You Know!
14: Of…
You Know!
“Alex, don’t follow me!” Delia protested as Alexander followed her toward the apartment door.
“You forgot?
What did Dudu Yai do to you yesterday?” Alexander asked with a scowling face, ready to explode.
“Yes…
But…” “Enough, Delia.
You…” Alexander stepped closer, cornering Delia against the still-closed apartment door.
“You…
Can forbid me from following you to work.
But…” “But?” Delia repeated.
“Let me drain your blood dry first, so that my blood’s scent in your veins disappears completely,” Alexander continued casually.
“Huh?!
I’d be dead then!” the girl fumed.
“Hmm…
Biologically, YES.
But vampirically, I will bring you back to life,” Alexander answered with a grin adorned by his small fangs.
“If I don’t die, the other option is I become a vampire…” Delia thought for a moment.
“Same difference, you’re lying, Alex!” the girl shouted in frustration.
Her hand was already raised to hit Alexander’s shoulder but she hesitated a moment later.
She did not want her wrist sprained again.
“Or…
There’s another option,” Alexander tempted Delia with a sly look.
“What?!” Delia sneered, knowing that whatever Alexander offered, nothing would end well.
“We…
YOU KNOW.” Delia’s eyes widened.
“Perverted vampire!
Bastard!!!” “Hahahaha!” * In the end, Delia resigned herself as Alexander followed her steps to the Everette Museum.
Rather than getting drained dry?
Or getting “you-know-what” from a perverted vampire?
The safest option was to just let Alexander tag along.
Just for one day!
Just to check on the mummy of DDU-DUDUDU-DU AH YEAH AH YEAH!
Arriving at the museum lobby, Delia looked behind her.
Alexander had disappeared.
Only a faint breeze brushed her hair.
“Tsk!
Where did he run off to?” Delia muttered.
At the lobby door, Robin greeted her.
“Good morning, Young Lady of Burning Enthusiasm!” he greeted.
Delia chuckled at her new title from Robin.
She returned the greeting.
“Good morning, Sir Who Serves Delicious Fried Rice with Sunny-Side Up Egg!” They both laughed, unaware that Alexander had already entered the research room and was using his magic to search for traces of Dudu Yai’s residual energy.
“Delia, I saw the condition of the research room door.
How did it get damaged?” Gulp!
Trouble!
Delia swallowed hard.
“Uhh…
It was still fine when I went home yesterday, Mr.
Robin,” Delia stammered.
Robin was silent for a moment, rubbing his slightly itchy chin.
“But…
This morning…” “Let me check!” Delia cut in quickly.
The girl ran toward the research room.
There she saw Alexander busying himself with his magic, trying to repair the damaged door.
“Ugh!
Alex!” Delia hissed in annoyance.
Just as Robin turned the corner, Alexander’s form dissipated like mist.
Delia, who was nervous about getting caught, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Wh…
Where’s the damage, Mr.
Robin?” Delia asked, still stuttering.
Robin pointed, then a moment later his eyes went perfectly round.
“Wh-what?!
It was just here!” he shrieked hysterically.
Delia pretended to examine the door carefully.
Then she turned to Robin and shook her head.
“I swear to God, Del…
The door…
This morning…
Ah!
Am I hallucinating?” Robin finally gave up.
“Maybe you’re too tired and worried.
Your wife is sick, right?” Delia said wisely.
Robin could only nod in agreement.
“Mr.
Robin, get some rest.
Lie down in your room for a while to calm down,” Delia suggested, though her eyes were still scanning every corner of the museum wildly.
If Alexander dared to pop out and scare Mr.
Robin, she’d punch him until he was covered in bumps!
“Alright.
Maybe…
I am a bit exhausted,” Robin said.
He walked to his room, closed the door, then lay down for a while on his soft sofa.
Delia sighed in relief and walked toward the research room.
* Until noon, Alexander still had not appeared.
Where that pale creature was hiding, Delia had no idea.
