Chapter 87
“Uuuhm, Lisa noona? If it’s not really urgent, could I maybe go first…?”
“It’s really urgent.”
“…Then I guess there’s no helping it.”
At Lisa’s extremely firm words, Jason nodded as if he had no choice.
“I guess I’ll have to come back again at lunch or something. Well then, Gideon.”
“Yes?”
“Have a good time and… uh, be careful with your body. Don’t let her drain you too fast.”
Jason looked at me with a meaningful smile, and I could only let out a hollow laugh.
Because I knew exactly what his words and smile implied, and what was about to happen.
“Gideon, hurry. Hurry and follow me. I’m in a rush.”
“Yes, understood. Let’s go quickly.”
Lisa took me somewhere.
At first I wondered where she was going, but soon I realized she was heading toward the Disciplinary Committee Room.
And the moment we stepped inside, Lisa immediately pushed me down onto the sofa.
“Lady Lisa. First, you should try to calm—”
“Sorry. I don’t think I can.”
Lisa climbed right on top of me.
Her eyes were slightly—no.
It wasn’t just slightly.
Looking closely, her blue irises were tinted a fairly deep shade of red.
“…Didn’t you say you could endure until Saturday without my blood?”
“I thought I could. But it turns out I couldn’t.”
Lisa lowered her upper body and brought her mouth toward my collarbone.
“It was too hard without you. My body and my heart both. Not being able to drink your blood made me so thirsty. Since you said you’d be here today, I woke up at dawn and waited for you. Then I sensed your scent all the way from the castle gate, so I ran out immediately.”
“If I ever have to go somewhere again, I could prepare some blood in advance—”
“No, there is no next time.”
“Ugh.”
Lisa bit my neck.
As blood flowed, Lisa drank it, not letting a single drop spill.
“Mmm, mmh, haa, hhh… ngh. There is no next time. I’m never letting you go off alone again. Absolutely not.”
“Then… what do you plan to do during the vacation?”
“Hm, right.”
“Agh?”
Lisa bit my neck again.
Her fangs were raised, so it stung a little, but I had long grown used to this level of pain.
“Vacation, vacation… I hadn’t thought about it. Like you said, what should I do if I can’t see you during vacation?”
“I could visit once a week—”
“No. A week is too long. Just stay at my house during vacation.”
“That would… be difficult. I have a reason I must return to my territory during the break…”
Lisa shook her head, cutting me off instantly.
“Then I’ll follow you. I can just stay in your territory for the whole vacation, right?”
“Lady Lisa, no matter what, that would be… ngh?”
“Refusal is refused.”
Lisa bit my neck again and drank my blood.
She definitely seemed very thirsty, drinking far more than usual.
“I don’t want to spend even a day away from you anymore. My body already can’t live without you… so you’d better take responsibility.”
“…Please continue.”
I gave a small laugh and pressed her head toward my neck.
“You still don’t seem calmed down. Drink as much as you need and regain your reason.”
“Uuuh… haa, mm…”
After that, Lisa said nothing more and simply focused on drinking my blood.
She kept drinking until I started to feel a faint dizziness.
“…Gideon.”
“Have you calmed down a bit?”
“Yeah, my mind feels clear now… and I don’t feel thirsty anymore.”
The rushing urgency from earlier was gone.
Her expression was blank—just the usual Lisa I knew.
“That’s a relief.”
Smiling, I lightly brushed her red hair.
It was only a slight touch, but Lisa flinched and trembled.
“Ah—if you don’t like having your hair touched…”
“No, no! I don’t hate it. It’s fine if you touch it… no. Um… touch it more.”
“Understood.”
I gently stroked her hair.
Lisa avoided my gaze and quietly buried her face.
“But… could you get off me now?”
“…No. I want to stay attached to you.”
“It’s just uncomfortable to lie like this. Is that not possible?”
“If it’s something like that…”
Lisa licked the wound on my neck—the place she had just bitten—and then climbed down.
I immediately tried to get up, but…
“Don’t go.”
Lisa pulled me right back.
She sat me on her lap and hugged me from behind.
“No matter what else, what I said about not wanting to be apart from you was sincere.”
“That includes the part about your body not being able to live without me?”
“…That part was half-true.”
