CH 9

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This feeling of being watched…

The man’s sleep was being disturbed by that intense stare.

He opened his eyes.

And looked into the expressionless face of a young girl who was watching him, black hair covering one of their eyes.

It’s his familiar.

Their face was so close that they could feel each other’s breathing.

He can’t get up.

The man couldn’t help but smile as he lay down.

“Is something wrong?”

“…”

The familiar remained silent.

But, she seemed to be appealing to him with their eyes.

The relationship between these two goes quite far back.

Perhaps as long as 500 years.

The vampire, and his familiar.

“Vampires? Ah, like in the fairy tales?” seems to be how most people view them nowadays, and it seems like the real vampires and familiars have become extinct.

The man who dwells in this castle is definitely a vampire.

Moreover, he is an incredibly high ranking vampire. Known as “The Ancestral White King” in the days of yore, he is a vampire who sat astride the world.

So obviously, any animal that vampire gave his blood too would be a similarly superb thrall.

Loyal and able.

A relationship that would share both life and death.

But… He doesn’t understand what they’re thinking.

For 500 years he had simply commanded his familiar, and most of that time was spent taking care of things whilst he locked himself away. There was never any need to communicate.

Therefore, if his familiar just stares at him intently like this, he doesn’t really know what to say.

The familiar also doesn’t speak.

Why is that…

“…Is it too much of a bother for you to speak?”

“…”

The familiar nodded.

As he learned recently, his familiar doesn’t seem to like talking.

“But I don’t understand what you want if you just stare at me…”

“…”

“That face, is it saying ‘You should be able to guess’?”

“…”

The familiar shook its head.

Maybe he imagined it… No, for a moment there, that familiar definitely had an annoyed look on their face.

The familiar shrugged.

Then, extended their hand.

The man looked at the extended hand without knowing what it meant.

Then he saw it. There, worn on the middle finger, was the pink fashion ring with cheap glossy beads stuck onto it.

The man made it at home yesterday as part of his… ‘homework’.

He only made one of the rings, and he didn’t have a mind to continue doing it, but…

“…That ring, what about it?”

“…”

“Ah, you don’t have to force yourself to wear it you know? I only gave it to you since I got caught up in the Saint’s flow…”

The familiar shook their head again.

At any rate, it doesn’t seem like they hate wearing it.

“…”

The familiar points to the ring with their left hand.

Then, pointed at the man and back at themselves.

Then once more, pointed at themselves and pointed back at the man.

“I don’t understand.”

“…Annoying.”

“But, I think the situation is becoming more complicated than it has to be because you aren’t saying anything…”

“Ring, got. Want, return, favour.”

Even if they only used small words, that was the most they had ever said.

It was a grand speech.

“…Well, I didn’t particularly want anything in return. It wasn’t a particularly hard thing to make either. Rather, I’m actually quite excited that you’re expressing gratitude at all.”

“…Familiar….Given….Master…Rule…”

The familiar was about to say something else.

But, apparently finding it all too bothersome, they stopped and sighed.

“Silence, something, take.”

“…Well, if you say so, I’ll accept.”

“…Fu.”

It seemed to be a sigh of exhaustion this time.

Apparently, this act of ‘talking’ was even more troublesome than they realized.

“That being said, even if you tell me to ask for something, there’s not really anything I desire.”

“…”

“Don’t narrow your eyes at me like that … In the first place, if I was as avaricious as the other vampires, I would have ended up just like them. It must have been their greed that drove them to extinction.”

“…”

“That face, is it saying ‘I don’t care about a trifling story like that’?”

“…”

The familiar nodded.

It used to be such an obedient child – He didn’t remember raising such a blunt familiar.

The man thinks a little bit about what he wants. Is there truly something?

That’s it.

“Recently, I’ve given up drinking and smoking, so my mouth feels empty. I’d like something that I can chew in front of the Saint without getting on her nerves.”

“…”

The familiar offered him a hand.

The man smiled.

“…No, I think if I bit you in front of the Saint, she’d get even angrier.”

“…”

“You… That face, is it saying ‘Since when did you care about what other people think’?”

“…”

The familiar nodded.

Because they are usually so expressionless, seeing them with an expression is oddly charming.

“Well, anyways, please prepare something for when the Saint next arrives.”

“…”

The familiar nodded.

That day, the Saint came by as usual.

Tea and rock hard scones were served.

The Vampire’s jaw got tired from all the chewing he had to do.