This is my first time creating a subordinate, and although I had never heard of the specific method before, as soon as I began to act, I instinctively understood how to do it.
Carefully overlapping my body over Plona, I took a sip of blood from her nape.
The blood in my mouth mixed with Plona’s. I pressed my lips tightly against her neck to prevent any spillage, pushing the blood I held in my mouth back into her through the holes my fangs had pierced.
Normally, there would be a pressure that prevents the blood from going back down my throat just because I pushed it in with my tongue. However, what actually happened was an escape from that general knowledge.
I could distinctly feel Plona’s blood remaining in my mouth while the blood that came from my tongue flowed back up into her throat like magic.
No, the expression “like magic” might not actually be wrong.
The blood moved in response to my will, and I could even perceive the True Blood inside Plona slowly rising up against the flow. This bizarre sensation was quite similar to how it felt when I used Blood Magic.
Could it be that both powers stem from the same True Blood’s ability?
In any case, it was a relief not to be floundering around, unsure of what to do. If I hesitated, Plona could be in danger.
But the real danger lay not in how to create a subordinate but somewhere else entirely, a realization that hit me fiercely at that moment.
“Mmm, hngh.”
Drawing out Plona’s blood and injecting my own.
It was just that, yet my head was spinning, and a sultry sound kept escaping from my vocal cords.
But it felt so good. It was delicious. I loved it to bits. It was the first time I had tasted something so delightful that I felt my mind slipping away, and everything in front of me was dazzling.
A flicker of rationality remained in my mind.
I had an inkling this might happen, and I had prepared myself for it in a way.
No matter how skilled Plona was at suppressing her presence, she couldn’t do anything about the blood that flowed out.
From the moment Plona got hurt, the delicious scent started to tickle my nose, and after the situation concluded, I had to struggle valiantly to keep myself from getting lost in that overwhelmingly intense aroma.
It was almost guaranteed that Plona’s blood would be more delicious than anyone else’s I had ever drunk. After all, none of those I had fed on were as strong as Plona.
Had I not realized the shocking truth that I felt no sorrow at the sight of Plona dying, I might have already lost my mind and sunk my fangs into her neck.
But that could not happen. I must save Plona.
My feelings had just momentarily short-circuited. Plona was certainly someone who had entered my domain.
I must not break my ironclad rule not to betray my own.
‘…Just a little bit more. Just a tiny bit more.’
Surely a few more sips would be acceptable, right?
If my understanding was correct, it seemed that not so much True Blood was needed to create a subordinate after all.
What mattered was the will of the one imparting their powers. Being someone with undiluted pure True Blood, I mused that perhaps just a few drops would suffice. I actually believed I had enough already.
But I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t pull away and wait; still clinging to Plona’s neck, I continued to inject my blood into her body while sucking up the blood that flowed out of her.
But it felt so blissful. I simply couldn’t resist.
An indescribably divine taste. As expected, Plona’s blood was definitely the best I had ever tasted.
The moment it touched my tongue, I felt like I could forgive everything in the world, and something exploded in my brain, causing my surroundings to sway and float in a fuzzy, ticklish daze.
Each time something popped in my mind, my whole body would heat up. My heart raced like crazy, and a warm, tingling sensation coursed up from my lower abdomen, brushing against my brain.
It was sublime. It would not be an exaggeration to say there had never been a moment so sweet throughout my life.
‘…If I just devour Plona like this…’
The moment that devilish impulse struck me, I felt my heart flutter.
Isn’t it necessary to be flexible sometimes? There are exceptions to everything in this world.
Of course, it’s a mixed blessing and a curse. But if I don’t save her, she’s as good as dead anyway, right?
If I drink all of Plona’s blood, the power I’ll gain would be tremendous, and I wouldn’t have to commit that cruel and dreadful act of stopping this happiness myself.
Yeah, Plona might even be grateful.
Right before closing her eyes, she certainly thought she would die.
If she gets eaten by me, and her blood flows through my body, wouldn’t she welcome that as we would be together forever?
Yes, there’s no doubt. If she wants it too, then it can’t be helped—
– It was painful, wasn’t it? I’m sorry.
– I’m sorry for leaving you alone when you were in pain. I’m sorry it took me this long to come.
– Lastly, can I please hug you?
…It can’t be helped, can it?
As the last words Plona had left echoed in my mind like a haunting whisper, the feverish desire for blood was briefly doused like cold water.
‘…What the hell.’
I quickly removed my mouth from Plona’s nape and stumbled to get off of her.
