Chapter 28

Even though I held his hand and called his name and told him I loved him, Vlad still left me. I stood there in the falling snow and didn't even realize my body was growing numb until I heard footsteps.

Nicholas

"What are you doing standing out here in the cold? Everyone was worried when you disappeared.'" "A man's footsteps...? Was Vlad here?"

I nodded and looked up at Nicholas. Suddenly it felt like all my emotions overflowed.

Kira

"Nicholas I…" " I care for Vlad. And I care for everyone in the mansion." "So I don't want anyone to get hurt.

My wish won't ever come true, will it?"

Nicholas

"That's not true. Don't cry."

Crying won't bring Vlad back or change the situation. I knew that, but I just couldn't stop.

-~~~

There was a special air of excitement in the air around Christmas in town. All the shops were decorated with garland and pretty lights, ornaments, and other festive decorations. After Vlad let go of Kira's hand, he walked alone through the city streets in the snow. He stopped when he heard an excited child. Perhaps they got their Christmas present early. He murmured to no one in particular with sorrowful eyes.

Vlad

"The more I try to protect you, the farther away I get from you." "I get farther away from you every day."

Pure white snowflakes danced overhead, just like the day when he wished he could disappear from this earth. It almost felt like the snowflakes were falling from the heavens on purpose, so no one would notice his sadness…

Vlad

"...I hate snowy days."

All of a sudden he heard a commotion nearby. Vlad immediately turned towards the sound. He saw a bunch of people gathered in front of a theatre. There was a Christmas party going on there for the nobles. The commoners outside certainly weren't there to attend the party. Their clothes were simple and caked with dirt, and they were holding weapons.

Vlad

"Are they going to try to attack the nobles at the party?"

Townsperson

"You've got some nerve to get dressed up and have fancy parties when we have to sweat every day doing hard labor!"

This country's government did nothing to help those less fortunate. That was why they had turned their anger onto the nobles lately. There were some people who had pained expressions on their faces; it was clear they didn't want to be there.

Man

"Killing a bunch of nobles will be the best way to vent our anger!"

Man

"They're dancing under the light of chandeliers while we live in the darkness of poverty!" "Even if we get arrested, living in a jail cell won't be any worse than how we've been living!"

It seemed like a lot people were participating in order to vent their frustrations. Vlad's crimson eyes gradually grew colder, like he was watching over them from above the clouds.

Vlad

"Why do humans commit crimes like this?" "I really love you humans. But I can't entrust you with the future."

And that was why he had to carry out what he had planned for midnight. He was just about to turn his back on the commoners when…

Child

"This is wrong! Hurting each other won't solve anything!"

A little boy wearing a newsboy cap screamed at the adults.

Vlad

"That boy…"

Flashbacks

Child

"I want you to make me the most beautiful bouquet in the world! It's a present for someone special."

Flashback Ends

It was the same little boy who'd tried to buy the bouquet with a filthy coin, who'd fallen in love with the girl by the window.

Child

"Who cares if we have different lifestyles? We can still talk it out! We can't give up on that!" "The girl I love is a noble. I thought she wouldn't even let me talk to her." "But then this nice lady told me if I told her what was in my heart, my feelings would get through to her."

Flashback

Kira

"It's true that you may live in two different worlds." "But maybe that's all the more reason for you to tell her how you feel?" "If you say what's in your heart, your feelings will get through to her. After all, you're both human. And.." "She's the girl you fell in love with, right. So you should trust yourself!"

Flashback Ends

Child

"If you want to change something, you have to get them to hear you out!" "You have to trust in your feelings!"

Big tears streamed down from his eyes onto the snowy sidewalk.

Child

"So please just believe that we can understand each other! We have to believe that!"

Vlad

"..."

Vlad stopped in his tracks and stared at the earnest little boy. He was screaming so desperately it stirred up something in the softest part of Vlad's heart. The words of a girl who cared more about others than herself.

Flashback

Kira

"Basically, I don't want them to be sad, so I don't want them to know I'm sad, if that makes sense." "When I care for someone, all I want is for them to smile."

She believed that the strength of people's feelings could become hope.

——

Kira

"I wanted to protect that painting no matter what. Because...it's a symbol of hope for everyone."

Flynn

"...Hope? What do you mean?"

Kira

"The person who painted it…" "It broke his heart that people are sad and quarrelling with others due to these dark times." "He painted it thinking that maybe it could offer them even a glimmer of hope..."

