Blood Awakening: The Strongest Hybrid and His Vampire Bride-Chapter 348: Festival of the Moon

Even though the situation wasn't good, the festival that followed a new patriarch couldn't be forgotten. The Festival of the Moon was something that celebrated the rise and acceptance of a new patriarch for the members of the clan.

Vampires also had their version of the celebration of a new patriarch.

Kumiko's clones paced quietly through the wide, sun-dappled chamber, their bare feet whispering against polished floors as they tidied up robes, brushed stray strands of hair, and laid out fresh towels with perfect, ghostly precision.

The real Kumiko sat neatly in the centre of the room, her hands folded on her lap, back straight, as composed as a doll in a festival window.

Around her, the others sprawled more naturally.

Selene, Risa, and Nikita sat close together near the low hearth, basking in the weak warmth it offered. Their robes hung open at the throat, silver hair and tails brushing lightly against each other when they shifted.

Amphitrite stretched herself across the large black sofa, arms thrown lazily over the backrest, her bare legs gleaming in the soft morning light. She looked like she owned the place.

Lunaria lingered near the windows, absently tracing the carved frame with her fingertip, her pink hair soft and tousled around her flushed cheeks.

Despite everything that happened, their bodies ached with a dull feeling after the constant rituals; the room became settled into a sense of tentative peace.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then Risa broke the silence, tossing her head back dramatically.

"I swear, if they make us walk around naked again for the Festival, I'm going to make someone trip just for fun."

Selene gave a soft, nearly soundless laugh. "You're impossible."

"Hey," Risa grinned, wagging a finger. "If we're paraded like prized mares, we might as well enjoy the show."

Nikita snickered, flopping backwards onto the floor, arms spread wide. "If you trip, just land dramatically. Bonus points if you cry about your poor little paws getting bruised."

"It's probably nothing like that, this is for the people to celebrate their new patriarch and his spouse, it's probably nothing serious." Kumiko quietly added while smoothing her robe.

"True, but it makes some nervous."

"You're so mentally weak, Risa." Selene added while smiling at the nekomat, who looked a little pale and nervous.

"Spoken like a true princess," Amphitrite purred. "But honestly...I think parading sounds fun."

Amphitrite's voice dripped with amusement, her long legs shifting idly on the sofa.

"But fun doesn't mean foolish," she added with a slow stretch. "It's not about being seen. It's about being admired… properly."

Kumiko gave a small nod, hands resting delicately on her folded knees. "The Festival of the Moon is a celebration of strength and unity. It is not... vulgar."

Risa exhaled loudly, ruffling her silver hair with both hands. "Yeah, yeah. I get it. Just—" she flicked a glance at Selene, then Nikita "—you can't blame a girl for feeling a little jittery. All those people staring... it's not like we can bite their heads off if they look too long."

Selene chuckled softly, a true sound this time. "That's what the guards are for."

"And Nikolai," Nikita grinned, tossing a cushion into the air and catching it with lazy precision. "He's the only one we're allowed to bite, anyway."

Amphitrite smirked. "If he lets you."

That earned a round of quiet laughter.

Lunaria, still lingering near the window, tugged her sleeve down a little tighter around her hand.

"Will it really be that many people?" she asked, her voice soft.

Kumiko's clones moved almost imperceptibly around the room, one brushing a fresh robe over a chair, another adjusting the flowers in a vase.

"Thousands," Kumiko said gently. "From every branch family. Every allied clan. Even a few foreign dignitaries may come to witness the new Patriarch."

Lunaria's eyes widened slightly. "But they won't... touch us, right?"

"Of course not," Kumiko said with a soft voice, before offering a warm tea to everyone else.

Selene shook her head. "No one would dare."

"It's about showing our strength," Nikita said, sitting up straighter now, tossing the cushion aside. "Showing we're worthy to stand beside him. It's pride. Not shame."

Risa grinned, showing a small flash of sharp teeth. "And showing we're prettier than any of those stuck-up daughters from the branch families."

"That too," Nikita laughed.

Amphitrite leaned her head back, closing her eyes. "It's a dance, Lunaria. A slow, careful dance. One step wrong, and you stumble. One step right..." She smiled. "You own the floor."

Lunaria swallowed hard, her hand clenching the window frame.

