His lung hurt, body felt completely drained and eyes were horrified by the sight of bloodied individual.
" Yuta."
but his voice shook just like his body, a blonde woman with otherworldly charm crouched to the wounded, trying to assess the severity of his wound and judging from her expression, there was nothing to be done.
She bed the bitter truth the shaking boy without mending her words, Boy didn't took it well. If was not fine, not fine at all but it became even worse.
The vampire who stood beside the enchanting woman showed a grin, his intentions visible within them.
But before he could act,
The dream broke and Evelyn woke up.
Her eyes showed complexity of emotions,
' I dreamed you.' She looked at her side, to a handsome man who slumbered in peace.
But it was this that precisely made her feel something,
' Looking at him like this, nobody would realise that he had an heart attack. And why not?, his enemies are those who even I cannot take on.' she thought as she carrased his horns.
And as if her touch interrupted his gentle sleep, his eyes opened weakly.
" Where am I?" His eyes were fogged by deep slumber, he asked as image of room was becoming clear by the second.
Evelyn didn't answer, she gave him time to assess his condition and his surroundings and soon he did.
He realised that he was once again in room of hotel burning hell, his memories soon surfaced making him realise what had transpired.
His eyes could still make out the image of the pamphlet, his heart rattled once more.
" Have you given up on revenge?" Evelyn rested her head to his side, her expression showing softness and pity.
" How do you?"
" I dreamed."
Her answer was short, but both parties knew about the unknown absurdity of unasked connection between them.
There could be no other explanation, there was just no way and it didn't take much time for both of them to accept this.
Eren once again looked at ceiling, drifting his eyes away from her face and fell in deep thought, he couldn't answer her.
' Have I?' he wondered.
" What now?" Eren shifted to her.
Evelyn looked in his eyes, knowing full well that making the same choice as before will not be easy.
" I don't want to leave ourself like this, unfinished." Then she sat up and distance herself from him. Her reaction troubled eren, but atleast this made him realise that her options were now changed.
Her presense somewhat distracted him from memories,
" We're in a stalemet that can only be ended with death, Now I don't want to die."
" Neither do I, but i wouldn't dream such misfortune for you as well." Eren had kindness.
Evelyn turned to him and showed a painful smile, because now she knew why eren was suffering.
He was suffering from kindness, kindness that restricted him to act on his impulses.
With much difficult of congested emotion, Evelyn finally spoke after much hesitation,
" So I've found a subtle solution to this." She traced her eyes away from him.
She waited, introspecting.
For a moment eren doubted if she really had a viable idea, but then he knew she was a rational person.
She was smart enough to solve puzzle of Eren's immortality and it's consequences.
she was capable of cold reasoning, killing eren would solve a major future probable problem. Eren could guess she was decisive as well, but somehow she failed to show it.
" Marriage."
" What!!"
" Just what I said, A marriage."
" I mean I heard that but how??"
Eren had a deja vu all over again, how come conversation always followed to something like this.
He was little confused and mostly suspected Evelyn to play her mind game of sort.
' She's scheming something.'
" As we stand here, in a stalemet with no solution. Marriage seems appropriate, not only it would be convenient to explain my change to others but it would also benefit you." she spoke solemnly,
" How?"
" First you'll get to live with me, eat good food and enjoy your life in luxury." Eren showed no reaction, no, he did, he was dissatisfied with her wordings.
" I see you don't like living in luxury."
" No but i really hate how you make it sound like charity." His displeasure was apparent
" I'll keep that mind mind."
And her responce made eren question if she was the same individual he knew, suddenly she was more calm, more sophisticated and very much devoid of fun. That was not like her at all.
" As I was saying, It's beneficial to you as well, Not just minor benefits." then she held his eyes for a good minutes and sighed, " You can start to live like a normal person."
Eren gazed back, his eyes showing barely any reaction. He had calmed his heart, he may have occational panick attacks but he had developed himself, or rather Alena had forced him in such a way that he held his emotions in check.
' I'm failing big time, She would chew me out.' A small smile crept on his face,
Maybe it was because of this thoughts or maybe it was because of what Evelyn said.
Normal living meant being social, and being social meant having a job, earning good money, spending them on yourself and your family. There were hardly any job that gave solitary freedom and good money at the same time.
So if someone did wanted to live a normal life, they were forced into society where all sorts of crappy people and their idiotic ideas roamed.
But now it was different matter, eren had thought this as well. Appearance of Amelia and Cecilia had forced him to think in this way. He was ready to dive again into realm of society for them, He has no choice.
So when Evelyn said the same thing, not only it aligned with his own distant ideas but also gave him an initiative he needed.
" But for that, you have to give up on your revenge."
