"Okay, go to sleep now, daughter," the Queen said, brushing an invisible speck from Lilith’s hair. "Tomorrow, your father and your second mother will arrive."
She leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Lilith’s forehead.
"Omaah~"
Lilith instantly sat upright, her face slightly red with embarrassnt.
"Mom! Don’t do that—I’m not a kid anymore!"
Her mother simply chuckled, turning away with a wave of her hand. "Yeah, yeah... good night, big girl. Byee~"
As the door clicked shut behind her, Lilith sat there frozen for a mont, face scrunched in slight frustration. But a small smile tugged at her lips. Despite everything, those little gestures from her mother still ward her heart.
She lay back down, gazing at the ceiling, murmuring to herself, "Tomorrow, huh... This place is going to get noisier."
Then she turned to her side, pulling the blanket up. A faint image of Zara flashed in her mind—those wide eyes, the confused stamring, the warmth of her presence.
"...Goodnight, Zara."
And with that quiet thought, Lilith drifted off to sleep.
As the sun rose, painting the sky in shades of crimson and violet, a soft groan echoed from Zara’s room.
"Ahhhhh..."
She stirred awake, rubbing her eyes groggily before slipping off the bed. Still half-asleep, she trudged toward the shower. The warm water helped chase away the last remnants of sleep, and after drying off, she dressed in a fitted red shirt and black pants.
Ready for her morning training, she stepped out and made her way toward the courtyard.
But just as her foot touched the stone tiles, everything shifted.
The world around her flickered—and went silent.
"Huh? Where... am I?" she murmured.
The courtyard was gone. In its place was a vast, empty space painted in twilight hues, the air humming with strange energy. Confused and slightly unnerved, Zara turned her head—and froze.
A woman sat calmly on the floor not far away, gazing at her. That gaze was not ordinary. It pierced through Zara, cold yet filled with longing, like soone staring at a love that once slipped through their fingers.
The woman was ethereal—draped in a silver dress that shimred like moonlight, her beauty otherworldly. Even the gods would fall for a face like that.
"He... Hello?" Zara asked, her voice hesitant.
The woman’s lips curled into a wide, unsettling smile. And in the blink of an eye, she was standing right in front of Zara.
Before Zara could react, soft fingers cupped her chin.
"I am Hiros," the woman whispered, her voice dripping with a sweet, almost intoxicating tone. "The Goddess... who desires you."
She leaned closer, her breath ghosting across Zara’s ear.
"Rember this, little one... I will co for you. Just wait for —hahaha..."
And with that echoing laugh, the space shattered.
Zara blinked—and found herself standing in the courtyard again.
But her breath was heavy. Her palms were sweating. And her fingers were trembling.
"...W-What... just happened?" she whispered, heart pounding in her chest.
Zara looked down at her trembling hands, her breath still uneven. A wry smile tugged at her lips.
"Th-that was just... overthinking, Zara. Not real. Just a weird dream," she mumbled, trying to calm herself. "Don’t overthink it..."
But her voice lacked conviction.
Unseen by her, atop the estate’s roof balcony, stood a tall figure clad in gleaming crimson armor. His white hair fluttered slightly in the wind, and his sharp black eyes were locked onto Zara below.
His expression twisted with irritation.
"So this is the girl my daughter’s fallen for?" he muttered coldly. "What terrible taste."
His arms folded across his chest as he scrutinized her further, looking for flaws, criticisms, anything to confirm his disapproval.
But then—his eyes narrowed.
Zara suddenly went still, her body subtly slackening as her gaze turned glassy. Above her chest, a faint glimr—sothing white and formless—floated free from her body, hovering in the air like a wisp of soul.
The man’s deanor shifted.
His annoyance vanished, replaced by intrigue. The white wisp lingered, then gradually sank back into Zara’s body.
She jolted awake.
"...Hmph." The man stroked his chin, thoughtful now. "Interesting. One of them is watching her. So... one of those figures has taken a liking to this girl?"
His smirk deepened with cold amusent.
"Things might get entertaining."
And with that, he vanished like smoke in the wind.
Zara shook her head, forcing the strange vision from her mind. Clearing her thoughts, she turned her attention to her surroundings. Her eyes landed on the large training sword resting nearby, and she took a step forward to grab it—but her hand suddenly paused mid-air.
"Wait... didn’t I get a sword from Fluff?" she muttered, thinking back. "Yeah, it was called... mithril sword or sothing, right?"
As the thought crossed her mind, she suddenly felt a weight in her hand.
She blinked and looked down.
A sword had materialized in her grip—elegant and ominous. The blade shimred with hues of red and black, the tal lean and deadly. Its hilt was dark and smooth, wrapped in black leather that fit her palm perfectly.
"Huh? How... how did this get in my hand?" she whispered in awe.
She gently ran her fingers along the blade. A strange sensation pulsed through it—powerful, yet strangely calm. Just holding it, she could feel it: with this sword, she could cut through monsters, maybe even skilled fighters, without effort.
"What a beautiful... and cool sword," she murmured, her eyes gleaming.
Curious, she gave it a casual swing.
SHHHNK—
Her training sword, still leaning against the stand, split clean in half from the passing slash.
Zara froze.
Her eyes slowly widened.
"...Oops?"
"Really cool... and sharp," Zara whispered, still admiring the sword in her hand.
She began her training in the courtyard, swinging the blade gracefully through the air. Each movent felt smoother, more precise. With every swing, a strange feeling welled up inside her—sothing powerful.
Halfway through her training, she paused, panting lightly.
"Why... why am I feeling like I’m getting stronger? Much stronger..."
She looked down at her arms, then her legs, flexing slightly. Her muscles felt tighter, more responsive—almost as if her body had leveled up without her realizing it.
"Did I miss so reward? Maybe sothing Fluff gave without telling ?"
Curious, she ntally pulled up her list of recent rewards. Her gaze landed on one particular line:
[Vampire Bloodline Potential: Unlocked]
She tapped on it.
[Vampire Potential Unlocked][After unlocking this potential, the host can grow stronger physically at a much faster rate—comparable to high-ranking human barbarians. However, there is one drawback: the host must drink human blood to maintain the rate of growth. If the host has a lover, they must regularly consu their lover’s blood specifically to prevent blood madness.]
Zara blinked.
And then blushed.
Her mind instantly flashed to last night.
Lover.
Her face turned crimson as she rembered Lilith’s words... her embrace... and her neck.
Zara groaned and buried her face in her hands."Ugh... I really bit her... and she said we’re lovers now..."
But despite her embarrassnt, her heart fluttered strangely.She glanced back down at her hands, now gripping the sword tightly.
"...I’m really changing."
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