Episode 26

“I get why Breeder favors Noel. He’ll do whatever it takes to achieve his goals.”

Nina spoke as she stirred the raspberry glaze infused with Lycan-β.

“Who would’ve thought he’d date a maid working at the target’s townhouse? That poor woman probably doesn’t even realize she’s his informant. Or is it worse than that? She’s been poisoning her master, after all. If she gets caught, it won’t be a pretty death.”

The tea Noel gifted the maid seemed ordinary enough—just a seasonal product from Liberty Department Store’s Liber & Tea brand. Of course, it had undergone some unique processing after purchase.

The tea leaves had been soaked in Lycan-β, dried, and repackaged. The toxin was so subtle and slow-acting that it was nearly impossible to detect.

“It’s his job to ensure nothing like that happens. Managing the aftermath is part of his responsibility.”

Click. The latch to a backroom space released, signaling someone’s entrance through the rear door.

“Speak of the devil—he’s here. Let’s go!”

Nina and Raymond passed through the baking room and opened the storage room door. On the table were countless notes and documents, while maps and a bulletin board covered one of the walls. Strings connected various marked locations, creating a chaotic web of information.

As expected, Noel was in the meeting room.

“Raymond. The mission?”

“Successful.”

“Good. Move on to the next phase. Dismissed for today—go get some rest.”

Noel’s gaze shifted to the table, scanning over the day’s gathered information.

Disguised as a dessert shop, the place functioned as the Holy Cross Order’s intelligence exchange hub. Informants delivered intel on vampires, and hunters used the information to locate their prey. Both sides would visit the shop as “customers,” slipping notes back and forth at the counter for a clandestine exchange.

What had previously been managed entirely at the southern headquarters was now decentralized with the establishment of this capital branch.

As the branch head, Noel had to compile and memorize information every evening.

“Let’s talk.”

“Busy. Tomorrow.”

Raymond tapped the table lightly, as if knocking. Nina stood by the doorway, eagerly observing the situation unfold.

“What about the maid? It’s safer to handle her before the operation starts.”

“She’ll be dealt with in two days.”

“Use them, don’t harm them—that’s the unspoken rule. If humans are involved, I’m out. Breeder will hear about this.”

At the veiled threat, Nina let out a whistle.

“You must have the wrong idea about me. The maid will be safely extracted. Why would I kill a human? If there’s going to be a traitor, it’ll be you. Be grateful to Breeder for taking in a filthy half-breed like you and setting you straight.”

Raymond didn’t react. He’d heard such insults so many times since childhood that they no longer fazed him.

Instead, it was Nina who spoke up.

“Noel, you’ve got a history. Didn’t you use an informant as bait to draw out a vampire a year ago?”

“They didn’t die.”

“But they were crippled.”

“It was a sacrifice worth making.”

Raymond sighed quietly. Talking to these two, so incompatible by nature, only led to exhaustion.

“Let me know when the operation setup is complete. Nina, let’s go.”

The storage room door closed behind them. Left alone, Noel stared at the spot where Raymond had been and muttered to himself.

“Monsters, the lot of them.”

* * *

Rosanna’s seclusion continued. Since the day she drank the dhampir’s blood and barely made it back home, she had confined herself to her room. Not that she felt lonely or bored.

Persistent visitors knocked on her door daily. Tap, tap.

“Come in.”

“Rosanna!”

Henry burst into the room, clutching his beloved stuffed toy, and leaped onto the bed. Though it seemed like he was coming out of his own affection, Rosanna suspected that Vlad and his wife were using Henry to gauge her mood.

“Are you feeling okay today?”

“Same question again. I’m fine. Completely recovered.”

She hadn’t consumed anything but the blood provided by the doctor. Abstaining from all human food seemed to help. Her body felt as though it had been thoroughly cleansed.

“Henry, about that day…”

“Shh! Secret. It’s our secret. Not even Mom and Dad know!”

Henry placed his small hand over Rosanna’s mouth and handed her his stuffed toy.

“It hurt, so I’ll give this to you. If you sleep with it, you won’t hurt anymore.”

For a moment, Rosanna was at a loss for words.

Spending time with Henry always made her feel an odd tickling sensation in her chest. This child, who made her feel soft emotions she’d never known before—perhaps that was why she wanted to protect him.

“You’re giving it to me? Thank you. But, Henry, will you be okay? It’s your precious toy.”

“No! I’m just lending it to you. I can’t give it away.”

He was firm about this.

Rosanna chuckled softly and ruffled Henry’s hair as he held onto the toy’s foot.

The rest of the day unfolded much like previous ones, filled with idle chatter that drifted into talks of Henry’s dreams. Then came an interruption.

