“Plona, I turned you into a vampire.”
As I confessed the truth, I steeled my heart.
Plona putting her life on the line to help me and accepting that she has transformed into a vampire are two entirely different matters.
I still remember how despairing I was when I first realized I was a vampire.
At least I was reborn; the difference between receiving a second coin in a life that had already ended and suddenly having my save data corrupted is night and day.
For Plona, it would be hard to accept that her body, which seemingly hasn’t changed at all, has fundamentally transformed from the flesh that was once human just moments ago.
Plona’s eyes trembled anxiously.
I watched as she silently raised her trembling hand and brought it to her mouth.
The razor-sharp fangs at the tips of Plona’s fingers touched her lips. A look of horror and despair quickly flitted across her face as she hesitated to touch her fangs, but soon, acceptance and resignation took hold.
“So, that’s why… I was able to survive.”
That wasn’t a question. It was merely an explanation that she told herself, having no other choice.
“Plona, I’m sorry.”
“It, it couldn’t be helped, right? It’s okay. I’m fine.”
A shadowy smile appeared on Plona’s face.
Although she was forcing herself to act okay, it was easy to see that her smile was distinctly different from the bright one she usually wore; this one felt more artificial.
I was grateful yet pained, and the discomfort made it hurt even more.
“I can’t go back to the Luminous Kingdom anyway. Rather—”
“I know it’s confusing. You don’t have to hold it in.”
Plona’s mouth, which had been chattering rapidly without taking a breath, suddenly stopped.
She seemed to want to deny my words, but despite opening her mouth a few times, no excuse came out.
Plona’s facial muscles stiffened and twitched awkwardly several times. Even trying to muster a forced smile, in the end, all that remained on her face was a cringe-worthy, near-tearful grin.
“I’m sorry, sister. It’s not that I hate being like you! It’s just so sudden…”
In this moment, she seemed worried about being hated by me and glanced at me cautiously.
Every little gesture like that pained my heart. The fact that Plona was excessively conscious of me was undoubtedly due to the distrustful rejection I had shown right after we reunited.
Perhaps it was because she had been raised as a knight since childhood, but Plona was gentle-hearted to the point of hesitating even to strike at humans who opposed her.
It must have taken tremendous resolve for her to turn her back on faith she had trusted her whole life. Now, in a situation where she was no longer even human, watching her tread carefully to avoid showing resentment made my heart ache.
“It’s natural to be flustered. I’m even more sorry that it has to be this way.”
“You’re not at fault! If you hadn’t done this… I know best that I wouldn’t have survived.”
I brushed back Plona’s hair that had fallen over her face.
Now it was my turn to give Plona the reassurance she needed, rather than worrying about her trying to earn my trust.
“Stella, Eleonora. Can you give me 30 minutes?”
“Yes, Master.”
“Well then, I’ll wait over there.”
Eleonora responded quickly and scurried off, and to my surprise, Stella didn’t fuss about time this time; she quietly gave us some space.
Technically, she didn’t really leave but just walked behind a tree far enough away so that we were no longer in each other’s line of sight. But isn’t the atmosphere what’s important here?
I knelt beside Plona, recalling memories from the orphanage, turning my upper body slightly and patting my thighs.
Plona glanced at me once more but then, as if pulled by an irresistible force, leaned against my thighs.
The warmth that traveled through her scalp was still comforting, and somehow, it smelled nostalgic.
Both Plona and I had changed too much to return to those days, but knowing some things hadn’t changed gave me a flicker of courage.
“Plona.”
“Yes? Yes, sister.”
As Plona reflexively tried to get up, I gently pressed down on her forehead with my palm.
“I can now trust you.”
“…Sister.”
“It’s shameless of me to say this after hurting you so much, but will you forgive me?”
If I knew it was shameless, I should’ve kept my mouth shut. Who am I to ask for forgiveness?
After all, the weight of the debt is on my shoulders.
But this is a sort of show.
It doesn’t matter at this moment whether I relieve my conscience or convey my heartfelt sincerity to Plona.
I must bind her so that she won’t succumb to the shock of becoming a vampire and do something drastic. If that’s the case, then I can muster the nerve to puff out my chest and say the embarrassing words as many times as it takes.
Fortunately, it seemed to have some effect as Plona nodded dazedly.
In that desperate motion, it was as if someone struggling in water blindly grabbed at something thrown at them.
Yeah, if that helps ease your anxiety, then I can bear it.
If what my conscience offers is the price to pay, it’s a small sacrifice.
“Plona, my beloved sister.”
“…Yes, sister.”
“Now that we share blood, there’s no need to hide anything from me, even if things get tough.”
Even if it’s mixed with artifice, it’s not a lie.
Plona’s anxiously trembling pupils froze.
Her scarlet eyes met mine. As if searching for a definite sign, Plona observed my expression closely and seemed to realize that there was no falsehood in my words, widening her eyes.
“We share blood, family… I see. Now, my body really does have your blood flowing through it.”
Family. Plona had always longed for blood ties.
Since our days in the orphanage, Plona had treated me like her real sister, and I had found her endearingly like a younger sister.
Now that relationship had transformed from a metaphor into a true bond of blood.
It’s quite an amusing story that we became this way only after giving up being human.
Certainly different from the blood ties that humans typically speak of. But I can assure you this: the affection I feel for Plona now is no less than that.
“Can I really become your true family?”
“You already are. You’re my first confidant, and your blood flows with mine.”
As Plona rolled the words “family” and “real family” around in her mouth, she awkwardly chuckled. Despite still showing signs of being reserved, she was better than before.
A flicker of courage shined in Plona’s eyes. She cautiously asked me,
“If we’re family, can I stay with you from now on?”
“If you want to. I want you to stay with me, but what do you think?”
“I’d love to! I’d love to!”
“Then I won’t let you go anymore.”
Unlike with Eleonora, I didn’t feel the need to remind Plona how dangerous it was to be with me.
She had pointed her sword at the church’s minions, consciously knowing she would abandon her position as a knight for my sake. Few would understand the risk of following the progenitor of vampires better than her.
Let alone the fact that she was no longer even human; any explanation of how dangerous this was would simply demean her sacrifice and resolve.
“You just need to take your time to adapt. So, there’s no need to be anxious.”
If there’s one thing that troubles me, it might be that Plona is too kind.
The path I’ve walked and the one I will walk is soaked in blood.
Can someone like Plona, who couldn’t even slice down those targeting her with a sword, really shoulder the burden of dirtying her hands with the blood of innocent beings to survive?
No, even if it doesn’t come to that, just the meal itself will be a significant ordeal for her.
To ensure Plona doesn’t starve to death, I need to instill in her a will to live that surpasses any guilt right from this stage.
“As long as you’re with me, yes, it will be alright.”
Plona, who had been lying against my thighs, cautiously got up and opened her arms to embrace me.
With her eyes peeking out from where she buried her face in my chest, when I softly smiled and stroked her hair, her tense body began to relax as she leaned into me.
Yeah, thinking about future matters can wait. There’s no need to tackle all the tough stuff like homework all at once.
Night will come again tomorrow and the day after that.
At least for today, there’s no need to immerse ourselves in a gloomy future.
I wonder how long we held each other, maybe about ten minutes before Plona reluctantly pulled away.
“You said it’s a busy time now. So let’s hurry before the sun rises!”
Plona jumped up energetically, beaming with a bright smile.
Although her eyes were slightly shadowed in red and her fangs peeked out menacingly, that sunny smile was undoubtedly the most reminiscent of the Plona I had known.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
