What is that…?
As consciousness slowly returned to me, the first thing I noticed was an overwhelming taste flooding my senses, followed by a familiar warmth spreading through my body.
Wait… this taste feels familiar too…
Is this blood?
My eyes snapped open.
The sight in front of me cleared away the last traces of sleep. Syllia was still pressed tightly against me, trembling violently with one hand clamped firmly over her mouth as if she was trying to hold back any sound.
It was only then that I realized my fangs were out…
And were currently buried in her collarbone.
My eyes widened in shock.
Quickly, I pulled my fangs free from her skin. The moment I did, I felt Syllia physically relax as she finally managed to take a shaky breath.
Turning over, she glared at me with an embarrassed pout.
"You bit me in your sleep," she whispered. "You didn't even drink any blood! You just bit me and held onto me so tightly that I couldn't move!."
Despite her complaint, her expression softened slightly.
"Okay… I'll admit it was kind of cute," she muttered quietly. "But do you realize how hard it was to lay here for almost an hour without making a sound?" she added, pouting even more.
Putting my hands up, I chuckled a bit "Ok Ok, I'll admit that's my fault I'm sorry, I didn't think I would do that. I guess I learned something new about myself" Pulling her into a tight hug I whispered "I'll make it up to you".
"You better" She whispered nudging into me further "That was... exhausting"
'Knock' 'Knock'
'Click'
"Morning, you two. Oh my… I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Syllia's mother asked with an amused smile.
"M-Mom?! What are you doing here this early?!" Syllia yelped in shock, immediately trying to put some distance between us.
Unfortunately for her, I only tightened my hold around her waist, finding the entire situation far too entertaining.
"Morning, Mom," I called back casually.
"Mom already? Oh my," she replied dramatically, placing a hand over her chest with an exaggerated gasp before breaking into laughter. "Though, considering how attached you two are already, I suppose it's not that surprising."
Completely defeated, Syllia finally gave up struggling and went limp in my arms, burying her burning face beneath the blankets.
"You two are the worst…" she mumbled from under the covers.
After an… interesting start to the morning, Syllia's mother finally left the room to give us some time to get dressed.
I finished getting ready first and stepped outside the bedroom to give Syllia some privacy while she changed.
When we met again in the kitchen a few minutes later, both of us were pleasantly surprised to find that her mother had already prepared breakfast for us.
Syllia stepped out from behind me, still fixing her skirt as she walked. The moment she noticed the table covered with food, her eyes lit up excitedly.
Before she could rush over, I leaned down and quietly whispered into her ear,
"I might go for a walk for a bit… It's not like I can actually eat any of that anyway."
She immediately shot me a knowing look before whispering back,
"Right… don't worry, I'll come up with an excuse."
"Thank you," I replied softly.
Leaning forward slightly, I pressed a gentle kiss against her forehead, completely ignoring the instant blush spreading across her face.
"I'm going to step out for a little while," I announced casually. "I'll give you two some time alone together. I'll meet you at the entrance to the village later."
With that, I turned and walked out of the house.
Unlike the usual calm atmosphere that filled the village, the town center was now overflowing with activity. Four large wagons were scattered throughout the square, each with simple tents set up beside them. Tables lined the area, displaying everything from clothes and tools to spices and small trinkets.
Villagers moved through the crowded marketplace with practiced familiarity, browsing the wares and quickly picking out whatever they needed.
I guess this really is a regular occurrence around here.
Strolling through the crowd, I casually glanced over the items the merchants had spread across their tables. Most of it consisted of simple everyday goods—cooking supplies, fabrics, herbs, and household tools—with the occasional piece of expensive-looking jewelry catching the light among the displays.
I wonder if Syllia would like something like that…
"Hey, you there!"
One of the merchants guards from the nearby stall suddenly called out to me.
"Um… yes?" I replied, glancing toward him.
"I know just about everyone around here, and I've never seen you before," he said curiously. "What's your name?"
I honestly wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone…
But considering Syllia and I would most likely be traveling with these merchants for a while, I figured it was probably better to be polite.
"My name's Lucy," I answered. "And yeah, I'm new here. I only arrived a few days ago."
"Lucy, huh?" He smiled slightly. "Cute name."
…What?
"Are you looking for anything in particular?" he asked, suddenly sounding far more interested than before.
"No, not really," I replied casually. "I'm just waiting for someone."
"Oh?" The guard smirked slightly. "A boyfriend, perhaps?"
Ah… now I understand.
"No," I answered flatly. "Not a boyfriend."
"I see…" he said slowly.
Just as he looked ready to continue the conversation, his gaze suddenly shifted to somewhere behind me.
Before I could even turn around, I felt a familiar hand slip gently into mine.
"Lucy! There you are—we were looking for you!"
Turning around, I found Syllia and her mother standing behind me.
Perfect timing, as always.
"Ah, Syllia, you look as beautiful as ever," the guard said warmly, seeming to completely ignore my presence.
…He Dares.
My grip around Syllia's hand tightened, causing her to flinch slightly in surprise.
Glancing toward me, she noticed the cold, emotionless glare on my face.