“And the part about wanting to stay with me in my territory during vacation…”
“That was true. If possible, I want to be with you the whole break, too.”
I couldn’t see her face because she was behind me.
But I could roughly imagine what expression she was making.
“Well, let’s think slowly about what to do during vacation. If three days without me does this to you, then during break…”
“I just want to stay with you. Anywhere.”
Lisa hugged me tighter.
“I don’t want to rely on you too much… but if I go even one day without seeing you… it hurts too much.”
“Thank you for always thinking well of me.”
When I held Lisa’s hand, she trembled again.
And then she bit my neck from behind—softly this time, barely enough to tickle.
We stayed like that in the Disciplinary Committee Room for a while…
“But am I not heavy?”
“Not at all? You’re lighter than my sword.”
“Well, that figures. Anyway, Lady Lisa. Have you eaten breakfast?”
“No. Not yet. Why? Are you hungry?”
“Yes, I haven’t eaten properly yet. So, how about we go have breakfast together?”
“Uuuhm… no.”
The unexpected answer made me tilt my head.
I had thought she would naturally say yes.
“You won’t go eat breakfast?”
“No, I will eat breakfast. But I don’t want to go to the cafeteria. There are too many people there. I want to stay here with you, just the two of us.”
She needed breakfast but didn’t want to go to the cafeteria.
At her contradictory words, I let out a hollow laugh.
“Then that means you’ll end up skipping, doesn’t it?”
“I’m full because I drank your blood… but you need to eat properly. Mom said never to starve your partner.”
With that, Lisa took out a Crystal Sphere from her pocket and contacted someone.
Ugh… who… who’s contacting me at this hour on a Saturday…?
“Nia unni, were you sleeping?”
What? Lisa? Of course I was sleeping, you brat! On weekends it’s natural to skip breakfast and sleep in…
“Sorry for waking you. But can I ask you for a favor?”
Whether Nia ranted or not, Lisa just continued speaking.
A favor? What?
“I’m in the Disciplinary Committee Room right now. Could you maybe bring some food here?”
…Hey, Lisa. No matter how close we are, treating me like your servant is—
“20 silver coins.”
…25 of them.
“Good. 25.”
Negotiations between Nia and Lisa ended very quickly.
I hadn’t expected money to work even in that situation.
What should I bring? Raw meat?
“Yeah, that and some bread. And… Gideon, is there anything you want to eat?”
“A sandwich is fine for me.”
“Have some milk, too. Nia unni, you heard that, right? Please bring a sandwich and milk as well.”
…Are you in the Disciplinary Committee Room alone with Gideon right now?
“Yeah.”
Haah. Even a girl like you manages to get a man… how miserable life must be.
At Nia’s deep sigh, I let out an involuntary hollow laugh.
After Nia brought the food and we finished breakfast.
Lisa and I stayed in the Disciplinary Committee Room afterward as well.
To be exact, we lay on the sofa in the room.
Both of us on the wide sofa, facing each other the whole time.
“Lady Lisa, how long do you plan on lying here?”
“Why? Is it uncomfortable?”
“No. It isn’t uncomfortable. But we have work to—”
“We can do that after lunch. Until then… I want to stay like this.”
Lisa hugged me tightly, and I smiled faintly at her appearance.
“You really enjoy being close to me.”
“Yeah, I do. When I feel your body heat, my mind clears up and the fatigue in my body melts away. Anyway, Gideon.”
“Yes?”
“Before you went to Muktaba, you promised that once you came back, you’d grant me anything I wanted. Do you remember?”
“Yes, of course I remember. Do you have something you want right now?”
“…I do, but it’s not something I want immediately. Can I ask for it later, when I want it?”
“I don’t mind. But can I at least know what you want?”
“Hmm… is it okay if I keep it a secret?”
“That’s fine too.”
I chuckled and lightly touched Lisa’s hair.
Lisa briefly buried her face against my chest, then slowly raised her body.
Then she pushed me down beneath her and climbed on top.
“I’m thirsty again. Is that okay?”
“Aren’t you getting thirsty too soon? It hasn’t even been a few hours.”
I glanced at the clock.
It was a little past 10, only three hours since Lisa last drank my blood.
“I’ll drink just a little. Is that okay?”
