There’s one thing a boy can never avoid hearing.
Namely, the phrases “Always be brave,” or “Be steadfast.” The logic was that men should never waver and must hold down the center of the household.
Upon reflection, it was quite an absurd claim.
Why must men always be courageous and steady, of all things?
Fear existed within me as well.
I longed to rest safely and craved the desire to flee or be protected. Despite this, the reason I couldn’t allow myself to indulge in such desires was perhaps because I couldn’t escape the lessons from my youth.
Hadn’t I vowed, after all?
Promising not to run away anymore, not to abandon anything.
Now, I believed I could honor that promise. However, in this moment, my fragile confidence was utterly shattered.
Was it because the enemy I had to face was too strong?
Even so, I was the one who had drawn my sword without hesitation against that “gender-neutral being.” With a vampire deprived of its full power before me, there was no reason to flee.
The cause of my cold sweat was solely one thing.
A single phrase uttered by the vampire—”niece.”
A statement potent enough to completely unravel my thoughts.
I was already aware that Ceria carried the blood of vampires. But who could have imagined she was close enough to be called “niece”?
There are moments when even the bravest man can’t help but feel intimidated.
Like when you come face-to-face with your lover’s family.
True, Ceria and I were not yet at a stage where we could be called lovers. But the fact was that there was an undeniable current between us, compounded by the fact that her family was pressing me with questions.
It felt awkward to play ignorant, as if we were just mere acquaintances.
I had to kill her.
Even while fidgeting with the hilt of my sword at my waist, I couldn’t bring myself to act rashly.
After all, if I moved, I would die.
This intuition tied me down like silk threads. I had to wait for a clearer moment of vulnerability.
The relationship between the vampire and Ceria, the disadvantage in strength, and the rare chance to converse with one of the Seven Deadly Sins—all these factors were in play.
Ultimately, with a deep sigh, I had no choice but to remove my hand from the sword hilt.
Given the overall situation, the action I needed to take was quite simple.
Even after I reaffirmed my resolve, the vampire continued gnawing on the gloves.
“Boy, aren’t you hearing me? This is your last chance. Are you the lover of my niece…?”
“Aunt!”
The title I shouted while falling to my knees echoed across the clearing.
And then, silence.
The atmosphere felt as if it had momentarily frozen. Even the vampire, who had been incessantly biting at the gloves, stopped its gnawing.
Round, blue eyes stared blankly at me, clearly showing bewilderment at what I had just said.
Capitalizing on this moment, I prostrated myself deeply.
This caused the vampire to become even more perplexed, floundering about in confusion.
“I apologize for not greeting you sooner. Who would have thought I’d meet Ceria’s aunt under such circumstances… As you said, I am Ian Fercurus, the lover of your niece!”
“A, uhh… R, really?”
As I bowed so low that my head nearly touched the ground, the vampire could only mutter unintelligibly.
Her stammering voice revealed undeniable signs of disorientation, clearly having not anticipated such a response.
Of course not.
Contrary to its reputation as the worst mage in history, the “vampire” appeared somewhat dim-witted. At this very moment, it looked completely lost, not knowing how to handle this situation where it had found its niece and encountered me.
So, I naturally rose to my feet and took a step forward.
“To be honest, it was hard to believe at first, but that beautiful silver hair… A complexion so flawless and piercing blue eyes as if jewels were set into them! Indeed, you are Ceria’s aunt.”
A shameless flattery I’d never employed before.
Though the compliment was overused, the vampire, seemingly lacking any resistance to such flattery, promptly turned red in the face. To the point where it now slightly avoided eye contact with me.
In the meantime, I took another step forward.
I didn’t forget to steadily close the distance between the vampire and myself.
“Hmm, hm… Anyway, you do claim to be the lover of my niece?”
“I may still have shortcomings, but yes.”
With my modest demeanor, the vampire flashed a faint, satisfied smile.
But I still didn’t relax.
My intuition was warning me. A tightly woven intent to kill was still aimed at me.
The reason this monster was indulging me had to be just one.
