Chapter 9 – The Bond of Hongryeon

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“In many ways… she’s incredible. Even if she’s a Vampire Lord, I never expected her to turn this lounge into a wreck.”  

The Vampire Lord hung her head low.  

“Given the nature of the customers who come here, we anticipated small-scale fights and built this place to withstand them. But I never imagined she’d blow a hole through the wall, even if I expected the glass to shatter.”  

Though the bartender said that, what surprised Hongryeon more wasn’t that.  

Rather, it was the “unnecessarily high chair” that still maintained its shape after being swung at supersonic speed.  

The mercenaries who had been knocked down with Hongryeon began to poke their heads out of the dust one by one, soon breaking into applause.  

For them, the best entertainment was watching a fight. For those who had witnessed the entire spectacle from start to finish, it was nothing short of the best show.  

But the Vampire Lord hung her head even lower at the applause.  

The expression Hongryeon saw on the Vampire Lord was far from the dignified one she had before—now, her eyes were spinning like a fool.  

So, it was easy to guess that her mask had slipped.  

Was the Vampire Lord’s true nature that of a fool?  

It was hard to tell whether her dignified, powerful appearance was her true self or if she was hiding her true nature behind a mask now.  

The Vampire Lord backed away from the lounge amidst the noisy applause.  

No one noticed her lips twitching as the praise continued to pour in.  

The bartender’s compliments were nothing short of high praise.  

Muttering.  

She kept muttering something to herself.  

But before anyone could properly hear, the Vampire Lord fled the lounge as if running away.  

Only then did the playful applause and cheers stop.  

Hongryeon, who had been blankly observing the situation, snapped out of it and began chasing the Vampire Lord.  

‘I can’t let her get away!’  

I don’t even know where she lives.  

Who knows when the next opportunity will come?  

The alleyways were tangled and complicated, but for Hongryeon, who had wandered these alleys for almost seven years, it was like her own backyard.  

Plus, the faint, sharp smell of alcohol the Vampire Lord left behind clearly marked her path.  

Chasing the “Vampire Lord” was almost too easy.  

After turning a corner or two and kicking over five trash cans, Hongryeon finally spotted the Vampire Lord.  

But she wasn’t alone.  

“Ah! Father!”  

A man in a trench coat, his body wrapped in bandages like a mummy, was stepping on the back of the Vampire Lord, who had fallen forward.  

With her strength, the Vampire Lord could easily escape, but strangely, she was flushed and dazed, unable to muster her power.  

It was as if her “mask had slipped.” Or perhaps all the emotions she had been holding back had “exploded like dynamite.”  

Was that her true nature after all? The unexpected side of a powerful being only intensified Hongryeon’s “possessiveness.”  

Hongryeon, beaming, tried to approach the Vampire Lord but screamed when she saw the priest pulling out a menacing holy book from his coat.  

“What are you doing! Don’t hurt my darling!”  

“Hmm, darling? Ah, right, it’s you, Hongryeon. My apologies. My eyes aren’t in the best shape right now.”  

The priest pointed to his right eye, covered in bandages, and continued.  

“But you know this, right? This is the vampire from that night. A Vampire Lord, no less. Well, I’m not entirely sure, but it’s likely. Why shouldn’t I hurt her?”  

“Because she’s my fated partner! There’s a red thread tied to her pinky finger. You can’t see it, but it’s definitely there!”  

At Hongryeon’s words, the priest seemed to ponder for a moment, then looked at her with a cold gaze that could be felt even through the bandages.  

“Hmm, Hongryeon. The Lord doesn’t stop us from loving our neighbors. In fact, He encourages it. But in your case, it seems you’re overusing the concept of love. In short, it’s too much.”  

“What do you mean?”  

“If we compile the information you’ve been spouting at the blood donation center, your fated partners so far number four, your princes on white horses seven, your soulmates sixteen, and your… what was it again?”  

“Seventeen! That’s right, they’re all my loves. I’m in love. I’m sure of it.”  

The priest staggered as if feeling dizzy.  

Then, like an adult scolding a child, he held up the holy book and spoke in a lecturing tone.  

