"Sir?"

"Yes, my dear?"

"I was wondering for awhile now..." The petite blonde bit her lip shyly. "Actually, never mind."

"You need not censor yourself. Ask away."

"Um. Why did you take more than one wife?"

"The Vampire King is entitled to three consorts for the sake of ensuring the birth of an heir."

"With six sons to boast, surely that couldn't have been your only motivation."

"And if I said that it was?"

"I would be forced to assume something unsavory about your character."

Karlheinz laughed heartily and looked up from his work.

"Well, I doubt that my story would change your judgment. Would you like to hear it anyway?"

"Yes please."

"Settle down then, my dear."

Yuuki obeyed and plopped onto an embroidered floor cushion like a child preparing for story time. Karlheinz set aside the papers he had been writing on with a finely crafted fountain pen and turned himself to face her.

"Where should I begin?"

"With Cordelia, I presume?"

"Ah, of course. But before that, let me say that my relationship with her has somewhat soured after learning how she has harmed you. In any case," Karlheinz cleared his throat. "I married my first wife because the Demon Lord's daughter was supposed to be the salvation of my kingdom. She was naive and proud and beautiful. Despite her many charming qualities befitting any court lady, I shortly realized she was unfit to be a ruler. She was far too – and I say this in the kindest manner possible – self-centered and frivolous to care for a nation."

"I can attest to that. Responsibility was not among her many charming qualities."

He nodded solemnly. "No, I'm afraid not. Further, the Royal Demoness was fairly unpopular amongst my vassals unless they happened to be her lovers."

Yuuki was taken aback by the lack of ceremony with which he said it. "Umm..."

"I was privy to the many rumors claiming that she was inviting others into her bed chambers," the Vampire King explained. "I am well aware of my mate's scandalous reputation. She was a bit of an exhibitionist, you see. And very vocally talented when she wanted to be."

The young vampirette felt a little sick. "So you turned away from her and took in another."

"Yes. Lady Beatrix was the most refined vampiress I had ever had the fortune to meet. I could rely on her. And so, I married her for the sake of the kingdom. She bore me two splendid sons. I was satisfied with this and knew she was capable of raising them well - along with maintaining my household while I attended to other business." He rapped his fingers against his right knee. "But my mischievous Cordelia, who had not one inclination towards motherhood, grew jealous. While Beatrix sat next to me on the throne, Cordelia stood beside me in order to whisper sweet seductions into my ear. I entertained my wife. And she happily became pregnant with twins. Laito – who was conceived in the throne room itself, out of spite perhaps – split within her womb, so she delivered a third runt. I refuse to believe that Kanato may have been Richter's child. I bedded my wife multiple times during that early period and I doubt she was left unsatisfied enough to desire anyone else."

"Oh." Yuuki paused in order to swallow this shocking revelation: Kanato. Possibly illegitimate? How... tragic. And how ironic that Laito was conceived on the throne itself, in which case Ayato was born with the same status. Nobody could deny the fact that the latter had nobility running through his veins even if they despised the fact that he was a half-blood prince, son of the Demon Lord's daughter. And then to fall in love with the Sacrificial Bride who possessed his mother's very heart! It was almost as if he was fated to become the Vampire King.

She cocked her head and asked the current one, "You did not investigate to find the truth of the matter?"

"Why should I? An investigation would only reveal that the child was either mine or my brother's and nothing more. We are too close genetically to have been able to differentiate with the technology that existed back in the day. As children, we had bitten each other quite a few times as well and shared blood. Besides, I was the man who took responsibility for Cordelia's children and provided them a means to live. Even if only in name, I am still his father... Even if she is unfaithful to me, I am still her husband."

"Did you love her?"

"No, my dear. I did not love that woman. I gave her everything but my heart. Do you know what she told me when I went to see my three new boys?"

"What?"

"Exhausted from the three days of labor, she held Laito in her arms while Kanato slept on her lap. So I personally carried the smallest infant – freshly returned to us from his first bath. Cordelia looked up at me and triumphantly declared: See this one? He is Laito, your present to me. He will be my divine pleasure. And this is his younger brother Kanato. He was conceived in play and so he will be my amusement. So I looked down at the boy in my arms. And this child? I asked. She smiled then, a cruel smile. That, she said, is my present to you. Your heir, Ayato. He will be my revenge and the proof my success."

"So you knew of her intentions from the start?"

