#Episode 78
Fortunately, Todd responded to the call!
Seeing Todd sitting with Laurus brought tears to her eyes.
How long has it been since she last saw Todd…
While Vasha was delighted to see Todd again, Todd didn’t seem to feel the same way.
Todd, who had been chatting with Laurus until moments ago, clammed up the moment Vasha entered the room. Crossing his arms, Todd turned his head away to avoid looking at Vasha.
‘There’s no need to ignore me this much!’
From the looks of it, Todd seemed closer to Laurus than to Vasha.
It was like seeing a cat that used to stay only by your side suddenly pretend not to know you, while rubbing up against someone else’s legs.
Previously, Vasha had thought it would be nice if Todd got along with other people. But now, it was clear that idea only held true if Vasha remained Todd’s top priority.
‘Oh well, at least he showed up…’
Vasha had known Todd held grudges for a long time, so this outcome wasn’t entirely unexpected. Even so, the situation still left Vasha feeling a bit hurt.
With a soft sigh, Vasha calmed her heart and got to the point of the gathering.
“There’s something I need from the Lantern Festival auction, but it seems I won’t be able to attend in person… Laurus, could you help me get it?”
At a grand event like the Lantern Festival, which celebrated Lamphas, the venue would undoubtedly be plastered with Lamphas’s star symbols. As a vampire, Vasha couldn’t dare attend such an event.
Laurus, fully aware of Vasha’s situation, confidently replied,
“If you ask me, I will bring you whatever you need.”
“But there’s a problem.”
Vasha’s expression darkened. With a sigh, Vasha added,
“I don’t actually know what the item is.”
“What?”
A rare look of discomfort appeared on Laurus’s face.
Vasha, too, let out an awkward laugh. Asking someone to retrieve an item without even knowing what it was seemed absurd even to Vasha.
Being honest, Vasha admitted…
“Actually, the item I’m trying to obtain is the legacy of the Van Drake family.”
“…What?”
Laurus repeated the same word, looking even more perplexed than before.
Even Todd, who had been stubbornly ignoring Vasha until now, snapped his head toward Vasha the moment those words were spoken.
His wide-open eyes gleamed like a golden field of rice swaying under an autumn breeze.
Todd was young, and his enemies were powerful. Retrieving the confiscated legacy of his family was a luxury he couldn’t afford. So, until now, he had deliberately acted as if it didn’t exist…
But suddenly, Vasha had dragged the existence of that legacy back to the surface.
While Todd struggled to calm his swirling emotions, Laurus spoke with concern.
“Since it hasn’t been long since the Van Drake duchy was wiped out, it’s unlikely their legacy would already be up for auction. Items owned by the Van Drakes were all rare treasures, most of which were probably split between the Lamphas Church and the royal family. Instead…”
“No. It will be at the auction.”
Vasha stubbornly shook her head.
Logically speaking, even Vasha thought it was absurd for the Van Drake legacy to show up at this auction.
But since Rasa had imposed this trial, the item was certain to appear at the auction.
“Do you have any prior information on who might be putting it up for auction?”
“Um… no.”
Although Vasha was sure the Van Drake legacy would appear, there was no concrete information about it. Laurus let out a faint groan in response to Vasha’s request.
Vasha understood that it was only natural for Laurus to find it hard to believe.
However, since Vasha couldn’t explain where or how this certainty had come about, the only option was to insist stubbornly.
At that moment, Todd, who had been silent until now, suddenly cut in with a question.
“You don’t know what the item is, you don’t know who’s putting it up for auction, yet you’re certain the Van Drake legacy will appear?”
“Uh-huh.”
Even Vasha, knowing how absurd this claim was, answered cautiously while watching Todd’s reaction.
It was easy to imagine Todd losing his temper and yelling, ‘How can anyone believe such nonsense?’
Before that could happen, Vasha quickly added as a form of excuse,
“Of course, it’s hard to believe, but…”
“I believe you.”
“What?”
Vasha’s eyes widened in surprise. Contrary to Vasha’s expectations of an angry reaction, Todd calmly and firmly repeated himself.
