“I’m going to sleep.”
Rashanin’s face asking me to compliment his appearance from close enough to feel his breath was close to terrorism, so I closed my eyes.
“How stingy.”
A grumble mixed with laughter fell from above my head. Still, when I played dead and didn’t open my eyes, firm arms wrapped around my shoulders. Soon after, at the rustling sensation burrowing into my chest, I flinched slightly.
The vampire who seemed like he’d have neither blood nor tears was very warm and soft. As I breathed in the nice scent, slight excitement and fear arose simultaneously. I squeezed my eyes shut at the awkward feeling. I’d thought I was still okay, but I was feeling myself gradually falling deeper.
Could I assign something special to this? He said he liked me. And he said to come to Russia because he wanted to keep seeing me. So something a bit more.
“It’s raining.”
A pleasant low voice resonated in my chest. I listened half-asleep but couldn’t hear the sound of rain. It must be because the windows were tightly closed.
“It’s the weekend, but shall we go out to sea? Seeing the rainy ocean would be special too.”
His low voice scattered into the air.
* * *
―He called frantically this morning and even threatened that if I caught his eye one more time, he wouldn’t let it slide. And he just hung up after saying what he wanted without listening to my answer. Isn’t that too much? I only made a legitimate scouting offer.
Elisabeth tattled about Rashanin’s actions in a cheerful tone. I tried to laugh as naturally as possible.
“I’ll tell you in advance, but Rashanin-ssi is right in front of me.”
Bacon, ham, fried eggs, cheese, whole grain bread, waffles, honey, chocolate, cream, yogurt, apple jam, cherry tomatoes and grapefruit, melon, orange juice, coffee—my phone rang while I was leisurely having a lavish breakfast that made me wonder who would eat all this. The caller was Elisabeth. I answered fearing future consequences, and Elisabeth badmouthed Rashanin. I informed her that Rashanin was right in front of me for the sake of a peaceful morning, but it didn’t work on Elisabeth.
―So what? How does the Duke’s presence affect our pleasant conversation?
“For everyone’s well-being, I’ll hang up now.”
―How rude. Will you shame a lady?
“What lady.”
The man with good hearing muttered what I wanted to say instead, apparently hearing Elisabeth’s words beyond the phone. Rashanin was glaring with narrowed eyes as if asking why I didn’t hang up quickly. I found a suitable excuse.
“The lion right in front of me is scary.”
―But Unhyuk, I thought you would have spoken first. It’s an important matter.
“I have nothing to say.”
―Don’t tell me the Duke was interrogating you? The timing wasn’t bad, was it? Oh, you don’t have to answer. I don’t have the bad taste of prying into intimate private life.
I could bet my entire fortune that she deliberately sent a text to Rashanin late knowing I wouldn’t say anything. Recalling last night was dizzying. At Elisabeth’s one text, Rashanin’s mood soured, and the sex was not just fierce but persistent and rough. Even now sitting in a plush chair, I throbbed below.
This was all Elisabeth’s fault. Prickly resentment rose sharply in my chest.
“Probing questions like that don’t suit Elisabeth-ssi’s noble character.”
I tried to be sarcastic with polite words. Then Elisabeth burst into loud laughter.
―I don’t know exactly what happened to you, but since I’m the cause, I’ll apologize. I’m sorry.
“I accept the apology.”
―You don’t say it’s okay. As an apology, I’ll invite you to lunch. How about it? The Duke can join too.
Lunch with Elisabeth and Rashanin together. I absolutely wanted to avoid that.
“I must politely decline.”
―Why?
“I’m not brave enough to sit at a table with a lion and tiger on either side.”
―But we won’t eat you.
“Elisabeth-ssi.”
―I don’t like being continuously rejected.
As I was thinking how these vampires were all so consistent, Rashanin reached out and snatched my phone.
“Continuing to court someone who rejected you is unsightly. Princess.”
