“I wonder… what you’re dreaming about, you crazy blonde?”

Even though I was still really scared of her—especially after considering the weird way Carola had left the infirmary—I couldn’t help but feel some sympathy.

She might be a total psychopath who’s probably plotting some insane plan to kill me, or at best, get me expelled. But I still couldn’t stop feeling bad for the state she was in.

She was completely soaked in sweat, and when I placed my hand against her forehead, I realized she was burning up with fever.

“Seriously, that sexy nurse left you like this? That should totally be illegal!”

… I never expected in my entire life to say a sentence like that.

Whatever.

I passed a damp cloth over her skin to wipe away some of the sweat.

While I was at it, I took the chance to fix a couple rebellious strands from her golden hair.

“… Well, s***.”

I clicked my tongue after realizing something I really didn’t want to notice.

And that something was… this girl was seriously beautiful when she stayed quiet and didn’t have that permanently pissed-off expression.

Though she didn’t exactly look peaceful right now. There was an obvious grimace of pain on her face. But the way her lips curved slightly, and the slow rhythm of her breathing making her chest rise a little…

It made her look kinda adorable.

I know it’s twisted to think that while she’s obviously sick.

But it’s what I’m thinking.

She almost looked like a classical painting worthy of being displayed in a museum.

“Please, Carola… move that massive booty and get back 'ere already.”

Praying to the heavens, I went to wash the cloth so I could wipe Carlotta’s sweat again.

---

“S-Sir Wiebke… p-please excuse me… I-I don’t think I can do it… I… uh…”

The voice of the little girl with skin pale as a corpse broke before she could finish the sentence.

Fear squeezed her chest so tightly that even breathing hurt.

In front of her, that enormous shadow remained motionless behind the ebony desk, as if it were part of the room’s own darkness, quietly writing reports. The dim light from the lamps barely managed to touch its distorted edges.

It had no face.

No eyes.

Nothing that could be called human.

And yet… she could feel it staring at her.

The girl swallowed hard. Her skin was naturally pale already—sickly, even—but at that moment, she lost what little color she still had left.

The figure slowly rose from the chair. The creaking wood echoed throughout the entire office.

That simple sound made something inside her bones tremble.

She instinctively stepped back half a step.

Only half.

Because she knew taking more would be worse.

She, who until then had never had a surname, now had one.

Carlotta von Wiebke.

Her name had been the gift given to her by the people who adopted her.

And because of that, she had to behave properly.

She had to be useful.

She had to be strong.

She clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white, trying to stop her hands from shaking.

Then she lowered her head.

Preparing herself for the scolding.

“Head up.”

The deep voice crossed the room calmly, a calmness that filled her tiny body with fear. The coldness carried within those words was terrifying.

“Look into my eyes when you address me. Manners, don’t forget them, Carlotta. Keep your gaze raised when speaking to your superiors.”

Slowly, she lifted her chin.

Her movements were tiny. Careful. Like a wounded animal trying not to provoke a predator.

And then she saw it.

The empty face of that thing began to distort.

The smooth surface slowly caved inward, like soft flesh being crushed from the inside. A nonexistent smile. An impossible expression.

No eyes.

No mouth.

No humanity.

And yet, Carlotta understood perfectly what it was expressing.

Disappointment.

A horrible grimace of disappointment.

The little girl’s white eyes began to water.

“S-Sir Wiebke… m-my chest hurts… a-and I get really scared when…”

“Do you have doubts, little girl?”

The creature tilted its head slightly.

And the temperature in the entire room dropped. Dropped so much that she began trembling.

Or… was she trembling from fear?

“Don’t worry. I’ll teach you how to make decisions.”

The enormous shadow extended one of its limbs.

It didn’t look like an arm.

It didn’t even look alive.

The dark mass slowly twisted in front of her, changing shape again and again.

First, a monstrous claw appeared, with fingers far too large.

Then the flesh split apart with a wet, disgusting sound, forming a tentacle covered in tiny teeth that slowly approached her face.

Carlotta stopped breathing.

Finally, an organic crack echoed through the room. The tentacle twisted once more until it became a thin skeletal arm.

That hand finally came to rest atop her hair.

The little girl shuddered.

It was supposed to feel like a caress.

But it never did.

It was always the same.

First came that gesture.

And after that… the beating.

Terror filled her eyes with tears.

Even so, Carlotta bit down hard on her tongue to stop herself from crying.

No.

She couldn’t do that.

She had to be brave.

She always had to be brave. No matter how cold that “family” felt.

That was what she repeated to herself every night before sleeping.

Even when she trembled.

Even when breathing hurt.

Even when she wanted to run away.

She had to endure it.

Because she had a dream.

A small one, but an important one.

She wanted to create a safe place.

A warm place.

Something special.

Something so special… that even someone like her could be happy there… together with everyone else.

---

"Where am I…?”

The weak murmur barely escaped my lips as I tried to move. My entire body felt unbearably heavy, like chains had been wrapped around every limb. Even breathing exhausted me.

