I creak the door open into Mistress's dim room. I can see her figure, lying on the bed, back towards me. She must've not heard me so I gently knock on the door.

Hearing sound, she would normally push herself up, acknowledging my presence. It would usually be me or Morwenna. No one else.

No Master.

"Evie," she calls my name weakly. If my ears weren't as sharp as they were, I'd probably miss it.

My hand reaches out to pat her head.

I can tell she is uncomfortable. Her body temperature feels like a hot kettle against my skin. Her recent complexion has adapted a ghostly shade, rendering her previous pale skin a rather healthy looking color.

Not a day of the month has she slept well. If not for vomiting, it'll be headaches, cramping, food aversions, extreme fatigue, etc.

Being human appears to be quite difficult.

"Do you still not want to see Master?" I ask.

She shakes her head.

"He can make you feel better," I explain. "Just talk to him."

The stubborn human girl brought the bed covers over her head. I guess she doesn't want to talk.

......

Left alone by my mistress and ordered to do nothing but attend to her needs, I am free to do whatever I like for the rest of the day—yet again. During these idle hours, it is Lord of Emberwind who seems to fill my schedule.

"Alvena really loves you, Master. She loved you very very much and your words really hurt her. Would you go talk to her on your own and stop making deliver pointless messages on behalf. You're exhausting me with your lovers' quarrel that is more complicated that it has to be if only you just downright cancel your engagement to the Rosegardens and follow overworking ."

I look at Lucien.

"Now repeat after me," my consultant instructs. "Alvena really loves you, Ma-"

"Lucien. This isn't funny," I say, pouring him a cup of tea as he dropped another biscuit into his mouth. "I asked you for a solution."

"Eve, I'm dead serious. Sometimes, bluntness is what you need." He crossed his legs casually and leaned back on his chair. "If people only told each other what they truly felt and not be afraid of how vulnerable they put themselves out to be, you save a lot of drama—and mainly mishaps that are better left nonexistent."

Letting out a sigh, Lucien offered me the seat across from him in the garden. I took it, long forgetting the supposed formality we should at least maintain when out in public.

"Alvena doesn't eat," I confess with shame.

The only way I get her to at least nibble on something is if I threaten to tell Master that she's not eating. Her determination to avoid Master is strong enough that she would rather force down food than to give him another excuse to see her.

Honestly, I am the worst person to watch after her. I know not a thing about raising a child, much less a woman with child.

"That's normal," Lucien assures me as he casually takes a smears some fresh jam on his scone.

Of course he still has a big appetite.

"She is losing weight."

"Well, that is certainly not good for a pregnant human."

Though he says that, he still looks as if he had not a care in life as he reaches for another pastry.

He must really have a lot of free time to spend his afternoons in Argid having high tea with his favorite Disabled maid.

Right before he takes a stab at the chocolate tart, my hand pushes his plate away. He lifts one eyebrow at me. After a few seconds, he lifts his hands in defeat and I slide his snack back to him.

"Well," he says, half munching, "She's carrying a vampire child. She doesn't want food. She wants blood."

Lucien licks his lips at the word.

My chair nearly topples over as I stand up abruptly from my seat.

How did it never hit me?

"But considering that Alvena's carrying a noble child—a high noble at that—she needs quality blood." Lucien shook his head at my lack of understanding. "That means, blood from the middle class, peasants, and halflings are out of the question."

Then who can provide blood?

Master? Is that why he said he could make her feel better?

However, Alvena absolutely refuses to see him.

Who else?

"How about yours, Lucien? You can have the greatest honor to supply nutrition to the mother of a future Pureblood."

Lucien looks at me with a long face. Is he embarrassed to take such an honor?

"You know, giving blood and taking blood is a rather thing, especially between nobles. it's a given that nobles don't feed off each other's wives mistresses."

"So you won't give blood to save my sweet mistress?" I ask in exaggerated slowness—as taught by Morwenna when trying to guilt Adrian to do chores that London refuses to do.

Lucien didn't bite. On the contrary, he leans forward as if challenging me.

I could hear his heartbeat, steady and calm, his bright green eyes with its natural golden rim, glistening under the afternoon light.

I really like his eyes. If mine weren't red, I'd like them to be green. Green like Lord of Emberwind's.

