blood from her chin.

"Yes. There was quite a lot of prey to catch tonight."

"It was...a productive evening."

Joy chuckled faintly. "You could say that."

Maria, however, was far from amused.

"Productive?" She repeated sharply, her hands balling into fists. "Do you think this is something to smile about? You left without saying a single word, Joy! Not a note, not a whisper! I was worried sick!"

Joy exhaled slowly, rubbing her temple. "Mother..."

"No, don’t ’Mother’ me!"

Maria snapped, stepping forward.

"You know your duties and responsibilities, yes, but you also know you have people who care for you. You could have at least said something!"

Joy turned her head slightly, looking almost guilty—but only for a second.

"There wasn’t time. It was...urgent."

Maria frowned deeply. "You still could have—"

"If you don’t believe me..."

Joy interrupted, pointing casually toward Carmela like a girl putting the blame on her sister.

"Ask her."

Carmela, caught off guard, blinked rapidly.

"Ah—yes, Moth—"

She stopped, realizing what she had almost said, and quickly corrected herself.

"...Miss Maria.We really couldn’t wait last night. It was sudden. But we’re both fine. It’s not our blood."

Maria exhaled in disappointment that Carmela didn’t go through with calling her mother—until her brows furrowed again.

She marched up to Carmela and poked her finger against the vampire’s chest.

"Young lady." She scolded. "That does not excuse running off like that! You should have told someone where you were going."

"I already know Joy can be stubborn—but you, too? You’re supposed to be the reasonable one!"

Carmela froze, blinking as Maria’s words hit her like a slap.

No one had spoken to her that way in years.

"You may be powerful, and you may be independent." Maria continued sternly. "But that doesn’t mean you can just act on your own anymore."

"You have a mother now. A mother who worries herself sick over you! Do you understand?"

For a moment, Carmela just stood there, blinking, as if unsure how to react.

Then, unexpectedly, her expression softened.

Her lips quivered faintly before curling into a small, shy smile.

"...Yes, Miss Maria." She murmured softly. "You’re right. I’ll...try to behave better next time."

Maria blinked at her, then smiled despite herself.

"Good girl. That’s all I ask."

Then, suddenly remembering, she gasped.

"Wait—Cassius! Was Cassius with you two? Where is he now? Did something happen?"

Joy and Carmela exchanged a brief, nervous glance.

Technically, they had fought him—but not in the way Maria would ever imagine.

But at the same time, neither of them wanted to admit how he was playing around with them and how horribly they lost

So Joy quickly said, "No, we didn’t fight with Cassius or anything. You don’t have to worry. He’s fine."

Carmela nodded. "Yes, in fact, he said he was going to bathe and clean up. He should be in the bathroom right now."

Maria finally let out a deep sigh of relief, pressing a hand to her chest.

"Oh, thank goodness...all three of you are safe."

She smiled softly—but then her expression changed as a thought struck her.

"Wait." She murmured. "Didn’t Aqua also say she was going to take a bath earlier?"

Her eyes widened slightly as a mischievous idea crossed her mind—but then she shook her head with a laugh.

"No, no. There are plenty of baths in this estate. They won’t meet."

Turning back to the two girls, her motherly demeanor returned in full force.

"Now then." She said, clapping her hands together. "You two look absolutely dreadful. Come along."

"What—?"

"I’ve already had my bath." Maria said cheerfully, taking each of them by the hand. "But seeing you like this, I think you both need extra help. Let your mother scrub you down properly."

Joy’s composure broke immediately.

"Mother, there’s no need. I can—"

Carmela also stammered.

"N-No, it’s fine, Miss Maria, I can handle it myself—"

Maria turned and gave them both a stern, warning glance—the kind that could silence an army.

Both froze.

Joy sighed in defeat. Carmela lowered her head, cheeks flushing faintly.

"Good." Maria said sweetly, smiling again. "Now come along, both of you. No arguments."

And so, moments later, the household heard the faint sounds of water splashing and Maria’s voice cheerfully scolding her two blood-soaked daughters—

—while Joy groaned in embarrassment, and Carmela, for the first time in ages, felt something warm and unfamiliar bloom quietly in her chest.

It wasn’t just warmth. It was family.

—

Aqua practically floated down the wide, sunlit corridor of the mansion’s east wing, her arms wrapped tightly around a large basket overflowing with soaps and skincare products she was taking to the bathroom.

Her cheeks glowed. Not from powder or rouge, but from the kind of inner radiance that no cosmetic could replicate.

After all, last night had been...magical.

Not in the spellbook sense.

In the giggling-until-your-stomach-hurts, falling-over-each-other, losing-track-of-time sense.

It had started innocently enough: just Aqua and Cassius’s wives gathered in the largest guest suite, sharing wine and stories.

Then the maids had slipped in one by one, first claiming they were just tidying up—

—then abandoning all pretense and flopping onto the mountain of pillows with gleeful squeals.

What followed was hours of giggling so loud and wild it sounded like a whole pack of hyenas had taken up residence in the mansion.

They’d played every childish game they could think of: hide-and-seek that devolved into shrieking chases through the hallways, pillow fights so ferocious that feathers still drifted from the ceiling beams this morning.

And then, inevitably, the conversation turned to love.

Or rather...to Cassius.