Taming My Vampire Servant

Ivory felt like everything that was clouded became clearer. Their hunches were right. Othello Miller was up to something.

She felt pity on Mona, who thought that her dear husband loved her devotedly. She realized the sad truth that not all couples were faithful and loyal like her foster parents.

"By the way, where in town is 'that place'?" she inquired. They gave confused looks, wondering why the young woman was so interested.

"Why, are you one of the chief's mistresses?" the man across from her asked.

Ivory immediately shook her head, "Of course not! It's just my curiosity pitching in. I am new in town, and I want to know my new living environment."

"Apologies if your new living environment isn't so good," a guard said sarcastically, and they all laughed.

The town guard then said, "That place… is Miss Vica's house."

While Ivory was gathering information, the bell on the door rang, and Sigmund and Lycus infiltrated the jewelry store. The silver-haired Master was on alert in case any of the guards heard the sound of the bell, but the good thing was they were all laughing and enjoying the soup she had brought. 

Lucius, on the other hand, stood in front of the store while holding his warm Golem Servant in its inactive state, which kept him warm. Using fire magic was not the option at that time because it might gain the passersby's attention.

The rumbling sound that the Vampire was hearing before was gone. He asked Lycus if he smelled something odd, but he shook his head. Guessing that nobody was inside the store, the two of them opened the back door.

As soon as they entered, they widened their eyes when they saw the numerous wall-mounted wooden shelves with many excavated ores at the size of a fist. At the middle was a long working table, complete with tools like hammers, knives, and saws of different shapes and sizes. The shopkeeper was not lying; it was indeed a workshop.

The two of them parted; Lycus started searching the shelf on the left, while Sigmund on the right. They carefully examined each excavated ore, and when they finished, they looked over the scrolls on a separate shelf. They were all lists of acquired ores and sent out jewelries which were sold to different cities. 

Realizing that the missing scrolls were not there, they hurriedly ran out of the room and waited for the time when no one passed by before they stepped out of the door.

Exactly when they were all outside already, they saw Ivory wave her hands to the guards.

"Miss Sprucemint, if you need help, you can come here anytime. The potato soup was delicious!" one of the guards said enthusiastically.

"Yes, he's right," the other one said, "How about I bring your pot. It is not befitting to a pretty lady like you to carry something like this. Where do you stay?"

When Sigmund heard this, he immediately went to them and took the empty pot from him. "I can do it. Let's go, Ivory."

"But- Uhm, Sigmund!" she couldn't retort, her jealous Servant suddenly took her wrist with his free hand and pulled her out of the scene. Lucius and Lycus looked at each other and followed them.

There was silence while the two of them walked on the snowy ground while the Werewolf Servant and the blonde-haired Master silently walked behind the two. Ivory didn't know what to say. When they finally arrived at Precious Inn, Ivory signaled Lucius and Lycus to not follow them, and the two already knew what she meant and nodded to her request. 

Ivory was pulled inside her room, and she watched Sigmund place the pot atop the table. 

"I knew it. I shouldn't have let you go there alone," he clicked his tongue. "Those beasts…!"

"You know that the plan will only be effective only with me. If you're there, or if it was Lucius, they'd probably be suspicious before even entering the door."

Sigmund furrowed his eyebrows. "I just do not want them to think you're available to have a lover."

"But Sigmund… I do not have a lover… It means I am available to have one, right?" she peered into his eyes.

Ivory had been thinking about it. Everything that Lucius said the other day was true. It was only her selfishness that made her deny everything to herself, when in fact, all the answers were already laid down before her.

It was the answer to her lingering feelings.

Isn't the best way to move on from her impossible love is to try to learn how to love another man?

When Sigmund heard her say that she's interested in having a new lover, his crimson-red eyes glowed. No, he wouldn't let Ivory have a lover or any men in her life anymore. Even Lycus was a problem for taking some of her time that should be spent for him alone. The Vampire Servant wanted her to become his, even though not as a lover. 

The possessive Vampire did not want her to move on from him!

When Ivory saw his eyes glow, she told him in a serious tone while gripping his biceps, "Lose control one more time, or I'll get mad at you," and she let her Silverblade mana envelop her and her light blue irises glowed. 

The two of them stared at each other with their glowing irises as if they were in a staring contest. 

But eventually, it was Sigmund who gave up. His eyes stopped glowing, "I do not want you to meet another scumbag like that redhead," he was referring to Jasiel Redlock, his Master's first lover who turned out to be a playboy. Fortunately, Sigmund had already taught him a lesson and he straightened up. 

He did not want another Jasiel in Ivory's life! 

"Sigmund," she patted his shoulder and said in a soft voice, "I… I am thinking… If one day, there's a man who wants me to be his lover… I think I'd agree…"

"You stupid woman, a lover will only interfere with our mission!"

"I'm not saying I'd get a lover at this time," Ivory explained. She was trying hard to reason out with herself. "I mean… in the future… you won't get mad at me, right?"

Sigmund felt his heart breaking. Did she mean that she's already set on abandoning his feelings for him? 

This was the saddest thing when having a heart that was almost like a human's. It hurt him the most. Sigmund could already feel the pain of not being with the love of his life, but at the same, he could not really do anything about it because he was just a mere Servant. He knew that even if they confessed their feelings to each other in the future, there would be no guarantee that their relationship would last long. 

Who knows when Goddess Destinia would separate the two of them?

Words were not enough to express how bad the pain he felt at that time. Not wanting to answer her with a lie, he turned away from her, and carried the empty pot in his arms.

"Where are you going?" Ivory asked. 

"Away from you," he answered, then opened the door, "I'll return this to the kitchen," then he left her alone in the cold room.

When the door closed, Ivory pursed her lips, wondering if she did the right thing. She doubted herself when she'd be able to keep it up. 

At that point, she chose to do what is right and according to Goddess Destinia's values. She just hoped she wouldn't regret it.

Lucius saw Sigmund placing the pot at the kitchen counter with a bothered expression. He asked, "What happened?"

"It's nothing, rich boy," he sighed. Seeing that the blonde young man kept on staring at him as if waiting for his response, he eventually spoke, "Fine, I'll tell you because I don't have anyone else to tell."

The two of them knocked at Lycus' door and asked him to watch over Ivory. They said that they will be investigating around town and look for shopkeeper Vica's house.

On the almost empty streets of Topazeon, Sigmund spoke with breath vapor coming out from his mouth, "Ivory told me that she's open to have a new lover."

Lucius was surprised that the Vampire actually opened up to him. It was unlike him to do it, but seeing how he looked distressed, he guessed he needed to let his feelings out. It must have felt really bad.

"Honestly, I do not know what triggered her to do it… Maybe it was because she got surrounded by many men a while ago at the town guards' office?" he messed up his jet black hair. "Damn it! I shouldn't have let her do it!"

Unbeknownst to Sigmund, the person he was talking to was already feeling guilty. Lucius' words might have finally gotten through to his fragile sister who cannot resist falling in love with the wrong person. He kept quiet as the Vampire badmouthed the town guards, while he thought of what he should tell him. 

As the person who knew the Vampire's secret feelings for his own Master, and also as the person who told Ivory to stop her ridiculous impossible love for his own Servant, he felt very responsible for the mess!

They continued walking around the small community, when suddenly, Sigmund saw Othello by one of the houses' windows. There, he was laughing with Vica. The two hid behind the stone fence, while Sigmund tried to listen to their conversation.

But before he even heard a sound, a purple-haired young man suddenly spoke on the other side of the stone fence, "You two… What are you doing there?"