Before I could spend any longer admiring his features, Lucien is summoned to attend the, as he puts it, "old people stuff."

After taking his last sip of tea, Lucien gracefully gets up.

"Please don't ever ask me to give blood to another woman," he whispers with a threateningly kind smile.

"I won't."

Lucien's smile softens up.

"Evie," he calls once more before following Morwenna back into the castle, "My blood is your blood, but it won't be hers."

"Yes, I understand."

He looks at me as if expecting a better reaction. Well, I couldn't force one when I'm still troubled with Alvena's health concerns.

My blood is your blood.

I look at Lucien. He winks at me before heading inside, not giving me the chance to thank him for another progressive consulting session.

........

I'm a Disabled vampire, but that aside, I'm still a noble. My blood is of no less quality than Lucien's or Master's for that matter. Even if Alvena refuses to see Master, she can feed off mine.

I slit my wrist, allowing the red liquid to slowly drip out and into the glass cup on the night stand. I purposely leave the knife in my skin to prevent the cut from sealing back up.

"Evie, does it hurt?" Alvena asks timidly.

I shake my head. I'd rather cut myself a thousand times everyday than be a pregnant human. It seems less painful.

When the glass is half full, I hand it to her. "Drink."

Alvena brings the cup closer and takes a whiff.

"It smells so sweet," she says, half embarrassed that she was actually liking the smell of it.

She didn't bother to wait any longer and poured the liquid down her delicate throat.

But before she even savored a few gulps, the cup was knocked right out of her hand.

It took a second for Alvena to process the red on the floor and the shattered glass beside her bed. She blinked in shock before lifting her bewildered eyes in Master's direction.

"What are you doing?" Master angrily growled at me. "How dare a SERVANT feed her blood to her MASTER?"

"Master, I only do as instructed. I'm taking care of the Mistress."

I stand there with my head held high, no sign of remorse.

Master walked closer to me, eyes cast upon me with a heavy feeling. This doesn't seem like the usual Master I know. But it has been some time since I last saw him. I see Lucien more these days.

"Do you know what you have done wrong?"

"No, because I have done nothing wrong," I answer truthfully, just like he has always expected of me.

"EVELYN!" Master's voice roared through the room, frightening even the curious servants gathered outside who came after smelling fresh noble blood. "When have you learned to talk back to me?"

I remain passive as I look forward. So much for taking Lucien's advice to be blunt.

"I have learned nothing of the sort," I answer.

"It seems I have been to lenient with you," Master says gravely as he stretches out his nails and scratches down my arm.

The wound doesn't heal. Instead it stings like being seared. Master used his venom.

He must be very angry with me.

"ALEK!!!" Alvena screams as she leaps out of bed to defend me in her poor state, throwing her body out as a shield. "Master Aleksandar, please don't hurt Evie."

At this, Master seemed more hurt than enraged. He turned to the smaller human, softening his gaze ever so slightly. He parted his lips to speak, but closed it almost immediately.

Alvena doesn't call Master tenderly anymore. Master is affected by that.

I feel almost guilty that my heart is still as steady as ever while Master's heartbeat is faint.

"My blood is the only blood you're allowed to take. From now on, report to me at least once everyday and any time you feel unwell," Master orders the human, making sure I'm ears as well.

Master strides out and orders the eavesdropping servants to clean up the mess in the room.

Morwenna comes in soon enough to escort Alvena out of her room to get some fresh air.

"That must hurt," Adrian says to me as he eyes the streaks of blood running down my arm.

As I followed him back to the servant headquarters, I couldn't help but overhear the gossip spreading in the hallways.

"I've never seen Master Alek fire off at a maid before."

"How could he do that to Evelyn? She probably doesn't even understand. Poor Evelyn."

There were more, but I didn't bother remembering. After London patched me up, I returned to my room.

And only when I was all alone, did I stop fighting the urge to curl my lips upward. I couldn't help the great feeling welling in my chest as I thought about it more.

Master didn't know or suspect anything.

I guess Lucien was telling the truth. Noble vampires are very sensitive about giving and drinking blood. Even Master would break composure over this topic.

My plan worked.

And because of that, Alvena will be going to see Master everyday.

That is much better than having me deliver messages.