Chapter 34 - Her Brother

Valerie felt an uncomfortable pain in her back. She opened her eyes and realized that she was sleeping on a hard bed with an uneven surface. She winced as she tried to straighten her back. After a while she realized that her heavy armor had been removed. Leaving the loose cotton tunic that seemed recently worn clinging to her body.

The girl immediately panicked. Who changed her clothes? She looked over her head and around her. She was still in a tent built in the temporary camp of Florentia's troops. Her vampire body had healed her wounds. But she saw that there was herbal ointment applied to her scar.

Like a mixture of argan nut oil and rosehip. It seemed they were trying to prevent any scars on her body. However, the wound healed well and left no scars. She felt relieved but didn't immediately shake off her horror knowing someone had changed clothes and tended to her wound.

"Valor!" Kyle greeted happily as he peeked into the tent.

"Oh—I'm sorry," he quickly closed the blind again after realizing that Valerie was only wearing an oversized tunic that wasn't too long. He could see her bare feet and it felt disrespectful.

"Kyle, what happened to me?" Valerie asked. She also noticed that her fangs were starting to appear and was followed by an intense hunger.

"You've been asleep for almost five days, Raphael said you needed to eat so he told me to stay around your tent, and—"

"Five days??" Valerie looked taken aback.

"Yeah, you must have a lot of questions. So—" Kyle was still talking from outside the tent.

"Come in Kyle!"

When the archer peeked, Valerie was back on her bed and covered her legs with the blanket.

"I know you're very hungry, but remember I'm your friend.. do not Let yourself accidentally kill me," Kyle looked at her a little suspiciously.

"Oh come on Kyle! I'm not going to hurt you," Valerie was very hungry. She asked Kyle to come closer.

Kyle turned and took off his top. He showed off a bit of his masculine curves and his sturdy back.

"I'll start," Valerie opened her jaw and plunged her fangs softly into his back that was at shoulder level. She gripped Kyle's shoulder gently while drinking his blood.

Valerie had to remember to drink from a safe place. If she drank from the neck, she could turn Kyle into a Vampire. If she drank from his wrist, Kyle would become his slave. She didn't want that. The blood that was drunk from his back wasn't flowing too fast but she wasn't in a hurry so it wasn't a problem.

Kyle blushed, his breathing became a little heavier. His eyes half closed as if to react to the interaction. He felt comfort and ecstasy as his blood flowed out to be drunk by Valerie. It was a strange feeling that he had never experienced before.

"Err... Usually you scratch my skin and let my blood drip before drinking it. It's— a little weird," Kyle said in a slightly trembling voice.

"Oh? Sorry, Kyle. Because I can't keep hurting you like that. Your old wound the last time I ate hasn't fully healed..Don't worry, this way you won't be a vampire," said Valerie, as she stopped drinking in response.

"So, this is what it feels like to be devoured by a vampire? I guess the humans wouldn't mind like this..as long as you remember not to drink it until we die," Kyle commented. Valerie stopped drinking once again.

"No way, I'm familiar enough with you that I can do this. We know that you guys can't completely trust us..not all vampires also have good self-control. How to drink through a donor has been agreed between humans and Florentia. That's the safest way," Valerie explained.

After a few minutes of preying on Kyle, Valerie released Kyle before she was full. The young man looked weak, Valerie supported him and sat beside him. She let Kyle rest his head on her shoulder. Valerie ran a hand through his brown curls as if to show her gratitude.

"Good blood, Kyle,"

"Yeah, nice to help you," Kyle took a deep breath trying to get his sanity back. How do vampire bites feel so good? It was both exhilarating and satisfying. He could have died. If Valerie couldn't control herself and continued to eat him—he wouldn't be able to dodge it. Because he weakens when his blood decreases.

"So who's taking care of me? Of the knights of Florentia only you and Raphael know that I'm a woman," said Valerie.

