Episode 8

The social season continued with its usual routine. Attending parties filled with alcohol, entertainment, and laughter, Rosanna found herself increasingly disheartened. There wasn’t a single promising candidate who could serve as her “attachment toy.”

“Let’s hope there’s at least one decent human today.”

The event Rosanna attended today was a reading gathering. Unlike the previous parties, this one was likely to attract fewer hedonistic attendees, making it somewhat worth her time. She was growing tired of the search, so if someone decent showed up, she was ready to make her choice. First, she’d have to weed out the overly flirtatious types, the ones with lifeless, glazed eyes, and those who were too far gone.

As she was setting her criteria, a nobleman approached her.

“It’s an honor to finally meet someone of your renown.”

Rosanna acknowledged his greeting while subtly sizing him up.

‘Wearing pince-nez glasses? Definitely the scholarly type.’

Sure enough, the man’s conversation topics were just as academic as his appearance.

“What do you think the essence of a reading gathering is? It’s about sharing the beauty of literature and being deeply moved by it. Unfortunately, it’s become tainted by those who seek only amusement….”

His lecture, filled with pretentiousness and a show of knowledge, was so dull that it almost made her yawn.

‘A typical braggart. Lacks humility. Disqualified.’

After dismissing the bespectacled man, it wasn’t long before another man took his place. This one rudely occupied the seat next to her. He was dressed in a garish, brightly colored suit, adorned with excessive accessories, and his swaggering demeanor screamed nouveau riche.

“Do you remember me? We met at the last party.”

“I’m not sure. But more importantly, someone else was sitting there. Would you mind moving?”

“There are no assigned seats here. Who cares where anyone sits?”

He completely ignored her request and continued to babble on. Not wanting to attract attention, Rosanna swallowed her anger and refrained from raising her voice. If she had acted on her temper, she would have overturned the table by now.

‘Clueless. His posturing is unbearable. Disqualified.’

Just as she was about to dismiss him, the man spotted a group of businessmen and disappeared on his own, probably calculating what benefits he could gain by joining them. A hyena-like creature. The sight of his pathetic behavior made her head throb.

She closed her eyes tightly, and after a moment, a voice reached her ears.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

The clear, deep voice was pleasing to hear. Rosanna opened her eyes to see a man standing in the aisle beside her. His voice was as composed as his appearance, as he was dressed in a military officer’s uniform. His physique was impressive, and his face was reasonably handsome.

“I’m fine.”

She considered charming him, thinking he might finally be a suitable candidate, but just then, a woman called out to the officer. Judging by how she naturally linked arms with him, she was likely his wife.

‘I thought I finally found a decent one, but he’s already taken. Disqualified again.’

The couple offered a polite nod to Rosanna before walking away.

Despite the many men who approached her afterward, they were all flawed in some way. This one lacked something, that one was disappointing in another way, and the next was just subtly off-putting….

To be a suitable “attachment toy,” the man needed to be visually appealing, but none of the candidates caught Rosanna’s eye. Having lived among vampires, her standards for beauty were exceedingly high. Even if she compromised on looks, considering the man was meant to be a distraction and an occasional “snack,” none of the men she encountered seemed to meet her criteria.

She was searching for someone who had a scent she wanted to keep inhaling, a pleasing voice, a broad chest, quick wits that wouldn’t disturb her mood, or a temperament that could handle her whims. These weren’t difficult conditions, yet no one seemed to fit the bill.

The only thing she had gained from meeting the men of the social circles was irritation. In front of her, a fellow noble, they all acted high and mighty, calculating what they could gain from a relationship and pretending to be more knowledgeable than they were. She needed someone naive enough to be fun to toy with, someone whose transparent reactions would be endearing.

Then it dawned on Rosanna: she had already met a man who fit the conditions she was looking for.

A man whose name started with K—Basilio.

Unconsciously, she had been comparing every potential candidate to Basilio. It was absurd. How could a man whose face she hadn’t even seen properly occupy her thoughts like this? His alluring scent, sturdy body, and polite demeanor—all these qualities attracted her, and since their meeting, he had been on her mind every day. This made her wonder about the things she didn’t know about him, sparking her imagination.

What did Basilio look like? Based on the information she had, he was likely handsome. But how had her thoughts drifted this far?

“I must be out of my mind.”

