Endless Kiss v1c31

I hesitated for a moment about what to do, then thinking that receiving one business card wouldn’t hurt, I reached out my hand. But Rashanin, who had been watching the situation until now, said something.

“Don’t take it.”

At the sharp command, my hand reaching for the card stopped. When I turned my head, Rashanin had hardened his face. It was the first time. I had occasionally seen him expressionless, but this was the first time I’d seen him with such a temperature-dropping face.

“He refused. Elisabeth.”

“Duke, don’t interfere. As I said earlier, this is a matter between him and me. Here, take it. Unhyuk.”

“It’s better not to take it.”

“Thank you.”

Despite Rashanin’s restraint, I took the card. On the luxurious gold paper was written only Elisabeth’s name and phone number. Ignoring Rashanin’s glare, I quickly stuffed it into my pocket.

When Rashanin said something in German, Elisabeth didn’t back down and retorted. After several savage growls of a different quality from before were exchanged, Rashanin kicked back his chair and stood up. Looking at his frozen expression, he was clearly angry.

I blankly watched Rashanin’s figure disappear beyond the door, leaving me among vampires I was meeting for the first time, when Elisabeth added a word.

“The Duke got angry because I said something that hit the mark, so you don’t need to worry about it.”

I couldn’t ask what on earth had happened. Fortunately, Elisabeth soon changed the topic, and smooth conversation continued even with Rashanin absent from his seat.

“My father and the Ruler of the Snowfield, that is, the Grand Duke of Moscow, had a very bad relationship. They say the trigger was an incident where the Grand Duke of Moscow saw my father’s silk shoes and ridiculed them, but I wasn’t even born then so I don’t know the cause well. In any case, it’s certain their relationship was very, very bad. How bad was it? They hated even speaking to each other so much that they didn’t exchange a single word for several hundred years. Then one day, the Grand Duke of Moscow visited Saxony accompanied by the Duke of Tula. My father happened to be holding a grand banquet, and at that time, the Grand Duke of Moscow boasted to everyone gathered there about how beautiful, elegant, and smart his young son was. Can you imagine what kind of reaction my father, who didn’t have a son as beautiful and excellent as the Duke of Tula, showed?”

Elisabeth began a long story, saying she would tell me why she and Rashanin had a bad relationship. It was what Rashanin had started to tell me that night but stopped.

Though I didn’t even know the face of the Grand Duke of Saxony, I could imagine what kind of reaction he showed from Elisabeth’s realistic explanation. When I nodded slightly, Elisabeth raised the corners of her mouth and smiled prettily.

“Consumed by jealousy and envy, my father swore that no matter what, he would have a son better than that greenhorn kid. Ah, that’s what my father called the Duke of Tula. He swore and swore to have a son better than the Duke of Tula, and then found me. Sparkling blonde hair, jewel-like eyes, a brilliant mind, refined and elegant speech and behavior. Everything was perfect. But my father made one mistake. In his obsession, he found a replica of the Duke of Tula. We look very similar, don’t we?”

“Yes. When I first saw you, I thought you were siblings.”

“Everyone thinks that. They say he imitated the Grand Duke of Moscow. My father’s pride was hurt even more. Nevertheless, he even accepted the Grand Duke of Moscow’s proposal for engagement. That’s why the Duke and I have a bad relationship.”

“I think I understand.”

I could feel that the conjunction “that’s why” connecting the reason why Rashanin and Elisabeth had a bad relationship contained tremendous implicit meaning. It was because Elisabeth spoke lightly about it, but in fact, I could guess there was conflict that would only appear in a makjang drama.

Otherwise, would they have chased each other all the way to Korea and fought so bloodily?

“People commonly call us rivals, but I hate even being called that. I’m only telling you this, but the Duke of Tula is famous for being dogmatic, difficult, and self-centered. Do you know what his hobby is?”

“I understand it’s people-watching.”

“That’s right. To be precise, it’s observation. And he’s such an oddball. If he decides ‘today I need to see a hundred black-haired young ladies,’ he won’t move until he’s seen all hundred. Even if the sun sets.”

“Really?”

I thought it was just observation, but counting numbers—I didn’t know that. When I asked back with surprised eyes, Elisabeth snorted.

“The Duke’s hobbies are famous. Unhyuk. You should have seen him counting 200 hats with violets attached at the market square. On that day, there happened to be a very, very important meeting, so I had no choice but to go fetch the Duke, and what he says to me is, ‘Why aren’t you sensitive to trends? If you had stuck a violet in your hat, we could have left sooner.’ How annoying that was.”

