#Episode 69
The reason Todd felt as though he was constantly being chased without realizing it himself.
It was because, while attempting to exact revenge on humans, he unconsciously tried to follow his family’s teachings. It was only natural that he felt crushed by the burden of trying to make the whole world his enemy.
As soon as his heart leaned toward Vasha’s opinion, Todd felt an inexplicable tightness in his throat. It was only then that Todd became aware of the family seal hanging around his neck.
His discomfort was probably due to the thought of defying the teachings of his family.
In the past, no matter how sweet Vasha’s words were, he would never have been willing to rely on the words of a vampire.
Todd gripped the family seal. His palm felt as if it were being seared by a hot branding iron, the burning heat spreading through his hand.
‘…Damn it, this is all because I’m in bad shape. My body is weak… and my mind has become weak as well.’
Compromise only breeds weakness.
If he kept loosening the restraints he imposed on himself, justifying it as being ‘okay’ one by one, someday, he might even abandon his quest for revenge.
That was why, even if he felt burdened, it was right to endure it.
At that moment, the scent of roses lingered at the tip of his nose. At first, it was unfamiliar, but by now, it was a fragrance that had become all too familiar. Without realizing it, Todd lifted his head and looked at Vasha.
What he saw in Vasha’s eyes was genuine concern.
When had it become so natural—no, even pleasant—for him to receive the sympathy of a vampire?
Todd let out a small laugh.
‘Yeah, what she’s saying isn’t entirely without reason….’
Todd couldn’t trust others, but if there was one person he could trust, it would be Vasha.
‘After all, she’s my contractor….’
Vasha didn’t want Todd to become strong, but she also didn’t want Todd to die. No matter what, Vasha’s advice was ultimately for Todd’s sake.
So, following Vasha’s suggestion to occasionally stop and check if he was still on the right path didn’t seem like a bad idea.
Perhaps it was from overthinking, but Todd’s head throbbed with pain. He gripped his head as if to tear out his hair and muttered to himself.
“…My head hurts.”
“Then how about you lie down for a bit? I’ll put a wet cloth on your forehead.”
As soon as Todd uttered those words, Vasha, startled, quickly supported Todd and helped him lie down.
Then she hurriedly checked the temperature of the basin. The once warm water had gone cold. Vasha clicked her tongue in frustration.
“Wait here for a moment. I’ll go get fresh water.”
Vasha started to get up from her seat. At that moment, Todd reached out and grabbed the hem of Vasha’s clothes.
Both Vasha, who was grabbed, and Todd, who was grabbing her, froze.
A brief silence followed. Todd spoke in an intentionally nonchalant tone.
“Just put your hand on me.”
“My hand is too cold… It’s not good to place something that cold on a fevered body.”
“No one said nagging was bad, did they?”
“Actually… I think I did. Sorry. I’ve been nagging you too much, haven’t I?”
Vasha scratched the back of her head awkwardly and let out a self-conscious laugh. Then, she sat back down, removed the wet cloth from Todd’s forehead, and placed her hand on it instead. The cool sensation of her hand pressed against Todd’s forehead made Todd let out a faint moan.
Watching Todd obediently lie there with her own hand on his forehead, breathing shallowly, left Vasha feeling troubled.
‘I talked too much to a sick person… I got too caught up in trying to convince him, and I rushed things….’
Not knowing how much her words had actually reached Todd’s heart, Vasha had ended up talking too much. She reflected on this over and over in her mind.
After seeing Vasha suddenly become sullen following his words, Todd glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.
‘She was so assertive when she said there’s no need to rush to become stronger and that running away is also a valid option….’
But now, after a single comment about being too naggy, she looked so dejected. Todd felt uncomfortable inside.
Normally, he would have considered it natural for Vasha, a lower-ranking vampire, to feel fortunate to have a Van Drake like himself as her familiar and to pay attention to every word he said.
But he had come to realize that all of this was of little value to Vasha. This realization made Todd feel embarrassed about all the times he had boasted and talked big in front of her.
‘Damn it….’
His face flushed with heat, and Todd desperately wanted to lift Vasha’s sunken spirits. The more dejected Vasha became, the more it felt like a slap to Todd’s face.
