"Funeral?" Austin had a sudden realization. "Is that why you wear all black this time?"
"Yup, come to think of it, I only wear black-colored garments for formal occasions and never for casual outings. So, it must be your first time seeing me in dark clothes like this, right?" Alysia tilted her head slightly.
"Yes, it's my first time," Austin admitted candidly.
"Why does the phrase 'first time' sound dirty when it comes from your mouth?" Alysia suddenly said.
Austin was flabbergasted. He had never considered his words to be dirty because he was just answering Alysia's question honestly. Moreover, the context clearly had nothing to do with anything inappropriate!
"You're the one with the dirty mind," he instinctively retorted with a twitch of his lips.
She's clearly the one with perverted thoughts! How shameless can she be to pass the blame on him?!
"Haha, by the way, you haven't answered my question earlier. How do I look? Do I look good?" Alysia asked this time with genuine curiosity, without the usual sly smile on her face.
"I believe that even in a dirty rag, you'd still look beautiful and outshine most models or actresses out there," Austin said sincerely.
He meant every word; Alysia was just that extraordinary. If he were to ask to think of a girl who could match her in both temperament and looks, it would be a tough task... Well, there was one person he knew who came close, and she happened to be very dear to him.
His little sister!
"Do you think so little of me that you believe I couldn't afford a decent piece of clothing, and I'd have to resort to wearing a dirty rag?" Alysia shot him a deadpan stare.
Austin felt a cold sweat forming on his forehead as one thought crossed his mind.
Women!
The only creature who is able to find fault in even the most complimentary remarks.
In the past, he used to mock a guy who made posts asking for solutions about his girlfriend feeling upset. The guy said his girlfriend claimed he wasn't putting in enough effort to compliment her, pay attention to her, and take her for granted even though he felt he had done enough.
Back then, he believed the guy simply had low emotional intelligence and couldn't comprehend what his girlfriend truly desired.
However, as he matured, he came to the realization that his assumption was way off the mark. The guy making those posts probably didn't have low emotional intelligence; it's just that women are genuinely complex creatures, and incredibly challenging to understand!
"Haha, your face is so funny," Alysia chuckled, covering her mouth. "I'm just messing around with you. Don't take it seriously, okay?"
Despite Alysia's reassurance, Austin felt his patience wearing thin by staying with her. He was on the verge of arguing when she suddenly smiled sweetly. "By the way, thank you for the compliment."
Suppressing his frustration, he changed the topic. "So, why did you bring me to this person's funeral? Do I know them?"
"Well, you might know, or you might not," Alysia replied mysteriously.
"What kind of answer is that?" Austin had never felt so emotionally drained before meeting Alysia.
"You'll find out once we get there," Alysia said with a mysterious smile.
...
"Wow, are all of these cars yours?" Austin couldn't help but exclaim.
After following Alysia for a few minutes, they finally arrived at what appeared to be the mansion's garage.
The garage was filled with tons of cars, and though Austin wasn't a car expert, he could tell that the one Alysia owned was undoubtedly an expensive model.
He recognized some SUVs, and if he wasn't mistaken, each of these SUVs cost more than a few hundred thousand dollars. In total, these cars were easily worth over a million dollars!
That amount of money could sustain an average family in the United States for ten years or more, and in Asia, it could last for multiple generations!
Apart from the SUVs, there were also supercars from renowned brands such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Porsche, and more.
His eyes nearly popped out every time he discovered a new addition to this impressive collection of cars.
"Miss Alysia, tell me the truth, are you actually a Saudi Arabian princess?" Austin asked with seriousness.
"Pfft! Where did you get such an absurd idea?" Alysia laughed lightly. "You already know I'm a demon, and that's how I amassed my wealth."
"Ah, I vaguely remember hearing about a demon creature in Indonesia that likes to steal money and hides in closets," Austin remarked thoughtfully.
"Are you stupid? Do you believe stealing can bring about this kind of wealth?" Alysia rolled her eyes and said indignantly. "And just so you know, that demon creature you referred to is called 'Tuyul.' It's not even a demon but rather a defective mythical creature born from interspecies intercourse. They're not even on the same level as goblins. How dare you equate me, a demon, with them?!"