"Yeah, I was surprised when Raphael said I had to be on standby to give you blood. When did he know you were a girl?"

"Not too long ago,"

"You also said that I was your donor?"

"Of course, so does anyone else know I'm a girl?"

"Or maybe you or Raphael changed my clothes?" Valerie turned wary. He found it very embarrassing.

"No! Sir Raphael immediately left as soon as he told General Maxwell about you. A human woman who takes care of you."

"So—Maxwell knows about my gender too," Valerie muttered with mixed feelings. On the one hand she still wanted to fight in the Florentia military as a man. But she also felt relieved that more and more people knew her secret.

"Where did Raphael go? What happened while I was sleeping?"

"Florentia won at Taverin—thanks to you too who killed General Gunther. Now the new Duke is a supporter of Florentia. The Dukes would gather to discuss the new rules for the state of Taverin in one month. Raphael brings his own troops on a secret mission that the Generals have agreed to. He's been gone for almost five days and we haven't received any news yet," Kyle explained.

Valerie believes that Raphael might carry out his plan in Ithadurna. He moved without involving Valerie. There was a bit of regret that Valerie didn't have time to tell Raphael much. She should have shared more information about her memories first.

"I think you should get out of the tent, everyone's worried about you,"

"Who?" Valerie never felt too familiar with the knights of Florentia. Later he became close to the members of squad number six aka the Jaguar team. But weren't they all accompanying their commander to Ithadurna?

Kyle got out of the tent first, giving Valerie some privacy to complete her disguise as Valor. When Valerie was ready. He opened the blinds of her tent and a blinding light greeted her eyes.

For vampires, sunlight that was too strong can be painful. But Valerie didn't feel that right now. There was no stinging sensation on her skin or shading eyes. Was it because she had Apollon who had the power of the sun that she had adapted?

She saw the vampires outside her tent. They all wore robes with hoods on their heads. That was to help them ward off the dangers of the sun.

"Good job Valor!"

"Valor you're great!"

Several vampires patted her on the shoulder, elbowed her intimately and cheered her on. Their faces were not very familiar. Valerie had probably only greeted them a few times. She felt excited and a little proud. There was a hint of guilt that her fight with General Gunther might not have been very fair. The general was injured. Even though he was still strong and almost killed her.

Valerie only hoped for Florentia's absolute victory and a slight promotion in her military career. She had not calculated that she would receive such an honor.

Several Generals she knew like Maxwell also nodded when they saw her. Valerie was happy. She did almost die but it was all worth it. She might be more comfortable with her current military career.

"Valerie!!" A hooded young man ran up to him. He wore a black hood and covered the exposed areas of his skin with cloth. He did not allow a single drop of sunlight to hit his body. But Valerie could see his familiar eyes and gestures.

"Jasper!" Valerie cried when she received her brother's hug.

"What are you doing here? It's daytime, you're also very far from the mansion..Jasper, you—" Valerie immediately pulled her brother''s hand into the shade. Even though his body was covered in such a way—Valerie could see that he was uncomfortable and a thin white smoke enveloped his body. Jasper was a weak vampire. He was never even seen far from his mansion. But he was now on a battlefield very far from the home that protected him.

"It's okay, we'll be home soon Valerie. Father sent me to take you home," Jasper smiled at his sister and touched her cheek.

"What?"

"Sir Jasper, you didn't tell me anything about this," General Maxwell interrupted.

"You've known for a long time the reason she's here, sir. Now our father has asked her to come home. We'll be leaving when night falls," Jasper responded in a formal tone.

"No, sir Jasper . . Lady Valerie is now one of Florentia's most valuable assets. I don't think you can just take her home," said General Maxwell with a smile.

"No, I'm here on behalf of Duke Arthur Dubois. Valerie is going home with me..from the start this was an agreement between our father and several generals for security reasons. Valerie never officially became a knight of Florentia. So she's not bound by military rule and you can't stop us from going.." Jasper insisted.