Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: It Only Hurts the First Time
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“Why... why are you doing this?!”
Lee Seong-hoon called out in a panic, but there was no reply. Instead, Sophia's face drew closer, as if in response.
“Wait a second. Sophia. You're not in your right mind right now!!”
“I am in my right mind.”
“No, you're not!!”
How could this be her right mind? No matter how he looked at it, it was clearly a bloodlust impulse. She must have lost too much blood fighting that vampire earlier or used up too much mana.
Lee Seong-hoon grabbed Sophia's hand and held her off. One hand pushed at her face. He even used his legs. But she was too strong. His body, enhanced by the demon, was being overpowered without a chance to fight back. Was he always this weak—?!
Wait a minute.
“Lily.”
A whistle came back in reply. Lily started whistling innocently. Lee Seong-hoon couldn't turn to look behind him, but he sensed it instinctively.
“Lily!!!!!!!!!!!”
No matter how he cried out, nothing changed. Even desperately staring at the cat yielded only a meow~.
In contrast, what about Sophia? In truth, she was in her right mind. She was in her right mind, but... no. It might sound like nonsense, but it was the truth.
She was gripped by bloodlust. Gripped by it, yet it was normal. She'd drunk plenty of blood that morning. So why was the bloodlust hitting her now?
Sophia herself didn't know. But the moment she laid eyes on Lee Seong-hoon earlier, an unstoppable urge to drink his blood had surged up without warning.
The demon behind her didn't even register.
And that's how it came to this. Sophia lunging at Lee Seong-hoon. Him blocking her with everything he had.
The demon and cat spectating from the sidelines.
It might look like a comedy from afar, but up close, it wasn't funny.
One had drool dripping from her mouth, her eyes turned into heart shapes.
The other was summoning every ounce of strength he had—past, present, and even the milk from his mother's breast—to fend her off just to survive.
“It only hurts the first time.”
“What are you even saying?! It'll hurt the whole time your fangs are in!!”
“No. It only hurts going in, then it feels good after.”
“You've never been bitten!!”
“I have.”
“Oh? Well, still no!! I almost fell for it!!”
Tch. He was already half-fallen. Sophia clicked her tongue in regret and put all her strength into it. Lee Seong-hoon, braced against the wall, was tough to break through.
She considered wiping out the tattered wall pile behind her with Chant Disruption—but decided against it, knowing the fallout would be unmanageable.
Force wasn't working. Time for Plan B.
Sophia kept her strength up while gazing up at Lee Seong-hoon.
“Hey...”
Tears welled up in her eyes. She widened them, focusing intently. A strange, sparkling effect shimmered around them.
“Just one sip of blood....”
“That face won't work!! Fix those hearts in your eyes first!!”
Any ordinary guy would've caved a dozen times by now, but Lee Seong-hoon was different. He wouldn't budge.
He knew what happened when a vampire in bloodlust drank human blood.
They couldn't control it and drained them dry, or if the victim survived, they became an apostle or vampire. The moment she bit, his future was gone.
“.....”
Sophia pouted at his firm refusal. Her flushed face twisted in thought, then—
She slammed Lee Seong-hoon, who was pushing against the wall, to the floor.
“This works! Am I an idiot?”
“Can you please stay dumb for once?”
“Yeah!!”
Sophia beamed brightly and closed in. She opened her mouth. A string of saliva snapped instantly.
Her sharp fangs gleamed.
“It's my first time.”
“First time what?!”
“Drinking from a human. I've only had animal blood.”
“Then don't say it like that!! People will misunderstand!!”
“I don't mind if they do.”
What the hell?! He blocked Sophia as she thrust her fangs forward. He shoved her face away with both hands. She tried to swat his arms aside—he couldn't hold out long.
“Leave it to me. I told you, it won't hurt?!”
“This is dangerous. Especially for me! Lily!! No, Lady Lily!! Great Demon Lily!!”
He'd agonized long, but the choice was swift. Lee Seong-hoon shouted.
“Three souls!!!”
“About time.”
Laughter echoed as Sophia's vision went black.
“A stranger's ceiling.”
She said it, but it was a familiar ceiling. Sophia just spouted the line she'd always wanted to try as she opened her eyes.
She ruffled her messy hair and sat up. A plain room came into view. Nothing decorated—just as it was when she arrived.
“Ah.”
There was one thing. Sophia looked straight ahead. A photo pinned next to the bed. A black-haired man was in it.
The one that blue-haired girl had snuck around taking before. It turned out so well, so she printed and stuck it up.
“Hehe.”
Her face drained of color the instant she propped her chin on her hand and gazed at the photo upon waking.
Memories from beyond her drowsiness flooded back.