Flynn

"A painting can't fill people's hungry bellies. And it can't change the world in any dramatic way. But people's hearts…"

Kira

"If each person had even a small change of heart, it could lead to a brighter tomorrow."

And then he thought of what she had said to him…

——

Kira

"What will you think if your dream comes true?" "Will you think, 'Oh, good. This is just the future I wanted' and smile?"

Vlad

"..."

Kira

"You won't smile. You won't be able to smile anymore."

Flashback Ends

Vlad looked at the clock tower in the distance. It was almost midnight--the time when he had told the residents to meet him.

Man

"Tch. Shut up, you brat! It's time for little kids like you to be in bed sleeping!"

Man

"Yeah, get out of the way or else we can't get in and kill the nobles!"

The little boy stood in the doorway, spreading out his arms to block them. He screamed.

Child

"I won't let you past! If you want to get inside, you'll have to kill me first!"

Man

"Haha! If you wanna die that bad, then I'II kill you, too!"

The man took a rusty knife out of a leather scabbard and then grabbed the boy's little arm.

Man

"You'll only have a dark life ridden with poverty waiting for you even if you survive anyway!"

Vlad

"..."

Flashback

Kira

"Vlad. If the only way to change the future is to hurt the people I care about…" "…..then I don't need a world like that."

Flashback Ends

His black overcoat billowed amidst the falling snowflakes…

~~~~~

Sander and his patron were riding together through the snow in the carriage.

Sanders

"You're in an awfully good mood, Duke Joseph. Is it because it's Christmas?"

Duke Joseph

"Ahaha, Christmas is always exciting, no matter how old you are. But that's not why." "Tonight le Comte de Saint-Germain might come to the party!"

Sander

"…I'm sure he's gathered around the fireplace with his family right about now."

Duke Joseph

"...Will?"

Sander

"Nothing. I'm sure le Comte can't wait to toast with you tonight."

Sander plastered a smile on his face. Just then, the carriage jolted to a stop.

Duke Joseph

"What is it?"

Driver

"I'm sorry--there's some kind of commotion outside of the theatre."

Sander looked out the window in annoyance and saw–

Sander

"…..Lord Vlad?"

~~~~~~

"Come to the church at midnight tonight. I have a Christmas present for you. Show me your true worth."

The residents left Kira and Sebastian at the mansion while the went to the church as instructed. The church was eerily silent, in sharp contrast to the noisy town outside.

Arthur

"What if our archenemies are waiting for us in the sanctuary?"

Lennon

"I only sense two vampires' presences beyond the door."

Markus

"It must be nice being a pure-blood. You have the power to distinguish between vampires and humans."

Nicholas

"If things get dangerous, you stay back. Jayme and I will protect you. Understand?"

Jayme drew his sword as le Comte reached down towards the handle of the thick door which led to the sanctuary.

Gabriel

"I'm going to open it now."

The heavy door swung open with a loud creak.

Flynn & Carlos

"..."

And standing there were two men the residents had never seen before.

Flynn

"It's quite rude to call on someone in the middle of the night without even sending a letter first."

Carlos

"Hey, Docteur? Aren't those the guys from the mansion? They look like the ones Will described."

Vincent

"Are you the same as us--vampires?"

The two of them smiled--a savage look in their eyes that was unique only to vampires.

Gabriel

"You know who we are, so l'd appreciate it if you introduced yourselves as well." "Your master asked us to come here." "Where is he? Where is Vlad?"

Flynn wanted to say that although Vlad was the one who had revived him, he was not their master. He narrowed his eyes and spoke in an even tone.

Flynn

"We haven't seen le Voivode since he left for your mansion."

Carlos

"Yeah, he said we might see something interesting and to stick around, and then he took off."

Markus

"…..What's going on?"

Flynn

" I see. So he accomplished getting the residents from the mansion to the church but didn't even show up himself?" "Heh... What a senile old goat."

Gabriel

"What in the world is he thinking?"

Everyone was completely baffled at the turn of events. All of a sudden the door burst open and everyone whirled around to see what happened. It wasn't Vlad at all--it was the person they least expected.

Gabriel

"Will?"

Sander

"Why are you all here at the church?" "Wait, that's not important right now…"

Sander's mismatched eyes wavered as he spoke.

Sander

"Le Voivode... Lord Vlad…!"