Chapter 151: Drunk on Oneself
“Tap tap tap.”
When the knocking sound was heard, Claire was nestled in the narrow balcony reading “The Diary of a Vampire.”
It was a wartime novel about the tragic love story between a girl and a vampire.
Apart from the clichéd plot of falling in love with the enemy.
The novel itself, from the girl’s perspective, meticulously analyzed the characteristics and habits of vampires, possessing a certain academic value.
She was engrossed in reading and did not hear Dark’s knocks.
…
“Tap tap tap.”
After three more knocks.
Dark put down his hand and sighed.
“It seems Claire hasn’t released her animal tonight.”
If someone else were there, they might assume Claire wasn’t in her dorm.
But Dark knew very well that staying closed up was too normal for Claire.
If she had let out an animal, it would have been the lazy lion that liked to lie by the door.
However, where there’s a policy, there’s a way around it.
Dark quickly summoned the Imp Beast, instructing it to fly over from outside the castle to the teacher’s dormitory balcony.
The Imp Beast indeed saw Claire curled up in a recliner on the balcony.
Then it tapped its claws on the glass window.
“Tap tap tap!”
Claire finally lifted her head.
“Isn’t this Dark’s familiar?”
She glanced toward the door.
A suricate appeared from the light, darting a few times before reaching the door and opening it.
…
Dark entered, petting the suricate, then closing the door behind him.
Teachers’ dormitories were naturally different from students’ dormitories.
Student dorms were spacious enough but only consisted of one room, one toilet, and one balcony.
Teacher dorms, on the other hand, had three rooms and a living room, overly spacious.
The dorm was clean, with a faint scent lingering.
This couldn’t possibly be due to Claire’s tidying.
Since the war ended, Claire had become less diligent.
Fortunately, she had plenty of animals to take care of her daily needs.
Dark glanced around and asked, “Professor, is Professor Kate here?”
Claire opened the door from her bedroom, wearing a slightly oversized loose nightgown, revealing a crystal-clear shoulder.
She held the book loosely, her eyes drooping with sleepiness.
“Yes, yes, yawn—”
She yawned.
Dark glanced at her and placed the gift on the table.
Claire’s eyes lit up immediately as she walked over.
“Fairy wine, how did you get this?”
Dark looked at Claire’s ungraceful posture and felt a slight relief.
They hadn’t seen each other in many years, and Claire had been busy adapting to her work, so they hadn’t interacted much recently, leading to some distance.
But now, Claire seemed unchanged from the past.
As memories surfaced, Dark’s actions became more natural.
He sat on the sofa and complained, “Found it in a tavern on Traveler’s Street. Thanks to Professor Lily’s letter of recommendation, the owner was willing to share their treasure.”
“Of course, fairy wine is only sold to fairies. The last time I had fairy wine was when Peter gave it to me.”
Claire placed “The Diary of a Vampire” on the table and picked up the fairy wine to examine it closely.
The liquid was hazy, emitting a dreamlike glow.
“Hold on.”
She said, then ran to the kitchen to fetch two glasses.
Opening the bottle, pouring the wine, all in one fluid motion.
As the wine flowed into the glasses, a faint aroma wafted out.
Fairy wine didn’t contain alcohol.
But it could stir up complex thoughts.
It was the typical case of being drunk without drinking.
After pouring the wine, Claire casually sat next to Dark, her curves sinking into the sofa.
“Why did you suddenly think of your Aunt Claire today?”
She picked up the wine glass and glanced at the golden-haired youth.
Dark picked up his own glass, observing, sniffing lightly, and taking a sip.
Legendary fairy wine.
Only those close to fairies could truly appreciate its taste.
The closer the relationship, the more fragrant the wine.
The more one drank, the better it tasted.
He closed his eyes, savoring the aftertaste.
Thoughts were jumbled, memories of joy and sorrow.
When he opened his eyes, he realized Claire’s question again.
“I want to learn how to refine the ‘Zoo.'”
But Claire was just asking casually; the wine already clouded her mind.
…
Everyone is composed of countless fragments called “the past.”
Joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.
Like colors on a canvas.
…
One glass down.
Claire was forced to recall the past.
The sweeter the memories, the more bitter they became now.
But bitter memories were deeply etched.
Claire paused slightly, looking at Dark beside her.
She found Dark’s expression vague, almost as if he were drunk.
“It seems he has a very close relationship with that little imp.”
Claire poured herself another glass.
Back then, when Peter shared fairy wine with her, she only tasted the sweetness of youth and the influence of literature.
How could she have known the myriad of thoughts now?
The more complicated the heart, the more secrets it held.
The effects of fairy wine were stronger.
The more one drank, the deeper one fell into drunkenness.
Even secrets buried deep within could be revealed.
…
She didn’t know.
Dark was even more deeply intoxicated.
One glass down, and he was already drunk.
Perhaps even Dark himself didn’t expect this.
…
Two glasses down.
Claire reached her limit.
She looked at the remaining wine in the bottle, poured it all out, and drank it in one go.
Then she was completely drunk.
Strange redness appeared on her cheeks.
Her gaze toward the golden-haired youth was like that of a hungry predator.
In her eyes, the boy turned into a cat.
She pounced like a lion.
A big cat pressing down on a small cat, rolling on the thick, plush carpet.
…
The moon was full.
…
Dark had a dream.
In the dream, he turned into a cat, caught between Claire and Alvaraite, struggling to survive.
…
At four o’clock in the morning.
A hint of dawn appeared on the horizon.
Feeling unprecedented suffocation, Dark suddenly opened his eyes.
The white expanse in his vision, the fragrance lingering, and the cold touch on his lips made his face flush.
[Bliss +1]
After a series of breaths, he raised his head and took deep breaths.
Thankfully, he hadn’t turned into a cat.
It seemed Claire still had some restraint and didn’t continue pranking him after he grew up.
Thinking this, Dark carefully broke free from Claire’s embrace, only to find they had fallen asleep on the carpet.
He sat up, rubbing his still dizzy head.
“Fairy wine, I couldn’t even handle one glass. Seems I’m not a drinker. From now on, I should try to avoid alcohol.”