“Then this time, bite the left side. You bit the right earlier.”
“Okay. And…”
Lisa hesitated for a moment, then continued.
“My mom told me something. After a kiss, blood circulation gets faster, so it’s easier to drink blood.”
“…Lady Kafka said that?”
“Yeah. My mom.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
Lisa’s intention was painfully obvious.
“Can I check if Mom’s words are true…?”
“Yes, I’m curious now too, so I suppose it would be good to check.”
“Then…”
Lisa lowered her body and brought her face closer to mine.
She hesitated for a moment while watching my eyes, then began moving again—
Knock, knock—
“Gideon! Lisa noona! You’re in there, right? I’m coming in!”
A sudden knock and Jason’s voice.
Before either of us could react, the door to the Disciplinary Committee Room burst open.
Then Jason, Luke, Sara, and Layla.
Familiar faces came into view.
“…Ah.”
“Uh……”
“Haaa.”
“Oh.”
At the sight of me and Lisa pressed together on the sofa, Jason looked flustered.
Luke looked embarrassed, Layla looked amused, and Sara let out a heavy sigh.
“……”
And Lisa said nothing.
She said nothing at all, staring at Jason with eyes filled with murderous intent.
Jason trembled slightly and stepped back.
“Uh… s-sorry for interrupting your… good time.”
“…Yeah, you should be sorry. You interrupted a very good moment.”
“S-should we come back later?”
“No. Come in. More importantly, why did you come?”
“I came to hear what happened from Gideon. I was going to come alone, but apparently I’m not the only one curious about what he did in Muktaba. So we all came.”
“…I see.”
Lisa climbed off me and helped me sit up.
“Looks like checking my mom’s words will have to wait.”
“Yes, next time… let’s do that.”
I replied with an awkward smile.
“I see. I understand.”
After listening to what happened in Muktaba, Jason nodded.
I was sure he had memorized every detail.
And he would undoubtedly report it all to the Hawkbat Family.
‘Well, I don’t really have anything that needs hiding, so it’s fine.’
Jason nodded, Layla listened with interest, Luke also found the story amusing, and surprisingly, Sara listened attentively as well.
Probably because the events happened in her father’s territory and were somewhat connected to him.
“My father did all that for this guy… then why didn’t he ever…”
Sara muttered something unclear, and I pretended not to hear her as I finished telling the story.
“Yes, and after obtaining the Water Rune, I completed the schedule and returned. I only heard from Sir Jason a few hours ago that the Isrinbloom Family made such an announcement through the Imperial Family.”
“I see. Hm…”
“So you got the Water Rune and even engraved it into your body? You can use that power?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
In response to Luke’s question, I nodded and drew forth the Blessing of Water.
A faint water-formed barrier appeared around my body.
“This is that power.”
“Whoa.”
Luke looked surprised.
And not just Luke—everyone else, including Lisa beside me, stared at the barrier with curiosity.
Then suddenly, Sara reacted in a shocking way.
She abruptly jumped up and pointed at me.
“Bring your sword and follow me outside, Kyrgram. We shall fight.”
“Lady Sara? What are you saying all of a sudden?”
“I finally have the conditions necessary to fight you at full strength.”
Although she looked calm, her voice trembled slightly from excitement.
“I may have been inferior to you in swordsmanship, but swordsmanship isn’t everything for a swordsman in this age. Until now, it didn’t feel like a fair match, so I couldn’t use it… but now that you also have the power of an Attribute, this time I shall show you the flame of Isrinbloom…”
“Calm down, calm down. Sara, what are you asking from someone who just returned from a journey?”
Luke cut her off, looking exasperated.
“Besides, Gideon just acquired the Rune. He probably hasn’t mastered how to use it yet. Do you want to overpower him with your family’s flame in that state?”
“…You have a point.”
“And if you want a proper fight, wait until midterms. I’ll set up a good stage for you then.”
“Midterms?”
“Yes, midterms. Like it or not, the two of you will probably face each other.”
At Luke’s words, Sara tilted her head.
But I nodded.
‘Midterms… right. If it’s the first-year midterms… I’ll probably end up fighting Sara.’
I glanced at the calendar hanging in the Disciplinary Committee Room.
There were about two weeks left until the midterm exam.