Two Weeks Later…
Alina couldn't believe she had already spent two weeks in the devil's house. Every day felt the same: either sleeping, wandering around the house, or drowning in boredom.
She hardly saw Liam. Each morning, he came downstairs briefly, drinking his coffee while reading the newspaper. By the time she finished her breakfast, he was already gone, and she wouldn't see him again until the next day.
She missed her parents and her grandmother deeply, though they called every day to check on her. At least they were doing well. Her father had even been able to pay back the bank loan, all thanks to Liam.
One afternoon, lying restlessly on her bed, Alina finally stood up. She needed to find something to do.
As she walked downstairs, a sweet aroma drifted from the kitchen. Lunch was being prepared. She hesitated for a moment. Liam had told her never to step into his kitchen, but the boredom pressing on her was unbearable. It wouldn't hurt to help the maids a little, maybe even make some small talk.
When she pushed the door open, her mouth fell slightly agape. This was her first time inside the kitchen since she arrived, and the sight stunned her. The room was enormous, so spacious that at least seven people could work at the same time without bumping into each other. It felt less like a kitchen and more like a grand stage, where food was not just cooked but performed.
It screamed luxury.
"Good afternoon, Miss," one of the maids, an elderly woman, greeted warmly.
"Afternoon," Alina replied, snapping out of her thoughts.
"Do you need anything? Lunch will be ready soon."
"Nothing really. I just… want to help with lunch," Alina said, leaning against the counter with a bright smile.
The kitchen went quiet. Every maid lifted her head, staring at Alina with wide eyes, as though she had just delivered shocking news.
Alina blinked, confused. Why are they looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong?
"Miss, you don't have to," the elderly woman finally said softly. "Please, just relax."
Alina pouted, her voice almost pleading. "Please? I'm so bored. I just want to do something."
The elderly maid glanced around at the others, as if silently asking for their opinion. But they looked just as confused. Finally, she turned back to Alina, who was giving her the saddest expression. With a resigned sigh, she nodded.
"Alright. Just cut these, please." She pointed at a pile of carrots and onions with some leafy vegetables. The maid who had been slicing them stepped aside reluctantly.
"Thanks!" Alina said happily. She picked up the knife and began cutting.
"I really love your meals, they're always delicious," Alina said cheerfully.
The elderly maid gave a small smile. "Thank you, Miss. I'm glad you enjoy them."
For a while, the kitchen was filled only with the sound of chopping and the bubbling of soup. Then Alina broke the silence.
"So, tell me… has Liam always been this serious?"
The maid gave no reply. She kept stirring the soup, her movements suddenly stiff.
Thinking she hadn't heard, Alina repeated, more clearly, "I said has Liam always been this serious? I mean… do people call him the Devil because he's mean?"
The maid swallowed hard, her throat dry. None of them had ever dared gossip about their master. Why would they? Fear bound their tongues. Even though every one of them possessed power, Liam's strength was something else entirely. With just a snap of his fingers, he could end them all.
"Did you hear me?" Alina pressed.
"O-oh… yes," the maid stammered. She hesitated, carefully choosing her words. "Master is… a good man. He only acts distant to avoid being disrespected. You know… people take advantage of kindness."
"Hmm. Interesting…" Alina murmured, unconvinced. "But then why the name Devil? Why do they call him that?"
The maid's palms grew damp. Despite the air-conditioning, beads of sweat slid down her temples. She cursed herself for letting Alina stay in the kitchen. If this girl kept asking questions, she might end up into trouble.
How could she possibly explain that Liam was no ordinary man, more dangerous than the devil himself? What would this fragile human girl do with such knowledge? Probably faint.
Just as the maid opened her mouth to answer, a sharp scream echoed through the kitchen.
The knife slipped from Alina's hand, clattering to the floor.
The elderly maid rushed to her, followed quickly by the others, only to stop dead in their tracks when they saw blood pouring from Alina's palm. She had cut herself deeply.
"Oh no!" the woman gasped, her body trembling. At the sight of Alina's blood, her control slipped. Hunger surged inside her, fierce and overwhelming, as if every part of her wanted to devour the girl.
And it wasn't only her.
The other maids felt it too.
Because they were not ordinary women.
They were Veylra, witches cursed with a hunger for blood. Not like vampires who hunted endlessly in the shadows. No. The Veylra only drank when it gave them strength, or when they encountered blood too rare, too powerful to ignore.
And Alina's blood was that kind.
Its scent was thick in the air, wrapping around them, driving them close.
They staggered back, forcing themselves to put distance between her and their hunger. Nails dug into their own arms, jaws clenched so tight it hurt.
They had to fight it. They must fight it.
Because Alina was not just any human girl.
She was their master's property.
And though the craving burned inside them like fire, they knew the truth: if they harmed her, Liam would destroy them all.
Just then, the kitchen door burst open, and Liam stepped inside. He had heard Alina's scream.
His eyes swept over the room like a storm. The maids were trembling, their bodies stiff as they clawed at their own control. The scent of blood was heavy in the air. Then he saw her, Alina, clutching her wounded hand, blood dripping between her fingers.
His jaw tightened.
