Cursed Together With Mr. Vampire; I need to drink his blood!

Triana

The wide smile formed on those charcoal lips. Angular cheeks and a sharp nose and chin elongated her wrinkled face. Her thin white hair was left uncovered by her tattered hat this time, perhaps only to enhance her eerie appearance.

Triana, a bright blonde-haired girl, stood at the side of the cluttered and foul-smelling room. She was the antithesis of the witch across from her. Clad in a beautifully embroidered dress, her slender body exuded the scent of flowers and dried fruits. Her eyes depicted a bright spring sky.

"Eternal beauty, you said?" A putrid chuckle escaped the lips, encasing sharp, rotten teeth.

The shrill voice startled Triana from her focus on the decrepit tiny house. She was certain; even her uncle's chicken coop on the farm was much better than this place.

Interlocking her hands, Triana gave quick nods. "Yes, ma'am. Can you possibly do it?"

"Your question belittles me, young lady. I am even surprised you and your dozens of guards managed to reach my nest! Khe khe khe..." The skinny, hunched witch rose from her creaking chair. "Isn't your arduous journey a testament that I am the greatest witch here?"

"You are correct, ma'am. You are the greatest; That's what my mother said, at least," Triana murmured.

"M'm..." The witch glanced at Triana. She stepped closer and stood right in front of her.

The witch's index finger lifted and touched Triana's chin with its sharp, grimy nail. "What was your name again, darling?"

Holding her breath, the girl swallowed and answered, "Triana. Triana Rexa Galev."

"Oh... such a beautiful name for a beautiful girl!" the witch chuckled as she walked past Triana.

"My husband is Lord Stefanus Galev, the Duke of Karton. He has aided in many wars and is one of the king's favorites." explained an elegant middle-aged woman standing beside Triana.

"Impressive, but... did I ask? Khe khe khe..." the witch replied.

Triana glanced at her mother, who wore the same expression of terror as her own. The witch was truly strange, even more so than the rumors.

"Then, can you grant it to my daughter? We will offer a very satisfying amount of money for you," said Triana's mother. Her name was Catherine Rovenia Galev.

"Money. Money is happiness; That's what you greedy folks always rely on. Even beauty..." The witch turned to Triana, smiling broadly. "...you use it to gain happiness, don't you?"

The witch's words made Triana bite her lower lip. She didn't know if it was a coincidence or what, but she had just realized it.

Being born with mesmerizing beauty made many people admire her, even when she was just a baby. A king immediately made an agreement with Triana's father to marry her to his third prince when she turned 19. Unfortunately, by the time she reached 21, the prince had not returned from his grand mission of conquering the neighboring kingdom.

Triana's mother, siblings, aunts, and even her father told her that she was at her peak. But like a flower, it wouldn't bloom forever. After that, she would wither and fade.

If Triana's beauty faded when the prince returned, he might cancel their marriage because he wasn't satisfied with her appearance anymore. He would seek a younger and prettier girl. When that happened, all of the Galev family's hopes would crumble.

Triana realized that her beauty was the source of the happiness and affection she had received. She didn't want to end up like those who had unattractive appearances and were always sidelined. She wanted to maintain her beauty; her happiness.

"God has blessed me with beauty so that I can be useful to my family. Not only to me, but this beauty is also a source of happiness for those around me. This beauty has a deeper meaning than what you mentioned. Only those who possess it understand." Triana said.

"Sweetheart, you shouldn't have said that to her," Catherine whispered.

Triana furrowed her brow. "That's what father told me. He said that I should take pride in my beauty. And I'm doing that now."

"You should understand the situation, love." Catherine replied, sighing.

Suddenly, laughter made both of them turn with wide eyes.

While wiping the corners of her mouth that were wet with droll, the witch nodded. "You're a brave girl, dear. Your words are true. You've been blessed with such beauty since birth. Of course, you should utilize, maintain, and take pride in it," she said. Then her laughter faded, and she continued, "To honor your beauty, I will grant your wish, but with a condition."

"What's the condition? Whatever the price, we'll pay," Catherine said.

"Ops!" The witch pulled her potion back as Catherine's hand tried to reach the bottle. "The condition is for the beautiful girl. Who wants the eternal beauty here? She must do something for it."

