Volume 5, Chapter 27 – Pepe’s Dream (Part 1)

The day ended, and the last hazy glimmer of light receded from the horizon. A cool autumn breeze lifted the curtains, and the chill that blew into the room made Edith’s eyebrows twitch slightly. Sleepiness gradually faded as her consciousness awakened from the dream.

She slowly opened her eyes—a familiar pink canopy, the room filled with a mixture of incense and a young girl’s scent. The rich aroma flowed within the curtains like a visible pink mist.

This was the Pescia family’s mansion.

Ignoring the familiar surroundings, the feeling of dampness at the corners of her eyes made Edith subconsciously reach up to touch them. However, before she could, a voice interrupted her movement.

“Master, are you awake?”

Refina Sharon.

The voice came from right beside her ear. Feeling the movement of the sheets and the thin blanket, Edith let out a light breath.

“Hah.”

Subsequently, the corners of her eyes were dried by Refina—not with a handkerchief, but with the gentle lick of a tongue. This was something Edith tacitly permitted. It was only natural to be served by a pet. Even though Refina was now just a handmaiden, Edith didn’t deliberately insist that she stay away. In fact, the reason she had brought Refina along was precisely so she could indulge her various interests. Although she seemed to be changing imperceptibly, habits were not something that could be changed just by deciding to.

For example, the entire night she had just spent with Refina. After they had exchanged blood, their desire had surged uncontrollably. Besides the vastness of their land, the biggest reason the Blood Clan’s population was so much larger than that of humans was probably that blood was an aphrodisiac.

Of course, the “desire” here included not only its usual meaning but also Edith’s personal interests. Edith was without a doubt a complete sadist. Normally, she suppressed her true nature because of Yisi’s presence; in private, she naturally had to find a place to vent.

Refina turned over, her long purple hair spreading across the pillow. Because Edith had been too rough the previous night, red marks still remained on parts of her skin. But for Refina, this was a form of praise. She looked with curious eyes at Edith, who was still lying on her back.

“Did you have that dream again?”

“Want to hear it?”

“If Master is willing to tell me.”

“You should have heard it many times already.”

The person who understood Edith best in this world was not Yisi, but Refina. Refina was her property, someone who could never leave or betray her, so there was nothing wrong with telling her. It was like confiding in a doll; the only difference was that this doll could move.

However, that attitude was a thing of the long past.

Shifting her gaze from the gauze curtains, Edith turned over under the thin blanket. Before Refina could react, her right hand reached around Refina’s unclothed body and propped itself up next to her pillow, putting them face-to-face. Their faces were so close that the tips of their noses could touch at any moment. Her azure eyes looked directly into Refina’s golden ones.

As expected, Refina was stunned at first, then a blush appeared on her beautiful face, and she shyly turned her face to the side.

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In the past, Refina would never have shown such a shy expression. Instead, she would have wrapped her arms around Edith’s neck and actively sought her out.

That’s why she said “in the past.”

Unlike before, many things had changed now, and the changes were not just in herself, but in Refina as well.

However, Edith didn’t think Refina’s change was a bad thing. Although the proactive Refina was nostalgic, compared to now, she lacked something like a “soul,” like champagne without bubbles or a winter without snow. Her current shyness was more captivating. It was certain that this shyness did not mean Refina’s desire for her had decreased. On the contrary, this need had transformed into something more concrete, like affection, or perhaps, love.

Perhaps the reason she had become less and less interested in pets recently was due to this emotional change. A person who has tasted a delicious meal will naturally no longer treat rotten food as a treasure. Her property not only needed her, but also held genuine love for her. The sense of fulfillment in that was enough to make one unable to extricate themselves.

Satisfied with Refina’s reaction, Edith ignored her shyness and pressed her lips firmly against Refina’s, demanding everything from her.

“Mmph!”

At first, she wanted to resist out of shyness, but knowing that such resistance was useless and would only arouse Edith’s sadistic nature, Refina quickly gave up and responded to Edith with all her heart, letting her take what she wanted.