Without a single word, he walked towards her, his hand gripped her arm firmly, pulling her to him. With a cold, unreadable expression, he dragged her out of the kitchen.
The door slammed shut behind them.
The instant it did, the maids collapsed to the ground as if released from invisible chains. Their eyes flared, glowing in unnatural colors, and low, guttural sounds rattled from their throats.
Liam dragged Alina roughly toward her room. She stumbled on the stairs, nearly falling, but his grip only tightened.
The moment they entered, he shoved her onto the couch, not caring that she was already injured.
"L-Liam…" Alina whispered, fear trembling in her voice.
"Don't you dare say a word," he snapped, his voice sharp as a blade. His fury boiled, how dare she disobey him by going to the kitchen? If he hadn't arrived in time, the maids might have lost control right in front of her.
"Didn't I warn you not to go to the kitchen?" Liam roared, stepping closer, his eyes blazing with anger.
Alina shivered, pressing herself into the couch cushions as though seeking protection from the furniture itself. She hadn't meant to disobey him. She had only been bored, only wanted to do something, anything. She didn't even understand how the knife had slipped, how she had cut herself when she thought she was being careful.
"You can't even answer? Or do you want, " His words cut off suddenly when his gaze dropped to her hand.
The blood.
It called to him.
For a long moment, he just stared, his thoughts dark. Part of him whispered to sink his teeth into her flesh, to drink until her stubbornness no longer existed, until she was nothing but silence.
But another part, something deep, something buried, screamed No.
His jaw clenched. He tore his eyes away, forcing himself to turn. With a sharp shake of his head, he stormed out of the room.
Minutes later, he returned, a small first aid box in hand. He tossed it onto the table beside her.
"Treat yourself. And don't leave this room," Liam ordered coldly before walking out, slamming the door behind him.
Liam walked back into the kitchen, his face dark with anger. The room went silent the moment he entered. The maids stood stiff, their heads lowered, too afraid to look at him.
"Why did you let Alina into the kitchen?" Liam asked, his voice low but sharp.
No one answered. The silence filled the whole room.
Liam's eyes narrowed. Slowly, he lifted his hand, ready to strike. The air grew heavy, and fear spread quickly among the maids.
"You dare stay silent?" he shouted, his voice echoing through the kitchen.
At once, all the maids dropped to their knees. The sound of them kneeling hit the floor hard.
"Forgive us, Master!" they cried in shaky voices. "Please don't punish us! She came in on her own....we couldn't stop her! Have mercy!"
Their words overlapped as they begged, their voices trembling. Liam stood over them, his hand still raised, deciding if they deserved punishment or not.
His eyes swept over the maids as they trembled on their knees. His raised hand slowly lowered, though the anger in his face did not fade.
"Listen to me carefully," he said in a cold, steady tone. "Never...." his voice grew sharper, "never allow Alina into this kitchen again. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Master!" the maids answered quickly, their voices shaking.
"If it happens again…" he paused, his gaze hard as steel, "…you will not live to beg for mercy."
The maids bowed lower to the ground, their foreheads nearly touching the floor.
"Yes, Master! We understand!" they cried.
Liam gave them one last piercing look before turning around and leaving the kitchen.
___
At night, Alina sat on the bed like an obedient child. Fear gripped her as she wondered what kind of punishment Liam would give her for disobeying. Would he ask her to wash his car, even though she was injured? He couldn't be that heartless… right?
As if summoned by her thoughts, the door opened, and Liam walked in, carrying a tray of food. Without a word, he placed it on the bed before her and turned to leave.
"Liam," Alina called softly.
He stopped but didn't answer. Instead, he turned around and fixed her with a cold, piercing stare.
"I… I'm sorry," Alina whispered, keeping her eyes on the food. "I was only bored and needed to do something. I didn't mean to disobey. Please… don't punish me."
She waited, but he said nothing. Slowly, she raised her head and saw him still staring, one hand shoved into his pocket.
"Liam…" she called again, almost pleading.
For a moment, Liam said nothing. His mind drifted back to the afternoon's incident. He had realized then that Alina's blood wasn't ordinary, it was special. People like her had to be protected, because more Veylra discovered her, they might try to harm her. That was why Kian wanted her blood so badly, because there was something extraordinary about it. This little girl… she was far too amazing to be ordinary.
He remembered the very first day he met her, when he had bitten her lip and tasted her blood for the first time. Even then, he had known it wasn't normal. Its sweetness had confirmed it.
"Tomorrow, you'll be going back to your parents," Liam said suddenly.
Alina's eyes widened. Was he really sending her back? She had missed her parents so much, and the thought of seeing them again filled her with joy.
"You'll stay there until your wound heals," Liam continued, his lips curling into a cold smile. "When you return… you'll face your punishment."
He didn't wait for her response. Without another word, he turned and walked out of the room.
Alina clenched her fists, biting back a scream. So he was only sending her home because of her wound, not out of kindness. And worse, he still planned to punish her once she returned. Wasn't that heartless?
Still… at least she would get to see her family again.
Her gaze fell to the food in front of her. With a tired sigh, she picked up the spoon and began sipping the warm chicken soup.