The road through the city was quiet this time, no scary butlers, no train trying to rupture my eardrums, and no dramatic encounters. Just a peaceful morning with a feint aroma of pastries stretching lazily under the sun.
We reached the manor in no time. Just one step inside made me immediately forget every complaint I had about lost XP.
The reason was simple: Zarra wasn’t wearing armor this time, instead, she wore a loose white shirt with faint floral patterns which allowed her cleavage to breathe. Naturally, I glared like a pig in hyperventilation. Dark leggings hugged her legs, practical and unfairly flattering, but her feet...
Maid shoes?
My brain froze on that specific detail... However, if you carefully think about it — it makes perfect sense!
Footwear engineered for a profession built around cleaning, movement, and long hours on hard floors.
Indeed; the right choice in, pretty much, any situation.
Resistant to dust, pressure, water and time.
Designed for efficiency, built for endurance, and elegant enough to make a knight look like she belonged in a soft romance novel.
Are they perhaps an OP item?
No comment.
Why would I comment anyway? My eyes were being blessed here!
Before I embarrassed myself any further by inappropriately staring at her, I moved my gaze towards the table.
Cabbage rolls.
Potato dishes.
Slices of foreign fruits that smelled dangerously good.
Moving from the romance genre to the culinary one.
Something was strange though...
There were only two seats!
Was she waiting for me, a monitored outsider?
She simply stood there in silence like it was a normal occurrence...
I decided to sit down, and politely dismissed my doubts.
I straightened my back and carefully placed a napkin within reach.
Am I doing this manners thing properly? I'm trying my best here, y'know?
“Thank you for the meal,” I said sincerely.
I glanced around the table. The portions were suspiciously balanced; not too much, not too little. Exactly appropriate for two people.
And I could tell instantly which one was meant for whom, so I reached for some potatoes assigned to me—
A soft chuckle echoed from somewhere behind a nearby wall.
I froze.
Zarra didn’t react.
Must be my hearing evolution then.
Slowly, very slowly, I turned my head.
Two maids in hiding with hands over their mouths.
Giggling.
…Did they know something I didn’t?
Was I a part of their ritual? Was I about to be poisoned? Nooh... I mean, what would they gain from poisoning a Lv. 5 weakling?
Besides.
I am immune to toxins, even paralysis... I could probably drink poison to quench my thirst if I wanted to.
Overthinking this much had become a rude habit so I shoved it deep in the back of my mind and attempted to enjoy the meal.
I picked up my fork...
?? ??? ?? ??? ??
I helped prepare the meal.
Watching others work while I stood idle never sat well with me, especially today.
Precaution and efficiency are key.
Cabbage rolls, potato dishes and fruit. Simple, soft foods which are easy to swallow, unlikely to cause unnecessary distress.
The preparation was quick. I may be a little clumsy in the kitchen, but I could at least run errands here and there in order to reduce the burden on my servants.
Pleased with the final result, I ordered the maids to eat first. After all these were large portions. Enough for many. It would be mean if they abstained while I dined with Diana. They would also be dismissed afterwards, ending today's work early.
Go on, take a stroll, enjoy some free time and buy yourself something nice!
They eventually obeyed, but not before objecting a few times.
I really am blessed to have such caring people around me, aren't I?
A few of them went into the city, while most had decided to return to their rooms, choosing sleep and restoration. I see both options as valid!
Then I waited.
And waited.
And waited even more, pacing aimlessly right and left through the lower floor of the house.
Thirty minutes.
Thirty painfully long minutes.
She should have returned by now.
Had her healing gone wrong?
What if—
No.
Heh, no way.
But...
Please be alright.
I've been a people-pleaser in my early-life so I developed a rigid, proper knightly personality to force growth upon myself—but because of this, alongside my complicated background, friendship had become a luxury I mostly dreamed about... until I met her.
I see potential in our friendship, so please...
...
I was relieved when the gates finally opened and word reached me that she would recover fully through the night.
Good, safe!
Now...
"Faith and caution may coexist."
The silver will not harm her.
The holy water will not burn her.
And the ring will only reveal truth.
That is all.
But what if she truly was a...
Nah, no way!
(?﹏?)
As soon as she arrived I was met with a death glare from her. She couldn't possibly know what I was doing, right? She spent an obscene amount of time observing me—so much, I nearly lost my calm composure, but I endured it!
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
After an intense staring contest we finally sat at the table.
Just her and me.
And me and her.
And her.
And me.
My thoughts refused to form anything coherent and my eyes were stuck on her food and cutlery. Was I being rude?
Please let this end well!
(ó﹏ò)
She picked up the silverware!
My breath stalled.
Silver fork.
Silver spoon.
Silver plate.
She picked a cabbage roll, then dipped it in sour sauce, and took a bite.
Nothing.
No recoil.
No smoke.
No reaction.
Good.
Good.
HOWEVER...
I must see this through!
