"Bevis, Dene is doing this for my own good. There's a vampire in my heart!"
"You mean that thousand-year-old vampire we fought in the restaurant?" Bevis's handsome face was full of disbelief. "My silly sister, stop joking. How could you fall in love with him?"
"His name is Lionel Albert. You already knew him, right?" He had joined the Marcus organization and was already well-acquainted with the vampire leaders. Lionel, a baron, was of great repute. He must have known about him before meeting him that night, and he was just pretending to be clueless for my sake.
"Margie..." He looked at me helplessly. "Do you know that every time you say his name, it's like summoning him? You have him in your heart, and coupled with the elven energy you unconsciously emit, it has a summoning effect. You're constantly thinking about him, like... a kind of seduction!"
I never thought that simply saying a name could act as a summoning. What should I do?
Could it be that the nightmare last night was because I conjured a huge ice wall to block him, making him angry? Or was it that when Dene and I kissed, he actually appeared at the window? And that nightmare... was it real too?
Bevis dragged me into the room and quickly shut the door. "Margie, from now on, you're not allowed to say his name or think about him, understand? Alright, let's not talk about vampires anymore. Let's talk about... you and Dene!"
"There's nothing to talk about between us!" I pouted, unable to help frowning. "Bevis, you spend all day with two beautiful women. Don't you like them at all?"
"They're all crazy. How could I like them? If you spend too much time with them, you'll become terrifying too! They've been battling vampires for too long. Amelia and Catherine are like senior figures. They're about the same age as Dene..."
"Wait, you said Dene's age?" I frowned.
In reality, I couldn't tell how old Dene was. His face was too perfect, making it impossible to guess his age. The same went for that thousand-year-old monster, Lionel Albert.
For them, time stood still, and their appearances remained as vibrant as flowers in a greenhouse.
"Yes, Dene might be nearly a thousand years old, or even older. His temperament has always been aloof. Haven't you noticed? He can educate you like an elder, joke around with you like a peer, date you, and even... last night, sleep with you!"
Bevis was somewhat angry. To him, Dene seemed to be wearing a mask, a rogue flaunting his eternal beauty to seduce women.
"Bevis, are you saying I shouldn't be with him?!" In love, what does age matter?
"Margie, don't forget, he will never age, but you will. When you grow old and lose your charm, he will still be embracing young and beautiful women. Do you want to see that happen? So, stay away from him and find a normal man to love. I'm begging you as your brother."
Why hadn't I thought of this before? I hugged Bevis, unable to stop sobbing. I didn't know why my heart hurt so much. Was it because of Lionel Albert too? Oh God, what am I thinking?
Bevis thought I was heartbroken over not being able to be with Dene. He comforted me, pulling me into the bathroom and running the water. "Take a good shower, then come down for breakfast. I'll go back to my room first. Be good." He kissed my forehead and left.
But I felt as though I had fallen into an abyss of eternal despair.
At breakfast, Amelia donned a pink dress with an ultra-short skirt that nearly exposed her white underwear, clearly aiming to seduce some wicked man.
Catherine was not to be outdone, wearing a sexy red strapless bodycon dress that highlighted her ample bust, slender waist, and long legs, instantly capturing everyone's attention.
As for me, I was in sportswear. As a rookie, I had to train. Rion had assigned a heap of homework, with a stack of theoretical questionnaires waiting to be filled out on my laptop, along with shooting and combat practice...
However, seeing me in my rookie attire, Bevis sighed in relief and gently stroked my hair. "Margie, once you finish your training, I'll take you out to meet some handsome guys—human ones!" His emphasis seemed to mock the other three at the table.
"Oh!" I responded, also deflecting the evil glances from the two beauties. I smiled at them. "I'm Margie. Nice to meet you!"
Amelia raised an eyebrow. "We already know you. The one who's lost her heart to Baron Albert. He's not just any baron! To be honest, I like him too, but he's a vampire. We have to put a silver bullet through his already still heart."
Catherine snorted. "Don't be so cruel to the little sister. She hasn't seen a vampire drink blood yet. I've prepared some gifts for her. Amelia, we should be kind to newcomers, understand?" With that, Catherine handed me two DVDs. "Little sister, you must watch these. Hehe... I guarantee you'll gain a deeper understanding of vampires!"
"Thank you!" I smiled politely, glancing at Dene. He was focused on his plate, but sensing my gaze, he glanced up and smiled at me. I raised the corner of my mouth and said, "I'm full. Enjoy your meal!"
Bevis looked at my empty plate in surprise. "Margie, you finished in three minutes?!"
"Wrong, it was two and a half minutes!"
Needless to say, the day passed in a blur.
During theoretical studies, the entire laptop screen seemed to be filled with that cursed vampire's smiling face.
During practice, the evenly spaced black circles on the target seemed to transform into Lionel's face. I fired a few shots, but it felt like I was shooting at my own heart, numb with agony!