"....."
Eren held her eyes into tight rein, Her words put him in dilemma. He would've reacted very harshly if he actually had hard headed resolve, but alas, he was too indecisive.
" Or else?" eren stood up, patted his clothes clean and tidy. His gesture meant, he was ready to leave.
" I'll leave you alone but rest of the world will not, one way or another they'll find you, capture you, use you and discard you." her eyes narrowed, " As I said, even half immortal can be killed."
This was a bargaining, both pulling benefits on their side before a mutual agreement.
" In a way, This is more beneficial to me but it's not as if I'm robbing you clean. By my side, you'll be safe." She smiled pride,
" Not even emperors can touch you, And I'm not exaggerating."
Eren was lost for words, Her claim was that much absurd.
But safety was last thing eren worried about, revenge was still in question and he had no goals to pursue.
Basically he had no furure in thought, he was really just surviving out of immortality.
" I really don't know what to say., but this will surely relieve you." Eren clicked his tongue in displeasure of this situation.
" As if, Marriage does not necessarily mean safety. For all I know you can abuse me even afterwards. Infact by doing this I'll be endangering myself." She was right, if they parted ways now, there was a chance they'll never meet but if they married, it would be living together situation. And that would naturally follow paths of those millions alike, ardous and not all lovey dovey.
" That is true." Eren suspected that her reasoning for this deal was to subdue him in more subtle way.
' I mean even idiot uncle Marco fear aunt jasmine, Leave it on wife to straighten out husband.' his thoughts were childish.
" Ofcourse if you do agree then we'll enter a pact, much like tristan bonds. I'll put a seal of slave on you. I mean it's obvious if we hold equal rights, That would be really assuring." She narrowed her sharp eyes, " If you are really the gentlemen you say you are, then you would have no problem in agreeing to this. " Eren could tell she wanted to play him to agree, not that he mind this deal anyway.
" I'll think about the rest of it later, but I do agree to this last part."
Thought evelyn's expression didn't change, her eyes still narrowed but she was little surprised.
Ofcourse no sane person would accept slavery, but it was different matter for him as he already held rein of such power over her.
' That would make us equal to each other, just like everybody else.' neither did he worry, nor he feared this decision.
Evelyn smiled as she closed her eyes, her lips curved into fine gentle smile.
" It makes me happy that you're man of your words, but even if you would've disagreed, i already have made the pact of slave. So we do hold equal rights." she chuckled by the end, she had achieved her freedom in her own perverse way.
There was no doubt she was telling truth, her face was practically glowing by triumphant glee.
Not that eren had any problems with that.
" Okay, I see you're satisfied. Then I should go home.
Sky was dark, sumln was gone and fine night was blooming with full moon. It was evening.
And cause of that he was surprise,
" how did I wake up so early, It took almost full day last time."
" That's because your body is adapting." She paused, " This incident should make you realise that you're not as invincible as you think you are."
She walked upto eren,
" Cultivators body is not much different from regular peoples, It still need air to breath and food to eat.
But mana provides added benefits. it makes body strong, stronge vessel is a precise word." She wanted to look at his face upclose, his feature that she often ignored were becoming more clear and she really like what she saw.
' He'll look more charming if we remove that gloominess from his eyes.' She wasn't completely dissatisfied with this marriage and why not?, For all the time she knew him, he was kind, gentle and handsome young man.
" Now since body is enhanced, it requires less food and air as default source, instead it uses mana. The stronger the vessel, more dependent it is on mana." Eren knew this to certain degree, this also made it clear why high rank cultivators could go on without drinking and eating for months.
But what about him,
" but your immoral body is capable enough sustain on it's own for rest of your life. You don't need food, don't need water, don't need to breath and don't even have to shit if you've eaten anything, it'll be reduced to energy till last particle and no shit will be left."
Eren didn't needed that last part, he already knew that from personal experience.
" Ofcourse if body has become more than regular than to compensate brain needs to become more as well, Mana does that as well. It enhances corelation of both cerebral Cortexes, makes the memory sharp and brain fast.
But our emotion remains the same, we have to deal with them on our own." she caressed his cheek, looking beyond his face. As if her eyes could see pain deep within him.
" Doctor said you had a panick pattack, but it was an heart attack, no, Heart attacks, few of those in series as your heart mended and crumbled in agony. " Her eyes showed pity,
" Is he still in your heart?, Is he doing this you?" she wasn't genuine with her words, she knew yuta was not responsible for his suffering.
" My brother is still here, but he's not reason of this." Evelyn wanted to hear this,
" Exactly, It's you who make yourself suffer. Every day, every minute, every second you indulge in confrontation with yourself, To ask for solution and every time you fail. Leaving yourself like this walking corpse, no resolve and no ambition."
