This was Charlotte's first craving for blood in six days.
Unlike the first ti she arrived at the Church Hospital, this desire did not have a precursor; it appeared suddenly.
At the sa ti, the craving was not as intense as the first day when she was attracted by the fragrance of Priest Lotti.
Initially, Charlotte just felt a bit thirsty.
Gradually, this thirstiness intensified.
She beca very thirsty, extrely thirsty.
Like a traveler in the desert who had not drunk a drop of water for a long ti.
However, no matter how much water Charlotte drank, it could not quench this thirst.
It seed to have seeped into her soul.
"They fear light and holiness, crave fresh blood, and survive on blood sucking—evil, mad, and fierce..."
Priest Lotti's words once again surfaced in Charlotte's mind.
Needing to drink blood periodically was a characteristic of the Bloodline.
The Church's books also depicted the Bloodline as monsters that needed to drink blood regularly to survive.
During these days of peaceful life, eating and sleeping normally each day, Charlotte had thought she might have beco immune to the need for blood to so extent because of owning the "Blood Holy Scripture."
But now, she realized she was wrong.
It was not that she was immune; the ti just had not co yet.
"Hold on! I will be discharged tomorrow, then I'll find a source of blood to resolve this!"
Charlotte encouraged herself.
The Bloodline needed to drink blood regularly.
But neither the Church's books nor the hospital's priests had ntioned that it had to be human blood.
Charlotte was not that perverted.
She had decided that once she left the church tomorrow, she would have the family's servants buy so livestock or poultry to try.
Whether it was chickens, ducks, geese, or even rabbits and deer, their blood should solve the problem and also help cover her tracks.
Thinking this, Charlotte forcibly diverted her attention, not allowing herself to think about blood sucking.
But she underestimated the rate at which this bloodthirst surged.
With ti, her thirst beca stronger, and it beca increasingly difficult for Charlotte to divert her gaze, her mind seemingly constantly pondering when she could drink blood.
And the more she thought this way, the thirstier and hungrier she beca.
Her breathing grew rapid, her eyes beca blurry, and her panting turned heavy.
Charlotte felt her cheeks burning slightly, and her brain gradually becoming sluggish, as if she had a fever.
She forced herself to sit up in bed, grabbed the mirror from her bedside, and then got a fright from her own reflection.
In the rcury mirror, the beautiful girl's cheeks were flushed, her eyes hazy, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, her eyes glossy...
That delicate appearance seed almost ready to drip with water, like the resurgence of spring.
Charlotte: ...
She felt as if sothing deep inside her had crumbled.
The manly pride that had never been pierced through even when she played dumb or cute, at this mont, collapsed...
"No... this is not , definitely not !"
Charlotte threw the mirror aside and turned over, burying her head in the pillow.
That night, she had insomnia.
...
"Good morning, little Charlotte... Hmm? What's wrong, don't you feel well?"
The next morning, Priest Lotti made her rounds as usual, but what she saw was the girl curled up in a small blanket like a cocoon.
She walked worriedly to the bed.
That irresistible, alluring scent instantly filled Charlotte's nostrils, making her shiver uncontrollably.
So fragrant!
She wanted to pounce on her...
She wanted to... bite into her slender neck and suck her sweet blood!
Various crazy thoughts surged like a tide, overwhelming Charlotte's sanity.
She clenched her teeth, restraining the impulse to suddenly attack her, and shrunk further into the blanket, murmuring:
"I... I'm fine... I'm going to sleep a bit longer."
Hearing the tremble forcibly suppressed in that voice, Lotti's gaze slightly sharpened.
She hesitated for a mont, then pulled up the girl's blanket and imdiately flipped it open.
Charlotte was suddenly exposed to the light.
Their gazes t almost instantly.
Priest Lotti was slightly taken aback.
Whereas Charlotte internally cursed, 'Damn it!'
Just when she thought her Bloodline identity was about to be exposed, she saw the beautiful Priest first freeze for a mont and then blush slightly, averting her gaze.
Lotti reached out, tucking her back under the blanket, her voice gentle yet carrying a hint of reminder and reprimand:
"Miss Charlotte..."
"Your body has just recovered and is still fairly weak; you need to moderate such activities."
"I know you are curious about these matters at your age, but... you should be mindful of the frequency and intensity."
Charlotte: ...?
...
Charlotte knew that Lotti had misunderstood her display of blood addiction.
