Chapter 4: I Thought I Asked You to Keep Quiet
The night was calm, the sounds of night creatures echoing in the air, ready to devour any intruder. Androsen sighed as he looked at the girl lying deeply asleep in the bed.
On the way home, he realized he didn't even know where this girl lived—or anything about her, really. So, he had no choice but to bring a total stranger into his domain. Or rather, his massive mansion.
He glanced at her one last time, then turned to the two women standing silently beside him. They wore uniform aprons over plain gowns, their hair neatly tied back. Though not dressed to impress, they were beautiful—but not as beautiful as Pilea, who lay in the bed.
"Please take care of her," Androsen said.
His voice was cold and sharp, but the women were clearly used to it. They gave him a respectful bow as he walked away without another glance at Pilea.
The two women looked at the girl. The one with dark hair glanced at her companion, the one with brown hair.
"I wonder why Master would bring a mistress at this time of day," she said.
The woman with brown hair didn't reply. They simply walked out of the room quietly, closing the door behind them.
About thirty minutes later, Pilea regained consciousness. She sat up slightly, still feeling a throbbing headache. Then memories came flooding back—being pushed, the fall, the dark room, and… Androsen?
Her eyes narrowed in confusion as she took in her surroundings. The room was massive and plain, with only two doors—one she guessed led to a bathroom.
"Where am I?" she whispered.
A knock came at the door. She froze, then quickly lay back down, pretending to be asleep.
Androsen walked into the room. Seeing her still sleeping, he quietly stepped back out, closing the door behind him.
The moment the door shut, Pilea sat up straight.
"What is he doing here? Am I in his house? Does he want to kill me? What should I do—run away?" Her thoughts were racing.
She stood quickly, only to notice she wasn't wearing her school uniform anymore. Instead, she had on a cute skeleton-print nightdress.
Shocked, she spun around, looking for a way out before they tried anything else. She spotted a large window and pulled a table over to it. After struggling to open it, the lock finally gave way.
Without a second thought, she climbed up and jumped. Only then did it occur to her—what floor was she on?
Luckily, she had been on the ground floor. She landed safely and immediately ran, not stopping to admire the mansion's beautiful surroundings.
Inside, the two maids had returned with food. One approached the bed to wake Pilea but froze.
"She's gone!"
The second maid ran over, confirming the empty bed. They rushed to find Androsen, who sat calmly on a couch, his gaze cold.
The brown-haired maid trembled. "Master… she's—"
Androsen's expression hardened. "What happened?"
The dark-haired maid spoke up. "I think she ran away."
He stood and walked out of the room without another word, completely composed.
Meanwhile, Pilea kept running. Though no one chased her, she felt something—or someone—watching. The forest surrounded her on all sides.
Strange noises echoed around her, and an eerie fog rolled in. She turned and saw a massive raven with glowing red eyes.
Suddenly, her legs stopped responding. It felt like the bird was pulling her closer. She struggled, but her body refused to obey. Her breathing grew shallow.
Then she snapped out of it and bolted—right toward a cliff.
"No! What have I done to deserve this?" she thought as she fell, shutting her eyes tightly.
But she never hit the ground.
Opening her eyes, she saw Androsen holding her. His face—handsome and emotionless—looked down at her.
"Androsen..." she whispered, tears forming.
Then she noticed blood on her hand. And something hard under her. She was on the ground. On top of him.
Shocked, she stood up and saw that the blood was his. The fall had injured him.
"Vampires can bleed?" she mumbled.
He chuckled darkly. Then his eyes turned crimson.
"Move back. Fast. Run to the other side," he ordered. His fangs sharpened, face paling.
She tried stepping closer. "Are you okay?"
"Run!" he shouted.
But even in his terrifying state, she saw pain in his eyes. She walked closer.
"So this is your true vampire form," she said quietly.
His voice cracked. "If you come closer, I could kill you."
"You need blood, don't you?" she asked calmly.
She knelt and tilted her head, exposing her neck. "Come and suck out my blood."
He stared at her, breathing heavily. His expression slowly softened, eyes fading back to normal.
Pilea sighed in relief.
"Why didn't you run?" Androsen asked, stunned.
"I didn't feel like it."
"Are you not afraid to die?"
"I'm not."
He studied her, clearly at a loss. She wasn't afraid of him—not even now.
"Weren't you scared of me?" he asked.
"No."
He let out a cold chuckle. "Lets Go home."
"Home?" she repeated.
She noticed that the blood on his back had vanished—like it had never been there.
She turned to run again, but he caught her hand.
He pulled her beside him and began walking.
After a while, she asked, "Aren't you going to punish me for running away?"
He gave a cold smile, flawless as ever. "We'll talk about that once your strength is back. Now keep quiet. We're almost home."
"This isn't my home—it's yours," she muttered. "Why did you save me from dying?"
He didn't even glance at her. "I thought I asked you to keep quiet."
Pilea frowned but stayed silent, following him.