Baron Hemaluna went on a long-winded explanation of vampirism, while Rose attentively listened. He brought up many topics, such as the sun being harmful, the blood moon's empowering energies, and the biological differences between a vampire and a human. All backed by further reason and logical thought, of course. Though she nodded and listened, his explanations were more confusing than enlightening to Rose, but she managed to catch a few key points regardless. The vampires burn in the sun, have red eyes, and must drink blood to stave off maddening hunger. And with that mentioned, the topic of fangs had to be brought up as well.

As soon as Baron Hemaluna mentioned them, Rose took note of their existence in her very own mouth. And when she did, she could not unnotice them. She continued listening, but was distracted by her own, unnaturally prolonged teeth. Her tongue kept prodding and running under her vampiric fangs. Though previously focused, her scarlet eyes kept drifting down away from his, and she was visibly testing for their sharpness with her tongue.

「Sharp, aren't they?」

The sandy blond haired man asked with a faint smile.

「Eh?- Ah. Sorry, I got a little distracted…」

She abashedly admitted, and looked down at the table with an awkward smile. The baron laughed softly.

「It's okay. I am amazed by the mere fact you listened for so long. Children your age are very easily distracted.」

He said, and let out a sigh through his nose.

「So… In other words, I am not alive?」

Rose asked with her brows furrowed in confusion at the man.

「Yes, that is correct. As I said, we are a form of undead. We merely look human.」

He replied with a calm nod of his head.

「But… But I can feel my heart beat! And I can breathe!」

She exclaimed with her clawed fingers on her chest, desperately trying to explain his error to the man. She took a few quick, conspicuous breaths to demonstrate.

「Yes, for now. But try holding your breath for a few moments, how long do you think a human can do that for?」

He nodded in agreement, and asked Rose with a gentle smile on his face as he lightly tilted his head.

The young girl took a large breath, and held it. They looked each other in the eyes in silence, while the man patiently waited with his fingers interlocked. His gentle smile widened a little, as they held the prolonged eye contact.

Roughly ten minutes later, Rose broke it with a consternated look on her face. Still holding her breath, she realized felt no urge to exhale, and the need to inhale never came.

Her crimson eyes returned to his with furrowed brows. She let out a long, resigned exhale through her small nose. Strangely enough, she continued breathing. Out of compulsion, rather than necessity.

「I think you'd have most humans beat…」

He remarked, and chuckled softly.

「…You need to understand that you are neither human, nor alive anymore. Your heart beats, yes… But that's what it remembers to do. It has no need to, and you can stop it if you wish.」

The baron explained, looking intently into her eyes.

「…Does that frighten you?」

He asked, and Rose shook her golden head.

「…But if I'm dead, how will the sun kill me?」

She asked, with her brows furrowed.

「It will less kill you and more burn you away. We can regrow limbs, and even reattach our dismembered head, but how will you do that if you burn away to ashes?」

He shrugged his shoulders as he calmly explained, keeping his fingers interlocked.

「Though there is something you should know as well… That concerns normal vampires. Meanwhile, my master was what we call, a wayfarer of twilight.」

Baron Hemaluna added, after a momentary glance aside to think.

「What's that?」

She tilted her head, blinking her crimson eyes at the baron.

「Simply put, while direct sunlight would set most vampires on fire and burn them to ash, short exposure would only horribly injure my master. And indirect exposure merely painfully stung him.」

He replied, and chuckled as he looked down at the table, hiding his smile behind his interlocked hands.

「…My master was rather harsh. He intended to teach me what sunlight does to a vampire, by placing my hand in its rays. He was quite shocked, when he realized it was far from setting my hand on fire.」

Baron Hemaluna said, as he lifted his crimson eyes back to Rose, with an amused smirk on his face.

「It didn't burn you?…」

「Oh, it did. Just not nearly as badly as he expected. And on cloudy days like these, I only need an umbrella to go out during the daytime.」

Lilia asked, and he shook his head in reply, waving his sandy blond hair about a little.

「Then… Despite everything that you told me, the sun doesn't hurt you if you have an umbrella?」

Confused, she tilted her head at him.

「Oh no, not quite. On bright, sunny days, the sun burns me rather painfully even under my umbrella, though it does not injure me… Something my master was very envious of.」

He said, and intently looked into her eyes in a brief silence.

「…There is an idea among the vampires. Something, someone called a daywalker. A vampire that does not fear the sun, at all.」

「A daywalker?」

Rose echoed, tilting her head again.

「Yes. Seeing that I do not burn in the sun, my master thought it was inevitable until one appears.」

He nodded, smiling at her.

「And vampires think that when he does, he will become the king of vampires, and rule them until the sun burns out.」

He spread his hands on the table, and shrugged.

「Do you think so too?」

She blinked at him a few times with curious red eyes. He laughed softly in response, looking down at the spot on table between his elbows again, with a fangs-bared grin on his face.