"Oh, certainly. She dedicated her least beloved son to me because I had dared to make another woman my true partner. Like one who cannot seriously be angered by a child's antics, however, I didn't mind her trouble-making ways. Until one particular incident, that is."

"What happened?"

"Cordelia refused to nurse her youngest son even though the baby's shrieks could be heard throughout the palace. With her two older boys already latched onto her breasts, she kept saying, Let him drink blood! Let him drink blood! Let that boy be a true vampire! What king relies on the comfort of his mother? Let Ayato grow up and find comfort between another woman's legs for all I care!" Karlheinz laced his hands together and placed them on his lap. "After hearing this speech, Beatrix scooped down to pick up the babe and let him drink from her own life-milk. She had just miscarried around this time, mind you."

"Beatrix was pregnant with a third child?"

"Cordelia began her shenanigans as soon as we received the happy news... The triplets were meant to have a sister their age because they were bound to be premature. We - Beatrix and I - were both devastated to lose our little princess." The Vampire King smiled sadly. "I am very grateful to Beatrix for stepping up to become Ayato's wet nurse. In doing so, she became a second mother to him. She did all everything without any desire for recognition or praise. We even kept this affair a secret to preserve her dignity as a Queen. I find it somewhat painful to admit that even the boys do not know of the great debt he owes her."

"And yet those two women continued to be so hostile towards each other? You never stopped Cordelia from bullying Beatrix at every opportunity?"

"She is my first wife, after all. They were members of my family and I refused to pick favorites."

"But the situation was clearly complicated, so why bring Christa into the fray?"

At this question, Karlheinz inhaled deeply and diverted his gaze away from his student. Yuuki's eyes widened when she saw a broken man before her for a split second.

"I'm sorry, sir. These are clearly very intimate details and I-I should have not pushed you to share them."

The elderly vampire wordlessly gestured for her to stay where she was. The petite blonde hushed herself and waited patiently for him to continue if he so desired.

"No, you have the right to hear about these affairs as you are most closely affected by them. I... I've barely spoken about her since passed away." Karlheinz finally voiced, turning his intense golden eyes back to meet her pink lemonade ones. "She was my rose, my cousin. I loved Christa for many, many years before deciding to court her. She agreed to be my wife despite her fragility. We had never... We hesitated to let our mutual feelings be known because we feared that she would not have the stamina to take such a dangerous and taxing role as the Vampire Queen."

Did she gain courage now that two others shared the weight of that role? Yuuki thought to herself, refusing to interrupt him to ask.

"It seems I pushed her too far in the end. I didn't realize my flaw until after I consummated the marriage. And once Subaru came into the world, her mentality began to crumble. It was hard for me to see her break down. She occasionally would go into fits and attack the people around her. On one occasion, she almost strangled her sleeping baby had I not managed to stop her. Some time later, we were forced to confine her to a tower for her own safety. And, as I understand it, she eventually managed to convince her own child to take her life..."

The King blinked away a thin film of tears, his voice gruff with emotion that he was not allowed to show on any occasion. So the vampirette saw her future father-in-law dispel the moment of weakness, covering the still-bleeding wound with a hard shell. It was the mask – the armor he donned every waking moment.

"It is the most tragic romance I've had the misfortune of experiencing." Karlheinz concluded. "But it was certainly harder for Subaru, who I could not look at for many years. He took after his lovely mother and their uncanny resemblance was... In any case, my youngest son understandably grew distant from me. I never had the gall to scold him for his delinquent behaviors. Even as his father, I do not have the right... You are fidgeting, child. What is the matter?"

Yuuki retreated a bit before saying, "Subaru believes that... He told me that you raped Christa and he was a product of that incident. Is that true?"

Karlheinz frowned and stared off into the middle distance.

"That may be the case," he mused dishearteningly. "If Christa was indeed unwilling that night, I am definitely responsible for hurting her. Some people are stupid enough to think that a husband's unwanted advances are never..." The vampire trailed off. "I am an evil, evil man, Miss Komori. If Subaru blames me and claims that, then let him do so. It may lift some dark burden from his shoulders and his conscience."

"You do not hate him for killing your lover?"

"He was a mere child at the time! He had no inkling about the severity of his misguided actions. No, I do not hate any of my offspring. When Christa passed away long before her time, I resolved to protect the rest of my family. I moved them to my castle in Japan, away from the nobles and politics and such distractions. The English wouldn't miss us. We spent about a decade in this beautiful country living in peace until a vampire hunter tracked us down and murdered Beatrix. A few months later, I lost Cordelia at the hands of her sons."

