Sitting up slowly, I stretched my limbs before glancing toward the window. The sun had already begun its slow descent across the sky, meaning I had probably slept for a few hours.
"Ah, yeah… that's exactly what I needed. I feel great."
Letting myself fall back onto the bed, I stared lazily at the ceiling.
"I hope Syllia can come with me…" I whispered softly.
Hugging a pillow tightly against my chest, I closed my eyes for a moment.
"I'm not leaving without her."
Almost as if she had heard my thoughts, the front door suddenly opened and shut in quick succession.
"Well, someone's in a hurry," I chuckled.
A second later, the bedroom door flew open and Syllia practically burst into the room.
"Lucy!" she exclaimed excitedly.
She stood in the doorway with a huge smile spread across her face, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"Come over here for a second," I said softly.
"Okay!" she practically shouted, immediately stepping forward—
Only to abruptly stop mid-step as suspicion crossed her face.
"Wait, no!" she declared, pointing accusingly at me. "You were planning to trap me in there with you again, weren't you?!"
"Tsk… you're no fun," I mumbled dramatically.
"Ha! I knew it!" she said proudly.
"Fine, fine, you caught me," I replied with a grin. Lowering my voice slightly, I added, "I just can't get enough of you."
Immediately, Syllia turned her head away, trying—and failing—to hide her flustered expression.
"W-Well, you'll have to wait," she stammered. "Mom wants us to come over to the house, so I came to get you."
Despite her attempt to stay composed, the slight redness spreading across her cheeks completely gave her away.
"Oh by the way, I wanted to ask, Did you happen to tell her mom what I am?"
Regaining her composure, Syllia shook her head slightly.
"No, I didn't tell her. I figured that was something you wouldn't want shared, so when we were talking, I left that part out."
"Yeah… that's probably for the best," I replied with a small nod. "I know she's your mom, and I trust you, but I doubt most people would react kindly to someone who needs to consume blood to survive. I'd rather not risk that getting out."
"Yeah… you're right," she said quietly, her expression dimming slightly.
Climbing out of bed, I noticed she only approached me once I was fully standing.
That's kind of cute, I thought to myself.
She gently grabbed my hand and began leading me toward the door.
"By the way," she said hesitantly, "Mom wants us to stay with her tonight, so…"
Her voice grew quieter as a faint blush crept onto her face.
"You'll have to sleep with me…"
"Oh?" I replied with a teasing smirk. "Lucky me."
Turning her gaze away from me to hide her embarrassment, she continued leading me toward her house.
Just before we stepped inside, however, she suddenly stopped and looked back at me nervously.
"You can still… feed from me later if you want, but…" Her ears turned slightly red as she lowered her voice to a whisper. "It'll have to be without the… pleasure."
She fidgeted awkwardly.
"I don't want Mom overhearing something like that…"
"No."
My firm response startled her.
"What? Why not?" she asked in confusion.
"Because I'm not going to hurt you. Period."
Reaching up, I gently brushed my thumb against her cheek.
"If that's the case, then I'll wait." I smiled softly. "And honestly, your body probably needs a break anyway. I've already been feeding from you pretty often."
"Oh…" Her expression softened slightly. "Okay then…" she replied quietly.
Opening the door, Syllia stepped inside while I quietly followed behind her.
Inside, her mother was sitting comfortably in the living room, looking far healthier than before.
"Lucy, I'm glad you decided to join us," she said warmly, offering me a gentle smile. "And once again, thank you for healing me. Thanks to you, I honestly feel good as new."
"Thank you for having me," I replied politely. "And really, please don't worry about it. I'd do it again in a heartbeat."
Peeking over at Syllia with a knowing grin, her mother continued,
"Yes… somehow, I believe that."
Taking the initiative, I headed toward the living room. As I passed Syllia, I grabbed her hand and gently pulled her along with me.
Her mother raised an eyebrow slightly at the sight but never lost the amused smile on her face.
After sitting down on one of the couches, Syllia quietly sat beside me—though she deliberately left a noticeable amount of space between us.
Why are you sitting so far away? I thought with mild annoyance.
Without hesitation, I reached over and grabbed her by the hips, pulling her closer against my side.
"Ah!" she let out a small surprised sound, but the faint smile tugging at her lips told me she didn't actually mind it at all.
Oh… she's probably just embarrassed because her mom's here, I realized.
Well, I'm not changing how I act.
Hearing a soft giggle, I glanced toward her mother, only to find her watching the two of us with obvious amusement.
Her mother was the first to speak.
"So, Syllia told me that you're planning on leaving the village… and that you'd like her to travel with you."
"Yes, that's right," I replied. "She mentioned that she already explained my situation to you. I think it would be good for me to wander for a while—visit different cities, meet new people, and broaden my horizons a bit."
