The Sudden Visit (Complete)
"Was what I just heard correct...?"
"Yes, I heard it correctly."
Acid's bold declaration made Faye's eyebrows twitch.
The appearance of a rival had never been calculated for.
A wave of awkwardness briefly settled on her lips before vanishing.
But who was she?
Faye Ceylon, her self-confidence wrapped so tightly it could never be cracked.
Sorry, but no matter how much she was the daughter of the head of the family,
a mere professor from the research institute could never match her prestige.
"..."
Then a cute, self-satisfied chuckle escaped Acid.
"Ah, excuse me."
Once the calculations were finished, Faye's speech turned a touch rude.
Snap.
A vein bulged on Acid's forehead beneath her bright smile.
"~ Faye-nim said you wanted to see 'our' Arus?"
"Yes? 'Our'?"
"Yes, our Arus."
Her deliberately chosen words made Faye's eyebrows twitch again.
"Ho ho ho."
"Haha ha."
Mechanical laughter sliced through the air between them.
"..."
"..."
Sharp gazes crossed in the empty space.
"Professor? Suddenly the distance in the title has narrowed a lot?"
"Then you, who laughed at me earlier, aren't you?"
Just now it had been pretense; this time it was a sincere frontal clash.
The two who shared subtle personality traits without hesitation spat out their displeasure without hesitation.
The nobility's face kept their rationality in check, but if the family suppressor had not existed, who knew what would have happened.
"But it's right? What should I do if I can match better?"
"Ha... really!"
Excluding the family background,
appearance, ability, wealth—
she truly believed none of them supported him.
She was far crazier than Acid had imagined.
Acid wanted to counter, but the moment she faltered, she had already lost to Faye, so the only reply was a chuckle.
"..."
"Then let's go directly and ask Arus... no, Arus. Let's go ask who matches him better."
"Okay. That's exactly what I was hoping for."
As if she had known it would come to this, Faye answered with bright energy.
So.
The two people heading to the classroom where Seowoo was, led by Acid.
Before they arrived, she had warned the shadows to wait in vampire form.
She was nervously wondering what he would look like.
Half anticipation, half worry, she opened the classroom door and stepped inside.
Under the white lighting, Seowoo sat leaning against a chair, reading a cultured book.
And in front of him, Lize and Yuria stood perfectly straight, reading the same book.
Despite the short time, the performance was truly flawless.
Acid, in an atmosphere that felt more elegant than silent, could not open her mouth easily.
Faye, who entered a step later, covered her mouth with her hand.
It was the face of a prince she truly envied.
At the untimely noise, Seowoo's head turned.
"Ah, Esid-nim, you came?"
He stood up from his seat and approached her first.
"Yes, there was someone who wanted to see you, so I came like this."
Because Seowoo was pretending to be from the Earl Grey family, Acid played along with his lead.
It was not the only difference from his usual behavior.
She spoke to him in the tone of a noble lady's sample.
As if dealing with an equal being, not human and vampire.
At that moment, Faye suddenly appeared in front of Acid, who had not been told.
In her mind, the existence of professor had already been forgotten.
"..."
"Nice to meet you. Arus-nim, how have you been since then...?"
"Ah... Faye-nim, nice to meet you. It's been a while since the ball."
Faye ignored the hand Seowoo cautiously extended, or perhaps did not notice it, and came with a sudden cheek-to-cheek friendly greeting.
Seowoo's body froze as if his head had broken.
He wanted to ask Acid for help on how to respond, but Faye's gaze did not let him go.
"I was going to introduce you, but you came out first. It's a pity."
Knowing his mind, Acid, who had been half-ignored, cut off the flow where Seowoo was about to be dragged into her face.
"Hey, we know each other originally, do we need an introduction? Right~?"
"Eh... well, right?"
Seowoo clapped along with Acid's foolish reply.
Acid's eyebrows could not be more piercing.
This was not it.
The twitching of the facial muscles seemed to be covered by the smile, making it even scarier.
"The two of you match well, don't you~? Right, Arus-nim~?"
"..."
Seowoo avoided Acid's gaze.
The more this situation continued, the more it was a burden on Seowoo himself.
"Hmph! Rather, can you tell me what business you came for?"
"Ah, that's it? I was talking a bit with the professor here, and the topic of Arus-nim came up, and there were overlapping parts, so I came to greet and ask for opinions."
"What kind of conversation did you have...?"
The thought 'just for that...' collapsed in her continuing words.
