Chapter 150: A Deal of Blood and Trust
"Hahaha... you really caught me off guard there. For a moment, I thought you two were close—coming up to her with that cheerful attitude. Guess I was wrong. You two clearly don’t get along, huh?"
Al turned around without responding. He didn’t even bother to throw a glance back. The mockery fell flat against his calm composure, as if it never reached him. He simply decided to ignore the man’s words and continue walking away.
But Uncle Acok wasn’t someone who could be brushed off that easily.
"Hold on there, young man," the old man said, his tone turning unpleasant. "I think we still have something to talk about, don’t we?"
Al stopped in his tracks, clearly annoyed. His patience had already been stretched thin, and this wasn’t helping.
Once again, the air between them turned heavy—charged with silent tension that neither of them tried to ease.
"Uncle," Al finally said, his voice flat and tired, "I’m really not in the mood to deal with you right now. I need to study for my exams, so let’s just end this here." He turned slightly, his gaze sharp. "And one more thing... I’d appreciate it if you didn’t touch any of my stuff."
Uncle Acok blinked, momentarily stunned by the tone of the seventeen-year-old boy. It wasn’t just the words—it was the way he said them, without hesitation or fear. Even Edward, Al’s father, spoke to him politely, yet this kid dared to talk back so casually.
"Oh? That’s how you talk to me now?" The old man gave a dry chuckle, his irritation surfacing. "You really haven’t learned any manners, have you?"
He waved his hand dismissively, losing interest in the argument.
"Fine, fine. Go on then. I won’t bother you. Hmph." His voice was thick with annoyance.
Al studied him silently for a moment, his expression unreadable. His eyes flicked down toward the bracelet on Uncle Acok’s wrist.
That thing... Is it just me, or does that look like a shard of that tree? Where did this old man get it? Should I ask him?
His mind worked rapidly, analyzing every detail he could from a distance.
Uncle Acok, now visibly irritated, frowned at Al’s silence. The boy’s stare was sharp, unblinking—almost like he was examining an artifact in a museum.
"What are you staring at, huh?! Didn’t you say you were leaving?" he snapped.
That shout broke Al’s thoughts. He sighed quietly, shaking his head.
"Alright, alright," he said, his tone calm again. "I don’t plan to stay here long anyway." He decided not to ask about the bracelet—at least, not yet.
As he began to walk away, Al lifted his hand slightly in a casual wave.
"If you think I was being rude, then I apologize," he said over his shoulder. "And please—don’t touch my things."
Without waiting for a reply, he stepped inside the house.
Uncle Acok could only grunt in irritation, watching the boy’s back disappear through the doorway. With a displeased sigh, he turned and went back to his post, resuming his duty of keeping watch around the estate.
Al reached his room moments later. Standing by the door, he rubbed his temple, feeling a faint throb of exhaustion behind his eyes.
"If this keeps up, the whole project might get interfered with," he muttered under his breath, frustration leaking into his tone. "I didn’t expect that old man to have an artifact like that. And to make things worse, I still have to sneak out again tonight."
He exhaled heavily, rubbing the back of his neck as he glanced down the hallway—only to notice something, or rather someone, standing in front of Clarista’s room.
Fani.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
Looks like luck’s finally on my side tonight, he thought.
An idea formed in his mind—swift and clever. Without wasting another second, Al straightened up and began walking toward her, his steps calm and measured.
Fani noticed Al’s approach almost instantly. Before he could even open his mouth, she greeted him first with her usual teasing tone.
"Hey, Boss. What’s up?" she said casually, one eyebrow raised. "If you came here to offer me more blood, I’ll stop you right there—I don’t need any right now."
"I’m not here to talk about blood," Al replied evenly.
"Oh? Then what is it?" she asked, tilting her head in curiosity.
"I’m not here to offer you something," he said, his tone calm but deliberate. "I’m here to ask you to do something for me."
"Ahh, so this is part of my ’payment,’ huh?" she said, half-joking but half-serious.
"You could say that," Al answered with a faint smirk.
Fani sighed dramatically, throwing her hands in the air.
"Knew it. Nothing in this world is ever truly free. And to think you were the one who forced me to drink your blood in the first place. Unbelievable."
"Stop being so dramatic and just listen," Al muttered, half amused, half exasperated. "This time, I really need your help."
"Ohooo~ I never thought someone as composed as you could sound that desperate," Fani teased, flashing a mischievous grin. "Alright, what do you need?"
Al leaned in slightly and lowered his voice, his tone serious this time.
"I need you to guard my project... from intruders."
Fani blinked, confused. "Guard your project?"
"Yeah. Right now, you’re the only one I can rely on."
"Why me?" she asked, her suspicion faint but present.
"Because..." Al glanced around, checking their surroundings before continuing in a whisper. "I’ve got things to take care of these next few nights. So while I’m away, I need you to watch over it. And in return..."
He looked around once more, then leaned closer to her ear.
"...I’ll give you as much blood as you want. Unlimited supply."
Fani froze, her expression blank for a second before her eyes lit up.
"Wait—are you serious?"
"I don’t joke about things like this," Al said, tone firm.
"Funny, because you do joke about almost everything else," Fani shot back with a sly smile.
"Tch. Just do it already," Al muttered, irritation mixing with amusement.
