Chapter 58
“Enough.”
Cain instantly shoved Melony back and faced Abel.
“If you’re done with your business, get lost?”
Cain, who always spoke smoothly and slyly, now spoke with a sharp edge.
At this unfamiliar sight, Melony stared at Cain’s back with curiosity.
“Then, I wish you luck on your journey.”
“Thank you. Ah, and please pass this on to Sir Eric. Tell him that since I’ve fulfilled the request, I’ll be returning to my original path.”
“Of course.”
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Abel turned around and walked toward the Clovis investigators.
“Cain, did you see my bag?”
“I grabbed it from the second floor.”
“Oh.”
Melony saw her bag in Cain’s hand. She took it, slung it back over her shoulder, and looked for Glen.
Glen was nowhere to be seen, probably busy. Melony hesitated for a moment, then decided to just leave.
She let Cain exit the temple first, then approached one of the investigators.
“If Glen Sprout asks about Melony Carthus’s whereabouts, please tell him I left first.”
“Understood.”
Stopping a busy person would only waste their time. Besides, they were on good enough terms that they didn’t need to exchange greetings every single time.
Even if it seemed cold, that was the kind of relationship they’d always had, so Melony chose to simply leave.
Outside, Cain was waiting.
“Let’s go.”
“Where to?”
“There’s a place Abel… the priest recommended.”
“Where?”
“Rigen. Apparently it’s a vampire village at the western edge.”
Melony took out a map from her bag and gauged the distance.
To get from the imperial capital at the center to the western edge, they would have to move diligently. Just thinking about how many mountain ranges they’d have to cross made her dizzy.
“You picked a pretty distant place. But do we really need to go where that bastard told us to?”
“He said there’s a strong one there—whether it’s an avatar or the king, who knows. If you’ve got a better idea, then say it.”
But Cain kept sneering, saying it was too far and that Abel’s information might not even be accurate.
She didn’t like his tone, but Melony herself was hesitant too.
It was a village deep in the mountains, using the terrain as a fortress. Going there on nothing more than the possibility that someone might be there made her waver.
‘Back then, I used to rummage around everywhere without hesitation.’
But now she had Cain bound to her as a restraint. She couldn’t just wander around aimlessly.
The target felt close, yet always just out of reach, and it gnawed at her.
“Those aiming for the Immortel will come looking for us themselves.”
At the word Immortel, Melony stopped while descending the steps.
Why did the woman from her dream suddenly come to mind?
‘A saintess, but not Sabina. Then who…?’
It was a fleeting question, soon erased from her mind.
“You seem to have completely decided that I’m the Immortel.”
“No, I’m certain.”
The grin on his face was the Cain she knew.
Cain had been strange ever since he woke up from being unconscious, so seeing that familiar expression gave her a strange sense of relief.
“Mel, you’re the Immortel.”
“You clearly said it disappeared. That it doesn’t exist.”
“That’s right. I thought it was just a legend too. I believed that until now.”
“Then how are you so sure all of a sudden?”
“Because I tasted it myself. And because all those useless bastards keep chasing only you like mad.”
Cain stuck out his red tongue and smacked his lips. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed.
“Ah, I’m thirsty.”
“I gave you some yesterday.”
“When? I don’t remember.”
“……”
“Did you forget too, Mel?”
Cain smiled brightly as he stretched, putting both arms behind his head.
“You said that if I helped you, then from now on I could drink as much as I wanted whenever I felt like it.”
“When did I ever—”
“So you’re just going to pretend you don’t know?”
“More importantly, did you even help properly?”
“Of course. I took good care of you when you were unconscious.”
“That was just—”
Melony glared at Cain, who talked nonstop despite having been absolutely useless, and pressed a hand to her forehead.
This was her own fault.
In the end, she was the one who’d given permission. She was about to end up giving a ton of blood to a guy who hadn’t done a single thing right.
“I’ll definitely kill you someday.”
“Same here.”
“So because I’m the Immortel, everyone’s gathering around me?”
“That’s right.”
As they entered the street to find a carriage, Melony scanned her surroundings. Spotting the lined-up carriages, she headed that way.
“Then I guess we can wander anywhere.”
“Exactly. No matter where you are, they’ll come looking for you. King or avatar.”