She glanced at me.
Intensely.
Did she notice?
Have I been staring too mcuh?
?? ??? ?? ??? ??
What now?
(?_ ′? )
Zarra's been staring at my food like crazy...
I am not sharing!
This is my portion!
I told her off, only in thought though, but it should count for something, right?
Nope, it did not count for anything. Actually, the staring got worse somehow... Can she read minds?
Stop glaring at it like it owes you money!
Her eyes were glued to my hands like old people stare at TVs...
STAAAPH!!!
You have the exact same meal over there!
Look!
Just munch on your own!
She... is not stopping.
So, uhh...
Should I be sharing or something?
° ° ° ( ? -?)?
Am I, perhaps, actually being poisoned here?
Ah-apppraisal, buddy, what do you think?
[Cabbage Roll — a multitude of meats boiled within a cabbage leaf, safe for consumption.]
[Fried Mashed Potatoes — crisp exterior, soft interior, no harmful properties.]
Ah, I get it now!
(..???..)
NO! I DON'T GET IT AT ALL ACTUALLY!
?( ??? )?
Why is she staring like I stole her candy?
“Ack—!”
Light stabbed directly into my eyeball. The cutlery was reflecting the sun like it had a personal grudge.
After a second look I noticed their unnatural shine; overpolished to the point they almost looked white — like those disposable plastic utensils from my old world.
But I already confirmed:
[Silver Spoon — overpolished.]
[Silver Fork — overpolished.]
Then why?
I resumed eating.
Added some mashed potatoes — cooked similarly to how I used to do it in my past life.
Then—
It happened.
The culinary backstabbery!
As I bit further into the food I realized that this world...
DESPERATELY NEEDS KECTHUP!
The betrayal was not poison, it was far worse: dry food! I started coughing like crazy, clutching my chest like I had been personally attacked by starch.
“Ack—!”
Water, need water.
?? ??? ?? ??? ??
Ah, I have been staring!
I'm an idio—
“Arrgh!— gah—!”
My heart nearly stopped, she began coughing violently.
The food was too dry! Of course, they were mostly potatoes, even the salad was the same.
I moved quickly — perhaps too quickly — retrieving the prepared vial.
Holy water.
Poured into a silver glass.
Silver enhances its purity.
My hand trembled, will she be allright?
“H-hey, Diana…”
Guilt crept up my spine while my lungs forgot how to function as she downed the water like it was nothing...
Am I being paranoid?
No smoke.
No burn.
No recoil.
Nothing.
She lowered the glass and blinked once.
Then—
Resumed eating without any complaints?
I felt like a boulder had been lifted off my heart, which made me tear up.
I looked down quickly so she would not see.
I am so happy…
?? ??? ?? ??? ??
Zarra moved instantly, and handed me a glass.
Silver?
Of course it was silver...
What is with the silvery theme today?
Are they trying to flex on me?
Am I being bullied economically?
Listen! I arrived in this world two days ago and immediately earned eleven golds. I am doing fantastic under the circumstances.
( ,,?︿?,,)
I gulped down the water, unlocking the breathing ability once again. It tasted a bit funny though...
Appraisal:
[Holy Water]
Cool, clean, purified water blessed within a church.
I paused, Holy Water?
I read further.
[Cool, clean, tasty water that had been purified inside a church.]
That’s it?
That’s just filtered water, no?
Church edition?
I blinked at Zarra.
Was she just being nice? Some weird hospitality of sorts?
Did she specifically request purified water for me?
Hm... Oh...
Ooohh!
Is this my popular phase? Am I finally getting the ladies?
-ˋ??─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─
Zarra finally seemed to relax after I downed the holy water.
Her shoulders ultimately lowered and her gaze locked onto HER food.
And just like that, stress finally settled.
She picked up a roll.
And ate it.
With her mouth.
Guided by her hand.
Using a fork.
I feel like this is important to mention, because up until now, she had been bending cutlery rather than holding it.
A girly musclehead...
Hah, unexpectedly cute...
(?? ? ??)
Silence returned to the table. Normal, non-threatening chewing silence.
The good kind.
This time I made sure to keep a glass of water nearby, at least until I'd reveal to them the recipe for tomato sauce.
???????
And so, the meal was over and I officially lost over thirty percent of my weekend.
The very first thing I did after the meal — was an assault onto the sofa, head-first into the nearest pillow. It's not like I'm occupying a bed or anything, so it should be fine!
I deserved some rest after the messy day, y'know?
A suspiciously enthusiastic healer, an angry maid disgusted with me (okay, that one's my fault actually), and a theatre of holy water and silver. Just lemme sleep five min—no, five hours.
My brain needed this timeout, which lasted approximately seven minutes.
“Diana,” Zarra’s voice came from behind me, unusually serious. “May we speak?”
“Sure, wassup?” I mumbled into the pillow.
Silence.
She simply stood idle until I rolled over to face her. “Okay, I’m awake, I’m awake. What happened?”
