Vampire 5
Tang Xi trembled as he asked 1551, [Was it really the poop scooper who came to find me last night?]
1551 wanted to respond, but the storyline restrictions silenced it.
Receiving no reply, Tang Xi grew even more fearful.
The only reason he had been able to remain calm about last night’s overly dreamlike experience—and the suspicious marks on his body this morning—was because he believed they had been left by the poop scooper.
But what if that person wasn’t the poop scooper… or worse, wasn’t even human?
The mere thought sent a chill down Tang Xi’s spine.
Everyone around him noticed that the previously confident young master had suddenly recalled something, his face shifting to an expression of shock.
Evans anxiously stepped closer. “Did you remember something? Have you been in contact with anyone unusual recently?” Otherwise, why would he have such a strong vampire aura on him?
Though he didn’t say the last part aloud, his expression made it clear.
The church had once rescued an unfortunate victim of a vampire attack.
That person made the gemstone glow, but at that time, he couldn’t even make it shine as brightly as it did now.
According to the victim, they had been held by a vampire for at least twenty minutes. Vampires were cruel, never feeding immediately but toying with their prey first.
Which meant that this seemingly fragile young master had spent at least half an hour—perhaps even longer—in close contact with a vampire.
After all, Evans had never seen the Abyss Gemstone shine this brightly before.
Suddenly, Morse stepped in front of him, blocking his way. Like a territorial wolf, he narrowed his eyes and spoke coldly, “Please don’t get so close to my master.”
Evans was momentarily stunned. Only then did he notice that an unfamiliar face had taken Grover’s place.
He had long been used to Tang Xi keeping a few slaves around—only for them to disappear or be replaced after a few days.
He never expected that one day, a mere servant would dare to offend him.
Even more shocking was that this person showed no fear of his status or the sharp sword at his waist.
Tang Xi quickly scolded, “Morse! Back off!”
Morse shot Evans an icy glance before slowly retreating behind Tang Xi.
His towering figure almost completely enveloped the young master.
Despite their positions as master and servant, there was an indescribable sense of unease.
As if it was unclear who was truly in control.
Seeing Tang Xi’s face flush slightly with anger, Evans softened his tone. “It’s fine.”
Then, after hesitating for a moment, he asked, “Where’s Grover? Wasn’t he your butler?”
Tang Xi frowned slightly. “He’s sick. That useless fool… Maybe he’s the one who accidentally let the vampire in. Damn it.”
Though the young man’s words were harsh, his innocent expression made it impossible to truly dislike him.
In fact, it only made people want to smooth out the worries on his brow and offer him all the beauty in the world, just to keep him happy forever.
Evans chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’ll capture the vampire for you. But first, you’ll have to tell me everything you know.”
Tang Xi stiffened, then spoke with a hint of defiance. “But isn’t capturing vampires your job? Why should I go out of my way to help you?”
Evans nodded indulgently. “You’re right. I apologize. But could you do it as a favor to me? In return, I’ll take you to the auction.”
It was no surprise that someone like him could be childhood friends with the original character—his gentlemanly patience was remarkable.
Tang Xi put on a reluctant expression. “Fine. But I don’t need you to take me to the auction—I already received an invitation.”
Evans chuckled, resting his hand against his lips in amusement. “Of course, of course. The Duke’s presence at the auction is an honor for the event itself.”
Satisfied, Tang Xi nodded.
The conversation between the two was warm and familiar, and the sunny energy radiating from Evans gradually dispelled the fear lingering in Tang Xi’s heart.
Meanwhile, Morse pressed his tongue against his teeth in restraint.
His eyes involuntarily flickered red, shifting from human-round pupils to a vampire’s vertical slits—only to turn back just before Tang Xi could notice.
At an angle where no one could see, he moved his finger slightly.
An imperceptible black mist drifted into the air at his command.
Far away, in a hidden corner of the royal city, a being lifted its head excitedly, sniffing the air.
It had felt it—
A command from its “father.”
News of the Vampire Ancestor’s awakening spread like wildfire through the ears of every vampire in the city.
From the shadows, an ominous presence began to stir.
And the vampire who had received the summons stepped out of the alley, adjusting his black top hat, before turning towards the church.
Evans’ wit quickly eased Tang Xi’s initial nervousness, making him relax and smile as he listened to the knight’s amusing stories.
Yet, as Evans gradually guided him through his memories, the more Tang Xi recalled, the more confused he became.
He hadn’t encountered anyone suspicious at all.
Vampires were actually quite easy to recognize—they always wrapped themselves up tightly and avoided sunlight.
Evans asked, “Are you sure you don’t remember anything else?”
Tang Xi shook his head.
Given his character’s proud and aloof nature, there was no way he would confess so quickly that something suspicious had happened to him last night. He had to brush off the knight’s concerns.
Meanwhile, Morse smiled knowingly—he had already predicted that the prideful Tang Xi wouldn’t bring up what had happened the night before.
Not that it mattered even if he was exposed. In fact, that would give him the perfect excuse to openly take the angel back to the castle.
There, he could give him the finest of everything every day, hold him in his arms with deep affection, and even feed him his own blood—turning the angel into a vampire who would stay with him forever.