"Who matches you better."
No shame.
Faye said it boldly with full confidence.
Unlike her, Acid bowed her head deeply from behind.
Her face looked bright red, as if very shameful.
"Ah..."
The situation was roughly understood.
In any case, both had helped him in some way.
In Faye's case, there was resentment, but since the time came when she could interact with humans and vampires, there was no worry of being exposed.
Originally, since it was a place where they could not do anything rash.
It seemed like a pride battle, but...
Still, if forced to judge the priority,
it was right to side with Acid, who was facing him now.
Whether the flowing situation would follow his thoughts was another matter.
"First, I apologize to Faye-nim."
It was not that she disliked Faye's goodwill.
She was just falling behind in the ranking she had to take care of.
Her expression hardened as she looked at Seowoo with a negative first remark.
At the same time, the head that had been bowed deeply slowly rose in Acid.
The situation that called for the saying "mixed feelings" was performed.
"Why...?"
Faye's voice, which had been floating, calmed down.
Lize and Yuria, pretending to read the book, subtly rolled their eyes.
A messed-up drama love story was being performed live, who could not not care?
The sense of immersion that was stifling under the pressure of choice was amplified.
"Actually, both of you are too much for me..."
Seowoo passed Faye and approached next to Acid.
"Previously, I had expressed my affection for Esid-nim first."
She wrapped her small waist with her arm and stuck it to her side.
The body of Acid, clinging like a magnet, pulled by the strong force.
"Kek?!"
She became rabbit-eyed at the unfamiliar touch.
Because of the atmosphere of not knowing what to do, her current appearance looked delicately like a female led by a strong male.
"..."
"So, that dance invitation I made at that time was rejected?"
"Yes."
It was not the main reason, but if you misunderstood, I would be grateful.
She was ready to be scolded.
She was prepared to accept even if slapped on the cheek.
To protect the life at the research institute, end with being hated by Faye.
That was the moment she decided.
"Puhuh──."
Faye burst into laughter as if it was ridiculous.
"Just for that?"
"Yes...? Then what?"
Just for that?
Common sense, if a man and woman have affection for each other, wouldn't they back off?
"We didn't get married, and it doesn't seem like we were engaged either. If we haven't introduced each other to each other's families, changing the person next to me to me doesn't matter, right? Such light relationships."
His common sense could not follow the words she spat.
Thinking if this was the common sense of a normal vampire, she looked at Acid, but she seemed not to understand either.
"So, Arus-nim, come with me."
Faye extended her hand to Seowoo.
"Come with me, enjoy the wealth and honors outside the research institute."
Faye was a woman who would feel satisfied only if she took what she wanted.
A vampire as selfish and self-centered as comparable to Lucia.
She did not think there was falsehood in what she said.
The halo Faye Ceylon spewed was real.
Power and wealth were also entirely her own ability.
But, the man now was bound by a leash to both of them.
Moreover, he was a person who could escape Nectar itself.
"..."
"I keep saying this, but I don't think I can accept your feelings. However, I won't deny that it was a tempting proposal that was attractive for a moment."
Seowoo bowed his head politely.
It was enough.
A perfect line that could maintain her conviction while saying something that did not touch the other's pride, rather respecting it.
"Hmm..."
Faye still did not seem to like the answer.
Then what to do?
Going out recklessly has its limits.
"Then tell me one thing."
"What?"
"The reason I was rejected."
Her eyes were not subdued at all.
She should say it was close to not understanding.
Of course, there was no reason not to answer her question.
"Simple. It's not a problem of appearance, wealth, or ability."
Even if not in a master-servant relationship.
To feel affection in the second meeting at best, the time to build the relationship was absolutely insufficient.
Unrestrained speech and etiquette not in line with common sense also played a part.
Faye, who was listening carefully to Seowoo's words, nodded her head.
"I understand Arus-nim's words."
As if she had made up her mind, Faye passed Seowoo this time.
Then she stopped upright and turned back.
"Then, if I have more time with you, that's it?"
"Yes? No, rather than that meaning..."
The extreme woman's words were always ominous.
Seowoo, trying to correct the words, was faster than the space in the air breaking.
Between the broken gaps, a blue light appeared.
Dimension magic.
"Today was fun. Next time, I'll reflect your opinions."
Faye, responding with a smile not of anger but of leisure, threw her body to the other side of the space.
Seowoo and Acid, with dazed expressions, could not leave the place for a while.