Chapter 236: Unchanging Determination

“You’re close to your breaking point already. Are you sure you don’t need this?” Her tone was tinged, with a derisive smile on her face.

As the saying went, a person’s voice revealed their true nature. Without shifting his gaze, Ji Bai could sense just how secretly delighted that black-hearted vampire was.

“Oh. You may not care to look at me and that’s fine. But are you going to refuse this? This sweet and rich liquid, dyed in an enticing shade of scarlet, which melts the moment it touches your tongue~ Just a simple reach of your finger and it’s yours, you know?” Crawling on all fours like a kitten, Anna stopped in front of him with a blood bag dangling from her mouth.

Ji Bai averted his gaze while sprawled out on the ground like a starfish. He had no desire to engage with the expired loli who was teasing him from the side.

“Hey, do you still intend to tough it out like this? That won’t do. If you don’t eat your meals properly and your nutrition falls behind, your height and the ‘aspect’ you care about the most would get smaller.” Without the slightest bit of reservation, Anna softly bit onto the blood bag, holding its sparkling, translucent surface in place with her small, cherry lips. She then laid down before Ji Bai’s face, causing the dangling icy-cold object to press against the tip of his nose. As she did so, a flirtatious hue surfaced on her exquisite doll-like face, which seemed as if it had been chiseled from either ice or jade. The seductive nature of the scene was simply hard to miss.

‘Tch, you act like your chest is big, when it’s so flat, it’s nearly caving in on itself. What right do you have to talk about mine?’

For some indiscernible reason, a trace of discontent and annoyance struck Ji Bai, but he continued to ignore her.

Her skin, like superior porcelain, was tender and milky-white. A flawless, radiant neck led the eye downward, hinting at a subtle contour – but that was only an illusion.

That said, the ease with which she paraded her looks and peddled her provocativeness made Ji Bai feel there could be untapped potential within her. It was unfortunate that her captivating, flirtatious, and promiscuous soul was housed within the body of a loli. Due to her bodily ‘hardware’ not quite meeting certain expectations, her behaviors often appeared to onlookers like a white kitten coquettishly attempting to charm those around her.

Such tactics held no sway over a seasoned veteran like himself, who was immune to the endearing charm and coquettish mannerisms of such creatures.

In the art of displaying cuteness, the cat-girl living in his apartment had far surpassed this old vampire loli-otaku in both technique and expertise.

She could seamlessly perform a series of actions – sitting gracefully on her knees, blinking back tears, waving her tail, and even drooping her ears – with surprising grace and fluidity. Each movement flowed into the next, creating a captivating display.

It was a stark contrast to the person before him, who clearly lacked Ke’er’s talent to unwittingly convey cuteness through every frown, smile, and endearingly clumsy gesture she made.

The meager beauty she possessed was completely insufficient to capture his attention.

At least, that was how it was for Ji Bai. However, that did not negate the existence of men with distinct tastes, who found women with body developments similar to unripe middle-schoolers appealing.

As the minutes ticked by, the presence of that little bee near his ears began to irritate him. He reached out his arm in an attempt to push her away from his side, only to realize he could not muster up the strength to do so.

His hand clutched the edge of Anna’s garment, yet she remained steadfastly in place no matter how hard he tried.

Incredulous, Ji Bai blinked with a trace of astonishment in his eyes before giving the cloth another tug.

‘What’s going on? It feels like my strength has suddenly diminished.’

“Oh dear, can I assume this as Lil’ Ji Bai’s way of showing affection to his auntie?” Anna smiled, cupping her hands on ‘his’ cheeks and leaning in to exhale into ‘his’ ears.

“Wha…” Ji Bai froze and widened his eyes the instant he heard a high-pitched voice emerging from his lips.

“Hehe, are you sure you’re not going to drink that blood? But, as you are now…” Anna’s face was covered with a mocking smile, as she pulled out a small mirror she brought along with her and waved it in front of Ji Bai.

“…You can no longer maintain your disguise.”

In the mirror, a girl was sitting with her knees crossed, gazing at her reflection with a lifeless expression on her face. Her long silver hair cascaded downwards, scattering in an unrestrained manner onto the ground.

The most haunting aspect, however, was the indescribable state she was in. Her disheveled hair gave her a pitiable appearance, making her seem like a kitten who had been forsaken on the street and stirring feelings of sympathy and tenderness in those who beheld her. Yet, an otherworldly beauty was hidden within her fragile frame, which, when paired with her small, cherry-like lips, invoked deep irresistible emotions.

As Bai Ji’s eyes widened, so did the girl’s reflection in the mirror.

A cold wind blew directly at her, unhindered by any obstacles. It struck her face, cheeks, and neck directly, causing an icy chill to seep into her very being.

“Nooooo! ~Y-You insolent woman!” Her initial confusion gave way to an exaggerated outburst as Bai Ji bashfully shrank back. Her feelings of shame had instinctively assumed control of her actions.

Her tiny hands made a valiant effort to shield and veil herself, as if trying to substitute for the absence of clothing. Regrettably, it proved futile, for the sight had long been ensnared by the meaningful eyes of that detestful vampire.

‘That woman is far too perverse! Her moral compass is on par with that repugnant vampire. No wonder they’re sisters!’

‘Darn it… When did it start? How did I fail to notice any of this??’

Bai Ji immediately grasped the situation upon witnessing her malicious smile.

‘I bet that crone kept it from me on purpose!’

“Come on, we’re family here. What’s so embarrassing about being naked in front of your aunt, right?” Anna dismissed Bai Ji’s attempt to resist as she pressed up against her.

“You should be relieved. After all, the person who caught a glimpse of your naked body is no stranger, but your beloved aunt, am I right?” Anna nuzzled her cheeks against Bai Ji.

