—
Hello dear,
I've gotten countless reports that you've found yourself a husband. Yet you didn't tell your mother about him? Do you think that's fair?
Well, long story short, I'm going to be there next Friday, and if I deem he's a slob, I'm going to feed him to our Cerberus.
Your lovely mother, Donna Vermillion.
—
"Shit... Shit... How did she find out already?" Rachel mumbled as she walked around in circles.
As for Gabriel, he just leaned against the table and read the letter again.
It was just how it looked like. Her mother found out about the two of them, and she'll be paying them a visit.
"Maybe it's not so bad? How's your mother like?"
"She's like a hyena. She's going to pester you with questions and critique the way you speak, walk and even eat," Rachel replied.
'I guess that explains her behavior during the interviews... She probably learned it from her mother.'
Anyhow, Gabriel set the letter aside and rubbed his full belly. The Italian pizza yesterday was much better than he could've imagined. She didn't seem like a very big fan of it, since she liked greasier pizzas.
Though as he stared at her, he was reminded of something.
"You know, I always wanted to ask you about something. And please, don't hide it from me this time," Gabriel said.
She stopped spazzing and turned to him. "What is it?"
"Remember that time you said we met when we were younger? I apparently gave you my blood which you then used to escape from the Vampire Hunters. Was that true?"
Rachel paused as the atmosphere seemed to shift completely.
"It was true. But are you sure you want to hear about it?"
"Of course I do," Gabriel replied immediately, leaving her no choice but to actually explain.
"Fine... We first met when I was twelve and you were eleven. We went to the same kindergarten together, and we were sort of childhood friends, even in middle school. You were my only friend at the time, and whenever the others tried to bully me, you always stepped in and stopped them."
Her expression turned brighter.
"One day, while we were out on a field trip, the two of us went to explore the forest. It was nice, actually. The animals were friendly, and the forest berries were delicious. We even shared some with the animals and climbed a few trees."
She chuckled. "I remember I fell once, and you rushed to me panicked and worried. It was hard trying to explain to you how I was uninjured even though I fell from nearly the top of the tree."
"..."
"I don't remember any of it," Gabriel said bluntly.
Rachel shrugged. "I don't expect you to. I have my theories why you don't remember anything, but yeah... This is where the happy memories end."
Her expression darkened.
"Once it turned dark, the two of us walked hand in hand back to where the rest of our class was. However, instead of some joyous reunion, we were both met with the sight of three Lesser Vampires gnawing on the bodies of our classmates and teachers."
Gabriel's eyes widened, but before he could say anything, she continued:
"I killed the vampires instantly, but before our teachers died, they had used the distress signal and sent a team of Vampire Hunters to their location. I panicked... So instead of leaving you there, trembling and afraid, I grabbed your hand and began running."
...But that was when a Van showed up.
"He was way too strong for me to handle, since I hadn't even hit maturity yet. So I was beaten, tossed around, and pierced with a stake. I was going to die, when you suddenly stepped in between us and blocked a gunshot with your body."
Her hands trembled. "A stake hit your vitals, and both the Van and me were left shocked. If the Van tried to kill me, then you'd die. But if he were to save you, then I'd run away, and he'd have failed to kill a Vampire Noble."
It was much more serious than Gabriel had first thought. More importantly, he could hear her heartbeat, and it was very loud. She wasn't lying about any of this.
So finally, Rachel exhaled a deep breath and met his eyes.
"In the end, you stuck your fingers into my mouth and forced them down on my sharp canines... I absorbed a little bit of your blood which slightly restored my strength, but in turn, that made you weaker. I still remember how much regret I felt when I stood up and began running away, leaving you to that Van. But that's it. That's how our last meeting went."
"I see..." Gabriel mumbled.
He wasn't sure what to make of this, since he really did have no recollection about it. But feeling the tightness in his chest, he felt a connection to these memories.
Rachel coughed once, and then tapped the table.
"Let's stop with the depression talk, since we still need to check up on our new employees."
She returned to her cheerful self, albeit her voice cracked slightly, but Gabriel still had one more question.
"You said you had a theory about what happened to me. What is it?"
"Hm? Well... My best guess is that you lost too much blood and died for a bit. When you came back, you were hit with serious amnesia."
Gabriel narrowed his eyes. "You don't really believe that, do you?"
She flinched, then sighed.
"Fine... No. I think the Vampire Hunters hired a witch to wipe some of your memories. Happy now?"
"I am," Gabriel replied, then finally stood up. "I'll need some time to process this... But hey, since the memories were erased by magic, is it possible to use magic to get them back?"
"I'm not sure. I've never talked with a witch before," Rachel replied.
Then, she stood up and rubbed his shoulder. "Let's go downstairs now and whip the newbies into shape."
Gabriel stood there silently for a moment.
There was still one question he had. Just how exactly did she turn him into a Vampire Noble to begin with? It shouldn't have been possible.
But he felt like if he got to know her a little better, she'd open up to him.
So he nodded.
"...Alright."
But on the inside, Gabriel couldn't shake away this feeling that he could almost remember something... Just what exactly was preventing him from doing so?