Chapter 3

"Irene, I know you chose me because you had no other choice. But I promise I'll never let you suffer as long as I'm here." I instinctively turned at the sound of Lorian's voice and bumped into his chest.

I caught a unique but pleasant scent, and I looked up at him as I spoke slowly, "Lorian, I chose you because I wanted to."

An unreadable expression appeared in Lorian's eyes. "...Alright, I understand."

He sounded sincere and solemn, as if he had been waiting for a millennium.

-

Three days later, the wedding took place as planned, and both weddings were held in the same ancient castle.

The Valtore family's ceremony was even grander than it had been in my previous life. They even invited Prince Kyle, who had not appeared in public for a century. The other human and vampire nobles turned out in force as well.

The Noctis family's ceremony was much quieter. No important guests came, and only a few family members were there. However, every one of them looked genuinely happy the whole time.

This was their first marriage with a human, which meant they finally had a chance to produce the alliance's next ruler.

After the ceremony, Clara and I happened to cross paths. She deliberately tilted her chin to show off the marks on her neck. "Irene, I had no idea Eli's stamina was so... incredible. At this rate, I'll give the Valtore family an heir in no time."

I smiled politely. "Then I wish you the best of luck."

Clara had severely underestimated how difficult it was for a human and a vampire to conceive a baby. Even under the best of conditions, it would take at least a year for a human and a vampire to conceive naturally.

She thought I had gotten pregnant easily in our previous life, so she assumed it would be just as easy for her this time too. She even boasted to some members of the Valtore family that she would be pregnant within six months.

The news spread quickly.

Soon, nearly every family had heard of it.

Eli never questioned her either. He wanted an heir so badly that he was willing to believe any "good news".

Meanwhile, to Clara, my calmness was a challenge to her claim.

"Forget it. You wouldn't understand anyway." She glanced disdainfully at the nearby members of the Noctis family. "You married into a beggar's nest, after all."

She then lifted her skirt and tried to walk past me.

I caught her arm to stop her. "Clara, apologize to my family members."

Clara's expression darkened as she pulled free and shouted, "Irene, are you crazy?"

The guests still in the castle stopped to watch our argument with interest.

In the end, Richard had to step in and stop things from worsening. After hearing what had happened, he forced Clara to apologize to the Noctis family.

While the Noctis family had little prestige among the vampires, they would still unite against a human insulting them.

Before leaving, Clara glared at me and muttered, "Irene, this time I'll win. Just you wait!"

On our wedding night, I stared at Lorian's body, too stunned to move. Was it even possible for a vampire to have such a big… Despite his frail appearance, I finally understood what it meant to not judge a book by its cover.

When Lorian saw me lying motionless on the bed, he misunderstood me. His face went pale as he bent down, picked up his clothes, and started getting dressed.

"What are you doing?" I snatched the clothes from his hands, openly annoyed.

"I... I thought you didn't want to..." he stuttered, standing awkwardly beside the bed as the light in his bright golden eyes dimmed.

If he was not going to make the first move, I would. I stepped forward, wrapped my arms around his neck, and then pulled him onto the bed. The moment our bodies touched, that faint, familiar scent surrounded me again.

"Lorian... you smell so nice," I murmured without thinking.

He froze for a moment, and the tips of his ears turned faintly pink. Then, his kiss grew more intense as he worked his way down from my forehead. When he kissed my neck, the tingling was hard to resist.

Suddenly, I remembered the blood bond between vampires and humans. "Lorian, do you want to form a blood bond with me?"

Lorian stopped, his heated breath brushing my ear. "No."

I raised my eyebrow in surprise. "Why not?"

Lorian was quiet for a moment. "Irene, I want you to be with me because I want you to be my lover purely out of love."

Then, he kissed me on the lips, ending the conversation. He did not explain, but I understood.

After forming a Blood Bond, a human would become deeply dependent on the vampire and feel compelled to obey them. However, Lorian wanted me to love him because I really meant it, not because something like a Blood Bond forced me to.

I closed my eyes and our fingers intertwined as we spent a long, passionate night together.

Lorian kept going until dawn broke. I begged him for mercy several times, but he only consoled me as he kept going. Still, seeing him lose control like that was... incredibly charming.

-

Three months later, I learned Clara was pregnant.

I froze.

No human had ever conceived a vampire's child in only three months.

If I had not seen her rounded belly with my own eyes, I never would have believed it.

The Valtore family held a grand celebration for the upcoming birth of our generation's first hybrid child, inviting all the nobles to share the happiness.

"Our ancestors must have blessed us! She's pregnant after only three months. It's a miracle!" Eli raised his glass high, his face full of pride.

The guests crowded around to flatter him, eager to win the Valtore family's favor. Everyone agreed that the alliance's next ruler would come from Valtore.

It was the perfect time to make connections and build networks as well.

Given my status, Lorian and I should have been seated at the far end of the banquet hall. However, Clara insisted Eli seat me next to her. She did not want to miss a single chance to show off.

She stroked her belly and gave me a couple of smug looks. "Irene, it has been three months and still nothing? You're so useless. Even your womb can't be bothered to work hard."

Because of their vampire genes, hybrid babies developed quickly and were born much earlier than human babies. Judging by her size, her child would be born in just a few months.

I took a sip of wine and calmly said, "Until now, no human and vampire couple has ever conceived in less than a year. You only took three months. As for how, I guess only you know how you managed that."

Clara suddenly turned her head toward me, her eyes full of guilt and panic. "What are you talking about!"

It was merely a casual remark, but it was enough to test her as she panicked.

"I hope you have a safe delivery, Clara." I raised my glass to her, then left the banquet hall with Lorian.

-

A few months later, Clara finally gave birth after enduring three full days and nights of labor. However, a full week had passed, and the Valtore family still had not announced the child's arrival.

Even Richard was turned away when he tried to visit.

Clearly, something was wrong with the child.

Fifteen days later, Richard asked me to come home.

Before I left, Lorian held on to my clothes and refused to let go. His bright golden eyes looked at me so pitifully that I brought him along.

In the living room, Clara sat on the floor crying with a child in her arms. From a distance, nothing seemed wrong, but up close, I could see that his eyes were half green and half red.

Eli had red eyes, while Clara had brown eyes.

Still, Clara insisted the child was Eli's. But… She did not know that no Valtore heir in the past thousand years had ever carried the gene for green eyes.