Music Recommendation: Nikolai- Martin Phipps
Eve's eyes moved to look at the bloody glass piece that had been pulled out from her foot. When Vincent picked up a box, she said, "Let me take it from here. Thank you for removing the glass piece…" her voice trailed.
The redness in her cheeks had not dulled down, and she tried to keep a straight face in front of the vampire. For vampire and vampiress, taking blood from humans or mermaids wasn't anything new as they were used to such lifestyle.
Vincent gave her a nonchalant look, and she stared back at him. His silver hair and the candlelight created a shadow on his face that looked serious. He stood up and walked towards the open window of the room.
Meanwhile, Eve opened the little box and started applying the coffee powder to her wound. She tried hard not to wince. Once done, she started to use the thin bandage given to her.
Vincent turned to look at Eve, who now carefully turned the bandage around her foot. He questioned her, "Is your aunt and that coachman of yours a mermaid too?"
Eve paused her hands and shook her head. She replied, "They are humans."
"But they know what you are," his head tilted in question.
"They know…"
Vincent didn't bother to ask her about her parents because every mermaid's family member had the same story, they were killed. And right now, he wasn't interested in her family or anyone else except for her the blood that flowed in her body.
Eve took the courage to ask Vincent, "What is going to happen to the mermaid who is in the ballroom?"
"It would be best not to ponder about it. Not every mermaid can be saved, it isn't like you save every chicken or lamb, do you?" Vincent raised his eyebrows in question, and Eve pursed her lips. "And I don't think you have to hear it from me, I am sure you have heard plenty of… stories about it. It would be best to focus on your own safety."
Eve looked back at the half-done bandage on her foot and continued to wrap it before tearing it and tying the ends to secure it. Silence fell in the room, and Vincent let his elbows rest in the square-like grills of the window.
When she felt Vincent staring at her, she raised her head and met his eyes. He said, "It would have been a sight to behold, if the men who were trying to court you found out what you are and tried to fight for you. Of course, it wouldn't be just for your heart or hand."
"Thank you for bringing me here, Master Vincent," Eve bowed her head in gratitude.
"Your blood in exchange for your life. It is a simple deal, which I am sure you will have no trouble keeping up," Vincent's eyes twinkled, and he offered her a saint-like smile, which was opposite to the expression he had a while ago when he had drunk her blood.
The current situation wasn't good, but it was better than being caught and tortured by other people before being killed. Vincent had surprised her by not sinking his fangs into her flesh. For that, she was very grateful to him. Maybe he wasn't as bad as she had perceived him to be.
"Your night must have gone worse, especially considering how you were denied a kiss by the man you have been admiring, you poor thing," and there went the version of good man who turned back into his demon self. "Don't think too much about it, you aren't the first one to be rejected in this world."
Eve's face turned sour at Vincent's remark. Gingerly she turned to meet his eyes and asked, "Did you experience it too?"
Vincent chuckled at Eve's question, "It is hard to experience it when I am the one rejecting women. Do you know who he is?"
"The Duke?" Eve asked, and Vincent gave her a slight nod.
"Do you know what kind he belongs to, little girl?" He stressed the words' little girl' to irk her, which he successfully did. Though she tried to behave and dress up as if she was older, Vincent had found why she looked younger than most.
"A human, and a good one at that," responded Eve, and the smile on Vincent's lips only widened.
"Mhm," he only hummed, wondering how shocking it would be when Eve would discover that Noah Sullivan was not a human but a werewolf.
Eve gave him a suspicious look and asked, "He's not…?"
"He is, who said he isn't?" Vincent confused her further and said, "He's probably not the kind who wants to romance you. After all, he's a Duke and you are a governess."
"Neither of us are looking for a romance between us, Mr. Moriarty," came Eve's clipped tone.
Vincent slipped his hands into his trouser pocket, his eyes holding amusement and he asked, "Are you telling me that if the Duke had not pulled away, you would have stopped him from kissing you?"
"I don't know why you are so interested in my personal matters more than yours," Eve muttered.
"Answer the question, Ms. Barlow," Vincent challenged her before adding, "You have a fish's memory to forget that your life belongs to me. As a consumer and protector of your blood, I think I hold the little privilege to be privy? Life is boring without a little gossip," he ran his tongue across one of his fangs, feeling the sharpness of it.
Eve pursed her lips before she said, "I would have not allowed it."
Vincent stared at her, knowing it wasn't entirely true. He had been talking to one of the guests when he heard one of them mention Eve's beauty and right at that time Noah and Eve, who were on the dance floor, appeared ready to kiss, but only to pull away.
He then said, "As you said some time ago, good men are rare. And after witnessing today's awkwardness on the dance floor, I feel pity on you and would like to offer my help." He raised his hand before Eve could retort and said, "Don't you want someone next to you, Ms. Barlow?"
His question was something Eve had pondered many times before by herself. She then softly said,
"Not many are lucky to choose a person."
"Unless you are betrothed to the prince, which is highly impossible, it shouldn't be hard. Choices are what you make through your decision," Vincent replied and Eve gave him a sceptical look. Because she felt there was more reason than what this vampire led on to offer his help, but she couldn't find one.
Eve's eyes lowered looking at her shoe where its insole was filled with blood, "I am a mermaid, and once the person finds out, the outcome is unknown." Until now, somewhere deep in her heart, she had believed that if there was someone who could overlook who she was, it would be Noah.Â
When it was time for Eve to leave, Vincent said, "Good work today, Ms. Barlow. I will see you tomorrow."
She bowed her head, "Goodnight, Master Vincent. Thank you for saving my life again," and she was escorted out of the room by the guard named Gorron.
On her way, Eve came across two men who carried a large board on which the mermaid's yellow tail hung at the side. The upper half of the mermaid's body was missing, and it was covered in a large cloth. She quickly looked away from it.
Eve blinked back the tears over the horror that had taken place with the helpless mermaid. This could have been her today, but she had been saved. This was the fate of every mermaids and mermen on the land. With a heavy heart she walked past with a blank expression before stepping out of the Moriarty mansion.
Vincent stood at the window and watched the governess, who walked through the mansion's gates a minute ago. At the same time, Alfie appeared in front of the door. He bowed his head before he walked in and informed,
"Master Vincent, the guests were asking for you, and some have lounged themselves in the parlor room. Is Ms. Barlow doing okay now?" asked the butler.
"Mm," responded Vincent and he then questioned, "Did you get all the blood cleaned from the ballroom and stairs?"
"All cleaned until the floor was spotless, Master. Just as you wanted," Alfie answered while noticing the grim look on his Master's face as if he was in deep thought.
Earlier his Master had ordered him to spill wine on the floor and clean the blood that apparently belonged to the governess. As Vincent never helped anyone, it made Alfie wonder why his Master had a moment of change of heart.
Vincent stepped out of the room closely followed by the butler as they returned to where the guests were. When they were leaving the floor, Vincent paused his feet to look in the direction of the South Wing. The same place where Eve had found Allie earlier this evening. After Marceline had pulled Noah to the ballroom, he had gone up to overhear his little sister and the governess's speak.
Vincent's lips twitched in slight annoyance and he murmured,
"How bothersome."
Alfie blinked, looking back and forth between his Master and the corridor that led to the South Wing, not knowing what happened.
When Vincent started to walk again, Alfie quickly followed right behind him.
