Christoph did not say anything, nor did he flinch a muscle of his. The cold feeling from his nape scared him so much that his back was covered in sweat already.
The voice softly sounded in his ear, "You are smart, but not that much. I will give you this. You almost fooled me."
Christoph could not help but gulp a mouthful of saliva. The movement of his throat made the knife press against his skin, and a drop of blood trickled out from the crack. At this moment, he sensed a slightly burning sensation from the wound.
Evelyn said, "This is a silver knife. Did you read about it yet?"
Christoph did not react, and Evelyn pulled the knife back a bit. She did not want to kill Christoph but scare him into not getting any ideas about her. She said, "I will let you go this one time. Do not even think about what happened, or I will not mind putting this knife through your heart."
The young man nodded hurriedly. Even in his wild dreams, he will not look for Evelyn. This was no different than looking for death. The cold feeling receded, and the young man heaved a sigh of relief.
He wished to turn back and look at Evelyn, but an abnormal pressure made him give up the idea. His gaze fell back on the pages, and he entered the focus mode again.
Evelyn was watching his actions from the back. She could tell he was not faking it and thought, 'Did he forget what happened? Tch, why am I even thinking of this?'
Christoph did not divert his attention and was engrossed in his studies until he could not focus a few hours later. Evelyn said, "This is the first sign that you are looking for blood."
The young man cast her a gaze and said, "But I just…."
He wanted to say that he had just drunk blood from the lady. Evelyn understood his emotion and said, "This irregularity will last a week. You are a newly turned vampire. The system is going through a constant transformation."
Christoph nodded as this explanation would justify his actions. He asked, "How do I control it?"
"You cannot do anything about it other than feed yourself with small portions of blood every few hours till your genetic evolution stabilizes.", said Evelyn.
Christoph looked down and sighed. The lady asked, "Do you regret your choice?"
The young man shook his head and said, "It is not regret. It is just I realized that I was so naive."
Evelyn raised her brow, and Christoph continued, "I grew up in a protected household. My parents loved me. I had good friends and a stable life without any suffering. That day on that bridge, I was looking forward to the change in my life.
It did change, but not the way I was expecting. After just a few hours of transformation, I realize I cannot be sure what the next moment will hold. The certainty in my life made me incapable of predicting anything, let alone preparing for it."
Evelyn replied, "I cannot say I can relate to you, but I understand."
Christoph smiled faintly at her and asked, "Can I get something to satiate this hunger?"
Evelyn nodded and wanted to say something when there was a knock on the library door.
The lady gestured for Christoph to sit and walked over to open the door. On the other side, a maid stood and extended a tray in her hand. The tray had a soup bowl filled to the brim. The maid said, "Sir Vincent asked for this delivered for Mister Christoph."
Evelyn nodded and said, "Very well."
She took hold of the tray and said, "You can go now."
The maid bowed her head, and Evelyn turned around. She found Christoph standing behind her, and the young man said, "Let me help you."
Christoph took the tray from her and carefully returned it to the table. His behavior confused Evelyn. She said, "If you are doing all this to get in my good books, then forget it. You are not going to get a second chance."
Christoph shook his head calmly and said, "I have no such intention. My sole focus is to know better about my current situation. What happened earlier was an impulse caused by my genetic change. I apologize to you for my actions."
Evelyn was left speechless. She did not expect him to step up and take everything on him. They both knew that Evelyn reacted that way, and Christoph followed her actions. Yet, the man took the blame and apologized for the situation. It meant that Christoph was not interested in this argument at all.
The lady nodded. Although she had complex emotions, she did not overthink them then. Christoph sat down with the soup bowl before him and asked, "Would you like to have some?"
Evelyn shook her head silently. The young man was salivating, yet he asked her for a bite as just a gesture of courtesy. Christoph drank the soup, and with just a sip, he opened his eyes wide.
His speed increased. He could tell that this thing had some blood ingredient in it. After finishing the bowl, he asked, "So, vampires can eat normal food as long as they mix a tinge of blood in it?"
Evelyn nodded and said, "Good observation and nice deduction."
Christoph nodded, and after a few trivial questions, the young man returned to reading the books.
…
A week passed as Christoph spent his time reading the books and gathering knowledge. He realized that his learning speed had improved, and his strength had increased exponentially. Punching through the wall would leave him with a slight bruise.
These past seven days, he had been visiting the gym in the manor, but there was one question that was not answered by any of the books, and neither did he ask Evelyn about it. The relationship between the two had been stagnant.
Christoph had been holding this question inside because he did not know if it was even appropriate for him to ask. At this moment, he was in the gym, and his fists were raining down on a metal cylinder. This punching bag was strong, and Christoph could beat it for hours before he broke himself or the bag went out of shape.
The young man was lost in the rhythm of his punches when a set of footsteps woke him up. His punches stopped, and he found Ambrosia standing behind him with a Lamés. Christoph bowed and said, "Good morning, Miss Silvermoon."
Ambrosia nodded and said, "I heard from Evelyn that you have some trouble with fencing?"
Christoph nodded and replied, "I have been trying for the past week but cannot keep up with the sword. It is just too…."
Ambrosia picked up his words, "Nimble? Elastic? Unpredictable?"
Christoph nodded, and the lady said, "Put on your practice gear. I will be your trainer for the day."
The young man nodded and hurriedly rushed to put on the gear. The gymnasium was also similar to the library. This room had a dedicated weight training section, a boxing ring, and a piste or the strip with considerable space to practice fencing.
After wearing black gear, Christoph walked over to Ambrosia with a thin sword as he was about to wear his headgear. The lady flicked her sword at him and hit the headgear away. She said, "You cannot keep up with a Vampire's way of fencing because you practice like a human."
Christoph opened his eyes wide. Ambrosia turned around and said, "You must have read the value of fencing in the vampire families, right?"
The young man nodded, and Ambrosia waved her hand, asking him to tell her what he knew.
"Fencing is a way to initiate blood challenge. This ritual was established in ancient ages, and the vampire families adapted it as a fair fight to settle non-negotiable issues.", replied Christoph.
Ambrosia nodded and said, "The only way to pass through death is by facing it. I will ensure you do not die, but the threat will be genuine. Adjusting to the Vampire ways does not only mean training your body and grasping your strength, but it also needs you to know how to master your instincts."
Ambrosia and Christoph stood ten meters away, and the lady said, "Technically speaking, Vampires are animals, and all the skills you learn are to ensure your survival. Predators in the woods need to master their skills by hunting in the woods."
Christoph sighed and said, "Indeed, now that you mention it. My way of approaching the situation was wrong. I was thinking like a human all this time."
Ambrosia shook her head and said, "You do not have to think so much about it. Humans and Vampires are not very different from that."
Christoph nodded and picked up his sword. Ambrosia said, "En Garde."
The two people stood up, facing each other, and the battle began.