It was only when the feeling of suffocation reached her brain that Refina was finally released by Edith. Hot air escaped with her breath, and her skin flushed pink. However, the expected illusion from the pureblood’s saliva did not appear. Normally, Edith would use the hallucinogenic effect as a tool to fuel their passion, truly “pampering” her only after a deep kiss. But now, lacking this catalyst, Refina became awkward—she wanted to actively cater to Edith, but felt too shy. Unlike when she was under the influence of the saliva, she was exceptionally clear-headed now.

Her heart pounded. Unable to hold back, Refina quietly opened her eyes to observe Edith, only to find her staring down with a cunning smile.

“What’s wrong?”

“Master, I…” I want more, but it’s hard to say.

“That’s enough for today. I’m satisfied.”

Without a hint of reluctance, Edith got off of Refina, pulled back the curtain, and, baring her perfect body as if meticulously carved by God—except for her chest—walked on the plush carpet toward the mirror. The faint morning light filtered through the window, illuminating Edith’s slender waist, which was enough to make one swallow. The perfect curve from her waist to her legs would surely make even another woman want to reach out and touch.

Refina quickly scrambled out of bed. “Eh? I… I…”

Edith looked back. “You’re not satisfied yet, Refina?”

“Yes…”

“It’s breakfast time. Even if you can’t bear it, you must at least wait until noon. Let me think, hmm… how about in a corner of the courtyard? Let Yisi and the others eat in the courtyard. You prepare everything yourself and hide in a corner. I will find time to come over.”

“The c-courtyard? What if Miss Yisi sees…”

“If she sees, then your punishment will be to spend the day alone.”

Could I really survive a whole day alone? The darkness that enveloped her heart made Refina waver. She nodded with an exceptionally serious expression. “I will do my best not to be seen by Miss Yisi.”

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“If you’ve made up your mind, then hurry up and come over.” Edith opened her arms—it was time to change clothes.

Watching Refina select clothes from the wardrobe, Edith’s thoughts quickly returned to her previous dream. She rarely dreamed, but ever since her body had been occupied, her dreams had become more frequent. Even now that Yisi had left her body, this troubling symptom had not improved. The dream she had most often was of her soul about to dissipate, when she had decided to entrust everything to Yisi. What was she thinking at that time to say such things? At that moment, she had been like a lamb to the slaughter, without a shred of arrogance, only the thought of conveying her feelings to the other person.

Realizing this, Edith clicked her tongue. “I’ve already shown my most pathetic side, yet I’m still insisting on being her fiancée…” How shameful. If their roles were reversed, she would definitely laugh out loud. No matter how you looked at it, she had been the one begging Yisi to respond to her back then, yet now she was insisting on being the dominant one.

Was this what they called charm? Perhaps so. In fact, she had also realized that she couldn’t be with anyone but Yisi. She would never choose anyone else, which was why she had used the excuse of consulting with the Queen to follow Yisi to the Royal Capital. Normally, such matters could be entrusted to a confidant. For the heir of a lord to leave their territory during a time of turmoil was a risk so great it was staggering. If she hadn’t insisted so strongly, her Father would never have let her go.

“Master, Master?”

“Hmm?”

Coming back to her senses, Edith realized Refina was calling her. In her hands, Refina held two outfits: one was a bright blue dress with many inverted cross decorations, and the other was a pure white formal dress adorned with white roses.

“Which one would you like to wear today?”

“Is there nothing in black?”

“There is, but…” Refina hesitated slightly. “I think wearing black every day lacks a sense of novelty.”

“Is that so.” That did make sense. Edith pointed to the bright blue dress. “This one, then.” I don’t like white dresses.

“Very well. I also think Master’s white hair pairs very well with this dress.”

After getting dressed, Edith and Refina went to the dining room on the first floor of the mansion. The sun had just set, and the lingering heat of late summer still hung in the air. The stuffiness made Edith frown. She put her fork in her mouth, then tilted her head to look at Refina.

“Don’t you think it’s too quiet?” Although she had seen servants working on the way, that’s not what Edith meant.

“Normally, you dine with Miss Yisi and the others. It probably feels this way because they are suddenly gone.”

“Gone? Where did they go?”

“Didn’t Miss Yisi tell you? She was going to the human world with Miss Camilla, Mary, Tiffany, and Her Majesty the Queen. They left several days ago.”