"Oh, does she... really have to?" Catherine asked, half-whispering.

The witch squinted her eyes. She stared at Triana and Catherine in turn. "Does it have to be done, or does it not?"

"I'll do it myself, but please swear that my beauty will truly be eternal," Triana spoke.

"Well... khe khe khe..." The witch smiled broadly. "I'll swear if you swear too, sweetie," she said as she opened the bottle.

"I swear I'll do it myself," Triana said, although there was a thin quiver in her voice.

With the smile still etched on her face, the witch extended her palm to Triana. "Your hand,"

After exchanging a glance with Catherine, Triana placed her smooth hand on the rough and wrinkled palm of the witch.

Turning Triana's hand in her grip, the witch pressed one of her sharp nails into the tip of Triana's finger.

"Ouch!" Triana bit her lower lip as the nail pierced the soft flesh of her finger.

The witch's pinch on Triana's finger made more blood flow from the wound. Then she directed it towards the mouth of her potion bottle. The blood dripped into it.

A smile returned to the witch's face. She released Triana's hand, then went to her potion shelf and added a drop of dark purple liquid to it until the potion turned a dark green color.

"Your oath is now infused into this potion. If you don't give it to that vampire directly, not only will you fail to have eternal beauty, but you will also be hideous for fifty years."

"What?" Triana and her mother exclaimed.

"Hahaha!" The witch laughed, staring at Triana and Catherine with wide eyes.

"Why would you do that?!" Catherine snapped, while Triana began to cry in her embrace.

The witch shrugged as she walked back to her creaking chair. "Didn't she swear to do it by herself? If you two weren't intending to deceive me..." she smiled broadly, looking at both women alternately, and continued, "... you shouldn't be scared now."

Triana

A black horse-drawn carriage, accompanied by ten mounted guards, sped along the road that cut through the lush forest.

Inside the constantly creaking and rattling carriage, a girl with skin like a field of snow under the morning sun kept peering out the window, only to swallow her saliva for the umpteenth time.

Since birth, Triana had always been in the comfortable, protective embrace of her parents. Castles, palaces, and other beautiful buildings were places she should visit. Roads that were neatly paved were what her soft feet should tread upon. She wasn't even allowed to leave her castle before the sunset, when the sky darkened.

But now, Triana sat alone in a carriage, traveling on a muddy and rocky road that cut through the most feared forest in Galvadea, the Dark Forest. An invitation from the king required her mother to accompany her father to the palace as a form of respect. Additionally, visiting the witch to ask for eternal beauty was a secret between Triana and her parents, unknown even to her two sisters.

Witches were always hated and feared. Most were even burned alive by the villagers if caught. Collaborating with a witch would tarnish the Galev family's name in the eyes of people, including the king.

Aside from the worries and fears of what was to come, most of Triana's thoughts were filled with questions she wanted to push away but couldn't seem to shake.

If she may ask, why exactly did she have to do all this? Was it her true self that people cherished all this time, or just her beauty?

Triana shook her head again. 'Stop those thoughts, Triana! Father and mother love you. Everyone loves you. They want you to maintain your beauty because they want to see you happy.'

After hours of traveling that made Triana's bottom sore and her head bump several times, she felt her carriage stop. A knock on the carriage door followed.

"Lady, we have arrived."

The carriage door opened, and Triana cautiously stuck her head out, only to meet a blast of cold air against her half-braided hair.

"This... is the place, isn't it?" She asked, though she knew the answer.

"Yes, My Lady. This is Tevac Castle." Replied the head guard, extending his hand.

After swallowing, Triana placed her hand in his. "Thank you, Grivin," she said after stepping onto the ground.

"The castle is surrounded by powerful curses. Even its front gate has been left open. Are you sure we can enter?" Grivin asked.

"The witch said that the castle's protective magic only applies to vampires and other witches," Triana replied, staring at the slightly small but towering castle building standing before them. Then she muttered with a trembling voice, "I'm not even sure anyone could live in there."

Accompanied by five guards, Triana entered the castle, which was filled with thick cobwebs and flying bats. Two guards carried lanterns to illuminate their pitch-black path.

