IWTRAE Chapter 84

 

 

 

#Episode 84

 

 

Unable to hold back any longer, Melina added with concern.

 

“If you’re so worried about being apart from Young Master Todd, why don’t you go with him?”

 

“I’d like to, but I’m not sure if my body is up for it,”

 

Vasha replied with a gentle smile.

 

Using her frailty as an excuse was always a reliable strategy. Melina clicked her tongue in pity and grumbled.

 

“If you were to make an appearance in high society, not just Noctiluca but the entire kingdom would be turned upside down…. It’s such a shame.”

 

“What’s there for you to be so regretful about?”

 

“There’s plenty to regret! If you were to step into high society, wouldn’t I be the one in charge of preparing your attire? Just the thought of being the first to witness your beauty fills me with joy!”

 

“You’re always flattering me,”

 

Vasha said, casting a sideways glance at Melina.

 

Melina chuckled and continued brushing Vasha’s hair.

 

Strangely, there wasn’t a mirror in Vasha’s room. While it wasn’t unusual for a noble lady to rely on her maid for grooming without needing to look in the mirror herself, it was still customary for a mirror to be present, at least for the maid to ensure everything was in order.

 

As she brushed Vasha’s hair, Melina commented,

 

“You don’t look in the mirror, which is why you think I’m just flattering you. If only I could show you how beautiful you are right now…”

 

“That’s enough. I’m sure you’ve done a fine job. There’s no need for a mirror.”

 

Vasha responded indifferently, lowering her gaze. Her tone made it clear she didn’t want to discuss the matter of the mirror any further, and Melina wisely chose not to press the issue.

 

Vasha’s long, silky hair slid effortlessly through the brush.

 

Having been deep in thought for so long, Vasha’s head had started to ache. The sensation of her hair being brushed down brought a wave of drowsiness.

 

It wasn’t as though Vasha had deliberately removed all mirrors.

 

‘Vampires don’t reflect in mirrors.’

 

It wasn’t an effect Vasha particularly wanted.

 

High-ranking vampires had their attendants to take care of such matters, but for a low-ranking vampire like Vasha, it had been a real hassle to groom herself without a mirror.

 

For this reason, having someone else brush her hair felt exceptionally comforting. Keeping her eyes closed, Vasha murmured,

 

“Besides, going into high society would just be chaotic and tiresome. I’m perfectly content as I am now.”

 

“That’s true. If you were to step into high society, countless suitors would come flocking,”

 

Melina said as she continued brushing Vasha’s hair.

 

“If you’re really worried, how about giving Todd some valuable Items or something as a precaution?”

 

“Valuable Items?”

 

“Something like jewels that don’t attract attention. Or perhaps a self-defense item…”

 

At Melina’s suggestion, Vasha’s eyes lit up.

 

“That’s it! That’s the solution!”

 

Vasha suddenly jumped to her feet and dashed out of the room. In the blink of an eye, she was gone, leaving Melina alone, still holding the brush.

 

As Melina stood there, stunned with wide eyes, Vasha popped her head back through the door and shouted,

 

“Thank you, Melina!”

 

Then, just as quickly, she disappeared again. It was only after a moment that Melina finally came to her senses.

 

Melina chuckled and shook her head. She wasn’t sure exactly how she had helped, but it was a relief to see that Vasha seemed to have found an answer.

 

***

 

Inspired by Melina’s suggestion, Vasha immediately began rummaging through the library’s spellbooks.

 

‘Right. I’m not who I used to be. I should at least be able to create a simple [enchanted item] now.’

 

An [enchanted item] was a tool imbued with spiritual power, much like a sacred relic, which was essentially a type of enchanted item.

 

Creating an enchanted item required magical knowledge and power. When she had first arrived in this world, it would have been unthinkable for her to attempt such a thing.

 

‘The trials definitely helped restore my magic.’

 

Even so, it wasn’t enough to inscribe complicated spells like barriers or attack magic.

 

For now, the best Vasha could manage were a few simple enchantments.

 

Since her biggest concern was Todd’s identity being discovered, Vasha decided on an illusion spell to conceal his appearance.

 

Of course, it wasn’t an easy task.

