Vampire and Witch (GL) - Chapter 5

For several days in a row, Sif appeared in Grey’s shop as naturally as if she were a long-time employee.

When Grey blended spices, Sif watched curiously by her side.

When Grey organized her notes, Sif sat nearby, leisurely sipping tea.

When customers came to the shop, Sif joined in the small talk.

And when Grey had to go out for medical consultations, Sif… was forced to stay behind and mind the shop.

Seen this way, it really felt like keeping a puppy.

“Do you really not need me to go with you?” Sif asked once more.

Grey looked at the vampire standing at the door with a complex expression. Sif looked pitiful, like a puppy about to be abandoned by its master.

Grey had grown accustomed to a solitary life; the sudden presence of another person made her uneasy, as if the equilibrium of her existence had been shattered. She didn’t quite understand why Sif was so obsessed with being her friend.

For someone like Grey, who had to move every few years, friends weren’t a necessity. She could never adapt to the sadness of parting, so she figured it was better never to accept companionship in the first place.

Seeing that Grey didn’t want to answer, Sif didn’t push. She rested her hands gently on Grey’s shoulders and gazed at her tenderly. “Be careful on the road. Come back early. I’ll keep an eye on the shop for you.”

Grey averted her eyes and gave a soft “Mm” before leaving.

She didn’t look back, yet she knew with strange certainty that Sif was watching her walk away. She could clearly picture the tall figure standing quietly at the shop entrance. It was just like her own life—always watching those around her leave one by one, while she remained forever in place.

Lonely, yet unable to die.

“Ms. Anna, your sister’s asthma is very severe. My advice is that she must go to the hospital,” Grey said softly as she stepped out of the patient’s room.

Anna looked troubled. “But the central hospital is too far, and we don’t have that much money… Grey, I beg you, help her…”

“I’m sorry. I only have a little medical knowledge and I’ve done all I can. The biggest issue is the proximity to the factory district; the exhaust fumes are far too heavy.”

“I know the environment is bad, but… we have nowhere else to go…”

The aristocracy held most of the land and manors, leaving the commoners with few housing options. Even with new government housing policies, exorbitant rents and harsh leases remained the biggest hurdles for ordinary people.

Grey lowered her eyes to hide her sorrow. “These herbs can only relieve the symptoms temporarily. I strongly suggest you take her to the hospital soon. Otherwise, there’s a high chance this will turn into tuberculosis.”

On her way back that evening, Grey noticed many workers suffering from varying degrees of coughing and asthma. Yet they seemed indifferent, gathering as usual to smoke and drink, some with a sickly flush on their faces from coughing so hard.

The bottom tier of society was in a morbid, oppressive state, with the common folk barely clinging to life. Meanwhile, the government, nobles, and capitalists seemed unwilling to understand their struggles, seeing only the value they could squeeze out of them.

When will a turning point for this world finally come?

Grey sighed, her mood sinking. The young man and woman sharing the carriage with her began discussing the state of the world.

“The emission law proposed in the capital… it came to nothing in the end.”

“Yeah, I heard they’ve set targets to overtake America. In the East End of London, you can’t even tell day from night anymore.”

“Sigh, I just hope they don’t move the factories to Glasgow.”

“I heard the capital is starting a mandatory draft. In a few months, the army is expanding into Mexico. They’re determined to rival America. Lord Howard recently brought troops into Edinburgh; I bet they’ll reach our town soon.”

“And I heard they have a special way to make soldiers incredibly strong.”

“There’s something else strange—they’ve requisitioned all the nearby poultry and livestock farms. They demand a certain number of animals be sent to the barracks every day. The delivery drivers say the place reeks of a heavy smell of blood.”

“Maybe they just eat more now that they’re stronger?”

“Who knows? What if they’re doing some sort of ‘vitality experiments’? What was the word… biochem? I saw it in the Telegraph.”

“I just remembered, isn’t the Howard family in the medical business? They wouldn’t really be doing some terrifying experiments, would they?!”

Grey’s heart skipped a beat. Could they be talking about vampires?

She thought of the monsters she had encountered—resurrected, swift, powerful, and bloodthirsty.

Are they planning to send these monsters to the battlefield?

If true, then the existence of these creatures involved the nobility, the army, and the government—perhaps even the Royal Family. Were they really using human bodies for experiments? What did they think life was?

By the time she returned to town, Grey was in a daze. She didn’t head back to the shop, but walked straight toward the church next to the market.

It was the only church in town, looking somewhat dilapidated with its exterior peeling from years of rain. In her spare time, Grey would come here to sit and empty her mind. She had learned this habit from the woman who adopted her—a woman who spent hours in church repenting, praying, and repenting again.

Back then, Grey would sit quietly by her side, letting time slip away. She hadn’t understood then what “sins” the woman had committed or why she needed to repent.

Not until her own body was frozen forever at eighteen, branded with the title of “Witch” by the world, and abandoned in eternal loneliness.

Why do people play with lives so casually?

After all these years, Grey still had no answer. She couldn’t even remember exactly how old she was. Without this curse, she would have been a wrinkled, white-haired old woman by now.

What year of the Queen’s reign is it now? Grey smiled self-mockingly. She’d have to calculate her age when she got back, or she’d truly lose her sense of self.

Unbeknownst to her, a light rain began to fall, shrouding the town in a hazy veil. Grey stood up, wrapped her coat tight, and left the church.

“Grey!”

Before she had gone far, a deep, magnetic voice called out. She looked toward the sound, blinking away the droplets on her lashes. A tall figure appeared, walking through the rain under an umbrella.

The rain pattered rhythmically against the umbrella. Beneath it, the blonde woman’s smile bloomed like winter morning sun—warm and gentle, instantly chasing away the gloom in Grey’s heart.

Sif held the umbrella over Grey’s head. She whispered Grey’s name again, her tone carrying a hint of a complaint and a touch of spoiled affection. “Why didn’t you come back to the shop?”

“How did you know I was here?” Grey asked, her mind not quite catching up.

“I waited for a long time. When you didn’t return, I asked the carriage driver; he said he saw you heading to the church.” Sif pursed her lips. “Why didn’t you come back to see me…?”

Grey froze, unsure how to answer. They weren’t exactly close, and she had initially wanted to avoid deep involvement. But before she could react, Sif pulled her into an embrace.

With her icy lips grazing Grey’s ear, Sif said tenderly, “Grey, aren’t we friends?”

The breath on her ear was scalding, the body temperature was freezing, but there was a new scent on Sif—a faint, familiar yet strange aroma of chamomile that made Grey’s heart melt.

A vampire’s body is cold, but Sif’s heart was warm. Grey truly felt that this was the warmest embrace she had experienced in her long life.

Are they friends? What does it feel like to be friends with a vampire?

Grey felt a spark of interest.

“Since we’re friends, and I don’t have an umbrella, I’ll have to trouble you to walk me home.” Grey buried her face in Sif’s shoulder and whispered, “As thanks, I’ll buy you a coffee.”