They descended the stairs until they reached the dungeon. The Grivin reopened the map that was sketched on a piece of paper by the witch. Then he led the way to an iron door with a small barred window in the middle.

"This is his prison," Grivin whispered.

Triana nodded. Her heart didn't stop pounding, and it only grew louder as they walked farther into the ominous castle.

"I see. Please open the door," Triana ordered.

Nodding, Grivin pushed the door open. The sound of rusty iron scraping against each other echoed in the empty and damp hallway, making anyone who heard it cringe.

Cold air and dampness greeted them. Though her feet wanted to run away, Triana had no choice but to step into that eerie room.

"The lantern, please," Triana said, holding out her hand to the side. One of the guards carrying a lantern nodded and handed it to Triana.

Holding her breath, Triana stepped further with the lantern hung in front of her body. The lantern's light slowly reached the end of the dark room.

Triana's hand trembled more as she saw three chains lying on the stone floor. Swallowing, she directed her lantern to follow the somewhat long chains until she stopped upon finding that they were bound to a pair of feet.

As the light moved higher, Triana's heart was squeezed tight as she found that the owner of those feet was a man who looked like a skeleton wrapped in wrinkled skin.

Bright brown eyes beamed at Triana. Those eyes seemed to shine in the darkness and were piercing as if they could read the thoughts of anyone they stared at.

Swallowing again, Triana, with cold and trembling hands, opened a small leather pouch attached to her slim waist. She pulled out a piece of paper and unfolded it. "Mr... V-Vlador Lev Dracount?"

The sleepy eyes blink slowly. Though his gaze was sharp, he seemed like a dying lion that had lost its teeth and claws to pounce on its prey.

"What brings you here?"

The heavy and somewhat hoarse voice made Triana look around. Then she realized that the voice came from the living skeleton wrapped in old, worn-out royal garments in front of her.

"Well... pardon," Triana coughed.

"My name is Triana Rexa Galev, the youngest daughter of The Duke of Karton. I came here to ask you to drink this." She pulled something else from her small pouch and then presented it to the terrifying-looking vampires.

A mocking laugh flowed from Vlador's dry and wrinkled lips. "You came to command me? What year is it now? It still seems like the old days; a beauty has a foolish mind."

Triana clenched her lips tightly. She had never received such a cruel insult from anyone. All her life, her ears had only heard thousands of praises.

A beauty has a foolish mind? Like in the old days? Don't tell her that all this time, people have thought her foolish behind her back?

But Triana quickly shook her head. She didn't have time anymore. This was the last night when the moon was full, which also forced her to come to this dreadful place without her parents' companion.

"Please help me, Mr. Dracount. You have to drink this. Giving you this potion is a condition for me to save my future." Triana pleaded as she showed the potion bottle to him.

The shining brown eyes moved to gaze at Triana's trembling, tiny hand in the air. Then his gaze returned to her blue eyes.

"Who sent you? Why should I drink that?" Vlador asked.

"It's... It's a witch. She said that... this potion will... um... make you young again," Triana answered.

Triana.

Triana could hear the pounding of her heart. Without her consent, her eyes rolled sideways to avoid the gaze of the skull-faced vampire.

'Oh, God! I've never lied in my entire life! I truly apologize!' Triana cried in her heart.

Occasionally, Triana glanced at Vlador's face. She truly couldn't read the vampire's expression-not because of his cold demeanor, but because skulls don't have facial muscles to express. Even the man's lips didn't move when he spoke. He simply opened his mouth, and words miraculously escaped past his rows of teeth.

The silence made Triana's hair stand on end. She didn't know what the vampire, who no longer spoke, was thinking.

Was he suspicious of her? Well, who wouldn't be? She was foolish enough to claim that the potion would make him young again.

The tale of the disappearance of the vampire race had been passed down through generations. Vampires perished after warring with humans, who were aided by witches. In other words, witches and vampires were archenemies.

Indeed, the potion Triana was offering Vlador wouldn't make him young at all. The witch had said she despised vampires and wanted to make them suffer.

