Ethan stayed silent like a shadow as he followed Autumn down a long, winding hallway that felt like a maze, heading toward the dining room on the first floor.
He remained lost in his own thoughts, running through a thousand different ways to respond if his parents called to ask about the missed exam.
"What are you thinking about, Ethan?"
Autumn whispered softly. Her tone today was gentler and more delicate than usual.
"Heh… I was just wishing you had drained all my blood that night in the rain. That way, I wouldn't have to come up with an excuse for missing the exam."
Ethan tried to sound lighthearted, but Autumn could see it clearly in his eyes, sorrow and regret, nothing else.
"I'm sorry, Ethan."
Her voice cracked with emotion, startling him. His heart skipped a beat when he accidentally looked into her tear-filled brown eyes. Even with that slight red tint, their allure hadn't faded.
"You once said you didn't need anyone to protect you. That you hated keeping other people's secrets while being left in the dark. And yet I dragged you into this whole mess with the Vampires. You must HATE me now, don't you?"
"No… How could I ever hate you?"
"Yes. You DEFINITELY hate me. You've never liked being controlled, and you hate being manipulated. And Vampires like me? We always try to manipulate you. We even tried to make you forget everything that happened."
"That's not…"
"If you wanted to EXPOSE the Vampire Community in Harmony Town to the world, I'd say we probably deserve it. We're not those graceful, rich, charming, noble, selfless, vegetarian, sparkly-under-the-sunlight Vampires you see in movies…"
She turned away from him, her small shoulders trembling, reminding Ethan of a little fox wandering lost in a storm.
"…We're blood-hungry, violent, reckless, arrogant, and often just plain mean."
"N-No. Don't worry. I'm not going to tell anyone about the Vampire Community in Harmony Town."
"Really…?"
Her childlike voice was steeped in melancholy, making her seem more vulnerable than ever.
"I mean it. And please… don't ever think I hate you."
Ethan took a few more steps. He was now standing right behind her.
His heart beat faster, harder.
(She's so small… like a child trying to pout.)
Autumn flinched just a little when Ethan gently placed a hand on her head. It was hard to read her reaction. The last time he tried this, she'd gotten furious for treating her like a kid.
"You brat! Get your filthy hand off my daughter's hair right this instant!"
A thunderous voice boomed in Ethan's ears. Both he and Autumn turned pale like they'd just been caught committing a crime.
Before Ethan could retract his so-called "filthy hand," he suddenly felt weightless. A large middle-aged man, built like a mountain, had already hoisted him over his shoulder.
Trailing behind him was Autumn, her face full of guilt as she held a finger to her lips, signaling Ethan to just stay quiet.
The middle-aged man, with a neatly trimmed beard that showed he took grooming very seriously, set Ethan down at the head of a long dining table, one that could easily seat twenty people.
Right in front of him was a steaming, fragrant bowl of plain rice porridge.
"Eat up, kid. You've been asleep for nearly three days. Your stomach can only handle simple stuff like this right now."
"Thank you, sir!" Ethan bowed his head slightly.
"Yeah, yeah. Hurry up and eat while it's still hot."
The bearded man widened his eyes at Ethan like a grumpy bear.
"And you, my princess, go sit over there. Stay away from this boy."
His tone completely changed when speaking to his daughter. Ethan could clearly see the glimmer of affection in the man's brown eyes beneath his thick brows as he looked at Autumn.
Following her dad's instructions, Autumn took a seat in the middle of the table, where a plate of nearly raw steak waited, red enough to look like it was still alive. Next to the steak was a dark red smoothie. Ethan silently hoped it was just a mix of watermelon, beetroot, and red dragon fruit.
"Dad, can you close the curtains for me? That sunlight's burning my skin."
Sigh "You're not allowed out in the sun until your stomach's fully digested all that boy's blood. How long does that take again?"
As he drew the curtains for his precious daughter, her father threw Ethan a side-glance hot enough to sizzle skin.
Ethan blinked in confusion. Wasn't he the victim here? It wasn't like 1500ml of his blood voluntarily jumped into Autumn's stomach.
"She'll be back to normal by midweek, dear."
Marina appeared at the entrance of the dining room, wearing a crisp office outfit: a frilly white blouse tucked into a below-the-knee pencil skirt.
Her elegant ensemble gave her a youthful, professional air, completely contrasting the casual look of her husband, who wore a T-shirt, shorts, and an apron.
"Be good while I'm gone, Autumn."
Autumn turned her rosy cheek to receive her mother's affectionate kiss.
"Yes, Mom!"
Without hesitation, Marina picked up the smoothie beside Autumn's steak and downed it in one go.
"And don't tease Ethan too much."
"What! He's all better now! He just cleaned that bowl of porridge! We should let him go back to school, he's addicted to studying!"
Autumn's dad immediately objected to Marina's idea.
"I think he should rest and recover a few more days here. He still looks pale."
"No way. We're all going to be out today. Leaving two unsupervised teenagers alone in the house? That's dangerous."
"I completely trust Autumn to control her fangs this time."
"Well, I don't trust… that boy."
At that point, Ethan knew for sure, this man had absolutely zero fondness for him.
"Um, sir, ma'am… I'm feeling much better now. I'd like to return home and go to school today, if that's alright."
"See? What a good kid! I'll personally drive you to school later,"
Autumn's dad immediately switched tones now that Ethan declined the offer to stay.
"My clothes…"
Ethan looked down awkwardly at the oversized pajamas he was wearing, definitely borrowed from Autumn's dad.
"Oh, your old uniform was shredded and soaked in blood. I had to dispose of it. But I've prepared a new Harmony High uniform for you. It's in the wardrobe upstairs in the attic room. I'll have Autumn take you to…"
"Nooo! Autumn, stay right where you are. Ethan, come with me!"
Autumn's father roared so loudly that even Marina, the usually unfazed vampire matriarch, flinched.
Ethan sighed and quickly jogged after the bearded man's long, thundering strides. He could only hope the man wouldn't flip his mood again before they reached the attic.