Past
Seowoo had finished his duties for the day and quietly stepped out of the room.
Lucia’s cold gaze lingered on the door as he left.
⋯⋯A woman’s scent.
It was faint, yet unmistakable.
Vampire scent?
No.
This was human.
Clunk.
Lucia rose from the sofa and stepped out onto the terrace.
A gentle breeze carried the faint scent of blood.
The discomfort she had felt earlier began to ease.
The eternal night symbol.
The night breeze of Nectar was cold yet sweet, a flavor she often sought.
The distinctive chill seeped between her dress.
⋯⋯The human female scent was seeping from Yoon Seowoo’s body...
“It was the same that day too. It’s already been three years.”
She looked up at the distant sky with a touch of nostalgia.
***
Three years ago, before Seowoo arrived at the research institute.
Lucia had another assistant.
His work was slow, his movements lethargic, and he often drew her ire.
In Seowoo’s memory, he was already a forgotten tragic assistant.
Yuria.
Inside the office that felt harsh.
“Yuria, tomorrow?”
“Yes⋯? Ah, right⋯. The new batch of human interns will arrive tomorrow morning⋯⋯.”
“Haa⋯ Please, could you stop trailing off at the end of your sentences?”
“S-sorry⋯⋯.”
“⋯⋯Again? Fine. Hurry up and get out.”
“Yes⋯⋯.”
Yuria, startled by Lucia’s irritation, quickly left the office.
“I want to go home⋯⋯.”
Walking down the corridor, she muttered to herself and adjusted her slipping glasses.
It had been three months since she started working at the Ambrosia Research Institute.
Both physically and mentally, it was tough.
But tomorrow was the day she would get her first junior!
“Hee hee⋯⋯.”
Still, her mood was good.
Although the Nectar common language took two months to learn and her report writing was still immature.
She was happy just to have survived today!
“Ouch!”
While lost in thought, she bumped into someone and fell on her butt.
A vampire from the research institute glared at her.
“You damn bitch⋯⋯!”
“Hey, calm down. She’s just a newbie.”
“⋯⋯Haa, fine. I’ll endure it. Poor thing.”
“S-sorry⋯⋯!”
Yuria quickly picked up her glasses, realized she was a vampire, and knelt, bowing her head until the two’s presence faded.
“Good job. That one is too good to kill. If you look closely, her whole body is covered in bruises?”
“Yeah, the stupid one will figure it out on her own.”
This treatment was familiar.
⋯⋯I’m stupid, so I get beaten.
There were times she was beaten for her actions or speech being too angry.
But she wasn’t hopeless.
Unlike the reality where she lived in a pit, here she was given food and a place to sleep.
“Hurry and go to bed⋯⋯.”
Tomorrow would be busy.
She needed to sleep early.
Since she couldn’t work as well as others, she had to wake up early and work diligently.
“Ugh⋯⋯.”
She tripped and twisted her ankle while falling, then staggered to her feet.
Her butt also hurt, as if she had bruises on it.
It was rumored that assistants who worked well or were favored received blood shares.
Was it true?
“If only I had been quick and good at work⋯⋯.”
Yuria limped her way to the dorm.
In front of the bathroom, her clothes and underwear were scattered.
Her entire body was covered in bruises, just like the vampires said.
“Oh⋯ Still, it seems better⋯⋯.”
Recently, there had been no physical violence, so her condition seemed a bit better.
Instead, she had bruises on her hips and a sprained ankle.
“I can’t wait⋯⋯.”
Tomorrow would be a very long day.
So the next day approached quickly.
Somewhere outside the research institute.
Under a neat stage, the vast square-like space was filled with humans.
It was no different from any other day.
Lucia welcomed the humans captured in Nectar with the same words and actions.
And within a minute of meeting them, she showed off the vampire’s grace and dignity.
Thud.
One of the resisting humans fell.
“There was a brief interruption in the process.”
Lucia wiped her blood- and brain-stained hands with a white handkerchief.
When gathering a hundred, one would always try to resist without thinking, so they had to see the blood.
It was like losing a sample, but by controlling the crowd psychology of the humans, it ultimately saved effort.
“Then, welcome back to Nectar once again.”
