I woke up to the faint glow of morning light spilling through the window.
The memory of yesterday still clung to me.The warmth of senpai's embrace.The tears I couldn't hold back.The way my chest had loosened, as if a weight I'd carried for too long had finally been lifted.
And now, the shame.
I buried my face into the pillow and groaned.How was I supposed to face her after that?I'm not the kind of man who cries in front of someone, let alone in the arms of a girl.
Still… the release had left me oddly refreshed.Like I could breathe more freely.Like I could finally look ahead.
But no. I shook my head.Thinking too much in the morning was a bad habit.I had a day to face.
I pushed myself up and moved through the familiar rhythm of my routine.Washing. Dressing. Straightening the uniform. Checking my sword.Every small act grounding me in the present.
By the time I left my room and stepped into the mana lift, my mind had settled into calm focus.
The lift hummed softly as mana circuits pulsed along its crystal veins, carrying me downward.A marvel of magical engineering, yet after some days in the academy it felt ordinary.Students stood around chatting, adjusting their robes, yawning from lack of sleep.Everyone had their own world, their own struggles.
I stepped out of the dormitory and into the wide marble path leading to the classroom buildings.
The air was crisp.Early sun bathed the spires of the academy in golden light.Banners fluttered, engraved with the emblem of sword and staff crossed beneath a star.I passed groups of students practicing incantations, others comparing grades, some just laughing loudly.
But my thoughts weren't on them.
My rank had risen to C+.My sword skills had improved noticeably.Yet it wasn't enough.
I needed a greater challenge to reach B-rank.I needed battles that would test me, push me beyond the limits.
The guild was ready.I already had the members.All that remained was submitting the paperwork to Guild Administration and choosing our base of operations.
I knew exactly where to establish it.The place where that incident would happen.The one recorded in the novel.
A shadow stirred in my chest at the thought, but I pushed it aside.For now, all I could do was keep moving forward.
My footsteps echoed on stone as I neared the classroom wing.
That was when I noticed her.
A girl ahead of me, walking in the same direction.Long hair, the crimson strands catching sunlight like fire.Her posture elegant, unhurried.
I froze.
I didn't need to see her face.I already knew who it was.
Without thinking, I quickened my pace, keeping my face neutral.No hesitation, no emotion.I would walk past. Ignore her.Pretend she didn't exist.
Inside, my chest twisted.Why now? Why her?
But fate clearly enjoyed toying with me.
"Wait."
A soft, melodic voice drifted back to me.
I stopped.
I was screwed.
Slowly, I turned.
She stood there, facing me.
Carmila Noctharyn.Vampire princess of the Noctharyn Empire.
Her red hair framed a flawless face, eyes the color of fresh-spilled blood.Her lips were cherry red, her skin smooth and pale, a contrast against the academy's dark uniform.
She smiled.
The passing students froze in their tracks, enchanted.To them, she looked like a divine being descended from the heavens.
To me, she looked like a predator.
That smile wasn't kindness.It was the curve of a hunter finding prey.The glimmer of amusement at spotting a new toy.
I forced my voice calm."What is it?"
My expression didn't waver.But inside, I cursed my luck.
Why me?I avoided attention.I avoided unnecessary interaction.Why did she have to notice me?
In the novel, Carmila's obsession was directed at the protagonist.Not me.
She was supposed to take interest in the Apex of the first year—a commoner who rose above the rest.At first she toyed with him.Then her fascination deepened into obsession.Jealousy twisted her.Whenever the heroines drew close to him, she lashed out.And when the protagonist distanced himself from her, she turned on those heroines, blaming them.
Blood.Murder.A spiral of obsession that ended with her death by his hand.
Even in her final moments, her eyes held nothing but love for him.Twisted. Obsessive. Unyielding.
And now, here she was.Smiling at me.
"Why are you in a hurry?" she asked, her voice gentle, curious.
I steadied my breath."It might get late for class."
Her crimson eyes gleamed."There are still minutes before it begins."
She tilted her head."As you might have guessed, do you know who I am? Shouldn't you introduce yourself first, Mr. Apex?"
The corners of her lips lifted further, teasing, testing.
I held her gaze, searching for cracks, for intent.Then I spoke."I am Adrian Kaelthorn. Now, what business do you have with me, Miss Carmila?"
My tone was cool.Measured.
