Chapter 4:

Chapter 2 - Juicy Gossip

Shadowed Love


"Ugh!" I gasped for air once my head got up from the water. I can feel my eyes being sore like I just cried. I can also feel my nape and neck being stiff. What the fuck is this?

"Oh, miss, are you okay?" A man asked me and held my hand to support me.

"Y-ye--" I got surprised a bit when he suddenly carried me like a bride and boarded me on a boat. I know it’s only him supporting me, but I am not used to it. I mean, it’s my first time being carried like that.

“Ugh, heavy…” he groaned when he pulled me up. I got quite offended by what he said. Last time I checked, I was only 115 pounds. Yeah, it’s because of the water.

I supported myself and grabbed his chest when I just realized he didn’t have his shirt on and I barely touched his chest. Oh, my..... goodness.

“What happened to you?” he asked me when he placed me down and made me sit on the small bank and placed his hand on my head, which made my brows furrow because of a sudden memory.

‘Why does he act like we are close? There’s no need to touch me on the head.’ I thought. I just remembered a precious memory, yet I don’t want to bring it up since it only brings me pain after that night.

I got irritated a bit. Who said he could touch and carry me? It’s not like we know each othe—just kidding, thanks to him, I got saved.

Wait, where am I? The last thing I remember was the sudden flashback of a memory. And…. This is not the ocean where I tried to drown myself. Oh shit, where am I?

Oh wait, I tripped because of a rock, and passed out. Which means….. this is the vampire world!?!? But why do they speak the same language as us? I thought it was going to be ‘hakdfhehfbfio’. I guess I will not have a hard time conversing then. This is a great advantage for me.

“Ouch!” he groaned and touched his jaw. I unintentionally punched his face because of how happy I am with an advantage, greeting me the moment I enter their world.

“What was that for?” he asked while still caressing his jaw. It looks like it really hurts.

“Nothing. I’m sorry!” I apologized and, of course, I did not say the true reason. He might not just punch me if he finds out.

“I was the one who helped her yet she gave me a punch.” He mumbled but I still heard him talking about me. “Why are you here, by the way?” oh shit, I did not expect that question. Quick! Think of an excuse!

“Uhh……” I stalled for time while avoiding eye contact. Boom!

“I don’t know either. I cannot seem to remember anything.” I said and looked at him who was crouching in front of me.

“What? Why?” he asked and turned his whole body around to look at me.

“Eh, I said I don’t know….” I acted puzzled as I looked down on my feet.

“Well, that is a serious problem. We need to find your family before it gets dark or we will take care of you.” He said, somehow, that ‘we will take care’ of you sounded different, so I looked up at him and saw his face filled with concern.

“Just what did you do to end up in the middle of the ocean?” he added, and looked around. I also looked around and saw three other fishing boats but I couldn't see any nearby islands, which freaked me out a bit. What… what…. I didn’t make it to the middle of the ocean in the human world, right?

“The middle of th—ugh!” I groaned and held my head tightly. How strong was the impact on me when I tripped on that rock and my head hurt this much?

“Miss, are you sure you’re okay? Does your head hurt?” I irritatingly looked at the man but didn’t get to answer him and cried because of pain but also because of how stupid he is.

‘Doesn’t he have common sense!? Of course my head does hurt! Why the fuck will I cry and hold my head if it doesn’t!?'

After a while, I finally calmed down and my head did not hurt that much at all, but I am still quite dizzy. The fact that we were on a boat floating in the ocean was also a reason for my dizziness. I just got my head out of that thought and answered his question from earlier.

“I-I’m fine. This is just a migraine because I have blurry eyes.” I said and he gave me a ‘you sure with that answer?’ look, but he didn’t ask any further questions.

“Yeah right.” He replied and slightly rolled his eyes.

I think he decided to go back to the beach side because he turned the boat around and I can see the white sands getting closer and closer. When the boat finally reached the beach side, he held my hand and supported me from falling as I went down.

“Are you hungry? Here’s some money, buy food there if you want.” He said and handed me some unrecognizable money, then pointed at the food stalls 50 steps behind me.

I walked towards the stall that sells some foods that looked like ‘kwek-kwek’ from the human world. There are many people here. The vampire world and our world are almost the same.

“Hey, have you heard the news?” I heard a woman from afar talking.

“What news, Juri?”

“What!? You don’t know about it!?” the woman named Juri said shockingly.

“Of course not. I am not interested in gossip, after all.” The woman answered. I can’t see their faces because they’re from afar. I can just hear their voices because it’s loud.

“Allow me to tell you, then. I am Aria, reporting for Juri Vuei. Two nights ago, a chasing of wolves happened on that rainy night at the palace.” I heard Aria’s voice acting like a reporter.

“Then? Complete it, Aria.”