The humans fell silent as if doused with water at Lucia’s eerie smile.
The explanation continued at length afterward, but it wouldn’t stick in the ears of the humans gripped by fear.
“Please cooperate with our Ambrosia Research Institute.”
Clap clap clap clap!
After Lucia’s long speech, the researchers and assistants lined up on both sides gave a vigorous round of applause.
Following her signal, the assistants approached some of the humans.
“Please follow me.”
“Here, take my hand and come this way.”
“You over there with the dyed hair, yes. Come this way.”
The senior assistants, who had received files with personal info, called out the people they had been watching.
Choosing a lifelong companion with their life on the line, many were cautious.
“Eh, what do I do⋯⋯.”
While the other assistants were eyeing the talent, Yuria was just rolling her feet.
Why? Because she had no memory of receiving the file.
Originally, she thought she was randomly assigned as the new assistant, not chosen.
Sweat poured down.
There had been no such bullying yet.
Her head was in a mess.
What if the chosen one couldn’t handle her?
At that moment when her mind was fading.
“⋯⋯Um, I can do it well.”
“Yes⋯?”
Among the scared humans, a somewhat cool-looking man approached her.
Even though most were trembling, he approached Yuria with one glance.
“Excuse me, but aren’t you the one in charge of selecting people⋯⋯?”
“Y-yes⋯! But⋯⋯!”
What to do⋯?
What should I do⋯⋯?
If I accept anyone and they can’t adapt and die?
She hesitated to answer.
“Then, please take me. I really think I can do it well.”
The man, unaware of Yuria’s feelings, was still straightforward.
Even with a first meeting, there was a strange sense of trust. Was it just her imagination?
“Uuh⋯ T-then, if you say so⋯⋯.”
Yuria couldn’t refuse the man’s determined will.
“T-then, come this way⋯⋯?”
“Understood.”
She grabbed his rough hand that was shyly extended.
He seemed to be very nervous too, as sweat was seeping out differently from appearance.
“By the way, what’s your name⋯⋯?”
“I’m Yoon Seowoo.”
That was Seowoo and Yuria’s first meeting.
***
“Y-yes, this is the dorm where we’ll be staying⋯⋯.”
“We’re living together here⋯?”
“Yes⋯⋯.”
Seowoo found it a bit unbelievable that a man and a woman were to cohabitate in a small 10-pyeong room.
In a society where survival was prioritized, most chose same-sex companions.
In Nectar, love was only a dream, and even if they miraculously conceived by sharing a secret love, the treatment of the mother and fetus⋯ he couldn’t guarantee.
Only after Yuria added an explanation did Seowoo nod.
“⋯⋯Then, may I ask what happens to those who weren’t chosen yesterday?”
“W-well, th-that is⋯⋯.”
“⋯⋯I roughly understand. It won’t be good, will it.”
“Yes⋯⋯.”
He read the unease in Yuria’s hesitation and accurately pinpointed it.
“From tomorrow, it will be very busy, so it’s better to sleep early⋯⋯.”
“I see.”
“T-tell me roughly: you’ll have to learn basic etiquette and Nectar common language, and how to write research logs and reports⋯⋯.”
Despite the somewhat painful schedule that seemed to be drawn, Seowoo only nodded.
“⋯⋯Learn the language? Ah, right, since we speak different languages, it’s surprising that we can understand each other.”
“Yes, thanks to the magic tool borrowed from above, communication with my junior is fine now, but I’ll have to return it later⋯⋯.”
“I see⋯⋯.”
“Let’s work hard together from tomorrow⋯⋯!”
“I’ll do my best too.”
Hoping that she wouldn’t block his path⋯⋯.
Yuria gave a small encouragement.
As a result of actively reflecting her words.
By chance, he ended up turning off the lights too.
“Haa, you sleep on the bed, junior⋯⋯!”
“No, the senior has been staying here first, and I’m used to the floor. The bed is small, so sleeping with siblings was tough.”
Seowoo refused Yuria’s suggestion.
Although he added words, the fact that he wanted to put a woman on the floor and sleep on the bed himself was the most disagreeable.
Even at this point, he didn’t know.
That a tragedy would occur.