Chapter 33
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: EP 33. Adding Insult to Injury
-----------------------------------------------------------------
My familiar wasn't a familiar in the way I'd thought.
It was mate or die.
I never had a choice to begin with.
A sickening crack echoed from my shoulder as I was pinned to the floor.
The pain in my shoulder grew sharper with every passing second.
The Hero... and now the Saintess.
"Oppa... choose."
The Saintess's eyes and lips curved into a smile, but for some reason, tears streamed down her face.
Tears trailed down her cheeks.
My heart, which had been pounding wildly just moments ago, now felt unbearably cold.
I knew it.
Something felt off. When I heard her words, it even seemed like becoming her familiar would give me the advantage.
But this was the hidden catch.
Familiars... can't escape their host to begin with.
That's why vampires don't need to drink anyone else's blood.
No need to track a familiar's location precisely.
Just kill them before they can run.
From the moment I became her familiar, I was bound to the Saintess forever.
I glanced toward the exit.
What should I do? What's the best option?
Run? No way in hell.
Just judging by the force pinning me down now, the Saintess was as strong as the Hero.
Even if I shook off her hand and bolted, she'd catch me in no time.
If I didn't die while fleeing, I'd count myself lucky.
Then... should I just die?
This timeline's already a mess anyway.
Sacrificing one life might not be a bad call...
But I only had two lives left, and regressions weren't infinite.
The next Life Point refill was three months away.
Today was only day three.
Too soon to throw it away.
Besides, could I even choose suicide?
Me, haunted by PTSD after dying once to Selena?
Impossible.
Unless someone assassinated me without anyone knowing.
So, only one option left... submit.
"What do you want right now?"
"Huh?"
For now, play along with the Saintess.
This timeline's ruined anyway. Look at the big picture.
Purge as many variables as possible this round.
"Just stay with me, right?"
"Huh?... Yeah."
The pressure on my shoulder eased gradually.
The tears streaming down her cheeks finally stopped.
"No need to throw your life away over it."
"Y-Yeah... Good. I was worried you'd run off."
The Saintess rubbed her face against my arm to wipe away her tears.
She finally seemed to relax a little.
"When you tried to leave, my heart squeezed so tight. It was like my body was telling me... catch that man or kill him. I tried to hold back at first, but I've never felt pain like that in my life."
As expected, trying to leave would've gotten me killed.
Submitting like this was the only way to survive.
The Saintess let out a sigh of relief and kept talking.
She hadn't flinched even when her ankle twisted, yet this was pain she couldn't endure... Probably instinct, just like she said.
A fleeting thought crossed my mind: Why didn't Mallus act like this in the game? But I decided not to dwell on it.
Knowing too much hurts... me.
Scary stuff.
"Saintess... can you get off now...?"
I poked her thigh with my index finger.
A signal to move down a bit.
"Oh, sorry. Coming down now."
She knew it was an embarrassing position and slowly shifted off me.
But seeing her after she stood up made me start to feel afraid.
She immediately moved to the exit and blocked the door.
As if refusing to leave even a sliver of escape.
"...So, what now?"
Was she seriously saying we'd live here forever?
A hard wooden floor with nothing—no showers, no nothing.
Finally starting my proper slave life, huh.
"Hm? You just sleep, oppa."
Then the Saintess tilted her head and pointed to one side with her index finger.
And there sat her cradle, all plush and empty.
Sleep there?
"Isn't that your cradle, Saintess?"
"Yeah, it's super soft inside. Just sleep there. I'm not sleepy."
"What about showering...?"
"I'll fetch water for you."
This wasn't a familiar... this was a pet.
Like livestock giving blood to its owner.
"This every day from now on...?"
"Just for today. I don't know what I might do if you go out."
"......"
This won't be easy.
Looking back, this wasn't a gate—it was a doghouse.
I had no choice but to trudge over to the Saintess's cradle.
"......"
I bent down and pressed the bottom with my hand. It was nice and cushy.
Definitely as comfy as she said.