 

Todd’s resistance to magic was naturally high, and his golden eyes were proof of the holy dragon’s bestowed power upon the Van Drake family.

 

With such great power dormant within him, casting an illusion over Todd’s eyes was no simple feat.

 

‘Still, if I use a material with a high resonance with Todd, it should have some effect.’

 

Fortunately, Vasha had just the right material.

 

It was the crystal made by mixing her blood with Todd’s, which had been created to neutralize Albert’s sacred artifact.

 

Vasha deliberated endlessly over how to obscure Todd’s distinctive eyes.

 

‘One illusion spell might not be enough… Adding a simple charm on top of it would be ideal.’

 

Consumed with the task of crafting the enchanted item, Vasha was so preoccupied that when Todd came looking for her, she had no choice but to dismiss him repeatedly.

 

“Later, later!”

 

“When is later?!”

 

“Not now!”

 

This back-and-forth happened a few times. At first, Todd held back, but after being turned away again and again, his patience finally ran out. He burst into Vasha’s room.

 

“Wait, Todd!”

 

“Wait? For what? What are you doing holed up in here?”

 

Caught off guard by Todd’s unexpectedly forceful reaction, Vasha instinctively stepped back.

 

Todd didn’t miss the opportunity. He pushed past Vasha and squeezed into the space next to her.

 

Books and materials for crafting the enchanted item were scattered across the desk. If Todd saw them, he’d immediately figure out what Vasha had been working on!

 

“No! No, no, no!”

 

Snapping out of her shock, Vasha grabbed Todd by the back of his neck and hastily dragged him out of the room.

 

Since the enchanted item wasn’t fully completed yet, she felt too embarrassed to explain what she was making. If Todd found out too early and started expecting something extraordinary…

 

Blocked from getting any information by Vasha’s desperate efforts, Todd clicked his tongue. Her defense was tighter than he had expected.

 

Todd looked up at Vasha with a sharp gaze.

 

A smile of relief spread across Vasha’s face after successfully keeping Todd at bay. Seeing that expression twisted something inside Todd.

 

It felt like he was being excluded by Vasha.

 

How utterly unpleasant.

 

If this had been when he first met Vasha, he would have been startled by such uncharacteristic emotional fluctuations.

 

But now, even these feelings were familiar. After all, if his contractor, Vasha, was hiding something from him, her familiar, then it was only natural for him to feel offended by the deception.

 

The only reason Todd had managed to keep his temper in check so far was that neither Laurus nor Oliver knew what Vasha was up to either.

 

If Todd were the only one kept in the dark, he wouldn’t have been so civil about it.

 

Crossing his arms, Todd asked gruffly,

 

“Be honest. Are you mad at me?”

 

“Huh?”

 

Caught off guard by Todd’s sudden question, Vasha blinked in surprise.

 

“Why would I be mad at you?”

 

“Ever since we argued about you not trusting me, you’ve been avoiding me!”

 

“That’s not it…”

 

Vasha was left speechless by Todd’s misunderstanding. The idea that she was avoiding him out of anger was a complete misconception.

 

“I just have something I need to take care of before the auction.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Well…”

 

Todd didn’t look like he was going to let it go. But since she couldn’t tell him the truth, Vasha had no choice but to ask for a little more time.

 

“Can’t you just wait a bit longer? I promise I’ll tell you before the auction.”

 

“The auction is the day after tomorrow. When exactly are you planning to tell me? Right before it starts?”

 

“The day after tomorrow?”

 

At Todd’s shocking words, Vasha’s eyes widened. Her reaction made Todd squint at her suspiciously.

 

“What? You didn’t even know? Just how absorbed are you in whatever you’re doing that you’ve lost track of time?”

 

“No! Of course I remembered! Obviously!”

 

Vasha denied, waving her hands. Her face was smiling, but a cold sweat ran down her back.

 

Todd grumbled in frustration.

 

“So how long do I have to wait? Are you even planning to tell me?”

 

“Not right before the auction—tomorrow! I’ll definitely tell you tomorrow.”

 

“…You promised.”

 

Todd gave her one last glare, as if granting her a final chance, and then stepped back.