Half an hour had passed since the little exchange. Aelion no longer asked questions and Seraphina stared at him without words. When the smell of bread filled the room, she got up and took it out of the oven. With a knife, she cut the bread into slices and arranged the plate, which she placed a little violently in front of him.
Seraphina sat down on the other side of the table, watching him. Aelion looked at the dish with appetite and desire; he even swallowed his saliva uncontrollably. The young woman displayed a satisfied smile. At least she had a small victory. He looked at the steaming dish in front of him and then at her. At the third repetition of the gesture, Seraphina nodded and fixed her wide eyes on the dish.
Finally, Aelion could eat. The cook had given her approval. He threw himself on the food, eating without restraint. It was really good. He did not know how long he had been dead, but he felt as if he had not eaten for a long time.
"I didn't know you could cook so well," he said with his mouth full.
Seraphina sighed, exasperated, before answering him.
"At least finish what you have in your mouth before speaking to me," affirmed the young woman, who paused before continuing. "What made you say that?"
Aelion nodded at her remark and then continued.
"Your outfit and your bearing? You seem to exude nobility, so I thought you were a noble."
She smiled slightly at his statement, her gaze fixed on the ceiling, nostalgic and somewhat amused.
"I am indeed part of it. I was often reproached for being too present in the kitchen with the maids and cooks... at least once upon a time."
Understanding the atmosphere, he did not dig further; she was not going to answer him.
"But you, you're not eating?"
"Oh no, I am fond of a dish more exotic and more... atypical."
"Blood, right?"
"How do you know?" replied Seraphina, surprised.
"It's not as if I didn't see you eagerly sucking your finger soaked with my blood," added Aelion in a mocking tone. "So, do you want a sip?"
He held out his arm to her. Everything he had seen had guided him: a power linked to blood, crimson red hair, and a particular attraction to blood. Although her physical characteristics were not exhaustive or unique among her kind, the two fundamental aspects revealed what she was: a vampire. Aelion expected her to bite him to feed, which would reinforce his idea.
Seraphina stared at his arm intently while her throat dried up. The longer she looked, the less subtle the movements of his veins that pulsed became. Even her teeth began to itch. However, she regained control of her impulses. The offer was far too tempting, and besides, there was another reason.
"Too bad, I don't ingest the blood of just anyone. But believe me, you would have liked me to drain you to the marrow."
"I don't doubt it..." he said, coughing.
"What?"
"Nothing. Thanks for this meal, I'm going to bed now."
Since his arrival, all he could see outside was darkness and a night without light. Maybe he had landed here in the evening. Anyway, his biological clock was screaming that it was time to rest and sleep. That's what he was going to do.
He got up quietly and headed for the exit, while Seraphina waited for him to offer something in return for the meal she had cooked. However, he mentioned nothing of the sort, so she followed his example and stood up, ready to grab his torn clothes, when the man turned around by himself.
"Oh, I almost forgot!"
A snap of the man's fingers resonated in the room.
"I unlocked all the accesses so you can explore, but I advise you to go to bed, it's late. You can take one of the rooms on the first floor."
Aelion left the room satisfied, leaving Seraphina confused behind him.
So that's my reward for feeding you! You ungrateful brat, everything that protects you is this place, she thought, frustrated, her body trembling with emotion.
A murderous rage had almost burst from her and forced her to kill him again, which was in vain. The young man, meanwhile, wandered through the corridors of the first floor that he had not been able to visit. He opened the door of the first room and looked at what was inside.
A large mirror, a nightstand, a work table, and a giant bed in the middle of the room covered with a translucent dark veil. A wardrobe was also present, in which there were several clothes that were surprisingly his size. He jumped onto the bed, tired and thoughtful.
"I would have liked to take a hot bath, but I'm so exhausted! I don't even have the strength to explore the castle."
[ Do you want to open the bathroom? Yes/No ]
"Yes."
[ Please enter the specifications you want to integrate into this room ]
A new interface appeared in front of him with sections and specifications to fill out, such as size, type, layout, elements, and location, which Aelion quickly filled in.
---
ORIGINAL ROOM N°0000000001
TYPE: Utility / Sanitary
SIZE: 5000×5000
AMBIANCE: Steam, soft light, hot stones
ELEMENTS: Hot spring, multiple showers, sauna
LAYOUT: Mixed common space
Center: Hot spring
East: Shampoo and bath area
West: Sauna area
USERS: Residents
LOCATION: 1st floor
SPECIFICATIONS: Default
Materials: Default
---
[ Recording complete! ]
[ Cost: Construction Ticket ×1 ]
[ Do you want to use the Construction Ticket ×1? Yes/No ]
"Of course, yes!"
[ Construction in progress... ]
A slight tremor was felt through the manor, nothing noisy. Seraphina, surprised, instinctively summoned several blood spikes in case of a possible attack, but it was nothing. As a precaution, she sent one of her little familiars to stand guard.
"I wonder what he's up to again..." she said, putting away the plan she had been working on and cleaning the utensils used.
[ Construction complete. ]
Aelion, on his side, was also surprised. However, being the cause of the phenomenon, he suspected that the room was not going to appear by magic. Now he could take a good hot bath and relax.
"All right, show me the location of the room."
A thin thread of light wove from his chest, passed through the door without resistance, and went outside. He understood that following the thread would lead him to the place. The closer he got, the more the thread blinked, then disappeared at its destination. Aelion now stood in front of an oak door, which he pushed with all his strength. He was greeted by a small changing room, with robes and towels hanging ready for use.
He quickly undressed and took a towel, which he tied around his waist.
"It's time to discover..."
Everything he had written was present. From the atmosphere to the equipment, whether it was the steam, the light, or even a slight fragrance that came from the hot spring in the center. Even the small sauna was present on the opposite side of the common bath area.
Since he had not chosen the materials, he could not complain about the black wood used for the sauna nor the white stone for the spring and the steps immersed in the revitalizing hot water. He had had enough of contemplating; finally, he could relax and forget himself a little. He had still just died a second time, which mysteriously had not really affected him psychologically.
He approached the sinks and the serpent-shaped faucet. Everything he needed was also there, so he began his shampoo while humming happily.