‘What should I do? Should I try to console her?’
But how? Comforting someone… it was something he had never done in his entire life, nor had he ever seen anyone else do it.
He opened his mouth to speak, but only shallow breaths escaped. Words wouldn’t come out, and when he finally did speak, the result was far from kind or comforting. It was nothing but sharp sarcasm.
“I’ve heard enough of your nagging, so if you’re going to keep talking, why don’t you sing a song instead?”
“A song? What song?”
“You know, that song you sometimes sing.”
At Todd’s words, Vasha’s face slowly turned bright red. Flustered, Vasha suddenly shot up from her seat and exclaimed.
“You heard it?”
“You were singing so loudly—how could I not hear it? I even heard it in my dreams.”
At Todd’s snarky remark, Vasha gave an awkward laugh.
She had been expecting Todd to criticize her, saying something like, ‘Why would a vampire sing a song for a Van Drake?’ or ‘Are you trying to mock me?’ But that wasn’t the case.
Instead, Todd seemed uninterested in the meaning of the song’s lyrics. He continued to speak in a matter-of-fact tone.
“Where did you learn that song?”
“Hmm… I don’t really remember.”
Vasha smiled awkwardly. As Todd stared at her expectantly, almost as if urging her to sing, Vasha let out a couple of coughs. Then, she quietly began to sing.
“Lullaby, lullaby, my dear baby. Don’t lie down under the moonlight. A vampire might appear and bite your neck…”
The gentle hand patting Todd and the soft lullaby filled the quiet air.
The calm rhythm of the melody made Todd’s eyelids slowly droop without him realizing it. In the darkness cast by the veil of the world, the lullaby continued to tickle his ears.
‘I wonder how long it’s been since I last had such a leisurely moment….’
It certainly felt like he had been running too fast all this time. Just as Vasha had said, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to take a bit of a break every now and then.
With that thought in mind, Todd gradually drifted off into a drowsy sleep.
***.
“Hmph. Good. Looks like you’re fully recovered.”
Just as he had confidently declared that he would get better soon, by the next day, Todd had indeed fully recovered.
His fever had subsided, and the limbs that had been as heavy as lead now felt light. His face, which had been flushed bright red, looked fresh and clear. As soon as he opened his eyes, Todd prepared to return to training and classes.
Vasha, who had stayed by Todd’s side all night, let out a small sigh at the sight of him.
‘It’s a relief that he’s better now, but… I wish he’d take the chance to rest a bit longer….’
But Todd was never one to do that. Vasha knew that her wish was nothing more than a fantasy.
‘Sigh… How am I supposed to stop that stubborn mule?’
Even after suffering through such a harsh illness, Todd was heading straight back to training the moment he recovered. It was obvious that he hadn’t taken a single word of Vasha’s advice to heart.
Trying to rein in Todd’s wild, single-minded pursuit of revenge, like pulling on the reins of a runaway horse, was far too difficult for a beginner rider like Vasha.
The path ahead felt like an endless road stretching beyond the horizon, and Vasha’s shoulders drooped with a hint of discouragement.
Her dejected demeanor was so obvious that even Todd, who was busy getting ready to leave, couldn’t help but notice. Todd glanced at Vasha, puzzled.
‘Why did her mood suddenly drop? She was happy earlier when I said I was all better.’
But asking her ‘what’s wrong?’ would make it seem like Todd was paying too much attention to her.
Of course, the very act of noticing it and questioning it was proof that he cared, but Todd, unaware of this, casually buttoned his shirt cuffs and spoke in a subtle, probing manner.
“Hmph, hmph. Got something you want to say?”
“Huh?”
“If not, never mind.”
Todd turned his head away again. Even in that brief moment, his outfit was being quickly put together. Vasha, who had no idea that Todd was actually paying attention to her mood, grew flustered.
At this rate, as soon as Todd finished getting dressed, he would leave immediately.
‘Since I’ve got the chance, maybe I should bring up the topic of a break…’
If she waited until several days later—after Todd had already forgotten the memory of being sick—there would be no way he would listen. The best time to make Todd realize the importance of rest was right now, in this very moment when he had just recovered.