What the—
She was stressing out again. Did she hit a replay button by accident or something? Why was she squirming now?
"Fine, fine," I said as I straightened my back.
For someone who could convert a Dark Spider nest into a fine paste, she suddenly looked like a child caught stealing cookies.
“I… have something important to confirm,” she said carefully. “Would you… lend me your hand?”
Hm? What game we playin' now?
“…Sure?” I stood up fully and stepped closer.
We were both barefoot. No artificial height advantage, and that made me realize something...
She was taller than me, by a substantial amount.
I had to tilt my head up just to maintain eye contact.
This is unfair...
The giggling from earlier intensified behind the wall.
Not subtly.
Not politely.
What had been two maids in hiding about an hour ago, was now an entire vertical column watching over me, hands covering the mouths, all faces red and some even had tears in their eyes.
WHAT IS HAPPENING?
Am I gonna get stabb—
Zarra knelt.
Our eyes met without either of us tilting their head.
Then—
“I apologize,” she said quietly.
My brain blue-screened.
“…For what?”
She took a ring out of her pocket, a sky blue gem shone so bright it almost blinded me.
I was finally caught up with everything.
The fancy meal.
The giggling maids.
The purified water ceremony!
OH
MY
GOD!!!
Time had stopped entirely in my mind.
She slid the ring onto my finger with minimal grace, while I was losing my shit.
"NOOOO! YOU CAN'T!"
She looked confused for a moment.
I was hyperventilating.
"We’ve known each other for only TWO DAYS! This is TOO EARLY!"
Realization slowly crept on her face while I was already dreaming of our honey moon.
Is this the purest form of love? Capable to exist only between a girl and another girl?
"YES! I PROMISE TO MAKE YOU HAPPY, NO, I SWEAR IT!"
【 Item equipped 】
Haaa?—
【 Heavens Tear ring 】
Noooo! Don't ruin this for me!
I screamed internally while Zarra had finally caught up with the symbolism of her actions...
"Wah—no. Wait-wait! I didn't mean it like tha—eeeeeeeeeeek." She panicked like crazy, but...
Yeah, bro, I can tell now that you had ulterior motives...
(?_?)
════════════════
[ Heavens Tear Ring ]
════════════════
An item that reveals deep, dark truths.
════════════════
Effect: Grants the user +1 Level every seventh day equipped.
════════════════
Your level has increased.
Level 5 → Level 6
XP: 7 / 16
════════════════
We both froze.
"Woooah... T-thank you Zarra!" I said awkwardly...
“That was not my inten— huh?”
The confusion evaporated, her eyes widened with a brand new flavor of shock.
“…B-b-bunny ears?”
“Hm?”
“Your ears! YOU HAVE FOUR OF THEM!”
I blinked.
Four?
My hands flew to my head.
The Morph skill had been offline for more than a full day by now, I was absolutely certain.
“What could you possibly mea—”
I felt it.
Soft, warm fur.
Something long twitched upward from within my hair.
The item she gave me had activated the morph ears, and now she was staring at a bunny girl.
"An item that reveals deep, dark truths."
That part...
“It’s just a fluffy bunny, not a vampi—” Zarra's face was pale as she swayed and fainted.
Thud.
Silence filled the room.
The maids (that witnessed everything so far, mind you) had instantly arrived at the "crime scene". They picked up Zarra and carried her into her room with a giggling rythm. Naturally, about four-ish maids would be needed for this action, so the other remaining maids had stayed behind to pet my ears...
<(?? _?)>
“I suppose it could've gone worse...”
???????
Meanwhile, in the king’s private chamber, a tall, pale man knelt upon the red carpet.
White hair cascaded down his back like a blade of moonlight. His posture was straight.
Controlled.
“Sire,” he said calmly, “I have gathered the information you requested.”
The king gave a quiet hum, granting him permission to continue.
The words fell cleanly.
“I confirmed it myself.”
The king’s fingers drummed lightly against the arm of his throne.
“Is that the honest truth… vampire hunter?”
The man lifted his gaze slightly, not in defiance, but in confidence.
“Indeed, Your Majesty.”
He spoke with measured certainty.
“Vampires cannot endure direct sunlight. Yet she basked in it with curiosity on her face."
The king listened.
“They lack reflections, yet hers remained intact.”
"..."
“And finally…”
A faint smirk touched his lips — rare, restrained.
“She lacks finesse.”
The king’s brow lifted.
“A vampire’s steps are silent. Graceful. Predatory.”
He gave a slight chuckle as he continued.
“Lady Diana, however, tells everyone when she awakes—and not with words.”
The king exhaled slowly.
“I see…”
Silence settled between them.
The hunter lowered his head once more.
“She is many things, perhaps. But not a bloodsucker.”
The king leaned back into his throne.
“…Then I owe her an apology.”
He sighed.
“And I owe my daughter one as well.”
