Chapter 38

As soon as I entered the room, I asked,

“Are you one of Keith d’Alembert’s subordinates?”

“Yes, Third Point. Or should I call you Professor Winslet instead?”

“Call me whatever you want.”

“Then I’ll call you Professor. That would look more natural to others, wouldn’t it? Please call me Trisha, Professor.”

Trisha was a calm and gentle woman.

Being able to maintain her composure in front of the infamous Winter Winslet could be considered one of the boldest achievements in the academy. But considering who she really was, it wasn’t that surprising.

She wore the face of a young woman, but she was one of Keith d’Alembert’s hands and feet.

A vampire, whose age was impossible to guess.

She wore a long-sleeved blouse that covered her hands and a long skirt that reached her ankles.

Her outfit, which revealed almost no skin, was evidence that Trisha was a vampire vulnerable to sunlight.

Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.

“It suits you well.”

“What does?”

“I meant this job suits you well.”

Dorm supervisors and vampires both rest during the day and were active at night. It was a good match.

Understanding what I meant, Trisha just smiled softly.

I asked,

“How long have you been working at the academy?”

“Not even a month yet. I was hired this year.”

“Did you infiltrate the academy to keep an eye on me?”

“Would you believe me if I said no?”

In response, Trisha wore a wistful expression.

She pressed her fingers together and gently rested her face on them before lowering her long eyebrows. Her face looked sorrowful yet beautiful.

Vampires were, after all, monsters that seduced the opposite sex to suck their blood.

Trisha’s base stats came with a two-level boost in “Charm” by nature, so objectively speaking, she really was a beauty.

Trisha said,

“To be honest, I really like children. They’re cheerful, full of energy, and… fresh, you might say. That’s why I got a job at the academy.”

Wait a second. Wasn’t there something weird mixed in just now…?

“It’s best to raise your own food, don’t you think? That way, it’s safer, and you know you can trust it.”

What the hell.

A farm-to-table, organic vampire just showed up.

Trisha saw my expression and laughed behind her hand.

“Pfft, I’m kidding. I’m rather unusual, even among vampires.”

“Unusual, huh?”

“Some vampires fully embrace their new lives as a different species, while others don’t. I’m the latter. I found it hard to let go of my human life, so I still live and work among ordinary people, laugh and chat with them… and form bonds. It’s a precious kind of life.”

“And yet, if your master gave the order, you’d turn this place into a bloodbath, wouldn’t you?”

Trisha looked sad.

Whether it was an act or not, I couldn’t tell.

“Of course, since I’ve received his blood, I can’t disobey him. But my lord isn’t the forceful type. He respects each of our lives. He treats every vampire like family.”

I nodded, thinking of the Keith d’Alembert I’d seen in Candela of Judgment.

He certainly does care deeply for his own kind.

The problem was that he saw every creature other than vampires as livestock to be drained dry, and he caused all kinds of trouble because of it.

“Let’s get back to business.”

“Shall we?”

Smiling faintly, Trisha went to her desk.

She opened a drawer and pulled out a thick file folder, which she handed to me.

“This is the information you were looking for.”

Inside the folder were a map of the academy campus and several translucent sheets of tracing paper.

The tracing paper was meant to be layered over the campus map. It included detailed notes on Winter Winslet’s whereabouts by date and time, his movement patterns, and information about the people he’d met.

Judging by the ink, which looked barely dry, it had likely been compiled less than a day ago.

“This looks like a very recent report. Can I trust it?”

“I just recopied it, that’s why. I couldn’t very well give you the original. I trimmed out any unnecessary parts and edited out information that shouldn’t be leaked. I pulled an all-nighter to get this done, so I’m running on no sleep.”

What a joke.

“If a vampire doesn’t stay up at night, when else would they be awake?”

“Fufu.”

I flipped through a few pages of the report, then asked Trisha,

“These surveillance logs go up to this morning. Don’t tell me today’s visit from me is going to be recorded too?”

“Of course. My job is to document everything that happens at the academy. Do you not like that?”

Is that even a question?

Unless someone shares Keith d’Alembert’s voyeuristic tendencies in reverse, who in their right mind would enjoy seeing logs of themselves being watched?

Especially when Trisha’s surveillance records included raw, detailed personal info about people around me. Like Dahlia and Josephine. Naturally, it made me uncomfortable.

One day, I’ll have to pick the right time and wipe out all the familiars scattered throughout the academy.

“…Still, it’ll be useful for now.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Just as I gathered the documents and stood up, Trisha stepped closer and asked,

“Professor, leaving already?”

