Alvaro wanted to cover his ears if he could. Lilian’s moans and sighs were wild. The sound of objects falling and playful giggles filled the room.
Damn it! Alvaro thought. He pulled at his hands, but the ropes were still too tight. Heat spread through his body, sweat pouring down his skin. Their moans only made the air feel hotter.
Vlad suddenly appeared like a ghost, holding a plate in his hands. Alvaro immediately frowned in displeasure.
The vampire had already forced him to eat twice, even though he didn’t want to. If Alvaro refused, Vlad would either force his mouth open or find some other way to make the food go down his throat.
The problem was, the food Vlad brought was strange. Alvaro wasn’t sure the man understood human food. The first time, it was just a few pieces of cheese. The second was a sausage with an odd taste—Lilian later told him it was the result of Vlad’s own cooking experiments.
Now, the vampire had brought a bowl of brown porridge. Just looking at it made Alvaro want to throw up.
"I don’t want to eat. I want to go back to the palace!" he snapped.
Vlad scooped up the porridge, ignoring his protests. "You’ve made me sad and heartbroken, and now you want to leave me so badly?"
Alvaro snorted angrily. "I’ve told you a hundred times! I’ve never slept with anyone! They trapped me!"
"But the girl was very beautiful."
"What does that have to do with me?! I didn’t even touch her!"
"Well, you seemed to enjoy it."
Alvaro felt his blood boil. He was truly furious. "How else am I supposed to explain it to you?!"
"Then eat it," Vlad said, bringing the spoon closer to his mouth. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on NoveI-Fire.ɴet
Alvaro turned his face away. He was still furious. He didn’t understand why he had ever thought about that vampire at all. Now he regretted every second he’d spent worrying about Vlad.
"I’ll take you home. Now eat," said Vlad, seeing that Alvaro still wasn’t interested in the food.
Alvaro glanced at him. Could he trust the vampire’s words?
Vlad smirked. "Eat, or I’ll eat you."
Alvaro sighed. "You promise you’ll take me back to the palace?" he asked, needing to be sure.
Vlad nodded. In truth, he had been following Alvaro and the guards ever since they left the palace. His heart had been burning with jealousy when Alvaro entered the brothel and didn’t come out for so long.
When Vlad went inside, the guards were eavesdropping outside a room. He could smell Alvaro. Rage took over. He forced his way in, kicking aside anything that got in his way. He couldn’t control himself.
He had been truly furious.
But Alvaro kept saying he hadn’t touched the woman. Last night, Vlad had lost control and attacked him sexually without holding back.
Now, thinking about it, it seemed Alvaro might have been telling the truth, because inside the room, the guard was still fully clothed.
Vlad stared blankly for a few seconds. He had lived in this world for hundreds of years, yet he still couldn’t control his temper. He still got jealous like a young man.
But who could stay calm knowing their partner was with another person, ready to have sex?
But it wasn’t true. Alvaro hadn’t loved that woman.
He didn’t hear the long moans from the next table. Or Alvaro’s voice calling to him.
"Lord Vlad!" Alvaro shouted, coughing.
Vlad snapped out of his thoughts. He looked at the spoon in his hand, it had slipped, and the porridge was now smeared over Alvaro’s nose, making it hard for him to breathe.
"Oh!" Vlad set the plate and spoon aside. Instead of grabbing a cloth, he licked the porridge off Alvaro’s nose.
Luckily, the porridge was thick, not runny.
Alvaro took a deep breath.
Vlad chuckled. "I’m sorry, Sweety." He kissed Alvaro’s lips, making him gasp for air again.
Alvaro couldn’t take it anymore. He muttered angrily, but Vlad kissed him again. Alvaro couldn’t resist; the ropes around his hands and feet only tightened, sending sharp pain through his limbs.
Vlad broke the kiss, chuckled, and picked up the plate again. "If you don’t finish this food, I’ll keep you here longer. Maybe a week."
Alvaro shuddered. He finally forced himself not to vomit, swallowing the strange-tasting porridge he had never experienced before. But his desire to return to the palace made him endure it—like walking through the fires of hell.
Kai was grateful no one had whipped him today, even though he had spent the entire day pulling dry grass in the garden.
No one scolded him when he spilled a pot, mainly because no one saw him this time. Gremblin had gone somewhere.
Kai made soup from whatever ingredients he could still find that were edible. He saw some meat in the refrigerator, but he didn’t dare touch it.
For today, he was just thankful he had something to eat.
At eight o’clock in the evening, the sun began to set. Kai didn’t know what else to do. He paced the corridor, looking for work, but he was still unfamiliar with the place.
Finally, he went outside to the garden.
He saw someone opening the gate, a big man, who immediately spotted him.
"Oh, hey! You’re still here? Your friends have already started working," the man said, walking over.
Kai bowed respectfully. "I just arrived today," he said.
The man frowned. "Where’s Maria?"
"Oh, I mean Mrs. Gremblin."
Kai glanced toward the building. He hadn’t seen the woman since noon.
The man gave up. "I’ll look for her. She usually relaxes by the pond."
Kai watched the man walk into the building, but then he turned back.
"Come with me to the church. They’re putting up decorations today. Better than standing here doing nothing," he said.
Kai nodded. The man’s cheerful tone and friendly smile made him seem trustworthy. Kai waited for him to come back out.
Meanwhile, inside his room, Sylas looked worried. It had only been a few hours, but he was already concerned about Kai. He was holding himself back from sending a guard to check on the slave.
Not yet. Maybe tomorrow.