Chapter 102
Cynthia resigned herself. Of course, she thought, so you plan to keep me by your side as a snack, nibbling off my fingers or ears whenever you feel like it.
As she forced a smile so as not to displease him, yet began trembling and tearing up, Segleninde laughed. He had only tried to express his honest feelings as best as he could. Was it really something to make her so happy? He even felt a little proud.
As the situation continued to go from bad to worse, Segleninde continued.
“Even if you’re a fake, the fact remains that you’ve been with me all this time. Just as you’re still you, even after your lie’s been exposed, I’m still me, even after regaining my memories.”
Segleninde gestured toward the maids. Two maids approached quietly with their heads bowed and set down two teacups, pouring in fragrant, steaming tea. Warmth began to spread through the once chilly room.
Cynthia lifted her tear-filled eyes and looked at Segleninde. He handed her a teacup. Perhaps because he had regained his memories, his manner seemed even more relaxed and composed than before.
“But at this rate, I won’t be able to get the nourishment I need. Since the banquet ended the way it did.”
“…Then, are you going to invite people and kill them again?”
“I could, but you wouldn’t want that, would you?”
She was the one who had risked her life to guard the magic device on the fourth floor and open the mansion’s door, letting the survivors escape. In the final moment, if Melissa hadn’t called her, she would have run outside with everyone else.
While there are individual differences, humans on average have an instinct to protect and save their own kind. Segleninde could understand that. As proof, Cynthia kept her lips tightly closed. Silence was said to signify consent.
“Gathering humans and harvesting life force all at once, like this time, is something I only do every few years. If I want to avoid that, I’ll have no choice but to take a little bit of life force, little by little, almost every day. If you’ll give that to me, I won’t have to lure in more humans.”
“…How am I supposed to give it to you?” Cynthia asked, holding back tears.
Should I give him my blood? Or would I have to let him eat a finger or toe each day?
Segleninde frowned slightly, leaned forward, and reached out his hand.
“I didn’t say it to make you cry. Why are you so scared?”
“…..”
“Do you hate me that much?”
Cynthia felt his hand gently touch her cheek and shook her head. It wasn’t that she hated him. She was afraid, but as he’d said, the man who had lost his memory and the man he was now were the same person. It wasn’t enough to erase the feelings she had for him.
It was just that, thinking about the situation she’d now be in, she couldn’t help but cry.
On the other hand, Segleninde’s expression brightened. He spoke in a much softer, gentler voice.
“Sleep with me every day.”
“…Huh?”
Cynthia’s head snapped up in shock at his sudden declaration. Even as he said such a provocative thing, he looked utterly unbothered.
“Once a day, share a little of your life force with me. In that way, I’ll only take as little as it takes for you to recover immediately after resting or eating, so it won’t affect your life at all. That alone will be enough to satisfy me. It’s simple. All you have to do is give me that sweet liquid you have.”
“W-What?”
No matter how much nobles treated their servants like furniture, to just blurt out talk of s*x with so many people listening seemed absurd.
Maybe, with a modern way of thinking, this was impossible to understand. Cynthia’s face flushed bright red. Maybe for beings who were not human, morals were just different.
Segleninde, as if nothing was wrong, continued as he gently stroked her now-warmed cheeks.
“If we do that, I can get even more nourishment than if I gathered humans every few years and took all their life force at once. I’ll probably be able to fully regain my original power and control as well. I won’t kill any more of your kind. The choice is yours, though.”
Even though he said that, there was no real choice for Cynthia.
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