The cold moonlight shone down, and she could see his eyes clearly. They were deep and intoxicating.
His eyes were gray, and his hair was almost black except for the deep red at the tips. More importantly, the man in front of her did not have the sharp fangs of a vampire.
Ivina cautiously speculated. Perhaps... he was also human?
He watched the young woman before him with amusement, from her earlier shyness to now staring intently at him. A smug smile curled his lips as he gently lifted her chin, once again easily obtaining sweetness.
Her compliance came as no surprise. In his eyes, women were all the same, indulging in a man's embrace, sometimes so degraded that even the courage to resist vanished entirely.
She was no exception.
Ivina suddenly realized she had been "ambushed" and struggled in the man's ambiguous embrace.
"Let go... let go..." Her fear of him gradually faded, and Ivina concluded that the man before her was just another human being, no different from herself.
Perhaps she could...
Feeling the restless movements of the petite figure in his arms, he grew slightly annoyed.
"Woman, do you have an objection to my kiss?" His tone was already sufficiently gentle. Though he was displeased by her earlier refusal, looking at the pitifully adorable face before him, he didn't even want to speak loudly, lest he scare her.
"You… you're human, right?"
Stay calm, she needed to stay calm. Ivina gathered her courage; she trusted her judgment.
"What?"
Ignoring the man's astonished expression, she clenched her fists nervously.
"There's no need to hide it anymore; you must be human."
"Hah, why?" He realized that meeting her was the most interesting thing that had happened to him in the past few hundred years.
"Because…" Seeing the man smirk, Ivina's heart contracted violently, and she felt her breathing grow difficult. Unconsciously, she bowed her head heavily, gently biting her index finger joint as she fell into deep thought.
"Ah, S…" Oh no, she'd forgotten about her troublesome fangs and had bitten through her own finger.
Before she could react, her injured finger was gently licked by the man in front of her.
Such an intimate gesture made her heart race. Ivina quickly withdrew her hand and casually wrapped her index finger in a napkin.
"No, don't bother… It was my own fault."
The other party did not respond.
Suddenly feeling that her previous words lacked conviction, Ivina cleared her throat and straightened her posture slightly.
"You don't have to fear being exposed by me. As long as… as long as… we make a deal."
Oh Lord, she had never threatened anyone before. She swore to God that this was the first time, the sinful first time.
But the air froze, and all that could be heard was her faint breathing. She waited for his response, but what came was a terrifying silence.
"If you don't agree… I'll tell the other vampires your identity, and then… you'll be killed."
She took a deep breath, her heart weighed down by guilt. But to fulfill her contract with Niditara as soon as possible, for her own wishes, she had to be selfish this once.
It seemed like an eternity before she could see the cold, glassy eyes hidden in the darkness staring at her.
Trying to avoid that piercing gaze, Ivina feared she might lose even the last shred of her feigned courage. But before she could, her slender waist was roughly embraced with almost brute force. She could feel his heavy breathing, mingled with a hint of desire.
"Ah, it hurts..." Her face flushed red, and she couldn't help but cry out. At this moment, she was so close to a stranger.
Her feeble struggles only resulted in his arms tightening around her.
In the end, she gave up and let his sharp jaw rub against her cheek.
"Shh, gently... As you said, let's make a deal."
Ivina was a bit surprised; the agreement was reached much more easily than she had imagined. She was indeed too timid.
His kisses traced her forehead, eyelashes, and her small, adorable nose, followed by a series of skilled, deep kisses that teased the flustered Ivina. His hands exerted a little force on her waist, lifting her off the wall and carrying her horizontally.
"Put me down. What do you want to do..."
Ivina's face flushed red, and her limbs struggled in vain. Soon, she was indeed put down, landing firmly on the soft goose-down mattress.
The man stared at her coldly, as emotionless as his body. He swiftly undid the intricate garments on his body, casually tossing them aside. He nonchalantly swept the strands of hair hanging before his eyes and fixed his gaze on Ivina, who was pinned beneath him.
"Isn't this what you wanted?" His tone was matter-of-fact, as if the answer he expected was already on the tip of his tongue.
"No, it's not!" Feeling insulted, Ivina was both ashamed and angry, so much so that she was on the verge of tears. Even though she was timid, she still had the courage to defend her dignity.
Self-respect was her life.
"Oh, I thought..." The man raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing in a carefree manner. "In the realm of vampires, a woman's highest aspiration is to be favored by a man of higher status, and her mission is to bear his children."
Ignoring his arrogant words, Ivina continued to struggle in vain. Then, she suddenly calmed down, stopped her childish protests, and spoke steadily.
"Tell me, where is the supreme ruler here?"
To outsiders, this scene was undoubtedly warm and intimate, with the intertwined bodies of a man and a woman, sparking all sorts of fantasies...
"Why do you ask?"
"This is a deal; you must tell me."
"A deal without reason will ultimately harm yourself. Rather than that, let's cancel the deal."
"How can you go back on your word?" Ivina's anxiety was evident.
"Without knowing your identity, name, or background, I have no reason to trust you." He reached out a hand to stroke her cheek; in the warm light, her face looked especially captivating.
"My name…" She couldn't recall it for a moment; the pseudonym Niditara had given her seemed to have left no impression. "Call me… Ivina." She only hoped this name would suffice. As long as she could leave this place, she would never have to see this evil man again. She didn't want to see him.
"Ivina..." The man pondered the name, repeating it softly, his thoughts drifting away.
"You, now you must tell me." She looked like a child begging for candy.
"I am indeed close to him. I could even take you to his place without much trouble. Just tell me, why do you want to see him?"
Ivina looked troubled. Was she supposed to say, "To seduce that man so she could leave?" Such a ridiculous joke would never be believed.
The man furrowed his brows slightly; he was growing impatient.
"I like him."