Chapter 564: I Want To Get Under Your Skirt

Cassius froze. "...Die?"

She nodded. "My body is changing on the inside right now. Evolving. It needs a constant source of energy to sustain the process."

"If I suddenly stop feeding from that source and replace it with something weaker, my body will begin to consume itself. The transformation will turn inward."

"I’ll wither from within until there’s nothing left."

Cassius frowned. "...That’s not good."

"It’s irreversible." She said calmly. "Once started, the process must be completed. Otherwise..."

She trailed off, while he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"How long do you think this will last? Until you’re back to normal?"

"I don’t know." She admitted. "A few weeks, maybe a few months. But it will end. Eventually, my body will stabilize, and I’ll no longer need your blood."

Cassius leaned back, tapping his chin. Then a sly, almost devilish grin crossed his face.

"I see. Then, purely for the sake of discussion, what would you do if I decided I didn’t want to give you blood anymore?"

Carmela looked up slowly, eyes narrowing.

"Say I claim I’m anemic." Cassius went on, pretending to look thoughtful. "Say I tell you I can’t afford to lose any more blood, and I stop altogether. What then? What would you do?"

He watched her closely, curious to see her reaction.

Carmela was silent for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then, slowly, she said,

"If that were your choice...I would simply let myself die."

"...You’re serious?" His smile faltered.

"Yes."

"You wouldn’t...I don’t know, beg a little? Try to convince me?"

Carmela’s eyes were calm and unwavering.

"No. If you refuse, then that’s your choice. I won’t grovel for blood like some starving beast. If my time comes, I’ll leave this place quietly and find somewhere to end it on my own terms."

Hearing this, Cassius stared at her in silence.

The faint light flickered across her pale face and there was such resolute peace in her expression—it startled him.

"...You’d really just let yourself die?" He asked once again.

She nodded. "I’ve already lived longer than I should have. If this is how I go, so be it."

"Not to mention that I’ve already depended on you more then I ever should, so if you really don’t want to give me your blood, then I will leave soon and not bother you anymore."

And true to his words she actually tried to get up from his lap and leave, which made Cassius panic.

"Hold up—hold up." He said quickly, reaching out and placing a hand on her shoulder pulling her down. "I was joking. Alright? Just joking."

She looked at him briefly, but didn’t shrug him off.

"I’m not letting you die over something like that." He said more carefully seeing how sensitive she. "You can have as much blood as you want. Whenever you need it. And until your body’s fully healed, this place—my estate is your home."

"You can stay as long as you like."

Carmela stared, her expression warming slightly—just barely.

Cassius smiled faintly. "And if you ever need more blood." He said with a wink. "I’ll make sure the supply never runs dry."

For a heartbeat, he thought she might respond with a polite thank you or perhaps refuse out of pride.

Carmela, after all, was self-reliant to the core; she disliked owing anyone anything, even when half-dead.

He expected a curt nod, or maybe that distant, icy dismissal she so often used.

But she didn’t do either.

Instead, she simply stood there, staring at him, her crimson eyes glinting faintly, glowing in the dim candlelight.

The look she gave him wasn’t angry nor grateful; it was sharp, analytical. She was studying him, like she was trying to read something deep beneath his skin.

The kind that made Cassius feel like he was being dissected without a knife.

He shifted slightly, clearing his throat. "...Carmela?"

She didn’t answer.

Her stare only deepened and he found himself genuinely unnerved.

’Is she...trying to figure out how best to kill me, or—’

Before he could finish the thought, she spoke.

"Why do you care so much?"

Cassius was thrown off guard. "Huh?"

"Why do you care if I live or die?" She repeated, her voice low but firm, her eyes still fixed on his. "We are, technically, strangers. Even after all this time, even after what’s happened—you’ve already helped me far more than you needed to."

She leaned forward slightly, her tone colder now.

"You had every reason to leave me to my fate. So why do you go out of your way to help someone like me—someone who’s tried to attack you, who’s nearly killed you more than once?"

Her stare didn’t waver as she said with finality,

"What exactly is your reason, Cassius?"

After saying this, she could almost hear what he was going to say—something flowery, noble, romantic.

Something like "Because I care about you." or "Because you’re worth saving."

