Chapter 34: Chapter 34

Elysia spent the whole day waiting at her mansion for Cassian the next day. Since she was somewhat banned from going out, he decided to visit instead.

As the amount of time in her mansion increased, the amount of time she was held back by the maids also naturally increased. Though fortunately, since a guest is coming today, she was able to get away from the hands of the maids.

‘Should I tell him to come every day?’

The guest was her fiancé, so the maids rushed over to get her dressed. Though Elysia barely managed to shake them off, lying telling them that Cassian might have arrived now.

She idly stroked Der, sitting on her lap.

“I want to do nothing.”

Elysia sighed as she peered at the box that was placed on her table. Even after the subjugation, Lumiere never met Revos. Is this really the end of the relationship between the two main characters?

‘Is it because she thought I love Revos and just pretended to approach Cassian?’

Now that she is preparing for marriage, Lumiere’s thoughts must have changed as well. So, who did she give the cufflinks to...?

At least, she hoped Lumiere wasn’t crazy enough to give it to a man who was getting ready for his wedding.

“My lady, I brought a drink.”

“Come in.”

After she replied, Elysia raised her body that was lying on the bed. There was still that drink that she needed to consume, showing off its awful dignity. Still, she knows that drinking it all at once would be less painful, so she just silently accepted the cup.

‘...Hmm?’

There was a slight annoyance in her sense of smell.

It wasn’t the scent she wanted to remember, but it was so shocking that she remembered it exactly. However, it smelled oddly different from what she drank yesterday.

‘I can’t believe they added more...’

Annoyed, she looked away and glanced at the maid waiting in the distance for her to empty the cup.

Even though she couldn’t erase the feeling of something strange, Elysia first held the glass to her mouth. Then, she saw the maid’s expressions and seemed relieved. Seeing so, she corrected the thoughts of taking a sip into her mouth while the sleeping Der cried and put its nails on her.

Meanwhile, Elysia’s gaze never fell from the maid.

“Nyaang!”

“Der, stay still.”

What she had already swallowed felt biting. Curious, she was confused and put her mouth onto the drink again. But Der lifted its nails and scratched her arm that was holding the cup, again.

‘Wait... Is Der detecting black magic?’

Elysia put her doubts on Der aside for a moment and turned her gaze back to the maid.

“You, come here.”

“...Yes?”

“No, actually, I’ll go there.”

She raised her body while holding the cup and turned to the maid, who was sweating profusely. Elysia pushed the cup in front of her to the maid.

“Drink.”

“This is a drink made for the lady. How can I...” The maid responded calmly, hiding her agitation as much as possible.

Elysia moved closer to the maid.

“Drink it.”

The maid’s eyes shook violently. Elysia could see her hand trembling, holding onto the hem of her skirt tightly.

That made it clear, this drink contained poison.

From the feeling of something slowly spreading through her body, it seemed that it was not the kind of poison that was immediately effective.

It seemed that it was fortunate that she was a vampire at times like this since it feels like her body is trying to heal itself when something is wrong.

The maid fell on the floor.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Lady. Please spare me.”

“Of course, you’re going to live. Well, depending on the answer you’ll give.”

With my words, the maid trembled her body and raised her head. It was such a flimsy approach. If she was normal, it was unpredictable.

The maid started uttering her words.

“My father is sick... and it costs a lot to treat. B-but, it’s not life-threatening...”

Well, I didn’t think the poison would take effect immediately because it was not life-threatening. ‘It’s a real predictable development.’

Indeed, it was the easiest to use.

It seemed true that there was no harm to life. Although the poison continued to spread, it was different from when she sucked Ryan’s poison.

“Who did it?”

“I don’t know. A man in a robe came and told me to enter Lowell’s mansion as a maid.”

It wasn’t a face that lied. The maid continued her words on the subject she had all caught. So, Elysia thought that whoever it is, they wanted her to live with the unknown poison. After the confession, she left the maid behind and pulled a fluttering rope.

Moments later, Gray came into her room, surprised to see the maid lying flat on her face.

“Call Ryan.”

“...Yes!”

Gray peered at Elysia. It felt like she wanted to ask what was going on, but she soon turned around and left the room hurriedly.

After confirming that Gray was gone, she approached the maid and leaned over her. The slender fingers grabbed the maid’s chin and lifted it up lightly.

The maid’s pupil, who met Elysia’s eyes, was shaking.

“Who else knows?”

“No one knows...”

“I already told you, everything you know, tell me, because it will save you.”

“Huh...After the lady drinks... Leave a mark...”

It seemed that Elysia’s energy was overwhelming that the maid started to cry and sobbed. There was a sense of fear in her eyes.

She could feel that someone was approaching the room. Following Ryan, Gray entered the room with him.

“Did you call me, Lady Elysia?”

“Gray, step back. Don’t let anyone go on the second floor.”

“...Yes.”

As Ryan was trying to figure out the situation, he saw the maid who was lying on the floor. Elysia started explaining why she called him in a calm voice.

“The drink is poisoned.”

“Are you all right?!”

Ryan ran and grabbed Elysia’s arm with a surprised face. She held his hand and nodded her head reassuringly. After he was certain that she was okay, Ryan stared at the maid and approached her. “Excuse me for a moment.”

