Episode 2

1. The Woman, Rosanna

Rosanna’s life was a monotonous one.

Born into the venerable Enache family, she was of noble blood within her clan and had access to immense wealth and power accumulated over several generations. The risk of her identity being exposed in human society had significantly diminished.

In an era of scientific marvels and serial killers, the existence of beings from folklore had long since faded from human interest. It was, in many ways, the best time for a vampire to live.

However, safety and excitement rarely coexist. As human society became more civilized, restrictions also arose within the vampire community. With the legalization of bans on murder, vampires were increasingly limited in their actions that could threaten humans, though the extent varied depending on their faction. No longer could they abduct a favored human to use as a fresh blood source or accidentally drain someone dry, resulting in their death.

In her homeland of Lumanó, the cradle of vampirism, there was relatively more freedom. As long as their true nature wasn’t exposed, vampires could still grab any passerby, drink their fill, and then let them go. They could even establish regular blood-supply contracts with humans who could keep a secret, thanks to the Enache family’s significant influence behind the royal family. Even so, compared to the past, they had to suppress their instincts.

While the rest of her clan delighted in enjoying human high culture, willingly relinquishing their wild nature, Rosanna preferred the days when she was revered. As a child, she had found amusement in pretending to attack humans just to see them tremble in fear, but as that fun was taken from her, she inevitably grew bored.

Other distractions proved futile. For a while, she found enjoyment in caring for her younger sibling, but once he grew up and lost his cuteness, she lost interest. She attempted to learn various languages and disciplines like other vampires to pass the time, but simply sitting and studying didn’t suit her temperament. Eventually, she only mastered seven languages. Her brother, on the other hand, being more scholarly, mastered most languages, ancient ones, and even law.

‘Ah, my brother.’

He was the one who ultimately plunged Rosanna’s life into boredom. After secretly marrying a human woman and even mating with her, tainting their pride in their pure bloodline, he was exiled to another country. Yet, their parents, worried about him, sent Rosanna along. If they were going to be angry, they should have been merciless, but their clan’s deep-rooted love for family prevented them from doing so. As a result, Rosanna became the sacrificial lamb.

Her brother was the one who caused the major scandal—so why was she the one who had to clean up the mess?

“Damn you, Vlad Enache.”

If it weren’t for him, she would have left for Soben as planned to visit an old friend. She wouldn’t have had to settle in Britna, where that stodgy faction lived.

Life in Britna was so dull that she often felt the urge to blow her brains out with a revolver—though, of course, it wouldn’t kill her.

“Rosanna!”

Her brother’s son, Henry, shook Rosanna, who was sprawled on the sofa. His constant chattering was like listening to a phonograph all day long. He followed her around every day, trying to win her favor. He was adorable and reminded her of Vlad when he was young, evoking nostalgic memories of when her brother was also endearing.

More importantly, Rosanna had already accepted Henry as family. Since he was family and a child, it was only natural for her to become his guardian.

“Henry. You’re noisy.”

“I’m hungry.”

It was time for her to play the role of caregiver. Rosanna took Henry’s small hand and led him to the dining room to supervise his meal. Since vampirism is inherited through the maternal line, children born to a human mother were more human, which meant that eating food was essential for him.

Henry slowly spooned the potato stew, which Rosanna could taste nothing of.

“Put down that teddy bear.”

“No. He’s my friend.”

Henry clung to the stuffed animal tightly, never letting it out of his grasp. She’d never seen him without it. Vlad had warned her that touching his attachment object would cause an uproar.

“Do you like it that much?”

“It keeps me from being lonely. It makes me happy.”

It was Rosanna who was going mad with boredom. She couldn’t even indulge in her vigilante games of hunting down criminals, couldn’t experience the pleasure of feeding, and had to keep up the pretense of being human. That cursed peace treaty was the bane of her existence. She had considered inviting friends from Soben to Britna to break the monotony, but the Volkov siblings had lost contact with her, leaving her stuck in the same dull routine. She was willing to do anything to break the ennui.

And then Henry gave her an idea.

“Why do you like it?”

“It likes only me. It always listens to me, and whether I’m happy or sad, it’s always there. I even meet it in my dreams. It only has Henry. But if I leave it in my room, it’ll keep waiting for me. It’s so pitiful.”

“So that’s why you carry it around.”

With no peers his age around, Henry seemed to be using the teddy bear as a substitute, playing imaginary games with it. He was well past the age for an imaginary friend, but the thought of creating something similar sparked a sudden idea in Rosanna’s mind.

An attachment object…

“Maybe I should get one too.”

A gleam of interest lit up Rosanna’s pale gray eyes. She was on the brink of madness from the dull life here, but perhaps having such a plaything would bring her some amusement. Her beloved Henry, once again, had given her inspiration. She patted his head affectionately.

Just in time, the social season in Britna had begun.

Party after party after party. Invitations flooded into the estate. Even though Rosanna had never once appeared in Britna’s social circles since settling there, the invitations kept coming, with no signs of stopping.