When did this happen? I never heard anything about it. A baseless weakness spread through her limbs. Edith put down her knife and fork.

“I never heard about it.”

“Miss Yisi said you were too willful and overly arrogant, so… Didn’t you also say to let her go as far away as possible?”

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“How could that be! Refina, don’t joke with me.” Edith shot up from her seat, but she knew that Refina would not joke with her.

Refina looked flustered. “B-But it’s true.”

“Impossible. I refuse to believe it.”

Leaving her breakfast, Edith went straight to the room where Yisi slept—right next to her own bedroom.

Bang.

She threw the door open, but it was completely empty. There was nothing inside. The air was even filled with the smell of a room that had been unoccupied for a long time. Her heart began to tighten, and an uncontrollable unease spread through her chest. Edith began to open the doors one by one.

Camilla’s room, Mary’s room, and Tiffany’s room. In the end, she even went to the Royal Castle, but the answer she got was the same as what Refina had said. Even the Queen had left the Royal Capital. Now the nobles were fighting endlessly over a new king, and the entire Blood Clan was in chaos.

“How could this be…”

All the strength drained from her body. In a complete reversal of her usual dignified appearance, Edith collapsed limply at the castle gate. She couldn’t even stop the tears from seeping out. Why did she even come to the Royal Castle? And when did she say such awful things? If she had known that her inability to let go of her pride would lead to this result, she would have been better off casting her pride aside as something she didn’t need.

“Master?”

Refina’s voice made Edith turn her head, but to her horror, Refina’s face was gradually distorting into Hetty’s. At the same time, countless pets that had been killed by Hetty crawled out of the ground.

“This is the punishment you deserve.”

“If you hadn’t treated me as a pet, I wouldn’t have been killed by Hetty…”

“Give it back to me…”

One after another, ghostly faces approached, their sharp laughter and resentful voices mixing together. Normally, Edith would have killed them one by one with Gungnir, but now she had no thought of resisting.

But fear has a limit. If one surpasses this limit, they will burst forth with a strength they don’t normally possess.

“Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!”

With all her might, Edith violently pushed away the things that were approaching her. Then, as if she had missed a step on a staircase, or fallen from a great height, her body jolted violently.

Everything before her eyes instantly vanished.

The familiar pink canopy, the air filled with the scent of incense and a young girl’s body. The rich aroma flowed within the curtains like a visible pink mist.

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It was a dream.

Like a person on the verge of suffocating, Edith gasped for breath and quickly sat up in bed.

“Master? Where are you going?”

Refina’s voice came from behind her. Edith paused for a second, then got back into bed. Under Refina’s astonished gaze, she first patted, then pinched Refina’s face, then her shoulders, arms, chest, waist, wings… After confirming that she wouldn’t suddenly distort, Edith, kneeling on the bed, looked down at Refina from above.

“Where is Yisi?”

“She went with Her Majesty the Queen to the orphanage for a visit. She should be back by now.”

It really was a dream. Her taut nerves relaxed for a moment. Edith put a hand to her forehead and gently exhaled. “Ah, help me get dressed.”

“Very well.”

However, just like in the dream, Refina brought out the bright blue dress and the pure white dress decorated with white roses. Edith first frowned, then chose the pure white dress, different from her choice in the dream.

Then she headed for the dining room. As she passed Yisi’s room, Edith couldn’t help but stop.

“Refina, open the door.”

“But Miss Yisi might be resting…”

“Don’t worry about that. Open the door.”

“Yes, Master.”

Opening the door with a key, the luxurious bed was obscured by a curtain, and she couldn’t see inside.

Without the slightest hesitation, Edith strode to the bedside and yanked the curtain open.

—There was nothing on the bed.

A bad premonition rose in her heart. Her limbs, as if still in the dream, went uncontrollably weak. To confirm Yisi’s presence, Edith bent down, picked up Yisi’s pillow, and buried her nose in it, sniffing.

Like champagne, there was a fruity fragrance mixed with the scent of alcohol.

And this was Yisi’s scent. Since the scent remained, it meant the servants hadn’t had time to change the linen, which further meant that Yisi had used it less than a few hours ago.