Lilliana Roseblood POV
'Ahhh! What is wrong with me!'
The morning sun filtered through the academy grounds as Lilliana walked briskly toward class F, one hand clutching her head while the other hugged her bag tightly against her chest.
If anyone were watching closely, they might have noticed the faint twitch of her ears or the way her steps faltered every few seconds, as though her thoughts kept tripping her up.
The reason she was so flustered was painfully clear to her.
Last night.
More specifically, after last night.
When Soren had finally left her dorm, she had spent several minutes standing there in silence, staring at the table where the bowl had been placed.
The blood inside had already begun to cool, the metallic scent lingering faintly in the air.
She had intended to clean it up immediately, of course, but she had hesitated.
There had still been so much left.
And because she was already full, she had decided to store it away properly, sealing it for later use like she had done with livestock blood countless times before.
That "later use," however, had ended up being this morning's breakfast.
Her ears burned as she remembered it.
It wasn't just that she had drunk it.
It was how easy it had been.
No hesitation.
No disgust.
No need to brace herself like she usually did with livestock blood or standard blood packs.
She hadn't even realised she was finished until the container was empty and she was left staring at the bottom in stunned silence.
'Why…?'
She squeezed her eyes shut as she walked.
'Why can't I stop thinking about it?'
Every time her thoughts wandered, even for a moment, they inevitably circled back to the same memory.
Soren sitting on the edge of her chair.
Sitting on his lap.
Her teeth piercing his skin.
The warmth.
The rush.
The euphoria.
The way her entire body had gone light, almost numb, as if she were floating.
She pressed her palms against her cheeks, willing the heat to fade.
She couldn't forget the euphoria she had felt as she drank his blood.
It was unlike anything she had ever experienced before, and that terrified her more than she cared to admit.
Up until now, all the blood she had ever consumed had come from livestock, diluted sources, or preserved packs.
That was normal, safe, controlled.
This wasn't.
Even so, when she had tried to drink her regular blood packs earlier that morning, she had gagged almost immediately.
The taste had been wrong.
Bitter.
Flat.
Lifeless.
She had ended up spitting it out and rinsing her mouth repeatedly with water, her stomach churning.
'Why does everything else taste awful now…?'
Her grip tightened on her bag.
She knew, logically, that this reaction made sense.
Fresh blood carried mana and vitality; it was natural for her body to respond more strongly, but knowing why didn't make it any less unsettling.
'What is happening to me…?'
She covered her face briefly, slowing her pace.
And worse than the taste, worse than the hunger, was the other problem.
Her heart.
Every time she remembered last night, it raced.
Not out of fear.
Not out of hunger.
But something else.
Something she didn't have a name for.
'Why was my heart racing?'
She didn't understand it at all.
She knew she wasn't in love.
That idea didn't make sense no matter how she tried to look at it.
Love was slow and thoughtful, built over time.
And Soren didn't even fit her ideal type.
Up until now, she had always imagined herself drawn to someone older.
Someone tall, broad-shouldered, with a strong presence, someone who felt dependable in an almost oppressive way.
Soren was the complete opposite.
His build was slim, almost delicate.
His features were soft enough that more than a few students had mistaken him for a girl, and his voice certainly didn't help matters.
If his voice had been even slightly masculine, the rumours might have died down on their own.
Instead, it sat in an awkward middle ground, clear, gentle, and androgynous enough to fuel misunderstandings endlessly.
Even Lilliana herself had hesitated more than once when she first met him, uncertain of how to address him properly.
She had never brought it up, of course.
The risk of offending him had been too great.
So why…
Why was this affecting her so much?
Her head throbbed as she replayed the image of his neck in her mind, pale and exposed, the faint rise and fall of his breathing right beneath her mouth.
She barely noticed she had reached her destination until her hand touched the classroom door.
Class F.
She reached out, fingers brushing the handle—and opened it.
And then immediately slammed it shut.
BANG.
She crouched down instinctively, heart pounding.
'I'm going to go insane.'
Through the brief gap before the door closed, she had seen him.
Soren.
More specifically…
'What are you doing, Ren…?'
Normally, Soren either tied his hair into a low ponytail that rested over his shoulder or left it loose altogether.
But today…
Today, for some unfathomable reason, he had tied it up properly, pulling all of it back.
Exposing his neck completely.
Ordinarily, this wouldn't have been an issue.
She was a professional, a professor.
She had taught countless students without incident.
But her senses were still heightened from the previous night's bloodsucking.
Her breath came out shaky.
"Hooo…"
She forced herself to inhale slowly, steadying her heartbeat before standing back up.
'Get a grip, Lilliana.'
Straightening her posture, she opened the door again and entered the classroom, carefully keeping her gaze low and away from Soren's seat.
A few students glanced at her curiously, likely because of the earlier door slam, but no one commented.
She moved to the front of the room and began roll call, eyes fixed firmly on the list in her hands.
She paused.
"Re—Soren Arden."
Her breath caught.
She had almost called him Ren.
Her ears burned.
She wanted nothing more than to sink through the floor and vanish, but instead she forced herself to continue, voice steady despite the chaos in her head.
The homeroom session passed without incident, but her stiff posture and clipped responses didn't go unnoticed.
By the end of the morning, a rumour began to spread that Lilliana Roseblood was on her period.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
Once lunch arrived, Lilliana, as usual, asked Soren to eat together.
Normally, it was routine, quiet, familiar, something she could rely on.
Today, it felt like a mistake the moment she sat down.
She had made sure to ask him beforehand if he could keep Amelia from coming along.
