CA – Chapter 39
Chapter 39
The maid arrived at the manor early in the morning, just as she always did. Her mind was preoccupied with the flower branches she hadn't finished trimming yesterday, so she hurried straight to the garden upon entering the manor. However, as she reached the entrance, she stopped abruptly, her expression surprised as she looked at the woman standing in the garden. It was the priest she had met last night.
A pure white priest's robe embroidered with exquisite patterns, silver long boots on her feet, a slender neck tightly wrapped by the collar, and a form-fitting gown that outlined a waist one could encircle with a single grasp. Her long, golden hair cascaded smoothly down her back, just barely covering her shapely rear. The priest held a pair of shears for trimming branches and was focused on pruning the rose bush before her. Hearing the sound, she glanced back. Her sky-blue eyes curved slightly, and the smile on her face was gentle and kind. She gave an elegant curtsy and said with a smile, “Good day.”
The maid was mesmerized by the golden-haired priest. Snapping back to her senses when she heard her voice, she hastily curtsied in return and said softly, “Your Excellency the Priest, good day.”
She recognized the priest's robes Tang Qiu was wearing.
“Lucille has returned.” Tang Qiu glanced up at a second-floor window, completely obscured by heavy curtains. After a moment's thought, she said softly, “She wishes to rest in the manor today and does not want to be disturbed.”
The maid looked at her blankly and nodded, not quite understanding.
“How about I give you a day off on her behalf?”
The maid was taken aback. “Is-is that alright?” she asked in surprise.
Tang Qiu nodded with a smile. “Of course.”
The maid left the manor in a daze. Although she was still a bit bewildered as to why the golden-haired priest was here, she didn't doubt her words.
After all, Lucille had once told her that the golden-haired priest was allowed to stay at the manor. And it was true that Lucille disliked being disturbed when she was there.
After the maid left, Tang Qiu picked up the shears again, humming a tuneless melody in a good mood as she focused on trimming the branches. She had no professional knowledge of horticulture and was simply going by her own feeling, but the result was surprisingly attractive.
Her already pleasant mood instantly soared.
Tang Qiu set down the shears with satisfaction. Her peripheral vision caught a few small plants next to the rose bush. She walked over for a look and bent down to pick several ripe fruits.
In the second-floor bedroom, Lucille stood by the window and lifted a corner of the curtain. Through the gap, she looked down at the busy figure in the garden. Because she had entered her period of weakness, her face was a deathly pale, and crimson surged in her dark red eyes. She leaned lightly against the window frame, subconsciously licking her lips out of hunger, but her feet remained rooted to the spot. It seemed she had no intention of pouncing on the prey below who exuded a delicious scent from every pore.
Lucille swallowed from time to time, her gaze following the golden-haired priest's figure for a long while.
Tang Qiu cut a few tulips in the garden and arranged them in a vase. She sat comfortably in a chair in the courtyard, picked up the teapot on the table, and poured herself a cup of hot tea, into which she placed the fruits she had just picked.
The aroma of the tea leaves mixed with the sweetness of the ripe fruit, creating a scent that warmed the heart. She held the cup, leaned back in her chair, and basked in the warm sunlight, sighing to herself, “Cardinal Reese's life is truly enviable.”
Back when she was so busy at the Holy See she barely had time to drink a sip of water, she would always see Cardinal Reese sunbathing and drinking afternoon tea whenever she passed by the back of the church.
That leisurely and carefree appearance suddenly made her feel a subtle sense of camaraderie with Monica.
The morning sun was not too intense, perfect for enjoyment. Tang Qiu leisurely drank a cup of fruit tea and ate some pastries. Her gaze flickered toward a certain bedroom window. After a moment, she looked up in that direction and called out, “Lucille, are you sure you don't want to come and enjoy the warm sunlight?”
There was no movement from the window.
Tang Qiu chuckled softly. She poured herself another cup of hot tea and said nonchalantly while picking through the fruits, “Ours is a mutually beneficial relationship. Are you sure you want to keep starving yourself?”
She had noticed Lucille's unusual state when she woke up this morning and knew she was in a blood-craving phase. At the time, she had even offered her wrist, intending to let her have some breakfast, but she had been inexplicably refused.
She clearly didn't have to torture herself like this. Tang Qiu couldn't understand why Lucille was so averse to drinking blood.
The fruit tea was fragrant but not cloying. Tang Qiu liked the taste and took another sip. Just as she had finished half the cup, Lucille's figure suddenly appeared beside her.
An icy hand gripped her wrist tightly, nearly knocking the cup over. Tang Qiu frowned. As she used her other hand to take the cup and place it on the table, Lucille had already pressed her down into the chair.
Her wrist was pulled up, the sleeve sliding down. Cool lips rubbed heavily against her wrist, and Tang Qiu could feel Lucille's sharp fangs. Listening to the slightly heavy breathing by her ear, she consciously relaxed her body and soothed her gently, “Don't be in such a hurry.”
Sometimes, desire only grows more turbulent when suppressed.
The chair, wide enough for two people to sit side-by-side, was not overloaded by the addition of Lucille. Tang Qiu proactively adjusted her position to make it easier for Lucille to feed.
Her wrist was suddenly bitten, and the pain made Tang Qiu frown involuntarily. She could feel Lucille's soft tongue pressed against her wrist, hear her heavy sucking sounds, and even more so, she could see the dazed look in her eyes as she lost herself in the act.
