Marianne's face became pale as she used the surgical tool to drain her blood to the limit. She swayed with dizziness after the small bowl was half-filled with her blood. Before she fell, Nikolai caught her with an arm around her waist.
"Be careful."
"Ah? T-thank you."
Her pale neckline brushed past him as she adjusted herself, but the scent of her blood lingered in his nose. 'Her blood smells sweet...' Maybe a result of her special nature, but Marianne's blood carried a deliciously sweet smell like honey-coated marshmallows melting over a fire.
Marianne tried to laugh it off, but the sound came out weak, breathless. "I'm… fine. Just a little lightheaded."
"Idiot," Nikolai muttered, shifting her gently onto a nearby stool. "You don't need to push yourself this far."
"But… I want to help," Marianne whispered with a slight red hue on her cheeks, while she peeked back at him with bright red eyes filled with a strange glint. "Alexei… would've done the same."
