NAPE - 105

Side Story 16

Having made her decision, Bibi bit her finger and let the blood flow into Lau Yuan’s mouth. His eyes, tasting pureblood, widened like saucers. Though confused by the taste, he gripped Bibi’s hand, addicted, and drank the blood.

This boy, bless him, didn’t use his fangs. Perhaps because he was a hybrid, Lau Yuan didn’t heal instantly like Doyoon or herself. Still, seeing his face visibly calm, it seemed the pain was subsiding. He would probably recover quickly if he ate well, slept well, and was in a good environment.

“That’s enough now.”

After bleeding enough, Bibi tried to withdraw her hand from his mouth.

“More... give me more. Ugh... I want to drink more, your blood, Sister... it’s so delicious...”

Lau Yuan groaned, pleading.

“Sorry... This should be enough for you.”

Bibi withdrew her hand and let out a complicated sigh. She felt pity for the hounds here. They were her past self.

Beings who, unable to develop their own identities, were forced to be tools, dogs. Just as it was unjust to be abused for being the daughter of a rebellious family, it was not right to be treated carelessly for being a hybrid. It was clearly wrong.

How could she escape this island of hell? It was time to start planning her escape. Waiting for Doyoon’s help wouldn’t be bad, but... considering he hadn’t come for her yet, she was clearly far down on his priority list.

While feeling a little hurt, she understood. Vampires were immortal, weren’t they? If they didn’t die, they would eventually meet again. That fact alone would keep Doyoon from feeling any sense of crisis.

Bibi recalled how she had been of no particular use since coming to Thailand and grew gloomy. When she was by his side, she was sure of his affection, but now that they were apart, negative thoughts crept in.

Perhaps I haven’t been abandoned... have I?

________________________________________

Ton Pheung, Special Economic Zone, Laos

Doyoon lit a cigarette. With vacant, impassive eyes, he looked up at the golden statue erected in front of the marble pillar. Judging by its crudeness, it was clearly a shoddy imitation, impressive only on the surface.

Looking up, a massive crown sculpture sat atop the casino building, modeled after a Greek temple. It was an eyesore that shimmered vulgarly every night, staining the Mekong River.

This Queens Romans Casino, where Doyoon stood, was owned by the Hong Kong magnate Zhao Wei. His organization engaged in all sorts of illegal activities, including human trafficking, drug and wildlife smuggling, and prostitution, as well as having close ties with Myanmar rebels, Thailand’s National Development Party, and the Chinese Nationalist Party settled in Laos.

Acting rashly in his backyard was as unwise as vampire political intervention. However, sometimes things simply had to happen.

“Young master, the cleanup is complete.”

A vampire dressed in black quietly approached and bowed. He was the commander of Volpithon Team 1.

“The guards, managers, and the person in charge have all been gathered in one place, and the tourists have been sent out. But... uh, humans were found in the basement, what should we do with them?”

“...Humans?”

“Yes. They are presumed to be victims of human trafficking. There are mostly Burmese people. These days, with the civil war and protests, it’s very chaotic.”

“That’s none of my business, leave them be.”

“Yes, sir.”

“No. Let them all go.”

Doyoon changed his mind in a second. Seeing victims of human trafficking strangely reminded him of Bibi. Especially when he saw women.

He wouldn’t have cared in the past. Doyoon genuinely felt sorry for what Bibi had gone through in the past and deeply understood her suffering back then. Because of this, he couldn’t turn away from similar cases.

Entering the casino, a grand chandelier and a golden hall unfolded before him. It was as opulent as Las Vegas, but much more gaudy. It seemed they had prioritized flashiness over aesthetic sense.

Well, considering the owner, it made sense. Doyoon gazed at Zhao Wei’s syndicate members kneeling on the stairs. Not a single trace of resistance was visible in them.

One of the tied-up syndicate members, terrified, eventually urinated himself. He felt no shame, trembling with fear, wondering why he was reacting this way.

Engaging in syndicate activities in Southeast Asia exposed one to all sorts of things. Treating people like animals was nothing, and murder was done without hesitation. Doing such things would desensitize one to the fear of blood and death, making them lose their fear.

But... the beings they were facing now were on a different level than anything they had experienced before. It was as if they had encountered a group of man-eating ghouls; just looking at them sent chills down their spines.

Especially the tall man leisurely smoking a cigarette, he seemed so devoid of emotion that one wondered if he was even human. Committing slaughter and then calmly smoking, without being intoxicated by the heat of it. It was too ordinary.

