Before Becoming the Calamity
“Are you ready?”
In front of Cecilia, there was a stack of letters sealed with wax.
The bodyguard asked with a strange expression.
“Are you really planning to send all of them?”
“Yes.”
“But there is a certainty that one of them is the culprit...”
“No.”
-Thud.
Cecilia stamped the wax seal on the last letter envelope.
Black hair, same age, noble child.
Only dozens of people fit that condition.
“Even if it’s the culprit, they’ll be caught on their own.”
The bodyguard glanced at the remaining letters.
The content was all the same.
『I found it.』
“......”
Cecilia smiled confidently.
“Send them.”
“......”
But what if I find it?
I returned to my room and tossed the letter from Cecilia into the drawer without caring.
I didn’t want to ruin my morning over the saint candidate.
“Rather than that...”
Let’s check the quest reward.
Eye That Sees the Hidden
Grade: B
Records the narratives of some characters connected to you. You can check the trust levels of registered characters.
Information on registered characters is unlocked step by step according to their trust levels.
“Ho.”
This was interesting.
It didn’t seem like a simple skill that just sensed emotions.
I checked the new item that had appeared.
Lucia Marque
Trust Level: 92
Perception of you:
The first person who treated you warmly. Loves you more than anyone in the world. Wants to be with you forever and doesn’t want to be taken away from anyone. If someone tries to take you away from me......
“Eh.”
Wait, what was that at the end?
I rubbed my eyes and read it again.
『If someone tries to take you away from me......』
There was nothing after that.
“Why does it cut off there?”
That was the most important part.
Or rather, what were they even trying to do?
-Gulp.
I was distracted for a moment, but soon I tore my gaze away and looked up.
“Trust level 92?”
I had expected it to be high since the quest was complete.
But 92 seemed a bit extreme?
Of course, there was no guarantee the maximum was 100, but numbers like this usually topped out at 100.
Especially with lines like “loves you more than anyone” and “doesn’t want to be taken away from anyone”...
“Huuuum.”
It was good. Really good.
But this was a bit too much.
Otherwise it would be troublesome. I needed to like other things too.
Have hobbies, know how to play alone.
“...I should make a friend.”
Saying that felt a little weird.
When had I started caring about such things?
“......”
Well, since it’s Oppa.
It was possible.
I nodded it off and looked down.
Lucia does not remember her past.
There is no memory before being found in the village, and the only thing she knows about herself is the name Lucia.
The power of a vampire that was sealed long ago sleeps in Lucia’s body.
She has absorbed one of the three fragments, and she is currently in a pre-awakening state where power and body have not fully fused.
Without a specific trigger, this power will not reach full awakening.
“Wait.”
I read the explanation from the beginning again.
She had absorbed the fragment?
That meant Lucia wasn’t a vampire from the start.
But what bothered me more was the last sentence.
Without a specific trigger, she wouldn’t awaken.
“Then what was that trigger?”
My gaze naturally moved to the final item.
In the original flow, Lucia’s awakening was not naturally caused.
After someone discovered Lucia’s existence, Caron Marque left the estate and someone attacked the count’s residence.
The residents were killed, and the second fragment was forcibly injected into Lucia’s body while she was captured.
As a result, the sleeping power awakened.
I read it several times, but the content didn’t change.
“This crazy bastard.”
Someone had deliberately attacked the count’s residence and forced the second fragment into Lucia.
That was how she became one of the Five Great Calamities.
“Insane.”
Who was it? Demons? The Church?
What was the point of awakening Lucia?
“......”
I didn’t know.
That was the most frustrating part.
There was no guarantee they would move on the same day, and they might even move faster.
“Damn it.”
I had gained information, but the worry only increased.
I looked back at the window.
Next information opening condition not yet met.
There was still more?
Information that wouldn’t open even at trust level 92. It was hidden pretty deep.
“It’ll open someday.”
I stopped clinging to it and closed the window.
