Chapter 563: Addictive Blood

Cassius froze at her words, blinking once, twice, like he was sure he’d misheard her.

"W-What now?" He said with an uneasy chuckle. "My blood? You can’t be serious."

But Carmela didn’t blink. Her eyes were dilated, glowing faintly, her breathing heavy.

"I want your blood." She said in a low, trembling voice. "And I need it now."

Cassius tried to defuse the tension, raising both hands placatingly.

"Ahaha...no, no, that’s not a good idea right now." He said with a forced laugh. "I’ve been having some really unhealthy meals these past few days. Fried pork, buttered rolls, sugared wine—the whole lot. My blood’s probably more grease than liquid right now."

"You’ll get diabetes just by tasting it!"

He grinned, hoping she’d at least crack a smile.

But her expression didn’t change. Her eyes flared brighter, fangs glinting under the candlelight.

"I don’t care." She said sharply, voice trembling between hunger and desperation. "I want your blood. Not later. Not after. Now."

Hearing this, Cassius’s smile faded as he realized this wasn’t a tease. Her voice carried the rawness of instinct, the same wild need he’d seen once before when she’d lost control.

This time, it was worse.

"Okay." He said carefully, holding his hands out. "Alright, just calm down for a moment, alright? No need to get worked up."

He drew in a steady breath, then muttered.

"I’ll just cut my hand, let a little out, fill a bottle for you—"

Before he could even reach for the drawer, she seized his wrist, her grip like iron.

"No." She hissed, shaking her head violently. "No bottles. No containers."

Her voice dropped to a hungry whisper.

"I need it fresh. From you. From your body."

Cassius blinked, staring at her. For a moment, he wondered if she’d lost her mind.

From all the records and books he’d studied, he knew vampires weren’t the savage beasts that common folk imagined.

They were graceful—civilized to the extreme.

Drinking blood directly from the neck was considered vulgar, almost feral.

Proper vampires drained it into crystal goblets, sipped it delicately like fine wine.

It was art, not hunger.

And the only time a vampire ever bit another living being directly...was out of intimacy.

Lovers.

Bonded pairs.

It was a symbol of trust, a mingling of souls more than just bodies.

So if she was demanding this—

Cassius hesitated, his eyes flicking toward her trembling form. She wasn’t being seductive. She was desperate. Starved.

’She needs it...She really needs it.’

He sighed softly, muttering to himself, "Well, if she dies here, Joy’s going to blame me for sure."

With a faint smirk, he sat back down in his chair, loosening his collar. Then he tilted his head to the side, exposing his neck.

"Alright, come on then." He said with that teasing lilt again. "Come get it, Carmela. Fresh and juicy, just for you."

He patted his neck like he was calling a puppy.

"A fine vintage. Straight from the source."

The moment she saw the pale skin of his neck, her eyes brightened. Her breath hitched audibly.

And then, before he could even blink—she pounced.

Carmela jumped and straddled his lap, her legs pressing against his chair, her weight settling against him as her face hovered near his throat.

She didn’t care how it looked, how intimate, how compromising and she just wanted a taste of him.

Then, without hesitation—she bit.

Her fangs slid in deep, piercing his skin.

Cassius gasped, his hand gripping the armrest. But the pain was fleeting, washed away by the strange warmth that spread through his neck.

Carmela let out a low hum, a trembling sound of relief, and began to drink. Slowly at first, then deeper, hungrier.

Cassius chuckled under his breath despite the sting. "There, there, Carmela...drink as much as you want."

He brought one hand up and began to stroke her back gently, his touch soothing, like a parent comforting a child.

"I know you love my blood. Drink until your tummy’s full." He murmured teasingly.

Carmela wanted to snap at him for treating her like a baby.

But the warmth of his blood hit her veins, and all she could do was tremble against him. Her lips tightened around the wound, her tongue tracing his pulse as she drank greedily.

Her body also relaxed, her muscles unclenching, her shivers fading. Her sighs turned from harsh gasps to soft, content murmurs.