"Hahaha, fine, fine. Deal, Boss." Fani shrugged. "So how do you want me to do it? And why exactly does it need guarding? I’m curious now."
Al scanned the hallway again, ensuring no one was eavesdropping. Then he began explaining—slowly, carefully, but in detail. For once, he spoke as if he truly trusted her. He told her about the ancient artifact buried beneath the property, and about the illusion barrier he’d planted to conceal it from unwanted eyes.
When he finished, Fani’s mouth fell open. She covered it quickly, her expression a mix of awe and disbelief.
"An artifact... with ancient power? Are you being serious right now?"
Al nodded slightly. "I don’t know what it really is yet, but this project might be my key to uncovering it."
Fani exhaled through her nose and nodded, processing his words.
"Alright, I get it."
Al continued, his tone growing more serious.
"And for the guarding mission... I need you to watch anyone approaching that area—especially Uncle Acok. My illusion barrier can block most people easily, but he’s different. If he gets close, that’s trouble. He’s carrying something that might interfere with it. So if he shows up, stop him. Keep him away."
"So my main focus is that old man?" she asked.
Al nodded again. "If you can keep others away too, that’s great. But if not, he’s your priority. Think you can handle that?"
Fani crossed her arms, considering it carefully.
"That’s Uncle Acok we’re talking about. You know how strong he is. But... with his current condition, I think I can manage to keep him away. At least for a while."
"Good enough."
She gave a small nod. "Alright then, Boss. I’m in."
Al smiled faintly and patted her shoulder. "I’m counting on you."
Then, as if remembering something, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small glass vial filled with clear liquid.
"Oh right, here. Take this."
Fani took it, holding it up to the light. "What’s this?"
"You’ll probably have to keep using sleep spells on Sis Clarista," Al explained. "Her body might not handle it well if you overdo it, so make sure she drinks that. It’s a potion to lessen the side effects of repeated magic exposure."
Fani let out a short laugh, shaking her head.
"I didn’t think you still cared enough to protect her, considering how she treats you—always belittling you, mocking you every chance she gets. You’re quite something, Boss."
Al gave a small frown.
"Hmph... It’s not that I want to care. It’s just... something inside me hurts whenever one of my family members is in danger. I can’t ignore it."
"Huh? Why would you feel that way?" Fani asked, genuinely puzzled.
Al stared at her for a few seconds before replying quietly,
"Honestly, I’ve been wondering the same thing myself. And I assume you might know about that. But I don’t think now’s the right time to talk about it."
"What do you mean?" Fani asked, curious.
Al sighed softly, then explained,
"You’re a demi-human, but you’re still of vampire descent. You should at least understand how blood energy works, right?"
Fani scratched her cheek, thinking for a moment.
"Well... I know how to use it for magic, sure. But beyond that? Not really. I’ve mostly relied on instinct."
"So you don’t actually know much about blood energy?" Al asked, clearly surprised. "And you call yourself a vampire?"
Fani laughed awkwardly and shook her head.
"Even if I’m a vampire, I’ve spent most of my life in the human world—living like a human, thinking like one. My knowledge leans more toward human theories than anything about my own race. Sorry about that. Hehe."
Al sighed and facepalmed. "Ah... that explains a lot."
Fani chuckled. "But I do know someone who might be able to explain it to you."
"Really?"
"Yeah. The problem is... I don’t know where she is now. Last time I saw her was a year ago, in Scandiva. She might not even be in the human dimension anymore—could be in Azzaleth by now."
Al nodded thoughtfully. "At least there’s someone who knows. For now, that’s enough. Thank you, Fani. I’m counting on you." He patted her shoulder once again before turning away.
"And... I think that’s all for tonight," he added, his tone suddenly cautious. "Someone might be eavesdropping on us. I’ll leave the rest to you."
Fani glanced around, sensing it too.
"You’re right, Boss. Alright then—be careful."
Al gave her a firm nod and walked off into the hallway’s dim light, while Fani slipped into Clarista’s room to prepare for what was coming next.
And with that, for now at least, Al’s secret project could continue without interference.
---
Somewhere else in the quiet corners of the mansion, a pair of eyes had been observing everything — though not a single word from Al and Fani’s conversation reached his ears. Hidden behind the slightly parted curtain of a guest room window, the young man watched in silence.
David.
His eyes narrowed into sharp slits, and his chest rose and fell heavily with restrained anger. From that distance, he could clearly see how naturally Al interacted with Fani — the easy tone, the faint smiles, the quiet understanding between them.
And that sight alone made David’s blood boil.
"What the hell is going on between those two?" he muttered under his breath, his jaw tightening as if he were grinding his teeth.
His right fist slammed into the wall beside him. Crack. A faint fracture spread across the smooth surface of the wall, marking the intensity of his frustration.
"Yura... and Fani." His voice was low, trembling with fury. "That bastard... he’s starting to become dangerous."
The light in his room dimmed, yet the darkness in his eyes grew deeper, heavier — like a storm gathering in the silence.
"Everything that was supposed to be mine... one by one, it’s being pulled toward him." He paused, breathing harshly. "Damn it. I can’t just stand by and watch. I have to do something."
With that, he turned sharply and slammed the door shut behind him. The echo of that impact lingered through the hall — a sound carrying anger, jealousy, and the beginning of something far more dangerous.