“Then the wolf was caught and was brought into a place.” Aria said, sounding like there was food in her mouth.

“Where was it? What did they do to the wolf?” I can now hear Juri’s voice sounding curious unlike earlier ones that sounded really uninterested.

“Who knows, Juri? He might be killed in a pod, might be tortured in a basement, might be hanged from a high place, but especially…… that wolf might have had a chance to run away and survive. So, who knows?” Aria’s voice sounded creepy like a story-teller narrating a horror story.

“Then fuck it. That’s why I don’t want to hear news from you. It always ends in a cliff-hanger. Let’s go home, I’m out of money.” Juri’s voice sounded irritated yet disappointed. I didn’t hear their loud voices after that last statement so I just continued on getting ‘kwek-kwek’s.

So there are also some people here who always gossip, huh?

Not even 5 minutes had passed when I heard someone gossiping again.

“Dude, what do you think happens when a wolf gets chased down on a rainy night inside a secluded place?” I heard the same topic earlier.

“It probably got caught?” the other replied with an unsure answer.

“Yep, but what if the one that was chasing the other, and the one that was chased shared a bond with each other?”

“Then why would the chaser even try to?” the other asked.

“Who knows, dude? They’re just lone wolves after all. When intentions are unclear, it’s easy to make stories about the true intentions. I can say the one getting chased down is running for his life from the prey, the chaser was a victim and just wanted revenge, they were framed, or---“ the man got cut off when his dude suddenly spoke.

“Or they were just playing around.” His dude sounded like it was an obvious answer.

“Yep. That is why the whole kingdom is going crazy about it. Like, how did those two wolves end up there? The palace is such a secluded place that not even a cat can go there. What a mystery, right?” the other dude asked his dude.

“Yeah right. Not my problem. It was just wolves.” His dude brushed it off.

“Not our problem at all, but do you know that wolves are cunning? What if they were causing a scene to shake off the emperor?” the other dude projected his theory.

“I don’t know, dude. You can be a detective if you want the truth, so stop bugging me with those theories again.” His dude almost sounded irritated.

“You’re a killjoy as ever. I was just trying to converse with you about an issue, don’t be like that.” The dude said and laughed, then I heard a slapping sound. It sounds like his friend got slapped by him on the shoulder because of how it was followed after a laugh.

It’s not even questionable to hear gossip in this area. It’s populous, so all kinds of people might be in here. I just pierced three last ‘kwek-kwek’s and decided to go back.

I’m eating the ‘kwek-kwek’ while walking back to the man earlier. But why does this ‘kwek-kwek’ taste slightly strange?

I could see the man from earlier holding his head like he was in deep pain, so I walked towards him.

I was about to return his change and ask if he was okay and offer this ‘kwek-kwek’ to him when some sword was suddenly pointed at me. I was surprised by how many armed soldiers there are that are currently circling around me.

“What do you think you’re doing!? Killing him in broad daylight!?” a soldier accused me. Why are they like this? They’re too accusatory. Do I look like a murderer? And most of all, do I look like I would kill someone who just helped me? Dumbass.

“What!? I was just about to help and offer him food! Will he get killed just by this!? What? I will force him to eat these until he chokes and dies? How about I stabbed this in your neck!? Oops, sorry. Just realized it will not work on you.” I almost shouted and sarcastically said the last one, then threw the stick to them.

I am such a dumb bitch. I should not talk back or they will accuse me even more!

But I got angry at how they accused me. Duh? Doesn’t he use his brain? Or is it just that he doesn’t have one? What I did is a bit rude, but it’s also rude to accuse someone who only wants to help—even though they were just doing their job to protect them.

"What's happening?" The man from earlier interfered while wiping his sweat on his forehead. It looks like he’s okay now.

“Your majesty, this woman tried to kill you.” The soldier reported.

Oh fuck, is he seriously serious!? Is he seriously a soldier!?

The man once again held his head and looked like he was in deep pain again.

‘What’s wrong with this man?’ I thought while looking at him with confusion. Is he suffering from a disease?

“Huh?” he asked.

‘Huhtdog! Huhtdog! Huhtdog!’ I answered inside my brain. You know, that’s a famous answer in the human world.

“She was trying to kill you.” The soldier repeated what he said earlier.

“Y-you were?” the man turned to me with shock and disbelief.

“Of course not! Are you stupid!? Do you think I will kill you with just this stick and, especially, do you think I’ll kill the man who helped me!? May you just eat this so I can finally kill you!” I said and handed him my last ‘kwek-kwek’. I am really irritated now.

Why are they like this? I thought I got my advantage just by us speaking the same language, but I guess their personalities are a bit more handful.

“See, your majesty. She tried to kill you.” The soldier said like he was right.