Austin inwardly grinned. He had finally succeeded in provoking her! This should definitely count as a payback, right?
...
"We'll take this car," Alysia declared, patting one of the black Range Rovers with spacious interiors. "Can you drive?" she asked Austin.
"I can, but I don't have a driver's license."
"That's not a problem," Alysia said lazily, tossing something to Austin.
He wanted to point out that he wasn't her chauffeur, but she had already settled into the passenger seat.
Unlocking the driver's seat, he was about to voice his earlier objection when he noticed her closed eyes.
Previously, he had been too focused on her body... ahem, appearance, and hadn't paid much attention to her face. Now, as he observed her, it seemed like she was holding onto something the entire time, almost as if she was unwell.
Her face retained its vibrancy, but there was an undeniable trace of fatigue. Her lips, usually pink and lively, looked different from the times he had seen her on campus; they seemed unnaturally pale.
Thud
Thud
'This feeling again... I'm not mistaken. There should be a resonance between me and Alysia,' Austin thought to himself.
Alysia's eyelashes gently fluttered before revealing her pair of blue eyes. "Why aren't you starting the car? It's starting to get hot in here without the AC."
She wasn't exaggerating; the temperature was slowly rising. But more frankly, she stirred awake because she felt uncomfortable at Austin's prolonged gaze. It felt like he wanted to imprint her face directly on his mind.
She usually didn't mind such a stare. Many men liked to fix their gazes on her face and some inappropriate places, but she never feared them because she was confident in effortlessly putting them in their place.
However, this time was different. She was weak from the contract backlash. Even if it was no longer threatening due to the second feature of the contract, she was still not at her peak condition. Yet, even in her weakened state, she should be able to easily beat Austin a hundred times over. So why did she hold a slight fear of him? Was it because of the darned contract?!
"I'm starting the car now."
...
However, dozens of seconds had passed, yet the car remained still.
"What's wrong?" Alysia asked.
"How do I start the car?" Austin asked embarrassedly. It was his first time driving an SUV with the latest model. The car he used to drive back in his hometown belonged to his mother and was produced roughly twenty years ago. It was not only hella cheap but also one of the oldest models.
The windows even had to be manually adjusted instead of just pressing some buttons.
"You said you know how to drive. How do you not even know the basic procedure, like turning on the car?" Alysia was stunned, and her expression seemed to convey, 'Do you take me for an idiot?'
"In my defense, my car had a keyhole to insert a key. Meanwhile, your car doesn't have any holes, and I don't have a key."
"Change seats."
"Huh?"
"I said change seats. You'll sit in the front passenger, and I'll be the one driving," Alysia told him. She felt like if she kept insisting on Austin being the driver, she might not die due to an ambush from her enemy but rather from a car crash!
...
After changing seats, the car's engine finally roared. Alysia instructed Austin to pay specific attention to her movements as she intended to have him drive back from the funeral later.
As the car left the garage, Austin could finally see the complete appearance of the mansion. The place was undoubtedly enormous, with different buildings connected together and a few gardens larger than his entire complex.
However, nothing compared to the building that now caught his eye. After turning around, he saw a magnificent, tall structure that stood distinctively among the other buildings. It was located further behind the main building; that's why he only discovered it now.
"What's that?" Austin asked.
"It's a castle."
"A castle?!" How on earth could Alysia afford a castle? The structure didn't even seem modern. If it was a centuries-old castle, it must also hold a significant amount of history and have been auctioned at an incredibly high price.
"It was a castle that once belonged to a vampire with the title of Duke. From the records left in the castle, the Vampire Duke once led a prosperous life. He had many servants under his rule, and his land was the most fertile compared to others. As a result, many people flocked to his land, despite knowing that he was not human and that they had to offer their virgin daughters to him as a tribute."
"Those families didn't really mind sending their daughters to a stranger?" Austin found it difficult to believe.