NAPE - 88

“I want to learn all sorts of things. Especially computers. I think they’re essential for humans these days.”

“Hmm. You’ll pick that up quickly. You have a knack for it. And what else? You said before that having a job wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

Bibi nodded. She had more than enough money from her father’s assets, which Sir Sauer had transferred to her. Despite that, she wanted a job because she felt the need to belong somewhere. Before fully embarking on her role as Executor, Bibi wanted to develop her lacking social skills.

Things like managing expressions and reacting to unexpected situations. These had to be learned through social experience. Also, mastering conversational techniques was crucial. In her current unskilled state, she would surely be easily swayed if she were to attend the Elder Council.

“I think I need some experience in group living.”

“Group living, huh. Should I send you to school? Do you want to go to university?”

“No. I prefer to learn at home directly from Doyoon. Doyoon is a good teacher.”

“That’s a relief, that you think so.”

“I wanted to go to the military. It’s good for learning combat skills and in many other ways.”

“Hmm... The military...”

“But I don’t think I could be with Doyoon, so I won’t go. Instead, I want to be a hunter.”

“Hmm?”

“You know, living as a hunting dog, I wanted to meet other vampires. It seems there are quite a few half-blood vampires who were abused like me. If possible, I want to save them.”

“But by rule, killing them is... not the Hunter Association’s rule, but the vampire world’s rule. To eliminate vampires who disrupt order and run wild.”

“I am the Executor. I think I can make exceptions when dealing with them.”

It was a sharp observation. Doyoon was quite impressed that Bibi had accepted her status well and was contemplating how to utilize it.

“Honestly, your rate of development is incredible. And at the same time, it’s reassuring.”

“Hey, you know what? Can I meet that woman, the Association Head? I’m curious.”

Bibi seized the opportunity to say what she had wanted all along. In truth, it had bothered her that the Head kept calling Doyoon. She wanted to meet her in person and judge for herself.

“Alright. I was going to meet her anyway. We can invite her to Namwon’s housewarming.”

Fortunately, Doyoon didn’t refuse. He had promised that he would try not to intentionally hide things from her again after their last time in London. Surprisingly, he kept his word well.

“And, and, there’s something else I want to ask.”

Bibi thought she might as well bring up everything she had been curious about and her eyes sparkled. Doyoon chuckled and nodded, seeing her expression.

“What is it? Ask away, I’ll answer everything.”

“Then... I’ll just go get the diary I put in the safe.”

She keeps a diary too? This is incredible. Doyoon found Bibi, who even kept a diary on her own, so cute and charming that he wanted to bite her with his fangs.

Once the conversation flowed, Bibi chattered incessantly, as if making up for all the words she hadn’t said until now. Doyoon brought over the wine, poured it into glasses, and handed one to Bibi.

The two sat on the floor, leaning their backs against the sofa, pressing close to each other’s sides, and chatted intimately throughout the night. Occasionally, Doyoon would laugh so hard at Bibi’s words he almost choked, and he’d kiss her when he couldn’t resist. Bibi, delighted by Doyoon, hugged him with both arms.

It was the first time conversation had been more interesting and stimulating than sex. The two vampires talked until the sun rose high in the sky, then fell asleep, curled up tightly on the cramped sofa.

________________________________________

Compared to Doyoon’s penthouse, which looked as if every tile had been painstakingly gilded, Namwon’s new house had a cozy charm. The detached house, with a lawn garden for barbecues and a slightly aged look, was spacious and comfortable.

As Bibi understood it, if someone had acquired such a house in central Seoul, especially in a neighborhood known for its expensive real estate, they were considered wealthy.

While Doyoon, wearing sunglasses, greeted the dog in one corner of the garden, Bibi subtly approached Namwon, who was preparing the barbecue, and asked him where he got the money. She was very curious how he managed it, as hunter activities alone wouldn’t be enough.

“Didn’t I tell you? The Chairman passed away while I was in England, and it seems there was a dispute over inheritance. They contacted me about shares, you see. I was just going to dispose of them because I wanted to cut ties, but Senior Doyoon bought them from me. He gave me double the cash under the table.”

Namwon whistled while preparing the barbecue, saying it was a profitable deal even after buying the house. Bibi worried that Doyoon might have overexerted himself, but Namwon scoffed.