It was enough to know what I had learned right away. Why Lucia had become a calamity and that it wasn’t her will.
“......”
Then there was nothing more to worry about.
Stop it.
Definitely stop it.
No matter what happened, stop it.
I stood up and headed to the training ground.
2.
Lucia was dreaming. It was the first time she had seen such a scene.
But strangely, it felt familiar.
A long corridor.
Shattered windows.
Black-red blood splattered on the walls and floor.
“Here...”
It was the Marque residence.
But it looked nothing like what she knew.
People were collapsing.
One, two.
The faces Lucia passed every day.
“......”
Her steps quickened. No one was moving.
“I don’t like...”
Lucia shook her head.
This is a dream. It had to be a dream. But the smell of blood was so vivid.
-Splat.
Blood splashed from under her feet.
Her breathing grew ragged.
Lucia started running down the corridor.
She had to find one person.
“Oppa?”
No one.
“Oppa...?”
She opened each door.
None.
Next room.
Still none.
“Oppa!”
The empty mansion echoed with her voice.
At that moment.
-Thud.
Lucia’s feet stopped.
At the end of the corridor, someone in a black robe stood there.
Not one person.
One after another, figures appeared behind him.
“......Who are you.”
No answer.
Instead, the person at the front slowly raised their hand.
“I found you.”
With the voice, the surroundings darkened completely. Soon, countless hands reached out from the darkness.
Grabbing arms, pressing shoulders, pinning bodies so they couldn’t move.
“You will wake up now.”
“Let go...!”
The chest burned hot. It felt like something was forcibly digging into the body.
“Ah......!”
It was hot.
It hurt.
And the throat was dry.
Insanely.
Lucia’s vision slowly turned red.
“......Blood.”
I want to drink it.
I want to bite it.
Kill everything──
『Then I’ll punish you.』
“......”
At that moment, all sounds stopped.
It was a familiar voice.
『If you do something really bad, I’ll punish you.』
“Oppa.”
Lucia’s trembling eyes stopped.
“...No.”
If I do that, Oppa will punish me. Oppa might get angry.
Maybe even hate me.
“That’s... I don’t like.”
More than anything else.
At that thought.
“......!”
Lucia woke up.
-Huff.
Breathing was rough.
The heart was beating wildly.
-Thump.
-Thump-thump.
“......”
Something was off.
The room was too bright.
Even though it was midnight, every piece of furniture was clearly visible.
The sound of leaves swaying outside the window.
Animals’ cries.
Even someone’s heartbeat.
-Ha.
Throat dry. But not like when wanting water.
Far hotter and unbearable thirst.
Lucia unconsciously licked her lips.
At that moment.
“......?”
Something sharp touched the tip of her tongue.
It was fangs she didn’t have before.
-Thump.
Heartbeat again.
Want to drink.
Just a little.
Just once──
-Huff.
Lucia hurriedly covered her mouth.
“...No.”
She shook her head vigorously.
“I’ll punish you.”
Lucia gripped the blanket tightly with both hands.
After holding on like that for a while, the crazy thirst gradually subsided.
The red light flashing in her eyes also faded.
“......”
Lucia slowly got out of bed. Walked barefoot down the corridor and stopped in front of the familiar door.
-Creak.
Opened the door slightly.
Rian was sleeping.
Perfectly fine, as if nothing happened.
The strength left Lucia’s shoulders. What if the dream was real? It was scary.
“...I’m glad.”
-Swoosh.
After staring at Rian’s face for a while, she carefully lifted the blanket edge.
“......”
Lucia hesitated for a moment, then crawled onto the bed stealthily. And curled up next to Rian, lying down.
“Oppa.”
No answer.
But it was warm. Heartbeat could be heard.
-Cute.
Lucia got closer.
“...Can we sleep together.”
-Surr.
And that night.
Without borrowing anyone’s hand, the fragment’s power awakened.
Earlier than before.