Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Fienne Can't Hold Back
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That day.
Before visiting Rishir, Fienne stopped by her own residence.
She had 'that item' she'd kept in one corner of the room right before her eyes.
It was the handkerchief she'd used to wipe down Rishir when he was covered in blood from overload.
Fienne felt an intense wave of self-loathing.
To keep a handkerchief stained with someone else's blood without washing or throwing it away.
It was the kind of thing those insect-like suitors trailing after her would do.
With a look of contempt soaked in disdain—
Fienne brought the handkerchief up to her nose.
Her delicate nose twitched several times.
"..."
Fienne dropped her head, feeling extreme disgust.
A handkerchief stained with Rishir's blood.
The scent wafting from it was no different from the young man's blood she'd smelled before.
No. If anything, it was even more fishy and foul. That was the nature of old blood's metallic tang.
But why?
That aroma brought Fienne unparalleled bliss.
Simply because it was that man's blood.
Afterward.
Sniffing the handkerchief became one of her ways to relieve stress.
It was quite effective.
The problem was that it didn't stop at just easing stress.
"Haa... haa..."
Day by day, the time she spent sniffing the handkerchief grew longer.
Her efforts to suppress her desires intensified.
And with that, the backlash from those pent-up cravings grew fiercer.
The act meant to relieve stress created a vicious cycle of new stress.
No.
This isn't right.
If that man saw me like this, he'd definitely despise me.
She was like a tightrope walker, barely clinging to her reason.
Until the inevitable insect showed up and mentioned him.
"I hear you've been going in and out of the Magic Tower lately? Got a friend there or something?"
The intent behind the words was obvious.
'If you won't meet me, I'll find your friend at the Magic Tower and mess with them.'
Fienne's stress hit its peak.
Her cravings did too.
Late that night.
Fienne slipped into Rishir's residence like she was fleeing.
She immediately spotted him sleeping soundly.
Fienne finally lost her reason.
She rushed straight to him, intent on biting his finger.
"..."
But in that moment.
Before the pleasure his blood would bring, something else flashed in her mind first.
Rishir spouting nonsense at her.
What if.
If he saw her like this right now, how would he react?
Would he treat her the same as always?
As if.
He'd surely despise her.
Despise her as a monster craving human blood.
"No..."
Fienne tremblingly lowered his hand.
The rejected true ancestor's desires began tearing through her body.
Pain and craving equivalent to—or beyond—a starving human on the brink of death dominated her.
Fienne collapsed onto the bed, unable to control herself.
His presence filtering through the covers seemed to slightly soothe her raging urges.
Fienne climbed onto the bed and draped herself over him.
Then she pulled out the handkerchief and buried her face in it.
Please.
Please, just pass like this.
Fienne desperately pleaded.
For him not to wake.
"Fienne...?"
Her wish went ungranted.
Fienne flinched and pulled her face from the handkerchief.
She met Rishir's eyes.
"Rishir..."
In that instant, Fienne forgot all her pain and cravings, plunging into pure despair.
It's all over now.
He'd seen her ugly true self and would despise her.
Their relationship would come crashing down.
No more carefree chats with him.
No more living as a normal human.
It was all finished.
Good riddance, actually.
Fienne felt relieved.
It had been pointless from the start anyway.
A true ancestor like her pretending to be human.
Despise me if you want.
I don't care how you see me.
Fienne tried to say it defiantly.
"I'm sorry..."
But what came out was a fragile, trembling voice.
"I... I just thought for a moment that I wanted to drink your blood."
"..."
"Disappointed, right? That I'm not the person you thought I was."
Fienne squeezed her eyes shut.
Like a child admitting fault and extending her hands for punishment.
Bracing for the contempt to come.
"Nah, what? Isn't that obvious?"
"...Pardon?"
"Fienne, you're a true ancestor, right? Of course you'd want to drink blood."
At the utterly unexpected response, Fienne blinked dazedly.
Moonlight filtering through the window illuminated Rishir's face.
His expression wasn't much different from hers.
A dumb look, as if saying well, duh.
It wasn't contempt born of resignation.
It was total understanding.
Rishir saw Fienne's blood-craving side as no big deal.
"No..."
Fienne was at a loss for words.
His unbiased attitude always threw her off, but this time especially so.
"..."
Then. Rishir noticed the handkerchief in Fienne's hand.
He took in her haggard complexion.
"Aigoo."
A sigh escaped Rishir's lips.
In his eyes, Fienne looked like a pitiful child who'd gone days without food.
"Why'd you hold out until it got this bad?"
"Because! You told me not to harm humans!"
"No, I said don't mess with innocent people..."
Fienne was dumbfounded.
Even now, his face was tinged with guilt.
No.
Why are you feeling guilty?
Fienne finally burst into laughter.
After a brief moment of thought, Rishir said,
"Fienne, what does bloodsucking do to the other person?"
It might sound ridiculous to others, but true ancestor Fienne knew little about the act itself.
Originally human, she'd always felt repulsed by blood obsession.
Dominate the target mentally, then nick their fingertip.
Let that blood touch her skin.