「Who knows?… We'll have to see how well you handle the sun.」

Baron Hemaluna jestingly replied, looking at her crimson eyes with a soft smile on his face. Rose smiled back, happy that she finally was no longer alone.

「You know, you remind me of my daughter. A little.」

He remarked, and tilted his head, smiling gently at her.

「You have a daughter?」

She excitedly asked, and her smiled widened, when she imagined a girl like her and around her age, who could be her friend. Baron Hemaluna nodded, glancing down for a second.

「…Had.」

He quietly replied after a short pause, with smile. Her jaw dropped in surprise, exposing her elongated fangs to the man. In her head, the image of the friend she never had a chance to meet had disappeared as quick as her smile.

「Sorry…」

Rose apologetically lowered her gaze, frowning.

「It's okay, it was a long time ago…」

He shook his head, shaking his sandy blond hair with it.

「…I'm just an old fool who can't let go of things.」

The baron added, smiling at Rose. Though expertly veiled on his gentle face, she could clearly see anguish in his scarlet eyes.

「…You said you're a nobleman. You hold land?」

Desperate to change the subject, Rose asked, remorseful she caused the man grief.

「I am a baron, so naturally, I hold a barony some days of travel away from here…」

Baron Hemaluna replied, and chuckled softly with a light smile. Only then Rose realized how spurious her question was.

「Ah- Well- Yes, of course…」

She bashfully lowered her crimson eyes, and her reaction elicited another chuckle out of the baron.

「Ahaha… Don't feel bad, a girl your age should only concern herself with being happy. Learning about things like fiefs and demesnes can wait until a later time… And time is what we have plenty of.」

He smiled, and stood up from his chair.

「You said I won't age… Does it mean I'll stay like this forever?」

Rose asked, standing up as well.

「You will forever remain a young girl, and likely with a young girl's mind… But that does not mean you can't mature into a lady. But don't worry about that just yet, you have plenty of time.」

He replied, and took a few steps towards the door.

「Come, I have things to teach you. If you are to join me-」

This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

The baron abruptly stopped, and spun around on his heel to face Rose.

「Ah. I didn't ask the most important question…」

Baron Hemaluna said, and leaned forward with his hands on his knees, lowering his face to her height.

「Do you even want to come with me? I did not turn you into a vampire to gain a minion, or otherwise indebt you to me. If you wish to go on your separate path-」

He explained, but Rose interrupted him with a loud protest.

「No! I don't want to be alone!」

She exclaimed with a tight-lipped grimace, causing the baron to stare at her in surprised silence. He then let out a stifled laughter, and straightened out.

「Hahaha… Me neither.」

Baron Hemaluna said with a smile, tenderly petting her golden head with his clawed hand.

「Very well, then. Since your old life is over, you need a new name… I liked Rose…」

He said as they looked at each other. He then broke eye contact to rub his chin, looking aside.

「…So how about Lilia? Short for Liliana. And since you can consider yourself adopted into my house… Lilia of house Hemaluna. How does that sound? Do you like that name?」

The baron asked, smiling at her.

「It's nice…」

Lilia nodded, smiling back while her head was being pet.

「Okay… Now come. Carrying an umbrella around is a bother, so let's make sure to return before sunrise.」

Baron Hemaluna pulled his hand away, and took a step toward the door. He was stopped by Lilia gently pulling at his sleeve, and looked at her over his shoulder.

「Hm?」

「…If I'm adopted, is it okay… Can I call you father?」

Lilia meekly asked, looking up into his crimson eyes.

「No.」

He quickly and sternly replied, although with no anger in his voice, or on his face. Her brows furrowed, and her lips tightened into a poorly veiled frown.

「Lilia…」

The baron quietly said as he turned to face her, and squatted down, gently grabbing her shoulders.

「…I can never be a father to you, just like you can never be my daughter. That's why I told you to just call me master. Vampire houses are not families, remember that.」

Baron Hemaluna explained with a stern voice, but soft gaze of his crimson eyes. Lilia's gaze escaped downwards at her boots.

「…Why can't I?…」

She quietly asked with an upset pout.

「Lilia… Because if they were families, someone would have to call their great grandfather great a dozen times too many…」

He patiently replied with a gentle smile, and looked down at her boots with her.

「…Why are your boots untied? You'll trip, and mess up your new dress.」

The baron asked. They both raised their gazes, and looked each other in the eyes.

「…I don't know how to tie them.」

Lilia replied with a frowny pout.

「Ahhh… Lilia…」

Baron Hemaluna sighed, and lowered his knee to the ground.

「Watch. You cross and tighten them, then you grab them like this… And then you pull this one here… And then pull… There.」

He pulled the shoelace tips out of her boot, and tied it for her.

「There's one. Now you tie the other. A proper lady should know how to tie her shoes, Lilia. I'll tell you how to do it, step by step.」

The sandy blond haired baron nodded his head at her untied boot. Lilia knelt down, and began fiddling with the shoelaces while he instructed her. After a few attempts, she tied her boot on her own.

