A SLAP ON HER CHEEK

Leaning on the door frame, Astrel asked,

"I think, now that she's done with her meal, your work here has been completed, isn't it, Falcon?"

Falcon bowed his head and replied, "Yes, master," saying that Falcon the butler took the dishes and the remnants and left with the food trolley.

Vilian gave a polite smile waving her hand to the retreating butler who respectfully bowed with a pleasant and left.

"I see, you have easily conquered the old man's heart already," said Astrel, approaching Vilian while the door shut on its own, gaining the glance of Vilian, and then again, the attention was all on the tall man who was emitting a cold aura in front of her. She could not get enough of his handsomeness. The words crept a blush on her cheeks, visible under the golden light. She covered her cheeks with her palms, feeling them turn hot.

"He seems to be a good person," she said, looking at the door with a faint smile, remembering the moments she spent with the old man. She felt her heart warm just by the thought of his kindness.

"Of course, he'd be. After all, it was I who handpicked him to be my butler." He boasted narcissistically with a smirk.

Vilian rolled her eyes at him and said, making him narrow his eyes,

"Huh! I never mentioned your so-called employee's position, but his kindhearted behavior." She didn't dare to look away and did he, as if they were in a glaring contest.

Astrel came closer to her, so closer that their breath clashed but it didn't stop him from stepping away as if he was about to kiss her. Vilian's heart was beating crazily, making him smirk.

"I see, you have come to your pretty senses now that you're able to not back down the battlefield." She heard his deep voice echoing through her body along with the faint breeze coming from the open window in the opposite direction of where they were.

"No matter how gruesome the battlefield is, one should never give up till they get to the bottom of the best result..." came the words out of her mouth with a whispery voice.

He breathed in her words that sounded domineering and sweet as ever in his ears. He had never admitted even to himself but he did it today, now, that she had a voice that had the feeling of honey dripping down wetting the spring bloomed flowers.

Her scent was lingering on his nose. He inhaled her scent deeply into him, making a shiver run down her spine. She naturally smelled of flowers, flowers that had drops of innocence in them.

"Interesting," Vilian didn't know what he meant by interesting, but she cleared her throat and stepped back only to be knocked onto the bed which made her lose her balance and she gasped when her back hit the soft surface. Astrel made no effort to help her. She saw the way his predatory eyes looked at her every move and action making her self-conscious.

"Tch... Clumsy kitty," he said, provoking Vilian just as he wished, but then a pillow came flying his way. He swiftly dodged, and another bolster came in his direction that he caught with his left hand, chuckling. Vilian cross folded her hands above her chest and huffed in anger, glaring at him. Astrel chuckled, looking at her and her fierce side which wasn't scary, but cute.

Shaking off his thoughts he got rid of the stupid thoughts running in his mind and said,

"Too bad. You gave up already but never mind. You are no match to me," he said and wiggled his slitted eyebrow playfully and came to sit on the bedside table. One leg is placed on the bed while the other is on the floor. Though he was seated in a higher place, he had to keep his leg slanted as his legs were quite long.

Vilian gave a glance at his legs which were looking strong. His jeans stuck to his strong muscled legs, giving a feast for one to eye anytime longer. She soon looked away before getting distracted by it or he could realize her staring at his legs, but little did she know, the whole time he was observing her like the showcased fine piece of artwork.

"How am I supposed to know what happened to me? I'm sure he's the right person to ask about this, but how when he's so annoying? He was the only person that I remember present in my room, but why can't I remember it vividly?" She mumbled to herself not knowing her mumbles were like speaking to the man beside her crystal clear.

Finding the courage to speak to him she turned to his side only to see him staring at her already with his daunting eye as if he knew what was on her mind which made her clear her throat and she spoke,

"Err... Mr. Astrel..."

"Astrel," he interjected her.

"Huh?"

"Call me Astrel," he said wearing his signature smile.

"Oh, ok," she said, in a breathy voice.

"Now!" he demanded. He could not understand what was making him do it, but he did what he felt was right.

"A...Astrel," she said, stuttering but didn't look straight into his eyes.

"What is it that is bothering your kitty head?" he asked, this time seriously. Vilian didn't argue with him calling her that way and continued what she was to say earlier.

"How did I come here? I mean to your mansion. I remember me being in my room. I was asleep but then I don't remember what exactly happened. You revealed your true identity as a vampire, but then what? Is that all or there's more to it? I just don't understand anything," she asked confusingly. A sliver of fear was evident in her eyes not knowing what was happening.

Giving a whole three seconds to sync in Astrel spoke up,

"So you don't remember anything in between those incidents?" he asked, carefully and she nodded her head. A sudden gust of wind entered the room shivering the girl who was already in fear. Astrel slowly got down from where he was and walked towards the windows that were opened and the curtains that were fluttering harshly due to the cold wind. He shut the window tight and draped the curtains close not letting the wind enter the room and turned to look at her who was staring at him.

"You met the Dark creatures," he said but the word 'dark creatures' strangely echoed in her ears for a long time with some other unknown along with some other whispers that she could not understand but not in his voice of his but a voice belonging to a woman whispering in her ears. She closed her ears with her hands in an attempt to stop the voice from echoing constantly making her go dizzy.

Her eyes were turning a hazy blur. Astrel soon approached her and hold on to her hands which were clutching her ears tightly.

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!" she screamed, finding it hard to bear.

"Vilian! Vilian look at me," he said, raising her face with his hands and eyeing the girl, but she was in no state to listen to anything but was screaming, tears sliding from her eyes. Astrel gave a slap on her cheeks bringing her back to concentrate on him. He didn't know what to do so he had only to slap her.

For a minute Vilian was silent in a daze, heaving for air, trying to think of what was happening to her.