“Big sister was so worried about you, little one. Your body hasn’t even recovered yet, and you’re running around outside without a moment’s rest.” She deliberately pinched her voice, making it sickeningly sweet.
“And… Eternal Night City hasn’t been very peaceful lately. Big sister cares about you so much—do you really hate me that much~?”
Utia’s face wore that chilling smile throughout, her eyes—like congealed blood—staring unblinkingly at Sylvie.
Sylvie subtly positioned herself in front of the door, deeper wariness filling her emerald eyes.
Her eyelids twitched a few times.
“That Lady Utia would show concern for Sylvie naturally makes me… ‘happy.'” The last word was practically gritted through her teeth.
Happy.
As if she could be happy about it!
Who didn’t know what a malicious person Utia Nordisas was!
Among the blood livestock of Eternal Night City, a spine-chilling nickname circulated in whispers… “The Witch of Greed.”
Utia was like a vibrantly beautiful butterfly laced with deadly poison, specializing in seeking out the most tender, most fragile girls whose eyes still held that final glimmer of light.
Her tastes were considered vile even among noble vampires.
Utia was never satisfied with mere feeding. She relished the complete process of taming and destruction.
The blood livestock she selected usually possessed certain “qualities”—perhaps exceptionally clear eyes, or a stubborn resilience amid fear. Utia would take them away under a grandiose yet irrefusable pretext: “providing more food.”
What followed were long nights of prolonged torment.
Few could walk steadily the next day.
There had even been cases of blood livestock dying.
Yet… if one somehow endured that night, Utia—this malicious woman—would indeed keep her promise, granting substantial food. Some desperate blood livestock with decent appearances even sought her out voluntarily, offering “service.”
But no matter what…
Sylvie absolutely refused to let Nia and the others fall into her clutches.
“What a dishonest child. But big sister likes that about you too.” Utia let out a series of delighted laughs.
“Well, I am a sixth-rank enforcer, after all~”
Utia lazily toyed with her silver hair.
“Patrolling the blood livestock district now and then to maintain order in the city—there’s nothing wrong with that, right?”
Her crimson eyes narrowed slightly.
“And incidentally… catching a few ‘rats’ scurrying around the city. Don’t let my looks fool you; big sister is usually very busy.”
Busy?
Didn’t seem like it.
Wasn’t she just thinking about how to please herself all day…
The pointed remark caused Sylvie’s fingertips to tense slightly. She lowered her eyes, her voice still respectful.
“This place is full of harmless children. They probably wouldn’t catch your eye. If you’re hunting rats, the Eastern District seems to have more activity.”
“Ara, is that so?” Utia suddenly stepped forward, closing the distance between them to a dangerous degree.
Her gaze pierced past Sylvie’s body, directly toward the interior. Sylvie reacted by shifting to block that greedy line of sight.
“There are no ‘rats’ you’re looking for inside.” She repeated firmly.
But Sylvie’s demeanor drew Utia’s attention—or rather, mild surprise.
Sylvie wasn’t lying; Utia could tell.
What surprised her was… this girl, who always concealed her emotions and thoughts so perfectly,
was showing surface-level panic?
Interesting.
Utia’s crimson eyes brightened slightly as she watched with keen interest.
Then, she deliberately advanced another step, bringing them close enough to feel each other’s breath.
Though Sylvie seemed to be restraining herself desperately, the perceptive Utia could clearly see the tremor in her eyes, hear her slightly quickened heartbeat, even smell the fiercely suppressed… protective instinct emanating from her?
“Oh?” Utia’s voice grew exceptionally soft.
“Why are you so nervous? I won’t eat a few little blood livestock… At least not right now~”
Even more amusing was that Utia knew full well how much Sylvie despised her. Yet at such close proximity, Sylvie remained firmly planted in front of the door, even subtly raising both arms to brace against the frame—her frail body desperately trying to block her.
This was the first time Utia had seen Sylvie in such a “loss of control.”
