Dinner

[5-5 bonus chapters]

[Catherine's POV]

Ever since I was a child, I always heard praises about my beauty. How I looked fragile and adorable with my eyes always half-closed.

But standing before three gorgeous women on the table who each excluded their own charms, I felt ordinary. But one thing in common with us were our golden curls of hair and pair of blue eyes.

There were odd similarities between us, and not for the different colors of our dresses, ornaments, and jewelry, we might be quadruplets.

Are we color-coded now? I could only wear blue while the others wore red, yellow, and green over a black dress.

I think it was the Duke's fetish or something, but I was not liking it the least.

The women sized me up and down. Two crinkled their noses while the reaming one barely spared me a glance.

They were vampires. There was no doubt about it with their otherworldly beauty and distinct scent.

"Veronica, Lizbeth, Patricia, this is Catherine," Charles introduced, and my heart skipped a beat.

It felt like forever since I last heard his deep clear voice, but there was never a second that it didn't stop hunting me, even in my dreams.

Patricia faked a smile. "Hello."

Veronica was silent and gave me a nod while Lizbeth remained stoic as a statue.

I felt I was not welcomed. They were not happy to see me, and it was very obvious. Were they Charles's wives? Mistresses?

"Veronica, kindly give your seat to Catherine." Charles's voice was pleasant, and so was his face that contained nothing but a gentle smile.

Veronica was stunned. The red roses on her headdress ruffled when she looked at Charles. "My Lord, this has always been my sit."

Charles face remained amicable, but his smile disappeared. "I won't ask twice."

Patricia smirked while Lizbeth remained dead as a corpse on her seat.

I, however, didn't know what to do. In this situation, I should have offered to sit on the empty rows of chairs along the twenty-meter-long marble table. But I wasn't the Duchess anymore, nor was I the owner of the house.

I was a nobody in here.

Possibly a mistress like the others.

"Catherine." Charles gestured for me to sit, and I sat beside him. He was seated on the center table where he belonged, and I shifted uncomfortably on my seat when he looked at me with those same kind eyes.

"Have you gotten used to your life here?" he asked, voice soft like he was afraid to scare me away.

I looked down and tumbled my fingers for answers. I took my time since I was afraid that my voice would come out as a squeak. "I have, my lord."

I breathed a secret sigh of relief when my voice came out fine. But it didn't change the fact that I was both enthralled and angry at this man.

But right now. For my wish and for my safety, I had to endure.

"It would be wonderful if we could take a stroll in town one of these days. But in the meantime, you can ask me to tour you around the castle."

I didn't speak. I didn't want to be together even a second with him. I nodded and lowered my head more.

He pinched my chin, attempting to capture my elusive gaze.

"You should look me in the eyes when I'm talking to you. And I expect a reply whenever I ask you a question. Understood?"

I was stunned at his voice that suddenly turned cold, and I met his gaze only to have my heart thudded hard against my chest at the seriousness of his face.

My eyes shifted between his handsome face and anywhere else. "Y-yes . . . my lord."

He let go of me and smiled at everyone. "Let's eat."

I didn't want to eat, and the blood potion worked miracles in controlling my hunger even when I was presented with different dishes with blood as the main ingredient. The chief must be a professional cook to come up with this blood menu.

The servants who came out from the shadows started to serve the food on our plate, and contrary to what I expected, the ladies ate their portion with elegance and grace. I thought that they would gobble anything that was blood.

Were they noble ladies before they were turned?

"Catherine"

I blinked and gazed at Charles, trying hard to look at his brows than his set of intimidating golden orbs.

"They are raw animal food. They don't contain human flesh."

"Except for the blood. They're virgins' blood, and it's delicious," chortled Patricia. She then caught her tongue when Charles cut her a look.

"I'm not hungry . . . ," I said with a voice barely above a whisper.

"Don't worry, dear. You'll get used to it," consoled Veronica with down-curved lips. "I was like that at first, too. But sooner or later, you have to eat if you don't want to lose control and attack someone."

Charles raised his hand, and a servant took my plate.

"Take your time," he said, eyes on me, and I wanted to pull away my gaze when he held my hand on the table. "There's no rush. But I hope that you'll eat even just a little."

The others visibly gasped. Their sight was burning on Charles's hand, squeezing mine in his tight hold.

I felt hot all of a sudden, and my breathing hitched when my sight zeroed on the veins on Charles's neck. My fangs itched from my gums, and my eyes almost turned crimson.

I immediately retrieved my hand and hid the redness of my face.

What was that impulse? I wonder. For a moment, I thought I would attack him and drink his blood.

Charles huffed a small laugh like he knew what I was thinking. "When was the last time you drunk blood, Catherine?"

My lips pressed tight, and the air turned unbearably cold. My palms became sweaty with the cold while my body was burning hot.

"S-since . . . our first meeting, my lord."

". . ."

I heard the murmurs of the others, and I thought that I had made a blunder. What if they'd investigated and found the blood potion? Would Trinity and I get in trouble then? The witches were scorned as much as the werewolves and humans in here.

"Four days?"

"That's long?'

"How did you manage to control your thirst?"

"Everyone."

At Charles's voice, the others stop.

"Could you leave Catherine and me alone?"

It was not a request, and everyone knew it.

Veronica's face couldn't be painted, but she still managed a smile as she stood from her seat.

Patricia blatantly showed her disapproval with a frowning face while Lizbeth was still dead as a corpse.

When the women exited the dining hall, and the large door softly thudded with a close, leaving Charles and me alone in the dim room, he unceremoniously cut his palm, and my eyes bleed crimson at his blood dripping from his hand.

"Drink."