"What was the punishment?"

"There weren't any. Vampire Law is much more lenient when it comes to death. Hunters are allowed to exist because they keep us immortals in check. There are many individuals who refuse to obey my administration so I rely on the hunters to protect their fellow humans against any rogues. I am good friends with one such individual, actually."

"Sorry, I meant to ask whether or not the triplets were punished."

"Nor they, my dear. Cordelia was their mother. Any killings that occur within a family are unregulated by other supernaturals – especially if they are deemed to be acts of love. The reason why I sent Ayato away was because he laid his hands on a member of another clan. We cannot afford to have any bad blood because a grudge may easily last longer than a century. Angering another group for no good reason is an unwritten taboo."

"So Ayato was punished for who he killed, not for the act of killing." Yuuki summarized disdainfully. Long after she had come to terms with their circumstances, she still felt a little disgusted.

"This is the way of our people. It is why humans paint us as monsters." Karl Heinz shook his head. "But just as we are capable of great destruction, we are capable of immense good. It is the duty of the royalty to secretly protect the human population as we simultaneously feed on them. We take on this role with humility, knowing that our contributions, our efforts, will never be known and recognized by a vast majority of the very people we serve. We are not monsters, my dear. We are intelligent and elegant. Our system, which seems barbarous at first glance, is filled with intricate regulations to counter our primal natures. This is what I am training you to understand. I have spent the past couple of weeks teaching you so that you may come to be fluent in our language and culture. Over the next couple of years, I intend to give you a liberal arts education befitting the next Vampire Queen."

"Um. Recently, I've... realized that my actions will affect your entire nation. Seeing that I don't even know anything about the vampires outside of this estate, don't you think it's a bit unfair to your people?"

"Not at all. We've always elected the strongest and most capable to rule. At the moment, that would be the girl who fulfills the prophecy and her mate." He gave her a pointed look. "Not to mention that since the beginning of my reign until now, the Sakamaki clan has concentrated the greatest amount of power. The supernatural world continues to support us and expects us to continue bearing this role."

"I'm not disputing the Sakamakis' strength. All of your sons are equally capable individuals."

"Indeed."

"But surely you have an idea about who should succeed you."

"I would be happy to have any of them take this burden off my shoulders."

"Please, sir. Answer me seriously. I am very troubled by this matter."

"Who do you think deserves this place, then?"

"My judgment would be clouded by my personal ties with them."

"I am asking for your opinion, my dear. Nothing more."

The petite blonde sighed. "Well, I am aware that both Kanato and Subaru have no ambition to seize the throne. So that leaves the other four."

"Cordelia's and Beatrix's spawn, eh? Their rivalry still continues even after they've passed."

"So it would seem."

"Out of these, you know perfectly well who will take the crown from me."

Yuuki hesitated. "Sir?"

"You have already chosen Ayato as your partner in life, have you not?"

"Uh, no..." She blushed profoundly. "I am weary of choosing someone unsuited for the task because of my selfish desire to pursue a romance."

"Do you not believe him to be worthy?"

"That's not it, exactly. I just don't know if Ayato is a better option compared to the others. What if somebody else is a better ruler or deserves it more than he does? Do I have the right to sway that debate before they even have a chance to prove themselves? I was hoping you would be able to give me some advice so that I know who I should support. Because I technically could support any one of them."

"You should support whoever you wish. But I will tell you what I think of the four. Shu is prepared to take my position at a moment's notice. I know he may seem lazy and unmotivated, but he is very reliable and trustworthy. Consider him dormant if anything because I know Beatrix has equipped him with every tool to rule. Reiji is the same. He would be a very politically saavy king. I find that boy to be incredibly perceptive. He never oversteps his boundaries although he has an impressive amount of talent compared to all of his peers. You would be wise to make an ally out of him. I would be content if you chose either of them to be your husband. Laito, too, shows much promise. He is the most diplomatic out of the six. I've never known him to make an enemy out of anyone. Like Reiji, he would take out any opposition behind the scenes rather than directly confront the problem. The people will find him a charming and charismatic ruler and are sure to follow him anywhere. As his wife, however, you may find him a little treacherous and the history books will note his little adventures with amusement. I must advise you to never let that destroy your relationship, though. He is capable of much loyalty and I can say that he will be highly supportive of whatever you do. And Ayato... Well, you probably know him better than I do. He is a passionate young man. If you can provide him direction, he will be able to accomplish many incredible things. His mother's spartan treatment toughened his spirit. She prepared him in her own way from his childhood. He will be straightforward with his people and fiercely protective of them if ever any danger threatens them. In times of peace, I can see him to be kind and just. He also enjoys his fair share of fun so I can imagine that he will be a patron of the arts and sciences. If he is provided with a trustworthy team of close advisers, I expect our race to experience some sort of a golden age under his reign. Given this evaluation, what do you think, my dear?"

