Chapter 7 CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 7

My eyes flew wide open, and before I could even process what was happening, my hands shot forward and landed against his broad, solid chest.

I shoved him with every ounce of strength I had, desperately trying to put some distance between us.

But it was completely useless.

He didn't budge.

Not even the slightest bit.

With trembling hands still resting against him, I slowly lifted my head.

The moment my eyes met his, he was staring at me, intensely. His unwavering gaze locked onto mine as if I were the only thing he could see.

The way he looked at me wasn't the same as earlier.

There was something disturbingly different in his eyes now.

The calm expression he had worn had disappeared.

His gaze was darker.

I couldn't read what he was thinking.

I couldn't predict what he was about to do.

"S-Sir..."

And then, he blinked at me. A laugh escaped his lips once again.

"Why do you seem so frightened again?" he asked. "Even after you've finally seen my face... you're still afraid of me?"

"P-Please forgive me, Sir... I hope you won't take this the wrong way, but... I still need to put my belongings in order."

It was the most polite excuse I could think of.

The truth was, I needed something to occupy myself, anything that would keep me from standing helplessly under his unwavering gaze.

"You can do that while I'm here, can't you?" he said softly.

I shook my head slightly.

"M-Maybe... I'll do it later," I answered politely. "Perhaps... after you've already left, Sir."

"You really are afraid of me, aren't you? Even after seeing what a vampire truly looks like?"

He tilted his head

"Shouldn't a face like this be the last thing anyone would fear?"

"Y-Yes... Sir, but..."

I quickly pressed my lips together, stopping myself from saying anything else. What I truly wanted to say lingered at the tip of my tongue, yet no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find the right words. I didn't know how to explain what I was really feeling without sounding rude or offending him.

"But...?" he prompted softly.

One of his thick brows lifted.

"N-Nothing, Sir. I'll take care of it later, after you've finished talking to me."

With every passing moment, the awkwardness hanging in the air grew heavier. I kept my gaze lowered, doing everything I could to avoid looking at Sir Rave. I hoped that if I refused to meet his eyes, the uncomfortable feeling twisting inside my chest would eventually fade.

But it didn't.

Instead, I became aware that the more I avoided looking at him, the more intently he seemed to study me.

I could feel his eyes on me.

"Perhaps your standards are simply too high... human."

His calm remark caught me completely off guard.

My brows immediately knitted together in confusion as I slowly lifted my head to look at him.

"W-What do you mean by that, Sir Rave?" I asked hesitantly.

"You must be the very first human I've ever met who still fears me even after I've revealed my true face and confessed that I'm a vampire... So I've concluded that your playing hard to get with a handsome immortal like me is actually quite reasonable... especially since you're exceptionally beautiful yourself."

His unexpected compliment only caused my brows to knit together even tighter.

Unable to stop myself, I glanced at him with a puzzled expression.

How did he even come up with that... conclusion?

"I-It's only you who's thinking that, Sir Rave," I said, immediately defending myself as I shook my head. "That has never once crossed my mind."

"Then why are you acting so hard to get?" he asked gently. "Why do you keep avoiding me as though I appear to be a monster in your eyes?"

His question left me speechless.

Before I could gather the courage to answer, he let out a soft, almost amused chuckle.

"Well..." He shrugged ever so slightly. "I suppose you're not entirely wrong."

A faint smile crossed his face.

"I am a monster... sometimes. After all, I'm an immortal... But unlike the horrifying creatures humans often imagine, our physical appearance is perfectly normal, as you can see. We don't constantly resemble the monsters from your stories."

"As for your question... You already know the reason I'm acting this way... Because you're a vampire."

"So I am," he answered without the slightest hint of denial. "But what about it?"

I blinked in confusion.

What about it?

"S-Sir.. It's perfectly fine for anyone to feel nervous..."

"Well, let me make one thing clear. I don't want you showing fear whenever you're around me. Every time you look at me that way, I can't help feeling as though I truly look like a monster."

Straightening my posture, I lowered my head respectfully.

"As you wish, Sir Rave," I replied.

"The other humans... Especially those born into wealthy families in the mortal territory.. They practically offer themselves to me because they can't resist my charm... They become desperate just to touch me.. and..."

He lowered his eyelids again. "Those women, become utterly infatuated with the idea of being bitten by me."

"W-What you're saying is... because I've seen a vampire's true form with my own eyes... does that mean I'm supposed to become desperate to be bitten as well?"

He simply nodded.

"Yes. Especially when it comes to me."

A confident smile slowly spread across his face, accentuating the sharpness of his features. "After all, no one has ever been able to resist my charm or my good looks."

"I'd like to apologize in advance for what I'm about to say, but... every woman is different. Not all of us are willing to let ourselves be bitten by you—"

"And why not?" he asked, his voice suddenly turning grave. "Is there something about me that you don't like? Tell me about it. I'm quite curious."

The sudden seriousness in his tone made my breath catch. I could already feel a light sheen of sweat forming on my palms.

I'd only been inside this mansion for a few minutes, yet the pressure surrounding me was already overwhelming.