Her face was a sight. She smiled happily, then looked gloomy, then suddenly flushed beet red.
Then—pop!—she flopped straight back onto the bed. It was a one-woman show like no other.
“Ah.”
She pressed her hot face into the pillow to cool it, but it wouldn't. She wanted to rip out her pounding heart.
“I'm crazy. Crazy!!”
The memories returned in full. Her pale feet thrashed on the bed. Sophia kicked wildly at the blanket, writhing.
“What do I do!! What do I do!!”
Back then, Sophia had lost it. It was her will, but not her will. Normally, she'd be too embarrassed, but the craving for Lee Seong-hoon's blood had been overwhelming.
—Sophia is a pest.
—A parasite sucking other creatures' blood.
—Better off gone from Justitia. Everyone thinks so.
Words she hated hearing. Words she hoped Lee Seong-hoon never heard. Sophia couldn't open her eyes in that moment. She wanted to plug her ears too.
Because she feared he'd look at her differently if he heard.
But—
—So what.
—Scared?
His response was always there. Seeing it with her own eyes snapped Sophia's reason.
Next thing she knew, she was here. The memories were vivid. She wanted to die. To kill herself.
Was this the hangover feeling after drunken antics? She'd never drunk alcohol, but it was mortifying.
“How am I supposed to face him? And what if he ends up thinking I'm just a vampire after all?!”
Not likely. She'd checked a million times. But what if—!!
Sophia flailed on the bed for a while before stopping. Feeling like she needed something to hug, she yelled toward the living room.
“Karul~”
A hearty wolf howl answered, and Karul burst through the door. Panting, it licked her flushed face.
“Karul, what do I do. I can't get my phone out.”
Sophia made a miserable face, and Karul licked her again. A wolf's lick wouldn't fix her red face, but it was comforting anyway.
With renewed resolve, Sophia reached for her phone—
And failed. She faceplanted into it as is.
“What if he thinks I'm a weirdo? I hold back fine normally.”
That's all she knew how to do. In her gloom, Sophia fiddled with her phone.
She couldn't bring herself to turn it on, scared it'd say something like 'I'm disappointed' from Lee Seong-hoon.
“Karul~ Karul~”
She shook the obediently seated Karul wildly. Shaking changed nothing. After shaking for ages, Sophia steeled herself.
“I have to apologize.”
Right? Karul's 'Awoo~~' seemed to agree.
She swallowed. Turned it on this time. Sent 'Sorry' in one go.
Eyes squeezed shut, she powered it on. One thing appeared.
[Drink a blood pack first thing when you wake up. Idiot.]
“....”
Her lips curved up. Emotions swirled: self-reproach for worrying needlessly, joy that he cared, relief he wasn't disappointed.
Many feelings crossed, but one dominated.
Just one.
[I trust that Karul guy'll look after you. If you wake up in the street, blame him.]
[Got the ring myself. I'll give it at school.]
[Photo]
[Bring all your blood packs next time. I'm exhausted.]
The photo showed a bright red ring. Stunning. It suited Sophia perfectly.
He'd gone and fetched it alone?
Sophia tossed her phone. She wanted to jump for joy, but couldn't.
“Seriously.”
Too happy to move. Sophia calmed her bursting face and hugged Karul.
“How am I not supposed to like you?”
As she hugged Karul for a while, a thought struck her.
Levia's body.
Did he check it?
“Fuck.”
A woman muttered, her head bobbing along the river current. Green hair, red eyes.
Her eyes brimmed with venom.
“If not for that demon, she'd have been a one-punch human.”
She'd barely survived. When that man carved her up, she'd swapped with another tatter doll.
Her authority. Position swap with a tatter doll.
Pure instinct. If he keeps cutting, I'm dead. Levia swapped places with one and lived.
“Lee Seong-hoon.”
I'll kill you. Her teeth ground. So hard, tartar flaked off.
“I'll make you pay dearly for underestimating a progenitor's vitality.”
If not for that demon, she never would've been in mortal danger. Just its presence made moving difficult.
But next time would be different. She'd prepare properly this time.
Not improvised tatters, but real slaughter tatters.
To counter the demon.
“That demon...”
Levia bared her fangs in a grin. Grand words, but right now, she could do nothing.
“No passersby, huh.”
Figures. The current was too strong; no one could help.
“Gotta report to Sophia too.”
All it’d take was one passerby—
Levia smacked her lips.
Revenge on Lee Seong-hoon would take a bit.
The rapids didn't care about Levia's thoughts, rushing on.
“Lee Seong-hoooooooon!!!!!!!”
Bumping branches and rocks, she wailed.
“I'll kill yoooooooouuuuuuu!!!!!!!!”
Just you wait.