Because it was confident.
Confident that it wouldn’t suffer no matter what I did.
It was much like a mischievous child watching the futile struggles of a wingless dragonfly.
The vampire’s sneer as it curved its lips was extraordinarily beautiful.
Enough so that my heart skipped a beat momentarily.
Though, I couldn’t tell if it was because I was bewitched by the vampire or because I sensed some strange foreboding.
Before long, the vampire’s tone had become somewhat self-satisfied.
“Hmph, good. Quite fortunate… I heard you were a notorious rogue, but it seems you’re actually sincere?”
For a moment, a fissure appeared in my expression, but I endured it with superhuman patience.
It was an undeniable truth after all.
Even ignoring Ceria, weren’t there a few more women with whom I had deep ties?
Not only the Lady Virgin Saint and Senior Delphine but also Senior Elsi and Emma were in the same boat.
I was even almost tempted to ask, “By the way, what is your niece’s name?”
But I couldn’t possibly reveal my own offenses.
In the end, I decided to blatantly lie after wetting my lips with my tongue.
“Could you possibly see me as someone who would act that way, Aunt?”
“U, uhn…?”
Another step forward, now within arm’s reach of the vampire, I boldly seized her hand without fear.
The vampire appeared startled for a moment but did not shake off my hand. Instead, she stared at me, her cheeks slightly flushed.
Regardless, I didn’t stop pouring out my earnest pleas.
“Please, Aunt, judge me. Do I really look like such trash to you?”
Factually speaking, I was.
But what importance did the truth have now? The vampire’s judgment of me was entirely up to her—even if it meant erroneous judgment.
The vampire turned her head slightly with a faint “Ahem,” avoiding my gaze.
I picked up on the hesitation seeping through and tightened my grip on her hand.
“Uhm, now that I’ve seen you directly… perhaps not?”
“Do you then recognize me as such?”
Taken aback by my direct question, the vampire sighed pitifully.
After hesitating for a while, the woman finally composed a dignified expression.
“If it really must be so, then I have no other choice. If you accept one condition, we’ll welcome you into our family.”
It was almost as if she was granting me a magnanimous favor.
The concept of “family” might have been significant to the vampire. Indeed, I recalled how the vampire’s retinue always got heated when discussing their “mother” and “sister.”
Still, I had not the faintest desire to join that criminal organization.
The opponent was not yet fully at ease. Thus, I decided to pretend ignorance deliberately.
“…What condition?”
Just the moment I tilted my head, feigning confusion.
The atmosphere of the area shifted dramatically.
It felt as if the surrounding temperature had inexplicably dropped a few degrees. The air filling my lungs seemed unusually heavy, and an indistinct gaze, like a snake’s tongue, was slithering over my entire body.
The vampire wore an even more intense smile.
The flames in her blue eyes swirled, momentarily leaving me unable to regain my senses.
And with that, the vampire pulled my hand sharply, her voice sweet and scorching my retina.
“Will you give me your blood?”
Without resistance, my body was pulled toward her. My staggering figure failed to regain its balance and collapsed as if there were no intention to do so.
Even as I fell, I absentmindedly repeated my thoughts.
Indeed, the vampire was also a mage.
Even if it momentarily mingled with me, it should never have shown vulnerability.
Wasn’t that an already established fact?
A faint whisper seeped from my lips, akin to a deity’s voice.
“Willingly…”
Gradually, a sweet body scent overwhelmed my senses.
As my consciousness blurred and my vision defocused, the gleam of snow-white fangs flashed through the gaps.
The metallic smell of blood flooded my senses, awakening me.
Naturally, it wasn’t from the vampire. The moment I bit down on my own lips, the intense pain pierced through my dazed thoughts, jolting my mind back to reality.
And the world began to freeze.
The source of this anomaly was my arm. While I had gripped the vampire’s hand, feigning excitement and tightening my grasp, my actual intention was different.
Just a few crucial seconds to awaken the “heart.”
The moment I had bought, my hand finally began to move.
