Irina's Past (3)

It took a while for me to convey everything that had transpired to my anxious parents. When they'd heard that I'd directly challenged the Matriarch, I think I could hear their hearts stop beating for a moment. Fortunately, after a full hour of explanations, I'd managed to calm their fears.

Additionally, I told them that I would be training in the Everwinter House to get my powers under control and eventually return Irina's soul back to her. Seeing that I was going to stay for a while, my parents agreed to linger on as well, just to ensure that the Everwinter Vampires couldn't do anything too dangerous to me.

Truth be told, I was relieved that my parents were going to stay with me. While they couldn't train me in the Vampire arts, their experience as former Hunters was valuable for my training as well.

But most of all, I was happy that they would be by my side to emotionally support me.

Funnily enough, they were the ones who were emotionally drained today. It seems that waiting for your son to return from the lion's den, not knowing whether he would be eaten or not, was physically taxing. And thus, after my continued reassurances, they turned in early for the day to beat their mental exhaustion.

And so, I briefly washed up before heading up to Irina's room as we'd arranged. While there were over a dozen rooms in this bungalow, it wasn't too difficult to find Irina's room. After all, it was right next to mine.

"Irina, are you in?"

I gently knocked on the door and called out the room's only inhabitant.

"Yes, please come in." The familiar voice, which sounded as sweet as the snowy dew of a Winter morning, beckoned me.

I took heed of the timing and opened the door as silently as possible. The first thing that caught my eye was how simple the room's design was. In fact, the layout was eerily similar to my own room, which was meant to house guests. Being the master of the house, I'd thought that Irina would pick a nicer place to sleep in, but I guess that didn't matter to the young Vampire.

"Brother… You're here…"

Before I could fully admire the room's simplicity, Irina's ethereal voice brought me back to reality. As I stepped deeper into the minimalist place, my jaw dropped at the sight that welcomed me.

Irina donned on a piece of thin, satin nightgown which was far more alluring than anything I'd ever seen a woman wear in public. Heck, it was probably not safe to wear in private as well, given how revealing her outfit was.

The nightgown's tight fabric perfectly wrapped around Irina's impeccable, decanter-like waist. And that wasn't the worst part; since it was a gown, nothing protected her delicious, snowy-white legs. If anything, the purpose of the nightgown was to show off how enticing Irina's long legs were.

However, the most dangerous part of the nightgown wasn't how short or tight it was… It was the fact that the area between Irina's face and breasts was entirely uncovered. Irina's densely sharp collar bones and swan-like neck, which were as white as snow, were fully in view for my hungry eyes.

And for the first time in my life…

I felt like biting into that delicious flesh and tasting that savoury, female blood…

"What's the matter?" Irina asked me innocently.

"N-No, nothing…"

What's the matter with you, Jin? Irina invited you to her room to talk about her painful past, and all you could think about was biting her neck and drinking her blood? You're better than that!!!

I forcibly purged my disgusting urges and confidently walked over to Irina's bed. Like my own, it was an oversized king-size mattress that seemed capable of allowing a family of four to sleep comfortably.

However, even I wasn't crass enough to lay on a woman's bed. I took a nearby chair and dragged it to Irina's side, rigidly settling down at a safe distance from Irina.

"Are you ready to talk?"

"... Yeah," Irina answered softly. There seemed to be a tinge of regret in her voice. After alternating her gaze between the chair I was seated on and the bed, the girl sighed deeply and continued: "Brother, wouldn't you be more comfortable on the bed?"

"... Maybe another time."

"If you say so…"

Irina seemed to notice my apprehension and simply showed a small smile. Please forgive me, Irina. If I were on the bed, I might not be able to control my Vampiric urges.

"Now, where should I start?" Ignoring my lecherous gaze, Irina looked up at the ceiling in an attempt to recall all of her past experiences.

"Firstly, how much do you know about the structure of the Everwinter House, Brother?"

"... Pretty much nothing."

Well, I'd just learnt of its existence a few days back. It would be strange if I became an expert on this ancient Vampire clan overnight.

"Hehe, I like how honest you are." Irina's face flashed with a moment of happiness, but it quickly turned sombre as she began her story.

"The Everwinter House… The Vampiric Clans all revere us and think that we are great. They all think that we are the epitome of what a noble Vampire House should look like. They believe that every Vampire family should structure themselves with our family model. But… They're all wrong."

I listened attentively as the young girl grasped her blankets.

"The Everwinter House is a machine. It is a machine that churns out elite Vampires by sacrificing what it means to be a family. Concepts such as love and brotherhoods or sisterhoods don't exist in our clan. From the moment we were born, we were trained with the sole purpose of serving the Everwinter House."

I see… So this clan of Vampires based their entire society on raising the finest soldiers. I now understand how this ancient clan could survive this long in a world that was hostile to Vampires.

"We don't see our parents for weeks at a time, and even when we do, unless you show potential, they won't care about your existence."

Irina's grip on her blanket became tighter, and her nails started clawing into the soft fabric.

"What we have isn't a family. It's a place where the strong survive, and the weak perish. There is no such thing as familial ties here. Even if you are blood-related to someone, they wouldn't care if you lived or died. They only care about what kind of benefits you could bring to them."

The girl shook her head as painful memories resurfaced.