"Ah—anyway!" she said quickly, clearly sensing the sudden shift in atmosphere. "Lucy, now that we found you, let's go meet the people we came to see, okay?" she asked a bit hesitantly.
"Yes," I replied calmly, not taking my eyes off him.
"Let's do that."
Turning away, the three of us began walking toward the largest wagon in the center of the square, with Syllia and I trailing a few steps behind her mother.
"Lucy…" Syllia whispered softly, drawing my attention.
"Hmm? What's wrong?" I asked.
Concern flickered in her eyes as she looked up at me.
"Is everything okay? I could tell you were getting upset back there."
"What? Oh, I'm perfectly fine," I replied calmly.
Then, after a brief pause, I lowered my voice slightly.
"Not only was he flirting with me before you arrived, but the moment you showed up, he started trying to charm you too."
My expression darkened as I muttered through gritted teeth,
"He was trying to put his hands on something that belongs to me."
"Hey, hey, I'm right here, and I'm perfectly fine," Syllia said with a small laugh, gently squeezing my hand. "Honestly, that kind of thing happens all the time. Most of the guards around here are complete horndogs. Every time I come shopping, at least one of them tries to flirt with me."
"Oh, do they?" I replied calmly, staring straight ahead.
"Good to know. I'll keep that in mind."
The slight chill in my voice made Syllia glance at me, though she chose not to comment further.
Once we reached our destination, a human merchant who looked far more refined than the others quickly stepped forward to greet us. There was a noticeable difference in both his appearance and demeanor. Not only was he physically well-kept, but the expensive fabrics and polished accessories he wore practically screamed wealth.
"Evelin!" he called out warmly before rushing forward and gently embracing Syllia's mother.
Evelin, huh…
Now that I think about it, I never actually asked for her name.
"I heard you were bedridden," the man said, relief clear in his voice. "I'm really glad to see you back on your feet again. Every time we passed through the village, I could see how distraught Syllia was." His excitement dimmed slightly. "I tried several times to get my hands on medicine for you, but… I never managed to find anything that could help."
"Markus, it's good to see you again," Evelin replied warmly. "And yes, I was bedridden until recently. Our Lucy here is the reason for my miraculous recovery," she added, gesturing toward me.
"You have my sincere thanks, Lucy," Markus said with a respectful bow of his head. "It pained me hearing about her condition. I'm truly happy that she was finally able to recover."
After that, his attention shifted back toward Evelin, and the two quickly fell into conversation.
Meanwhile, I leaned slightly closer to Syllia.
"Hey, Syllia… who exactly is he to your mom?" I asked quietly.
"Oh, Markus?" Syllia replied softly. "He's been Mom's friend for as long as I can remember. When she first got sick, he visited all the time whenever business allowed it. He's helped both of us a lot over the years."
"Oh…" I replied with a small smile. "That's good to hear."
"So," Markus suddenly interrupted, drawing our attention back to him, "Evelin tells me the two of you are planning on traveling with us to the city?"
"Ah! Yes!" Syllia chimed in excitedly. "That is, if you're willing to take us along."
"Of course I am," Markus replied without hesitation. "We'll be staying here for another couple of hours before heading to the next village. Come back around then, and we'll set off together."
He glanced between the two of us before adding,
"I'll have both of you ride with me personally. I'm well aware of how some of the hired guards behave, and this way neither of you will have to deal with any unwanted attention."
"That would be appreciated," I replied with a nod.
Markus returned the gesture before turning back toward Evelin, clearly wanting to continue their conversation.
I glanced over at Syllia.
"Hey, Syllia, want to wander around for a bit?" I asked.
"Sure!" she replied brightly. "Let's go browse the stalls before we leave!"
Leaving Evelin and Markus behind, the two of us wandered through the marketplace, casually browsing the different stalls one last time.
Nothing particularly stood out to me, but Syllia seemed genuinely excited by everything around her, and honestly, that alone was enough to keep me content.
Before long, time slipped away from us. By the time we returned to the center of town, the merchants had already packed up their stalls and loaded everything back onto the wagons.
Waiting for us near the center square were Evelin and Markus, still chatting together just like when we had left them.
The moment Markus noticed us approaching, he called out,
"Hey, you two! We'll be leaving soon!"
"Alright!" Syllia shouted back enthusiastically.
As Markus returned to preparing the wagons, Evelin stepped away from him and approached us.
"So," she asked softly, "are you two ready to leave?"
"I believe so," I replied calmly.
"Yeah… I am," Syllia added, though there was a hint of nervousness in her voice now that the moment had finally arrived.
"Good, good… now come here."
Without waiting for a response, Evelin pulled both of us into a warm embrace.
"Please stay safe, both of you," she whispered softly. Then, looking toward me specifically, she added, "And Lucy… take good care of her."
Gently tightening my arms around the hug, I answered seriously,
"Of course. You have my word—she'll be safe with me."
"Good," Evelin replied with a small smile. "Now hurry along before I change my mind."
Reluctantly breaking away from the embrace, Syllia and I made our way over to Markus's wagon and climbed aboard.
"I love you, Mom!" Syllia called out as the wagons slowly began rolling toward the village gates. "Stay safe until I come back!"
Standing near the road, Evelin waved back warmly as the caravan finally departed from the village.