Ch. 1.7

"Ahh... I don't know... - Kire was confused. - It is a gift!"

"What could such a gift be for? - she cried desperately, staring at the sparkly luxury.

"I'm telling you, I don't remember anything. Some winged kidnapped me, played with me and left me on the street in these clothes ...

"Is this how he paid for sex with you? Disgusting!"

Kire, enchanted by the shine of precious crystals, said thoughtfully:

"And what? But now we don't have to work hard! This money will be enough for us until the end of our lives and we can finally buy a big warm house. We will solve all our problems, mom!"

"At this price?"

"I told you I don't remember anything and I'm fine. What this pervert did to me doesn't matter anymore! I will be careful in the future and will not leave my new home again. Thankfully, I'm rich now!"

Getting money for high-quality transparent precious stones was a problem. The usurer examined three large sapphires for a long time corrosively under a magnifying glass in bright light of lamp.

"These are clearly royal treasures! - the wrinkled old man hissed venomously. - How did you steal them?"

"No, I didn't steal anything! — Kire flushed indignantly. — Earned!"

"A-hah... with your body? — the man chuckled knowingly, counting out wads of money. - I can believe it just by looking at you. Young, fresh and beautiful. Who is your father? Angel?"

"I don't have a father," - the teenager muttered gloomily.

"So, are you the head of the family? It's good that you know how to use your appearance. Well, bring more ... such treasures are rarely seen."

He quickly moved into the house of dreams with mother and enthusiastically set about arranging a nest with a large orchard. During his household chores, Kire tried not to think about the lustful syrinx, but the image of Lyor with a languid sparkling gaze of turquoise eyes and a sly smile constantly loomed in his mind. Sometimes it seemed to him that vampire was looking at him from the roof of some tall building.

"Well, prove that I have nothing to scold you for! - the majestic King in a gilded robe and an elegant diadem pierced the guilty syrinx with a stern look. - I will send you back to Xantari for your tricks."

"My dear Eriolan, I always try to follow your instructions," - Lyor frozen in front of the monarch.

"Did I ask you not to drag lovers to my palace, especially kids? But you do everything your way. Did you think I wouldn't notice? I have eyes everywhere."

"Sorry, I fell in love with this boy…"

"And he - no!? Is not it? Rejected you? Well, it's understandable why ... you are a frivolous and irresponsible… selfish. And who needs you like that?

"I proposed marriage to him. This is not some kind of prank!"

"And why is this all of a sudden? From what I understand, Syrinxes do not marry mortals."

"I can turn on mutation of Kire."

"What!? Never heard of such abilities, - Eriolan frowned. - Is this boy really worthy of such an honor? Become immortal?"

"Vampires can turn Radiances if strong feelings arise…"

"Radiance…" - Eriolan said in bewilderment. - What kind of concept is this?"

"This is a person with special Essence and is visible to our eyes as a radiance with an amazing aroma. How not to fall in love? The most desirable being in the flesh for heartfelt love."

"I thought you only react to an attractive appearance."

"So everything is connected together! A bright appearance is a consequence of the sophistication of the Soul."

"That is, if creature is ugly, then the filling is not of interest?"

"Exactly! My beloved is like a precious stone in a golden frame. I desire him, even if he resists."

"Oh, even so… - the King fell in thoughts. - Poor thing, this guy! He has a hard time from your harassment ..."

"My Lord, have you never fallen in love with a young man?"

"Hmm... this happened! But… he was a celestial being with a fiery core, and brighter than any Radiance. His vibes would blow your mind away..."

"And where is he now?"

"He has gone to other worlds, and I miss him so much," - Eriolan shared, closing his eyes sadly.

"Well, then... - the vampire playfully continued his explanation. - I confess, so that you understand why my attraction arose? Back home, I was fascinated by a teenager who looked a lot like Kire. His name is Gideon. Black hair to the toes, eyes blue and deep like the sea, a magnificent body ... Not to say that one face, but the figure and charisma are approximately similar. Of course, I became infatuated with Kire getting close to him day by day, and when I tasted his mana… there was no doubt. I really like His Essence."

"Is everyone syrinx as you? Vampires?"

"Just like the Lord himself! - explained Lyor. - At the age of three hundred years, the syrinx becomes a vampire."

"Is Rohen already three hundred years old? - Eriolan was puzzled. - Why did I consider him incorporeal all these years?"

"Phoenix is able to intrude into any body and dimension. Most likely, he climbed into our world only recently into one of us. And the Overlord from higher dimensions also need a special shell, of a magical nature, in order to show your abilities to the maximum. It is unlikely that there will be such humanoids on Irmay. That's why he couldn't have been born here!"

"Oh... really? I didn't know such details… Hmm… So people don't exaggerate when they say that you take away their vitality?"

"This is true, but it is not fatal for local humans. No one has died yet... And we are very delicate..."

Without comment, Eriolan shook his head disapprovingly and after a pause said:

"That guy from your planet, Gideon, you named him… I've heard that name before. He lived here about fifteen years ago! Was my commander in chief, an earl named Taylor...

"Wow! Could Kire be his son?" — Lyor was surprised.

"Quite possible. The man was prominent and women often harassed him. They came to him at his estate under any pretext and all that ..."

"Is Kire worthy of the inheritance in this case?"

"Haven't you already gifted him a fortune?"

"How did you find out?"

Eriolan busily took out three blue sparkling crystals from his pocket.

"I bought them from a local jeweler, who rushed to me recently, offering all the best to the beloved King. Pure as an angel's tear. Isn't it from my treasury?"

"My lord, I am not a thief! — Lyor waved his hands. - I'm not such a scoundrel to get into other people's assets."

"Where did you get such high quality sapphires from?"

"Hmm… I can create them!"

"How? Such crystals have been growing underground for hundreds of years!"

"Right! And they, too, are created from human mana with the help of nature spirits. But I am a much more powerful wizard, and I can control matter. This is a common thing for a vampire."

"Show me!"