I turned my head and saw her beaming innocently.
As if urging me to lie down quick.
"I'll just sleep on the floor."
"...Sleep there."
I said the floor, but her cold reply came back.
"...I said sleep there."
The Saintess narrowed her eyes and glared.
Her icy tone made my heart clench.
I didn't even have the strength to resist.
Do as she says today and figure out a plan tomorrow.
I took off my shoes and set them by the coffin.
Then slipped my feet into her cradle and lay down.
The cradle was a bit small for me.
Tailored to her size, so I couldn't stretch my legs out fully.
- Smirk.
"Good. Now sleep."
The Saintess's lips curved into a thin smile of satisfaction.
I had no choice but to close my eyes.
But tension kept sleep at bay.
After a while, suspicious noises reached my ears.
Footsteps thudding toward the desk.
The chair scraping across the floor.
And the sound of gulping saliva.
The ongoing noises made me anxious, so I cracked one eye open just a sliver for a sidelong glance.
And there she was...
The Saintess, sitting in the chair, staring at me with both eyes fixed.
Crazy...
I hurriedly squeezed my eyes shut again.
Why was she staring like that?
Fortunately, she didn't notice, and the same noises continued.
The problem was the gulping sounds getting closer.
What started faint was now crystal clear.
The slow approach made my body stiffen.
Cold sweat trickled down my skin.
"...Having a nightmare?"
Her murmur reached me then.
She must've mistaken my cold sweat for a bad dream.
A rustling sound, like her squatting beside me.
"Oppa... asleep?"
Her voice tickled my ear, nearly making me flinch.
The Saintess whispered right by my ear.
Then poked my cheek with her index finger.
"Hmm... Seems like you're sleeping fine."
Things went quiet again for a while.
- ...Thud.
'!!!'
Sudden weight startled me.
The Saintess had flopped right on top of me, using my body as a bed.
The soft give of her breasts pressed directly against my chest.
Heavy enough from gravity that breathing was tough.
And she wrapped her arms around my underarm and neck in a tight hug.
"Ah... Now I think... I get how Dad felt."
Her breath washed hot against my nape.
"Why he forced the engagement just to make a familiar so fast... Sorry to Dad."
Her voice grew dreamy.
Her breath hotter, stickier.
"But I've held back a lot... Forgive me... Just a little bite."
A warm, wet touch near my shoulder.
And a sharp sting at the same time...
In the end, the Saintess couldn't fight her instincts and bit my shoulder.
Each suck of blood made my heart race.
Was this the blood flow increase she mentioned?
Strange—heart pounding, yet drowsiness crashed over me.
I couldn't resist instinct either and fell asleep.
…
What time is it?
When I came to, the cradle door was shut.
No light inside, so no sense of time.
I reached for the door, but felt weight on top of me.
Touching it, soft flesh enveloped my hand.
"Grrr..."
Like a cat grooming, from my sudden touch.
The Saintess had fallen asleep on me in the same blood-sucking pose.
What do I do...
I'd put it off yesterday from exhaustion, but...
Her vampire instincts seemed pretty strong up close.
Didn't expect it this bad...
Thought I'd escaped the Hero, but now the Saintess was trouble.
Never imagined she'd pounce at night and drain my blood...
I'll think about the rest once I'm out of this cradle.
Two people in this cramped thing—hard to breathe.
First, slowly unwound her arms clinging to me.
Shifted the snoring Saintess on top of me to the side.
Carefully rolled over, sending her below.
Finally, eased the cradle door open silently, slipped out, and shut it.
"Ha..."
Successfully escaped the cradle.
Sunlight filtered through the window slits now.
Clock said 5 a.m.
Still an hour till shift.
Sweaty all day yesterday—body sticky.
Instincts or not, she wouldn't activate while asleep.
Quick shower and back.
I opened the exit door.
"Hm? Sleep well last night, Gatekeeper?"
"......"
Blue hair like the open sky...
The Hero stood at the exit.
Polishing the rapier in his hand.