Rashanin, who growled loudly, pressed the end button with his long, elegant hand. When I looked at Rashanin with bewildered eyes, he was frowning.
“You should hang up at the right time. What if you keep taking calls until your tea gets cold?”
“I don’t have the guts for that.”
“Liar.”
Rashanin branded me a liar. I let out a laugh and changed the subject.
“I have something today so I’ll need to be away.”
“What is it?”
“I need to go to Seoul. I already bought a ticket.”
Though I was spending dreamlike days in Jeju Island, my daily life hadn’t disappeared somewhere.
Gyeongsu sunbae, whose mood had completely soured because of a stubborn police officer, threatened to nag for life if I didn’t charm him. The department head told me to come up to Seoul and handle the backlog of work. Since it was the end of the month, there were documents that had to go through my hands. That’s why I could process the plane ticket as expenses.
My weekend schedule was perfectly planned. However, the vampire over 300 years old with splendid blonde hair and purple eyes slightly frowned his handsome brow as if displeased with that fact.
“Why? We agreed to go see the ocean.”
Jeju Island’s morning had fine drizzle falling. I remembered that right before falling asleep last night he’d said to go see the ocean, but it couldn’t be helped.
“I’ll remind you that we agreed to rest on weekends.”
“Heartless. To think you’d leave me alone.”
Rashanin pretended to be hurt in a way that didn’t suit him. It looked cute, so I laughed.
“I plan to break the flowerpot.”
“……?”
“I need to settle things.”
Not meeting people I couldn’t communicate with was my best option. But my stepmother’s contacts kept coming. Registering it as a spam number and hanging up as soon as I confirmed my stepmother’s voice couldn’t solve it. Even if I changed my cell phone number, it would be the same. The loan sharks knew where I lived anyway, and it was obvious my news would flow to my stepmother one way or another.
Thanks to my stepmother persistently calling from over 10 new numbers, I’d thrown up my hands. This was close to mental illness. As Rashanin said, I planned to end it even if I had to turn the house upside down.
“Shall I get you a gun?”
We’d talked about the same topic on the yacht two days ago. If I asked, Rashanin would really put a gun in my hand and more.
“Do you want to send me to prison?”
“If that happens, I’ll take responsibility and get you out.”
Rashanin spoke arrogantly. Really, he was hopeless. I held back laughter and thanked him.
“Your words alone are thanks enough.”
“When do you leave?”
“The 12:40 flight. I need to leave soon.”
It was 10:30. Considering the distance from the hotel to the airport, there wasn’t much time left.
“I’ll go too.”
“Pardon?”
“Were you really going to leave me alone?”
Rashanin was serious. I’d expected he’d say to go together. I didn’t have confidence to argue with him and persuade him to stay in Jeju Island.
“Won’t you move separately?”
“What are you saying?”
“There are quite a few people following Rashanin-ssi around, and if you come to Seoul with me, all their resentment and nagging becomes my share. It would be best if you just stayed quietly in Jeju Island like this, but you won’t do that, right? I’d be grateful if you’d help me rest comfortably on the weekend.”
“Aha?!”
What came back to my polite request was a short exclamation that wasn’t even close to agreement. Still, I stared at Rashanin intently.
“Won’t you?”
“Clever.”
“Me?”
“If I refuse, I become the bad guy.”
The man who’d said he was a lecher but not a bad guy bared his teeth and smiled. Since it wasn’t scary at all, I smiled along with him.
*
Even handsome, cool vampires sulk. Rashanin, who’d glared at me with dissatisfied eyes saying I was abandoning him, didn’t tell me whether he’d go to Seoul or stay in Jeju Island. But I didn’t worry much. There was a lot to do before leaving.
I revived my stepmother’s phone number that I’d marked as spam and made an appointment to visit her house in the afternoon. I also talked with Gyeongsu sunbae. And I reported to the higher-ups that I was going up to Seoul separately from Rashanin.
