NAPE - 61

“There’s no way. The vampire from Longmelford took care of them all earlier.”

“I should leave here too.”

Jack, who had seen enough trouble from getting entangled with the vampire society, put down his broom and quickly donned the cloak he had hidden behind a tombstone. The moment he turned to head in the opposite direction of the forest, a dark figure filled his vision.

“Gah...!”

Startled, Jack stumbled backward and fell. He was shocked that he hadn’t noticed anything until the figure was so close.

“Long time no see, Jack.”

The mysterious man pulled down his black hood and greeted him with a hoarse voice. Jack’s face turned ashen, and his lips trembled when he saw the face revealed by the moonlight.

“You... you...”

“Ah, no need to call my name. These days, I live as a trainer.”

The trainer calmly looked around. With a nostalgic expression, he picked up some ashes from the ground and scattered them into the air. Then, he took a deep breath, furrowing his brow as if savoring a taste.

“Looks like a guest visited. There’s a familiar smell. Did you entertain them well, Jack?”

“N-nothing much... I received your message and tried to follow your orders. But... he had a hunter’s gun. I couldn’t capture him... And, and I didn’t expect you to be alive, so I was even less prepared...”

Jack’s lips trembled uncontrollably as he made excuses, as if he had seen a ghost.

“I already knew about your incompetence. It’s fine. This is just a passing stop.”

The trainer scoffed caustically. He put his hands in his pockets and boldly stepped closer to Jack, almost touching his face.

“How much did you tell them?”

“N-nothing at all...”

Under the piercing gaze, Jack couldn’t meet his eyes and bit his lip.

“Impossible. I know your kind well, Jack... You’re susceptible to temptation and can’t endure even a little pain, like a sycophant. Aren’t you? You truly fear me. That’s why you live in this forest.”

“Th-there are various reasons...!”

For the first time, Jack clenched his fists and shouted indignantly. However, his courage evaporated under the chilling gaze that met his.

“Right. I’m not particularly curious about the reasons. So Jack, tell me honestly. What did you tell them? How did you run your filthy mouth?”

“N-nothing much... I only told them about the vampire war history!”

“And what else?”

“Also...? I-I warned them to be careful of the executioner...”

In front of the trainer, Jack was as docile as a subordinate facing his boss.

“Hmm. Is that all?”

“There was really nothing else... Oh, they offered me an invitation to Longmelford. They said there’s an auction there...”

“Longmelford? That’s where the Tudor family is.”

“Exactly... And finally, I gave them the coordinates. The coordinates of where that girl’s mother died...”

Jack anxiously tried to prolong the conversation, wanting to emphasize that he had useful information. He subtly backed away, watching the trainer lost in thought. After all, he knew the local geography better. If he could create some distance and then run, there was a chance.

“B-but why are you looking for them? How did you know those two would come here and send me a message?”

Jack threw out a question to distract him.

“Hacking CCTV is nothing. He was checking the lineage with Bibi.”

Suddenly, the trainer’s mouth stretched into a wide smile. Even Jack, who had lived for eons, had never seen such an ominous smile. It was a smile that made one’s blood run cold and one’s hair stand on end.

Feeling the madness, Jack instinctively backed away, then ran for his life towards the plain.

“Gasp, gasp!”

His thigh, which had been pierced by a silver bullet, still ached and wasn’t fully healed, but it didn’t prevent him from running. Jack looked back and saw the man still standing alone in the abandoned monastery. The trainer, who had been looking up at the moon, was gesturing towards the fleeing Jack, mouthing something silently.

‘Come here.’

________________________________________

The British weather was still gloomy today. Due to the lack of sunlight, the Tudor family mansion had its lights brightly lit even in broad daylight.

Despite it being a day with no worries about UV rays, Namwon didn’t give up his sunglasses. His fashion was as flashy as ever. He wore a green paisley-patterned shirt, and his ripped pants were adorned with dangling chains.

One might suspect he had simply picked up all his clothes from a clearance sale at a vintage market in Shoreditch. And with his red hair on top of all that chaos, it was enough to stress out anyone sensitive to aesthetics.

“Looking at how you’re dressed up, it makes me want to hit you.”

