Vincent could not believe his eyes. He saw a young man standing before him. The person asked, "What did you just call me? Who are you?"
Christoph needed to learn who this man was and why this person addressed him as Lawrence. The old butler heard these words and snapped out of his stupor. He realized that the person in front of him was not Lawrence.
He stood up and, without saying anything, rushed out of the room. Vincent did not even close the door when he left. This unpredictable behavior took Christoph aback.
He took a few steps to look out the door, but as soon as he moved, he was overwhelmed by weakness and fell to the ground. A feeling of hunger originated from the depth of his body. The young man shivered and curled up into a ball. This hunger was like a fire coursing through his veins, burning him alive.
When the pain reached a certain level, the young man raised his head toward the ceiling and growled.
…
While Christoph was burning with the flames of hunger, Vincent was rushing through the corridors with a flicker. Soon, he reached where he wanted to and knocked on the door. His demeanor was nothing short of trying to break the door, and he said, "My lady, that guy, he is awake. He lives."
The door was flung open, and inside stood Ambrosia. She opened her eyes wide and asked, "What did you say?"
Vincent nodded forcefully and said, "Th-that guy, he…."
Suddenly, they both heard a scream echoing in the establishment, and Vincent stood up, "I forgot to lock the door."
Ambrosia glared at him and snarled, "Go find him. Quick."
Vincent vanished from his spot, and so did Ambrosia. They both headed in different directions. Soon, the butler arrived in what appeared to be the living room.
He spotted a young maid standing against a wall behind her while Christoph stood before her with his blood-red eyes. His muscles were bulging. All he could see in his vision was the girl, and all he could sense was the shallow sound of blood coursing through her vein.
Vincent wanted to rush and grapple Christoph down when Ambrosia appeared and stopped him with a wave of her hand.
The butler understood that she wanted to see Christoph's limit. However, he was still worried for the maid's life. At this moment, Christoph had no idea what he was capable of. The mad instinct of a hungry predator was driving his body. Anyone weaker than him was prone to death.
Christoph did not attack the maid. He was shivering because his somewhat conscious mind was fighting for control over his body. However, it took a lot of work to control his instincts. All his willpower was focused on not letting him take a step forward. Otherwise, he will do something he might regret for the rest of his life.
While Christoph was embroiled in the struggle, a voice echoed in his mind, "Give in. You will be stronger. Don't you want to avenge your parents? Is that all you had to your desire for revenge?"
Christoph yelled, "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"
The young man was mumbling this while holding his head as if demented. Vincent and Ambrosia watched the scene intently. They could tell what Christoph was going through and were surprised to see him struggling so much. It was not a big deal if he had killed the maid.
However, Christoph holding on to his sanity was a sign that he could master his new abilities and flaws better than most. The voice in Christoph's head was influencing his very being.
The young man glared at the maid and said, "Go away, get lost from here."
Ambrosia nodded and walked up to him. Christoph sensed her approach and turned around with his hands clawing at her. However, the lady caught his wrist and stood just a meter away. She opened her mouth a little and blew her breath on Christoph's face.
The blood in his eyes gradually faded, and so did the energy. The young man collapsed in the arms of the lady, completely unconscious. Ambrosia said, "Vincent, deal with the girl. I will take him to his room."
The butler was surprised, but he nodded. Ambrosia picked up the young man in her arms and took him to a room. Vincent sighed at her back and then came to the maid. He asked, "Serene, are you alright?"
Serene nodded and asked cautiously, "Head Steward, who is that feral person?"
Vincent glared at her and said, "Have you forgotten your manners? That person is not some feral creature. He had just awakened and was hungry. Go do your work and be mindful of that mouth of yours."
Serene shivered and nodded hurriedly. Vincent was not usually mean to the staff but would not spare anyone when angry. Hearing the old man tell her to return to work, she ran away as if receiving a decree of amnesty.
Vincent shook his head and walked toward the isolation room. He needed to deal with the aftermath left behind by Christoph.
…
Ambrosia lay Christoph on the bed and covered him in a sheet. Then she went to the side and opened a mini fridge. From the inside, she took out a glass bottle filled with blood.
She carefully poured the content into a tall glass and took it to Christoph. The young man was unconscious, but his contorting facial muscles told Ambrosia of his pain.
As the glass of blood drew closer, Christoph's nose twitched. Ambrosia lowered the glass to his mouth and poured in the content slowly. Christoph was famished, and this blood was akin to nectar. He swallowed it all without a fuss, and gradually, his face relaxed.
Ambrosia gazed at his face, and she froze. She did not know how to react, and her breathing escalated. Christoph had tasted blood, and he wanted more of it. He woke up from his sleep and lunged at Ambrosia.
However, the lady was not defenseless. Her instincts kicked in, and she took hold of Christoph's arms. She pinned him down and positioned herself over his stomach. She lowered her head to look at his eyes and said, "You ought to calm down, Christoph."
Her voice was calm, and her expression was aloof. She was a completely different person from just a few moments ago. Her voice was so mesmerizing that Christoph calmed down. The lady did not let go of him but kept looking at his face.
The young man woke up from his agitated state and wanted to ask something when he was shocked to see a woman riding his torso and gazing at him right in the eye. He recalled her voice and found that Ambrosia was the one who had treated him. As his gaze wandered on her face, he fell deeper into the charms of beauty.
Ambrosia watched his face for a few minutes before she got off the bed and adjusted her dress. Christoph, in the meanwhile, was lost in a daze. He could not understand what had just happened.
After regaining his composure, the young man turned to look at the lady and asked, "Who are you? Why did you have that expression when you were looking at me?"
Ambrosia replied without any expression, "I am Ambrosia Silvermoon, and I was just surprised to see you resemble someone I knew a long time back."
Christoph sat up, leaning against the headboard, and mumbled, "Lawrence Blackthorn?"
He was lost in his thoughts and did not notice the slight flicker in Ambrosia's eyes. The young man asked, "Can you tell me where I am? How did I get here?"
Ambrosia walked to the side, sat on a chair, and said, "This place is the Silvermoon Manor. Located at the edge of the Cleartide bay."
Christoph opened his eyes wide and asked, "Cleartide Bay? Does it mean that we are in the Fowl Country?"
Ambrosia nodded and said, "You are indeed far from home."
Christoph sighed and thought, 'To think I would flow so far with the current, how is that possible? The Pearl water river originates north of the Godesay Glacier, deep in the Triumph Mountain range. Then it flows south from Alms Nation and enters the Fowl Nation. The distance from home is at least a couple of thousand kilometers.'
Ambrosia said, "So, what do you intend to do from now on?"
Christoph returned to reality and said, "I have a few doubts that I would like to clear up. I wonder if you can help me, Miss Silvermoon."
Ambrosia was surprised, but she nodded without showing any expression. She asked, "What doubts might they be?"
Christoph asked, "Can you tell me why did you help me? Who is Lawrence? What are the changes that I am experiencing now? Can you help me figure out these things?"
Ambrosia raised her brows and said, "You seem to overestimate the kindness I extended to you, Christoph Winslow. Nothing in this world is for free. If you want my help. You need to show me you are worth sparing an effort on."
The lady stood up from the chair and walked towards the door. Christoph watched her walk away in a daze and only woke up when the lady said, "Get dressed, and we will see how much you are worth."