"W-Well... no, Sir Rave," I replied politely. "What you said is true. You really are handsome."

I paused, taking a breath before continuing.

"But... that's not enough to make me stop being afraid. Your looks have nothing to do with it. Anyone can see that you're a handsome man. But no matter how attractive you are, that alone can't erase the fear I feel. We're... Like... strangers, and everything that's happened since I arrived here has been far beyond anything I could have imagined. So... please don't take it personally. My fear isn't because I dislike you. It's simply because... I'm scared."

"So..." he responded.

His eyes slowly narrowed as they remained fixed on me.

"You're... not going to let me bite you?"

My lips instinctively parted.

After a long moment, he let out a sigh. He lowered his gaze for a brief second before gently shaking his head. His expression was difficult to read.

It looked as though he wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the situation, yet he couldn't quite bring himself to do it. The faint smile on his lips quickly disappeared, replaced by disappointment.

"I've been waiting for this day... Ever since I found out that my father was planning to hire another servant... It's been such a long time since the last servant left our mansion. No one has taken their place until now, so I couldn't help looking forward to your arrival... I was excited... But it turns out... I won't even get to taste your blood."

CHAPTER

He had told me they weren't the kind to bite humans indiscriminately. The only time they would ever drink a person's blood was if that person willingly gave their consent.

Those words had comforted me.

But now, standing with Sir Rave, I couldn't help feeling conflicted.

Why was this the very first thing he brought up?

Ever since we started talking, it felt as though he had been searching for even the smallest opportunity to convince me to let him bite me.

He wasn't forcing me, but there was an eagerness in the way he spoke that made me increasingly uneasy.

"I remember Sir Lucan telling me... that none of you would ever bite someone without their consent."

I paused briefly, gathering the courage to finish what I wanted to say.

"That was what put my mind at ease, at least a little."

My eyes remained fixed on him as I took a slow breath.

"So... I really hope that's true."

"Lucan is right. But... it depends on the situation. There are times when we simply can't restrain ourselves... especially when we encounter a mortal woman of exceptional quality... Someone like you."

Was he ever going to stop saying things like that?

I couldn't figure out which emotion was beginning to consume me more.

Was it the fear tightening around my chest every time he mentioned biting me?

Or was it the irritation slowly replacing that fear because he refused to take my answer seriously?

No matter how politely I tried to explain myself, Sir Rave seemed determined to corner me with his unsettling remarks.

"P-Please, Sir," I said softly, unable to keep the slight tremor from my voice. "I'm sincerely asking for your understanding, and I truly apologize. But I really can't allow myself to be bitten. The only reason I came to this mansion was that I was looking for work... That's all I want. I'm here to earn an honest living... so I hope you can respect my decision and understand where I'm coming from."

"And what if I don't?" he asked, his deep voice sounding so yet carrying a dangerous edge that made my heartbeat falter.

His eyes slowly swept over me from head to toe, examining me so openly that I instinctively stiffened where I stood.

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

"The more you play hard to get, the more tempted I become to sink my fangs into someone like you."

"N-No, Sir... I'm begging you, please," I pleaded, as I struggled to keep my composure.

Then, to my growing horror, I watched one of his large, veined hands slowly rise toward the black necktie resting neatly around his collar.

He slipped his fingers beneath the knot and leisurely loosened it, tugging the fabric free inch by inch.

Panic had already consumed my soul, yet my body refused to respond.

I couldn't force myself to move, couldn't even think clearly.

Only when one of my trembling legs shuffled backward did I realize I was still capable of moving.

"S-Sir Rave..."

I wanted to sound firm.

I wanted him to understand that I was serious.

But the courage I had gathered instantly crumbled the moment he took a slow step toward me.

The distance between us disappeared little by little.

That was when my mind finally cleared.

Without another thought, I spun around and dashed toward the closed door, my trembling legs carrying me as fast as they could while my hand reached desperately for the doorknob.

My fingertips were only a breath away from touching the cold metal knob when everything changed.

My eyes flew wide open.

A startled gasp escaped my lips as a strong, muscular arm suddenly wrapped securely around my waist, stopping me before I could even lay a finger on it.

In an instant, my entire body was lifted off the ground. He held me as though I weighed nothing at all, like a simple piece of clothing casually draped over his arm.

"Let me go!"

I struggled wildly, trying to free myself from his hold. I pushed, twisted, and fought against him, but my efforts felt meaningless.

Then, he threw me onto the bed.

A frightened cry tore from my throat as my body struck the mattress. The impact caused me to bounce slightly before I finally came to a stop, leaving me breathless and shaken.

I immediately forced myself to move.

I crawled backward as quickly as I could.

But there was nowhere left to run.

My back hit the headboard, trapping me in place.

I struggled to catch my breath, my chest rising and falling rapidly as I stared at him from across the bed.

Sir Rave stood at the end of the mattress.

"I should be the first to taste your blood..."

I watched helplessly as he slowly parted his lips.

My eyes widened.

From his upper teeth, two sharp fangs gradually began to extend. They grew longer and more pronounced right before my eyes.