Chapter 19: The Sophisticated Lad

Emily's breathing became stagnant, but she quickly regained her composure. There was a faint scent of blood roses in the air, so subtle that it could easily be overlooked amidst the raging winds. Alexander was nowhere to be seen, and all she could hear were the sounds of the wind rustling through the leaves, echoing with an eerie sense of dread in the pitch-black forest.

Emily closed her eyes, steadied her mind, and then opened them again. The shadows on the tree leaves vanished, but deep within the forest, a figure dressed in a white gown slowly approached. She seemed like an ethereal being untouched by the mundane world, her smile radiating warmth like gentle sunlight.

"Mother?" Emily softly called out.

The woman only smiled deeper without answering, walking towards Emily.

"Mother... how could... you be here?" Emily's question seemed directed at the woman before her, yet also at herself. Her mother had never left their village nestled in the mountains since Emily could remember. Even when she came to Cyberville for university, her mother refused to come along, content with the serene life in their small mountain village. So why was she appearing here now, in such an eerie manner?

"Mother missed you," the woman finally spoke, extending her hand to embrace Emily.

Emily hesitated for a moment, and in the next second, as the woman's teeth were about to sink into her neck, Emily forcefully pushed her away. The push was fueled with all her strength, sending the woman flying.

"You're not my mother!" Emily said coldly.

The forest in front of her suddenly vanished, replaced once again by the soft grassland. In the distance, there were farmlands, and the scent of blood roses still lingered in the air, carried by a gentle breeze.

Previously pushed aside, the woman stood up, but now she had transformed into a tall man, even more handsome than Boris. However, there was a mischievous smile on his face, and he didn't mind that Emily had sent him sprawling.

"You were so close to succeeding. How did you figure it out?" the man approached, curiously asking. His expression seemed harmless, but the act he had just done sent a shiver down one's spine.

"My mother never hugs me!" Emily spoke candidly, her tone revealing a hint of sadness.

Emily's mother, James, had never embraced her. It was as if she was always immersed in her own sorrow. Though she would sometimes gaze absentmindedly, her eyes held a distant look. Emily had never felt motherly love from a young age. Motherly love felt like a luxurious thing, but after all, James was her mother, her only relative. Emily had given all her love to her, hoping that one day James could love her daughter like other mothers do.

The man smirked and said, "How pitiful!" He sounded as if he sympathized with her, but his face wore a gloating smile.

Emily suddenly raised her head, questioning why she was telling him all this. She became alert once again. "Who are you? What just happened?"

The man casually spread his hands and said, "Guess!" Then he looked at Emily with interest, observing her furrowed brow.

"Could it be an illusion?" Emily murmured.

With a snap of his fingers, the man exclaimed, "Bingo! You've guessed half of it. Very clever! Here's a reward for you!"

"What reward... mmm..." Emily didn't finish her last word as the man's icy lips pressed against hers. His tongue was as cold as his demeanor, unpredictable and infuriating. Startled, she tried to push him away, but the man suddenly grabbed her hand, released her lips, and teasingly said, "Tsk tsk, remember, the same tricks won't work on me!"

Emily forcefully pulled her hand away, glaring at him fiercely. Her gaze seemed as if she wanted to devour him.

The man first pinched her chin and casually remarked, "Oh, such a beautiful face. It's not good to be angry. Come on, give me a smile!" Seeing that Emily still glared at him in anger, he seemed to have a sudden realization. "Could it be your first kiss?"

Emily's thoughts were exposed, and she snorted, turning her head away. But then she noticed Alexander on the grass, looking left and right, calling out "Father!"

The man raised an eyebrow, glancing at Alexander, and asked Emily, "Guess what he saw?"

"I'm not his mind reader! Go ask him yourself!" Emily replied irritably.

"Why do you seem so indifferent to him? Just now, you two seemed quite close!" The man's fingers playfully traced over Emily's chin, filled with provocation.

"Are your eyes just for show?" Emily glanced at him sideways and continued, "If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way." She said the words, but she knew that this man wouldn't let her off so easily.

However, to her surprise, the man only asked as she walked away, "Little miss, do you really not care about your friend?"

"Enemy!" Emily corrected him.

"Interesting. I like you. From today onwards, you're my prey!"

Emily stopped in her tracks, turned to look at him, and the man still had that playful smile on his face. It was impossible to tell if he was serious or not, but also difficult to determine if they knew each other or not. This kind of face that defied common understanding could easily confuse one's senses. Coupled with his ambiguous smile, it was hard to discern his true intentions, making it difficult to judge.

