“Ask me to stay with you forever.”
“…What?”
“Don’t worry on your own. Whatever you want.”
Elysia involuntarily held her breath. What was he talking about now? Did he want to be turned into a vampire… was that it?
All of a sudden?
She tightened her hand on Cassian's chin and furrowed her brow.
“What did Cardell say?”
“No. This is my will.”
“….I haven't decided yet. This is cheating.”
If he said he wanted it too, she wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. However, it was very sudden. How long has it been since Cassian regained his memories?
“Still, it's too sudden. Think about it a little more.”
Saying that, she spat out a deferred answer.
“You seem to like my face more now, but even if I postpone it, my answer will be the same.”
Was that why he asked so persistently? Elysia eventually laughed.
“What can I do with you?”
Even though he didn't answer, Cassian pulled his chin up and buried his lips in the palm of her hand. Moving his lips while meeting her gaze, he pressed his lips once more to the tips of her fingers.
“I thought about whether I should look at the situation a little more and tell you.”
The tips of her fingers tickled his lips.
“…But?”
“In the meantime, every time our eyes meet, I will think about every moment we are together, I hate that.”
I don’t know what the outcome will be, but I’d like to share that, too.
The added words made her want to drive her fangs into his throat right away. Meanwhile, Cassian smiled kindly as if he understood the thought.
“Not now. Cardell needs help.”
“Cardell?”
Then, he briefly explained what had happened after Hail's visit.
So, it meant that he could use Cardell's abilities as well. Oddly enough, they had a conversation without thinking that it would fail. Elysia, still lost in her thoughts, stretched out her arms to Cassian. As he lightly lifted her up, her eyes rose higher.
“Cassian.”
“Huh.”
She didn't immediately speak her words and slowly looked at the bedroom.
It was a place where a lot of things happened… The place where she cried while confessing her identity to him in the past. The place where she confessed that it was really terrible and was afraid to live an eternal life alone.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtElysia lowered her head to look at him.
“It was lonely.”
“Don’t be lonely.”
“It will be difficult.”
“It's harder to see you waiting for me. Leaving you alone once is enough.”
At those words, she smiled lightly and covered his cheek.
“You will regret it someday.”
“As long as the wife is bound to me with an imprint, I won’t regret it.”
The word contained deep possessiveness. Elysia was very satisfied with his answer because he had confessed that he had nothing to regret as long as she was by his side.
“If you become a vampire and choose death, there is no reincarnation.”
That was the reason divine power didn't work. It was because vampires were not permitted in this world. Therefore, there was no divine blessing or reincarnation.
“We’re bound forever, really.”
“….”
Cassian gazed at her without saying anything.
Seeing that, Elysia thought for a moment that he was hesitating, but his eyes showed the contrary. It showed that he wanted to be bound to her forever, as the desire that he couldn't hide was overflowing.
“Dear Lady Elysia.”
“Yes, it’s me.”
“Yes.”
As she pressed his lips tightly, her fingernails crushed the open wounds that hadn't fully healed and dripped blood.
“I won’t back down.”
“Please.”
Uttering so, Cassian slowly closed his eyes. Elysia lowered her head and cupped his lips. Her hand, which had been wrapped around his neck, slowly moved down his neck.
…This fast-beating heart would probably stop.
At the thought, she tried to remember the sound of Cassian's heart, as she did before she changed herself, and she held her palms still.
* * *
A series of large roars erupted over the Jericho Mountains. Elysia, who was standing in the center of the roar, threw off her coat as she was annoyed at being covered in the monster's blood.
“Control your strength.”
“It's because of mother.”
“Is it…?”
Elysia rolled her eyes slightly and scratched her cheek.
“Shall I collect some more?”
“Yes.”
While Cardell tried to lure the monsters down and flicked his fingers, scattering the smell of blood around, Elysia stretched her arms out in front and relaxed her body.
“Should I move myself after a long time?”
“That would be nice, too.”