She had denied it for a while, but now she had to admit it: she wanted to know Basilio, and more than that, she wanted to possess him. She had never experienced such intense curiosity before.

At first, she thought she could simply return his handkerchief, use it as an excuse to see his face, become acquainted, and if the opportunity arose, taste his blood just to satisfy her curiosity. But now, the idea of making him her “attachment toy” seemed increasingly inappropriate. Yet, her desire, which she knew she couldn’t easily manage, kept growing.

“No, this isn’t right. Not with a clergyman.”

Who knew what kind of complications could arise later?

Rosanna wasn’t interested in complicated relationships. She couldn’t afford to put herself, or her entire family, in a difficult situation.

It wouldn’t make sense to throw away her responsibilities and the weight of being an “Enache” for the sake of pleasure.

“What are you mumbling about? Are you practicing to be one of the readers?”

Vlad sat down in the previously empty seat beside her.

“What’s this? Where are your wife and son? Didn’t you say you’d follow them after sending them off?”

“I didn’t think it was appropriate to bring Henry here. He’s still young, and he would’ve gotten too excited.”

“Ah…”

Rosanna immediately understood.

Tonight’s reading was of *The Secret Rendezvous of the Vampire Duke*, a current bestseller. They had invited a professional reader and a famous theater troupe to put on a vivid performance. It would definitely be too stimulating for a child.

“If Henry saw this, he’d probably be bouncing off the walls.”

He might even shout out that his dad and aunt were just like the vampire duke, drawing unwanted attention. The last thing she needed was for their family secret to be exposed by a child’s innocent remark.

“Good call, Vlad.”

“Thanks. By the way, I noticed you haven’t been pushing me for updates?”

“About what?”

“Basilio. I asked a client about him, but they didn’t know anything. So I did some digging on my own, and thanks to the initials you gave me, I found him right away. He’s definitely a theology student.”

“I know.”

“You know? Did you find a new informant?”

“That’s not something you need to worry about.”

Vlad frowned, crossing his legs and folding his arms—a habit of his whenever his pride was wounded.

“Did you do a background check on him too? Find out everything from his birth to how he’s lived?”

“…I don’t know.”

“Are you curious? Want me to tell you?”

“I suppose I’d be grateful if you did.”

“Sounds like you don’t really want to hear it.”

The room dimmed as the reading was about to begin, and the stage curtain slowly rose. Rosanna spoke in a low voice.

“My dear, thoughtful brother. Please, I’d love to hear it.”

Vlad chuckled softly.

“His name is Kyle Mason. An orphan, abandoned at birth. He grew up in a cathedral orphanage and became a theology student thanks to the recommendations of Bishop Johan and the head nun. With the bishop as his patron, he’s done well for an orphan.”

“Are they close?”

“Probably, considering the bishop played a fatherly role in his life.”

“…It’s definitely not going to work. I should give up.”

Rosanna let go of even the smallest possibility. There was nothing to gain from getting involved with that theology student.

“What’s not going to work?”

“Nothing. Just watch the performance.”

On stage, scenes from the novel were unfolding.

The story was about a vampire duke, his human lover, and a human man who secretly loved the same woman. Although the vampire duke was portrayed as charismatic, his fate was to have his heart pierced by a silver stake and be turned to ashes under the sun. As he died, he left his lover with a final wish for her happiness, and she ended up with the human man.

When Rosanna first heard the plot, she couldn’t help but scoff. It was so transparent, a clear play by the Britna faction.

The author of *The Secret Rendezvous of the Vampire Duke* was, in fact, a member of the Senate. He had crafted a character with weaknesses that didn’t even exist, diminishing the fear humans had of vampires and making them feel safe.

Now, if a blood-drained corpse were found, people would think it was the work of a deranged serial killer rather than a vampire.

The book also carried a message to their kind: forming a bond with a human would only lead to tragedy, with nothing but ruin waiting at the end.

‘It’s utterly ridiculous.’

Rosanna glanced around. The humans, unaware of the truth, were fully absorbed in the performance. She couldn’t understand what they found so compelling. Anyone moved by such a silly story was certainly unworthy of becoming her “attachment toy.”

With nothing left to do, Rosanna decided to leave and turned to look for Vlad.

“Vlad….”

She intended to leave together, but his seat was already empty. Rosanna was so taken aback that she could only let out a small gasp.

‘He left without me? Without even saying a word?’

That bastard. I’ll have to teach him a lesson.