Chapter 12: Tenderness and Her

Luoyao’s body was still weak.

So Noah didn’t linger with her too long.

About twenty minutes later, the supermarket delivery arrived.

Noah carried fresh white mushroom and red dates to the kitchen.

She might not be great with phones.

They updated every few months, and those out of touch with tech naturally struggled.

But kitchen tools were straightforward.

Their uses boiled down to heating raw food until it was cooked—simple.

Noah donned an apron, tying her silver hair into a casual ponytail.

She rolled up her sleeves, boiled water, and prepped rock sugar and goji berries.

She soaked the white mushroom and pitted the red dates, setting them aside.

Her movements were fluid, seamless.

One couldn’t help but wonder if this vampire honed her cooking skills alongside hunting humans.

Well, it was plausible.

To drink the healthiest, tastiest blood, Noah had reason to learn blood-replenishing dishes.

So her making white mushroom and red date soup made perfect sense.

After soaking the mushrooms, Noah tossed the ingredients into the pot.

She covered it and set it to boil on high heat.

It would be ready in about an hour.

While waiting, Noah returned to the bedroom to check on Luoyao.

Vampires moved silently, their footsteps barely audible.

When she quietly reached the bedroom door, she saw Luoyao engrossed in her phone.

The girl hadn’t noticed Noah standing there.

‘Humans without phones are like vampires without blood,’ Noah thought, amused.

She walked over and snatched the phone from Luoyao’s hands.

“Hey, hey, what’re you doing?”

“Staring at bright screens in the dark for too long can hurt your eyes,” Noah said sternly. “You’ll go blind.”

“Ugh, you sound like my mom…”

“Call me Mommy.”

“…Weirdo!”

Noah sat on the bed’s edge, letting Luoyao’s head rest gently on her shoulder.

She said, “You know, you actually had a chance to call me that.”

“No thanks! Give that chance to someone else!”

Luoyao bickered reflexively but paused, then asked, “Why, though? Aren’t we master and servant?”

“While I’m keeping you as a blood s*ave, yes, we’re master and servant.”

Noah explained patiently, “But if I got the urge to turn you into a vampire…”

“Then, by vampire ethics, I’d be your mother.”

Luoyao grimaced. “You vampires are so messed up.”

Noah raised an eyebrow, gently lifting Luoyao’s chin to meet her gaze.

Her radiant crimson eyes locked onto her, asking softly, “So… dear human miss, want to be my progeny?”

“No way! I’d be crazy to ditch being human for that!” Luoyao shook her head, brushing off Noah’s fingers.

“What’s so bad about being a vampire?”

“What’s so good about it?”

Noah tilted her head, gazing at the dark night outside.

She said wistfully,

“As a vampire, you’d never worry about aging or illness. No human laws or rules would bind you. You’d be a top predator. Everyone in this city could be your meal, and you could—”

“Sounds like the evil big bad in a game,” Luoyao interrupted sincerely, cutting off Noah’s last words.

Noah didn’t respond immediately.

She swallowed the unspoken “and you could be with me forever.”

Taking a deep breath, she exhaled slowly. “Yeah, I’m the big bad. And you? You’re the little dummy.”

“I’m not dumb! Sure, these past few days you might think I’m a bit slow, but most of the time, I’m sharp as heck!”

Noah chuckled fondly, pinching Luoyao’s nose. “Alright, alright, you’re not dumb at all.”

Luoyao: “╭(╯^╰)╮ Hmph~”

Chatting, time passed quickly.

An hour later, Noah went to the kitchen.

She ladled the finished white fungus and red date soup into a small bowl.

Grabbing a spoon, she returned to the bedroom.

She sat sideways on the bed, stirring the soup gently.

Pouting her red lips, she blew softly to cool it down.

When it seemed ready, Noah brought the bowl and spoon to Luoyao’s mouth.

A small spoonful held a red date and some broth.

“Come on, open up~~” Noah prompted.

“Ah~~” Luoyao obeyed.

A warm sip of sweet, soft soup warmed her stomach.

Her heart warmed too.

In her past life in the real world or this game world, no one had ever cared for Luoyao like this.

People admired independent, strong girls.

But they didn’t see the years of hardship and loneliness behind it.

Luoyao never complained about her struggles.

She knew no one truly understood.

Being alone wasn’t something to change—it became a habit.

Before Noah took her, she’d never lived so closely with anyone.

She admitted, being with Noah felt relaxing, comfortable.

Aside from having her blood taken, her life was far more interesting than before.

And… even the blood-taking, the so-called “vampire’s kiss,” was only painful for a few seconds.

Most of it was physical intimacy and a melding of souls.

In bed, Noah was a teasing, slightly naughty vampire who pouted without kisses.

Out of bed, she was a gentle, caring neighborly sister, always putting Luoyao’s feelings first.

This bowl of soup wasn’t just sweet and delicious.

It carried Noah’s care and tenderness for Luoyao.

She patiently fed her, spoonful by spoonful, blowing each one cool to avoid burning her lips.

The repetitive act was simple, yet Noah executed every detail flawlessly.

Soon, the bowl was empty.

Noah set it aside, wiping a bit of broth from Luoyao’s lips with a smile. “Want anything else?”

“I’m full.”

“Good.”

Noah paused, her expression turning serious, as if she had something to say.

Luoyao tilted her head, noticing the subtle change. “Why so glum all of a sudden?”

“Oh… not glum. Just… um…”

“Just what?”

“Just wanted to ask you something.”

Noah bit her lip, hesitating, then asked carefully,

“Do you… want to go back to the castle with me?”