Lilith's POV
I feel… Sick.
I left the Master's room, the door closing behind me with a soft click. Every night after this, after being with him, my body felt the same. It always felt heavy, tainted, and disgusting.
I covered my mouth as I gagged, my shoulders pressing against the cold stone wall while I struggled to steady my breathing, the air felt thick in my lungs.
I let my head fall back against the wall, closing my eyes. Even as my body grew accustomed to this constant routine, my mind felt as though it was slowly giving up, piece by piece. Enduring was one thing, but surviving like this was another.
After a moment, I pushed myself upright and began walking toward my room, each step heavy, deliberate. I focused on my breathing, slow and controlled, as if that alone might keep me from falling apart in the middle of the hall.
The moment I reached my bed, my strength gave out. My body collapsed onto the mattress, the sheets cool beneath my skin. I grabbed my pillow and pulled it tightly against my stomach, curling inward, needing this comfort…
"Lucien…" My voice cracked. "I miss you…"
The words slipped out before I could stop them. I squeezed my eyes shut as tears welled, blurring my vision. The ache in my chest felt unbearable, it felt sharp and suffocating, like a wound that refused to heal.
Then-
A whisper brushed against my ear.
"Lilith…"
My eyes widened, my body stiffened.
The voice was low, familiar, far too close. My breath hitched as every muscle locked in place, my heart pounding violently against my ribs. I was ready to turn my head when I stopped myself. He would only flee anyway. I knew that much by now. He never showed himself.
So I didn't move and just laid there… Is he still here? The thought echoed in my mind.
I swallowed the lump forming in my throat, gathering the courage to speak, even though I was certain there would be no answer. He must have already left. He always did. Hiding away from me was what he loved doing most.
"Who are you?" I asked quietly, my voice low and steady despite the tension tightening my chest.
No answer.
A sigh slipped past my lips out of frustration. Despite everything I told myself, despite my certainty that he was gone, a small, foolish part of me had hoped that this time would be different. That maybe, just once, he would stay.
"You know who I am…"
The words sent a chill through me.
My body froze completely. I had already prepared myself for silence, yet he answered. He stayed. I remained perfectly still, afraid that even the smallest movement would make him disappear, just like before.
"If I-" I hesitated, my heartbeat quickening. Nervousness twisted in my chest as the reality of this moment sank in. Fear and anger tangled together inside me because I knew what he was and knew what he could do to me.
My mind swirled with questions, who he truly was, why he had been watching me, why he had chosen now to speak instead of vanishing into the shadows like he always did.
I took in one final breath before finishing my thought.
"If I do know you," I said slowly, "then I wouldn't be so cautious of you now, would I?"
Then, I felt it before I heard it.
The mattress suddenly sank behind me, I increased my guard up, thinking that he might do something. Then a low chuckle followed, his voice close, far too close, brushing against my ear.
"You know me," he murmured softly, almost amused. "Because you have met me before. You just don't know who I am… not yet."
My brow furrowed deeply.
I had seen vampires before, yes, but I had never truly interacted with them. I wasn't familiar with their kind beyond the Master. His words left me confused, unsettled. We have met before, what did that even mean? I couldn't recall any moment, any face, any encounter that matched what he was implying.
How did I even end up in this situation? A vampire, one I'm not familiar with but claims that we have met, suddenly attached to me, watching me, following me in silence.
I clenched my fingers into the sheets and forced myself to speak, my voice steady despite the unease twisting in my chest.
"Then tell me," I said quietly, "Why won't you ever face me? Why do you keep hiding, stalking me from the shadows? What's stopping you from talking to me properly, face to face?" I paused, then added, sharper now, "And why do you keep doing this?"
For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of my own breathing.
Then he answered, his tone calm, almost casual.
"I don't have any complicated reasons," he said. "It's simply because I don't want you to see me." His voice softened slightly. "All I want is to visit you… And admire how lovely you are."
I frowned.
His answers felt incomplete, unclear, too carefully chosen. My eyes shifted toward the headboard, searching for any hint of movement, any shadow cast against it.
There was nothing.
So he truly was a vampire.
A scoff escaped my lips before I could stop it. "What?" I said flatly. "Are you in love with me or something?" I slight smirk forming on my lips, even as irritation creept in. "And what do you mean you don't want me to see you? Are you ugly, or what?"
The sarcasm was deliberate. If he refused to be honest, then I would push him until he slipped. My smirk faded.
I waited, tense and alert, hoping… No, demanding, that this time, he would give me a real answer.
"I deeply do…" He said softly. "I love you. I have, for a long time now…" His voice lowered, thick with something strained. "Having you beside me like this feels unbearable. All I can think about is holding you in my arms once more…"
I felt his hand reach out, fingers carefully threading through my hair, slow and deliberate, as if savoring the sensation. I didn't move.
"What's stopping me," he continued quietly, "Isn't my appearance, my dear Lilith. It simply isn't the right time yet." His touch lingered. "If you are to see me after all this time, I want it to be… Special."
