章節 11: Chapter 11: Our Bond

"Hey, Nephelia, why are we heading to my house?"

As I followed Nephelia across the rooftops heading somewhere, I couldn't help but ask her the question. To my surprise, Nephelia was leading us straight to my own humble abode!

Hold on a second... Is she planning to move in with me?! My mind raced, trying to figure out how to break the news to Sophie.

"Uh, Sophie, I wanted to introduce you to someone. This is Nephelia, my... vampire wife?"

"Wife what?" Sophie would reply, with that look of hers that says 'you went lose your mind, didn't you?'

I'd let out a dry laugh. "Ha ha... Remember how my body went through some weird changes, and I get a stomach ache every time I eat? Well, turns out I've transformed into a bloodsucker and now I have a vampire wife. Tee-hee~!"

Yeah, like that would go over well.

Meanwhile, Nephelia merely gave me a few glances before responding nonchalantly, "...No."

"..."

"If we're not going to my place, then where exactly are we headed?"

She tensed up slightly before answering in a monotone voice, "I'm not a stalker, okay?"

I came to a sudden halt, utterly perplexed. "Excuse me?"

"...Never mind. Just keep following me."

I remained silent, trailing behind her. As we reached the edge of the final rooftop, Nephelia halted and pulled out what appeared to be a small remote control. With a press of a button, something unexpected happened.

Before me, the surroundings began to distort. Where an abandoned house had once stood, now stood an impressive three-story Victorian-style mansion, complete with sprawling gardens and grand water fountains.

Passersby seemed oblivious to this extraordinary sight, not even giving it a glance. How could they not notice a mansion appearing out of thin air?!

"Dude, where did this mansion come from?" I asked, utterly dumbfounded.

It was right next to my house! How did a mansion like this magically appear here? At first glance, all you could see was an abandoned house! Who would've thought there was a hidden mansion?

Nephelia flashed a sweet smile, but her eyes held a strangely dark gleam. "The mansion is mine. I wanted to be close by in case you needed me."

As I noticed the darkness in her gaze, I couldn't help but think, 'Wait, did I just win myself a cute vampire yandere?'

Yet, to my surprise, I didn't feel any rejection or fear. Instead, an odd sense of excitement tingled in my chest. This excessive side of her strangely brought me comfort.

Shaking off the thoughts, I asked, "Nephelia, how is it possible that nobody else can see this mansion?"

She skipped to the other side and gestured for me to follow her as she made her way towards the mansion. When she reached the front door, she turned to face me.

"There's this device called 'Illusor,' created by the Magicians," she explained, slowly revealing the black device in her hands. "It can alter the environment and our senses, creating an illusion of reality that only certain beings can see through."

I took a moment to absorb all the new information. While the concept of Magicians intrigued me, I knew I could learn about them at my own pace. I had just stepped into the supernatural side of the world, and I didn't want my brain to explode from so much infodump.

"So, how does it actually work?" I asked, realizing that I wouldn't have been able to see this mansion if Nephelia hadn't disabled part of the illusion.

"It distorts brain waves and visual perception," Nephelia continued. "The 'Illusor' can control what beings see. To regular humans, this place still appears as an abandoned house."

I was starting to grasp why she could hide a mansion right under everyone's noses. This kind of technology was undeniably fascinating.

"How long has this mansion been here, though?"

"Since the beginning."

At her terse reply, I was puzzled. She didn't want to say more.

"But... what does 'since the beginning' mean?"

Nephelia simply stared at me, refusing to utter another word.

Seeing that I wouldn't get any further information, I could only shrug my shoulders in confusion. Even though I didn't fully grasp her intentions, I knew she wasn't plotting anything against me.

As Nephelia finished her explanation, the massive double doors of the mansion began to open. From inside a figure emerged.

It was a woman dressed in a maid's uniform, elegantly bowing her head as her gaze fell upon us.

"Welcome back, Miss Nephelia," she greeted in a soft voice.

"Mm," Nephelia nodded in response, introducing us. "This is Camille, my blood maid. Camille, meet Damien, my husband."

Camille observed me closely, assessing me from head to toe. After a few seconds, she nodded again, maintaining the same expressionless face she had worn since her arrival.