A heavy sense of powerlessness and pressure, like facing a natural disaster, enveloped them. In the face of an unknown entity, humans were weak and helpless.

“Senior, the Association President is raising a fuss about why there’s no news from you.”

Namwon approached Doyoon with a troubled expression, putting his phone in his pocket.

“Tell him there was nothing special. And tell him I liked Thailand and decided to take a short vacation.”

“...The Association President will foam at the mouth... No, he might understand, saying it’s just Kwon Doyoon’s usual capriciousness, right?”

Namwon looked around at those kneeling on the stairs with a serious expression. A worried light appeared on his simple face. Doyoon shrugged his shoulders and tossed his cigarette to the floor.

“I don’t care. I just need to find Bibi.”

“Is it okay to cause such a huge incident?”

“Shut up. You’re bothering me.”

At Doyoon’s sensitive reaction, Namwon instinctively knew he couldn’t stop him anymore and let out a small sigh. Since losing Bibi, Doyoon hadn’t eaten or drunk for two days, only smoking cigarettes. He had been stirring things up everywhere as if he had lost his sight.

He had messed with everything from the riverside shops to small gangs, and now even the lair of Southeast Asia’s largest crime organization. All while mobilizing the Tudor family’s Volpithon. Namwon named this “Bibi Withdrawal Stage 2.”

“Young Master, this is the man. He was hiding in the secret vault.”

One of the Volpithon members found the general manager of the place and dragged him in front of Doyoon. The general manager was a young man. Although his skin was tanned, he was not of Asian descent. He was perceptive and looked up at Doyoon with a rather polite demeanor.

“I’m looking for my lover.”

Doyoon said calmly, looking at him with impassive eyes.

“L-lover...?”

“Yes. After investigating, if she was swept away from here, it’s roughly... what do they call it, a pungcheon? A place where the river and sea meet. There’s a high probability she drifted to an island near Thaiban. Do you know of any such islands?”

“There... are no islands there.”

The general manager swallowed, as if his mouth was dry, and glanced nervously.

“There aren’t any?”

“Yes.”

“Not even one?”

“No. It’s not on the map. We don’t really go to that area. The fishing industry there is managed by small, insignificant organizations...”

“Zhao Wei’s organization manages almost all of this area, though. I know they even have at least minimal contact with the Wa State Army and the Karen. But you don’t know?”

“I don’t know. I really don’t know. Why would I lie?”

“Ha... Damn it, this is frustrating.”

Doyoon, who had been interrogating him, cursed and rubbed his face dry. Anxiety spread through his chest. Where on earth is she? Where did she go? It felt as if she had deliberately hidden herself.

He even suspected that Bibi might have felt hurt by him and left him. If that were the case... what would he really do? How could he live without her, when life felt meaningless without her?

When he reached that point, Doyoon wanted to destroy everything in his sight. Not being able to see her or know where she was and what she was doing, his insides literally felt like they were burning.

“Ha...”

Doyoon slowly sat down, bowing his head. Regardless of who saw him, he stared blankly at the shining floor. Watching him seem to wither, Namwon named his state “Bibi Withdrawal Stage 3.”

“But... you look familiar.”

Doyoon, who had been lost in thought for a while, suddenly stared intently at the general manager in front of him. The manager flinched at his piercing gaze.

“...Me? That can’t be... you must be mistaken.”

“Mistaken? No... you... Ah, yes. You’re Reiyas Dorkin. The second son of the Dorkin family. Your age... was it 400? Why are you here?”

Even having discovered a rather significant secret, Doyoon’s eyes showed little emotion.

“...C-could you pretend you didn’t see me? Then I’ll try to handle today’s attack so there won’t be any problems...”

“Handle it? Do whatever you want... It doesn’t particularly concern me. Don’t be too scared. I just came to find someone.”

“...Ah, well... Yes...”

“But it’s strange. You’re a pureblood vampire from the venerable Dorkin family, by name. Aren’t you ashamed? Being a human’s subordinate.”

“......”

“Indeed. That human, Zhao Wei, I met him once in Hong Kong, and he’s quite a clever person, for someone from a timber merchant background. The Dorkin family is poor and has no business acumen, so it’s better to be someone’s dog. Even if that someone is human.”

Doyoon, who had insulted the other without malice, slowly composed himself and stood up.