Last year, she had tossed all the invitations to the maid to be used as kindling, but this year she decided she would attend, if only to scout for her new attachment object.

Rosanna returned to the living room with Henry and began sifting through the pile of invitations.

“Tea party, not my thing. Masquerade ball, can’t see anyone’s face. Birthday banquet? I don’t even know the person, so what’s there to celebrate? Boat trip… too boring, pass.”

Every invitation she opened was a dud.

As her head began to throb, Rosanna tore open a transparent packet on the table and sipped the contents. It was pathetic that a proud Enache had been reduced to sucking on blood packs purchased under the table. Out in the world, there were prey teeming in abundance, ripe for the taking.

“I drink their blood and let them live. I even mercifully erase their memories, so what’s the problem?”

The Britna faction had made a peace treaty with a few human nobles who knew about the existence of vampires to ensure coexistence. No hunting humans, no direct feeding, no actions that would reveal their presence to human society.

Rosanna had pleaded with the elders, arguing that Lumanó allowed feeding implicitly, and that she would do it in secret, but they wouldn’t budge. They insisted that causing harm to others was a crime. Imagine citing the laws of weak, pitiful humans in a world governed by survival of the fittest.

“Don’t they understand the thrill of the hunt? It’s so much fun.”

These Britna vampires, whose history was shorter than the Lumanó faction, somehow had the most antiquated mindset.

They prided themselves on being noble, emphasizing etiquette and propriety, but in truth, they were nothing more than cowards.

“No! Rosanna, bad words!”

A small weight leaned against her arm. Henry, who had been dozing off beside her, had woken up and clung to her.

“Hunting is bad! Daddy said if you do bad things, you’ll get scolded.”

“Did he now?”

Damn Vlad. She should have silenced his big mouth before he could spout such nonsense.

“If you do bad things, scary people will take you away. I like Rosanna. I don’t want to be apart from you.”

“Don’t worry. Now that we’re in Britna, I’ll follow their ways.”

Rosanna hugged the sniffling Henry, patting him gently.

“My sweet Henry, how can you be so soft? Your cheeks are so plump, and you smell so good.”

“And my blood tastes good too?”

Henry giggled. He seemed to remember something from a while ago. There was a time when Henry had nicked his finger, and Rosanna had tasted his blood. The blood of a half-breed was indeed a delicacy.

Although, they said the blood of a ‘dhampir,’ born from a vampire mother, was even tastier…

Rosanna pushed the idle thoughts aside and brought her fingertip to her lips.

“That day’s event, it’s a secret from Daddy.”

“Mm, secret. I promise!”

If Vlad ever found out, it would lead to another fight—an all-out brawl, like before.

It had all started when Vlad came to Balasa Castle to make a shocking confession. He’d shown her his newborn son, and Rosanna, tempted by the comforting scent, had asked if she could taste just a drop of his blood. That request got her thrown out of the castle. When she finally managed to get back inside, Vlad had hidden his wife and Henry behind him, glaring at her with suspicion instead of apologizing to his sister.

To teach him a lesson, she’d beaten him half to death, though she’d refrained from hanging him from the tower out of consideration for his wife.

“Well, this is a townhouse in the city, so no fighting here.”

“Fighting?” Henry’s eyes narrowed with a surprisingly sharp look.

Rosanna was about to change the subject when she sensed someone approaching and turned around. Her brother and his wife had returned home and were entering the living room.

“Mom!”

Henry immediately ran to Tanesia, who gave Rosanna a nod before picking up Henry and heading upstairs.

Vlad set his briefcase down and glanced at the cluttered table.

“What’s with this mess?”

“It happens every year. Why are you so grumpy?”

His fatigue-lined forehead furrowed even more.

“Some of us are working ourselves to the bone… must be nice for you.”

“Do you think nobles and gentry are the same? If you’re that upset, hurry up and make peace with our parents.”

Vlad had been kicked out with nothing but his bare hands. That’s why he’d started working as a lawyer as soon as he arrived in Britna. Currently, he was living in the townhouse Rosanna had purchased.

The Enache family not only had vast wealth but also several titles to integrate into human society. However, Vlad couldn’t enjoy any of it until he regained his rights as a member of the Enache clan.

“That’s going to take a hundred years. I’ll probably save up enough to buy my own estate faster.”

Vlad rummaged through the pile of invitations and tossed one at her.

“Attend this one.”

Rosanna broke the wax seal and read the contents.

“A christening for the blessed infant of the Count of Haywood? The blessing is… the baby?”

“That baby’s grandfather is the leader of the Britna faction. It wouldn’t hurt to make an appearance. You had a disagreement with the elders last time, so consider this a chance to make amends. And behave like a proper lady.”

“I’m so sick of hearing ‘proper lady’ from you.”

“That’s the way things are here. Anyway, just go and don’t cause any trouble, got it, Sister?”

Rosanna raised her hand as if taking an oath.

“I, Rosanna Enache, will just breathe and come back. I swear on the cross.”

“Is now really the time for jokes?”

“I’m serious, I’ll behave.”