This vampire craved only her blood. Pinned beneath Lucille, Tang Qiu looked up at her quietly, her expression a little complicated.
Lucille always exercised restraint when feeding. After quenching the thirst deep in her heart, she would stop immediately, regardless of whether she was full. Her eyes slowly regained their clarity, and the knees pinning Tang Qiu's legs gradually loosened. She straightened up, releasing her, but her hand still held Tang Qiu's wrist. Her expression had returned to its usual coldness as she lowered her head and meticulously licked the bloodstains around the wound clean.
Lucille always performed this finishing touch after feeding. The licking on her wrist was a bit ticklish, making Tang Qiu instinctively pull her hand back. Meeting Lucille's gaze, she said with some resignation, “I think you can let go of me now.”
This final step was really unnecessary.
Lucille pursed her lips, released her wrist, and moved to sit in the chair opposite her. Her gaze fell on the cup Tang Qiu had placed on the table, and her eyes flickered.
Tang Qiu noticed Lucille's gaze and raised an eyebrow with a smile. “Want to try some?” As she spoke, she took another empty cup, poured Lucille a cup of hot tea, and casually dropped a fruit into it.
Lucille was silent for a moment before picking up the cup. She lowered her head, sniffed it, and said softly, “My mother often made this kind of fruit tea for me.”
Tang Qiu, who was cleaning her wound with Holy Water of Light, paused. She glanced at the forlorn-looking Lucille and, after some thought, asked tentatively, “Your mother is now…”
Lucille lowered her eyes, her tone calm. “She passed away a long time ago.”
It seemed Lucille wasn't talking about the vampire who sired her. Tang Qiu pulled her sleeve down. She had wanted to ask Lucille why she became a vampire, but the words died on her lips.
Having spent so much time with Lucille, she could tell that Lucille avoided this topic. After much consideration, Tang Qiu decided not to carelessly pick at her scars.
Sometimes, satisfying one's own curiosity wasn't that important.
Tang Qiu leaned back in her chair and naturally changed the subject. “That vampire from last night, are you really going to let her go?”
Lola knew about her relationship with Lucille, which was somewhat dangerous for Tang Qiu.
As if she knew what Tang Qiu was thinking, Lucille said in a low voice, “She won't reveal anything about you to the people of the Holy See.”
“Oh?”
“To her, people from the Holy See are all prey.” Lucille took a sip of the fruit tea, her tone laced with indifference. “Vampires never speak to their prey about anything other than the hunt.”
Tang Qiu rubbed the warm side of her cup. After a moment of contemplation, she curved her lips into a smile. “But what if I'm still not reassured?” She blinked and suggested, “Tonight is a full moon. Let's go kill her together.”
She looked like she was joking, but in reality, only she knew she was serious.
She was just a minor priest and didn't want any complications.
However, she noticed that after hearing her words, Lucille's expression was surprisingly subtle. Tang Qiu asked calmly, “What's wrong?”
Lucille glanced at her and said meaningfully, “On the night of a full moon, if you still have this idea, I can accompany you.”
Tang Qiu didn't understand and wanted to press further, but Lucille just shook her head, unwilling to say more.
The confusion lasted all day. When night fell and the full moon hung high in the sky, the beast within Tang Qiu awakened. Her golden hair was silently replaced by snow-white. She recovered her memories as a werewolf and finally understood the meaning behind Lucille's words.
Go out and kill someone on a full moon night? Tang Qiu felt a familiar heat rising within her body, and her expression darkened slightly. In this state, who could she possibly kill?
Lucille, who was sitting up in bed casually flipping through a book with no real interest in its contents, noticed the change in the aura around Tang Qiu. She glanced over at her. Seeing her flushed cheeks, moist eyes, and an expression of vexation mixed with a hint of frustration, she knew that her heat had indeed struck again.
Does a werewolf's heat occur every full moon? Is it uncontrollable? Lucille rubbed the page, lost in thought.
After transforming into a werewolf, Tang Qiu became more sensitive to gazes. She sensed Lucille's stare, looked up to meet her eyes, and narrowed them, her tone carrying a warning: “…You're not allowed to use any strange toxins on me this time.”
Recalling that night, she couldn't help but frown.
Lucille's hand, which was rubbing the page, paused. She met Tang Qiu's gaze for a moment before looking away and saying flatly, “Alright.”
Tang Qiu leaned against the window. The desire surging within her made her breathing a little ragged. She reached up and pulled open her collar. The cool, crisp fragrance that occasionally wafted over from Lucille seemed to be deliberately teasing her.
It felt as if a feather were lightly tracing over her skin. Tang Qiu's gaze couldn't help but drift toward Lucille. She had initially thought it would be better to keep her distance, but seeing Lucille once again engrossed in her book as if nothing was wrong, Tang Qiu suddenly changed her mind.
Lucille, who was flipping through her book in a slight daze, felt the bed beneath her tremble. An arm suddenly wrapped around her waist. Lucille looked down to see Tang Qiu lying beside her on the bed, one arm wrapped tightly around her waist, her head resting next to Lucille's arm.
“Just stay like this. Don't move.” Tang Qiu inhaled Lucille's scent and sighed in comfort. Although it couldn't completely suppress the restlessness within her, it could at least alleviate it somewhat.
Once she had a firm footing in the Holy See, she had to make a trip to the Gru Empire. She had to find a way to solve this transformation problem.
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