Elizabeth looked at Vanitas, trying to process whether what he had just said really meant what she thought it did.
— My… blood? — Elizabeth asked, her voice filled with disbelief.
— My Flaw forces me to drink blood at regular intervals — Vanitas explained, a slight tremor running through him as he remembered the taste of that horrible stuff he had been consuming over the past few days. — And honestly, Nightmare Creature blood is one of the most disgusting things I've ever drunk.
Elizabeth studied his face.
Pale.
Cold sweat.
Clearly on the verge of collapse.
— Haaah…
Elizabeth let out a small sigh.
— It won't be free — she commented, her lavender eyes shining with quick calculation.
Although she wasn't greedy, she wasn't about to miss the opportunity to extort a clearly wealthy Legacy.
— Of course. — Vanitas nodded immediately, relieved. — I'll pay you when we get back.
— And how do you drink someone's blood? — Elizabeth asked, tapping her arm with her fingers.
— Do I cut myself and let it drip into some little container? If it's like those so-called vampires, forget it.
She had recently discovered the concept of vampires through the internet. They were archetypes that appeared in many fantasy books, and since her newfound love of literature had blossomed after watching Samael completely absorbed in his readings, she had encountered the nocturnal creatures more than once.
— Vampires? — Vanitas frowned. — What's that?
— Blood rodents — Elizabeth explained without the slightest patience or desire to elaborate.
Vanitas grimaced.
— I don't think comparing someone to a rodent is very polite — he complained, looking wounded despite his handsome face.
Years of impeccable Legacy upbringing hurt when confronted with such rudeness.
— Who cares about manners in a place like this?
Elizabeth shot a glance outside the cave, where the tropical forest pulsed with the sounds of unseen creatures.
— So? How is this going to work?
— I'll bite your arm and drink the blood from there — Vanitas explained calmly. — There are plenty of veins in the arm.
"He really feeds like a vampire…"
Elizabeth thought in astonishment.
She had never imagined that her unfortunate joke would become reality in such a literal way.
— Could you feed from a human neck? — Elizabeth asked, curiosity overcoming her embarrassment.
— Yes — Vanitas replied. — It would actually be more efficient. Would you prefer it that way?
— No — Elizabeth answered the very instant the question ended.
Vanitas nodded, indicating that he understood, and extended his hand.
Elizabeth immediately realized what he wanted and offered her arm.
Elizabeth's arm was pure white and soft, without a single mark. Its smooth skin contrasted with the dirt and dried blood covering the rest of her body—
a small stain of untouched humanity amid the chaos.
Vanitas slowly lowered his head.
He opened his mouth.
His blue eyes fixed on that pale arm.
Then he closed his mouth.
His teeth pierced Elizabeth's skin.
She watched him bite her arm with a cold expression.
Her lavender eyes remained fixed on Vanitas, who was too focused on his meal to notice her gaze.
Elizabeth felt her body growing weaker.
"Blood loss…"
Elizabeth thought, immediately recognizing the source of her dizziness.
A light haze began to cloud her peripheral vision.
Vanitas was immersed in the taste.
Elizabeth's blood was truly delicious—
it was the first time he had tasted another Awakened's blood.
The flavor was truly out of this world.
Unlike the metallic and bitter taste of Nightmare Creature blood, Elizabeth's blood flowed like red wine.
Smooth.
Warm.
Alive.
He could become addicted to that taste.
Vanitas felt strength returning to his body.
His wounds began regenerating faster—
the shallower cuts had already closed, and the deeper ones visibly shrank with each passing second.
Elizabeth's blood reminded him of grapes.
Although Vanitas had never eaten grapes and had only heard about them, he was certain that their taste had to resemble what he was experiencing now.
Sweet.
Fruity.
Moist.
Elizabeth's dizziness increased.
— That's enough — Elizabeth ordered, believing he was taking too much of her blood.
After saying that, she forcefully pulled her arm away.
Seeing his meal move away, Vanitas made a face that clearly showed his dissatisfaction.
His blue eyes followed the retreating arm with a lingering, almost animalistic desire.
Elizabeth simply ignored him.
After all, she didn't care whether he was satisfied or not.
Vanitas wiped the remaining blood from the corner of his mouth.
The back of his hand became stained red.
After waiting for his wounds to heal, Vanitas finally got dressed.
All cuts and bruises had disappeared.
His skin was flawless again, as though it had never been touched.
— Thank you — he said, his voice carrying an almost embarrassing sincerity.
— Your blood is truly delicious.
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.
Her expression remained impassive, but inwardly she had already stored that sentence for future use—
whether as blackmail material or simply ammunition for teasing.
— If you say something like that in public, people might mistake you for a pervert — she commented, her tone as dry as ever.
Vanitas grimaced.
— You're heartless.
— I've heard that many times before — Elizabeth replied.
A small smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.
It wasn't wide.
It wasn't warm.
Just a slight curl of her lips—
almost imperceptible.
But it was there.
Vanitas noticed.
And, for some reason, that made him look away.