Her emotions were complex.
She didn't know whether to feel relieved that her identity hadn't been exposed, or to feel ashad for having been misunderstood as having done certain things...
At this ti, she should actually be thankful for her blood-sucking desires.
As ti passed, Charlotte's craving for blood had not weakened.
On the contrary, this craving began to affect her thinking.
Everything she looked at seed like a source of blood, even the mosquitoes in the room beca adorable, and her mind could hardly dive into deep thought about anything other than blood sucking, which spared her the trouble of agonizing over any misunderstood sha.
Because she lacked the energy.
Fortunately, Charlotte's will was still relatively firm, and her consciousness still fairly clear.
Although her entire being was nearly occupied by desire, she still maintained basic rationality.
It might have been because she had endured for too long.
Her state, akin to the arrival of spring, had lasted for almost a day before it finally began to change.
By the ti dusk fell and the Castel family's carriage finally ca to pick her up...
Charlotte had essentially returned to normal.
However, she appeared utterly dazed.
Charlotte knew that this wasn't because she had prevailed over her challenges.
In fact, she now resembled a volcano about to erupt, rely having forcefully suppressed all desires temporarily...
She now felt sowhat numb.
But once sothing provoked her, her blood-sucking instinct might completely explode, beyond any suppression.
And Charlotte's dazed state, in the eyes of the priests, was misinterpreted as the lancholy and reluctance of a young girl facing separation.
"Lord Lotti, thank you and the priests for taking care of the lady; this is the Castel family's gratitude, please be sure to accept it."
The servant from the Castel family was an old man with a hunched back, nad Casimodo.
He was extrely ugly and was followed by two attendants dressed in Castel family uniforms.
The priests at the Church Hospital all recognized this old man.
He was the owner of a silverware shop in the western district of Bold City, congenitally disabled, but rescued and adopted by the previous Count Castel, greatly loyal to the Castel family, having even once saved the life of the old count.
The master-servant relationship between the two had beco a delightful story in Bold City.
Lotti glanced at the box of gold and silver presented by the old man hands and signaled the apprentice priest to accept it, then let out a soft sigh, saying,
"Treating Miss Charlotte was the duty of the Church Hospital."
"However... as servants of the Castel family, failing to visit your master for these days does not seem competent."
Towards the end, the female priest's voice took on a hint of reproach.
The old servant hunched his back even more.
With a face full of guilt, he sighed,
"You are right... I will certainly adjust in the future, but... these days, due to changes at the manor, the whole family has been in chaos, and I have been unable to break away..."
"Alright, it's getting late, take Charlotte and go, just rember my words."
Lotti shook her head, cutting off Casimodo's explanation.
The old servant bowed deeply, then turned to the silent Charlotte standing by and paid his respects,
"Miss, shall we go?"
"Mm..."
Charlotte, still wrestling with her desires, muttered a nod.
Suppressing her bloodlust, drawn to the enticing aroma of the many priests, she climbed into the carriage with the old man's help.
"Miss Charlotte, have a smooth journey, and feel free to visit us again if you have ti!"
A familiar priest waved.
Charlotte mustered her energy and struggled to forge a slight smile,
"I'd rather not stay in the hospital again."
"Hahahaha..."
The many priests were imdiately amused by the girl's words.
The carriage carrying Charlotte set off and departed.
The priests from the Church Hospital stood at the entrance of the Holy Royal Court Church, watching the carriage disappear at the end of the road.
"Ah, with Miss Charlotte gone, our daily services will lack much joy."
A priest remarked.
"Yes, yes, just seeing her every day lifted our spirits."
Other priests echoed.
Lotti silently watched the direction of the departing carriage, silent for a long ti.
Then, a soft sigh,
"Let's go back, there's much work to do at the hospital."
With that, the many priests turned around.
However, just as they were about to enter the Church Hospital, accompanied by a cloud of dust, another carriage hurriedly approached, drawing everyone's attention.
"Ya—"
Under the hoarse command, the carriage slowly stopped in front of the Church Hospital.
An old man with a hunched figure, while wiping dense beads of sweat from his forehead, shakily jumped down from the driver's seat.
He was ugly, panting heavily, and bowed to the priests,
"Sorry, Lords of the Church, there was a problem at the shop, and I am late."
"I am Casimodo, here to take my master, Miss Charlotte, back ho..."
Seeing the old man's identical appearance, the priests were suddenly stunned.
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