“There’s nothing more to do here, is there?”

“There’s still one thing I’d like to ask you.”

“What is it?”

Trisha leaned in and whispered in my ear,

“Would you… be willing to donate blood before you go?”

***

What did a blood donation mean to a vampire?

Without even needing to ask, it was obvious. She wanted to sink her fangs into my neck and pop the cap off my blood like it was a soft drink.

I was so dumbfounded, I asked again,

“Are you seriously saying that?”

“Mmm, a powerful mage’s blood acts like a pheromone. Any vampire would be drawn to the scent. So right now… I guess you could say I’m feeling lust toward you, Professor.”

Listen to her talk.

“If you’ve tempted me with such an intoxicating blood scent, isn’t it only fair you take responsibility?”

“You’re crazy.”

“I promise it’ll feel good. Okay?”

Not even worth a reply.

Trisha gazed at me with hazy, seductive eyes, but I was already a paragon of self-control. Someone who had resisted the temptations of Rose Bly, who was officially recognized as the most beautiful woman in Candela of Judgment.

A clumsy attempt like this wouldn’t work on me—

“…The fact that you let me get this close without stopping me…I should take that as a yes, shouldn’t I?”

Only then did I realize Trisha had gotten right up in my face and was fingering the top button of my shirt.

When did she get that close?

Looking into her crimson eyes, I saw the surge of magical power swirling within.

The Vampire’s Mesmerizing Gaze.

She was trying to enchant me.

Immediately, I flooded my magical circuits with power.

Fwoosh!

The circuits flared hot, and the charm vanished instantly. Like water on a burning-hot stone.

The moment I regained control of my body, the first thing I did was hurl the vampire who had been lovingly preparing the spot to stick her “straw” straight to the floor.

“Kyah!”

Trisha tumbled with a sweet scream, and I coldly demanded in a voice simmering with fury,

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Huh, you’re stronger than I expected. I thought I could overpower a 7th-class mage easily. Were you hiding some strength…?”

How creepy.

She tried to pop my lid knowing I was a 7th-class mage?

In that moment, I reassessed the threat level of both Kiss D’Alembert and the servant who followed him.

As a rule, vampires grow stronger with age, and the further down the bloodline, the weaker they get.

Maybe Trisha was a servant who received Kiss D’Alembert’s blood early on.

Could she be Royal Blood or something?

“You wouldn’t pull something like this without thinking about the consequences, would you?”

I flared my mana field and loosened my tie.

When Trisha saw me, she immediately raised both hands above her head in surrender.

“I was just following orders. Please, have mercy.”

“Did Kiss D’Alembert tell you to do this?”

“He figured Winter Winslet would be weak to seduction, so he told me to test it out. If it worked, great. If not, no big deal.”

What did they take me for?

Letting this slide would make me look like a joke.

So, like the Winter Winslet I was, I decided to leave a proper warning.

I twisted Trisha’s arm behind her back and slammed her against the wall.

Thud.

“Ahhn!”

I frowned.

“What’s with the weird moaning?”

“Please don’t do this, Professor.”

“Cut the pathetic act.”

“You shouldn’t be doing this in the dorms. What if the students hear us?”

“Now you’re using the students as an excuse?”

“It’s not an excuse. In fact, there’s someone right now, eavesdropping just outside the door.”

“What?”

I turned toward the dorm supervisor’s office entrance.

Trisha gave me a mischievous smile.

“Don’t forget to pull hard when you open the door.”

I took Trisha’s advice, and a moment later, came face-to-face with an uninvited guest.

Bang!

The door flew open, and someone fell flat on their back into the dorm supervisor’s office.

To my disbelief, it was a familiar face.

“Ah, hello there, Professor! It’s a really lovely morning, isn’t it? The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming, and, um…”

“Jacqueline Dogwood.”

“Eek!”

The red-haired student creaked like a wooden puppet as she looked up at me.

As soon as our eyes met, her face went pale, and I spoke clearly and firmly.

“How long have you been standing there? Speak. What did you hear…and how much?”

“Uh! I mean! Um…”

Jacqueline suddenly leapt to her feet and shouted,

“I-I didn’t hear a thing, so please go back to… whatever you were doing! I’m so sorry for interrupting your lovely moment!”

With that, Jacqueline Dogwood spun around and bolted away at full speed.

A moment later, Trisha covered her mouth and laughed.

“Well, isn’t it lucky? Thanks to my quick thinking, the real secret didn’t get out.”

At that, I couldn’t help but feel my mood take a sharp turn for the worse.