Martin didn’t need to say the rest—it was obvious. As expected, Martin admitted his defeat.
“We drank almost a whole bottle, but I ended up losing. I thought he’d tell me out of spite, but that stubborn bastard never did tell me in the end. Still, I figured we were probably similar, so we’ve been getting along comfortably without formalities, like friends.”
“…I see.”
A smile suddenly appeared on Martin’s lips.
“The more I see him, the more peculiar he is. He’s slippery, and sometimes it’s hard to tell how much of what he says is sincere. But looking back, he’s not the type to play with people or deceive them.”
The words carried a deep bond forged over many years. Diego fidgeted with his glass before voicing another question. His tone had grown more cautious.
“Then… have you ever exchanged blood?”
“Who? Me and that guy?”
“Yes.”
Martin burst out laughing and roughly tousled Diego’s hair.
“No. He said with his own mouth that he doesn’t want to touch guild members. Even if that weren’t the case, would my blood as a regular trait satisfy him?”
He was laughing and tilting his glass when a thought suddenly crossed his mind, and Martin looked to the side.
“You seem to know about that.”
“Pardon?”
“That Roman only does it with men…”
Clatter— Suddenly the chair was pushed back as Martin abruptly stood up.
“There, she’s going up.”
Looking ahead, he could indeed see Grace linking arms with some man. Keeping his eyes fixed on them, Martin silently counted to ten.
“Wait here.”
Soon he climbed the stairs leading to the second floor. He had no hobby of eavesdropping on others’ moans, but just because it was Bloody Cycle didn’t mean he could neglect his duties. Rather, precisely because they were in a place where an unspecified number of people came and went constantly, he needed to be more vigilant.
So Martin waited in front of a second-floor room while Diego remained on the first floor. Of course, it wasn’t to sit there mindlessly, but to watch for any suspicious individuals.
Time alone passed slowly. While surveying the interior once more, Diego’s eyes met those of some man.
“……”
He naturally averted his gaze, but something about it felt off. His premonition proved correct. Shortly after, the man approached and asked a direct question.
“I’ve been watching since earlier, and you seem to keep rejecting the ladies. Are you perhaps into that?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
But the man didn’t turn away immediately. Instead, he continued with a greedy expression and a bright smile.
“Then how about trying it out this once? I guarantee it’ll be better than you think. Not just fingers… I’m confident I can suck that part well too.”
His blatant gaze turned toward Diego’s center. In that moment, Diego felt a strange sense of déjà vu and soon realized why.
The man before him somehow had a similar atmosphere to Roman. But he wasn’t Roman. Moreover, he was currently on duty and had no time to be distracted by other things.
Diego quickly estimated the time in his head. Since Grace had gone upstairs quite a while ago, he just needed to hold out a bit longer.
“I’m sorry, but I’m waiting for someone.”
“For nearly an hour, you mean.”
“I came early because I was thirsty for a drink. Well then, I hope you have a pleasant time.”
The man’s confident face twisted slightly. But realizing it would be a waste of time to stay longer, he turned around, leaving only the words “What a shame.”
Diego sighed and swept his hair back. Actually, this wasn’t the first time. Usually, Benics with better traits tended to have superior physical conditions, and Diego, despite being a regular, had quite a sturdy build. Perhaps because of that, during Bloody Cycle when he was on Lovers’ Lane, there were occasionally male Neos who approached him based on appearance alone.
But he didn’t feel particularly repulsed. Thanks to that, when Roman made his partner proposal, he was disappointed by the fact it was just a ‘sex partner,’ but wasn’t surprised by the proposal itself. Thinking about it now, it was truly fortunate.
How much time had passed? He was continuing his wait while sipping the beer ordered as a cover when he suddenly felt the atmosphere in the establishment change. He could see most people’s gazes turning toward one place. The moment he realized it, Diego rose from his seat in the corner and stared at the same spot as them.
Upon seeing, he immediately understood why the atmosphere had changed. An eye-catching face, a sturdy build not hidden even by clothing. A man who looked like a dominant Benic sat alone at a table.
Diego belatedly withdrew his gaze and sat back down. The rest of the situation was obvious without watching. If they were Neos, they’d all be dying to spend the night with that person.
The proportion of dominant traits in the total population was extremely low. Even if dominants married each other and had children, nine out of ten were born as regulars, so traits were just as important as status or position.
“……”
Roman’s face suddenly came to mind. His own thoughts about him weren’t much different from Martin’s.
When it came to work, he was frighteningly thorough, but in other aspects, he was quite free-spirited. He would casually toss out slippery jokes and had a somewhat self-indulgent side. But there were no guild members who truly disliked him. Rather, most of them took pride in being members of the guild and had been there for several years.
Martin had joked that people would line up for him on Lovers’ Lane, but Roman was someone who, if he set his mind to it, could develop a deep relationship with anyone.
There were other things he wanted to ask him. Why did you choose me, are you satisfied drinking my blood, do you regret making that proposal?
But these too would likely never leave his lips. Because he would never hear the answer he hoped for. Because if he heard that Roman had done it thinking he was a dominant trait, he would feel miserable enough to want to die.
***
“Thank you. Please come again.”
Leaving the kind greeting behind, Roman exited the flower shop. Being careful not to damage the bouquet, he stepped on the stirrup and mounted his horse in one motion.
The destination was quite far. After passing through a narrow alley where carriages couldn’t enter, houses lined up in a row appeared, and shortly after, Roman stopped in front of a house with a blue roof.
Knock knock—
He knocked and waited briefly when a familiar voice came from beyond the door.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me. The Guild Master.”
Though he revealed his identity, the door didn’t open immediately. Instead, a voice full of puzzlement was heard once more.
“…The Guild Master?”
“Yes. It’s Roman. I stopped by while passing through.”
Even so, only after a few more seconds did the door slowly open. Emily’s face lit up with a bright smile upon finally confirming the visitor’s face.
“Roman!”
“Have you been well?”
“Yes. The voice was right, but it was so unexpected that I couldn’t open the door quickly. Please come in.”
Before that, Roman held out the bouquet to Emily.
“A gift for a pretty lady.”
“Wow, it’s so beautiful! Thank you.”
Saying she would bring tea and to please sit for a moment, Emily hurried into the kitchen with quick steps.
Left alone, Roman slowly looked around the interior. The inside of the house couldn’t be called spacious by any stretch. But it was neatly organized without any clutter, and a small vase containing yellow wildflowers was placed by the window.
“Please have some tea.”
Emily, who had set down the tray, sat in the opposite seat. After taking a sip of tea, Roman got to the main point.
“About what you said last time.”
At that, Emily hastily straightened her posture and watched Roman’s face. There was even a hint of solemnity, which made Roman smile slightly. He thought that if he had come empty-handed, she might have been greatly disappointed.
“I looked into it afterward, and there happens to be a good position at a Count’s household.”
“A Count’s… household?”
Emily’s eyes widened as if she had heard something unexpected. Roman nodded and elaborated.
“I won’t know the details until you go, but it shouldn’t be too difficult or hard.”
To be precise, it wasn’t going to be difficult or hard. Because he intended to ask his mother to arrange it that way.
As he’d said repeatedly, Roman was sending Emily to his own house because that was the only way he could feel somewhat at ease, not because he truly intended to treat her as a servant.
“But I’ve never done such work before. What if I make a mistake and cause trouble for you?”