Vlador Lev Dracount was said to be the last vampire in Galvadea. He survived because a witch cursed him to eternal life and let him starve until he became as desiccated as he was now. The witch Triana met said the potion would make a vampire burn inside for a full week without killing them. She just wanted to make him suffer for her own satisfaction.

In her heart, Triana didn't have the heart to do it, even though she had heard that vampires had killed many innocent people. But she had no other choice, especially since she had made a pact with the witch. If she didn't do it, she would become hideous.

"Very well."

"I didn't lie-," Triana said, stopping her sentence. "Very well?" she repeated.

"I will drink it," Vlador said.

"You... will drink it?"

"Don't repeat my words," Vlador said coldly.

"I'm sorry, but... are you really going to drink it? Are you sure?"

"Why do you keep asking? Is it poison that will make me suffer?"

"No, of course not." Triana shook her head. Then she cleared her throat. "All right then-"

"But I have a condition for you," Vlador interrupted her sentence.

"A condition? What condition is that?" Triana asked.

"Let me drink your blood."

"Drink my blood?" Triana's eyes widened, and her blue pupils shook.

"Don't repeat my words," Vlador said again.

"No. You'll just kill me!" Triana stepped back, still staring back at Vlador.

Chains jingled as Vlador raised his bony hand. He moved his index finger in a circular pattern. "It's been a hundred years since I drank human blood. If not for the witches' curse, I would have died dry long ago. Being able to drink human blood again is something that makes me feel at least somewhat alive to count more years in this dungeon."

"That potion... I know it won't make me young. It might contain something that makes me choose to die, but won't let me." He continued.

Triana clutched her chest as tightness gripped it. He had indeed known she lied, yet he still agreed to comply with her request just because he wanted to feel alive after a hundred years trapped in this dismal place. She didn't even know how long he had to continue living in this state.

"I won't kill you. Humans die when all their blood is drained, and it takes quite a while. I'll just suck for a few minutes." Vlador stated.

Gulping, Triana turned to her guards, but they just exchanged glances, uncertain of what decision to make. In the end, it was all in Triana's hands, the daughter of the Duke, who employed them.

"Do you... promise not to kill me?" Triana asked as her voice trembling again, matching the pounding of her racing heart.

"I've explained that draining your blood takes a long time. You also see that my hands and feet are bound by magic. I can't attack; instead, it's your guards who could kill me," Vlador replied.

Triana bit her lower lip, then glanced at the glowing potion bottle in her hand.

"If you don't want to, then leave."

Vlador's words snapped Triana out of her reverie. She took a deep breath and nodded. "Very well. But you must keep your promise."

"I believe I cannot break it... no matter how hard I try," Vlador responded.

For the last time, Triana exchanged glances with her guards. The men in protective armor and iron helmets nodded, telling her that they were ready to attack if the vampire didn't keep his promise.

"Come here. I can't walk there," Vlador said.

Returning her gaze forward, Triana took a deep breath before stepping closer to the vampire. Every step felt incredibly heavy, as if her ankles were chained to large stones.

Arriving between Vlador's open legs, Triana gracefully lowered her body and sat on the cold stone floor.

Triana didn't expect Vlador's appearance to be much more terrifying up close. As he straightened his back to approach her, her body trembled.

"Good girl. Now, pull your hair aside. You should know where vampires like to bite," Vlador whispered.

"Wa-wait a moment, please. Does it hurt?" Triana asked, gripping her tense neck.

"Have you ever been stabbed with a knife?" Vlador asked, receiving a shake of the head from Triana. "Then I can't explain it to you," he continued, moving his face closer to her neck.

"Oh, God... Please do it slowly, Mr. Dracount," Triana pleaded as she brushed her long hair off her shoulders.

"Tilt your head to make it more comfortable," Vlador suggested. A suggestion Triana followed reluctantly.

Feeling the hollow sockets of his eyes and his sunken cheeks move closer to her face, Triana could only shut her eyes tightly. She could feel Vlador's breath, signaling his closeness to her shoulder. Her entire body was tingling, and her heart felt like it was about to explode.

Slowly, Triana felt two sharp objects pressing against the base of her neck. Then, her eyes widened as, without warning, the objects pierced her skin and sank into her flesh.

"AGRH!" Triana's scream was choked in her throat.