Chapter 43: Abandonment

Xiaan’s mental state seemed worse than before.

But she was alive.

That was the greatest comfort to Luoyao.

Xiaan, seeing Luoyao, couldn’t hide her excitement.

She started to smile and approach.

But her gaze caught Noah beside her.

She froze.

Her smile vanished.

The joy of reuniting with an old friend dissolved.

Over a month ago, Luoyao stopped attending classes.

Xiaan feared something had happened to her.

She cautiously asked Huangwei about Luoyao’s whereabouts.

Hearing “Luoyao’s safe, just left the castle,” Xiaan relaxed.

Her friend had escaped a nightmare.

Xiaan was genuinely happy for her.

She didn’t see it as disloyal.

Being kept like a pet was torment.

But why was Luoyao back with this silver-haired vampire?

Xiaan didn’t know how to greet her.

Say, “Welcome back to this torturous hell”?

Or, in front of a vampire, “How’d you get dragged back by these awful creatures”?

Neither… felt right.

“What’s wrong, Xiaan? You don’t seem happy to see me,” Luoyao said, smiling, stepping forward.

“No, I’m not unhappy… just, um…”

Xiaan stammered, afraid to voice her thoughts.

Her eyes flicked to Noah.

Even without mind-reading, Noah guessed what the young human was thinking.

“Hey, I didn’t drag her back. She came willingly,” Noah said, arms crossed, tone flat.

Eager to clarify their non-master-servant bond, Noah sounded a bit sharp.

She meant no harm.

But to Xiaan, scarred by vampire torment, it felt like Noah was angry.

“Ah, sorry, sorry! I didn’t mean that, I just…”

Xiaan backed up, head lowered, apologizing. “Really, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to offend you. Please don’t… don’t hurt me…”

Luoyao watched, stunned, then heartbroken.

Xiaan used to be spirited.

Now, her edges were worn down.

If a vampire seemed displeased, all she could do was apologize and beg.

“Don’t be so harsh, you’re scaring her,” Luoyao said, turning to Noah.

Noah spread her hands innocently.

She mimed zipping her lips, then stood quietly behind Luoyao, silent.

“It’s okay, Xiaan, she’s not mad,” Luoyao soothed.

“Huh? …You get along so well with your master?”

Luoyao scratched her hair, blushing. “Pretty well, I guess. Um… she’s right. I came back willingly.”

“Why…?”

“You escaped this place. Why come back?” Xiaan’s voice was soft.

She still feared saying something to anger the vampire behind Luoyao.

Noah was frowning, staring at Luoyao.

She looked unhappy…

Xiaan didn’t dare speak freely.

Unbeknownst to her, Noah’s frown wasn’t about their talk.

The tease of a vampire was eyeing Luoyao’s backside, plotting how to make it sting louder tonight.

“Why come back…?”

“It’s, um… complicated. I’ll explain later.”

Luoyao couldn’t unpack it all now.

She brushed it off, promising to tell Xiaan later.

Xiaan bit her lip, not pressing.

She changed the topic. “Will you keep coming to classes with me?”

“Of course! You’re the only person I know here. I’ll stick with you.”

“Thanks…”

“No problem.” Luoyao paused, then asked, “Oh, where’s your master?”

Xiaan shook her head. “She went to the city for new prey. Been gone a few days. Probably… tangled up with some woman in bed now.”

Most vampires didn’t cling to one prey long.

Even kept blood slaves were rarely held past six months.

Some only lasted weeks.

Seeking thrills and novelty was their nature.

Noah’s devotion was rare, almost unheard of.

As for abandoned blood slaves…

Lucky ones might catch another vampire’s eye, surviving a bit longer.

Unlucky ones were cast out of the castle.

Left to fend for themselves.

If Xiaan’s master returned with a new woman, Xiaan’s blood s*ave days were likely over.

What came next… depended on her fate.

“Don’t overthink it. Take these days to rest,” Luoyao said, comforting her.

She stepped forward to pat Xiaan’s shoulder.

But as her hand touched Xiaan’s skin, Xiaan flinched back.

“What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?” Luoyao asked, worried.

“No…”

Xiaan clutched her shoulder, head down, face pained.

She bit her lip, saying nothing.

Finally, she mumbled, “I’m heading to class. See you later.”

She hurried toward the castle’s top floor.

Her fading footsteps left Luoyao confused.

She turned to Noah. “Why’s Xiaan like this?”

Noah shrugged. “She feels her master’s about to ditch her. She’s upset.”

“But if her master abandons her, isn’t she free?”

Noah burst out laughing.

She stepped forward, patting Luoyao’s head. “Don’t be silly, my little dummy. Think about it. This is vampire central. For humans, their master is their only protection. Once abandoned, they’re lambs to the slaughter.

Many blood slaves get tortured to death by four or five vampires. Or left to rot in the wild.”

“What about Xiaan…?” Luoyao trailed off, afraid to imagine her fate.

“I don’t know if her master’s found a new s*ave,” Noah said.

She draped her arms over Luoyao’s shoulders, leaning in.

Their foreheads touched, noses brushing.

She smiled gently. “But if you don’t want your friend hurt, I can send her back to the city later. Or, if she can’t adjust to human life, I can find her a reliable new master.”

Luoyao blinked, raising an eyebrow, smirking. “So kind to her, huh? Got a crush on her or what?”

Next second—

“Hey, hey, hey—I’m kidding! Don’t tickle me!”

“Alright, alright, I know you only tease me! Stop, stop!”