However, the words "prey" were truly infuriating. Did these people only see her as food?

"If you want to devour me, do it sooner rather than later. Don't send me back to live in fear. Or give me a clean and quick end!" Emily blurted out, not actually wanting to die but testing what this guy really meant.

To her surprise, as soon as the words left her mouth, the man instantly appeared in front of Emily, abruptly embracing her waist, their noses almost touching. Emily caught a stronger scent of blood and roses.

"Darling," the man purred with a smile, his own nose gently rubbing against Emily's, as if she were a beloved toy. "Don't be impatient. There will come a day when I devour you. But before that..." He placed his hand on Emily's chest, interrupting himself. "I want to claim this place first!"

Emily blushed, desperately trying to break free, but the man's grip was tight. He only released her when he saw the fire in her eyes, laughing playfully.

Emily felt frustrated. It would have been better if she hadn't tested him. Now she was even more perplexed.

"Darling, it's getting late. Go back and sleep," the man's hand caressed Emily's face. "Girls who don't get enough sleep have bad skin. Go on, I'll take care of this person first. I'll come find you when I have the time!"

Emily inwardly cursed. He truly was a demon! Clearly hiding a blade behind his smile, concealing a needle in his gentleness. Those deep, abyss-like eyes, once fixated on you, made it feel like sinking into a swamp, unable to escape. With his neat and sharp short hair and finely carved facial features, he always managed to bewitch people unintentionally.

When his ice-cold fingers touched Emily's face, she shivered. The faint scent of blood and roses was refreshing and natural, but the aura of death was even stronger than Boris's.

"What are you planning to do with him?" Emily asked casually.

The man suddenly squinted his eyes as he assessed Emily, his gaze turning sharp. "Those who covet my prey shall be killed mercilessly!"

His words were spoken lightly, but each word felt like a sharp blade, as if they were carving into Alexander's body. Emily wouldn't feel a thing. She smirked, her lips curving into a smile. "Well, have fun then. I'm off!" She appeared almost delighted.

The man watched Emily's figure and found her attitude towards Alexander even more intriguing. Her gaze then shifted to the Cream Girl not far away. The Cream Girl had only had a little blood sucked from her, but due to the wound not healing, she had lost too much blood and now lay in a pool of it.

"Tsk tsk, it's such a waste of food. Looks like I need to educate her properly," the man frowned slightly, but excitement flickered in his expression. It seemed like he had found a good excuse to play with Alexander. To borrow a human phrase, wasting food is a sin!

...

Emily sprinted for a while and noticed that the man hadn't followed her. She relaxed a bit and slowed down to a walking pace. Her mind started pondering. This mysterious man had the scent of blood and roses, indicating that he was an elder-level vampire. However, it was evident that he surpassed Boris in power. The scent on him was intentionally hidden and difficult to detect, unlike Boris, whose scent couldn't be concealed under her own nose.

Moreover, ordinary vampires could only use eye contact to hypnotize, and even Boris couldn't create such elaborate illusions. This man, on the other hand, crafted the illusion so convincingly. If it weren't for her knowledge of those subtle details, she might have become his meal today.

When Emily pushed him away, she clearly saw his fangs in his mouth. In that moment, any hesitation would have resulted in bloodshed. Emily couldn't help but shudder, feeling a sense of fear.

This was a vampire so powerful that even standing beside him made one tremble!

Emily came to a conclusion: she should avoid going out at night in the future and try to avoid encountering him. Most importantly, that enticing face of his, coupled with that smile, made him nothing short of a smiling tiger.

Emily looked at the sky and realized it was still some time before dawn. Initially, she was running in the direction of the school, but then she remembered her promise to the little fairy yesterday that it would come to visit today. So, Emily changed her direction and ran towards the Miao Mountain.

The forest was vast, and at first, Emily got a bit lost. But then she remembered that the wolf's den was at the foot of a tree, so she followed the scent of the wolves and eventually found the little fairy sitting under a tree. The fairy had its chin resting on its hands, looking sulky, as if it was about to puff up its little face like a bun.

"Little bun! Who bullied you?" Emily approached, smiling brightly.

Sophia saw Emily, and her expression went from being happy to a huff as she turned her face away. However, before Sophia could fully turn her face away, Emily already saw the irresistible smile on her face.

They said Sophia was an ancient being of over a thousand years old, but in reality, she had the personality of a child. Emily chuckled.

"It's almost dawn, and you just arrived!" Sophia said, sounding displeased.