Her smile softened, but the light in her eyes only sharpened."Do you have some time after classes?"
"I don't—"
She cut me off."Do you have some time after classes?"
The second time, her voice carried a weight beneath the sweetness.A demand dressed as a request.A command wrapped in velvet.
I knew I couldn't refuse.
"…Fine."
Her smile brightened, triumphant."Good."
She turned and walked toward the classroom, her red hair swaying with each step.
I stood still, thoughts spiraling.
So this was happening.
In my heart, I already knew.There would be other girls in my life.I would fall in love, no matter how I tried to resist.I was human, with all the emotions that came with it.
Even if I'd been betrayed before.Even if past lives had taught me the pain of weakness.
If I loved again, I would protect that love.Cherish it.Never repeat the same mistakes.
And if Carmila truly was destined to be a yandere…Then I had to change her fate.
Even if I fell in love with her, I would not let her die as she had in the novel.
I clenched my fists.Resolve burning quietly.
The bell eventually rang.Classes blurred by.Hours passed.
When I finally stood and gathered my things, she was already waiting at the door.
Carmila Noctharyn.
My sister Selene Ravenshade and my former fiancée Evelyne Auraldane both looked on.Their faces twisted with emotions—regret, jealousy, longing.They had abandoned me once, and now they watched silently as I left with another.
I followed Carmila out.
We walked side by side through the academy corridors.The whispers began immediately.Shock.Speculation.Murmurs rising like a tide around us.
We ignored them.
Soon, the academy's exit loomed ahead.
The streets beyond were lively with students. Cafés, bookstores, training arenas—life buzzing in the shadow of the academy's towers.
Carmila led me toward a nearby café.
The moment we entered, conversations faltered.Students turned, their eyes wide.The vampire princess, dining with a boy.
We sat in a corner booth.
The waiter approached nervously, tablet trembling in his hands.We placed our orders.
Minutes later, food arrived.We ate in silence, her gaze occasionally drifting toward me, amused.Each time I met her eyes, she smiled faintly, as though savoring a private joke.
When we finished, she stood."Come."
Before I could ask where, she pulled me along.
To a clothing shop.
I blinked as she dragged me straight to the women's section.Racks of dresses and shirts surrounded us.Girls whispered, giggling behind their hands, shooting me curious glances.
I wanted to disappear.
Carmila ignored them, browsing through outfits with practiced ease.Then she vanished into the changing room with an armful of clothes.
I stood awkwardly, hands in pockets, pretending not to notice the stares.
The door creaked open.
Carmila stepped out.
My breath caught.
She wore jeans and a simple shirt, yet on her it looked like high fashion.Her red hair framed her shoulders, her pale skin glowing beneath the shop's lights.
She turned slowly."How do I look?"
I swallowed."…Beautiful."
Her eyes gleamed with satisfaction.A faint blush touched her cheeks."Good answer."
She returned inside, trying on more outfits.Hours passed as she dragged me from store to store, café to café.
I carried bags—dozens of them—laden with clothes she chose.Some for herself. Some for me.
The sun dipped low.Shadows stretched across the streets.
And despite my initial reluctance, I realized something.I was… enjoying myself.
Her laughter was soft, genuine.Her curiosity infectious.And though danger lurked beneath her crimson eyes, she was still a girl who wanted to spend time with someone.
Night finally fell.
We returned to the academy gates.I handed over the mountain of bags.
She smiled, her voice soft."Till next time."
Then she turned, vanishing into the dormitory shadows.
I stood alone beneath the moonlight.
The silver glow bathed the courtyard in serenity.For a moment, it felt like the world held its breath.
I walked slowly back to my room.The mana lift carried me upward, the hum a steady rhythm against the silence.
Inside, I dropped the clothes she had chosen for me onto the bed.I bathed, cooked, ate quietly.Finally, I slipped into pajamas and lay down.
Sleep tugged at me.
But just before I drifted off, a thought lingered.Had I taken the first step into fate's snare?
Far away, in her own room, Carmila stood by the window.
The moonlight kissed her crimson hair.
She pressed a finger to her lips, remembering his single word."Beautiful."
Her smile widened, slow and deliberate.
"He's mine."
Her crimson eyes gleamed with hunger.
No matter what the novel had once written—Adrian Kaelthorn was now hers.
Forever.