#Episode 29
He boasted to Vasha that there would be no problem, but it was incredibly difficult for a child to wander alone in a slum.
However, he managed to get through it alone, didn’t he? He always rationalized it that way, but thinking that Vasha knew everything left him in speechless and feeling self-conscious.
Lost in thought, Vasha was a bit late to notice Todd’s return but welcomed him with excitement.
“Hey, Todd. I heard something interesting from Lenny today….”
Vasha told Todd about sir Albert looking for a companion.
‘What’s this? It’s not a big deal.’
Realizing that Vasha wasn’t angry, Todd sighed in relief and felt reassured. It seemed he hadn’t been caught.
‘Wait a minute, why should I care about what she thinks? She’s not my protector!’
Suddenly, Todd felt a surge of anger. The fact that he had been anxious about a vampire’s feelings hurt his pride.
Unaware of Todd’s feelings, Vasha eagerly shared what she heard from Lenny and her own thoughts.
“So, I’m thinking of applying for that job…. What do you think?”
“Hmm….”
Vasha’s question somewhat eased Todd’s prickly mood.
Todd has always believed, despite being a child, that he could fulfill his responsibilities like an adult.
As such, it hurt his pride to be relying on the meat Vasha had brought back for the past few days.
Before coming to Noctiluca, he could at least excuse it by saying he was injured. But now that he was healed, how long could Vasha keep providing his meals?
‘I’m not a kid!’
The fact that Todd was of no help in providing Vasha’s meals further hurt his pride.
This was also why he wandered outside more often.
He felt that bringing back something would make him ‘equal’ to Vasha.
After mulling over Vasha’s story, Todd asked seriously.
“If you take on this companion job, will you have to stay at that noble’s villa?”
“Probably? It’s not like you can come and go from here every time.”
“Then finding a hideout will be more difficult. Usually, villas are far from the city, and the surroundings are private property, so there aren’t any buildings suitable for a hideout.”
“That’s true, but… do you not like it?”
Seeing Todd’s displeased expression, Vasha’s shoulders slumped.
Todd shook his head.
“Logically, yes. But I shouldn’t underestimate a vampire’s instincts. If you felt something from hearing about it, it might be a good option for us.”
Unexpectedly, Todd actively supported Vasha’s idea. This made Vasha hesitate instead. Vasha added in a subdued voice.
“Come to think of it, there’s no guarantee I’ll be chosen… I might not even get the job.”
“Why? Didn’t they say they were looking for a beauty?”
“Yeah, but….”
Realizing what Todd meant, Vasha’s eyes widened. With an innocent face, Vasha asked,
“Do you think I’m pretty?”
Todd’s face turned bright red as he realized his slip of the tongue. He angrily retorted,
“Pretty? What’s pretty about you?”
“So you think I’m not pretty?”
“Shut up!”
“You’re good at acting, but you can’t lie, can you?”
“Damn it!”
As Vasha teased him further, Todd, now more embarrassed, stomped his feet and pounded the bed with his fists.
Every time Todd stomped, the old wooden floor creaked loudly.
After a while, Todd, who had been venting his anger, took a deep breath.
Then, as if nothing had happened, he tried to calm his voice.
“Anyway, if they want a beauty, you’ll easily pass… Damn it! Did you think I’d find a vampire’s face pretty? I was just stating an objective fact!”
As he spoke, the suppressed anger surged up again. Todd’s attempt to appear calm failed.
However, even Todd didn’t fully understand why he was so angry, or even if it was truly anger.
Seeing this, Vasha barely managed to suppress a laugh.
‘Talking about objective facts. If someone’s pretty, just say they’re pretty. No need to be so difficult.’
Though Vasha wanted to tease him further, she decided not to provoke Todd anymore. Todd’s outburst had been intense, like a wild boar rampaging through the room.
***
“Whether they pick you or not, I think it’s worth meeting them. It’s not every day you get a chance to meet a noble one-on-one. If things go wrong, you can always use them as a pawn.”
After calming down, Todd spoke with a steady voice.
Vasha, who didn’t want to experience another outburst, responded as if nothing had happened.
“True, it might be inconvenient that I can’t control them during the day, but a noble could still be very useful….”
Vasha tapped her lips thoughtfully, considering the advantages of having a noble as a pawn.
But using someone as a pawn was a trick, and tricks were never as good as the proper way. After thinking it over, Vasha sighed.
“Still, it’s probably best to get chosen as a companion… but there’s a problem.”
“What is it?”
“To go to the interview, I’d have to take off my hood. What if they recognize that I’m a vampire? I don’t look exactly like a human… Everyone in Haidus noticed right away.”
Vasha touched her face. Pale white skin, red eyes, purple hair….
She could hide her fangs, but even then, she wouldn’t look like an ordinary human. Vasha pouted.
Seeing this, Todd snorted.
“In Haidus, everyone was scared. Even if you were a normal human, they would’ve treated you like a vampire.”
Given the madness of that time, it was only a matter of time before the village goats were seen as devil’s offspring and midwives or herbalists were accused of being witches.
“And don’t forget about [Cognitive Distortion].”
Todd reminded Vasha of an ability she had forgotten.
[Cognitive Distortion] is a natural ability of vampires, a form of mimicry.
It helps them approach their prey by reducing discomfort or gaining favor. The better this ability, the more they can control their presence.
Of course, [Cognitive Distortion] isn’t foolproof.
If the target is familiar with vampires or possesses holy power, the effect diminishes. Against Van Drake, it’s completely useless.
Conversely, it means they can easily deceive ordinary people without holy power.
“Since you’re a lower-ranking vampire, [Cognitive Distortion] might work better for you. High-ranking vampires have a strong presence that’s hard to suppress. Although some of the cunning ones can hide it perfectly… Anyway, people who haven’t met vampires won’t notice.”
After the Vampire Lord went to sleep, vampires significantly reduced their activities, and fifty years later, they completely went underground. So, it was unlikely that someone young like Albert Renfield would recognize a vampire.
Despite Todd’s confidence, Vasha was still worried.
It was natural. Even with [Cognitive Distortion], Vasha was immediately recognized as a vampire by the Lamphas cultists when she first arrived in this world and was chased away.
She couldn’t be sure there wouldn’t be another mishap.
“What if that noble has a holy artifact? If it’s a strong one, I can’t go near it. If it’s a weak one, it might get contaminated and reveal that I’m a vampire….”
Vasha’s concern was valid. Knowing the dangers, Todd sighed and added,
“There is a way to neutralize holy artifacts.”
“Really?”
Vasha was surprised to hear there was actually a solution to the problem she had just mentioned.