My whole body felt heavy, as if refusing to distance itself from Plona.
I could feel warm liquid trickling down my thighs. It was undeniable proof that I had indulged in the pleasure of sucking her life away, and with a devastated heart, I closed my eyes tight, holding my breath, and retreated.
‘That was close. That was close. That was close.’
I widened the distance as if escaping from Plona, but tripped and fell to the ground.
It was a ridiculous act I would never do under normal circumstances, but there was no time to think about that.
I sat down and banged my head against the floor repeatedly.
‘I’m crazy. I’m insane.’
If I had made just one miscalculation, just a tiny bit more of heat, I might have actually killed Plona with my own hands.
It felt awful. I wanted to throw up.
The more reason I regained, the more wretched the feelings that lingered in my mind.
If I were to justify it, I could say it was a thought created by my body, desperately seeking to replenish its life force after using its power to a perilous level, combined with the overwhelming flavor of Plona’s blood.
But regardless of the reason, the undeniable fact remained that I almost lost control to my bloodsucking impulses and was devoured by desire.
‘I can’t let this happen.’
I no longer deny the fact that I am a vampire.
I’m not human; I’m a vampire, and therefore I accept that I have a body that needs to consume blood, and I don’t intend to deny my instincts.
I admit it. Bloodsucking is enjoyable.
The pleasures that transcend a simple meal don’t disgust me. No, in all honesty, I actually enjoy it. It might be the only joy I have left, other than Eleonora.
However, there are times and places for everything. Even if I find pleasure in bloodsucking, it must remain within the realm of preference.
The urge to feed should never outstrip my moral judgments.
If I determined that Plona is my own, that standard must be absolute above all others.
If I can’t control my instincts with my will, I will become a real monster, not just metaphorically.
If that’s the case, does it mean I’m not a monster right now? If you ask me, while I wouldn’t defend myself as pure standing atop a mountain of corpses and rivers of blood, I wouldn’t condemn myself either.
But even so, whoever I kill or whatever I consume must be done purely by my own choice, and I alone must carry that burden.
If I were to dilute my sins with excuses like instinct or impulse, wouldn’t that be the same as betraying my own vow to do whatever it takes to survive?
Stiffened emotions.
At times, uncontrollable bloodsucking impulses.
My mind was completely scrambled.
Yet, through all the chaos, the most horrifying thing was the lingering feeling of that heavenly pleasure still warm in my veins.
‘Get a grip. Wake up.’
After repeatedly banging my head, the blood trickled down from my split scalp, running down my nose to my lips.
After a brief pause, the wound began to heal again, but the thudding pain and the taste of my blood redirected my maddened desire somewhere else—thankfully, I guess.
I averted my gaze from Plona. I could feel the True Blood slowly heading toward her heart, swimming against the flow, so there was no need to keep watching her.
Where I directed my gaze, Stella was standing.
Now that I think of it, she was there too.
I was grateful to her for helping me escape the church’s threat, but seeing the maid remain indifferent while I battled a horrifying impulse only angered me even more.
“…You didn’t try to stop me on purpose, did you?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I had no reason to stop you.”
Letting out a sigh, I asked calmly, knowing that getting angry at Stella was simply passing the blame. However, Stella was surprisingly composed.
If I were a duke and she did it on purpose… well, that’s probably not the case.
“Whether the Progenitor drinks blood or makes a subordinate, the power enhancement is the same. I have no reason to interfere with the choices of the Progenitor.”
“And?”
“That knight was one of the enemies that invaded your castle during the war. I have no reason to worry about her life or death. Everything is up to the Progenitor to decide.”
A sigh escaped me. It seemed like even now that the shocking revelation that the maid I thought was ordinary was actually a vampire had not changed her character.
But regardless, Stella’s words were correct. I hadn’t ordered Stella to save Plona at all, nor was I even sure if I had the right to.
So, who could I blame for almost losing control?
From now on, I had to hang on to my sanity as best as I could. It was a highly unstable resolution; I could rely on nothing else at this moment.
And just when I was hesitating to conclude this awkward situation…
“Ugh! Hngh!”
Suddenly, Plona, who had been lying there, let out a strange sound.
I hurriedly turned my head, wondering if she had regained consciousness, but she had not.
Plona’s eyes were rolled back, and she was convulsing. Her body twitched as if she had been struck by lightning, signaling that something was gravely wrong.
“Plona!!”
There was no longer time to scapegoat Stella. I quickly dashed back to Plona, determined to save her this time no matter what.
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