“Where are my clothes? Did you do this?!”

“Are you referring to your ceremonial attire? It uses [Magic] as an energy source. It’s natural you have no magic to spare if you’re running on an empty stomach.”

“Q-Quick, stop it. Let me go! Quit touching me, you perverted lolicon!” Bai Ji desperately struggled to break free from Anna’s embrace. However, after being in a famished state for so long, even lifting a piece of cake would have posed a challenge for her. Hoping to escape Anna’s ‘pincer-like grip’ in her current state was no different than chasing a fool’s dream.

“Ehehe, don’t be like that. Just let your aunt hug you a bit longer~ I can’t hug my little sister, and my daughter won’t let me hold her. It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to embrace someone from the younger generation. Grant Anna this little accomplishment, alright?” Despite her words, Anna’s demeanor was far from what one might expect from an elder. She snuggled against Bai Ji’s chest, like a coquettish bunny in need of protection.

“You… Oomph~”

‘Growl…’

‘Oh, the hunger… I’m so famished…’

Bai Ji’s body, which had been struggling incessantly, suddenly became still. A frenzied desire settled in her scarlet eyes, which locked onto Anna’s pale and unblemished neck like a venomous snake poised to strike.

‘Though she’s a vampire, I don’t see any harm in using her to ease my hunger, right? Speaking of which, I’ve never had the opportunity to taste the blood of vampire royalty. I wonder what it tastes like?’

‘Furthermore, this white-haired girl is actually the elder sister of that witch, Lilias… Their resemblance is quite striking. So, if I drink her blood, am I essentially drinking Lilias’ blood too?!’

While Bai Ji’s complexion appeared ordinary, the obsession in her eyes and the saliva trickling out from the corners of her mouth exposed her descent into insanity at this moment.

Thinking about how this move could allow her to strike back and take her revenge against Lilias, Bai Ji was beside herself with joy, to the point that her remaining logic had been completely consumed by instinct and desire.

However, Anna seemed to be completely unaware. As she cradled inside her arms, her eyes narrowed into a line in sheer comfort.

‘Let’s dig in…’

Without batting an eyelid, Bai Ji pulled back the corners of her mouth to reveal her fangs and slowly approached the utterly defenseless prey in her arms.

Just as Bai Ji’s fang was on the verge of piercing her skin and delving deep into her artery, an icy-cold object appeared right before her mouth.

“???”

“You lass. To think you actually thought of feeding on your own flesh and blood, and your aunt, no less.” Anna sighed lightly. “Seems like the knight’s creed had been thoroughly wiped off your mind in the face of animosity.”

“Gahhh!~” Bai Ji froze, her eyes regaining their clarity as if she had awakened from a dream.

‘What am I doing…’

After regaining her consciousness, a fiery desire began to consume her soul. This was accompanied by an insatiable hunger and the faint whispers of the devil, which lingered in the recesses of her mind.

As she was overwhelmed by a pain that was dismantling her resolve to pieces, Bai Ji’s gaze grew incisive. Revealing her fangs, she then…

…sank her teeth into her wrist, causing blood to splurt outwards.

“So that’s the path you choose, huh.” Anna shook her head.

Despite being driven by her instinct, Bai Ji had opted not to bite Anna, the only available prey on the scene, but her own wrist instead.

That showed that the trip had not achieved the outcome Anna had hoped for.

In every sense of the word, her niece was the embodiment of tenacity.

Anna had a complicated expression in her eyes as she looked at Bai Ji relentlessly coughing up the blood stuck in her throat.

‘A formidable foe driven by noble convictions.’

Unless she had no choice, she truly did not want to destroy that admirable sense of devotion and earnestness.

“Hey, let’s go.” Without giving Bai Ji time to object, Anna secured her waist and thighs before lifting her up in a princess carry.

“What are you doing?”

“Just going to find you a fresh change of clothes. What, don’t tell me our Little Ji Bai has a penchant for exhibitionism?”

“Says you!”

Seeing the girl who was incessantly pounding on her chest in objection, a trace of a smile tugged at the corners of Anna’s mouth.

Inside the Chivalric Head Chambers of the Moon Knights.

A naked girl was using her hair as a makeshift blanket to cover up her body.

Despite not being her first time here, she seemed unusually ill at-ease.

“Hey, take this.” A piece of clothing fell on her body.

“Your [magic] won’t immediately recover after drinking some blood. So, just put up with it for now and get into these clothes.”

Anna emerged from her messy wardrobe.

“Slurp, slurp…” Bai Ji poked her head out from the clothing thrown over her and continued drinking from the blood bag in her grasp.

Her stomach, which felt parched and ablaze, embraced the refreshing, trickling downpour as the intense fire burning within her heart slowly subsided.

In the midst of her carefree state, she could not help but let out a moan.

“Get dressed. It’s bad to be naked all the time.”

Bai Ji examined the garments in her hands and, after a moment of thought, decided to slip them on.

“So tell me, what’s your take on this trip? Do you think it has thoroughly redefined your concepts of good and evil?” Anna propped her legs up, seemingly in keen anticipation for Bai Ji’s reply.

“Open your eyes already; There is no such thing as absolute justice in this world. Be it the vampires or the human alliance, all who play with power are tainted.”

“…I’ll find my own justice.”

“‘Is that so?” Anna seemed to have expected that answer. “Looks like it’s my loss this time.”

Bai Ji skillfully slipped into the classically styled dress — It was a surprisingly perfect fit for her.

“How is it? It fits you really well, doesn’t it?” She saw Anna’s face light up with joy as she looked at her, a trace of nostalgia evident in her expression.

“Your mom actually wore this dress before. It fits you just as perfectly as it did her, you know~”

“…I don’t have a mother!”