But for now, he was enjoying this game of secret desire and wasn’t ready to bring it to an end just yet.
Just as Tang Xi was about to invite the righteous and charming knight to stay for dinner, a servant suddenly rushed in and handed a letter to Evans.
Evans’ expression changed instantly.
Tang Xi noticed his hand instinctively rest on the silver sword at his waist.
Curious, he asked, “Did something happen?”
Evans’ tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly when he met Tang Xi’s gaze.
For some reason, he found it difficult to keep a stern expression around him today.
Regretfully, he declined the dinner invitation, raising the envelope in his hand as an explanation. The Church had encountered trouble—it seemed to have been attacked.
Tang Xi’s eyes widened in shock. His black hair clung softly to his forehead, making him look both obedient and timid.
Evans lowered his voice in reassurance. “Don’t worry, I’ll leave you something to ward off vampires. You won’t run into anything unpleasant tonight.”
“Really?” Tang Xi asked pitifully, looking like a helpless little animal.
With confidence, Evans pulled out a silver cross and handed it to him. “Of course. I’ve burned many vampires with this before—they refuse to go near it. This isn’t just an ordinary cross; it’s been blessed with holy water from the Church. Even getting close to it makes vampires uncomfortable.”
It sounded like some kind of mosquito repellent.
Tang Xi couldn’t help but grumble inwardly as he took the cross.
He suspected that whatever Evans was going to deal with was related to the main storyline.
Now armed with the cross, the Duke immediately felt reassured and happily saw Evans off.
After observing the silver cross for a while, Tang Xi suddenly spoke. “Morse, come here.”
As Morse approached and knelt on one knee before him, Tang Xi gave him a sweet smile.
Morse’s heart pounded violently. His first instinct was to capture and keep that smile forever, but the next second, he felt a sharp pain in his hand.
His pupils briefly turned vertical in reaction before shifting back to normal when he looked up again.
He chuckled softly. “Young Master, do you suspect that I’m a vampire?”
The way he said “Young Master” carried an oddly intimate undertone, even though it was just a common form of address.
Tang Xi withdrew the cross, looking completely innocent. “I was just a little curious.”
The cross didn’t seem to have any effect on his poop scooper.
Feeling less wary, he put it away.
Then, standing up suddenly, he said, “Let’s go see Grover.”
An inexplicable sense of unease stirred within him—he suddenly wanted to check on his butler.
This was also the first time Tang Xi had ever stepped into a servant’s quarters.
As a butler, Grover had the privilege of a private room—he didn’t have to share with anyone else. In fact, the room even contained a few rather expensive-looking ornaments, clearly gifts received from someone in exchange for favors.
Tang Xi didn’t bother questioning it, but he still pouted in a spoiled manner, complaining about how small the room was.
Grover was caught off guard by the visit, so much so that he could hardly form a coherent sentence.
Yet the excitement in his eyes was undoubtedly genuine.
He only seemed to have a normal fever, with no signs of anything related to vampires.
Tang Xi merely exchanged a few polite, meaningless words with him.
Standing behind him, Morse silently observed the heartfelt moment between master and servant.
With indifference, he thought to himself—so he really had gone too easy on him.
Tang Xi’s interest, like that of a cat, flared up quickly and faded just as fast. Before long, he left with a grand entourage of servants in tow.
He failed to notice that Morse lingered behind.
Grover sneered at Morse. “What’s the matter, lowly slave? Don’t tell me you actually thought you could take my place. Once I recover, I’ll make sure you regret ever crossing me.”
His voice dripped with malice, completely unfiltered.
Morse narrowed his eyes. “Oh? Is that so? What a shame—you may never get that chance.”
Before Grover could react, a sharp pain sliced through his throat.
Blood gushed from the wound, spilling uncontrollably.
In his final moments, just before his eyes closed forever, he caught sight of a pair of crimson, blood-red slit pupils.
Morse smiled. “Good night.”
The scent of blood filled his nostrils, yet it lacked that intoxicating sweetness—only a repulsive, inferior stench remained.
Black smoke rose, swallowing the corpse and every trace of blood from the bed. When the smoke cleared, Grover was gone—replaced by Morse, now wearing his face.
. . . . .
Tang Xi blinked in surprise at the polite and refined butler before him.
After all, just moments ago, Grover had looked terribly ill—nothing like the energetic man standing before him now.
Perhaps fearing a loss of status, Grover—now Morse—dropped to one knee, lifted Tang Xi’s hand, and gently pressed a kiss onto his fingertip.
“Young Master, please allow me to serve you with unwavering loyalty forever.”
Tang Xi instinctively wanted to pull his hand away, but he forced himself to stay still.
He vaguely remembered that hand-kissing etiquette did exist in this world.
Just to be sure, he poked 1551 for confirmation.
1551 felt that this “Grover” seemed a little off, but without any concrete evidence, it could only respond with a hesitant yes.
Neither the man nor the cat noticed one crucial detail—according to the etiquette of this world, a hand-kiss was something only a gentleman would offer to the lady he adored.
Author’s Note: Butler and master play =v=