Eve climbed up the stairs, while sensing the gazes that belonged to Vincent, Marceline and a woman she had never seen until now. On reaching the top end of the stairs, she heard Vincent greet her,
"Good morning, Eve. How has your morning been?"
Feeling the pressure of the two women's eyes that weighed on her, she offered a slight bow, "Good morning... Vincent. Yes, it was well."
While the new governess, who had been fired stared at Eve with her mouth open, Marceline's eyes subtly narrowed with the way this lowly human addressed her brother. She had gone to the length of speaking to the lowly beings so that she could send this human out of her town voluntarily, but her attempt had failed and the woman was back in the mansion.
Marceline put a false smile and said to Eve, "It is good to see you back, Ms. Barlow. Allie and mother were worried that you quit work, as you didn't show up and there wasn't a word from you."
"You weren't worried, dear sister?" Vincent questioned Marceline, as he observed the young vampiress.
"That is needless to ask. I was worried if she found another job or if she was going to be married," Marceline's eyes appeared to be as kind as Eve's eyes, while a soft smile was present on her lips.
Eve offered a slight bow before apologising, "Forgive me for my absence. I had to travel somewhere as there was an emergency and I returned yesterday."
Marceline wondered if her plan had fallen apart before it could take its full form. Did the townsfolk not act as she had expected them to act? Or was it her brother who had come to the lowly human's rescue. It seemed like Genevieve Barlow was far worse in threat than she had expected. The smile on her lips didn't falter, and she turned to the newly appointed governess, before dismissing her,
"You heard what was said. You can stop coming to work here as you see, the previous governess is back."
The lowly vampiress's mouth fell to the ground. Because only a moment ago, the lady had mentioned how she wanted to get rid of the human's teachings out of her sister's mind. She noticed the subtle glare sent by the lady and she quickly bowed, climbing down the stairs, she left the mansion.
Marceline tried to digest Eve's presence in front of her, she wondered if she should perhaps keep this woman closer to her, because driving her away didn't work. And while the vampiress continued to think, Vincent asked Eve,
"Did you have your breakfast? I haven't had mine, come join me."
"I had it with Eugene. Allie should be waiting for me," Eve replied, and Vincent moved closer to her, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear.
If it were possible, Marceline's eyeballs would have fallen off her face and rolled down the staircase. A deep frown appeared on her dainty face, and her dull copper-red eyes narrowed at them. She remarked,
"Vince, I know you want to drink her blood, but do you need to behave in such an unnecessary way?"
Vincent's lips curled and he put his arm around Eve's waist. He asked, "You mean like this?"
"...." Marceline knew that her brother loved to annoy her, but wasn't this going a little too far even for him?
On the other hand, Eve pushed Vincent's hand away from her waist, while her face turned hot.
Vincent said to Eve, "There's no need to feel embarrassed, Eve. Marceline is my dear sister, and she will find out about us one or the other day." He put his hand back on Eve's lower back, while Eve felt the vampiress stare at her with a look of disbelief in her eyes. And as if it was a secret, he said to Eve in a low voice, "Not to mention, Marcie loves you dearly, isn't that right, dear sister?" He turned back to Eve and said, "Because she never asks anyone to join her for tea and has been kind enough to invite you before."
Marceline stared back and forth between Vincent and Eve, while trying to keep a calm composure that was quickly slipping into rage. She nervously laughed at Vincent's words and said, "I don't think I understand what is going on."
Vincent let go of Eve's back and came to stand next to Marceline, placing his arm around the vampiress's shoulder and he declared,
"Meet your future sister-in-law, Marcie."
Eve's eyes widened, and she stared at Vincent. Their relationship had only started and though marriage was the obvious thing to do when two people were in a relationship, the pureblooded vampire hadn't spoken about it and right now he didn't hide his future intentions with her.
"What...?" Marceline's voice had turned into a whisper as her mind entered a shocked state.
T--This lowly human... was going to be her sister-in-law? Vincent was joking! There was no way he would choose a lowly human who belonged to Meadow to be part of this family. She shifted her gaze from the governess to her brother.
"I don't think you should joke about things like this, brother. It isn't right for Ms. Barlow," Marceline replied, with her smile falling from her face.
"It isn't. If Eve didn't go on her little vacation, I would have never realised how much I missed her and wanted her next to me," Vincent squeezed Marceline's shoulder, who looked as pale as a ghost from the news. The vampiress concealed her confusion and disbelief with a smile and heard him say, "I knew you would be the first one to be happy about it. Look at her smile," he said the last sentence to Eve.
Marceline's mind had stopped working and she couldn't form any words. Dropping his hand from her shoulder, Vincent took hold of Eve's lunch box as if serving the human, and the very sight of it repulsed the vampiress.
"Let me walk you to the piano room," Vincent stated, and both he and Eve walked away from where Marceline stood, staring at them. The vampiress gathered her thoughts before walking in haste to find her mother.
When the couple reached near the piano room, Eve slowed down her footsteps and said, "I don't mean to ask you to hide them, but... can you tone down the affections in public?" They had only begun their relationship and she was still getting used to him being tender toward her.
"No," Vincent's response was quick as he looked at her. "Did you not like what I said?"
Eve's blue eyes met his, and she shook her head, "I was taken by surprise."
"That I told Marceline, or was it what I told her?" Vincent asked, and they paused their footsteps.
Eve replied, "Both."
Vincent tilted his head to the side, and stated, "I have never been one to hide my thoughts and feelings, and I am not going to hide you like some secret. So don't expect me to do it, because I won't," a wicked smile appeared on his lips.
Though Vincent was crooked in some things, his direct words like this were what won Eve's heart. She had always wanted someone standing next to her, and Vincent did more than just stand beside her. She wondered if this was what it meant to be liked by someone who didn't fear anyone. Not even himself and he was confident with how he felt.
Eve was a mermaid, someone whose character and integrity were questioned by those who knew her for quite some time. And Vincent was someone who didn't care about what people thought and did what he felt was right. She wondered if that was why they fit perfectly or if they were meant to fit each other.
"Though I cannot stop the way I am, I can tone it down for you," Vincent proposed with a straight face before he leaned forward and tapped his finger on his lips, "In exchange for a kiss now."
Eve stared at him and heard footsteps coming from the other side of the corridor that probably belonged to one of the maids. She decided to make it a quick peck, but when she moved closer, she heard the small vampiress exclaim,
"Miss Eve!" Allie's eyes looked bright on seeing Eve standing in the corridor right outside the piano room.
Eve quickly stepped backwards and brought her umbrella between her and Vincent, which ended up smacking his face. The little girl quickly put her arms around her governess, hugging her.
"I thought you weren't coming back," Allie said in a worried voice.
"Pardon me for it, but I won't be going anywhere," Eve replied, and when she turned to look at Vincent, she noticed him glaring at the small girl who was oblivious to it and she smiled looking at her governess.
