#Episode 37
To be honest, when Melina first heard that Count Albert had chosen an incredibly beautiful person to be his conversation companion, she had also secretly anticipated meeting them.
So, when she heard that the companion had arrived in the morning, she curiously peeped into the lobby…
But what she encountered was a beggar covered in rags, which startled her greatly.
‘It must be some kind of strategy to create a sense of mystery. Not coming to the dining hall is probably part of that too…’
The other servants also gathered to discuss the guest whenever they had the chance.
Since Albert picked them, they must be truly dazzlingly beautiful.
Or perhaps, since Albert himself is handsome, his standards might not be that high…
Some argued that, for Albert, anyone not as good-looking as himself probably appeared the same, so he might have just picked anyone.
No one knew which of these ideas was correct, but no matter how beautiful this person might be, creating such a buzz around them made it hard to satisfy everyone’s curiosity.
Amidst all these rumors, Melina was selected as Vasha’s personal maid.
Everyone stuffed her apron pocket with snacks, asking her to report back on what the mysterious guest looked like when she brought their meal.
Looking down at her now bulging apron pocket, Melina smiled slightly.
‘At least I’ve earned something for lugging this heavy trolley.’
Arriving at the door, Melina sighed and knocked.
A faint voice answered from within the room.
“Come in.”
When Melina opened the door, she frowned at the darkness inside. The sun hadn’t even set yet, but the curtains were already drawn.
As she entered the room, she couldn’t see anything at all. It would take some time for her eyes to adjust, but even then, carrying a tray of food would be difficult in such darkness.
Standing by the door, Melina hesitated and awkwardly asked,
“I’ve brought your meal, but the room is too dark. May I open the curtains a bit?”
“Leave the curtains as they are, just light the candles,”
The voice came from the vanity deep inside the room. She had no idea what the person was doing in such complete darkness.
‘Could they possibly be applying makeup in this pitch-black room?’
What a strange person. Melina suppressed a shiver of discomfort.
It was ridiculous to be using candles to brighten the room when the sun hadn’t even set. What a waste!
It was like trying to heat a house by burning wood in the middle of winter while standing naked.
Of course, nobles sometimes did absurd things like that. The owner of this very villa, Count Renfield, was one of them.
‘Maybe they’re trying to imitate the nobles.’
Melina had been ordered by Albert to comply with the guest’s requests, so she had no choice but to obey.
“Alright, please wait a moment.”
As her eyes adjusted, Melina began to recognize the shapes of the objects around the room. She moved towards the candelabra and lit the candles.
‘What if the guest isn’t a beauty at all but some kind of monster? Otherwise, why hide their face like this?’
Judging by the situation, even with the lights on, the guest would probably still be hiding under a hood.
Melina’s heart sank at the thought of having to return all the snacks she’d received in exchange for a glimpse of the guest’s face.
Once the room was illuminated, Melina could finally make out the forms around her and turned to face the troublesome guest.
“Well then, where should I place your meal….”
As she turned towards the guest, her words died in her throat.
Her tongue froze at the root, and her lips wouldn’t move.
It was as if all the air had been sucked out of the room, and her mouth gaped open without making a sound.
When she saw the enchanting smile of the woman with purple hair gazing back at her, Melina lost the freedom to speak.
“Thank you. You can place the meal on the table.”
The woman, dressed in a black gown, didn’t seem like an ordinary human being.
When faced with a beauty that didn’t seem human, it was natural to first feel fear of the unknown, like witnessing a statue or painting come to life.
‘How happy would I be to serve someone like this and see that face every day…’
Just imagining it sent Melina into a state of rapture. In that moment, she completely forgot about the snacks stuffed in her apron pocket, as well as Albert’s face, which she had often praised as handsome until her mouth was dry.
***
The maid remained dazed for a long time. It wasn’t until Vasha spoke again that she started to move, transferring the meal to the table while stealing glances at Vasha the whole time.
If Vasha hadn’t told her she could leave, she probably would have stood in the corner like a piece of furniture, even after setting up the meal.
Even as she left the room, the maid couldn’t take her eyes off Vasha, her face full of regret.
Humans often lost their minds when they first saw a vampire’s beauty, but some were especially prone to being captivated by appearances.
The maid just now seemed to belong to that type.
Not long after Melina left, Todd returned. Vasha welcomed him with a bright expression.
“You came just in time. The food has just arrived. Hurry and eat before it gets cold.”
Vasha urged Todd, but he just stood there at the door, staring blankly without responding.
“What’s wrong? Come on. Warm food tastes the best.”
As Todd continued to stand there in a daze, Vasha followed his gaze.
“Aha.”
Then, as if understanding the reason, she smiled and spun around in place, holding her skirt.
“How do I look? Does the dress suit me?”
Only then did Todd seem to snap out of it, his face flushing bright red, the heat spreading all the way to the tips of his ears.
He remained silent for a moment, perhaps at a loss for words or because he had too much to say. After a brief pause, he finally managed to speak.
“That gambler must have sent you this dress, right? It’s not something a companion for an old man would wear. I’m telling you, he’s definitely trying to seduce the Count with beauty.”
The dress Albert had prepared was a black gown with an exposed neck and shoulders. Vasha shrugged in response to Todd’s disapproval.
“It’s not very modest, is it? But isn’t it better than being all bundled up and looking like I’m dressed for mourning? Humans who are on the verge of death tend to be sensitive about things like that.”
“Why did he choose black in the first place?”
“That, I don’t know.”
Vasha shook her head.
There were many reasons to be dissatisfied with the dress, but regardless, the black fabric did accentuate Vasha’s pale, almost bluish-white skin. Todd commented sharply.
“Well, it’s not bad, I guess.”
Then he quickly looked away.
Vasha burst out laughing, knowing that coming from this blunt child, such words were the highest form of praise.
Even after laughing, Todd’s expression remained stiff. It seemed like something unpleasant had happened outside. Feel concerned, Vasha asked,
“What’s wrong? Did you see a lot of sacred relics? Or did someone treat you badly?”
“It’s nothing.”
“What do you mean, nothing?”
“The thing I went to find. Sacred relics or demon-repelling devices.”
Todd murmured seriously. Vasha tilted her head, not understanding.
“Isn’t it good that you didn’t find them? Why the long face?”
Was he upset because he lost the chance to show off his skills by neutralizing the sacred relics?
Todd sighed deeply, as if the floor might cave in beneath him, and muttered,
“It’s not common for a family as prominent as the Count’s to have no trace of the Lamphas Church’s influence…”
“Really?”
Vasha was glad there were no sacred relics or devices from the Lamphas Church, but Todd didn’t seem to share that view.
“Usually, unless they’re a newly established noble family, there’s some heirloom passed down through the generations, and among those, there’s usually a sacres relic mixed in.”
“Not all nobles carry around sacred relics, right?”
“Not the kind they ‘carry around,’ no.”
