#Episode 32
Vasha stared blankly at Lenny’s retreating figure. A part of his her felt unsettled.
Vasha, who had originally been aiming for the position of companion, had hidden this fact.
She didn’t feel the need to reveal this truth to Lenny. Vasha simply intended to use Lenny.
‘Indeed, Lenny is a good human…’
If Vasha herself weren’t a vampire, they might have become friends.
But Vasha was a vampire.
Just because they laughed and chatted together didn’t mean they were friends.
Friendship was not something to be given to a predator who hid her identity and mingled among prey, and it shouldn’t be.
How terrified they would be if they discovered her true nature.
Long ago, Todd had warned Vasha about forming deep relationships with humans. He added that any relationship would end in betrayal once Vasha’s true identity was revealed, so it was better not to get too attached in the first place.
Even without Todd’s warning, Vasha had known this for a long time.
Despite that…
‘This might be why I became a moderate.’
Because she harbored unnecessary feelings for humans. Because she behaved unlike a ‘true’ vampire…
Vasha chuckled. If Todd knew about this, he would probably shout, asking if Vasha would live as a half-hearted vampire just because of such a trivial reason. But Vasha didn’t dislike this about herself.
***
At the Renfield mansion in the heart of Noctiluca, young women hoping to become the Count’s companion came and went all day.
Albert Renfield had been fully committed to finding a companion for Count Renfield for the past few days, putting aside all other matters.
But he couldn’t find a suitable candidate.
As the sun set and the day’s interviews concluded, Albert let out a sigh of frustration.
“Is this all the beauties Noctiluca has to offer? Damn, it’s laughable that they call this the empire’s finest pleasure district.”
Because Albert was famously handsome in Noctiluca’s social circles, all sorts of people flocked just to catch a glimpse of him.
His eyebrows furrowed under his slightly tousled blonde hair, and a frown marred his face.
Seeing his employer’s displeased expression, the servant helping Albert organize the list of applicants made a joking comment.
“But wasn’t number forty-seven from last night and number seventy-two from today really pretty? I couldn’t take my eyes off them.”
“Why don’t you just say you could barely breathe.”*
Albert scoffed at the servant’s words.
“Even so, we can’t send someone too vulgar as the Count’s companion. Number forty-seven looked like she couldn’t hide her background! She seemed barely literate. And she kept poking my calf with her toe…”
Albert shuddered as if in disgust.
“Getting involved with such a woman would only cause trouble. She would definitely spread strange rumors.”
Having experienced such situations before, the servant found Albert’s concern quite reasonable.
“Even if number forty-seven is out, what about number seventy-two? She seemed modest and neat. The elders like such people. She’s perfect to be the Count’s companion.”
The servant, seemingly confused, asked. Albert shook his head coldly.
“Being modest and neat isn’t enough. The person I’m looking for should be aesthetic, exuding a dangerous aura but remaining pure, someone who would emit a rose scent even with a brief encounter. A beauty like a withered rose, with not a single petal fallen.”
“Isn’t that standard too high? Does such a woman even exist?”
The servant asked, bewildered. Albert’s description was excessively abstract and contradictory. The servant couldn’t help but murmur to himself, thinking it impossible for a woman, or even a human, to meet such conditions.
“Unless she’s a vampire…”
The servant shuddered after speaking. They say if you talk about the devil, the devil will appear. He felt he had spoken carelessly.
As if to fuel the servant’s anxiety, Albert loudly added,
“Come to think of it, aren’t vampires supposed to be that beautiful? I wouldn’t mind a vampire, as long as she meets the conditions!”
“Why would you say such ominous things? What if a vampire really shows up!”
The servant jumped, waving his hands in denial. He couldn’t help glancing out the window, as if a vampire might appear at any moment.
Albert scoffed at the servant’s reaction.
“Vampires, really? That’s an old story. They haven’t shown themselves for over a hundred years.”
“Still…”
“Vampires being eradicated is why the Van Drake family was also wiped out, isn’t it?”
“They say the Van Drake family was plotting a rebellion. They were also called heretics…”
“Rebellion by the Van Drake family? If they were that greedy and cunning, they wouldn’t have stayed out of the social scene for so long.”
Albert recited what he’d heard in social circles as if it were his own thoughts.
“The Van Drake family acting somewhat arrogantly towards the royal family was a continuous thing… But suddenly oppressing them? It happened because vampires were eradicated.”
“That’s true, but…”
Thinking Albert’s words made sense, the servant muttered, trailing off. Albert, excited, continued.
“Sure, there might be some lower vampires left. The weaker ones are always more like cockroaches. But so what?”
Albert confidently tapped his chest.
“Those kinds are just like mosquitoes in front of holy relics.”
Finally remembering the holy relic Albert had on him, the servant felt relieved. Albert had bought anything that was said to bring good luck, including holy relics.
After enthusiastically talking about vampires for a while, Albert clicked his tongue as if losing interest.
“Saying even a vampire would do was a joke… I don’t expect a woman to perfectly meet my conditions. But she should at least give off that kind of vibe.”
No matter what, his standards were too high.
The servant bet twenty silver coins that Albert wouldn’t find a suitable candidate even after waiting several days.
But he didn’t dare say that aloud, fearing the temperamental young master’s reaction. Instead, he quietly separated the interview documents for number 47 and number 72. He never knew when Albert might ask for them again.
‘The young master may have high standards, but it’s unlikely we’ll find women as beautiful as these two…’
Albert, though confident in his conditions, was just as anxious about not finding a suitable person. Pacing his study, he muttered curses under his breath.
“Damn it… I can’t miss this opportunity…”
The servant, worried about unnecessary trouble, clamped his mouth shut and tucked his neck in like a turtle while organizing the documents.
At that moment, the mansion’s doorbell rang.
Ding, ding, ding….
“Eek!”
Still on edge from the earlier vampire conversation, the servant’s heart pounded, and he let out a shrill scream at the sudden sound of the doorbell.
“Damn it, a peddler?”
Albert cursed irritably.
Noticing the light from inside indicating someone’s presence, the doorbell kept ringing incessantly.
The Renfield family’s main estate was elsewhere, but they kept a vacation villa near Noctiluca for holiday retreats.
This mansion in the heart of Noctiluca was a townhouse the Renfield family used occasionally for business in the city while staying at their villa.
Because of this, they didn’t assign as many staff as at the villa or other places, so the servant had to handle everything, from simple chores to greeting guests, all by himself.
Yet, the servant showed no intention of getting up. Frustrated, Albert shouted at him.
“Hurry up and get rid of them!”
* The phrase is often used to suggest that someone should be more direct or honest about their feelings or experience. It implies that the person is either downplaying or not fully expressing the intensity of their emotions or physical state. For example, if someone is describing a situation that was very stressful or overwhelming, the speaker might use this phrase to encourage them to admit how difficult it really was.