“I don’t kill with sticks. Do you know how?” I asked while furiously looking at him.

“Hahaha, then how?” he challenged me with a mocking tone. I grabbed the blade of the sword currently pointed at me from his hand, then threw it in the air. I caught the handle and pointed the blade at him, reversing our situation from earlier.

“Do you want me to continue?” I straightened my arm to close the gap between the blade and his neck, asked the soldier, who currently had an impressed face while smiling a bit. Why the fuck is he smiling? I will kill this bastard-ah! No! The first kill should be those fuckers. I almost forgot.

The man suddenly took the sword from my hands by force. I didn’t have a tight handle on it since I have wounds on my hands.

“Tss. Bring her to the palace.” He commanded. Why do I sense a different vibe from him now? Did I go too far by threatening his men?

“Yes, your majesty.” The soldier bowed before looking at me while smirking. Ugh!

“Haha you’re doomed.” He said and laughed annoyingly.

‘Tss. ‘Palace’ ‘palace’, whatever.

He tied my hand on the headboard before kissing m—just kidding.

He tied my hand with a rope before pulling me to walk 3 meters behind the man they call ‘majesty’. Seriously, why are they so old-schooled here? It must be handcuffs and carriage.

When we arrived at the palace, ‘the majesty’ entered first.

The other soldiers also went their own way and the one who is handling me like a dog on a leash right now is the soldier I almost got into a fight with earlier.

We are currently walking in the hallway of the palace. In fairness, it was red-carpeted. The soldier took me into a room with so many surgical tools. The others were for a dentist and many others that are used in a hospital.

He made me sit on the bed used for dental check-ups but my hands were still tied. I Indian sat while waiting.

“Let’s wait for the prince.” The old man said. What? I will call him an old man for now, since he looks more of an old man than a soldier.

“Whatever, old man.” I tiredly said, and looked around the room. It’s quite spacious and has two beds with curtains like a clinic in the human world. Hence, I assume this is a clinic.

“Who’s an old man? I am a soldier. Sol-dier.” He corrected me and it’s obvious that he got pissed.

“Oh, ‘old man’ then.” I just continued on teasing him.

“Tsk.” He just clicked his tongue and looked away.

“Hey old man. I heard some gossip earlier.” I said, referring to the gossip I heard in the food stalls.

“What gossip?” he looked at me with his confused eyes.

“Wolves. Have you heard about it?” I didn’t say the whole thing. I just wanted to know if he had any ideas.

“Ah, that one? Tsk. Don’t ever believe in such gossip.” He just commented and uninterestingly looked away.

“You are already very old. It is not questionable that some wolves got inside the palace.” I joked and teasingly looked at him who was slowly turning his head toward me.

“What did you say, you fucking bitch? I don’t even look that old for someone to call me an ‘old man’.” He acted pissed and shook both sides of my shoulders.

“Woah, you are quite strong for an old man.” I jokingly commented once again and laughed.

“That is because I am not an old man like what you are saying!” he continued on shaking me.

"You are! You just don’t want to accept it. You can’t live peacefully if you can’t accept yourself, you know? I will be the first one to accept you, so……..” I acted serious while looking at him but I couldn’t hide my grin anymore and it just came out together with my laugh.

“Stop it already, jackass. I am just 25 years old. Is that considered an old man?” he said, giving an age, and I think that’s his real age.

“What? Twenty-five thousand years old? Oh my, you are a grandpa by now.” I acted like I didn’t hear him and he just sighed and slightly rolled his eyes.

“’Old man’, huh. Let’s just wait until you realize who I really am.” He confidently said.

“I know who you are, duh.” I also replied with confidence.

“Then who am I?” he asked and looked like he knew what I was going to say.

“You are not going to like how much I know about you, old man.” I said and smirked. His confident eyes were now puzzled.

“Who am I?” he repeated his question earlier with firmness in his voice. Why does he always sound like he wants to know what others think or know about him or even the rumors spreading around?

“Ahhhhhh, what an old man, indeed. Literally forgot who he is. Don’t worry, if you ever need a caregiver, I will help you.” I said and tapped his shoulder twice.

“By the way, since you forgot who you are, you’re an old man.” I added, then laughed my ass off. It was so loud I think it was also heard outside.

“You--!!” he was about to pinch my ears when a voice suddenly echoed into the room. We both flinched and looked at the door.

“What’s the matter here?” my eyes widened when I saw who it was.

note; 'kwek-kwek' is a Filipino street food, a fried quail egg covered in seasoned orange batter, and is usually dipped in a vinegar mixture.

A/N: Hi! Because of my school schedule being half a day and a temporary part-time work, chapters will be published every day at 8:30 PM(Philippines time) or earlier! Thank you for your understanding, have a great day tomorrow! ror