The Assistant's Shadow
One of the Five Founding Families.
The eldest daughter of the noble Blemish family, Esid, was what could only be called a predator.
She commanded her subordinates not with brute force, but through the 'magic' that only those of profound intellect could wield, earning the awe of others.
She was also the next head of the family, destined to lead Nectar.
But!
She had tried to steal a kiss from an insignificant beast!
Seowoo was well aware that Lucia, the head of the Earl Grey family, had her eyes on him.
Yet if she invoked the family's power, there was nothing she couldn't get away with.
Punishing the head of the family—his mother—was nothing out of the ordinary.
Since it had been taken, it must be taken back.
Only that thought dominated his mind.
"This... this...! How dare you!"
Esid released a ferocious killing intent.
Seowoo felt his nerves stand on end to the point that he forgot even the pain in his abdomen.
A chill crawled up his spine, and he sensed that his life was almost over.
He was not the protagonist of a novel.
He did not possess pheromones beyond the realm of common sense.
Without the overwhelming ability that made him a so-called Munchkin, Yoon Seowoo could not escape the current situation.
Helpless.
Wasn't this the most fitting way to describe the present circumstances?
'Ah... now it's really over.'
His mind, which had turned completely white, was filled with resignation.
Of all the mistakes he could have made, why this one?
His life, which he had taken with his own hands, was already approaching three digits.
It had truly been a long three years.
Seowoo's gaze followed Esid's hand upward.
That delicate hand would soon tear his body apart mercilessly.
Although the Blemish family was considered physically weaker than other families, they possessed overwhelming strength against humans.
"Die!"
A curse-like shout erupted toward Seowoo.
Just as her razor-sharp nails were about to crush his face.
Thud!
Someone seized her arm.
The ash-blonde hair fluttering before his eyes.
Instead of her beautiful appearance, the hair he had faced so many times in boredom reminded him of one person.
'... Lucia Earl Grey.'
At this moment, her back was more welcome than anyone else's.
"... What is this nonsense?"
"The beast dared to... my lips..."
Thud!
Esid, who had been about to use another method, had her other hand stopped as well.
She glared at Lucia with an incredulous expression.
"Please calm down."
"What... calm down? Hah. Why me?"
She was famous for her impulsive mood swings, and she was already obsessed with punishing Seowoo.
In other words, she had no intention of calming down at all.
Seowoo's wrist, which Lucia held without the slightest movement, remained unmoved even when he tried to exert force.
"Tch, do you think I can't kill you just because of this!"
Esid's expression twisted in rage, and she slashed one of her own fingers with her nail.
A line of blood flowed like a thread from the wound.
Drip.
The blood flowing down her palm moved according to the flow she led.
The blood line extending along the magic became a law and formed an array.
In magic, blood is an essential element that mediates between the caster and the magic, constituting the manifestation of the spell.
The unique magic blooming from her fingertips was the ultimate selfishness, which would not be allowed unless one was from the Blemish family.
A shadow that shouldn't exist for vampires at all emerged from her tiny fingertip.
"Balor! Cut it off!"
Following Esid's shout, the shadow twitched and instantly shot out a red blade.
Sssst!
"... Ah!"
When he sensed death, the blade was already about to sever his neck.
All Seowoo could do was to spit out his last words belatedly.
Pfft!
Soon, a sound like spurting water echoed, and red blood splattered everywhere.
Seowoo opened his tightly closed eyes, feeling the unpleasant heat on his cheek.
"Eh...?"
An unfamiliar scene that his common sense couldn't understand appeared.
A sense of dissonance that made him think he might be seeing something wrong.
As his vision recovered, the blurry scene gradually became clear.
"... Why are you covering him like this? Is that guy your familiar?!"
Esid pointed at the obstacle in front of her with disgust.
After all, in front of her was Lucia, who had taken a full-body sword strike.
Esid hadn't expected Lucia to come out like this either.
Lucia's left arm was tattered like a rag.
Why, as Esid said?
Not only the relief of still being alive, but her actions also filled her with suspicion.
"Why...?"
Lucia turned her head slightly to check on Seowoo's safety.
As expected, his face was a bit dazed, and when their eyes met, he reflexively lowered his head.
Of course, in this situation, she had no intention of scolding him.
She prided herself on being cold-blooded, but she wasn't that inflexible.
But there was one thing that bothered her.