He pulled up one of the maid’s arms and rummaged through. Realizing she couldn’t overcome her ugly fate and she cried.

Finally, he caught something in his hand.

“I think I found it.”

What Ryan brought out was a small glass bottle, which seemed to be a bottle into which she had put the poison.

“Lock her up and call the doctor.”

With all the constant cries from the maid, Elysia was annoyed. As she raised her magic with a wave of her hand, the maid fell asleep as if fainting.

“Yes.”

“Stay with the doctor until you can figure something out.”

“I will be as fast as I can.”

Saying so, Ryan left the room, turning with the maid.

He escaped the gaze of other employees and headed for a prison in the basement of the mansion.

Just as Elysia was safe when she sucked out his poison, he thought it wouldn’t be a big deal this time as well. Still, even if he thought so, Ryan couldn’t help but feel anxious.

.

***

About an hour has passed since Elysia drank the poison. Hearing someone come running to the room, she thought someone had found out what the poison was.

“Lady!”

The doctor who entered the room with Ryan was empty-handed. Seeing so, raised her mouth and squeezed her chin.

“So, what poison is it?”

“It is...”

Elysia, frustrated by the appearance of the trembling mouth, gazed at Ryan. Though he struggled to find his composure by her casual appearance. ‘Maybe she’s okay...?’

“Just tell me.”

“It is a drug that causes infertility... even in very small amounts.”

“What about an antidote?”

The attending doctor bit his mouth firmly.

Since Ryan was still by the doctor’s side, no information must have leaked out. So, if she only erased the memory of the doctor, no one in the mansion would know of this incident except for Ryan and the maid.

Elysia raised her body and approached the doctor.

The red eyes gazing at the attending physician exuded a strange energy. The attending doctor felt a suffocation choking him intensely and swallowed his dry saliva.

“After a nap, you’ll forget it all.”

As Elysia stretched her lips, she had a cynical laugh. The middle-aged man, who was staring at Elysia blankly, fell to the floor seconds after.

It was the first time Ryan had ever seen her use her ability, so he stood there blankly, blinking his eyes. Although he didn’t feel the use of magic power, he just thought it was magic.

“Ryan, take him to the doctor’s room. Take the medicine in the room, too.”

“Yes, but Lady Elysia...”

Ryan hesitated, unlike himself. The aftermath of the word infertility was great.

“It’s okay. Get going quickly.”

Elysia tapped her finger on the table and immersed herself in thoughts.

Not for her life, but infertility...? This even happened while preparing for her marriage. It seemed that it was somebody trying to prevent the two Duchies from being united. Maybe, it was somebody who was against Cassian.

If she had been an ordinary human, she would definitely have drunk it all.

‘...Infertility, huh?’

It wasn’t a body that could conceive anyway. Because of the toxicity in her body, Elysia could not have a human child. Since that was only the case for humans. Pregnancy was possible between two humans.

‘It’s because I’m not one.’

Elysia frowned, realizing that her abdomen was getting cold. She seemed to be recovering slower than she thought.

‘Still, originally, this body was a human’s body...’

When she ingested these poisons, Elysia wasn’t certain that she would recover cleanly. Unlike a complete vampire, the heart in this body beats.

In a world without vampires, she wondered what good she would be?

“Lady Elysia.”

Elysia, sitting on the bed, beckoned to Ryan to come closer. There were still clear worries visible on Ryan’s face.

“You have to help me out.”

“Tell me anything.” He replied swiftly.

Elysia smiled at the approaching Ryan, saying that she had done it once, so he would be fine. Even though she would like to wait for Cassian, she couldn’t because of the pain she felt in her abdomen.

“Ah...”

As she grabbed him and put him down on her bed, Ryan realized what she was going to do. His face turned bright red.

After taking off the jacket he was wearing, Elysia, who was looking around the hem, frowned. It was because Ryan was wearing the Knights of Lowell’s uniform, which was covering his whole neck.

Although she could bite him somewhere other than the nape of the neck, the neck was perfect to finish with only one bite. And the problem was, there was no button.

“Ryan.”

“...Should I take it off?”

Elysia nodded her head.

“H, hmm.”

At first, he took off his clothes slowly, though after he grasped that they were in a hurry, he sped up his actions. Knowing that Elysia was just trying to drink his blood because of the poison, he could help but blushed his face. Ryan felt pathetic.

Seeing so, she giggled as she watched the man’s face change from moment to moment. He quickly opened his mouth as he felt a fever rising up to his ears.

“I’m not having a strange mind.”

“I know. Don’t mind it.”

She patted Ryan’s shoulder, who had taken off his clothes and sat upright, glancing at her nervously.

The heat from Ryan’s body was transmitted through her hands.

“Don’t be nervous. It’s not like I’m eating you.”

“...Yes.”

“I won’t hurt you.”

‘That’s not it. Does it usually hurt?’ Pondering the matter, Elysia tilted her head and paused. She then sighed, thinking that it was like a word to reassure an inexperienced lover.

Eventually, she placed her hands on Ryan’s shoulders with a gentle touch, turning his head to the side.

Ryan’s body tightened.

“Ryan. Relax.”

“Oh, I apologize.”