"If you are at the top of the food chain, no one will question what you do. You can take multiple consorts if you wish. You can drink the finest blood and will be provided with the best amenities, trainers and facilities. You can even command an army of maids and butlers to do everything you want. However…"

Irina then looked towards the exterior of her house and bitterly said:

"If you're weak, even if you have the bloodline of the Matriarch coursing through your veins, you'll be relegated to the side. Destined to live a life of a servant or a foot soldier that dies for the sake of their kin. Even if you were a mere child…"

What a spartan household! To think that they would make children fight it out from young. No wonder Irina didn't feel an ounce of attachment to this wretched clan.

"Brother… Do you know something? I've never seen my parents once in twenty years."

"... What?"

"When I was three years old, both my parents went into hibernation. It's something that Vampires do when they find their eternal life too boring and want to wake up at a different time. So, rather than being raised by them, I was tended to by maids and distant relatives who couldn't care less about my survival."

Irina was smiling, but the sorrow in her eyes was becoming more and more apparent.

"I don't even know my grandfather's face. He was probably one of the many consorts that the Matriarch had fun with and discarded. My mother wasn't talented, but she was powerful enough to survive in the Everwinter House. So she managed to marry a good-looking Vampire and somehow gave birth to me and my brother."

"Your brother… That person we'd met, right?"

"Just so," Irina heaved a charming sigh. "That man… He's called Trent Everwinter. The only other direct family member I have in the house. However, even though he was my blood-related brother, that man has never seen me as a sister."

The gorgeous white-haired Vampire eyes slowly turned a vicious red, and icy particles rose from her milky-white body.

"All my life, that man has always seen me as a nuisance. I'd thought that as siblings, we would look out for each other, and he would protect me in my parent's absence. After all, he was fifty years older than me."

Oh? That Vampire was that much older than Irina? How could he be that much of a failure even though he's so much older than us?

"But all he cared about was gaining influence in the clan. He hopped from faction to faction, all the while ignoring my cries for help."

… And to think that he was over seven decades old. You couldn't even spare a few moments to care for such an adorable sister? How stupid could you be?

"I can't even remember how many times I bled from training. How many times I'd been abused by Vampires stronger than me. How many times… I cried alone in my bed."

Irina's voice turned softer, and her overflowing emotions drilled a hole into my heart.

"All I wanted… was a family. Someone that loved me, cared about me and treated me nicely."

Subconsciously, my hand reached out, and my body edged closer to the sobbing young girl. Even though she was a True Vampire and was infinitely more powerful than me, at that moment, Irina looked like an abandoned puppy that needed saving. She seemed so fragile and could break at any given moment.

But before my hand could touch her head, Irina instantly grabbed onto me and stared right into my soul with her big, longing eyes.

"... And that's when I'd met you, my beloved Brother."

Irina led my outreached hand onto her right cheek and happily indulged in my touch.

"Even though we weren't related, you treated me as if I were your real sister. You showered me with love and pampered me. Even when I was selfish, you laughed it off and gave in to me. Whenever I wanted company, you would do everything in your power to make me happy. And most importantly…"

Irina's earnest and pure gaze healed my soul as my heart began to melt.

"You protected me… When no one else would…"

Irina pulled on my hand, slowly guiding me into the bed where she lay weeping. Subconsciously, my body moved as if I had been placed in a trance, and before long, I found myself just inches away from the young Vampire.

Our hearts started beating as one, and our eyes never once left each other's sight. I could feel all of Irina's deepest desires and the overwhelming love that she wanted from me.

"We may not be blood-related, but…" Irina raised both her hands and softly placed them on my cheeks. She exclaimed determinedly with a soft whisper: "You are my Brother. My only true family member."

"Irina…"

Finally, I understood… The feelings of attachment I had to this beautiful little girl. My unconscious desire to protect her even though we'd just met. The main reason why I was so unafraid and trusting of this Vampire…

They were all caused by my unwavering love for this little sister of mine.

I may not have my memories, but my emotions never went away. I still deeply cared for this little creature and adored her with all my heart.

Irina was right.

She was my precious little sister.

"Irina, you really are spoiled."

"What's wrong with being spoiled?! I want to be pampered by my one and only brother!"

"Haha, you little imp."

Smiling, I brought my arms behind her back and reached for her soft white head. Like how one might treat a tiny kitten, I stroked her luscious hair, and she returned with a blissful purr. However, the girl wasn't satisfied with a mere head pat.

Irina turned me around and placed me squarely on the head of the bed. And soon after, she arose from her rested position and placed her petite bum on my crossed lap. Without knowing it, my hands moved in tandem to support her waist as we embraced face-to-face.

"Brother… Will you stay with me?"

This question… Irina had asked me once before. I was too confused and rejected her earnest, heartfelt request back then.

But I won't make that same mistake twice.

"Irina," I smiled tenderly as my hands stroked her soft hair. "It would be my honour to be your older brother again."

"!!!"

The gorgeous lady in my arms jolted in glee as an electric current of happiness flowed from the tip of her body and into mine. And for the first time in my life… I saw the smiling face of a Goddess.

"Brother… I can't hold it back anymore…"

As our hearts connected, I felt Irina's burning desires enveloping my mind. Her eyes turned crimson red as the fangs which had been expertly hidden in her small mouth grew exponentially larger.

And perhaps it was my innate Vampire instincts, but I knew what Irina wanted.

And needless to say, I was much the same. I stared hungrily at the smooth, snowy-white nape that had been beckoning to me ever since I'd entered the room. Blood rushed to my eyes, and my gaping mouth began to salivate.

With both our intentions known, Irina pressed her body onto mine until not a single gap remained. Leaning right next to my ear, I could feel her warm breath tickle my senses as she whispered:

"Come, Brother… Let's eat."