"So you do love me?" I asked.
I tried to sound unaffected, casual even, but the truth was far messier. Confusion churned in my chest. The way he spoke was so familiar, so certain, it was as if we truly had known each other long ago. His words flowed too smoothly, and with every tick of the clock, my impatience grew. I wanted answers. I wanted to know who he really was.
"And when exactly is the right time?" I pressed, my tone sharper than I intended.
I could hear his breathing now. He was close. Too close.
"The right time," he murmured. "Is when the moon is full and the sky is dark. When nothing but the stars can see us." His voice softened further. "So that when I kiss you beneath the sky, the moon and stars would watch in envy… Knowing you are mine."
My heart skipped.
For a brief moment, I hated that it did.
I hugged my pillow tighter, my fingers curling into the fabric. His words affected me in a way I didn't like. They sounded sincere, so genuine. Almost enough to make me believe that everything he had done, all this watching, all this waiting, was born from real affection.
My brow furrowed as I forced myself to think. I had to stay calm. Rational. He was still a vampire.
And I knew better than anyone how easily words could become a mask. How emotions could be shaped and used to hide what lay beneath. I felt it because I was the same way. I had worn masks long enough to recognize one.
I wasn't about to be fooled.
No matter how sweet his voice sounded, no matter how carefully he chose his words, I refused to let my guard down.
Not yet.
"How charming," I said coolly. "But you sound quite confident, speaking as if I'd even allow you to kiss me the moment I see you."
This time, I felt his hand brush through my hair again, gentle and careful.
"Hm. I may not be able to," he admitted softly, "but I'll still do it, no matter what it takes." His touch slowed. "It doesn't have to be when we meet again. I'll wait. Patiently. Until I receive your consent."
I fell silent.
Everything was becoming complicated, too complicated. I didn't understand how or why he had fallen for me, why his feelings sounded so deep, so certain. It was unsettling, the way he spoke as though his love had already been decided long ago.
"I don't understand," I said quietly. "I don't understand the depth of why you're doing all of this."
"Maybe you will," he replied, "once you find out who I truly am." His voice softened. "Then you'll understand why I've done everything I've done until now."
His hand stilled, no longer brushing my hair.
"Lilith…" he said after a pause. "May I ask you something this time?"
There was hesitation in his voice. Nervousness.
"Lilith… Do you love someone?"
I frowned, letting out a small scoff.
"Love?" I muttered. "That's not something I would ever tell you." I clicked my tongue, irritation seeping in. "You've been testing my patience this entire time. You keep avoiding my questions, and all you've done is frustrate me further." My voice sharpened. "When all I wanted was a straightforward answer, what makes you think I'll answer yours?"
His breathing stopped for a while.
"W-Well…" He began, then stopped. "Please forgive me for my selfishness, Lilith…" His voice dropped, vulnerable enough that he even stuttered. "I truly want our meeting to be special. Only then will I tell you everything you want to know, I promise."
There was a brief pause before he continued, quieter now.
"I know I'm being selfish again, but…" He hesitated. "When that time comes… Will you promise to tell me too?" His voice softened further. "About the one you love?"
I froze, trying to process his question.
I took a slow, steady breath, forcing myself to calm down. "If I ever accept and promise to do so…" I began quietly, choosing my words with care. "Right now, I don't trust you." I frowned. "How can I know you won't hurt me?" My voice lowered. "Or worse… kill me?"
I felt the cold tips of his fingers brush against my neck as he gently moved my hair aside, exposing my nape. My body stiffened, every sense on edge thinking he might do something....
"Lilith," he murmured softly, "how could I ever harm a woman I love so deeply…?"
Then I felt it.
His lips pressed against my nape.
A sharp shiver ran down my spine, my breath hitching before I could stop it. The kiss lingered longer than I expected, too long. When he finally pulled away, he didn't speak right away. The silence that followed felt heavier than his touch.
Then, suddenly-
"I-In four… No, five days…" His voice shuttered, uneven. "There's a p-party held by the Kingdom's Empress…" He hesitated, as if gathering courage. "It's for v-vampires to interact…" He swallowed. "Please… come. I promise… I'll reveal myself."
The way he spoke now was different. Nervous. Almost shaken. As if the kiss had affected him just as much.
"I'll… see you soon, Lilith…"
A light breeze brushed against my back.
I turned my head quickly, but he was gone.
In his place, resting quietly beside me, was another bouquet of lilies.
I slowly sat up, the pain in my waist suddenly coming back. I got distracted when I was talking with him that I forgot about the pain I felt, even my neck ached after lying on my side for so long. I rubbed it absentmindedly, my thoughts still scattered. How long had we been talking…? Time felt distorted.
My gaze drifted back to the flowers. I reached out, my fingers gently brushing against the soft petals.
Only then did a thought strike me.
…I forgot to ask how he knew my favorite flower.