A blinding white light greeted me the moment my eyelids lifted. I frowned immediately.

Too bright…

But then, a shadow blocked part of that light.

Something cold brushed against my cheek.

“—Uh!?”

I jolted upright in panic. The sudden movement made the world spin violently, a sharp pain piercing through my temples.

Still… that pain helped me remember where I was supposed to be.

“Ahg… Miss Carola…?”

My breathing slowly steadied as I tried organizing my thoughts. After theoretical classes, I’d stayed behind training for hours. Again and again. Until my muscles stopped responding properly and my condition spiraled out of control.

The results of my latest Trait evaluation had been deplorable.

At least… to me.

And if they weren’t enough for me… then to my beloved parents, they would be an absolute disaster.

Which only meant one thing.

I needed to work harder.

Much harder.

…Though, with all the shame in the world, I had to admit—

“Sorry, Miss Carola…” I murmured weakly, still dizzy. “Even after what you told me… I pushed myself too far. I think my condition got pretty bad again. But still… how did I get here…?”

Wait.

I remembered feeling my blood symptoms worsening. I’d headed straight for the infirmary and then…

Something hit me in the hallway.

What was it…?

“Ah. Nope. That’s me, sorry. The nurse left. She dumped you on me, which honestly feels kinda negligent if you ask me…”

“...That voice.”

Agh. Her.

As my vision finally focused properly, I could make out the girl pressing a damp cloth against my cheek.

Nen.

She wore an awkward smile, like she had no clue what to do in this situation.

And I…

I felt just as lost.

No.

Oh God. No.

I remembered everything now.

My breathing stopped for a second.

I couldn’t believe I’d done all those humiliating things in front of her.

I acted like a baby.

I couldn’t explain why, but during my feverish delirium… I felt warmth coming from her.

Like some gentle fire drawing me in like a moth.

…Why… her…?

“I want to die…”

Heat immediately rushed into my cheeks. I could feel my blood burning beneath my skin as memories of my behavior replayed one after another, crushing what little dignity I had left.

Unable to endure it any longer, I wrapped myself completely inside the bedsheets.

“...Y’Know, you do that a lot.”

“...Shut up. And leave.”

This couldn’t possibly get worse.

Out of everyone in this damned academy… it had to be her who found me in such a pathetic state.

I heard a small laugh from the other side of the blanket.

“C'mon, Carlotta. It’s not that bad. If you want, I can pretend I forgot everything. There’s seriously nothing to be embarrassed about, y’know? When I was little, I got a horrible fever once and ended up acting like a puppy in front of my teacher. See? Now we’re even, so… can you come out already?”

Why?

Why was she telling me some embarrassing story just to make me feel better?

I couldn’t hear mockery in her voice.

Nor malice.

Her tone sounded pure. Honest. Full of… kindness.

What the hell?

That couldn’t be real.

That Nen should hate me just as much as I hate her.

This had to be an act to exploit some weakness and steal Kaelvarion from me.

She wanted to deceive me.

To take my place. Everything I fought for every single day.

“Why are you trying to make me feel better…?”

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

I didn’t want to understand her motives.

But not knowing scared me even more.

What’s happening to me…?

“First, because the sexy— I mean, the nurse left you under my care, so if something happens to you, I’m the one getting screwed. Second, with a fever that bad, hiding under a blanket like some human dumpling is probably a terrible idea. So come out already.”

…Damn it.

Reluctantly, I slowly peeked my face out from my hiding place.

A pleasantly cool breeze brushed against my sweaty skin.

And… as much as I hated admitting it… She was right.

My condition felt slightly more bearable like this.

Though this heat inside me was still torture.

I wanted to rip my clothes off.

But obviously I couldn’t.

I’m not some shameless vulgar girl with zero self-awareness. Doing something like that would be social suicide.

And giving her even more ammunition to use against me? No thanks.

I already had enough problems as it was.

Right now, I needed to figure out how much she knew.

I needed to know exactly what she could use against my reputation… and my goals.

Damage control.

“Where is Miss Carola…?”

“Eh… she ran off. No wait, that sounded bad. She said she was going to get… blood for you. Then she sprinted away.”

“Ah… so you already know, huh?”

“Not really. She just said your magic makes you anemic.”

I see.

At least Carola had the decency not to expose my personal matters. Though that didn’t change the fact that leaving me alone with this idiot without explaining anything had been completely irresponsible.

Luckily, I was lucid now.

…Or at least as lucid as I could be.

But I could feel it.

I was… slipping.

I didn’t know where it came from, but there was an unbelievably delicious scent in the air.

An aroma unlike anything I’d ever smelled before.

And it was making it incredibly difficult to stay sane.

My hunger kept growing.

I truly wanted to sink my fangs into the source of that smell.

…Shit.

After inhaling a little deeper—something I did unconsciously—I finally identified the source of that delicious yet dangerous scent.

It was… Her.

