Vampire and Witch (GL) - Chapter 6

There were no more coffee beans left, so Grey could only offer Sif a cup of ginger tea.

Sif pulled a face; it seemed vampires weren’t particularly fond of the taste of ginger.

Grey took off her soaked outer clothes and changed into a soft, loose lace dress. Leaning against the doorframe, she watched the grimacing vampire with quiet amusement.

“Are you afraid of ginger? I thought vampires were supposed to be afraid of garlic.”

Sif’s mouth twitched. “I just don’t like the taste. Besides, I’m not a mosquito. Why would I be afraid of garlic?”

Grey thought for a moment and nodded. “I see. Vampires and mosquitoes both like to suck blood, so that’s where the misunderstanding comes from.”

“Grey, I suspect you’re insulting me.”

Grey let out a light laugh and took a sip of her ginger tea. “I don’t make friends with mosquitoes.”

Sif laughed too.

That a vampire and a witch could become friends was, in a way, a miraculous thing.

Putting aside their initial accidental conflict, Sif was actually quite easy to get along with in Grey’s eyes. She was passionate, sincere, and easygoing, possessing a warm heart that didn’t match her freezing body temperature.

Grey imagined that if they were both ordinary humans, they might never have crossed paths. It was precisely because of their strange physical conditions that they had the chance to meet.

Grey walked over to the sofa and sat down. “Sif, why did you want to be friends with me?”

Sif blinked blankly, looking confused. “Didn’t I say it before? I was curious about you.”

“I don’t quite understand what kind of curiosity it is…”

“Just… curious about what you’ve been through in the past, where you lived, what you like, what your hobbies are. And also what on earth you eat to have such a great figure—big chest and a tiny waist…”

Grey reached out and covered Sif’s mouth, a faint blush rising on her face. This woman’s focus was far too strange.

Though, in her heart, she felt a sliver of curiosity as well. She wondered what Sif had experienced along the way, how she had lived, and what had led her to the path of hunting vampire monsters.

Then she saw Sif’s eyes curve into a smile. She felt the slight curve of the other’s lips against her palm, lightly brushing her skin like a feather tickling her.

Grey pulled her hand back unobtrusively and shot her a reproachful look. Sif wasn’t annoyed at all; she leaned in with a grin.

“And then I discovered you like black tea, you like soft bread, you enjoy sewing little trinkets, and you have a habit of biting the end of your pen when you write notes.”

“Even though your perfume smells a bit different every day—sometimes flowers, sometimes fruit—you prefer sweet scents.”

“Just like your blood is sweet.”

“!!!”

Grey reflexively moved away, clutching her neck. The wound had healed completely, leaving no trace, but the sensation of that soft, licking tongue seemed to linger, causing her body to react unconsciously.

“Is the reason you want to be friends with me because you want to drink my blood?”

Grey suppressed her racing heart, a hint of wariness returning to her eyes.

Sif shook her head frantically. “No, no! I… that day I just couldn’t help but want to take a lick. I don’t know why, it’s just that you always have this sweet fragrance, even your blood is sweet, making me unable to resist…”

“I really didn’t get close to you just for blood. I promise I will never drink the blood of a human. I don’t want to hurt humans!”

Grey studied Sif. Those amber eyes were sincere and clear—a look that felt trustworthy.

But in the next second, her gaze caught the constant swallowing movement in Sif’s throat, the heavy rising and falling of her chest, and the faint glint of fangs visible through her slightly parted lips…

Before Grey could say anything, Sif suddenly stood up and dashed out the door like a whirlwind. In the blink of an eye, her figure vanished into the rainy night.

Grey looked thoughtfully at the open door.

Is my blood really that sweet?

The next day, Sif didn’t come to the shop.

Initially, Grey assumed the other woman was just busy, so she didn’t pay it much mind.

But when the third day became the fourth, and the fifth… a whole week passed, and Sif still hadn’t appeared. Grey began to worry.

Sif’s profession was hunting vampires. Grey had only seen those mindless, resurrected monsters; if Sif encountered a vampire who possessed human consciousness like herself, then… would Sif have to kill them too?

Just as Sif had initially suspected her of being a vampire.

And why did she kill vampires? Had something happened to her in the past? What were the “Purebloods” she spoke of like?

Grey sighed to herself. It seemed she truly knew nothing about Sif—she didn’t even know where she lived.

She looked blankly at the perfume bottle on the table. She had already finished the first version of the scent Sif requested. She had wanted to ask the annoying vampire customer for her opinion, but the woman had suddenly vanished.

Grey opened the cap and dabbed a bit of the scent onto her wrist. The fresh fragrance of freesia slowly drifted up, only to be gradually covered by a cool musk. After a while, only the unique scent of lemongrass mixed with magnolia remained in the air.

It was a blend of the magnolia and freesia that Grey loved, with the addition of strong musk—enough to mask the faint smell of blood on Sif.

Unfortunately, that clingy vampire was nowhere to be found.

Grey realized she missed her a little…

Suddenly, the shop door was pushed open with a loud bang. Grey looked up with expectation, but when she saw it wasn’t the familiar figure she had been imagining, a pang of disappointment rose in her heart.

“Grey, Sif didn’t come today either?” Sophia walked in with her schoolbag, looking like she had just come from school.

Grey sighed. “You only care about Sif.”

Sophia smiled sheepishly. “No, it’s just that Sif hasn’t been here for so many days. I wonder where she went.”