“I believe you.”
Todd’s unwavering eyes met Vasha’s directly, showing no doubt or hesitation.
“Uh, uh….”
Caught off guard by Todd’s unexpected response, Vasha stuttered, unsure of what to say. It felt like Vasha’s mouth had gone completely dry.
As Vasha continued to gape in disbelief, Todd smirked slightly, raising one corner of his lips.
“What? Can’t you believe that I believe you? Haven’t I said before that you can’t disregard a vampire’s intuition? I even agreed to your stubborn insistence on becoming Albert’s conversational partner or whatever.”
For vampires, who are the closest beings to magic itself, spiritual experiences were as natural as breathing. Because of this, their sixth sense was well-developed, including foresight.
“While such intuition might be a bothersome trait for a vampire hunter, for a vampire, it’s an invaluable survival tool. Ignoring your own intuition would be plain foolish.”
Todd rambled on, listing objective reasons for trusting Vasha’s words. However, the more he talked, the more it began to sound like an excuse.
Perhaps Todd himself felt this as well, as the tips of his ears gradually reddened. Before long, his entire face flushed a deep crimson.
Todd abruptly turned his head away again. All Vasha could see was the back of Todd’s head and the bright red tips of his ears peeking through his hair.
‘Todd’s reaction is kind of strange…. Could it be?’
At that moment, Vasha finally realized that Todd was attempting to reconcile.
Of course! Suddenly, Todd was taking Vasha’s side.
Since Todd hadn’t brought up anything about their previous argument, Vasha hadn’t noticed until now.
Vasha had been wondering how to mend things, but to think Todd would be the one to extend an olive branch first! Compared to the old Todd, this was an incredible leap forward.*
Overwhelmed with emotion, Vasha’s face lit up with a wide smile.
Todd’s face, realizing that Vasha had only just caught on, seemed ready to burst.
Though his attempt at reconciliation was clumsy at best, when had a Van Drake ever apologized before?
Without even delving into Todd’s own life, one would be hard-pressed to find any record of such a thing, even several generations back.
Mending a broken relationship was unheard of for a Van Drake.
‘Damn it, because of that…’
Todd grumbled inwardly, but seeing Vasha’s smile after such a long time didn’t leave him in a bad mood.
Even so, when faced with Vasha directly, a wave of embarrassment crashed over him. Too flustered to look at Vasha, Todd cleared his throat and turned his attention toward Laurus.
“There’s a slight chance Van Drake’s belongings might show up at the auction. The truly important items from the Van Drake family were sealed and stored. Their magic is completely concealed, so even someone with keen senses wouldn’t notice them. They probably dismissed it as junk and shipped it out.”
“That does make sense.”
Laurus nodded with a satisfied smile. Knowing how much this shy, picky, and even arrogant little one had compromised, he couldn’t help but feel incredibly proud.
Vasha, however, found Laurus’s reaction rather ridiculous.
For someone who usually nodded along to Vasha’s words without a single question, this unusual scrutiny made it clear Laurus was giving Todd a chance to speak to Vasha.
‘Such scheming!’
Vasha glared at Laurus but couldn’t stop the corners of her lips from twitching upward. Honestly, Laurus’s subtle support felt like rain during a drought to Vasha.
Picking up on Vasha’s glance, Laurus winked slyly at her. But the playful moment was fleeting, as Laurus’s expression turned solemn the moment Todd’s gaze shifted toward him.
Vasha asked anxiously,
“Even if it’s sealed, will you still be able to recognize it?”
“Of course! What kind of fool wouldn’t recognize their own family’s belongings?”
Todd frowned, as if the question was absurd. Only then did Vasha feel relieved enough to ask Laurus for help.
“Laurus, can you look into what items are going up for auction first?”
“Yes. I’ll contact the organizers to ensure we receive a copy of the catalog as soon as it’s available.”
🍓; ‘Be the one to extend an olive branch first’ means to take the initiative in offering peace or reconciliation, usually after a conflict or disagreement. In this context, it suggests that Todd was the first to make an effort to repair the relationship, which Vasha finds surprising.
