Allure Of The Night

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When the wind blowing in the town increased, Rosetta pulled her coat closer to herself. The snow that had settled on the ground lifted in the air, turning the town slightly foggy. With her back leaning against one of the four pillars at the top of the tower, her body slowly slid down, and she sat on the ground.

She knew she couldn’t stay here for long as she didn’t want to risk her parents catching up to her if they noticed her not sleeping in her bed or the mansion.

Seeing how the harsh wind carried the snow from one direction to another, Rosetta pulled her knees close to her chest and hugged it.

“I should have written a letter to Eve and Eugene,” Rosetta said. But the last letter she had written for Eve hadn’t reached her friend’s hand.

And as days passed since she revisited Skellington, Rosetta felt that something bad had happened because of her letter. After all, even Aunt Camillie’s butler, Miles felt, had indicated that was what had caused her aunt’s death.

“Maybe it is better this way,” Rosetta pacified herself.

The vampiress was well aware that if it wasn’t for her parents, everyone would have known that Eve was the rightful bride-to-be of Vincent. She couldn’t gain affection from Eugene, and she wondered if she had annoyed the man at some point. At least she was able to give him her blood and make herself useful. To feel useful… to be needed out of love, she wondered how it felt.

“I don’t think the wind and snow are going to stop anytime soon,” Rosetta murmured and decided to continue her journey in this weather.

Pushing herself up to stand, Rosetta took a look at the town from where she stood. She walked closer to the edge of the tower, admiring the quietness. Raising her gaze to look at the horizon, a sigh escaped her lips.

In the meantime, Eugene and Timotei jogged on the snowy ground not too far from where the tower was. Eugene asked,

“Are you sure she has come to this side? The wind must have taken away her scent. And it’s not like you are a dog.”

The black cat moved its head left and right, and replied, “No matter how strong the wind is, I can still pick up the vampiress’s scent. In the last few days, I have been around her so much that I remember it well. How do you think I helped Eve find you and Rosetta in that closed room, while you both were romancing with each other? I have the best nose, Eugene.”

Eugene’s eyes had shifted from black to red so that he could have a better vision in finding Rosetta, but so far he had no luck finding her. The vampiress was undoubtedly impulsive in her decisions, and at the same time, he couldn’t hold her to be in the wrong, considering how her parents treated her. He hoped she hadn’t gone far, where it would be too late to reach out to her.

Timotei’s nose continued to move as he sniffed the air and also the ground, and Eugene asked the black cat, “Are you sure you were not a dog in your past life?”

“So funny, you make me laugh. I should perhaps let you search for that vampiress yourself,” Timotei huffed, rolling his eyes, and when he took one step to the side, ready to turn around and leave, it was when his eyes fell on the vampiress. He exclaimed, “Suicide!”

“You don’t have to commit suicide for such things, Timotei,” Eugene responded and the black cat quickly climbed on Eugene’s coat and then one of his shoulders.

“Look there at the tower! Rosetta is going to commit suicide!” Timotei raised one of his paws in the direction of the tower. He clicked his tongue and scolded, “Poor girl wants to die after you rejected her. How heartless are you?”

Eugene quickly ran towards the tower, while looking at Rosetta, who stood at the edge with a blank expression. He shouted from where he stood, “Lady Rosetta! Lady Rosetta stop!!”

Rosetta turned startled on hearing Eugene’s voice and wondered if she missed Eugene so much that she was able to hear his voice even when he wasn’t with her.

“LADY ROSETTA!” Eugene continued to shout her name, finally gaining her attention to look at him.

“Eugene? What are you doing here?” Rosetta frowned, feeling an ache rise in her chest.

“Don’t go! Come back home!” Eugene shouted. “Let me come there–“

“NO!” Rosetta shouted back, her voice firm as she had made up her mind.

Timotei whispered to Eugene, “You should say ‘come in my arms’. Has romance died in this world? As I am older than you, I shall help you bring your lady down here. Believe in me and my power, my intelligence–“

Eugene pushed Timotei off his shoulder and said to Rosetta, “Please come back with me, Lady Rosetta.” But Rosetta shook her head.

“I have no home… The home I knew will be seized by someone else and my parents will send me to a house I don’t want to go to. I have already decided to stay a spinster the rest of my life,” Rosetta turned emotional, and she pursed her quivering lips.

“Poor thing, you heartless man,” Timotei remarked, looking at Eugene, and received a glare from the newly turned half-vampire.

Eugene ignored the black cat and said, “Running away is not the solution to any problem. It isn’t easy to make a new life and live. You have us here. Miss Eve, Lady Aubrey, Mr. Moriarty… and me. I am here. So please don’t go.”

Rosetta’s eyes mellowed and whispered, “But one day you will marry someone…”

“What?” Eugene asked, unable to hear her over the wind.

The vampiress clenched her hands into fists. She shouted, “I cannot see you getting married to someone else! I may not say anything now, because I know I should respect your decision, but I cannot watch you marry another woman. I will die, Eugene! I am not so strong.”

Silence filled the place for a few seconds, and Rosetta continued, “This is for better. Me going far away from everyone. This way, your future-wife won’t be cursed by me through my eyes and my parents will not get to use me anymore as their little doll to be sold.”

“You surely don’t want something like that,” Eugene replied, his lips setting into a thin line.

“No no. I have decided to live in a hut and make fire. I will learn to cook, if not drink blood from an–animals–“Rosetta’s words turned muddled as she couldn’t get it to her lips with her overwhelming emotions. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and acted as if she was strong.

Eugene stared at Rosetta from below, noticing the vampiress must be cold even though she was a creature of the night and wore a coat. After a few more seconds passed, he stated,

“I don’t think it would be nice to have you curse my future wife. Not when it could be you.”

Rosetta controlled her tears and said, “You are telling things only to appease me, so that I can return to Skellington. Don’t say things you don’t mean…. You don’t have to tell it out of obligation because I saved your life.” Eugene’s words were raising hopes that she had buried.

“But I do mean it. Rose,” Eugene said with a serious face. Timotei’s head snapped to the side, staring at Eugene and the vampiress. Eugene said, “There have been a few who have tried to capture my attention, but they left quickly when they found my status and class. You are the only one who persistently chased me. I have come to like you a lot more than you think I do, and I promise that it has nothing to do with you saving my life or taking you back to Skellington now.”

Rosetta felt butterflies starting to flap in her stomach. Her tears stopped, but the rim of her eyes and the tip of her nose were pink. She said,

“Tomorrow… my parents are expecting me to be married and once my parents come to know the truth that I won’t be marrying Vincent, they will take me back to North…”

Rosetta’s parents wouldn’t stay in Skellington, and she would be forced to return with them. Even if her parents wouldn’t force her, the society would look down on her, as she would be the woman the groom didn’t want to marry.

“It’s not like you are in love me and want to m–“

“I am a person from the servant-class, and your life won’t be of comfort. You will need to work every day. Morning till evening. If you are okay with it,” Eugene paused, letting his words sink into the vampiress’s mind, and he then proposed to her, “Let us get married, Rosetta,” he said loud and clear.

Rosetta’s mouth fell open, and she stared at Eugene. Did he ask her to get married to him?

All these years, since Rosetta was young, and until a few months ago, she had believed that she would be chased by a prince who would own many lands and be well known by the people. But it was the simplicity of this man, who stood on the ground that moved her heart.

Wait, she hadn’t answered him.

“Y–YES! YES! YES!!” Rosetta shouted, feeling more tears forming in her eyes and this time, it was out of happiness.