When she unconsciously turned her head, did the emotion that hadn't been shown to Seowoo appear on her expression?
After a moment of silence, she spoke in a flat tone.
"I have told you many times. It is unpleasant for others to touch my things."
"Indeed, you have."
Although it was said to Esid, Seowoo answered reflexively.
It was a phrase he had heard so many times while assisting her for years that it stuck to his ears.
Of course, he couldn't forget it.
But was it worth enduring the pain of losing an arm for that unpleasant feeling?
He still couldn't understand the vampire's way of thinking.
"Well, if you know it well, I don't need to answer more."
As expected by Lucia, Seowoo didn't miss her expression.
Normally, even if emotions didn't fluctuate, she was reliable.
But seeing her expression faintly twisted, he felt an indescribable strange feeling that couldn't be expressed in words.
"Blemish Professor. No, Miss Esid. Are you planning to stain the family name?"
"Are you threatening me because the words don't match right now?"
"This is my last word. Please stop here for my sake."
Lucia lightly curtsied like a bow.
Since she was the head of the Earl Grey family, she couldn't just push forward while disregarding her honor.
Moreover, Lucia had even received a lethal magic attack.
Since the heads of the Five Families had been attacked, whether intentional or not, it was like providing a 'pretext'.
She had given up that point and even lowered herself.
Facing Lucia's rational judgment, her own head also cooled.
"... Hmph, what did that guy say to make you fight like that."
Although she had spoken loudly, if she calmly considered the gains and losses, it would be the best to let the current situation pass.
Esid clicked her tongue with a complicated expression and pointed at him with her outstretched index finger.
"You! Know your luck! Lucia Earl Grey! I'll remember today's event as a debt!"
"I understand."
"If you understand, both of you get out quickly!"
Seowoo followed behind Lucia, who nodded her head, and left.
Despite having pride, she didn't even glance at Seowoo bowing his head at the end.
Bang.
The heavy door closed, and Lucia asked indifferently.
"... Are you hurt?"
"Yes, if I just rest a little... Ugh..."
She looked at Seowoo, who was struggling to speak, and roughly pulled up his outer garment.
There, thick and deep scars were constantly spewing blood.
"The wound seems more serious than I thought. If the affected area was just a bit higher, there could have been a large pneumothorax as a aftereffect in the lungs."
Lucia's gentle hand slowly stroked his cheek.
"Take this."
"What?"
"This is a capsule containing my blood. Although it's unlikely, if you use it for suicide, you know what to do, right? Pick up a piece of meat and save yourself, so burst it and apply it well to the affected area."
"... Understood."
Although I couldn't see it directly, she would probably continue to be expressionless while saying such eerie words.
Amazing... It's a talent to explain the words 'don't swallow it' in such a terrifying way.
Tap.
Lucia snapped her fingers.
The two servants, who had been nowhere to be seen, quickly appeared.
"While Seowoo returns to the dormitory, please take good care of him."
The servant who nodded his head moved briskly.
Surprisingly, even in the midst of pain from being supported on both sides, he felt a sense of comfort.
At the same time, a thought struck him that he was receiving too much kindness.
It wasn't even blood from a lower vampire sufficient for simple treatment.
Receiving blood from the head of the family alone was at a level that made one expect a storm.
There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
The coming storm was feared.
"Even though you went this far for me, Lucia-nim...!"
Was it because of the psychological defense mechanism?
A clear tremor appeared in Seowoo's voice.
"Such things that you worry about won't happen. I swear on the name of the head of the family. This capsule is also for the injury, but think of it as a reward for the hardships you've endured so far."
"... Yes."
Appropriate carrot and stick.
Skilled taming.
Every time Lucia's voice gave relief, the passionate dance of emotions showed signs of subsiding.
The price of playing with life like a toy was equal to the weight of a few drops of blood from a high vampire called the elixir.
"Ah..."
A small sigh escaped Seowoo's mouth.
Whether his head was spinning or not, he felt grateful for being wounded and treated by them.
He had always vowed not to waver, but his firm will was gradually being chipped away, little by little.
Even though he knew this thought was wrong.
"I need you, Seowoo. Once you're healed, please stay by my side like this."
Her sweet whisper soothed his miserable heart.
"Then have a comfortable night."
Seowoo watched her leave gracefully and thought from a distance.
Wasn't Lucia barely holding back the laughter that was about to burst out just now?