NAPE - 79

Her hand was cut by a surprisingly sharp tendril for a plant. Bibi pouted her lips, seeing the drop of blood welling up on her fingertip. Regardless, Namwon was engrossed in breaking off plants. Was it just her imagination? She felt like she heard faint moans every time a plant was broken. Well... nothing bad would happen.

Perhaps by examining each one in detail, they could find out something about this suspicious arboretum.

“Stop destroying the arboretum.” As Bibi and Namwon were stirring up the flower beds under the guise of investigation, a voice like the wind came from somewhere.

Turning her head, she saw a tall man standing in front of a black rhino sculpture, with his hands clasped behind his back. With his silvery-white hair, slightly hunched posture, and the unique gaze of someone who had lived a long time, he looked like an old man at first glance, but on closer inspection, he was young. Dressed in a black tailcoat, he didn’t seem like an employee.

“In all my life, I’ve never seen such visitors,” he said, shaking his head and looking at the ruined flower bed. Namwon poked Bibi’s side.

“Hey. Smile as much as you can. Look kind. Now that I think about it, we’ve ruined quite a bit... If they make us pay for all that... ugh.” At his words, Bibi quickly turned up the corners of her mouth. Namwon also offered an awkward smile and cautiously stepped forward.

“We’re so sorry about this. We got the closing time confused. Do you perhaps know Lord Schauer?”

“What is the purpose of two vampires looking for me? Why have you come to find traces of the Executioner?” The moment the word “Executioner” was uttered, Bibi felt her heart leap.

“How did you know we were looking for the Executioner?”

“The drawing you showed the employee during the day. That is the portrait of the head of the Extracold family, drawn by himself. I know his handwriting and drawing style perfectly.” Lord Schauer’s eyes, filled with wariness, scrutinized Namwon up and down. He also seemed quite curious about the uninvited guests’ intentions.

“My name is Bibi. I am the daughter of Servant Luna, and Extracold... I was told he is my father.” Bibi felt a strange sensation as she uttered two awkward terms. Claiming to be someone’s daughter, asserting her father, was a first in her life. It felt as if some powerful force resided within her.

Lord Schauer’s mask-like face hardened into stone. Suddenly, he strode towards Bibi, bringing his face inches from hers. He stared intently at her with disbelieving eyes, then examined the drop of blood on Bibi’s fingertip and her face for a long moment before sighing and stepping back.

“I apologize for not recognizing you sooner. You possess Lady Luna’s eyes. And... I can smell my master’s blood.” He bowed elegantly at the waist. His high guard instantly crumbled, replaced by an overflowing loyalty to his master. With that, Bibi was certain that Lord Schauer was an ordinary vampire. He led Bibi and Namwon to the terrace inside the greenhouse.

As they sat at a table made of white wood, Lord Schauer brought tea from somewhere and served them. A pleasant aroma, strong enough to banish the stench of the corpse flower, filled the air.

Slowly bringing the hot tea to her lips, her tension eased, and her gloomy mood somewhat subsided. In truth, Bibi had been immersed in sorrow, thinking about her mother’s death and Doyoon, throughout her time wandering the arboretum.

“What is this arboretum?” Namwon, who had chugged the hot tea like gukbap, wiped his mouth and asked first.

“It’s operated with a portion of the funds left by my master, as it was a pity to see it become ruins.”

“The employees seem out of it. They were all saying strange things.”

“They are merely doing their best in their respective positions. After all, they also need to resolve their meals and thirst.”

Given the enigmatic answers, Namwon and Bibi gave up on trying to understand the true nature of this place. Instead, Bibi decided to focus on a more important matter.

“Do you happen to know Luna Servant?”

“I knew her when she joined as a maid while I served my master. She was as dark and brilliant as the flowers here, and she captivated attention. Enough to captivate my master’s gaze, who had lived like a monk his entire life.” Lord Schauer’s eyes became distant.