Eren knew that, he knew damn well. Her soft hand left his face.
" Make up your mind eren, otherwise your body will eventually realise to not get swayed by emotions. There will be no heart attack next time, only suffering till you loose your sanity." Evelyn didn't say anything further, she had already said much.
" How can I?" he pleaded, " Tell me." He said again.
Evelyn chuckled at his question, then looked in his eyes with cheeky smile,
" You make up your mind when you decide to make those twin girls your girlfriends."
Eren was lost for words, his cheeks reddened is shame.
' How much did she see?'
" Now ask yourself, Do you want to repeat the past?"
Her words left the room in utter silence, Whether he loved them enough or not would essentially decide his answer, wouldn't it?
Eren smiled mirthlessely,
" But if you knew about them why did you offer the marriage proposal?"
He avoided talking about question he was not ready to answer.
" Because I'm not against the idea of polygamy."
" you're not?"
' Women having no problem with other women, What is with this world?'
Eren really wasn't getting used to this situations, his surprise was natural.
" Surprised?"
Eren didn't answer, his expression was enough.
He expected she would explain but she didn't, she just walked upto side of bed and picked up the lanline.
Though she kept her voice low, it seemed as if she ordered quite few items of the menu.
After hanging up, she looked at eren with corner of her eyes.
" I want that answer very soon eren, Are you up to this?"
"huh??"
She had weird way of leaving question unanswered by directing the conversation in different direction.
She had talked a lot yet eren still didn't knew why he woke up early, was his regeneration become shortedd each time?, He still didn't knew why women were so open minded?
It was then that he felt something inside him.
He focused more on the feeling, and realised that it was his core.
His light yellow core had already turned dark yellow, and now he was ready to break through next realm.
Judging from evelyn's face, she could feel this subtle change as well.
" You're really unlucky eren."
" Why?"
" Because you're a half immortal with no family background." eren expected an clear answer, but that was obvious stupidity on his part.
" You die but come back, so in the process of that regeneration your body grows stronger with forced cultivation, to avoid death next time ofcourse but" her voice became solemn, " Your soul gets damaged as the price of this cheat."
Tone of that statement made it clear that it was not simple as physical injury.
" is it bad?" He asked, ofcourse hearing her words were not enough to give him some significance of matter.
" Aaghhm..."
And moment after asking, shrill of pain left his mouth. His body agonized in pain and his face paled in horror.
His legs lost the strength as he fell on his knees, unable to bear the pain.
But moment lasted only a second and pain vanished, it was not that he had not felt this before but getting used to this was no easy thing.
He looked up at Evelyn with hatred, knowing full well she was the reason for it.
"Now imagine living like for few minutes, few hours, few days. It would be real torture, wouldn't it?" Eren petrified imagining such thought, mere moment bent him on his knees, he didn't needed to think what rest would do to his will.
Eren watched Evelyn leave for the washroom, and carried himself up for the same.
He was sweaty, his clothes were untidy and hair drapped back over his shoulder open.
He first tide his hair back as he walked upto washroom, uncaring for manners when Evelyn was already in. His actions were hurried as he washed his face, splashed his eyes with cold water.
Eren sighed, trapping layer of water in closed eyes, it sooth him for a moment and then his eyes irked a little. Little sting was like a reminder that drowsiness within them was fading and after that his opened them.
His vision changed blurry to regular in very slow manner as he sighed and looked at himself in mirror getting more clear by second.
He splashed one last second and walked out of washroom, not for a second he allowed himself to be affected by evelyn's glaring eyes.
And once he was out, door snapped shut behind him.
Eren left his face wet, soft wind cooled his heated cheeks.
Ding Dong...
Ring of bell announced that their food was here. Eren opened the door, and staff of 6 maids walked in with his permission, with desirable decilious food in their hands.
They were synched in motion as they walked, and skilled when they served the food on dining.
" What are you waiting for?" Eren didn't even realise when Evelyn appeared behind him. He saw her covered in bathrobe, her head covered by towels. They hid her horns pretty well.
But his attention was drawned to her face, slight flushed red by warmth of water, especially her nose that made her look as if she had a fever. But that looked cute. His eyes softened in admiration for fine beauty, even a thought of accepting her proposal came to mind.
" Please enjoy your dinner Sir, madam."
But his thoughts came to stop, maids bowed to him and Evelyn with polite smile and departed with same intensity as they entered, closing the door behind.
Eren sat, following evelyn's example and before him laid abundance of fine cuisines.
Each having mouth watering aroma and vibrant appearance, eren didn't knew any of these dishes. He was far outclassed, by status of such fancy culinary results.
