Benichiyo Ohtani

## History/Plot

Benichiyo was born to Haruki Ohtani, a forty-seven-year-old vampire noble, and Reina Kusanagi, a twenty-one-year-old human servant under Haruki’s order. She was the product of a short-lived affair, and her father had a vampire wife named Chieko.

Benichiyo’s mother, who was the only one excited for her birth, passed away in the end and left Haruki with the child. The man considered giving the child up for adoption, but Chieko sternly told him to take responsibility. Benichiyo was raised as the child between the two, never knowing about her late mother.

As she grew older, she started to suffer at the hands of her three half-brothers. Soon, their torture bordered into something more sexual, which Benichiyo was horrified about. She trusted her half-sister with this information, who was jealous of the attention that she got from the brothers. When she brought her situation up to her stepmother, she was met with immediate hostility, and her stepmother threatened that if she were to tell anyone, Benichiyo would be kicked out of the house.

Benichiyo is engaged to marry Shuu Sakamaki, the eldest son of the Vampire King, after their fathers made an agreement. The young girl was arranged to meet her future husband at an annual masquerade, and their family prepared her in etiquette.

The day came when she finally had to meet her betrothed. However, things didn't go as planned and she ends up meeting Reiji first. The latter makes a snide comment about her lack of etiquette, which she snaps back to. This sparks a conversation between the two before Beatrix finds them.

Benichiyo is treated distantly by Beatrix, which she later learns to be because she is a dhampir, and the latter does not believe that her son should marry her. She never felt anything toward Shuu, but she found herself attracted to the boy who had made fun of her habits. The boy, in turn, found himself developing a crush on her after a few more meetings with her.

At some point, Benichiyo is sent away to learn at a reform school, as per Beatrix’s request. She was only able to send letters to Reiji as no one else would answer her back, kindling an even deeper friendship between the two. At this reform school, it is beaten into her that her only worth lies in her dowry and marriage, nothing else. Some teachers go as far as beating Benichiyo and the other girls. Finally, Benichiyo is deemed ‘worthy’ and is sent back.

Benichiyo makes large advances to build a relationship with Shuu like they had taught her at the reform school. One day, Reiji confronts her, to which she coldly replies that she must bond with her ‘true fiance’. Reiji distances himself away from her as she succeeds in growing closer to the eldest.

One time, Reiji notices little marks on her neck and he assumes that she is flaunting love marks. Upon realizing that it was an entirely different situation, he practically forces her to tell him, with the threat of him poisoning her if she won’t. Once he finally learns of the situation, he brings about the death of her second oldest brother, Hinote, as a warning.

During the time that Reiji is ignoring her, Benichiyo slowly realizes that she has a deep attachment to him and greatly misses his company. Still, she shoves down this realization and tries to focus on romancing Shuu.

Benichiyo and Shuu have a very rocky relationship, and the two of them never do truly fall in love with each other. Per Beatrix’s request, the two of them spend a certain amount of hours together. They have physical relations with each other on a number of occasions.

During a ball, Benichiyo notices Reiji slipping away from the crowds and decides to slip away as well. Following him to a maze, she accidentally makes her presence known. The two of them get into an argument, some of it being focused on her getting close with Shuu and him growing more and more distant. During this argument, they share a sudden kiss. The two of them decide to take their affairs back to Benichiyo’s room after Reiji makes sure to confirm that Benichiyo will not regret their night.

The morning after, Benichiyo refused to react to his advances, not bearing to look at him and sending him away. Though she did not particularly regret the night, she couldn’t help but feel like she had betrayed her fiance. A few weeks later, the girl began to suffer from nausea. When looked over by a doctor, it is revealed that she was pregnant. She and Reiji have a tense encounter where she confesses to him that the child is his.

Despite Reiji’s suggestion for her to come clean to Shuu and marry the former, Benichiyo does not tell her fiance of any of this and continues with the pregnancy. During the pregnancy, she makes sure to keep Reiji updated on the different milestones and goes to meet him in his study sometimes. Reiji helps her deliver the child, which was a very long and difficult process. Benichiyo nearly passed away in childbirth, exactly like her birth mother. Though she is significantly weakened by the birth, she manages to survive and names her daughter ‘Reina’ after her mother. She and Reiji share a moment with each other where they both agree to tell Shuu. However, when the moment comes, Benichiyo chickens out and doesn’t tell him. She and Reiji, once again, share another argument.

Six weeks after giving birth, Benichiyo suffers from postpartum depression, which continues for several months. During this, Reiji takes it upon himself to look after Reina. Shuu mostly stays out of the picture, but he does check in on Benichiyo and Reina from time to time. At one point, Reiji prevents him from holding and trying to comfort a crying Reina.

Reiji and Benichiyo have an argument over the fact that she did not originally tell Shuu of Reina’s father. During this, she pleads with him to tell his brother. Instead, he says that he wants her to “own up to her actions”. They have a fight, during which Benichiyo says that they are both the parents of Reina and should reach an agreement. Reiji snaps back that she “has hardly been a mother” to Reina.

## Family

* Haruki Ohtani (Father)
* Reina Kusanagi (Mother)
* Chieko Tanaka (Stepmother)
* Daiki Ohtani (Older paternal half-brother)
* Hinote Ohtani (Older paternal half-brother)
* Haruto Ohtani (Older paternal half-brother)
* Ayako Ohtani (Older paternal half-sister)