“Worrying about Kwon Doyoon’s wealth is the most useless thing in the world. It’s like worrying about the ocean drying up after taking a sip of seawater. The Tudor family has accumulated enough wealth to buy all of Korea and still have money left over.”

With such a perfectly apt analogy, Bibi immediately understood and felt relieved. As the charcoal caught fire and they were about to start grilling the meat, the invited guest arrived. It was the Association Head.

“Welcome.”

“Kwon Doyoon.”

As Doyoon personally opened the door for her, the Association Head wore a displeased expression and glared at him with narrowed eyes.

“Are you still bothered about meeting the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff? It was a misunderstanding. Why would I tell a military official about Association matters?”

“You might be a plant for the next election. I should have been suspicious when you brought an outsider to the Association. If you’ve leaked any classified information, you’d better tell the truth.”

“Meeting the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has nothing to do with politics. His son wanted to major in philosophy, so I just gave him some admission information. And that woman... well, she’s my lover.”

“Lover?”

“Bibi, come out and say hello. She’s the one who was caught on CCTV back then.”

Bibi, who had been observing from a step back, approached Doyoon and carefully examined the Association Head.

She had the impression of a pirate captain. Sharp eyes, a somewhat free-spirited and hearty demeanor, yet exuding an unyielding aura.

“Nice to meet you. Kwon Doyoon’s lover, you say? Quite... beautiful, indeed.”

She had no idea that Bibi, the lover of Hunter Kwon Doyoon, was a pure-blood vampire.

“She’s my lover, but also a prospective hunter. I plan to train her myself. That’s why I brought her to the Association.”

The Association Head looked surprised.

“Since when do you train juniors? I thought you wouldn’t train anyone after Lee Namwon.”

“Situations are slowly changing. It seems things are going to get busy. There’s an uproar from higher-ups about whether to officially accept the existence of vampires or not.”

“That’s true. Even if they’re half-bloods, the fact that humans want to manage them instead of disposing of them will displease the pure-bloods. There’s talk that they’re even breaking the oath that vampires don’t interfere in human society.”

In the tense atmosphere, Doyoon maintained a leisurely smile. The Association Head frowned, as if she couldn’t stand the sight of that smile.

“Well... yes. We’re going to coordinate a story with the citizens that it’s a new type of disease, but it seems London is leaning towards acceptance. That’s making the Ministry of Foreign Affairs quite a headache. The Hunter Association is also being swamped with calls from assembly members wanting to visit.”

“Anyway, it seems vampires surfacing is a predetermined event. The pure-blood vampires won’t stand by if the government starts managing them unofficially.”

“Alright, alright, the meat’s almost ready! Come quickly!”

As Namwon clicked his tongs, the Association Head finally turned her head. She abandoned her silent battle of wills and stepped into the green-lawned garden.

“Lee Namwon, congratulations on buying a house. Your skin looks better, did you get a treatment?”

“Ahem. Of course not.”

“You’ve changed a lot since I last saw you.”

Indeed, since he had become a vampire, his aura would be very different from when he was human. The person responsible for that change watched with an anxious expression from behind.

“Everyone said that after I got back from vacation. I guess eating well and sleeping well really is the best.”

Namwon chuckled heartily, playing innocent, and busily cut the meat. The barbecue was going well. The Association Head brought out the wine she had brought as a gift, and the meat was perfectly cooked.

“Everyone likes it rare, right?”

“Of course. But don’t we need to cook pork more?”

“That’s right.”

As Namwon put the thick, fatty pork belly back down, the meat dripped onto the charcoal, and flames shot high above their heads.

Bibi, sitting at the table, startled and quickly recoiled. While her fear of fire was less than before, unexpected flare-ups like this still made her a little scared. The Association Head looked at Bibi with curious eyes, then admonished Namwon to be careful not to burn the meat.

“Don’t worry. I used to work part-time at a Korean BBQ restaurant.”

“You did?”

“For a week, undercover. Senior made me.”

“Ah-ha.”

Every time oil dripped onto the charcoal, the fire continued to flare up like lava. Bibi, with a wary expression, squatted down low on a rock far from the table.