Cassius smiled faintly, continuing to rub her back, whispering low nonsense words, as if lulling her to sleep.

The world slowed to the rhythm of her breathing. The sound of her swallowing was faint, almost tender.

And by the time she finally pulled back, her lips were stained crimson, a thin trickle of blood sliding down her chin. Her body had stopped trembling completely; the wild hunger was gone.

Cassius exhaled softly. "You seem better now." He said, smiling gently. "But maybe you should take a little more—just to make sure you’re really okay?"

Carmela shook her head weakly. "No...I’ve had enough." She murmured, catching her breath.

Then her eyes flicked to his neck and suprisingly guilt came across her face.

"I..." She said quietly, eyes lowering. "I’m sorry for that. For...wounding you like this. I didn’t mean to cause you any pain."

Cassius blinked, caught off guard. He’d never seen her look like that awkward, embarrassed, her tone unsure.

"Oh, wow." He said with a grin. "The mighty Carmela apologizing? I never thought I’d live to see the day."

Her eyes snapped up in a glare, a faint blush rising to her cheeks.

"It’s only natural to feel uncomfortable." She said stiffly. "I hate relying on others. I hate taking favors. I don’t want to owe anyone anything."

She looked away, her voice quieter.

"And now...this happened."

Cassius couldn’t help but smile again. The way she tried to hide her emotions behind that cold glare only made her look more adorable.

"Well, it’s alright." He said softly. "You don’t owe me anything. The wound’s already gone, see?"

He tilted his head slightly, showing her his neck and her eyes widened because the puncture marks were really gone.

’He’s not normal...’ She stared at him in disbelief. ’He’s really not normal especially since vampire bites on humans heal slower then usual to keep the blood flowing.’

But before that thought could deepen, Cassius ruined the moment with a grin.

"Besides.. " He said casually. "You can bite me anytime you want. I get something good out of it too."

Her brow twitched. "What."

"I get to hold you like a little baby and coddle you." He said with a smirk. "That’s a fair deal to me."

She rolled her eyes, muttering something about ’insufferable men’ and ’lecherous nobles,’ but there was a faint pink hue on her face she couldn’t quite hide.

Cassius then leaned back slightly, his tone turning more serious.

"Anyway, more importantly, what exactly was that? You looked like you were in agony."

"Why were you so desperate for my blood?"

He tilted his head, curious.

"Or is that you just wanted human blood and I was simply the closest and most convenient person to get it from?"

"That makes much more sense then you specially wanting my blood."

He chuckled but Carmela didn’t answer and hesitated. For a moment she looked torn, like she didn’t want to speak.

But finally, she sighed. "No. It’s not that."

Her voice turned even timid as she added,

"Even human blood wouldn’t have satisfied me."

Cassius frowned slightly. "Then what was it?"

She met his gaze steadily, her tone quiet but firm.

"It’s your blood, Cassius. It’s your blood I wanted."

He froze. "...Mine?"

"Yes." She said quietly. "Your blood."

"As you know, normally, when vampires get hungry, they need blood."

She went on to quickly explain so that he didn’t misunderstand.

"It’s our main source of vitality, our lifeforce. Without it, vampires grow weak, unstable, and eventually..." She hesitated for a moment before finishing. "...we fade."

Her eyes flickered faintly as she continued,

"Human blood, technically speaking is the most potent of all. It holds far more life energy than any animal could. But even so, we vampires have never truly desired it. Despite what the Church teaches, my kind are not feral monsters."

"We were a peaceful race. We valued restraint. We never wanted to descend into something barbaric—biting, hunting, slaughtering humans for sustenance."

Cassius nodded, listening intently as she spoke.

"So." Carmela went on, her voice steady and thoughtful. "We lived on animal blood. It sustained us well enough, though it was never as nourishing. It was our compromise with humanity. Our way of coexisting."

She gave a faint, almost nostalgic look.

"The blood you sent to my guesthouse—pig, lamb, chicken—it’s the kind I’ve lived on my entire life. It’s what I’m used to."

She paused then, her gaze trembling as it lowered toward him.

