Chapter 181: Trying

The next morning I woke up feeling completely refreshed. I sat up, stretched my arms high above my head, and let out a long yawn.

Today was the day I had to plan our gate trips to raise Viora’s leve or in other words monsterization.

I got out of bed, put on a dark blue t-shirt and loose black pants, and walked over to the washroom to splash cold water on my face.

After drying off, I opened my bedroom door and stepped into the hallway.

The villa was quiet. Raymond was probably downstairs setting up the breakfast table, and Aunt Elena was likely siting on the diner table.

I took the steps down the hallway toward the main staircase.

Suddenly, a soft rustle of fabric came from around the corner.

Before I could even react, a figure stepped directly into my path, completely blocking the way to the stairs.

It was Viora.

I blinked, taking a quick step back.

She wasn’t wearing Aunt Elena’s fitted black outfit from yesterday. Today, she was wearing the second outfit Auntie had given her—the sleek, dark blue fitted dress with the soft silk belt wrapped neatly around her waist. The color matched her purple hair perfectly, making her pale skin look almost glowing under the hallway lamps.

Her purple eyes were looking in my direction, tilting slightly as her ears caught the sound of my breathing.

"Good morning, Woo Jin," Viora said.

"Good morning, Viora," I said slowly, looking at her with a suspicious glare. "Are you... Hmmm... trying to block the hallway now?"

Viora didn’t answer with words.

Instead, she took a step forward. She didn’t try to pull off a dramatic pose against the wall like yesterday.

She reached up with both hands, gently grabbing the front edges of my t-shirt. She gave it a small, gentle tug, pulling me down just an inch closer to her height.

"Woo Jin," she murmured softly, tilting her chin up. "I made a mistake yesterday."

"A mistake?" I asked. "Like calling me an idiot?"

"No," Viora whispered, her warm breath lightly hitting my chin. "I tried to act like someone I’m not. I tried to act all seductive and dark like Auntie. But that’s not me."

She stepped even closer, slowly slid her pale hands up from my shirt to my shoulders, her soft fingers resting right against the back of my neck.

"So today..." Viora murmured, "I’m just going to use my natural charm."

She leaned her head forward, resting her forehead gently against my chest, right over my heart.

"Can you feel that?" Viora whispered softly against my t-shirt. "My heart is beating really fast, Woo Jin. Touch it."

She took my right hand in hers and gently guided my palm onto her waist, pulling my hand slightly closer so I could feel the steady, fast rhythm of her chest against mine.

My brain instantly went off the rails.

DANGER LEVEL: MAXIMUM.

Yesterday was just comedy. Today was an direct strike.

Her skin was warm, her hair was soft against my neck, and the way her small hands gripped my shoulders felt so tight, so dependent, and so incredibly cute that my entire body went rigid.

’She’s dangerous,’ I thought. ’She realized that teasing doesn’t work, so she switched to THIS?!’

I forced myself to take a deep breath, trying to keep my voice from trembling.

"Viora..." I managed to speak, keeping my tone deadpan and flat.

"Hmm?" Viora hummed softly, her face still buried against my chest, her soft purple hair tickling my chin. "Is your heart racing now, Woo Jin?"

I looked down at the top of her head.

"Viora," I spoke gravely, keeping my body completely frozen. "Your left horn... it has a tiny piece of grey lint stuck to it."

Viora froze.

The romantic atmosphere instantly crashed to the floor.

"A... lint?!" Viora gasped, her head snapping up immediately.

"Yes, a piece of grey wool lint," I said, raising my hand and gently plucking a tiny speack of dust off her horn.

"Woo Jin!" Viora whined loudly, stepping back and stomping her foot on the floor. "Are you seriously checking my horns for lint right now?!"

"I am just helping you with your whatever outfit that is!" I said. "What if the lint gets stuck onto your head and everyone see you like that? Would be hella embarrassin, right?"

"It’s just a tiny piece of dust!" Viora yelled, her face burning hot with frustration. "I was leaning on your chest! My heart was beating fast! I was being cute! Why are you like this?!"

’Why... What is she getting so frustrated over?’

"You are unbelievable... You are literally the most unromantic guy in the entire world!"