“Patching up simple possessiveness as love isn’t good for you or the other person. You need to distinguish between the two. At the very least, I can tell that what you’re calling love isn’t that emotion.”  

Hongryeon was somewhat aware of her lack of “common sense about people.”  

So, when an elder pointed out her lack of understanding, it was only natural to doubt herself.  

And most of the priest’s points were true.  

In fact, Hongryeon’s personality was so extreme that it bordered on mental illness. Like most people in the underworld, even her own personality seemed twisted in some ways.  

“Ah, so this isn’t love? My heart races, I want to have her, and she’s so cute. Wouldn’t she make a great decoration at home?”  

“So, you want to use her like a figurine?”  

“A figurine? Hmm, I’m not sure. But I do want to decorate my home with her. She’s cute.”  

“The other person would definitely refuse. Do you plan to taxidermy this Vampire Lord like the rabbit you mentioned?”  

Hongryeon widened her eyes and shook her head vigorously, as if to say, “What are you talking about?”  

“No! No! She’s so soft and smells so nice. Why would I stuff her with cotton and make her boring? Besides, I’ve never tried taxidermy on anything human-like….”  

“Well, you can’t taxidermy a vampire anyway. They’re not easy to kill. But if you do kill them, they’ll turn to ashes. Quite the dilemma.”  

“Ah, so that’s how it is. Then, as I thought, proposing to her and keeping her by my side is the better option, right? And you’re here too, Father!”  

The priest looked at Hongryeon with a face that didn’t suit his usual demeanor, dumbfounded.  

“Are you out of your mind? You want me to officiate a marriage between a human and a vampire? Me, a priest?”  

“Ah, is that not allowed?”  

“Vampires are evil! They’re creatures that need to be saved!! They reject the Lord’s love and harm their neighbors. They deserve no mercy!! Demons must be torn apart and killed!”  

Firm.  

There seemed to be no room for negotiation.  

The priest was an adult… and she was a student.  

The hierarchy was clear.  

Hongryeon eventually resigned herself to stepping back and spoke in a gloomy voice.  

“Then, what should we do with this Vampire Lord…? I’m fine with anything.”  

“You just want her as a decoration, don’t you? Anyone could see that. It’s your ‘uncle’ who’s the strange one. No, my apologies. He’s family, after all. Anyway, what do you plan to do? If you set aside your so-called ‘love’ and think rationally, what would you do?”  

Hongryeon had no confidence in rational thinking. In her world, the most rational person was her “uncle.”  

What would her uncle do in this situation? Hongryeon closed her eyes and thought for a moment.  

If it were her uncle?  

“…….”  

“…….”  

If it were her uncle, it would be simple.  

“Whatever I want.”  

Yes, whatever I want.  

“What? Student.”  

The priest called out to Hongryeon in bewilderment.  

But Hongryeon thought.  

Even if I think like my uncle, there’s no problem.  

Hongryeon looked at the priest.  

“Calling her a demon or whatever is just your opinion, right? So, can’t I just do what I want?”  

“You’re all out of your minds.”  

Even though he wasn’t normal himself.  

The priest was just as crazy, calling her a demon or whatever.  

Hongryeon grumbled and looked at the Vampire Lord.  

For a moment, she almost fell for the priest’s words, but in the end, doing whatever she wanted was the best.  

“…….”  

But at some point, the Vampire Lord, who had been muttering incoherently, stopped and looked up at the two.  

Hongryeon and the Vampire Lord’s eyes met.  

“…Ah, ah… you two….”  

It seemed she had been listening to their endless conversation.  

The drunken flush on her face was replaced by an indescribable fear, draining all color from her.  

Hongryeon looked at the Vampire Lord and spoke.  

Her cheerful voice didn’t match the situation.  

“Hello!”  

“Ahhh!!”  

Finally, regaining her senses, the Vampire Lord pushed them away with tremendous force and ran off.  

Her scream was filled with terror.  

Hongryeon sat blankly, staring at the path where the Vampire Lord had disappeared.  

“…….”  

“…….”  

The Vampire Lord was gone.  

Had she taken too long?  

Hongryeon looked at the priest.  

“…Did I scare her too much?”  

“I don’t want to talk anymore.”  

All that came from the priest’s mouth was a sigh.  

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