Doyoon, sitting in the mansion’s drawing-room, finally couldn’t hold back his remark. Namwon set his teacup down on the table and pouted.

“Let’s not say such brutal things.”

“Are you in heat or something?”

That’s strange. That period should be over. Doyoon tilted his head gravely.

“I’m reporting this as sexual harassment.”

“It’s just that your appearance makes you look like a peacock in heat.”

“This is all your fault, senior. If I wasn’t always next to you, I would’ve had ten girlfriends by now. You know that?”

“You don’t know anything. You only ever got to talk to women thanks to me.”

“Whatever. I’m not talking to an old-timer. More importantly, this is my first time visiting your family home. I feel like I’ve entered a tiger’s den right now.”

Namwon looked around the lavish drawing-room of the mansion, marveling. He glanced at the vampire servants and fidgeted with the gun in his pocket.

“Be careful. There are many here who like human blood.”

Even seeing that, Doyoon didn’t reassure his junior; instead, he scared him more.

“Hmph. Let them come. It’ll be their last supper.”

Namwon grinned. He was eager to rampage in a pureblood vampire’s mansion. Doyoon was deflated; this wasn’t the reaction he wanted.

“Did you visit the London branch well?”

“Yes. Hunters there and here are equally annoying.”

“Hmm.”

“But where did she go?”

“Who?”

“Bibi.”

“Bibi’s right here in this room. She has been for a while.”

Namwon’s eyes widened as he looked around the drawing-room. On the shelves, under the sofas and tables, behind the curtains... Bibi was nowhere to be found.

“Where on earth?”

“There.”

Doyoon pointed towards a decorative cabinet in the corner.

“I don’t see her.”

“Look closely.”

Namwon furrowed his brow and concentrated. Surely she wasn’t inside the cabinet. “Where could she be?” he muttered, and then he spotted something in the narrow gap between the wall and the cabinet.

“Sh*t, you scared me!”

Namwon jumped off the sofa in fright. Bibi was crouched in the narrow space between the wall and the furniture, a gap barely wide enough for a human body. She didn’t move, just blinked her large, round eyes, staring at Namwon.

“Why is she there? Hey, what are you doing...? Is that, is that thing alive?”

“I should get her out.”

Bibi had a habit of going into confined spaces when she was anxious or upset. It was probably due to her upbringing.

Doyoon picked up the crouching Bibi and sat her on his lap. Then he hugged her tightly. Bibi, who hadn’t seen Namwon in days, didn’t acknowledge him and quietly surrendered herself to Doyoon. His warm chest gave her a sense of security.

“Why is she so down? ...Did what you were trying to find out not go well?”

“Something like that.”

In fact, Bibi was in a depressed state. She had been languishing like this ever since returning to the Tudor family from the abandoned monastery. Realizing she was a descendant of a rebellious family, she felt lost and overwhelmed. This feeling was new to her, and it was difficult to cope with. Even the hope that good things would happen seemed to be fading.

“Don’t worry. You won’t have to bear it alone.”

Still, it was fortunate that Doyoon was by her side. The words “you’re not alone,” and especially his presence, were a great comfort to Bibi.

“Stay with Bibi tomorrow. I have to attend a charity event all day.”

“So you called me to babysit?”

Namwon grumbled but readily nodded. He had felt a strange sympathy for Bibi ever since the day Choi Haejin attacked her.

“Alright. Did you get the item I asked for?”

“Here. But what are you going to use it for? This is the first time I’ve seen you use something like this.”

“You’ll find out in due time.”

Namwon placed a black briefcase, something straight out of a spy movie, on the table. Bibi was extremely curious about what was inside, but Doyoon didn’t bother to open it and check.

“Oh, and what about my request?”

“The reception room can be rented, but it’s best to keep it as quiet as possible because spreading rumors isn’t good.”

“I agree.”

Doyoon had a serious expression as he assigned various errands and discussed matters with Namwon. Watching them, Bibi felt a slight sense of exclusion. She was listening in the same room, but she couldn’t fathom what they were preparing. It bothered her that he wasn’t giving her any instructions.

Bibi had fangs that were as threatening and sharply honed as a hunter’s gun. The fact that he wasn’t trying to utilize them felt as disappointing as him not drinking her blood.