Chapter 42: Take Me Away, Noah

To Noah, seeing Luoyao safe was more important than anything.

No physical pain could compare to the ache of losing her.

After a tender embrace, Noah noticed a wound on Luoyao’s wrist.

It was fresh, clearly just cut.

She lifted Luoyao’s small hand, gently wiping blood from the wound. “How’d this happen?”

“Um… I did it myself.”

Noah frowned. “Yourself? Why?”

Luoyao curled her legs up, hugging her knees.

She buried half her face in her arms, saying softly, “So… you could find me.”

She closed her eyes, recalling what happened.

“About half an hour after you left, Church zealots swarmed the complex. They blocked all exits. Suyue was with them.

I saw her from the balcony, leading people toward my building. I got… scared. Felt like she was coming for me. So I snuck to the rooftop and barred the door with a stick.

I didn’t dare go home, afraid Suyue was waiting. But I worried you wouldn’t find me when you returned. So I cut a small slit on my wrist…”

Luoyao finished, pursing her lips.

She asked shyly, “Did I… cause you trouble?”

To her, Noah’s battered state was all because she rushed back, fearing Suyue had taken her.

That guilt was hard to shake.

Luoyao’s soft nature made her quick to blame herself.

Seeing Noah so injured, she spiraled deeper into self-doubt.

“Don’t say that. You didn’t cause trouble.”

“But… I’m so clumsy… I almost got caught by Suyue…”

Noah reached out, patting Luoyao’s head.

Seeing her guilty look, she wanted to tease her a bit.

But the mood wasn’t right for flirting.

So she said gently, “Clumsy? Hardly. You escaped here before Suyue could find you. You even cut your wrist, enduring the pain, so I could find you. That’s not smart?”

Her words weren’t just lover’s comfort.

They were Noah’s honest thoughts.

Luoyao, a simple shut-in artist, lived off freelance work a month ago.

Facing the Church’s hunt, she stayed calm and thought of this plan.

That was already clever—impressive, even.

Most ordinary girls would’ve frozen in fear.

“Really…?”

“Totally. Didn’t you say before, you might seem a bit ditzy, but you’re super sharp?”

“Pfft—”

Luoyao giggled, wiping tears on her arm.

She sniffled. “So, Suyue knows about us now. With her extreme personality, she won’t let us off easy. What… do we do now?”

Luoyao’s home wasn’t safe anymore.

With Suyue’s relentless style, she wouldn’t stop just because she missed Luoyao tonight.

This wasn’t just a “Church vs. vampires” conflict anymore.

It involved a third party in their relationship.

Noah and Luoyao were true lovers.

But Suyue had her own feelings for Luoyao.

Those feelings weren’t deep, maybe not even “love.”

Her “liking” might just be superficial.

But Suyue’s fiery temper and possessiveness couldn’t tolerate her crush being with her hated vampire.

Killing Noah wasn’t just about “Church duty” anymore.

It was personal revenge.

With the Church’s annual sweep, Suyue had ample resources.

Facing her head-on wasn’t wise.

Vampires’ numbers made large-scale conflict with the Church impossible.

Noah could only think of one solution.

“How about I take you to the castle?”

The castle was the safest place.

For now, at least.

For centuries, vampires hid there, far from the city, evading the Church.

It sheltered the monster girls reliably.

A large building in the woods could be spotted.

But vampires used “arcane arts” to conceal each castle.

Uninvited humans could never find it.

“The castle…”

Luoyao hesitated.

Their brief separation was over this very issue.

Without Suyue’s interference, Noah might’ve stayed at Luoyao’s rental long-term.

It was the best solution then.

But Suyue’s threat forced them to leave this temporary haven.

“Don’t worry, the castle’s safe. I promise, you won’t have to stay there forever. Once this blows over, if it’s safe, you can move back. Or I’ll go with you to another city. Whatever you want.”

Vampires couldn’t just leave a familiar hunting ground.

Each was managed by different vampires.

Outsiders struggled to be accepted.

Fifteen years ago, Noah took ages to gain Huangwei’s group’s trust.

Even with the “we’re all Yelan’s kids, so we’re sisters” card.

But no matter how hard it was to fit in, Noah would try for Luoyao.

Wherever her little dummy went, she’d follow.

Luoyao bit her lip, torn.

She’d resisted the castle to live freely as a human.

But now, with Suyue enraged, staying in the city was risky.

She might wake to Suyue’s gun in her face.

What freedom was there without life?

And… those forty-five days apart taught her something.

She couldn’t live without Noah.

Even if their love was a forbidden cross-species bond.

Even if countless trials awaited them.

Even if a maniac with bone-titanium bullets hunted them.

She didn’t want to part from Noah again.

Separation was unbearable.

No need to overthink.

Luoyao’s answer was clear—

“Take me away, Noah.”