“And how long are we supposed to wait for people who may or may not come?”
“So what? Don’t tell me you’re really going to Rigen?”
Melony shot Cain a glare and approached the foremost carriage. After a brief exchange, the coachman nodded.
When Melony gestured, Cain sighed and walked over as if he had no choice.
“Get in.”
“Mel, you really do love making life hard for yourself.”
“Better than dealing with you.”
Which would be faster—going to the village at the western edge, or unwanted guests coming to them?
‘This time, for sure…’
She would meet the king.
The moment Melony arrived at the border between the imperial capital and the western lands, she headed toward the village right ahead.
“A human village.”
“Choose, Cain.”
“Choose what?”
“Sleeping rough or staying in a room.”
“Aren’t you the one who hates sleeping outside, Mel?”
“When I worked with my senior, sleeping rough was the norm.”
At the mention of Glen, Cain stopped mid-step. Melony glanced at him as she passed.
“What? You’re not coming?”
“……”
“Cain.”
Night had already fallen completely. Crossing the mountains like this would be dangerous, so they decided to stay one night.
Asking Cain had only been out of courtesy. His opinion didn’t really matter anyway.
But when Cain stopped, she wondered if she should’ve actually listened.
“Aren’t you coming?”
“…I am.”
Just moments ago, his expression had been familiar, but now his face was blank.
It was the same face he’d worn the first day she put the restraint on him.
Or when he talked with Abel.
‘Abel isn’t even here, so what’s with him?’
She shot a glare at the back of Cain’s head as he walked ahead without even knowing where he was going.
Swallowing a sigh, Melony entered the inn in front of her. After hesitating, Cain followed her inside.
“One room for the night.”
After paying and receiving the key, Melony glanced back to make sure Cain was following.
She stopped in front of room 201 and unlocked the door, but the moment she did, Cain disappeared.
“You—”
Bang—
The door slammed shut as Cain shoved Melony against the wall.
“What the hell are you—!”
Cain pinned her with his body, immobilizing her, then lowered his head. Tilting her neck to the side, he bit into her exposed throat.
“Ugh.”
He bit harder and more urgently than usual.
Melony grabbed his shoulders tightly and tried to push him away, but he didn’t budge an inch.
‘Why is he acting like this all of a sudden?’
Irritation flared up, but she had promised—and she figured he must have been that hungry.
Too tired to push or kick him away, she decided to just let him drink.
Relaxing her body, Melony tilted her head a little more comfortably. Cain, who had been clinging to her desperately, began to drink more gently.
“Next time, at least say something before you bite.”
Cain focused solely on what he was doing. Melony hadn’t really expected an answer anyway, so she didn’t repeat herself.
The sound of blood being drawn was unusually vivid tonight.
“You… today, you’re really—”
Drinking too much.
Her vision swam for a moment. She was losing too much blood. If even someone as healthy as Melony felt unsteady, it was impossible to imagine how much he was taking.
The words she wanted to say lingered on her tongue, then vanished.
“Ah… stop…”
She had never had her blood drained this much before, and she felt herself nearing her limit.
Her body slowly collapsed downward. Cain followed her descent and ended up sitting on the floor with her.
“Haah…”
Only then did Cain let out a satisfied moan. Fresh red blood stained the corner of his lips.
Melony, head tilted back, opened her eyes and looked forward.
“That was incredible.”
Melony silently stared at Cain as he grinned, then grabbed her umbrella.
“Mel, why that?”
“Why do you think.”
Bang—
“For the education of a dog that doesn’t know its place.”
A silver bullet lodged itself precisely into Cain’s left shoulder.
“Ugh!”
Without hesitation, Melony let out a sigh. She set the umbrella down and smacked away Cain’s hand clutching his shoulder.
“Don’t get cocky again.”
“You really are a cold ice queen.”
“That’s a nickname I don’t want to hear, so shut up.”
She pulled the silver bullet out, then shoved it back in, making Cain’s face twist briefly.
Deciding the warning was sufficient, Melony removed the bullet again.
“And since you drank today, don’t even think about it for a while.”
“What? You said I could drink whenever I wanted.”
Melony shot him a glare and stood up.
“Shut your mouth before I make you hold a bullet between your teeth.”