Delia even thought that Alexander might have gone back to the apartment.
She wanted to ask him, but did not know how since Alexander did not have a handphone.
Delia forgot one important thing…
She could actually summon Alexander just by saying his name.
She forgot that she had already made a blood contract with the handsome vampire.
* Evening arrived.
Time to go home.
This time Delia was on time.
At 4:05 she was already getting ready.
She said goodbye to Robin.
Just as her step crossed the museum lobby threshold, Alexander crept up behind her.
Following the girl’s steps toward the sidewalk that would take her home.
“Ahem!” “Jumping flea!” Delia shrieked as Alexander’s throat-clearing sound jolted her ear.
The girl turned around with a pale face.
“You scared me!” she fumed.
“Sorry…
It’s just that you didn’t even realize I was tailing you,” Alexander said, grinning.
“Alex…
Your footsteps make no sound.
How am I supposed to know you’re behind me, huh?!” Delia snapped.
“Oops!
Sorry.
Forgot!
Hehehe.” They walked home together.
Occasionally Delia stopped to buy snacks from street vendors.
She offered some to Alexander, but the vampire always shook his head.
Fine!
Delia would eat them herself!
* Evening turned to night.
This time Delia only wrote a short report about Dudu Yai’s mummy.
The final report.
Everything was clear.
Tomorrow morning, the mummy would be moved to the exhibition hall so that all Everette Museum visitors could see and appreciate its history.
Before sleeping, Delia wanted to ask Alexander something, but she hesitated.
So…
She just stared at Alexander’s back as he slept facing away from her on the other bed.
“Don’t stare too long, Delia.
My back might get a hole in it!” Alexander warned.
He turned around.
Those blood-red eyes now stared back at Delia’s brown ones.
“Is there something you want to ask?” that gentle voice made Delia flustered.
“Yes.
About YOU,” Delia replied.
“Try me,” Alexander said with a smile.
“Your coffin…
I mean…
That red ruby stone on your chest…
Why does it look like the necklace Dudu Yai was wearing?” Delia finally asked.
Alexander was silent for a moment.
“Same vampire species,” Alexander said briefly.
“Dudu Yai?
A vampire?
I thought she was a witch?” Delia was confused.
“No.
She…
Has consumed the energy of a vampire like me.
I mean…
As old as me.
This ruby stone…” Alexander said, pointing to his chest.
“Is a stone that shows a vampire’s age, Delia.
So…
The redder the color, the older the vampire.” Delia nodded.
“So, Dudu Yai…” “Stole it from a vampire whose age and power were equal to mine,” Alexander cut in quickly.
Delia nodded again.
“Is there anything else you want to ask, Delia?” “Yes!” “About what?” “Vampire mates.” Alexander immediately lowered his gaze.
Just for a moment, but Delia saw it clearly.
“Uh…
uhh…
If you don’t want to answer, it’s fine!” Delia said awkwardly.
Alexander stared into her brown eyes.
Thinking, should he be honest, or…
“Do you want an honest answer or an absurd one, Delia?” Alexander asked mischievously.
“Pfft!
What’s the absurd answer?” Delia was annoyed but curious.
“Hmm…
We could have thousands of wives, mwahahaha,” Alexander answered proudly.
One pillow flew straight at his forehead.
Delia’s doing.
“Playboy!” “The honest answer?” Delia shifted.
“Don’t you dare answer with something weird!” Delia warned.
Her hand was already gripping the bedside lamp, ready to throw it at any moment!
“The blood contract,” Alexander answered simply.
Delia was silent.
One second, five seconds, ten seconds…
“BLOOD CONTRACT?!
Yes, of course, I’m your breakfast?!
What do you mean, Alex?!” Alexander smiled meaningfully at Delia’s anxious face.
“Ex quo foedus sanguinis nostri initum est, iam facta es amica mea, Delia!” (Meaning, since our blood contract was formed, you have become my lover, Delia!) That’s why Alexander always called Delia ‘my love’.
Now, it was finally answered…