“If Lady Utia has no further business… please leave.”
“And if I insist on going in to take a look…” Utia’s voice dropped lower.
In that tense standoff.
“Sylvie!”
A childish voice called from inside, followed by a small figure running out—clearly disturbed by the noise outside.
Barefoot, she ran to Sylvie’s side and naturally tugged at her cloak.
“Lynla thought big sister left again…”
Her words trailed off as she looked up, following those tall, curvaceous legs upward.
Upon seeing Utia’s coldly beautiful face and that spine-chilling smile, the innocent grin on Lynla’s face froze instantly.
A vampire… and… wearing white clothes…
She shrank behind Sylvie like a frightened kitten, peeking out with only half her head, large eyes filled with instinctive terror.
“V-Vampire… lady…” Lynla’s voice was mosquito-thin, her body trembling uncontrollably.
“Lynla! Why did you come out! Hurry back inside!” Sylvie urged anxiously.
Utia’s crimson eyes narrowed slightly, lingering on Lynla for a moment. She could also sense… Sylvie growing even more tense.
“Ara, what an adorable child~” Utia’s voice turned even sweeter.
“What’s your name?”
To Lynla, vampires—especially one twice Nia’s height with that eerie, instinctively terrifying smile—were the “monsters outside the door that eat people” from Nia’s bedtime stories.
“L-Lynla… is… called… Lynla.”
She stammered, voice shaking violently from fear, managing a full sentence only after a long pause.
Utia suddenly crouched down, her narrowed dark-crimson eyes reflecting Lynla’s pale little face. Her voice carried a pathological gentleness.
“Little Lynla… Such a cute child, and big sister has never seen you before?”
As she spoke, her smile grew more delighted. She extended her scarlet tongue, licking her lips once, greedy dark glints flashing in her eyes.
Then, she slowly reached out slender fingers, about to touch the girl’s delicate skin.
“Lynla!”
A figure burst from the room with a desperate cry.
Nia rushed out like a mother cat protecting her cub, scooping Lynla into her arms and shielding the child completely with her body.
She held the still-trembling Lynla tightly, amber eyes glaring fearfully at Utia. Though her body shook and her face was pale, burning determination blazed in those eyes.
“V-Vampire lady…” Nia’s voice quivered with fear.
“This child… doesn’t understand anything. Please… please show mercy… If you have any needs… Nia can…”
She pressed Lynla’s head to her chest, preventing the girl from seeing Utia’s face again.
Utia’s crimson eyes brightened slightly, lingering on Nia’s face. This slightly older girl had a charming appearance too.
“Of course~” She replied pleasantly.
“Big sister loves obedient chi—”
Before she could finish, a hand suddenly seized her wrist.
Utia paused slightly, looking down—Sylvie was gripping her wrist tightly. The first time this girl, who always kept her distance, had initiated contact.
What surprised her more was Sylvie’s current expression.
Complex emotions surged in those emerald eyes that were usually calm as a lake.
Humiliation, struggle, and… pleading.
Sylvie lowered her head, hands trembling slightly from exertion, her suppressed voice as if enduring something.
“Please… don’t lay a hand on them.”
She paused, as if using all her strength, finally uttering words she had never said to anyone.
“Consider it… Sylvie begging you.”
The room fell into dead silence. Even Nia stared at Sylvie in shock.
Utia gazed quietly at Sylvie, a flicker of surprise—and an imperceptible satisfaction?—in her crimson eyes.
Seeing her like this… brought Utia far more pleasure and fulfillment than toying with mere blood livestock.
“Since you’ve said as much… big sister isn’t unreasonable. After all, we’re so close.”
Her voice was cloying. Then, she actually withdrew her hand slowly—but didn’t leave. Instead, she tapped her cheek lightly with a finger, lips curving into a bewitching, cruel arc.
“How about this… If you take the initiative to kiss big sister once, we’ll pretend nothing happened today.”
“Sound like a good deal? Heh heh heh~”
…