She told herself it was because she needed to talk to him privately, but even she knew that wasn't the full truth.
Still, Soren had agreed without hesitation, which surprised her more than it should have.
Then, at some point she couldn't clearly remember, that distance disappeared.
Their shoulders were close enough that she could feel the warmth coming off him whenever he moved.
It caught her off guard, and her first instinct was to shift away, but she didn't.
'When did we get this close?'
The thought made her chest feel tight.
Stranger still was the reluctance that followed, the quiet resistance in her body when she considered moving away.
It was unsettling, and she hated that she noticed it at all.
She focused on her food, telling herself to calm down.
That lasted all of ten seconds.
"Lilly?" Soren's voice was soft, as usual. "Are you sick?"
Her grip on her cutlery tightened slightly.
She wanted to say yes.
She wanted to get up, excuse herself, and disappear back to her dorm before she embarrassed herself further.
But she knew how that would look to him.
He would worry, ask questions, and hover in that gentle, earnest way of his that made it impossible for her to lie properly.
So she simply shook her head and kept eating.
That was when the real problem started.
Eating reminded her of last night.
The taste.
The warmth.
The way her thoughts had gone hazy the moment his blood touched her tongue.
Her eyes drifted, unbidden, to his neck.
Unlike usual, it was completely exposed.
His hair was tied up neatly, leaving pale skin bare to the air, the line of his throat clear and unguarded.
She swallowed hard and forced herself to look away.
Then she saw them.
Two small dots.
Perfectly placed.
Her entire body went cold.
'Oh my god.'
Her mind screamed even as she froze in place, staring before she could stop herself.
'He's just… showing them off like that? Is he insane? Doesn't he realise?'
Heat rushed to her face, equal parts embarrassment and irritation.
Anyone could see them if they looked closely enough.
Anyone could guess.
The thought made her stomach twist unpleasantly.
At the same time, another feeling crept in, sharp, insistent, and far more dangerous.
Hunger.
Her fingers curled against the edge of the desk.
She forced herself to look back at her food, but the taste had dulled again, her appetite suddenly focused on something else entirely.
It was too much.
She had reached her limit.
It was all too much for poor little Lilly.
SLAM!
The sound echoed louder than she intended as she slammed her hand down on the desk and stood abruptly.
Soren looked up at her, startled, confusion written plainly across his face.
"Can—"
She stopped herself, breath hitching.
"What's wrong, Lilly?"
Her body shivered.
Just hearing her nickname in that tone made her nerves spark painfully, and she hated herself for reacting so strongly.
She clenched her hands into fists at her sides, nails digging into her palms as she tried to steady herself.
"Can you… cover up…?"
"...?"
She squeezed her eyes shut for half a second, then opened them again.
"Can you please cover your neck?"
For a moment, Soren said nothing.
He tilted his head slightly, eyes unfocused as if replaying something in his mind.
Then understanding dawned, and a grin slowly spread across his face.
"What's wrong, Lilly?" he teased lightly. "Are you hungry?"
Lilliana balled her hands into a fist and gripped hard in an attempt to calm herself down.
"Hmm? Didn't I tell you that you could just ask?"
Her restraint snapped.
She grabbed him by the shoulders before she could think better of it, the sudden movement sending them tumbling over the desk behind.
She leaned in close, close enough to smell him, close enough to feel his warmth properly.
Her eyes burned.
"Please… Cover your neck. It's driving me insane…!" Her voice cracked despite herself.
Soren stiffened in shock, clearly not expecting that reaction.
Whatever momentum he had vanished instantly, his teasing expression falling away.
He raised his hands slowly and reached for his hair, untying the ponytail without another word.
Strands fell forward, obscuring his neck once more.
"Is that okay?"
The tension drained out of her all at once.
"…Thank you," she whispered, stepping back and releasing him.
Only then did she realise how hard she was breathing.
Soren watched her anxiously, guilt settling into his features.
"Hey… I'm sorry."
She shook her head quickly.
"No, it's fine. It's my fault. I should've warned you…" She hesitated, then sighed. "I didn't know it would be this bad either. To tell you the truth, I've never sucked blood directly before. Maybe that's why I'm being so weird…"
Soren nodded, listening quietly.
"This morning, I tried drinking my regular packs, but they tasted wrong. Gross, even. I had to rinse my mouth out, and then…" She groaned softly, covering her face. "…I drank the blood you left last night. What have you done to me?"
"I really didn't intend for any of this to happen," he said earnestly. "I was just trying to help. You seemed like you wanted some, so I thought I'd offer." He paused, then added more softly, "If that's really the case… please feel free to ask whenever you need blood, Lilly."
His expression was so sincere that it made it impossible to stay upset.
She hesitated, then nodded slowly.
"I usually drink blood a couple of times per day, but… if it's from you, I should be fine with just a few times per week."
"Are you sure? I don't mind letting you every day. Although twice a day might be too much."
She waved her hands quickly.
"No, no. What I meant is that your blood lasts longer than livestock blood. The only reason I had more this morning was habit. Eating daily is healthier, but I don't want to burden you. I'll stick to a few times per week and see how it goes."
Then Soren smiled once again, his familiar gentle smile making Lilliana's heart rate quicken.
"Sure, if that's what you want to do, I have no problem, but you'd better remember our promise, Lilly."
She smiled wryly in return.
"Yeah, yeah. I know, Ren. Thank you."
With everything settled, they turned back to their meals.
Lilliana finally managed to calm down, though she still occasionally glanced at where his neck had been, or shuddered faintly whenever he spoke.
————「❤︎」————