Free and Unfettered 48 Hungry

She had a feeling that he wouldn't be very good at self-control as a newborn.

Moments after she exited the room, Shade and Seyton appeared in front of her, having anxiously waited for days without end. Shade in particular felt like the days just continued on without any meaning. His Master was gone, and he couldn't help. Seyton on the other hand, was worried about his Master. The low chances of succeeding made him feel the anxiety even more keenly.

They said that the passing chances were one in ten thousand, but that was only for the lower ranking Vampire transformation. If he had to guess vaguely, it was closer to one in ten million. It didn't matter if the blood had been purified or not. The more purified the blood was, the lower the chances of successfully transforming.

As they gazed at Nine's transformed face, they fell into a daze. If their Master had been beautiful beyond compare before the transformation, Nine's appearance now was without equal. Her visage seemed radiant and charming. Depending on the expressions she made, the feeling that she gave off would have different effects as well. It was like someone had taken her appearance as a base and further sculpted it, making it flawless. Seeing her made them feel like dropping to their knees at the sheer worship they felt just looking at her.

It almost felt as if they were witnessing a god appear on the planet in his full glory, untouched by the mortal sins of the world.

They couldn't recover from their daze even after minutes had passed. Looking at her two subordinates looking at her foolishly, Nine couldn't help the quirk of her lips, thinking that they were cute. The way that they stared at her with their mouths slightly parted and their eyes wide was just adorable. It was even more so because Seyton usually had his polite mask on and Shade liked to keep an expressionless mask most of the time apart from when he was in her presence.

Seeing her smile slightly made them feel like they were able to be knocked down with a feather. Seyton suddenly snapped out of it and turned around, shielding himself from his Master. He covered Shade's eyes and dragged him away.

Shade let out a low growl and struggled, fighting Seyton's superior Vampiric strength.

"Shade," Seyton said, avoiding the kicks and fists coming his way. "Stop struggling! We're being affected by the Master's innate charm. Get a hold of yourself. Stop acting like a disgrace."

Shade quietened at his words, coming back to the present. When Seyton was finally satisfied that he managed to control himself, he removed his hand from Shade's eyes.

Both servants turned back around to stare at their Master, this time bracing themselves. Thankfully, now that they steeled themselves, the effects weren't as prominent.

Nine frowned. "I've already retracted all of the Vampiric charm," she said dryly.

Seyton coughed politely. "Even when Vampires retract all of their charm, it's practically a part of the package when looking at a Vampire's appearance. It still seeps from our pores."

Nine's frown increased by a fraction. "I don't see anyone else falling over themselves for you, though?"

"Yes," Seyton said a little dryly. "That's because the people around you are already used to your appearance, which was even more attractive than mine when you weren't even a Vampire yet."

Nine and Shade nodded in acceptance. Nine sighed inwardly. It looked like she would have to get very well acquainted with stealth charms from now.

It was at this moment that Seyton finally registered what had seemed so strange to him. Unlike other newborn Vampires, Nine was not reacting to Shade at all. In fact, his Master seemed remarkably composed and carried himself like a seasoned Vampire. Had he not known that he had recently turned, he would have thought that his Master was actually a few centuries old.

Now that he was aware of it, he could feel the faint suppression of the bloodline slowly seeping off Nine. Even though Nine had pulled most of it in, he could still feel it through the bond that they shaded as Master and servant. His instincts screamed at him that Nine was dangerous and that he should stay away, but his bond told him that his Master had become stronger than ever, and that he had to catch up soon to fulfil his duties as a subordinate or servant. Seyton silently made a resolution to work harder and speed up his studies of magic, even if he had to damage his pride a little.

It took another two hours before Nocturne emerged from the closed door. Nine, Shade and Seyton waited outside for him. Shade had brought over a sofa for her to lie down on, which she had.

Shade and Seyton couldn't tear their eyes away from her. Even the way she casually sprawled on the sofa contained endless amounts of charm. Her every movement caused spectators to feel dazzled and enchanted.

Nocturne's cold expression faded as he took in Nine's appearance, his entire being softening in her presence. Nine maintained her indifferent expression, ignoring the infatuated way he looked at her.

Shade stepped in front of her to block his view, instantly causing Nocturne to snarl.

Nine studied him carefully, realizing that his pupils had gained a sheen of red, indicating that he was hungry and about to lose control.

The moment he leapt towards Shade, faster than he could react, Nine had grabbed hold of his shirt and pulled him back, locking him securely in her arms.

Nocturne growled, pearly white fangs flashing as his eyes locked on Shade's still form. Instincts were telling him to eat, and the blood bags in the fridge hadn't satisfied him at all. He could hear the gushing of blood inside that man's veins, almost leaving him enchanted at the sound. His blood was full of life, and rich in magic. Nocturne could instinctively sense that devouring that man would allow him to gain immeasurable advantages and benefits.

Nine nipped at Nocturne's neck warningly, a low growl rumbling in her chest. Nocturne's inner Vampire heard the warning and reluctantly drew itself back, allowing him to gain back his sanity.

Nocturne paled at his previous actions, now aware of what he had tried to do.

"Hungry?" Nine asked in a low voice.

Nocturne gave a small nod.

Chapter end