"But that all changed the moment you offered me your blood."

"Changed how?" Cassius asked, wondering what he did wrong.

"After the transformation." She said quietly. "When I lost control, when my body was collapsing into madness, your blood was the only thing that stopped it."

"And the moment it entered my body, I felt something...overwhelming. It wasn’t just life-force—it was too much vitality. More than anything I’ve ever experienced."

Her hand clenched slightly. "So much that even hundreds of men combined wouldn’t equal the strength contained in a single drop of your blood."

Cassius’s expression shifted from curiosity to mild astonishment.

"Because of that vitality, you stopped the disaster that day. You stopped me. If you hadn’t offered your blood, I would’ve lost control."

"I would’ve...killed."

"Killed so many people. So many people that the only thing you would be able to smell from the town over would be rotting corpses."

Her expression darkened, her hand tightening slightly.

"And if I had done that...I would’ve taken my own life afterward. I’d rather die than live as a monster who slaughtered innocents."

Cassius watched her carefully, a flicker of admiration crossing his eyes.

’So she really does have that self-righteous streak.’ Ge thought.

Carmela took a slow breath and continued,

"But. there was a side effect. A major one."

Her voice trembled slightly as she went on.

"The moment my body tasted your blood, something changed. It adapted to it. It shaped itself around it."

"And now, it’s as if nothing else will do. Animal blood, human blood—it all feels empty. I can’t even stand the smell of it anymore. It’s useless to me."

Cassius frowned, listening intently.

"Even if I drink it, it does nothing." She said, shaking her head. "It doesn’t calm the hunger. It doesn’t feed me. My body keeps craving the same thing—your blood. It’s like..."

She paused, searching for the right words.

"It’s like I’ve been living my whole life on stale bread and thin soup. But then someone fed me the most exquisite, rich meal imaginable. And now, even though I know I shouldn’t want it, I can’t go back."

She let out a frustrated sigh.

"That’s what’s happening to me. I’m clinging to the table, trying not to take another bite, but my body refuses to move on."

Cassius stared at her, then broke into a smirk.

"So what you’re basically saying is..." He said slowly, amusement flickering in his eyes. "...you tasted my blood once, and it was so damn good you got addicted. You can’t let it go now."

Carmela clenched her jaw, glaring at him, a faint blush of frustration touching her cheeks.

"...Yes." She muttered finally. "That’s...somewhat the case. As infuriating as it is."

She sighed again, this time more softly.

"But it’s not only that. My body is changing inside because of it. I don’t know how or why, but even though I’m still injured and weak, there’s strength building within me. I can feel it."

Cassius tilted his head, his grin widening. "So my blood’s not just keeping you alive, it’s upgrading you."

Her eyes narrowed. "That’s not how I’d phrase it."

"Well, that’s how I would." Cassius said, leaning back with a smug look. "You’re literally getting stronger because of me. So technically, I’m helping you. Healing you. Making you more powerful."

He pretended to think for a moment before adding,

"I should be getting some kind of payment for this."

Carmela gave him a deadpan stare.

"Though." He went on with a grin. "I am the richest noble on the continent, so I don’t need money. Maybe something else. Say...your body?"

He flashed her a deliberately mischievous smile, waiting for her to explode.

But she didn’t.

Instead, Carmela just sighed and looked away, ignoring him entirely.

Cassius blinked, half-surprised. "Wow. No dagger this time?"

She rolled her eyes. "I’ve realized there’s no point wasting energy on someone as insufferable as you."

He chuckled quietly to himself, pleased. ’She’s getting used to me.’ He thought. ’Progress.’

But then his tone shifted again.

"Alright, let’s say this goes on for a while. What happens if I stop giving you my blood? What then?"

"Would it just make you...hungry again? Or something worse?"

Her eyes flickered. "Why do you ask?"

"Curiosity." He said simply. "Would you just...be hungry? Or would it cause real harm?"

Her silence stretched for a moment before she finally answered in a quiet, steady tone like she was already ready to face the consequences,

"I would die."