Chapter 180: Sofia's Devotion
Late at night, at the Red Light District hideout, William still stood by the office window, watching the storm rage outside.
Rain poured down in sheets.
But it didn't hinder Sofia in the slightest.
A flash of lightning split the sky.
In that instant—
Sofia appeared before him.
William wasn't surprised.
He had already sensed her approach long before she arrived.
To ordinary people, it would've seemed like she appeared out of nowhere—but to him, it was anything but sudden.
"My Lord…"
Sofia's breathing was uneven, almost out of control.
William frowned slightly.
"Come inside first."
One look at her, and he understood—
her bloodlust had been triggered.
"Did you see blood when you carried out the task?"
---
Even though there was no trace of blood on her body now, the heavy rain had already washed everything clean.
Sofia nodded.
Her body trembled faintly, as if she were struggling to suppress an overwhelming urge.
To solve this, William could simply remove the vampire bloodline he had given her.
But that would only treat the symptoms, not the cause.
The next time she carried out a mission—
the same thing would happen again.
That wasn't acceptable.
It could even compromise the mission itself.
So tonight—
he decided to deal with it properly.
Sofia knelt on the ground, head lowered.
She didn't even dare to look up at him.
At this moment, William wasn't using any undead traits.
To Sofia—
the blood flowing beneath the skin of his neck was an irresistible temptation.
Her hands trembled.
After a brief pause, William asked quietly,
"Do you desire me?"
---
The question made Sofia's body shudder.
She nearly lost control.
"I mean… my blood."
As he spoke, William took out a small blade and lightly cut his palm.
Blood welled up.
Within seconds, the wound healed completely.
But the blood that had flowed out—
was like a fatal lure.
Sofia could no longer hold back.
She slowly raised her head, her gaze locked onto his palm.
"Come," William said softly. "There's no need to restrain yourself."
His voice was like a whisper from the abyss—
pulling her toward surrender.
And in the next moment—
Sofia gave in.
She moved forward on her knees until she reached him.
Taking his hand gently, she lowered her head—
and carefully licked the blood from his palm.
William said nothing.
Perhaps out of reverence, she didn't dare bite.
She only continued to lick, again and again—
as if determined to savor every last trace.
"My Lord… I… I need more."
Her voice trembled as she looked up at him, filled with longing.
William lifted her chin with the same hand she had just touched.
"Stand up, Sofia."
She obeyed immediately.
Standing before him, her eyes drifted instinctively to his neck as she swallowed.
Seeing her like this, William tilted his head slightly.
"Go on."
For a moment, Sofia froze in disbelief.
Then—
an overwhelming sense of gratitude surged through her.
In that instant, she felt as though she wanted to offer everything she was—
body, mind, and soul—
to him.
How merciful.
How absolute.
To her, he was no longer just a master—
but something far greater.
Tears welled up in her eyes—
silent, reverent, and filled with devotion.
Sofia didn't say another word.
She felt that language itself was too weak to express what she felt for him.
In the next instant, she lunged forward and wrapped her arms tightly around William.
Her lips parted—
revealing sharp fangs.
They pierced the skin at his neck.
Blood flowed.
Sofia drank deeply, almost frantically, a wave of overwhelming satisfaction flooding her.
For vampires, feeding itself brought an intense, almost intoxicating sensation—
and now, that pleasure surged through every nerve in her body.
---
Combined with her devotion—
her faith—
what began as simple feeding slowly blurred into something far more intimate.
William, meanwhile, remained expressionless, letting her drink as she pleased.
Though inwardly, he couldn't help but note—
her figure really was exceptional.
Graceful curves, a slender waist without the slightest excess.
Almost absentmindedly, he rested a hand on her waist, giving it a light squeeze.
After a while, Sofia finally released him.
A trace of blood still lingered at the corner of her lips as she looked up at him silently.
Outside, the storm had stopped.
Moonlight poured in through the window, illuminating William's face—
sharp and still, like a sculpted statue.
For a moment, Sofia was lost in it.
To her, this scene felt almost divine.
As if everything—
this moment, this light, this man—
were a blessing.
And that "god"—
stood right before her.
The one who had pulled her out of darkness.
"I love you."
The words slipped out softly.
Then, instead of drinking again, she leaned in—
and kissed him.
The faint metallic taste of blood lingered between them—
something entirely unfamiliar.
Something he had never experienced before.
---
Fiona, Karen, Amanda—
they had all been bold in their own ways.
But none of them were like Sofia.
There was a kind of complete surrender in her—
as if she wanted to give him everything she was.
To dissolve into him entirely.
It was intense.
Almost unsettling.
But William was no stranger to such moments.
After the initial surprise, he responded without hesitation.
Even with her vampire-enhanced physique—
in the end, she still couldn't match his overwhelming strength.
When it was over, William traced a hand along her skin—
cool now, carrying the chill of her altered nature.
A faint thought crossed his mind.
Perhaps he should have dealt with Alexander Corvinus earlier.
At the very least, it would've allowed him to create daylight-walking vampires in batches.
As things stood now—
it was inconvenient.
Sofia couldn't function in daylight.
She would either have to hide indoors—
or lose this power altogether.
With a quiet sigh, William shook his head.
There wasn't really a choice.
He lifted Sofia into his arms—
like a princess.
Scattered clothes lay across the floor, but he paid them no mind.
Above the second floor, no one else would come here anyway.
Carrying her, he walked into the bedroom that had been prepared for him.
Gently, he laid her down on the bed.
As he stroked her hair, he began to withdraw the vampire bloodline from her body—
drawing it back into his Disease Space.