“My lady, do you recall your afternoon appointment? Your guest will be arriving shortly. A maid is waiting outside to assist you.”

The butler’s voice carried through the door.

Was that today? Rosanna sighed, slipping her feet out from under the covers and into her silk slippers.

“Send her in.”

By the time Rosanna finished her preparations and stepped out, the scheduled time had already passed. She headed to the drawing room, where the back of someone’s head came into view, resting on the sofa.

“I’m a little late. But surely, waiting for a lady must be a gentleman’s pleasure, so I trust there are no complaints?”

She took a seat across from the man, finally meeting his gaze. Her guest was Raymond.

A few days prior, Rosanna had sent an invitation to his dessert shop. She had done so after asking Vlad to investigate Raymond’s background.

Name: Raymond

Species Classification: Hybrid – Dhampir

Age: Appears in his 20s; estimated to be roughly 1.5 times older in actual years.

Occupation: Owner of the dessert shop ‘Ruby’s’.

Family: Orphan, parents unknown.

Origin: Sovereign Federation

Background: Settled in Britna after crossing the continent via trade routes. While accumulating wealth through merchant work, he met a girl named Nina and seemingly adopted her as a younger sister.

No particularly suspicious traits were uncovered. It wasn’t unusual for dhampirs to lack knowledge of their lineage, so it wasn’t deemed an issue. Even in a letter of inquiry from the Countess of Haywood, Raymond was mentioned as someone who posed no threat to the vampire society.

Having passed a reasonable level of scrutiny, Rosanna decided she could afford to lower her guard slightly. That was why she summoned Raymond to her townhouse. Leaving a debt unpaid felt unpleasant.

“So, Raymond, how’s business? I heard you’ve got plenty of customers.”

“It’s too early to tell. The shop just opened, so we’ll have to wait and see.”

His indifferent expression and curt tone were rather irritating.

“I assume you didn’t call me here to discuss sales figures. What do you want?”

“Not very friendly, are you? I bet you get called rude often.”

“I don’t associate with blue bloods.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Are you calling me… a reptile?”

“In human society, aristocrats are referred to as blue bloods. Didn’t you know that?”

“I didn’t, and I don’t care.”

Before they could get to the main topic, the conversation had already gone off track. Raymond’s subtle jabs and indifference were grating, all things Rosanna despised.

Initially, she had considered fostering a rapport with him, drawn by how delicious his blood had tasted. But now, any affection she might have felt had dwindled to nothing. Irritating bastard. Once this business was settled, she would make sure to get rid of him.

“I called you here about that day. I suppose I owe you something for what you did—perhaps even call you a benefactor. I’ll compensate you. Money should do, right? You must’ve spent a lot opening that shop. Name your price.”

A crack appeared in Raymond’s composed demeanor.

“What’s your problem?”

“Usually, a thank-you comes first. That’s how it works.”

“I don’t fall into the category of ‘usual.’ If you want gratitude, you’ll have to earn my favor.”

“You don’t like me, then?”

The blunt question caught Rosanna off guard.

“Neither like nor dislike. Your attitude, though, is off-putting.”

“I thought you’d like me. You said I tasted good.”

“…What are you implying?”

Rosanna nearly raised her voice. This younger generation was audacious, to say the least. But she wasn’t about to let herself get dragged into his provocations.

Just then, a maid entered, pushing a trolley. She steeped tea and placed a cup, teapot, and dessert in front of Raymond before leaving the room.

“Not joining me?”

“I’m fasting. Don’t leave anything, though. The tea and dessert are from my personal stash, meant specially for guests.”

“I heard you can’t taste things.”

“I enjoy the aesthetics. That tea’s hue, a transparent crimson, is beautiful.”

Raymond picked up the teacup, tilting his head as he inspected it. Setting the cup down, he removed the teapot lid and examined its contents, even plucking out a tea leaf with his fingers. His sharp gaze became even more piercing.

Watching him, Rosanna felt only confusion.

“Don’t tell me you don’t know how to drink tea?”

“The color of the tea is unusual. When I looked at the tin earlier, it was labeled as a seasonal product from Liber & Tea, but this seems redder than usual.”

“Maybe it was steeped stronger.”

“The leaves are darker too.”

What was he getting at? Rosanna couldn’t understand why Raymond was fixated on such a trivial detail. He should just take the generous reward and leave—what was the point of this tea-leaf debate?

Annoyed, Rosanna snapped, “And?”

“I drink this tea often, so I know. This batch has either been swapped or altered. You might want to compare it to another from the same line.”

Raymond’s eyes gleamed with certainty.