When the noise of the celebration began to die down, Grey and Grace exchanged knowing smiles.
It was time to carry out Operation "Secret Negotiations."
They gave Rose a subtle nod, and she, understanding them without a word, gracefully detached herself from the group of guests.
Trying not to draw the adults' attention, the twins quietly slipped out of the main hall. Rose followed after them, her footsteps soundless against the castle's stone corridors.
The three children headed for a small sitting room in the eastern wing. Rose carefully pushed the door open, letting the birthday twins enter first.
The room welcomed them with the soft glow of candlelight, creating a mysterious atmosphere.
The moment the door shut, cutting off the sounds of merriment, Rose flopped onto the sofa and let out a breath.
"Ugh! Finally! These adults and their 'manners'..." she said, rolling her eyes. "You two have it easy! You're relaxed even around your mom. But with me it's always, 'Rose, your posture! Rose, smile!'" she mimicked her parents' voices.
The twins exchanged glances, startled by the sudden change in their companion.
Her carefree behavior and natural ease instantly won Grey and Grace over.
Grace giggled. "Oh, Rose, if only you knew! Even though we were allowed to have fun today, we're usually just as busy as you are."
"Exactly!" Grey chimed in. "Vampire etiquette, elf etiquette, human etiquette... Even demon etiquette, can you imagine?"
"Demons?!" Rose leaned forward. Her emerald eyes lit up with curiosity.
"Yep! Though, you know," Grace lowered her voice to a whisper, "I like beastfolk the most. They're pretty informal and don't like showing off, everything gets settled with a bigger fist. Hehehe."
All three of them burst into laughter, and once he had finished laughing, Grey asked,
"Let's forget all that boring stuff for a while. Rose, can you tell us about yourself? What do you usually do? Do you vampires have any special kinds of entertainment?"
"To be honest, guys, my life really isn't that interesting. I rarely get to leave the castle," Rose sighed, then continued, leaning back against the sofa. "Training, studying, endless rituals... Because of our long history, we've accumulated countless traditions. As the daughter of a noble duke, I have to uphold my father's prestige, so I'm forced to learn all of it."
"Wait," Grace cut in, "what about social gatherings, banquets, balls?"
The vampire girl gave a cute little snort and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right! I'm not even allowed to appear in society until I turn twenty. Today is a rare exception."
"That's unexpected. I thought vampire life revolved around balls and battles with werewolves."
"If only!" Rose laughed. "Actually, we've had relative peace for about two hundred years now. Of course, there are occasional skirmishes if someone wanders onto the wrong territory, but there haven't been any major battles in a very long time."
Grey frowned. "That's strange. We were told you can't stand each other."
"Dad is always grumbling that werewolves smell absolutely awful. Maybe that's what it all comes down to? Though I've never actually met one myself, so I don't know if it's true. All I know is that werewolves are just as strong as we are. The difference is, their strength depends more on the pack, while ours depends on individual talent."
"And how do you train?" Grace asked. "Mom said Aunt Constance and Uncle Constantine are the strongest in our village."
At the mention of the pair, Rose flinched.
"Ugh... They're really terrifying. Just being in their presence made me feel like I couldn't breathe. They're probably older than my grandfather, even though he serves in Wallachia under the king himself."
"They're over two thousand years old," Grey added.
"Whoa! That explains it," Rose nodded. "They're probably among the oldest vampires in all of Nightingale. We grow stronger with age, but we also have to train and maintain a proper diet."
"A diet? What does that have to do with training?" Grace asked in surprise.
"You've heard about our abilities, right? Turning into bats, telekinesis, regeneration, hypnosis, compulsion?"
The twins nodded, and Rose continued, "Every vampire has talents like that. If we follow the right diet, we can develop them."
"Wouldn't vampires become the strongest with abilities like that? That sounds completely broken!" Grace asked in confusion.
"If only it were that simple! We have a lot of limitations. We need special blood and constant training. For strength, the blood of powerful animals. For hypnosis, creatures with strong willpower. For telekinesis, the smartest ones. Even the donor's mood matters!" Rose said, her throat starting to itch a little from talking about such things.
"But where do you even get blood like that?" Grey asked in surprise.
"Experienced vampires sell their blood, and we buy the rest on the Neutral Continent. All the information can be found on the labels. The better the quality, the higher the price," Rose explained, trying to keep her voice calm.
The twins' scent, so fresh and enticing, was gradually filling the room, teasing her heightened senses. Her self-control was melting away. Rose's gaze kept drifting back to their necks, where faint veins pulsed beneath the skin.
She nervously fidgeted with the edge of her dress, trying to distract herself.
"How unusual!" Grace exclaimed. "I wonder what kind of properties my blood has?"
Rose felt her fangs lengthen.
She quickly covered her mouth with her hand, hoping the twins hadn't noticed. Her cheeks flushed pink from a mix of embarrassment and inner struggle.
"Your blood... is probably very special," her voice trembled slightly. "But don't worry, I would never do anything without your permission."