At that moment, I couldn't help but wonder if everyone I would encounter would have such emotionless expressions. Hey, that would be pretty boring...

"I see you've succeeded, Miss Nephelia. Congratulations."

However, Camille gave me a thumbs-up while still maintaining her stoicism. "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Damien. I hope you take good care of my mistress, even though she can be dangerous at times. She has a kind heart."

"Camille..." Nephelia's voice turned somber as she looked at her maid.

Then, she whispered something that only I could hear. "Have I been too lenient with this maid...?"

I smiled at Camille. "Leave her to me."

I shifted my attention to Nephelia, who appeared ready to slap the poor maid. I gently placed my hand on her head, and surprisingly, her expression immediately softened.

She started to purr my name, a delicate blush coloring her pale cheeks.

Isn't this a bit...? I raised an eyebrow, finding it amusing. My gentle touch seemed to have completely pacified the vampire. Now, she wore a dreamy smile on her lips.

'She's cute...'

The sweetness of the moment made Camille click her tongue. Hey, I heard that loud and clear! Is this the attitude a maid should have?

Luckily, Nephelia snapped out of her reverie.

"With your permission, I'll guide Mr. Damien to the drawing room. Please follow me," she politely excused herself.

Nephelia regained her composure and led me into the spacious salon. I marveled at the room, illuminated by a grand chandelier hanging from the high ceiling.

Opulent furnishings adorned the space, with velvet armchairs and silk curtains. Nephelia gestured towards a comfortable sofa for us to sit on.

She settled down beside me while the maid headed to the kitchen. Well, even though we couldn't eat food anyway...

"Damien~" Nephelia pouted softly, resting her head on my arm. Her white hair spilled into my lap.

Mm, she smells good. I shook my head. Stay calm, Damien.

After a few moments of silence, she looked up and said, "Haven't you accepted all of this too easily? I thought you would question my intentions, be terrified of me, and ignore my presence..."

"Question, huh?" I nodded, stroking my chin. "But you're aware of the connection between us, right?"

Nephelia leaned back and calmly nodded. "You're not wrong. When a pureblood vampire turns someone into a vampire, they usually establish one of three types of relationships with their creation: slave, regular vampire, or lover."

I stared at her, urging her to continue explaining.

"When we transform someone, we mark their soul for life. This creates an almost unbreakable psychic and emotional bond," she continued. "If the slave relationship is chosen, the new vampire is left in complete debt and must blindly obey. As regular vampires, both parties maintain their freedom and independence without any special bonds."

She paused and turned her gaze towards me, conveying warmth through our bond.

"But with you, it's different. I chose to establish the lover relationship, which means there's a deeper connection between us after the transformation. That's why we feel this bond that goes beyond what's normal even among vampires."

I nodded slowly, finally understanding the origin of our bond. She had created me to be her lover, which is why she referred to me as her husband.

Um... Not bad. Now I have a wife.

Nephelia slid off my side and climbed onto my lap. Her small, pale hands rested on my shoulders as she brought her face close to mine. Her crimson eyes darkened with intense emotions.

"Our union is proof that I belong to you and you to me, Damien."

Her eyes grew intensely dark, almost like a black hole! It felt as if they wanted to pull me in!

"Heh, I get it." I flashed a smile, revealing a mouth full of white teeth to the captivating creature in my arms. I gently caressed her cheek, moving down to her chin. She closed her eyes, savoring the touch.

I wasn't uncomfortable with Nephelia claiming me as her own, just as she was mine. In fact, I have to admit that deep down, that possessive side appealed to me. I understood that instinct, as I felt it myself.

I fixed my gaze on her and spoke calmly. "So... through this bond, we can sense each other's intentions. I don't sense any desire to harm me from you. That's why I accept what happened without questioning. Besides, I'm a calm person, inclined to let things flow unless they directly affect me."

"Mmm." Nephelia nodded and rested her head on my chest, seeming to enjoy the sound of my heartbeat.

At that moment, the maid appeared with a tray, carrying two steaming cups. As she approached, I caught the aroma, expecting the familiar metallic scent of blood.

But I was wrong. It was the sweet, comforting aroma of coffee. I was surprised.

Camille poured the coffee, offering me the first steaming cup. "For you, Mr. Damien. I hope you enjoy our modest welcome offering."