“Mm…” Unconsciously thinking about the clingy vampire again, Grey decided to change the subject. “Speaking of which, why are you out of class so early today?”

This time, it was Sophia’s turn to sigh.

“Didn’t the notice come out a few days ago? All boys aged 16 and over have to enlist. They were supposed to have physical exams today, but for some reason, they were suddenly cancelled, so they let the students go.”

Grey remembered the notice as well. It had been issued a week ago, causing panic overnight; some families had even packed their bags and left town. She couldn’t help but link this to the rumors about Edinburgh. It seemed Lord Howard was truly moving against the people of Glasgow.

The atmosphere grew heavy. Sophia suddenly sneezed. “Grey, your perfume is a bit strong today.”

“Ah… sorry. I was testing a scent just now. I’ll open the door to air it out.” Grey stood up and walked to the door.

“It’s fine. It seems I’m just not used to this scent. It’s a bit heavy.”

“It is a bit strong. It’s for Sif; she likes intense fragrances.”

As Grey spoke, she opened the door, only to run into a customer about to enter.

The woman wore a high-collared, high-waisted dress with tassels. A deep red bow adorned her chest and waist, and the pearls around her neck were round and lustrous. Combined with her exquisite makeup, she exuded an air of dignified elegance.

Grey quickly composed herself and smiled. “It’s been a long time, Viscountess Arnos.”

The Arnos family owned two large estates in Glasgow and controlled almost all the land and livestock farms in town. The family rarely visited the town itself; aristocrats generally disliked mingling with commoners, especially in remote rural towns.

However, the Viscountess had a particular love for perfume, so she always visited Grey’s shop whenever she was in town.

The Viscountess nodded slightly. “Grey, long time no see. I’ve come to buy some solid perfume balms; they’re easier to carry.”

“Of course. Please, come in.”

As Grey tended to her guest, Sophia stepped behind the counter so as not to disturb them.

The Viscountess was accompanied by three or four other wealthy women. They followed her, chatting about everything from daily life to aristocratic gossip. The Viscountess didn’t seem very interested, focusing on testing scents and only chiming in occasionally.

However, the women’s chatter caught Grey’s attention.

“Have you heard about Edinburgh? They say a dozen mummified corpses were found at the river docks, and they were all missing their heads.”

“I heard many animal carcasses were found near the barracks too, all drained of blood.”

“Heavens, how terrifying! Why do so many strange things happen as soon as Lord Howard arrives…”

“Don’t you know? Rumors are everywhere that the Howards are behind it, performing some horrific experiments. The young men recruited into the barracks have all vanished. The Edinburgh constabulary has already sent someone to the capital to report it.”

“That’s why they suddenly cancelled their trip here. They probably can’t even save themselves now.”

“Do you think Lord Howard will be stripped of his title by the Queen, like that Duke from before?”

“You mean the one the Queen…”

The Viscountess coughed lightly, signaling them to stop talking. She casually changed the subject. “Grey, help me pick out a few sachets for them.”

“Certainly, Madam.”

Grey took out the small sachets she had sewn herself, filled with ground spices. These were perfect for deodorizing wardrobes. Aside from popular lace decorations, she had sewn animal patterns on some in her spare time: rabbits, foxes, dogs, cats…

The cat design is gone?

Grey paused with a subtle expression, then quickly regained her composure and continued packing the items for her guests.

After seeing the Viscountess out, Grey searched the entire shop but couldn’t find the cat-patterned sachet. She didn’t recall selling it. Had she misremembered?

Sophia: “Grey, what are you looking for?”

Grey shook her head and smiled softly. “Nothing.”

As evening fell, Grey closed the shop. Walking home, she thought about the news she had heard today, and a theory began to form in her mind.

Standing at her front door lost in thought, she suddenly caught a faint whiff of blood. She turned to scan her surroundings but didn’t see the figure that had been circling her mind all day.

Grey couldn’t hide her disappointment. Before entering, she looked back once more. The street was empty; under the moonlight, there were only dappled shadows of trees, and at the end of the road lay boundless darkness.

After a long moment, the door closed.

Beneath a nearby tree stood a tall figure. A pair of crimson eyes flashed in the dark, looking like a buried fire as they watched the house.

“Sif, are you really not going to see her? She seemed to notice you,” a sweet, youthful voice came from behind.

Sif shook her head. “I won’t be able to resist wanting her blood.”

Her voice was raspier than usual, and her pale cheeks had a sickly, fragile look.

“But you’re very weak right now. You need human blood.”

Sif pursed her lips. “I don’t need it.”

The girl sighed. “Sif, you were too impulsive with the Howard situation. If Zelter finds out, he will definitely come to kill you.”

“If I don’t stop them now, they’ll only get worse. Eventually, all of Scotland will become their breeding ground for monsters.”

Sif leaned against the tree and panted heavily. “Hailey, our comrades are becoming fewer. Including me, there are only five hunters left. If we don’t fight back, there’s no hope for humanity. From this Howard incident, it’s clear Zelter may have already joined forces with the Liberal Party.”

“You mean… what they’re doing has the Queen’s consent?”

“No. I suspect the Queen doesn’t have much real power left. Zelter’s subordinates have likely infiltrated everywhere. If we don’t act, the Royal Family and the political parties will soon be replaced by vampires. When that happens, humans will have nowhere left to stand.”

“Light will eventually fade, and darkness is coming.”

The night of the vampires would eventually replace the light of humanity…

Author’s Note:

“Light will eventually fade, and darkness is coming” is quoted from the 2011 Chinese translation of The Bible Code.