"This is…" Genevieve took it. She opened it and found that it was a locket necklace. She opened it and found that it was a mechanical watch. It also had a compartment for pictures.
"Doc… why did he create this thing, I don't know. But it's a device that allows me to find you, and it can also signal when there is danger."
"But it doesn't have a picture."
"The old man put a picture of me on it, so I took it off." Sonata's voice expressed frustration as he moved his hand awkwardly, but it was only for a moment before he returned to his energetic self.
Genevieve's heart swelled with joy as she noticed Sonata's split-second change in expression. It could have been a female intuition and she could be mistaken, but she wanted to believe that she had seen genuine concern. Perhaps it meant that her heart was in sync with his. Sooner or later, he would have to accept her feelings.
"Please return the picture," Genevieve requested.
"Hmm, why did you want it? I threw it away," Sonata replied.
"Then if we make it out alive, go back and promise me you'll give me a new picture."
"Why would you want a picture of me?" Sonata asked.
"Promise," Genevieve insisted, staring at him until he agreed.
"It seems there's no other choice. Taking you with me now would be too risky. You wait here and be careful," Sonata ordered before leaving.
Genevieve sat down with a heart full of hope, imagining the good things that could happen once they obtained the key and escaped from confinement.
However, her hope was short-lived when Markel and his undead minions arrived at her cell. He nodded to the soldiers, and one of them unscrewed the bars to release her.
"Where are you taking me?" Genevieve cried out, but the vampire lord remained silent.
"Take her there," he ordered.
**--------------------------------------------------------------------**
Genevieve was thrown into another cell and attempted to run out, but was pushed back by the Undead soldiers. After realizing that escape was not possible, she began to explore her surroundings.
The room was huge and different from the old room she was in. It had all the furniture, appliances, and even a bathroom. If it were not for the bars at the front, she would have thought she was being welcomed into an important guest room.
Genevieve turned around and noticed that someone had been in one corner of the room before.
Another person stood up and as Genevieve approached, she saw that it was a thin, elderly woman. The sight almost gave Genevieve a heart attack. The woman's face was hidden behind long, disheveled white hair.
"You are...?" Genevieve asked tentatively, unsure if the woman was a person, a spirit, or Undead.
"Markel sent someone again?" the old woman shouted in an unfriendly tone. "I told them not to send anyone here again."
Genevieve did not know how to respond, and she did not even know who the old woman was or what this old woman had to do with the vampire lord.
"Get out of here," the old woman repeated. Genevieve was even more shocked when she saw the woman's long fangs hidden in her mouth.
...Vampire...
The old woman rushed over and grabbed Genevieve's wrist. Genevieve tried to resist, but her human strength was no match for Vampire. Despite the old woman's withered appearance, Genevieve was shocked by her strength and aggression. Suddenly, the old woman stopped and looked at Genevieve's face.
"Your face..." The old Vampire's voice became less furious.
"What's wrong with my face?" Genevieve asked, her already white face turning paler.
"It looks very similar," the old woman said, touching Genevieve's face with a cold, wrinkled hand that was unlike a human's. Her long, black nails were as sharp as razors.
Genevieve forced a smile, fearing the old woman might break her neck or tear her apart. However, she could sense that the initial aggression had disappeared. The sight of the elderly woman's tender eyes under her disheveled hair was comforting.
An undead soldier who had brought Genevieve to the cell returned to collect her corpse after she was presumed to have been turned into the old vampire's meal. However, upon his return, the soldier discovered that Genevieve was still alive and was now serving the old vampire.
If it were not for the fact that the soldier was a low-level zombie, merely following orders and unable to think deeply, it might have been surprised by the sight and hurried to report it. However, the soldier simply turned around and resumed its duties.
"So, I must look a lot like your daughter," Genevieve said, massaging the legs of the sitting old Vampire. The old woman patted Genevieve's head affectionately, as if she were a long-lost daughter.
"Very similar, and quite similar to my mother."
"I may not be as beautiful. You know, in the past, you must have been beautiful and hard to compare with anyone."
"You don't have to pretend to flatter me." The old woman's voice sounded fierce. She understood that Genevieve was just trying to be kind. Looking at her now, she did not have the same appearance as she did in her younger days.
"Oh...I'm sorry." Genevieve flinched, regretting being scolded. She did not mean to flatter her. She only imagined that if this old woman were still a young woman, she must have been very beautiful. Because Genevieve had already seen both her eyes and her face, she was truly confident that this old Vampire had been so beautiful.
The old vampire noticed how dejected Genevieve looked and pulled her close, sitting her down nearby. She began stroking Genevieve's head once again.
"I must apologize to you, Genevieve. I shouldn't have raised my voice at you."
**----------------------------------------------------------------------**
While serving this vampire, Genevieve encountered many shocking truths. The first was that this old woman was Anatilda Ressenheid, a descendant of the previous vampire emperor. After the emperor disappeared hundreds of years ago, Markel took her as his own and held her here.
"Cruel! Have you been imprisoned for hundreds of years?"
"A vampire, if we don't consistently drink human blood, if left to starve for a long time, our bodies will be like this," explained Anatilda. Markel would occasionally send a victim to her just to save her life.
Genevieve immediately felt guilty. This vampire endured long periods of imprisonment and starvation. Despite being starving to the point of exhaustion, Anatilda promised not to suck a drop of her blood.
"If you suck a little...I'm probably nothing."
"Do not test my patience." The old woman shook her head. "I would rather starve to death than drink the blood of someone like my daughter."
"But if you don't eat now, you'll probably..." Genevieve's eyes filled with tears. She could not understand why she cared about someone she had just met, and worse, that someone was also a vampire.
"Has anyone ever told you that you're a really good person?" Anatilda held Genevieve's hands together. With her smile, even though her fangs were clearly visible, Genevieve was no longer afraid.
Perhaps this was a feeling she had never experienced before. Just like someone who wanted to hug their lost daughter one more time. Genevieve never received the warmth of her father and mother because they had been gone since she could remember, but when this old woman hugged her, she could feel the warmth and love she had always wanted.
"May I ask you something?" Genevieve asked hesitantly. She was afraid of being scolded or rebuked. Being alive should be enough, but her desire for more had become overwhelming that she had to speak her mind.
Anatilda raised an eyebrow. She hoped that Genevieve's question was not something she was still suspicious of, and that it was not about Markel.
"May I call you mother, please?"