「…I did it!」

She exclaimed with a happy grin, looking at her poorly tied shoe.

「Well done. It took my daughter a couple more tries.」

The baron said as he gave Lilia another quick pet on her head, and stood up. Happy to receive the praise, she stood up as well, smiling at him.

「Lilia… Just because you can never be my daughter doesn't mean I can't treat you as one. But you should remember to call me master, to avoid confusing everyone. Yourself included.」

He explained, looking over his shoulders while he held the door handle, smiling softly at Lilia. He then cautioned her with a serious face.

「Come now. I have a lot to show you, and a lot less time now.」

Baron Hemaluna said as he walked outside, holding the door open for Lilia to follow…

…

A few days later, on the road to the barony…

Lilia and Baron Hemaluna were walking side by side, umbrella by parasol. The baron's cheap umbrella stood out like a sore thumb, contrasting heavily against their expensive clothes, and the fancy parasol resting against Lilia's shoulder.

「Master… Can I ask you something?」

Lilia said, looking up at her master while shielding herself from the sun with the parasol. The umbrella's rim rose, and crimson eyes looked down at her, paired with a gentle smile.

「What is it, Lilia?」

He casually replied.

「…What was your daughter like? What did I do to remind you of her?」

「Ahh.」

Lilia asked, and he sighed out softly with a smile.

「It's alright if you don't want to talk about it-」

「No, it's fine…」

She added, but he shook his head, and with it, his long hair.

「…She was a bright girl, but she was very sickly. I could count the days in a year she was feeling well on my fingers.」

Baron Hemaluna said, as he extended his clawed fingers and wiggled them a little while looking at Lilia.

「She always had so many questions about everything, and was easily distracted like you. She even looked like you.」

He continued, smiling at her.

「Really?」

Lilia tilted her golden head as she asked.

「Yes. Though, her hair was more like mine. She was my daughter after all, ha ha ha…」

The baron laughed softly, baring his fangs to Lilia as he grinned. His crimson eyes returned forward, towards the long and winding autumn road covered with golden leaves.

「…So, what happened?」

She asked, looking intently at her master's face from the side.

「Hm? You mean how did she die?」

「Well…」

The baron asked, and Lilia apologetically lowered her gaze to her feet.

「Like I said, she was a sickly child. One day, she got badly sick, worse than ever before, and it showed no sign of improvement…」

He let out a sigh, and began explaining.

「…But as luck would have it, just a few days before, I had heard of a vampire residing a three days' travel away from my manor. I knew vampires were immortal and could heal, but I didn't know their exact nature.」

Baron Hemaluna continued, while Lilia silently listened.

「I formulated a plan to go to him, and plead with him to heal my daughter. I was ready to hand over my barony, or even my life if he'd cure her.」

He said, and let out a large sigh again.

「My wife begged me to stay. She was certain our daughter would die, and she wanted me to be there for her. I wouldn't have that. Why would I? Just give up, and let my precious daughter die? Never.」

The baron said, and glanced at Lilia's scarlet eyes, before returning them to the road ahead.

「So I set out. And when I reached him and pleaded my case… He laughed in my face. He called me a fool, and mocked me for thinking that vampires are some form of magic healers.」

He shrugged his shoulders, and continued telling the story.

「…But he did offer a solution. If I agreed to serve him for a hundred years, he would turn me into a vampire, and then I could turn my daughter into a vampire. I thought it was a good deal. Great deal, even.」

Lilia's master said, and shrugged again.

「And so he turned me into a vampire, and I rushed back. I drove my horse to death, but I made it faster than I expected. I arrived in the evening. I shot to the door, then straight to my daughter's room.」

He continued, staring blankly down the road.

「…Did she refuse to become a vampire?」

Lilia asked, tilting her golden head. Baron Hemaluna turned his head towards her, with a blank, expressionless stare.

「…My wife said she died in the afternoon. She was slumped over on our daughter's bed, sleeping. She said she kept asking her to check the door, and see if I came back…」

The baron added, and looked away to the road. He pulled his umbrella lower to cover his face as he looked up at it, almost hanging its top on his forehead.

「…It was the most harrowing sight I have ever witnessed to this day. That graveyard silence, and the dim, dead room with my daughter in her bed.」

Her master concluded, still hiding his face in his umbrella.

「Sorry…」

She apologized again, and lowered her head. A long, uncomfortable silence began. All of a sudden, she felt a hand ruffling her hair on top of her head.

「I may have been too late to save my daughter, but maybe I was never meant to. Maybe it wasn't her I was meant to save…」

Baron Hemaluna said, looking at Lilia while petting her head. The two looked into each other's eyes.

「When I saw you in the mud, a thought crossed my mind that my daughter may have ended up like you, if we were less fortunate. Maybe I was meant to save you, not her, all along.」

He added, still petting her, and retracted his hand. They continued onwards in silence for the rest of the way to the barony…