I didn’t understand why this was happening, but seeing her skin… the slight sweat along her neck from nervousness… even hearing the rhythm of her heartbeat…

It made me desperately want to—

No.

It’s just hunger.

That’s all.

Once I receive the emergency blood from Mother’s storage, I’ll be fine.

So I needed her gone immediately.

I’d already exposed enough weaknesses in front of my enemy.

“Alright. You can leave now.”

“No.”

“Go away.”

“Hell no! Didn’t you hear what I said? I’m responsible for you. I’m not letting something bad happen to you.”

Eh?

What the hell?

I didn’t understand anything anymore.

Why was she so stubborn about this?

She claimed it was because of Carola’s orders, but someone like her didn’t seem like the type to respect authority that much.

She had to be planning something.

But what?

I couldn’t detect any hidden intentions in her heartbeat.

Even if my condition was a curse, it had certain advantages.

One of them was being able to clearly hear the heartbeat of others.

That made lies easy to notice.

But her heart…

It sounded… So… Honest.

Almost… Like… Maria…

“That’s what friends do… I think. Yeah, let’s go with that. We’re friends!”

I frowned.

The moment I heard that, I snapped out of my stupor.

I couldn’t believe I had just compared Maria to this girl.

I should bite my tongue off.

They weren’t alike at all.

Maria was kind. She accepted me as I was.

Nothing like this stray cat.

She was irritating me so much… But… That gentle heartbeat.

And that intoxicating scent pouring from her body…

God…

I felt like I was losing my mind…

Go away…

Just…

Go away…!

“...You’re so annoying. Just admit you want to laugh at me.”

“God, you seriously have horrible trust issues. I don’t wanna laugh at you, I’m worried 'bout you. We’re friends now… or classmates… or something. If something happens to you, who knows what they’ll do to me during practical training!”

As she spoke, she leaned closer toward me.

Too close.

A wave of her scent crashed into me like a critical hit.

I covered my face instinctively. I didn’t want her seeing how flushed I’d become.

“You’re too close…”

“Oh, come on-”

“No. Seriously… you’re way too close…”

My voice weakened.

Too much.

Too close…

Too much of that delicious—

“...Ah.”

A-A moan!?

Suddenly, my breathing turned uneven.

A sweet scent reached me.

Warm.

Thick.

Intoxicating.

My senses recognized it instantly, like a starving animal finding food after days without eating.

It smelled incredible.

As irresistible as a luxurious feast served in the finest restaurants of Fisalia.

My throat burned.

Agh…

I…

I felt…

Hungry.

So very hungry.

She remained leaned toward me, completely unaware of the problem.

Offering me an honestly worried look that reminded me painfully of Maria whenever she prayed.

And that only made everything worse.

I feel like…

The world…

Is spinning…

“Oh God… Carlotta, are you okay…?”

---

"¡Oh God, Oh God… what did I dooo!?"

Carlotta’s face was red. Not normal red. Strawberry red. Red like: “I’m gonna die and it’s probably your fault, babe.”

And that was suuuper bad.

"S***!"

I immediately leaned toward her and placed a hand on her forehead.

Hot. No, that didn’t describe it right at all. She was burning, like touching a freshly boiled cup, except it was a person who looked way too vulnerable.

She almost looked like a newborn puppy begging for food with watery eyes!

"Don’t… come closer… it’s your fault…"

Carlotta weakly slapped my hand away. Then she turned toward the other side of the bed, curling up in the sheets like she wanted to hide from the whole world.

My heart dropped straight to my stomach.

No freaking way.

Shit, don’t tell me this was actually my fault!?

I had been talking complete nonsense this whole time.

The original plan was to leave the second she woke up so I wouldn’t bother her any more. That was the smart thing. The safe thing. What any girl with survival instincts would do.

But then I thought maybe I could take advantage of the situation.

After all, I once read that people bond more easily during moments of emotional stress. Some psychological thing. Some internet motivational garbage.

So I decided to act all worried and sweet.

“I’m gonna support you.”

“I won’t leave you alone.”

“We’re friends!”

Haah! The truth was I wanted to soften her up so she’d stop trying to get me expelled.

Premium emotional manipulation, babe~.

The problem was that I never considered my dumbass antics could actually make her condition worse!

"No, wait… You seriously need help! Tell me what’s wrong. What can I do? C’mon, talk to me, girl!"

My voice came out way higher than usual.

Carlotta didn’t answer immediately. She stayed lying there, breathing heavily, one hand covering part of her face. Her blonde hair was a mess across the pillow, and the infirmary lights made her skin look even paler, making that blush stand out even more.

Fragile.

It felt weird thinking that about someone like her.

Then she slowly opened her eyes.

Those blue eyes.

So clear they were honestly scary.

A chill ran down my spine when she looked directly at me. Like she could see every stupid thought bouncing around inside my head.

And then she spoke.

Not before hiding more of her face first, leaving only her soft trembling lips and those sharp little fangs visible.

"Let… me… bite you…"

"…Huh?"

---