"HYM! Wake her up," I commanded.
As soon as I finished my order, the girl who I had enslaved not too long ago let out a piercing scream. Her cry was so loud that it sent the nearby birds flying. I knew exactly why she screamed. I immediately jumped to her side, grabbing her gently as I immediately started apologizing. "I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry. I didn't wish to hurt you... just to wake you up."
She blinked at me, confusion etched on her face. "So you... wait, you... you're not Luthor. Who are you?" she asked, questioningly. It seemed she did not remember being shocked awake. A wave of relief washed over me; I was worried for nothing.
"That was what I had been trying to tell you," I replied, my frustration bubbling. "You mistook me for someone else. But instead of listening, you just kept throwing your punches on and on." I stopped as soon as I noticed her face. She was avoiding my eyes. Guilt flickered across her face, and I could deduce a few things from that. First, she was feeling guilty, but she really didn't have to. Considering she had been enslaved forcefully and put in a sack with no knowledge of what was happening outside whatsoever, it was understandable that she was on edge. Second, I was still holding her. My face was too close to hers. I slowly loosened my grip before I stood, making sure she didn't fall as I released her.
"And... can you stand?" I asked, realizing that the fall must have hurt her. "Yes. I'm fine," she replied, struggling to get up. It was hard to watch her trying not to hurt her back, which probably had been misaligned from the sudden fall. I ask HYM, "Can't you do something about this?"
[OF COURSE! IF THAT IS WHAT HOST WISHES... SURGING THE PRODUCTION OF ENDORPHINS... SUCCESSFUL... STIMULATING PARATHYROID FOR SURGE IN PTH... SUCCESSFUL. THE FIRST KIN WILL RECOVER FULLY IN HALF A DAY'S TIME.]
I watched as her expression slowly shifted; the pain appeared to fade. "Hah!" I laughed. Though I wanted to brag that I was the one who healed her, I resisted the urge. It felt wrong to claim credit when I was the one who caused that injury in the first place. And there was something else in my mind. "Who are you?" I ask.
She looked taken aback. "You don't know me?" she asked.
"No? Should I have known you?" I replied. Judging by her hair color, she seemed like a noble—her color was green and not brown, which was the hair color of commoners. She must belong to one of the TRUMP families. A spade, for sure. Definitely a big shot. But that still didn't explain why I should know her. "Why should I be knowing you?"
"My name is Marie von Bauyet-Spade. I am... Was next in line to inherit the Spade family," she replied, her voice steady yet laced with sorrow. She paused for a moment in her reply, and I felt a chill run down my spine. 'Was?'
"What did you mean by 'was'? Were you banished or outed?" I asked, concern creeping into my voice.
Her response was swift and heavy. "The Spade family is no more. We were declared traitors of the kingdom and eradicated by the TRUMPS."
This revelation was shocking. With the Spades out of the game, power struggles would erupt throughout the continent. In every history book that damned temple's library had in store had the same story repeated over again and again, whenever there was a power struggle, the TRUMPS were involved. And every single time, it was resolved by the Spades. Without the [SPADES]... The entire kingdom...
[WILL DEFINITELY FALL APART... I HAVE ALREADY DEDUCED OUR BEST OPTION AS TO GO TO A NEUTRAL COUNTY OR BACK TO THAT GODDESS'S PRINCIPALITY, AND LIE LOW FOR A FEW YEARS. IT IS NOT A GREAT IDEA BUT THE ONLY IDEAL ONE.]
It was regrettable, really. Though I no longer had to worry about time since I was already dead, I had never wanted to be held in one place again, especially after just escaping that dungeon. I wanted to explore for the first time. Oh, well...
Then suddenly, Marie started speaking again, her voice softer now. "Though you might not know me... I definitely know you."
"Huh?" I froze again, a wave of unease washing over me. I feel like I am forgetting something crucial. What was it? Yes! It was part of a history class on the Spade family. Weren't they also known as...
[FAMILY OF WITCHES AND WIZARDS... FAMILY OF VAMPIRE HUNTERS...]
"... You are a vampire, aren't you?" she concluded her question, to which she already knew the answer.
The weight of her words hung heavy in the air. I realized that our fates might be intertwined in ways neither of us fully understood.