It made him realise how vast the difference between poor and rich were,
" Eat up, because this could be your last meal." Eren striked her with glare, " In vampire continent." Evelyn smirked, she had fun bringing out Eren's irritated side. This also made eren realise, she was again regaining her fun.
" If I accept, that is?" He said, pointing it out how the decision wasn't yet finalised.
" Yeah and I wonder why?, You get a girl and additional benefits." Her brows furrowed, " And not any girl, me." She had arrogance to it, and why not?
She was now a supreme, a violet rank cultivator. And to top it all she was personal subordinate to queen of neutral continent herself, one of the empress. So it was true that very few in seven kingdom were match to her.
Eren didn't knew, but he could bath in gold if he wished, he could rule a country if he wished to her, but alas, he didn't knew. To him she was just another strong cultivator, an arrogant cultivator.
" What's the hold up?, Decide now because this offer stands till end of this dinner."
" Why?" Eren asked warily.
" Because the danger has gone up in last few days, it's not safe here anymore for us." She meant herself and Elizabeth, eren misunderstood.
" So I'll be leaving this country, once I finish this." Saying so she picked her fork and started munching on starters.
Eren expected she would be graceful as always, but he was surprised seeing her not being restricted by such customs. She just ate carefree, not hurried but mouthful.
Eren questioned himself,
' What should I do?' He pondered, unable to feel any excitement for delicious food.
He watched Evelyn, enjoying to fullest without care in the world and felt jealous.
" Get used to it, I enjoy my food this way." She didn't hide her mannerless actions, infact she seemed to enjoy this side of her as well
Eren wanted to rebuke that he still hadn't agreed but she was just posing for eren to fall in that dielema once again.
But then Evelyn sensed something, change in her attitude cought Eren's eyes.
" What happened?" He asked.
" My subordinate just made her presense known, That means something is wrong." She placed the fork down, wiped her lips with table cloth and stood up.
Her consciousness tapped into mana, making her see the crowded world surrounding her in gray. The gray was too vast, something she wasn't yet used to, her mana sense extended to several dozens of kms and she instantly found who she was searching for.
Her eyes narrowed in surprise, she eyed eren with same doubt but said nothing.
Eren could ask, but it looked as if there was nothing serious.
" Eren, Your answer?"
" you're joking?, I didn't even had time to eat much less think." Eren stood up pissed, sure she needed answer by end of dinner but he Didn't expected dinner to come to an abrupt end.
Evelyn eyed him daggers, and her steps were hurried as she walked upto him.
" You don't trust me to keep my words?" Her voice was loud.
" Not a bit, For a short while I've known you. You've shown insane deducting skills along with selfish opportunistic personality." Eren growled, " You tried killing me because that's the best solution you thought was possible but once that failed, You needed another solution.
Now you want to put a chain around my neck for your reassurance that I don't join up with this evil organisation, and so you propose a marriage. Binding me in a relation, knowing full well what that will do." She had planned out everything. So ofcourse when he deducted this, he was furious.
Evelyn sighed, Realising that Eren's feeling was no way wrong in this matter as well but her own choice wasn't as selfish as eren made out to be as well.
This whole dielema came to be because of their blood-bond.
Evelyn relaxed her eyebrows and pushed eren firmly chair, she stood directly before him.
" I could've taken you away when you were unconscious, even right now before you can make a peep, but I don't want to do that, not because I'm kind, benevolent or sympathetic, no, " Her tone was flat, not showing arrogance or kindness. " Do you know, why I don't?" She asked, though she didn't wait for answer and continued, " Because the second you make yourself known as an immortal to the world, You put a shining nameplate on your head that says, ' Asset.' " She didn't let her stoicness crumble.
" Those who see this plate will try to covet you by money, fame, power, women and even force, And they will get you eventually, you won't be able to resist them, not by the meager strength you possess." Evelyn shattered his words with logic, she expected eren to understand this on his own but she felt the need to state the obvious.
" It's high time you accept your situation, And let me review the terms of this marriage contract so you can understand this better."
she kept him pressed, seated, never batting her eyes off him.
" I will not tell my authority of your immortality so they'll not demand anything from you. It'll be just an love marriage to them.
You'll be living in a highly secured palace with thousand guards at your service.
You can ask your girlfriend to join us, I don't have any problem with that.
I still advice you to give up on your revenge but if you don't then I'll have no choice but to help you." Eren didn't let it show, but his surprise was evident, because that was different from what she said before.
" And lastly,"
What she said next was not something eren ever expected of her.
" And if you wish, We can actually make this a real marriage rather than a contract marriage by consummating right now."