I looked at her flustered face, and a small laugh escaped my lips.

I stepped forward, closing the distance between us before she could run away.

Without saying a single word, I reached out with both hands, gently grabbing her waist and pulling her body right back into my chest.

"Woo Jin...?" she squeaked as she felt my arms wrapping around her.

I leaned down, resting my chin gently on top of her head, right between her two small horns.

"Your heart really was beating fast," I whispered softly into her purple hair.

Viora went completely silent. Her whole body relaxed in my arms, and her hands slowly came up to wrap around my waist, holding onto my blue t-shirt tightly.

"I knew what you were doing, Viora," I murmured, gently stroking her back. "And it worked. My heart was beating so fast I thought you were going to hear it."

Viora tilted her head up slightly, her cheeks glowing in a deep, beautiful pink. "Really? You’re not just lying to make me feel better?"

"I never lie to you," I said softly, stepping back just enough to grab her face gently in my hands, looking straight into her soft purple eyes. "You look incredibly pretty today, Viora. The dress suits you really well."

A sweet smile spread across her face, completely melting away all her frustration from earlier.

"Thank you, Woo Jin," Viora whispered softly, leaning up on her tiptoes and pressing her warm cheek gently against mine. "That’s all I wanted to hear."

I smiled, patting her head gently while avoiding her horns. "Now come on. Let’s go downstairs before Raymond comes up to check why you’re yelling in the hallway."

"Okay!" Viora nodded happily, taking my hand and interlocking her fingers with mine.

We walked down the wooden stairs together, hand in hand, stepping into the living room.

Aunt Elena was already sitting at the dining table, quietly reading through a set of papers while holding a cup of black coffee.

Raymond was stepping out of the kitchen, carrying a large tray filled with warm toasted bread, fresh butter, scrambled eggs, and two steaming cups of sweet fruit tea.

When Raymond saw us walking down the stairs holding hands, a smile appeared on his face. He bowed his head politely.

"Good morning, Young Master Woo Jin, Miss Viora," Raymond said kindly. "Breakfast is served."

"Good morning, Raymond!" Viora called out cheerfully, her voice sounding lighter and happier than ever.

Aunt Elena slowly raised her eyes from her paperwork, taking a quiet sip of her black coffee. Her sharp eyes drifted down to our interlocked hands, then up to Viora’s dark blue dress, and finally to Viora’s glowing, happy face.

Elena set her coffee cup down on the glass saucer with a small clink. "I see,"

I sat down right beside Viora, grabbing a warm piece of toasted bread and spreading butter over it.

"We’ll start with the C-Rank gate near the eastern border today if you don’t mind." I explained, looking at Aunt Elena. "Both Viora and I want to get stronger."

Elena gave a single nod. "Good. Raymond will prepare the entry permits for the Association gate checkpoint as fast as possible. Just make sure to comeback in one piece."

"Thank you, Lady Elena," Raymond said, pouring a cup of fresh fruit tea for Viora and placing it right in front of her hands.

Viora reached out, her fingers naturally finding the warm ceramic handle of the cup. She took a small sip, letting out a satisfied sigh.

"This is delicious, Raymond!" Viora smiled.

"It is my pleasure, Miss Viora," Raymond bowed politely.

As we all ate our breakfast together in the warm, peaceful dining room including the three vampires siblings, I looked over at Viora sitting beside me. She was quietly chewing on her toast, her dark blue dress looking elegant, her small horns poking through her hair, and a lingering smile was resting on her face.

The upcoming Director Summit was a looming cloud on the horizon. The corrupt officials, and the dangerous enemies hiding in the shadows were all waiting to tear us apart.

But sitting here in this warm room, surrounded by my family, I felt zero fear.

I leaned over slightly, nudging Viora’s shoulder with mine.

Viora turned her head toward me. She reached under the table, finding my hand once again, and squeezed my fingers tightly.

"We’re going to get stronger, right?" Viora whispered softly so only I could hear. "Because I also have someone to pay back to."

’Is she talking about Jane?’

"Yeah," I smiled back, squeezing her hand firmly. "We’re going to win every single battle coming our way."