As if the resentment from that time was coming back fresh, Elisabeth smiled while grinding her teeth. Understanding her feelings completely, I nodded. Wasn’t he the one who pressured the embassy to designate me as his guide just to have dinner? On top of that, he had even threatened to call the ambassador if I didn’t accept the clothes he bought me.

“So what did you do? You didn’t throw a glove in his face to challenge him to a duel, did you?”

“Oh my, you’ve seen through my heart. Actually I wanted to do that, but I couldn’t be late to the meeting. Unlike the Duke, I’m my father’s good daughter. Well, the Grand Duke of Moscow loved even the Duke’s self-centered aspects though.”

“Then why did you do that last Friday?”

I brought it up naturally, pretending it was nothing. In fact, this was what I most wanted to ask. The fact that two high-ranking vampires, VNs no less, had come to Korea was an incident in itself. Actually, before I was discharged yesterday, I received a call from the Department Head saying it was an emergency. Elisabeth apologized for causing an incident, but she said she hadn’t revealed her purpose for coming to Korea. So my role in still acting as Rashanin’s guide was important, he said.

I didn’t know the opportunity would come this early either. With a slightly pounding heart, I waited for Elisabeth’s answer.

“Didn’t the Duke say anything?”

“No.”

“Ha, how unusual. When he’s so brazen.”

“He said he did something wrong enough to deserve a hit from Elisabeth-ssi. Isn’t it a matter between you two?”

“If that were the case, we would have finished it on Saturday. Either the Duke dies, or I die.”

Elisabeth, who smiled brightly while casually talking about killing each other, was serious. Like Rashanin, he thought that Elisabeth was absolutely someone he should never make into an enemy.

“Why? Are you curious?”

While he was lost in thought, Elisabeth, who had been elegantly cutting and eating her lamb, threw out bait. Whether it was empty words or not, it was clear she had a favorable impression of him, so with a ‘nothing to lose’ mindset, he decided to be honest.

“Given my profession, I can’t help but be curious. To be honest, the two of you have triggered the highest level of emergency.”

“That much? Well, I heard this is a peaceful place.”

“Yes. That’s correct.”

“The Duke’s problem has nothing to do with this being Korea. Whether it’s Japan or the Philippines. The key point is that the Duke has left Moscow.”

“Leaving Moscow is a problem?”

“The Duke is suffering from an illness.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s truly a terrible illness.”

It was an unexpected answer. Rashanin having an illness. And a terrible one at that. Wait, can vampires even get sick? However, Elisabeth slightly raised one corner of her lips. What was clearly a sneer gave off a chilling feeling rather than glamorous one.

“What… kind of illness?”

“Ennui.”

Elisabeth’s face gleamed coldly. And I lost my words. Ennui.

“It’s really a difficult illness to cure. Even though I’ve chased him all the way here, he has no intention of getting better.”

Ennui. Boredom. Lack of motivation. But those weren’t words that suited Rashanin. Among the people and vampires I knew, there was no one with more presence than Rashanin. His handsome face, wealth and power. All of that made him shine. And yet he finds life boring?

I felt stunned. I couldn’t believe it at all. That man who had been so confident, sly, and did whatever he pleased without fear of anything in the world…… Something flashed through my mind. I recalled the indifferent gaze of the vampire whose hobby was people-watching. No, wasn’t people-watching itself just a way to pass time?

“Relax your face. It’s not a rare occurrence.”

I must have unknowingly furrowed my brow. At Elisabeth’s point, I quickly came to my senses. She was right. For vampires whose lifespan was nearly infinite, their greatest enemies were loneliness and depression. Even some vampires in Korea were under special surveillance by the Management Bureau because they had no motivation for life.

I understood it in my head. But I didn’t want to believe that Rashanin was like that.

“Then why did you come to Korea?”

“He threw away his duties and ran away. To a quiet and peaceful place.”

“Ran away……”

That didn’t suit Rashanin at all. Though he seemed somewhat languid and willful, his essence was that of an aggressor. If there were problems, he was the type to break through rather than avoid them. But he ran away.

“You can’t believe it, right? Neither can I. That’s why I’m really angry.”

Elisabeth furrowed her beautiful eyebrows and revealed her anger.

“Even when I hit him, he won’t listen.”

Tsk, Elisabeth clicked her tongue once, then after ending that topic, she thoroughly badmouthed Rashanin about various things. Elisabeth was a pleasant conversation partner. She realistically explained situations like how she really hated the smell of cigarettes so she forced her close associates to quit smoking, or how she held her nose right in front of a noblewoman who had sprayed perfume excessively.

It was certainly an enjoyable story, but the noble vampire fallen into ennui took up residence in one corner of my mind and tormented me.