«I never thought that, after my fight with Luke, you would still sit at the sa table as ,» I murmur, my voice uncertain but sohow relieved. Ginevra Dulcar sits in her usual spot beside . Tonight, at our secluded table in the cafeteria, it’s just the two of us.
Gerard, after yet another defeat, stayed in his room—not by choice, but because Levreshka’s lashes have left his thighs and calves in such a state that he can’t even get out of bed. He’s a good man; he doesn’t deserve this treatnt. I agree with Daphne that violence is always the wrong solution, yet in the face of such senseless cruelty, my convictions waver. If the Crimson Requiem truly exterminated all vampires and freed us from this slavery, these tortures would end as well. I’m not speaking for myself, but it would be selfish not to acknowledge what the other familiars endure every day.
«Well, why wouldn’t I?» Ginevra replies, her stunning sea-colored eyes clouded with confusion. «You defeated Luke in a fair fight. What reason would I have to resent you?»
Her words reassure , but I believe she is the only one who thinks this way. As I walked to the cafeteria alone, I couldn’t help but notice the heavy glares the other familiars cast at —filled with hatred and contempt. Glances that weigh on , bringing an endless sense of regret and sadness. Many of them bear wounds that weren’t there this morning, and I doubt they were all caused by today’s fights.
If there were a way to spare them all this suffering, I swear I would take it... But what fault do I have? I’m just as powerless as they are!
«You seem off tonight... Did sothing happen today?» she asks with a hint of concern.
I didn’t expect my lancholy to be so evident. And it’s not just the behavior of the other familiars—more than anything else, it’s Ayra’s condition. The doctors have assured that she’s no longer in life-threatening danger, but there’s no guarantee her body will recover unscathed...
Damn it! I shouldn’t be this worried about a vampire, but I can’t help it. Daphne’s loving words about her only deepened my admiration for my master. I’d love to confide in Ginevra, to let out all these worries I’m holding inside, but Daphne told to keep quiet, and so I will.
«Did Luke bother you again, or was it another familiar? If so, tell . I’ll talk to them,» she insists, noticing my hesitation.
«There’s no need, really,» I reply. I can’t let her attract the hatred and resentnt of the other familiars just for defending . «By the way, you ntioned that you and Luke knew each other before becoming familiars. Is he... um... your boyfriend?» I ask, sowhat embarrassed. After all, they share the sa bedroom, so it’s a rather plausible assumption.
«Why do you want to know? Are you jealous, by any chance?» she teases with a playful smile, covering her mouth with her hand while eyeing suspiciously.
«N-No! Why would I be...?» I stamr, visibly flustered, caught off guard by her question. Judging by her tone and gestures, it’s clear she’s just joking—probably trying to lighten the mood and make smile. But so far, she’s always been serious, and her sudden playfulness takes by surprise.
«I just...» I add. «I just don’t want Luke to get upset seeing us eating alone at the sa table, that’s all... I don’t know what kind of relationship you two have, so... I’d rather avoid increasing his hatred toward and making my life in the dorm even more difficult than it already is. That’s why I asked, nothing more...»
«Oh, Lyon, you’re worrying over nothing...» Ginevra sighs, rolling her eyes. «It’s just a passing phase, that’s all. I already told you, no one truly has anything against you; you’re just the latest catalyst for their frustration. There have been others before you, and there will be others after. Soon enough, they’ll find soone or sothing else to vent their anger on.»
«I hope so,» I mutter with a resigned tone.
«Anyway, don’t worry, Luke and I are just very good friends. Actually, I think our relationship goes beyond simple friendship. He’s more like an older brother to , the only one who stayed by my side after—»
Ginevra suddenly stops, her blue eyes turning glossy and reddened, as if an intense wave of sadness had just overtaken her.
«Sorry,» she adds after a mont of silence, taking a deep breath as if trying to regain her composure.
I imagine she was about to share a painful mory from her past, and I’m certainly not so insensitive as to pry further. So, I decide to change the subject entirely.
«How did your match go today?» I ask casually, as if I had just asked what she had for breakfast, rather than the outco of sothing as brutal as a forced fight between two humans. But it was the first thing that ca to mind.
«It was tough, but I managed to win,» she replies with a timid yet satisfied smile. «My opponent was relentless until the very end, but after nearly half an hour of fighting, I finally triumphed. I think it was the longest match I’ve ever had, but when fighting against Tristan Narvok —from house Narvok—you have to expect a long and grueling battle. His attacks aren’t particularly strong, but his endurance and resistance are on par with a familiar from the Lunae Crescentis dormitory.»
«You managed to defeat such a formidable opponent? Then you must be really strong!» I complint her with sincere admiration.
«Of course, did you have any doubts?» she responds, dramatically mimicking the voice and mannerisms of a haughty, vain noblewoman. Her impression is so exaggerated that I can’t help but burst into laughter, despite my best efforts to suppress it and not seem inappropriate.
«With this victory, I’ve reached the 900th position in the rankings,» she adds. «What about you? How much have you moved up? If I rember correctly, before your fight with Luke, you were ranked 2014, while he was at 1791, so you must have made quite a leap forward.»
«Yeah, I’ve climbed almost a hundred positions, reaching rank 1921,» I reply, taking the last bite of my bland, unseasoned pasta. «I’m still far from qualifying for the Lunae Crescentis dormitory, but I’m sure that, with Ayra’s support, I’ll get there in no ti!» I affirm with a decent amount of enthusiasm.
«With the support of your mistress...» Ginevra repeats, then gives a radiant smile. «I’m really happy to know that you have such a good relationship with your mistress. Apparently, not all vampires are sadistic pieces of shit.»
«Yeah. She’s truly special,» I say with conviction. Then, I stand up with my plate in hand—one of the dormitory rules requires us to return our plates to the cafeteria staff before heading back to our rooms. Plates that, of course, are never washed and are completely unidentifiable, so every day, we are forced to eat from who-knows-whose plate. But the alternative is starving.
«I’m heading back to my room. I can’t leave poor Gerard alone after everything his mistress put him through,» I say as I bid her farewell with a timid wave of my hand, and she does the sa.
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