Dante let go of my leg and sat up. There was a large hickey where he had bit me. The blackened vein had turned faint blue. But he didn't seem normal to me.
His lips were black. Dante blinked his eyes slowly, looking at me like a drunken man.
"Are you okay?" I asked him. He killed me twice and saved me once. Two minus one is one. So, he still owed me one. It didn't mean that I needed to act heartless to him. "You kinda look…"
"I liked it," He mumbled, swaying from right to left like a reverted pendulum. "Your blood tasted delicious. Can I have more?"
"No." I covered my leg. What was he? He couldn't be a human. "Are you a vampire?"
"I am not." He licked his lips, leaning closer. "Just a little would do."
"Dude, you are talking about my blood." I didn't expect this. It wasn't mentioned in the book that the emperor loved drinking blood. "I had never donated blood in the hospital to save lives. How could you expect me to give it to you?"
He didn't answer me. By then, I was sure that not only something was wrong with his head, but also his body. He coiled his arms around me, clutching my body tightly to him before he dug his face in the curve of my neck. A shudder ran down my spine when he brushed his cold lips against my collar bone.
"No," I refused again. Even if he was a handsome man, I would never ever give him my blood. I whacked his back with everything I had."You can't have my blood, you royal arse!"
It felt like I was hitting a brick wall. My fingers were hurting. But I didn't stop.
Dante held me tighter and murmured in a hoarse voice, "I missed you."
I was confused. What the fuck was he saying? How he could have missed me? "Whom did you miss?"
"You."
"But you don't even know me."
"I know you," He whimpered.
Was it the effect of the poison? He didn't spew it out after sucking it like a mad man. "So, do you already know Aloisia Annaliese Bloodworth?"
Wasn't it strange that this emperor would marry Aloisia Annaliese Bloodworth? Maybe there was a connection between him and that crazy woman.
When there was no answer, I touched his back. "Emperor?"
He didn't move at all. I turned my head toward him and found him deeply asleep.
"..." At least, he wasn't drinking my blood.
But I was a curious woman. How could I let go of this opportunity? I opened his mouth to take a look at his canines. His lips were back to the original colour. However, his teeth weren't normal.
I found more sharp canines than incisors and molars. What could he be? If I could get a hand on his secret, there was a high chance that I could blackmail him into cooperating with me.
Then, I realized that something wasn't right. His warm hand was on my cheek.
"..." I didn't dare to look into his eyes. It was too embarrassing. I was caught staring into his mouth.
"Bad girl." He pinched my cheek before he released me. "But it's not surprising that you would do this."
Was he talking about Aloisia? Did he already know her? Wouldn't he recognize her then? I opened my mouth to question him, but he flicked my forehead. The piercing pain made me cry.
"Why are you being like this?" I shouted at him at the top of my lungs. "I feel like you cracked my skull."
"You wouldn't be screaming at me if it was broken." His tone was mild and unemotional. "I should have your tongue for verbally abusing me. Did you forget that I am still royal blood?"
"You don't act royal at all." I rubbed my swollen forehead. "Your royal highness, a royal man should be gentle and kind to women."
He rolled his eyes. "I don't see any woman here."
I was ready to punch his molars out of his mouth. "Perhaps, it's you who isn't a man."
He cocked his head. "Do you want me to prove it to you, Lady Bloodworth?"
Being raped wasn't on my list. It was worse than being dead. I answered quietly, "No."
"Why?" He grabbed the hem of my skirt again. I hated how he always sounded monotonous. He wasn't showing many expressions either. I wondered if he was a robot. He added, "You are a slave. If I take you as my woman, you can be my concubine. It's not a bad deal, considering Kaige wants you dead."
"I prefer death over this." I glanced at his sword. "You royal arse, please kill me instead."
The abnormal dude let go of my skirt suddenly. He stood up and left without a word.
That was strange. Was it the same guy who killed me twice?
"So, he was being nice to you." Harvey gives me a hard look. "But you kept provoking him?"I place my elbow on the edge of the table. "I was just surprised. He was supposed to be a cruel emperor.""Yeah, but he sucked the poison out using his mouth." Harvey chuckles when I make a face at him. "That was thoughtful of him.""It wasn't thoughtful." I pick up the fork and stab the molten chocolate dessert. Two minus one is one. But that emperor tricked me.Not only that there was an antidote to that poison, but the method of sucking out the poison was crude. The antidote was also quite common. All the soldiers carried it in their pouches.The person who told me about the antidote was none other than Aloisia."He killed you twice and treated you nicely the third time." Harvey smiles at me. "Do you truly not think of him now?""He was a fiction
I pressed my finger on the hickey on my thigh. It was red, swollen, and rather hot. I kept thinking about his lip and the way he held my thigh. I wasn't an inexperienced woman, but it had been a long time since I had done it.Leaning against the wall, I found myself thinking about the most douche man in the universe. My friend, Fanny, always said that all women had an ex whom they wanted to throw in the cage of tigers.If I threw my ex I think that the tigers would get diarrhoea if they eat that disgusting creature.As usual, I was thinking about unimportant things.I was free to move, but I didn't leave the camp. There would be guards outside. It was still dark. The mountains could get cold and dangerous. I touched the back of my head. The wound was really gone. Did I really get poisoned?My stomach growled loudly."I am hungry." I lied down on the col
"I was thinking about King Kaige and Count's daughter."Viessa Vorn is Count Vorn's only daughter.
I was clutching my stomach and wondering if the emperor wanted me to die from hunger. Maybe he was punishing me for talking back to him. If I had chosen to be his concubine, would he feed me? But then, I wasn't that kind of woman."Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!" My stomach growled again.
Harvey Cunningham opens his mouth wide while blinking his eyes slowly. His face turns pale as he turns his head to his left, avoiding my gaze. He lets out an awkward cough.Why the heck is he reacting like this?
"It's late." Harvey glances at his silver pocket watch. "Let's continue the story tomorrow."I am relieved. My back hurts a little from sitting for hours. Honestly, the effect of coma isn't gone yet. I should probably visit my physician tomorrow. "See you tomorrow then."
I can see that the light in his eyes is fading. That's what happens when extroverts are stuck indoors."The same as usual." I take a seat on the chair. "Is there anything new?"The TV screen turns black. Kyle grumbles to me, "My girlfriend broke up with me.""Your girlfriend broke up around eight months ago." I frown at him. "She broke up with you before I woke up.""It feels like yesterday." Kyle rests his head on the couch arm. His jade green eyes well up.Unlike me, he has jade green eyes. The colours of my eyes depend upon the light. They are either green or blue, according to the light. I also have golden freckles in my eyes. My father, who is a biology professor, told me that it's a beautiful union of central and sectoral heterochromia."You are admiring yourself in your brain again," Kyle states in an accusatory tone. "What a narcissistic person! You w
Damn! He could have told me earlier. I go to my room. Feeling lethargic, I put the phone on the table. Talking to my ex who gave me syphilis is not something I wanted to do. I open the window. The sky is bleeding red. There is a thick layer of snow covering the road.Why do I have this familiar ominous feeling that something bad is about to happen?My phone starts ringing.After a moment of contemplation, I pick it up. The person remains quiet for a moment. Sound of breathing is clear. I tilt my head and whisper, "Raymond?""Vina, you are awake.""Why the fuck are you calling me?" And it has been six months since I woke up."I don't know," He answers my unasked question. "I am waiting outside your home. Come to the window."What? I dash to the window. On the other side of the road, I see a tall man with honey blonde hair, blue eyes, and c