Chapter 26: Got It!

An hour later.

Two white fluff balls were nestled together, one cradled in the other’s arms, her face serene, breathing steady and even, her slightly raised chest rising and falling gently with each breath.

Aside from their soft breathing, the room was silent.

Suddenly, a pair of crimson eyes snapped open, shattering the tranquil scene.

Stare—

Larvia didn’t stir.

Chloe’s lips curled into a faint smile.

‘I didn’t fall asleep this time!’

Sure, she’d nearly dozed off a few times, but that was definitely because she was tired—not because cuddling with Larvia was too cozy.

Holding her breath, she gently lifted Larvia’s arm from around her waist, slowly raising it.

Then, with a quiet breath, she sat up and carefully placed Larvia’s arm down.

Stare—

Still no movement from Larvia.

‘Big success!’

‘Larvia’s not so tough after all!’

Chloe flashed a smug grin and slipped off the bed.

Tiptoeing to the desk, she silently opened the drawer.

‘It’s gotta be here. I saw it myself last time!’

As the drawer slid open, a small glass bottle of pale yellow liquid appeared.

‘Victory!’

Heart racing, hands trembling!

Chloe licked her lips, shakily picking up the bottle.

She eased the cork out just a sliver, sniffing carefully.

A pungent, spicy stench hit her, and she quickly corked it again.

‘Yup, that’s the stuff!’

Clutching the bottle, she glanced back at the sleeping Larvia.

Stare—

Still nothing.

‘Win, win, win! Total victory!’

‘Not bad for the human Sword Saint, Chloe!’

She slipped on the coat she’d worn over, tucked the garlic juice into her pocket, and headed for the door.

But as her hand touched the doorknob, she paused.

‘If Larvia wakes up tomorrow and I’m gone, won’t she get suspicious?’

Chloe rubbed her chin.

‘Yeah, possible.’

‘Should I hide it somewhere and go back to bed?’

‘Plus, at this hour, if a guard spots me on the way back, I’m screwed.’

Her room was on the second floor, Larvia’s on the third. She’d have to pass the stairs, where guards were sure to be.

‘Better stay with Larvia another night.’

‘The garlic juice can stay in my coat pocket. Larvia won’t touch it.’

‘Yup, that’s the plan.’

Chloe stuffed the bottle deep into her coat pocket, took off the coat, and placed it back where she’d picked it up.

As she turned to return to bed, her attention was caught by the letter on the desk.

Larvia had sealed her reply back in the envelope after finishing.

‘What were those “other things” Larvia mentioned last night?’

Curiosity surged.

Before bed, Larvia had only said there were “other things” without elaborating.

From her demeanor, it didn’t seem like something trivial.

The human forces shouldn’t warrant such urgency, right?

Though they’d sent three fourth-tier mages and a fifth-tier general, that wasn’t something vampires couldn’t handle.

As a superior race, vampires had a natural affinity for magic, far surpassing humans. Their overall strength was greater, limited only by their smaller population.

Not every human could learn magic, but every vampire could. Still, magical aptitude varied among them.

From Chloe’s knowledge of the human church, a fourth-tier mage was bishop-level, and fifth-tier mages were rare across the empire.

But among vampires, based on her observations, even the palace stair guards were fourth-tier.

Vampire generals matched her previous life’s strength.

Tarrilberg, a border city, had even more troops.

So, a human attack shouldn’t require an urgent letter to Larvia.

What could be so pressing?

Curiosity got the better of Chloe, and she opened the envelope.

The letter started with routine reports: enemy numbers, strength, recent battles, city supplies, and so on.

Chloe read carefully but found nothing odd.

Just standard updates. The city had ample supplies, no need for immediate aid, and could hold out for a while.

But when she flipped to the last page, the first line made her pupils shrink to pinpoints.

[Your Majesty, it’s possible we have a traitor among us.]

The next day.

“Hey, wake up.”

“Ugh~”

“Wake up, I need to get up.”

“Guh…”

Chloe opened her eyes to find Larvia staring at her with an exasperated expression.

Turning her head, she realized she’d somehow wrapped herself around Larvia like an octopus again.

‘Weird, I didn’t even dream last night.’

‘Must be because of the letter.’

Last night, the letter’s earlier parts hadn’t seemed strange.

But after reading about a possible traitor, revisiting the earlier sections made everything feel suspicious.

The more she read, the more uneasy she got.

She felt like she’d stumbled onto something she shouldn’t know.

‘Ancestors, please! I don’t want to get mixed up in this!’

She let go, and Larvia finally freed herself.

“Get ready for class.”

“Oh~”

Chloe sat up, then remembered something.

‘Right, the garlic juice!’

She glanced at her coat.

Seeing it undisturbed, with the magical mystery juice still hidden in the pocket, she sighed in relief.

‘Time for class.’

Today was alchemy lab. She needed to step it up.

Even with all the ingredients, she wouldn’t get anywhere if she couldn’t brew the potion.