20 "Warming up with the Vampire Servant"

"Sigmund?" Ivory turned her head and faced him. She raised her eyebrow and whispered, with her right hand placed at the side of her mouth, "What do you think you're doing? Do you even know how to warm up and exercise?"

The Vampire Servant leaned in as well and whispered near his Master's ear, "There's nothing I could not do, woman. I am the great Vampire, Sigmund."

"Why don't you just let Educator Alexandra's Servant help me? That way, you won't be bothered," she shrugged.

Alarmed by what she had told him, he grabbed her arm tightly and spoke in a cold tone, "You promised me that you won't be close with other Servants."

"Sigmund… You're hurting me," she uttered, and he released her from his grip. "I almost forgot about our agreement… Sorry," Ivory couldn't understand why Sigmund had asked her those three conditions. Were those conditions applicable to all Vampire Servants?

Educator Alexandra agreed to what the Servant had suggested. She called the whole class to gather in the middle of the field and start their warm-up exercises. The students followed the Educator's movements. Most students had a hard time since they weren't used to these. However, some students, like Arcea, who had been in combat training at a young age, didn't even break a sweat.

"It's been only five times, and you're tired?" Sigmund smirked as they did hamstring curls. He was positioned behind his Master and was holding her heel. "Giving up already? What a weak-ass."

"Can you please let me breathe first," she was panting so hard while kneeling on the ground and sweating all over her body. "I was very sickly when I was young, so…"

"All the more that you have to take more effort. How can you win the Servant Competition if you're a limp?" he gripped her thighs and legs to check if they're in the right position.

Ivory thought for a while. Yes, her Servant was right.

The moment when Ivory learned of her birthmark when she was ten, she felt excited and honored to be one of the chosen citizens of the kingdom. Prior to entering Qawiun Academy, all she thought of was summoning a Servant that could help her in her everyday errands and help her when she gets a common job in the city. And on that magical moment, when the Goddess bestowed her blessing upon them during the opening ceremony, she had set a clear goal of winning the Servant Competition. She needed to be strong, not only emotionally, but also physically.

If she ever wins the Servant Competition, she would choose to be a Royal Knight. That way, she could visit her sister Katie in Prisma City. She hoped that when that time comes, her sister wouldn't be ashamed of her anymore, and perhaps be proud of her. Ivory wished for her family to be complete and that they would all live in the stone mansion near the castle.

The next exercise was partner sit-ups, where one laid on the floor while the other sat close to their partner's legs, holding them together with their arms. Sigmund waited for Ivory to lay herself on the grass with her knees tucked in before he sat facing her. He positioned himself very close to her legs and wrapped them in his arms.

Ivory blinked, "Aren't you too close, Sigmund?"

"F*ck the rules," he gazed down at his Master's face. "Get up."

She hesitated at first before crunching up to her knees a bit, her hands were on her shoulders.

The Servant clicked his tongue as she lowered herself gently back on the grass, "Can't you crunch closer to your knees?"

"Why are you so demanding…" she pursed her lips and inhaled before crunching up slowly.

Finding her too sluggish, Sigmund grabbed her shoulder and pulled her body to her knees, their faces an inch closer from each other.

Ivory's cheeks turned tomato red when Sigmund licked his lower lips before grinning at her. It reminded of her the time he bit her neck with his fangs under the moonlight and how good it was.

"Aren't you so cute when you get so shy," he released her from his grip and watched her fall on the grass. "Keep it up, you're doing good," he scoffed and his right hand caressed her thigh before patting it.

Seeing that Ivory stopped her crunches, Educator Alexandra worriedly asked as she approached them, "Ivory? Is something wrong? Do you still feel weak from what happened yesterday?"

"No...nothing's wrong," she smiled, but avoided her gaze. She placed her arms on her chest before sitting up. "It's your fault," she glared at Sigmund after Educator Alexandra left them.

"Why is it my fault when I'm just trying to help you?" he was still grinning and again, amused how his Master turns red every time he teases her.

The activity lasted for a whole fifteen minutes before they were told to run around in the open field in a long line. As his Master ran with the other students, Sigmund just followed her through his gaze as he walked to the sides.

"I'm here, sorry if I'm late," Lucius suddenly arrived. "My mother was looking for me again," he explained.

"I understand, Mr. Lucius. Family always comes first," she then pointed to the students. "They're already jogging. I will just have to let you participate next time."

"Thank you, Educator Alexandra. By the way, did Ivory come to class?"

"Yes. She came to class with her Servant."

Lucius spotted Ivory with their other classmates and saw Sigmund standing at one side of the field. He walked towards him and asked, "How's Ivory? I heard she had a high fever."

Sigmund glanced at his side and noticed the latecomer, "She's perfectly fine. Look, she can even run."

"Ebleu went to Ivory's house yesterday, and her father said that you saved his children from the fire."

"I did," he replied as he continued watching his Master from the side. "We did the Contract Ritual in the middle of the burning house that's why I managed to save them."

"I'm really glad to hear that. You know, you should have done the Contract Ritual earlier."

"Do you know what it means to have a Contract Ritual with me, kiddo?" he glanced at the student.

Lucius' brows furrowed, "I beg your pardon?"

"It means she's mine now," Sigmund grinned.

"What nonsense are you-"

Sigmund glared at Lucius, "I forbid you from being too close to her. Do not pursue her. I won't approve it if you become her lover."

Lucius laughed hard when he heard it, "Who are you to decide on that? Are you her father? Do you own Ivory? I didn't know you're this hilarious, Servant."

"Shut the hell up! I don't want her to have any distractions as she trains in the academy. A lover will only be a distraction to her!"

Lucius gestured his hands for him to calm down, "Easy, Servant." and let out a chuckle. "The other day you didn't care about her, but now you care too much."

Sigmund's ears turned red, "Mind your own business, rich boy!" and even before Lucius could say anything else, the Vampire quickly marched away from him.

Lucius found it weird that Sigmund had such a high level of independence as if he's not a Servant. He's just thankful that they're bound by a contract now, which meant that he was obliged to protect her. He considered Ivory as one of his closest friends now, and if Sigmund became uncontrollable again, he would make sure to protect her with all his might. Ever since he helped her in the opening ceremony and got closer as days went by, he could be himself and felt at ease whenever he's with Ivory.

After the activity, Ivory saw Lucius from afar, and she waved her hand high, shouting, "Lucius!"

Lucius waved his hand back as Ivory ran towards him, but her knees suddenly trembled because she was so tired from the exercises. She fell to the ground and scraped her knee.

Sigmund, who saw her recklessness, hurriedly went to her. Some of her classmates, who always spoke ill of her, laughed when they saw her fall. Arcea and Lucius also approached Ivory with worried faces and were surprised to see Sigmund scooping her into his arms. They wondered how Ivory successfully tamed her stubborn Servant after a day, but they were happy for her.

"I can walk, I am okay, so-"

Sigmund ignored her and instead told the others, "I'll bring her to the clinic."

On the long and empty brown concrete hallway, knight statues were lined up as rays of light shone through the windows with rectilinear tracery. Only the Vampire's footsteps could be heard, echoing in every step he made. He stared straight, while Ivory stared at his face.

As she stared at the Vampire, she thought of how happy she was that he was acting more like her Servant ever since they did the Contract Ritual. And now, he was even willing to bring her to the clinic…

But her happy thoughts were interrupted when she realized something.

"Sigmund," she uttered after seeing the isolated and dimly lit corridor, "Wait… This is not the way to the clinic."

The Vampire Servant grinned, "I know."