The kind of line a naive hero would use.

But that wasn’t Cassius.

He let the silence stretch, and then smiled that sly, devilish smile of his.

"That’s quite obvious." He said at last. "I’m doing all of this because I want to get under your skirt."

Her eyes widened slightly—more from sheer disbelief than outrage.

"Or..." He added casually. "In a more subtle way, I wouldn’t mind sharing a blanket with you."

The audacity of it left her momentarily speechless.

She blinked, processing the words, before her face twisted into something between horror and exasperation.

"You—"

But Cassius continued before she could even scold him.

"Now, now, before you pull your dagger out again, let me explain."

He gestured lazily. "You see, I’ve got quite a few women around me already. Lovely, talented, charming, devoted—they’re wonderful company, inside and outside the bedroom."

Carmela groaned audibly, rubbing her temples.

"But..." He went on, his tone softening ever so slightly. "I’ve never been with a vampire before. And not just any vampire—but one like you. Beautiful. Regal. Proud. Unreachable."

"The idea of having someone like you. It’s...fascinating."

He chuckled. "Just the thought of it puts a smile on my face."

Her glare deepened, but she stayed silent, waiting for whatever absurd line would come next.

"And my plan..." He said, gesturing lazily. "...is simple. I’ll keep supplying you my blood. We’ll spend time together. I’ll help you recover. And maybe—just maybe—somewhere along the line, you’ll start to like me. Maybe even fall for me."

He leaned forward with that same disarming grin.

"Because let’s be honest—flattery and sweet words won’t work on someone like you. You’re too proud and smart for that."

"But time, effort, and persistence? That might."

He paused, smiling wider.

"So yes. To put it simply, I want to get with you and that’s all there is to it."

Hearing this, Carmela stared at him, expression frozen somewhere between disbelief and fury, not knowing what to make of it.

Finally, she shook her head and muttered,

"With that horrendous comment, how are you so confident I won’t just slit your throat right here and now?"

Cassius didn’t flinch. If anything, his smile only sharpened.

"Because..." He said evenly. "Right now, you’re depending on me."

Her eyes narrowed.

"If I die here..." He continued, voice steady. "...you don’t walk away victorious. You go with me. You need my blood, Carmela. Kill me now, and you’ll be condemning yourself right alongside me."

But to this she scoffed, the sound harsh and bitter. "You’re assuming I care." She snapped. "I already told you, I’m not afraid of dying."

"And even if I killed you.." She added with mischief in her eyes. "I could take your body away to keep your blood fresh, ration out your blood, and maybe keep myself alive a little longer."

"What do you think about that?"

But instead of being afraid like Carmela thought he would be, Cassius grinned wider, leaning back like she’d just recited a love poem.

"Oh, how romantic."

Carmela blinked. "Romantic?"

He clasped a hand over his heart dramatically.

"Normally, when a woman’s lover dies, she buries him in the ground, lights a few candles, and moves on. But you, Carmela—you’d drag my corpse around with you everywhere you go, just to keep me close."

He gave a delighted laugh. "That’s devotion. You love me so much you can’t even let my body go! Truly romantic."

Hearing this, she gave him a long, tired stare. Then she sighed—a deep, frustrated sigh that almost sounded like defeat.

"You..." She muttered. "...are the most irritating, infuriating man I’ve ever met."

Cassius only grinned brighter. "I’ve heard that before. Usually right before they fall for me."

She rolled her eyes, muttering something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like a curse. But just as she turned away, a tiny twitch pulled at the corner of her lips.

And Cassius caught it instantly.

"You smiled." He said, pointing at her triumphantly. "You just smiled!"

"I did not."

"You did! I saw it!"

"You’re imagining things." She said flatly. "You’ve lost a lot of blood; dizziness is normal. Hallucinations are common."

"...Perhaps you’re delusional."

Cassius grinned knowingly, leaning back in his chair again. "Oh, no, I know what I saw."

And though she rolled her eyes, muttering something about ’idiotic nobles’ under her breath, Cassius could see it, beneath the irritation and the stubborn pride—

—Carmela was softening, little by little.

And that, to him, was a victory far sweeter than any blood she could take.