IWTRAE Chapter 104

 

 

 

#Episode 104

 

 

“Melina!”

 

Bernardo felt an inexplicable sense of discomfort at the sight before him. His voice was filled with anger as he shouted at Melina, who stubbornly stood her ground.

 

Bernardo had served as a Holy Knight for ten years. The oppressive aura he now carried was incomparable to when he had merely been an ordinary nobleman’s son, and it weighed heavily upon Melina.

 

Melina’s body trembled slightly, but she refused to back down, standing firmly in front of Vasha to protect her.

 

‘Damn it, has the contract really been broken?’

 

A startled Vasha once again shouted with authority.

 

“Run, Melina!”

 

“How could I leave you behind, my lady?”

 

Rather than fleeing, Melina stood her ground. Her sharp retort even made Vasha flinch.

 

Seeing this, Bernardo felt his frustration reach its limit. Unable to contain himself, he pointed at Vasha and shouted,

 

“Do you even know what you’re trying to protect? That thing is a vampire!”

 

“…Ugh!”

 

Bernardo had finally exposed Vasha’s true nature.

 

‘Damn it, under normal circumstances, I would have at least tried to deny it…’

 

Her fangs, revealed by battle fatigue, and her elongated pupils—these undeniable features betrayed her nature.

 

Earlier, when Melina had intervened, she must have been too flustered to notice. But now, looking at Vasha, there was no way she could mistake her for a human.

 

Vasha’s heart pounded as she wondered how Melina would react.

 

The Master-Servant Contract had shattered before she had gained complete control, meaning she had failed to turn Melina into a devoted follower.

 

Since she was not a fully converted thrall, Melina remained just an ordinary human.

 

And an ordinary human would naturally…

 

“You think I didn’t know?”

 

Melina’s words caught Vasha completely off guard. Her eyes widened in shock as she muttered,

 

“…You knew?”

 

“I was your closest maid, my lady. With all your strange behaviors, how could I not notice?”

 

Melina’s voice held a faint trace of amusement.

 

Of course, she hadn’t known from the very beginning.

 

But after months of watching from up close, there were things she couldn’t help but notice.

 

A lady who never ate, avoided sunlight, and only moved around at night, in a room with no mirrors.

 

A woman of indescribable beauty, always carrying the scent of deep roses.

 

As a child, Melina had spent time around Bernardo and had picked up many things—among them, tales of vampires.

 

And Vasha’s habits undeniably matched those of a vampire.

 

Even so—

 

“I swore loyalty to my lady. I’m not a knight, but a mere maid… Still, that doesn’t make my oath any less significant.”

 

“Melina…”

 

Vasha was at a loss for words.

 

To be honest, she had never taken Melina’s vow that seriously. She had only seen it as a means to establish the Master-Servant Contract more smoothly. Thanks to her willingness, the process had been effortless.

 

No—perhaps she had underestimated Melina herself, thinking of her only as someone who would inevitably become her thrall in time.

 

Before forming the contract, she had been somewhat curious about what Melina was thinking. But the moment the contract broke, all that curiosity had scattered.

 

Vasha had only expected her to serve when needed.

 

Right now, she was merely a potential thrall—nothing more. She had assumed she could start paying attention to her once she fully submitted. That way, if anything went wrong, the loss wouldn’t sting as much.

 

When Melina had returned to the villa, Vasha had been shocked. But even in that moment, her first thought had been a certainty—Melina had discovered her true identity and had come to betray her.

 

After all, she had never trusted Melina from the start.

 

That was why she had tried to bind her with the contract in the first place.

 

So if the contract was broken, naturally…

 

‘Melina… Did I actually think she might still become my thrall someday? What a ridiculous assumption. I’m a disgrace of a vampire.’

 

Melina was already a perfect devotee.

 

It was no wonder the contract’s power had failed—no wonder she had resisted its commands.

 

Her loyalty had surpassed the magic of the contract itself.

 

Vasha had been betrayed many times before, but never like this.

 

For the first time, betrayal felt… good.

 

A quiet chuckle escaped her lips.

 

***

 

On the other hand, Bernardo was devastated.

 

The Melina he had known since childhood—now standing by a vampire by choice?

 

Before, he could excuse her ignorance. But now, things were different.

 

Bernardo’s gaze locked onto Melina, filled with bitter betrayal.

 

“And what did she offer you in return? Did she promise you eternal life? That’s nothing more than an empty illusion!”

 

“I did receive a reward.”

 

Despite Bernardo’s harsh accusations, Melina did not waver as she calmly countered,

 

“The chance to always stay by my lady’s side. That is the only reward I desire.”

 

“…What?”

 

Bernardo’s face twisted in frustration. At first, he looked confused, but soon, as if realizing something, he let out a sigh.

 

“You’ve been bewitched by her face!”

 

‘He figured it out that quickly?’

 

Vasha couldn’t help but be impressed. Even she had doubted it at first and only realized the truth after using Charm—but Bernardo had instantly seen through Melina’s true feelings. They really did know each other well.

 

“I used to joke with your brother that your obsession with beauty would lead you to ruin one day—but I never thought it would actually happen!”

 

Bernardo recalled how, as a child, Melina would visit the noble estate’s portrait hall every day.

 

She had once stood there, gazing at paintings of angels, saying she wanted to meet one someday. Seeing her innocent smile back then, Bernardo had smiled back.

 

And with that memory, another surfaced.

 

The day his first official portrait was unveiled after his coming-of-age ceremony.

 

Melina had looked at it in shock, then ran away, avoiding him for a long time afterward.

 

 

<All portraits are lies! I thought they were painting angels, but they were just carving potatoes to look like angels!>

 

<What? What did you just say? How dare you!>

 

<Don’t be so harsh on her, Nanny. Melina must have had high expectations. She’s always loved portraits.>

 

<This is all because you spoiled her too much, young master! Don’t stop me—I need to teach this girl a lesson, or she’ll get into serious trouble one day!>

 

 

Bernardo had to calm the enraged nanny down, but now that he thought about it, her words had wounded him a little, too.

 

‘My portrait wasn’t that different from reality!’

 

Sure, his jawline was a little sharper, his eyes more defined, and his hair shinier in the painting—but still!

 

And yet, after calling him a potato back then, she had chosen a vampire instead?

 

‘…These emotions from the past are just personal grievances. I need to stay rational.’

 

Bernardo shook his head, forcing himself to cool down. This wasn’t the time to dwell on past nonsense. There was still a chance to fix this.

 

Before things got worse, he had to persuade Melina.

 

“Even if that thing wears a beautiful shell, inside, it’s more vile than a pit of maggots in hell! It’s a monster that devours people!”

 

“But, young master, isn’t it also true that humans devour each other? Look outside—you’ll see that the ones who exploit people the most… are people themselves.”

 

“Blasphemous reasoning! How could you fall this far into corruption?!”

 

Blinded by her own delusions, Melina refused to see the truth. Neither scolding nor threats could shake her resolve.

 

Bernardo clenched his eyes shut.

 

“I refuse to watch you fall into darkness. Before you walk a path of no return, I will lead you back to the holy light.”

 

“That’s a very poetic way to say you’re going to kill me.”

 

Melina smirked.

 

At first, she had shown fear at Bernardo’s overwhelming presence.

 

But the longer their conversation went on, the more that fear disappeared.