She succeeded in turning Cassian into a vampire, but there was a problem. He, who met her eyes during the transformation, closed his eyes and didn’t budge.
“Maybe it's the imprint…?”
“No. Imprints won’t make him lose consciousness.”
“Because it was in the middle of the transformation… could it be that?”
“I don’t think so. He’s not sick, he was just asleep."
After she called Hail, he only said that Cassian just fell asleep. It had only been half a day, but thanks to him, Elysia, who got nervous, took Cardell out of the tower.
“Mother seems very angry.”
“Well. I was wondering why so many things flow differently than I know.”
“You don’t have to think so. It's just that there are no other vampires to ask why in unusual cases.”
Cardell was right. Even in the world she was before, there were always exceptions, and there were also unusual cases. She just wouldn’t know. In the end, Elysia sighed again as she was worried about Cassian.
“It’s fortunate that I have Hail.”
“I guess so, too. Father doesn't seem to like him very much.”
“Cassian hates everyone next to me but you.”
The very obvious fact made Cardell laugh uncontrollably.
Looking at her son, Elysia went behind him and grabbed him by the shoulder. Realizing what he meant, Cardell sat down on the floor.
“I’ll tie your hair up.”
“So suddenly?”
“Yes. Let's do it together.”
Cardell nodded his head.
As she was a half-vampire, Hail said she couldn’t fully use her abilities. She didn't feel it herself, of course, but Elysia realized it after she became a real vampire and after using her powers properly. In the previous world, there was no case for her to raise the power to the limit, so she didn't know.
Even if it wasn't the limit, there was no occasion to use strong power.
While waiting for Cassian to be reborn, she wandered around Jericho Mountains with Cardell, experimenting with this and that. How much pure power she has, how fast she can run.
“Is father stronger than us?”
“Huh? Well…”
Cassian would probably use a sword rather than magic, and he had already overcome her powers when he wasn't a full-blown vampire, so he might be. Elysia recalled her memories of this and that, and she frowned as she pondered.
“Really… I won't leave him alone once he wakes up.”
She hid her grim smile and finished it off by tying the string tight through Cardell's hair.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm“Mother, should we make a light bet?”
“A bet?”
“Yes. If you find the biggest magic stone, you win.”
Elysia narrowed her eyes, wondering what he was up to.
“What do you want to do?”
“Ten years as the Magic Tower Master.”
“No. You find it much better than I do. Why don’t you openly ask me to be the Magic Tower Master for ten years, huh?”
“You wouldn’t do it if I said that.”
“That’s right.”
She could feel the monsters starting to gather around her. Cardell lowered his eyes and attacked her with his eyes, saying, “Are you really not going to do it?”
“If you did it with that face that resembled your father, I would have fallen for it.”
“You’re really too much. Father doesn’t fall for it even if I resemble mother.”
“That's right. You're not me, are you?”
Saying that, Elysia patted Cardell and let out a laugh. She didn't think it would be a bad idea to adjust the rhythm a bit. It was because he was trying to start a full-fledged exchange with the Empire, so Cardell had become busy.
“Should I?”
“You would?”
“Yes. Instead, if I win, you won't ask me to take over as the Magic Tower Master from now on.”
Elysia grinned and patted Cardell on the shoulder.
“…If I win, it will be exactly ten years?”
“Then don’t do it.”
“I will.”
Cardell nodded his head as if he were sure he would win.
“There are conditions instead.”
“Conditions?”
Even if they lose the bet, they could help the other in moderation. Elysia tried to control her expression and pulled her hair up into a ponytail.
“Yes. We decided to move ourselves, so we don't use magic. You can use your mana.”
“Mother handles mana better.”
“Since you find it better than me, I should be faster.”
Cardell pondered for a moment before nodding his head.
“Okay. Then, let's start. See you in three hours.”
“Three hours? That long?”
“Actually, it's time to clean up the monsters.”
“Alright. I will help you with that.”
Elysia shrugged her shoulders, set her direction first and started running.
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