~Chapter 107~
“Damien…?”
I stepped closer to him, even as he tried to push me away.
“Wait, you mustn’t.”
He raised both arms to cover his face, but I gently tugged at his sleeve.
In the end, his strong arms slowly lowered.
“Ah…”
Damien let out a sigh, his gaze falling to the floor.
His usual amethyst eyes had turned bright red.
Not only that—
his fangs were sharper, and his ears had grown pointed.
“Did you… become a vampire? No, how…?”
“I was bitten by a vampire curse,” Damien admitted at last, no longer hiding his face.
“A vampire curse? This isn’t permanent, right…?”
I grew serious.
“It’d be awful if Damien had to live forever as a vampire, drinking only blood.”
“Don’t worry. To fully turn into a vampire, I’d need to drink vampire blood. That hasn’t happened.”
“Then it’s not permanent? Thank goodness.”
I placed my hand on his cheek. His skin felt colder than ever, almost icy.
“Are you okay? Your forehead is freezing.”
“Uh… uh…”
Suddenly, Damien pulled away. I blinked in confusion, hand left hanging in the air.
“You mustn’t come too close…” he muttered, face flushed red, as if embarrassed.
“Are you sick? Let’s go to the doctor together.”
“No. Even the doctor can’t solve this. When you’re bitten by a vampire curse, you temporarily change. It usually fades in three days.”
Then I noticed the cage lying on the floor.
Inside, a bat was sprawled, trapped in shining silver bars.
“Yes. That’s the one.”
“That’s really the vampire curse?”
It looked like just a bat. Hard to believe it was anything else.
“It can’t take human form while in a silver cage.”
“Wow…”
The bat still hadn’t woken, tongue sticking out as it lay unconscious.
“You caught it? I heard vampire curses are rare these days.”
“Yes.”
I looked at the bat, then glanced back at Damien. He turned his face away the instant our eyes met.
“Damien, why do you keep turning away? Are you embarrassed about looking like a vampire?”
“A little… My ears and fangs look strange, don’t they?”
There it was again—someone handsome not realizing how handsome they are.
I clasped his hands tightly and declared:
“Not at all!”
If anything, he looked even more striking now, with the dangerous beauty of a vampire.
“You actually look amazing! Of course, you always do, but still!”
His red eyes widened in surprise.
“And your red eyes… they suit you. I like your normal eyes more, but this is refreshing.”
“…Really?”
“Yes. Look.”
I pointed at my own eyes.
“Now they look similar to mine. They say couples start to resemble each other.”
For the first time since this began, Damien smiled.
“You’re right.”
“See? So don’t be gloomy.”
“…Thank you, Ruby.”
He finally looked at ease.
“Good. Then let’s just say you get a free vampire trial for three days. If anything feels uncomfortable, I’ll help.”
Meanwhile, the bat inside the cage stayed unconscious.
“But why did you bring this vampire curse here in the first place?”
“Ah…” Damien hesitated, then admitted, “Because I thought you’d like it.”
“Oh…”
“He caught a curse… just because he thought I’d like it.”
“Again? You’re really…” My face flushed hot.
Damien handed me something.
“Here. Garlic spray. If that thing attacks you, spray it in its eyes—it won’t be able to resist.”
“Uh, okay…”
(But wouldn’t that hurt even a human?)
“And most importantly—” Damien looked very serious.
“If I lose control and come after you, you must use it on me too.”
“…What?”
“If I attack you, spray me. Promise me.”
“What? How could I ever spray my husband in the eyes with garlic?!”
“You must. This is my first time being bitten, so I don’t know what might happen. Promise me.”
He pressed the spray firmly into my hand.
“If it becomes dangerous, you must use it. Understand?”
“Ugh, what is this…”
After giving me garlic spray, Damien locked himself away. He wouldn’t even show me his face.
When I asked if he was all right, he only answered, “I’m fine.”
He even skipped meals and hadn’t returned to the bedroom.
“Seriously… this is worrying.”
Then a servant came with a strange message.
“Madam, I don’t know why, but the master told me to deliver this:
‘No matter who knocks on your door tonight, don’t open it.’”
“What on earth…?”
Later that night, someone knocked on my door.
“Rubiana?”
It was Damien’s voice.
“Damien?”
I grabbed the doorknob—then froze.
Damien had told me not to open the door.
But then—
Bang!
The knock grew louder.
“Rubiana…?”
His rough breathing echoed through the door.
“Damien, are you hurt? Did something happen?”
“…Yes. The vampire curse… attacked me…”
I immediately flung the door open.
Even if he was in danger, it was Damien. The real Damien. That was all that mattered.
“Damien!”
His body was covered in wounds, wrists even marked as if he had tied himself up.
“Come in, I’ll call the doctor.”
I pulled him toward the bed.
“Sit here, just wait—”
But before I could finish, his hand wrapped around my waist.
The wounds vanished in an instant—his body was flawless.
“Huh?”
Damien held me tight in his arms.
His glowing red eyes, sharp fangs, and twisted smile—he looked every bit the vampire.
“Ah…”
He pressed his face to my neck, inhaling deeply.
“Why does even your blood smell so sweet?”
And then, Damien’s sharp fangs touched my neck.