"I think I have misjudged you, sir. You know your family much better than I gave you credit for... I think I finally realize how much pride you have in them."

Karlheinz bowed his head briefly. "Naturally."

"If Kanato or Subaru ever changes their mind, what would you say about them?"

"Hah. Kanato would be a very unpredictable king. He is something of a genius in his own right. I assume he would do something special to the nature of the system itself. He notices patterns before anybody else realizes them. I know that he has taken a liking to art recently. It is a very good occupation for him. He takes things that he sees through a special lens and interprets them in ways that nobody has imagined. I honestly do not know how he would rule if he decided to utilize his power. No, I see him as a follower. He would let you take the wheel for the most part and offer some beautiful insights along the way. Subaru is also more suited to become a military general than a king. Send him off to an army in some man-made war in the Middle East and you will immediately witness his rise in ranks. My youngest son is too hot-headed to rule alone. But if you so desire to make him your mate, know that he will be a great asset to your kingdom. Subaru will strengthen your people and squash any rebellion. He is strong unlike his meek and quiet mother, the White Rose. Expect that boy to be decisive and loyal. That, then, is my analysis."

"Thank you, sir. You have alleviated much of my former confusion."

"Trust your heart, my dear. You've already shown signs of wisdom far beyond your years. Use my sons to your greatest advantage and I will gladly leave my kingdom in your hands. They will all provide the best service you could ever ask for."

"I know. I hope I can live up to everybody's expectations."

Yuuki stood up from her cushion, which had flattened underneath her weight after their long discussion. She curtsied to her king before straightening her posture, her jaw set firmly with some quiet conviction.

"You will, my dear. Do not worry about that. Focus on building your foundation right now and everything will fall into place. In the meanwhile, let Ayato and my other boys establish their own worth."

"Yes sir."

A/N: (Important update from Dec. 2016)

Happy Holidays, y'all! I'm flabbergasted that this chapter was originally written as a Christmas present for you lovely readers back in 2015. Can you believe it's been an entire year since I've uploaded a new installment? I'm so sorry for the long hiatus, but I want to assure you that I'm not dead (yet.) and I'm still actively working on and editing both "Revised" and "Rebirth" (previously titled "Epilogues and Extras"). For the sake of a finished product I can be genuinely proud of, I've been the toughest critic I can possibly be. So if you happen to be one of my older pals, this coming spring might be a good time to re-read from the start of "Revised" to see all the fun new additions. I feel like they've been quite significant in altering the direction of the story-telling.

ALSO, I have just discovered the second season to the anime (which introduces the Mukami brothers) and an English Dub of the first season of Diabolik Lovers (which seems to have a marginally better script than the Japanese). I'm so conflicted as to whether I should watch the two and apply changes accordingly. And yes, I'm hesitant because I know I'll be subjecting myself to another cringe-fest... Thoughts?

And if you've missed the memo from Dec. 2015, here it is:

After looking back and reading my work, I'm come to the sad realization that much of my writing is incredibly juvenile. Yuuki has been coming across as "preachy" recently and it defeats the entire purpose of this series if she's just as annoying as Yui. Her actions should always make sense without me needing to justify them after-the-fact. Therefore, I'm currently going through the chapters already published online and fixing them up. Please don't expect any new ones for awhile and thank you for your patience.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this latest installment. It's nice to get some honest perspective from Karlheinz about his life for once. Most of this stuff is all made up by moi besides the fact that Christa is supposedly his cousin (that is canon, peeps, so don't lash out on me for that little incestuous detail). The fact that he tells all of these secrets to Yuuki really shows how much the two have come to trust each other ^u^ Also, more Shu drama coming up in the near future. Please don't throw your footwear at his beautiful face - that's Ayato's job.

With all the love in the world,

Aeoliana