Nodding thoughtfully, she replied,
"I agree. Which is exactly why I want her to go with you."
Her gaze shifted toward Syllia, who was happily sitting pressed against my side.
"I'm sure she's already told you this, but she hasn't truly left the village since she was a little girl." A gentle smile crossed her face. "I want her to experience what the world has to offer… to actually live a little."
Then she looked back toward me.
"And I know she'll be safe if she's with you."
Straightening slightly, I answered in a serious tone.
"You have my word. Nothing will happen to her."
A soft chuckle escaped her lips as she pointed toward the two of us.
"With how attached you are to her already, I believe that."
The moment those words left her mouth, Syllia hid her face against my shoulder in embarrassment.
"My goodness," her mother added teasingly, "are you ever going to stop getting so embarrassed?"
"I can't help it…" Syllia mumbled quietly from behind me.
Turning her attention back to me, Syllia's mother spoke thoughtfully.
"If you really plan on leaving, then I'd suggest traveling with the merchants tomorrow. They usually stay for a while to sell their wares before departing around noon for the next village. I'm sure they wouldn't mind letting the two of you travel alongside them."
"That's actually a really good idea," I replied thoughtfully.
"Yeah!" Syllia chimed in excitedly. "And we can visit the other villages along the way before we finally reach the city!"
"That's right, you can," her mother added with a soft giggle.
She slowly stood up, stretching slightly before letting out a quiet sigh.
"Well, it's getting late. I think I'll head to bed."
As she walked toward the kitchen, she briefly disappeared from view before returning with a small pouch in hand. Stepping over to Syllia, she placed it gently into her hands.
"Here. Take this with you."
Curious, I leaned over slightly as Syllia opened the pouch, revealing a small collection of silver and copper coins inside.
"Mom, this is too much!" Syllia.
Her mother simply smiled before gently resting a hand on top of Syllia's head.
"Take it," she said softly. "My daughter is finally leaving the village to see the world. There's no way I'm sending her off with nothing."
Syllia tightened her grip on the pouch before nodding slowly.
"Okay, Mom… I'll take it."
Then, without warning, she stood up and wrapped her arms tightly around her mother.
"Thank you," she whispered quietly.
"Of course," her mother replied warmly as she returned the embrace.
After a few moments, the two finally separated. Her mother gave us one last gentle smile before making her way toward her room. Pausing in the doorway, she glanced back at us.
"Goodnight, you two."
"Goodnight, Mom," Syllia replied.
"Goodnight," I added softly.
Leaving the two of us alone in the living room, a quiet silence settled between us.
Syllia turned toward me, gently clutching the small pouch of coins in her hands.
"So… it's getting pretty late now. Do you want to head to bed too?" she asked softly.
"Of course I do," I replied with a grin.
"Oh, stop it," she said, lightly smacking my shoulder. "We can't, and you know it," she added with an amused smile.
"And?" I shrugged casually. "Sharing a bed with you is more than enough for me."
"N-Not fair…" she mumbled, looking away to hide the faint blush spreading across her face.
"First!" she suddenly exclaimed, pointing a finger at me. "You stay here while I change into my sleepwear."
"Okay, okay," I replied teasingly, raising my hands in surrender. "I'll stay right here."
"I'm serious," she warned before quickly turning and heading toward her room.
Once she disappeared behind the door, several quiet minutes passed before it slowly creaked back open.
"Okay," Syllia called out softly. "You can come in now."
Stepping into the room my eyes locked on to Syllia, Changed into her nightgown, bright white lace that fell to mid-thigh. Its loose fit, sleeveless design, and delicate lace trim gave it a gentle and alluring appearance.
"Wow…" I whispered softly.
"Stop staring," Syllia muttered, quickly turning away to hide her flustered expression. "Why do you always tease me so much?"
"Because I'll never get tired of seeing you blush because of me," I replied with a grin.
"Whatever…" she mumbled before climbing into bed. "Just come over here already."
Taking a moment to properly look around the room for the first time, I noticed how simple yet cozy it felt. A small desk and chair sat tucked into one corner, neatly organized with stacks of papers and a softly glowing candle lantern resting on top. The bed itself looked just barely large enough for two people.
Excitedly, I slipped my dress off, leaving myself barely covered.
"W-What are you doing?!" Syllia whispered urgently.
"Uh… going to bed?" I replied innocently. "You didn't think I was going to sleep in a dress, did you?"
"N-No… I guess not," she admitted quietly. "I just… didn't really think about it."
Climbing into bed beside her, I settled onto my back while Syllia turned away from me, trying to get comfortable.
"Goodnight, Syllia," I whispered softly as I rolled closer and draped an arm around her waist.
"G-Goodnight, Lucy…" she whispered back.
A moment later, she slowly shifted backward until her back rested gently against my chest.