That was Fienne's version of 'bloodsucking' up to now.
"My way just causes a bit of fatigue..."
"Yeah? Then—"
Rishir offered his neck.
"Mine's fine?"
"Kyaaak!"
Fienne let out a shrill scream and tumbled off the bed.
"Wh-what are you doing, you shameless man! Cover up right now!"
Her face flushed bright red, visible even in the dark.
"?"
Rishir looked bewildered but covered his neck again.
"What? Isn't that how it's done? So how do you usually do it, Fienne?"
"Y-you... do you even realize what you're saying right now?"
"You don't get it?"
He chuckled.
"If you're gonna do it, better with me, right?"
His intent: Better to take my blood, from someone who fully understands you, than risk issues forcing it from others.
Fienne's interpretation: I want to be your only one.
"Ah, uh..."
Fienne covered her small face with both palms.
"Shameless man... how can you say that so casually..."
"?"
A moment later.
Fienne lowered her palms slightly, peeking out her eyes.
She cautiously gauged Rishir's reaction with upturned eyes.
"Y-you really mean it...? You won't regret it...?"
"...Just how much are you planning to—"
"That's not what I mean!"
Once more.
With upturned eyes, Fienne cautiously gauged his reaction and said,
"And... don't go saying something else later...?"
"Pfft. You gonna ask for the blood back after I already gave it?"
"That's not—... Never mind, just don't say it."
You won't despise me later, right?
Fienne decided to hold that question back.
His reaction suggested it was unnecessary.
"..."
Fienne cautiously approached and took his hand.
"Y-you're really doing this!? Last chance to back out!"
"Aigoo. The food's gonna get cold."
"...Whatever."
Nom.
Fienne put Rishir's index finger in her mouth and bit down.
"...!"
In that instant, her eyes flew wide.
Like a baby tasting solid food for the first time.
Lick. Lick.
Her tongue tentatively touched the finger.
Soon, it wrapped around it eagerly.
And as the blood began to slow—
Slurp...
Fienne started gently sucking on the finger.
Hmm.
Hmm.
Moist breaths leaked from Fienne's mouth.
"..."
Rishir closed his eyes.
For reasons different from Fienne's.
Damn. This is way too erotic.
She's innocently(?) bloodsucking, but it was tempting him toward filthy thoughts.
Absolutely not.
FBI open up...!
Feeling the urgent need to shake off his urges, Rishir tapped into his past life's memories.
Conveniently, there was a perfect method for situations like this.
Imagine the person furthest from sexual thoughts in a bikini.
Who...?
Coincidentally, the first that came to mind was some old man with a receding hairline.
Kraaaah!!!
Rishir cleansed his mind but took heavy soul damage in exchange.
"...?"
Fienne stared at Rishir's finger.
Why'd it suddenly go cold?
Pop.
The sound echoed in the dark room as Fienne released Rishir's finger from her mouth.
A transparent thread trailed between them, slowly sinking downward.
"..."
Fienne hurriedly wiped his hand with a handkerchief.
A clean one, not the bloodstained one.
"Fienne. Don't tell me that saliva-stained one too...!?"
Thwack.
Fienne chucked the handkerchief at Rishir's face.
Then she bolted from the room, head bowed.
Soon.
A small voice came from beyond the door.
—...You idiot man.
Tat-tat-tat.
The receding footsteps sounded endlessly light.
"Lady, wandering around at this hour is dangerous. Huh? Who's at the Magic Tower that has you heading out in the dead of night—"
On her way back from Rishir's, blocking her path under pretense of coincidence.
Tord's group.
Her mood had been great for once.
The moment Fienne's elated expression started to twist—
"..."
Rishir's recent words suddenly resurfaced.
—No, I said don't mess with innocent people...
Fienne eyed the insects before her.
Were they truly innocent?
—Lady Fienne, please don't get involved with them... So many who did have vanished...
Then, the words of the prostitute who followed her.
"Ha...!"
Fienne burst into laughter.
"What, Fienne? What's so funny? That happy to see me?"
"...Yeah, thrilled."
Perfect timing, perfect spot, showing up on their own.
Fienne had wanted to stand on her own in Bondales.
She didn't want to burden that man.
More than that, she wanted to become someone he could acknowledge.
Like, by climbing to a high social position.
—No, I said don't mess with innocent people...
Unusually upbeat and motivated, Fienne realized there were more paths than she'd thought.
"Tord. I have a question for you."
"Finally?"
The moment his eyes gleamed with lust—
In the darkness, the true ancestor's eyes lit up.
Her pure white irises染d wine-red.
The next morning.
Rishir's honorary mage appointment ceremony proceeded splendidly.
He was reborn as a proper Gray Magic Tower mage amid congratulations from countless wizards.
And that night.
Bondales' northern back alleys were undergoing sudden changes.
Lately, suspicious rumors circulated in Bondales' back alleys.
The owner of the northern back alleys had changed—
And no one knew who the new owner was.
"So that's how it is, Rishir. Be careful if you have to pass near there. Best to go around."
"Man, the world's a scary place."