Rose smiled, hoping it looked friendly rather than predatory.
She felt like a starving child sitting in front of a table full of sweets she wasn't allowed to touch. Despite her condition, she didn't want to frighten her new friends or make them uncomfortable. But with every passing minute, controlling her instincts was becoming harder and harder.
Sitting right beside the vampire girl, Grace failed to notice her awkward state.
Grey, however, was sitting across from her.
He had been paying close attention and managed to catch the strange shifts in their new acquaintance's behavior. He was surprised when he realized that Rose truly craved their blood. Until that moment, he had almost forgotten she was a vampire, she had seemed that much like them.
The boy felt a flicker of unease, but it was quickly replaced by sympathy. He understood that the girl was probably in serious discomfort, trying to hold back her instincts. He didn't want her to suffer, especially because of them.
After thinking it over for a few seconds, Grey made his decision.
A bite on the neck felt far too frightening to him. Instead, he carefully rolled up the sleeve of his shirt, exposing his wrist.
With slight nervousness but firm resolve, Grey extended his hand toward Rose.
His heart was beating a little faster than usual, but he tried to appear calm.
"Rose," he said quietly, trying not to let the tension show in his voice, "if you... if you need to... you can try a little. I don't mind."
He hoped the gesture would help her feel better and show that he trusted her. At the same time, by offering his hand instead of his neck, Grey felt he was keeping at least some control over the situation.
However, the girl's reaction turned out to be completely unexpected.
Her eyes widened, and a bright blush flared across her pale cheeks, quickly spreading all the way to the tips of her ears. She recoiled as if Grey had offered her something utterly scandalous.
"Y-you... you..." Rose stammered, her voice trembling with embarrassment. She covered her face with her hands as though trying to hide. "We can't! We only met today!"
Her next words came out muffled through her fingers.
"I... I... I'll drink your blood only after you get your father's approval first!"
Rose's entire predatory aura vanished in an instant.
She transformed from a dangerous, starving vampire into a shy girl who had just been given a wildly indecent proposition.
She shrank into the armchair as if trying to make herself smaller and less noticeable.
Grey froze with his hand still outstretched, completely baffled.
He had no idea why such a simple gesture had provoked such a dramatic reaction. Confusion and concern were written plainly in his eyes.
Until that moment, Grace had paid little attention to what was happening, but now she was watching the scene closely. Her eyes narrowed as her gaze shifted from the blushing Rose to her bewildered brother. There was suspicion in her look, along with a trace of confusion.
The atmosphere in the room changed sharply. The air grew thick with awkwardness.
The silence hanging between them was almost tangible, broken only by Rose's quiet, embarrassed mumbling as she continued hiding her face in her hands.
"Umm... Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you or offend you," the boy said. His voice carried a hint of disappointment.
He lowered his eyes, trying to hide his emotions.
'Of course,' he thought. 'I'm just a cripple with no power. Why would Rose even want my blood?' The thought stung painfully, reminding him of countless disappointments from the past.
However, Rose's quiet voice interrupted his dark thoughts. "Mmm, please don't be upset. I'm not rejecting you, it's just so sudden. Can I think about it a little?" she said, sinking even deeper into the sofa.
Those words lifted Grey's spirits a little, but before he could respond, Grace stepped in.
"Wait, wait, wait," she said firmly, moving between the vampire girl and her brother.
Her eyes gleamed with a mixture of curiosity and irritation.
"What is going on here, and why do you both look so tense? Brother, didn't you just offer her a little blood? Rose, why are you reacting like this?"
"H-how else am I supposed to react when he... when he asked me to m-m-marry him?" Rose nearly burst into tears.
"Huh?" Grey blinked in confusion.
"WHAT?!" Grace practically jumped in shock.
Now it was the boy's turn to feel embarrassed.
Grace shot her brother a furious look, as if demanding, When did you even manage that? After thinking for a moment, she decided to ask, though her voice carried no sign of pleasure.
"Rose, when exactly did he propose you to maried?"
"Ahh?" Through the narrow gaps between her fingers, the vampire girl finally noticed their strange reactions. "Y-you... You... Don't you know that in vampire culture, only spouses are allowed to directly drink each other's blood..."
A full minute of silence followed.
Grey wanted the ground to swallow him whole. How was he supposed to know his actions would lead to such a misunderstanding? Casting a slightly shy glance at Rose, the boy noticed just how beautiful her bashful face looked.
"Maybe having a wife like her wouldn't be so bad," a treacherous thought flashed through his mind.
However, Grace's confusion quickly faded, and she asked,
"S-sister Rose, can you explain why only spouses are allowed to drink each other's blood? Aren't vampires supposed to be blood-hungry predators?"
"Well... drinking directly from the source is a major taboo..." Rose began to explain, stealing glances at the boy every now and then. "If the victim isn't drained completely, it creates a powerful addiction. We'll keep craving more and more... Only spouses are allowed to drink each other's fresh blood."
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