"Don't worry," Nikita said, tossing her a crooked smile. "You'll do fine. Just stick with us."

Selene gave a small, elegant nod. "We're not alone in this."

Kumiko rose gracefully, smoothing her sleeves.

"Well, it's normally a festival with one woman against the entire crowd, at least we can stand together. Isn't that something significantly better than normal?" The mature kitsune flicked her tails, each of her clones finishing the girl's makeup.

"Kumi~ you're so kind and gentle, like a mother."

The ache of last night's rituals still throbbed in their bodies, but now, something steadier was building under the surface.

Resolve and a sense of unity.

Risa stroked her stomach with a slightly nervous look, while Nikita and Selene both chuckled beside her.

The door to the chamber opened without warning.

The women turned automatically, adjusting their robes or sitting up straighter as Nikolai stepped inside.

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He wore a simple black robe, one hand tucked into his belt, his silver hair still slightly messy from the earlier council meeting, and red eyes swept over them, calm and steady.

Kumiko rose from her seat immediately, offering a small, respectful bow. Her clones followed behind her in perfect sync.

Selene stood gracefully, adjusting the collar of her robe.

"Don't stand, you can keep sitting, girls," Nikolai smiled as he stepped into the room.

The tension eased immediately.

Selene quietly settled back down near the hearth without a word, smoothing her robe with a graceful movement.

Risa flopped back onto the cushions without hesitation, her tail flicking behind her in lazy circles.

Nikita stretched her arms overhead with a small grunt and rolled her shoulders loose.

Kumiko remained standing in the centre of the room, her clones vanishing soundlessly to the sides, leaving only the real one behind. Amphitrite tilted her head lazily against the sofa, watching Nikolai with a half-smile, her legs swinging slowly off the edge.

Lunaria stayed by the window, but her hands finally loosened from the hem of her robe.

Nikolai watched them all closely, taking his time to enjoy the sight, before his lips curled into a smile and he made a comment, stepping closer. "You look better than I expected."

"Hehe, what did you expect from your wives?" Nikita's cheeky voice echoed as she beamed.

"Well, last night was awfully amazing... right, Selene?"

"Risa...!" Selene blushed, turning away but nodding subtly.

He couldn't help but chuckle at his wives, who seemed more unified than expected.... Somehow, he worried they might fight like cats and dogs.

But then he focused his gaze on Selene, Nikita and Risa... before flicking to Kumiko. "You should rest a little longer," he said. "Once the formal preparations start... We'll be busy for hours."

Kumiko bowed her head lightly. "We understand."

Amphitrite stretched again, her voice lazy. "Will you be watching?"

Nikolai shrugged. "Of course."

Risa snickered. "Better behave then. No tripping, no crying."

"You're the one who's most likely to trip," Selene said calmly.

Risa stuck out her tongue at her, making Nikita laugh under her breath.

Nikolai's eyes moved briefly over Nikita, Selene, and Risa, lingering just a moment longer on the three of them.

He noticed how Risa's hand still brushed her stomach sometimes without thinking.

He didn't comment on it aloud.

Instead, he said, "You three — don't push yourselves. No matter what the trainers say."

Nikolai finally stepped back, glancing at the polished clock embedded in the far wall.

"Another hour or two, then we begin," he said. "I'll see you again after the first lessons."

He turned toward the door but paused.

"...I'm proud... to be all of your husband," he said simply, without looking back.

Then he left quietly, because of the festival, he couldn't kiss them or disturb their 'aura' as was the superstition of a new Patriarch, hence the twenty-four hour ritual, it was a twenty-four hour ritual where they couldn't do anything sexual.

The room remained quiet for several moments before Nikita flopped against the soft cushions and made a dramatic sigh. "Did you hear that? He's proud to be our husband."

"He rarely says something that he doesn't mean," Kumiko added, a small smile on her lips.

"Yeah, yeah," Risa said, brushing her hair out of her face.

Selene folded her hands neatly over her knees, her silver eyes calm. "We won't."

Amphitrite smiled lazily from her place on the sofa.

"We'll own that stage," she said.

And for the first time, Lunaria nodded too, softly, to herself.

Another knock sounded at the door, but this time they knew... it was the time for them to meet their people, the people who would serve them and look to them for the future.