Prologue
『There are beings that originate from the source.
Like death, born from the blood of Angea.
They receive human names from the King, donning human disguises,
And when the moon rises, they ascend to the earth, hiding among people.
They take blood, steal life, and if they gain new power,
They can escape the shadows and live eternally.
So hide, hide well, lest your hair be seen.
Once discovered, it’s too late. Flee before you’re devoured.
Even scentless flowers attract birds,
If you hesitate, you’ll offer both body and soul willingly,
And in the end, you’ll be devoured without a trace.
So hush, hide well.
So that death cannot imprint upon you.
Hide, hide well, lest your hair be seen.』
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Terzia had a friend who had been with her since childhood.
A mysterious and dangerous friend who existed by her side like a shadow, from when they first met around age nine until the day she came of age.
He resembled the late-night sky where clouds obscured the stars and moon. He was always watching over her, but she could never reach out and grasp him first, like an illusion.
He was also the first outsider to approach Terzia, who knew nothing but crying alone in a gloomy mansion.
He who once almost dominated her entire being is, biologically and personally, a little… no, actually very different from us humans.
Terzia gritted her teeth and pushed against his shoulder.
“I told you… not to do this today.”
However, he seemed not to hear her words.
Terzia nervously darted her eyes around, feeling the cool lips sliding down her neckline. The time and place were terribly inappropriate for such actions.
They were in a long, narrow corridor leading to the imperial garden. The tongue lapping at her neck was too hot.
“Hnngh…”
Terzia tilted her head back, resting it against the cold stone wall. She felt breathless under the weight of the man pressing her entire body against the wall.
‘I feel like I’m going to be devoured.’
Just beyond the wall, a ball hosted by the Empress of the Brom Empire was in full swing. Anyone who stepped out for a breath of air could immediately discover them.
If Father caught us like this, he’d have a fit. Terzia twisted her body with her last bit of strength.
“I told you this was an important occasion. If you were hungry, you should have said something earlier…!”
As Terzia’s struggles intensified, a shallow sigh settled on her long, white deer-like nape.
He bit his lip and straightened his waist, quietly looking down at her. The gleam in his transparent red eyes, like jewels, intimidated the onlooker.
“This is troublesome, Terzia.”
He spoke in a gentle, coaxing tone. However, his hand caressing her collarbone exposed above her dress remained blatant.
He whispered softly.
“You promised not to resist. You’ll get hurt.”
“Why don’t you just not do things that hurt me in the first place?”
“You said you’d receive a birthday gift from me today.”
Today was Terzia’s nineteenth birthday, marking her coming of age, as well as her debut in society. It was also the 10th anniversary of her meeting him, so she had been pestering him for weeks to give her something special to commemorate the occasion.
But! Terzia glared at him in disbelief.
“This isn’t a token or a gift. It’s just you feeding!”
“Not at all.”
He smiled slightly.
“You’ll come to like this ‘method’ too. There’s no pain.”
“What exactly is this method you’re talking about…”
Terzia couldn’t finish her sentence, breathing heavily. Despite the cool early spring weather, her cheeks and neck felt strangely hot.
“You’ve always been afraid.”
“At least explain properly.”
“Those things outside.”
The scene beyond the young man’s shoulder suddenly came into view.
The moon was brilliant. Black shadows rose abruptly between the pillars of the corridor. Terrified in an instant, she clutched his uniform collar tightly.
They were the evil spirits that had been following and tormenting Terzia since her childhood, which she couldn’t even remember. They swarmed as if they might pounce on her at any moment.
“Ah, ah…”
Flickering tongues and blood-red eyes greedily examining her. There were easily dozens of them. Terzia almost screamed.
As if well aware of her fear, he soothed her with a kind voice.
“I’ll make sure they never lurk around you again. Even when I’m not here.”
“How… how?”
The answer came not in words but in actions. As he lowered his head, his fine black hair brushed against her cheek.
He pressed his lips to Terzia’s neck, breathing hotly against her skin. The familiar yet still uncomfortable pain swept over her once more.
‘Ah, it hurts.’
Goosebumps spread across the skin exposed above her light dress.
Doing this here… if someone discovered them, it wouldn’t just be her in trouble!
As Terzia’s body wavered and collapsed, a strong arm firmly supported her. It was around this time she realized something was different.
A strange energy seeped into her body through the wounded blood vessels.
From where his tongue licked, a warm sensation spread, and her whole body relaxed. The pain quickly vanished, replaced by a dreamy haze.
Terzia gazed unfocusedly over his shoulder. The shadows that had been creeping up the corridor retreated as if fleeing.
Soon, everything was silent again.
All that remained was the sound of him engrossed in taking her. The sensation of hot lips and tongue rubbing against her skin was unusually stimulating.
As she staggered, his sturdy knee parted her thighs hidden beneath her dress. Her legs spread open defenselessly.
Startled, she tried to close her knees, only to end up clamping his thick thigh between her legs. Ripples formed on her slender belly.
“Hnngh…”
As Terzia squirmed helplessly, he chuckled with a deep voice.
His large hand playfully stroked the hollow of her shoulder blade. It seemed to mean ‘stay still,’ but touching a place she usually couldn’t reach made her let out a groan.
“Don’t… don’t touch me like that. Stop it…”
Now Terzia realized it too. He was exuding a completely different atmosphere than usual.
The sense of crisis that someone might walk in at any moment only heightened the thrill. He didn’t stop, and Terzia closed her eyes tightly, trying to endure the tingling sensation spreading from her neck.
The worst-case scenario unfolded without fail.
The heavy sound of the grand golden door leading to the ballroom opening echoed. The steady footsteps of someone matched the erratic rhythm of Terzia’s pounding pulse.
As the silhouette of the young couple, pressed close like lovers, came into view, the approaching footsteps faltered.
‘No…!’
The hand that had been lightly stroking the back of Terzia’s head paused. He drew her black hair, cascading down her back, forward to naturally cover her neckline.
Then, with a series of fluid and leisurely movements, he lifted her chin with his fingertips.
Terzia felt the mingling breath and the soft pressure of lips pressing against hers.
“……!”
There was no time for questions. The scent of sun-dried cloth and a sweet yet briny taste alternated between her nose and mouth.
He was kissing her.
The person who had been hesitating nearby eventually turned away. They must have mistaken it for a passionate tryst between lovers.
As the presence receded, the tension left Terzia’s shoulders.
‘Thank… goodness.’
But relief was short-lived, as she finally saw objectively what she was doing.
She was still locked in a kiss with him. The cool, soft sensation she was used to feeling on her neck or wrist suddenly felt unfamiliar. Terzia’s earlobes and cheeks flushed bright red.
Noticing the heat rising in her face, he seemed to smile slightly, twisting their joined lips and capturing her lower lip. Terzia couldn’t stop his tongue from exploring her mouth as if it were his own.
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