“When Lady Luna went missing, my master almost lost his sanity. He was terrifying when he suppressed the rebels. Even though I had served him for a long time, it was the first time I had seen him like that. Towards the end of the war, a letter arrived. It said that Lady Luna was pregnant with a child. There was also a threat that if he didn’t come alone, without any weapons, the mother would be burned to death immediately.”

It must have been the letter sent by the Trainer. Holding the mother and child hostage. That was truly a despicable act. Bibi chewed her molars tightly, recalling his battered face. Now, thinking of the Trainer only brought her fury.

“My master was very anxious that something might happen to Lady Luna. He vowed to save Lady Luna and the child, even if it meant his own demise, and he set off. And... the rest, as you both know, is history.” Lord Schauer’s voice trembled. He wore a very strained expression throughout the story. As if the past event was still ongoing in the present. There was no comfort he could offer to someone who had lost everything and was steeped in grief.

“Actually, my master seemed to have anticipated his end. If the child were to return... he said to give them this.” Lord Schauer held out a small box. Inside was a glass vial containing a red liquid.

“It is my master’s blood. Please drink it. This signifies the awakening of the Extracold family’s blood and the bestowal of authority.”

It was a ritual. At the command to drink blood preserved for hundreds of years, Namwon showed a look of repulsion. But Bibi felt nothing. For Doyoon, she could even eat a corpse, let alone aged blood.

She uncorked the bottle in one swift motion, tilted it to her lips, and drank it all. Her father’s blood tasted like water, with no distinct flavor.

“Is this all? Is there no proof or anything? Like a stamp or a certificate of authenticity...” When Namwon demanded a clear birth certificate, Lord Schauer smiled wryly.

“Vampires do not prove kinship through objects. That is inaccurate and easily forged. The Elder Council has ancient vampires, and they remember the scent of their ancestors’ blood. They will recognize the traces when they smell Lady Bibi’s blood.”

So, the Elder Council would be able to smell both the Servant family and the Extracold family in her blood? Bibi’s emotions became complicated again.

“The succession ceremony is complete. You can now exercise the authority of the Executioner. This is the location and password for the secret vault, and this is my personal contact number. Please call if you need anything. We will always move for our master.”

Lord Schauer held out a USB. By now, his eyes were free from the past and looking towards the future. Bibi felt a weight on her shoulders. She only wanted to help Doyoon; she hadn’t intended to become the head of a family or take on a position.

“But I don’t know. Even if I accept this... I don’t think I’ll change. I have no power. I still don’t know anything. I want to be by Doyoon’s side... but he has an obligation to eliminate me, a descendant of the Servant family... I... have to hide myself from vampire society. And, and he’s my ‘type.’ So I had no choice but to run away to avoid being eaten.”

Bibi, who had felt pride as a hound, had seen and experienced many things since coming to London. She now realized how weak and insignificant a vampire she was.

“The important thing is to feel the blood flowing within you. If the Executioner possessed a destructive appetite that all feared, the Executor was called the closest to immortality due to their exceptional regenerative power. The explosive inertia for sustaining life is key. So much so that even silver bullets are ineffective against them.”

“...”

“Lady Bibi’s blood is strong. Strong enough to control even the Executioner’s monstrous offensive power.” Lord Schauer said with a confident expression. Bibi hesitated, then finally took the USB. Joy spread across his face, as if he had finally accomplished a long-held task.

“I have waited for this moment.” He kissed Bibi’s right hand. Was receiving someone’s support truly this reassuring? Bibi felt confident for the first time.

She had received love from her mother when she was young, but that alone couldn’t protect her. The inheritance she received from a father she had never even seen was the strength to uphold her will to live.

She gained immense wealth, vampires loyal to her, and enlightenment. She finally understood who she was, what kind of person she was, and how she wanted to live her life going forward. She also knew how to deal with the hatred for the Trainer and her former masters boiling within her. Her armpits itched, as if wings were about to sprout.