On a sunny, breezy morning, inside a dim and quiet room. Every window that could let in sunlight had been blocked without exception. Only a small exhaust fan on the ceiling kept working tirelessly, its faint, persistent buzzing sounding like a grumble directed at some overworked vampire.
Suddenly, Ellen—keeping watch by the bedside—seemed to hear a soft rustling. She frowned reluctantly and propped herself up. Seeing Phaga blink awake in confusion, she rubbed her own sleepy eyes and murmured drowsily:
"Phaga… hmm~ you're awake?"
"Awake… tsk."
The gloomy ceiling came into view the moment he opened his eyes, and Phaga instantly recognized his own room. Hearing that familiar voice, he turned and saw Ellen sitting beside the bed.
He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through his left arm, followed by intense numbness. Even the smallest movement felt like thousands of ants gnawing at him.
"My left arm… it's completely numb! What happened?"
Seeing the doubt flash across Phaga's face, both of them lowered their gaze. His left forearm had been compressed into a dark purple, and strands of crimson hair clung to it.
Ellen blinked. The confusion in her eyes gradually cleared, giving way to sudden realization.
Oh—now I remember!
Last night, after carrying Phaga back to his room, she had been too exhausted to move and decided to sleep here. But climbing directly onto his bed didn't feel appropriate.
According to the first law of mechanics: force is mutual. Emotions are the same. If they burn too fiercely, they scorch the one who carries them.
While debating whether to get into the bed, she carefully lifted the blanket and rested her head beside him, thinking she could fall asleep listening to his heartbeat.
But instead, her own heart began to pound wildly. Her hands hadn't even wrapped around his waist yet, and she wasn't fully lying on the bed when she realized her face was burning far too hot.
Especially when Phaga shifted unconsciously, turning toward her until their noses were separated by only a sliver of space. His faint breath, warm against her skin, stirred the restless sparks in her chest.
Then everything boiled over. The fire in her heart surged, overwhelming the thin paper wall of her self-control. Her feet suddenly tensed, ten crystal-clear toes curling at the air as her emotions battled inside her.
Stay farther from Phaga. Maybe then the heat will ease a bit. Yes, farther. And if that's not enough, even farther.
I'm just not used to someone lying next to me—this isn't fear! I just need time to adjust. I can get used to it!
Ellen scooted toward the edge of the bed, her feet still tense. Her heartbeat didn't calm at all despite her wishful thinking.
Then farther still—this distance isn't helping!
And then—thud!
Ellen fell off the bed.
When she climbed back up, she only dared to hold Phaga's hand, comforting herself: Just hold his arm for now. I'll get used to it soon.
And sure enough, it didn't take long before Ellen fell asleep. In her slumber, her head rested directly on Phaga's arm.
"So you slept the whole night on my arm?"
About ten minutes later, Phaga grimaced, rubbing his sore left arm. He looked at Ellen, who stood facing the wall in self-imposed punishment.
"Well… it was an accident. I stayed up late taking care of you yesterday. I was tired."
Ellen puffed her cheeks slightly and muttered in a small voice.
Phaga slapped his forehead, dragging his fingers down his face, speechless.
"So that means I shouldn't blame you?"
"Of course!"
Ellen rose lightly on her toes, a mischievous glint flickering in her eye. Even with her back turned, her expression held a smug sense of triumph.
Either way, I'm talking my way out of this today!
"Tsk. You…"
Seeing her like this, Phaga knew he had no way to deal with her. He pressed his temples lightly, then walked up behind her.
"Hm?"
A shadow fell over her. Ellen noticed immediately, but since it was Phaga, she didn't expect anything serious. At most, he'd flick her forehead and order her to cook.
Hmph~
Just as his hand moved, she sprang up, spun around, and grabbed his wrist.
Phaga hadn't fed recently. In his current state, he was no match for a deep-sea great white shark like her.
And he dares to lecture me?
Later I'll pin him to the bed and teach him a lesson!
Hmm~ come to think of it, I've never seen Phaga blush from embarrassment before. I'm looking forward to it!
Wait—who's touching my waist?
A pair of large hands suddenly circled her slender waist. She was still wearing her battle maid outfit, not having had time to change. A premium price naturally comes with premium design. Besides being practical in combat, the maid outfit felt amazing to the touch and highlighted her figure perfectly.
The moment Phaga touched her, he could feel every curve of her graceful body.
Not good—I hesitated too long!
Ellen bit her lip inwardly, her body twisting slightly. Her small hands pressed against Phaga's around her waist, struggling just a little. At this point, the thought of pinning him to the bed had completely vanished. All she wanted was to escape his grasp.
Having been bitten by Phaga several times before, she knew exactly what it felt like.
"L-let go…"
Heat surged within her, a flush spreading across her cheeks. Though her words were refusal, her voice rose with excited tension, caught between resistance and invitation.
"It's been a long time since I fed. You wouldn't want your Little Fish Snack to go anemic and end up in the hospital, would you?"
Phaga whispered softly into her ear. His voice, faint as a mosquito's, carried a power that shook the heart.
Ellen froze, and Phaga pressed his advantage.
She regained her senses a moment later, but it was too late to stop him.
He leaned in, his fangs lightly tapping her neck. A shock ran through her, a rush of anticipation rising before she shattered it with sheer will.
No—no!
There's no way I'm letting a vampire capture me. That tingling, warm feeling is absolutely not—
Sssht!
His fangs sank in, as though injecting something unknown. Ellen felt a warm current spread through her body.
Her knees gave out, and she fell into Phaga's arms. Eyes fluttering shut, her small fists rose instinctively, catching the warm breath spilling from her lips.
"Haaah~"