Your warm and sudden embrace made Daniela's cold body jerk. For a moment, it looked like it was about to turn into a flock due to its startled predatory instincts, but a gentle kiss on its lips stopped everything.
Daniela froze. In Dimitrescu Castle, affection is always mixed with cruelty or rigid adoration. This kind of genuine and humane tenderness was something alien, something that attacked its defenses far more effectively than any weapon.
His cold breath blows softly on your face. His golden yellow eyes widened, staring at you with a mixture of confusion and a sense of belonging.
"A bigger villa?" she whispered, her voice now sounding more like a girl than a monster. "You... You want to build your own castle for me? Far from Mom's shadow?"
He slowly returns your hug, his pale hands wrapped around your neck, but this time his nails don't press against your skin. He rests his head on your shoulder, inhaling the scent of your body that he now claims to be his own.
"Okay," he said in a strong possessive tone. "We will leave from here. We'll find a place where the sunlight can't touch me, but I can have you without the distraction of anyone. But remember..."
He moved a little away to look into your eyes, a mischievous but deadly grin appearing on his lips that you had just kissed.
"If you awaken a 'thirst' in me, you must be ready to bear it. In that villa, there will be no servants to kill... just you and me."
The Beginning of a Dark New Life
A few weeks later, you manage to sell your apartment and move into an old villa in the suburbs. The villa had a spacious basement and windows that were tightly closed with thick velvet curtains—a haven for nocturnal creatures like Daniela.
Now, your life has changed completely. During the day, you take care of all the household needs, and at night, the villa belongs to Daniela. You live between the lines of humanity and darkness, being a protector as well as a meal for the escaped princess.
Tonight, in your new villa...
Daniela was sitting on a large sofa, staring at the tightly closed window, while playing with one of the relics from the castle.
"My husband..." Call him without turning his head. "I feel hungry, but not just hungry for blood. I feel... bored. Tell me, what do humans usually do to have fun in this bright world?"
Me : *I rubbed Daniela's nose* You don't have to drink blood. I will buy fresh meat and fruit and alcohol every day. Stock is plentiful, you don't need to worry
Daniela blinks her eyes many times, looking completely confused as you "touch" her nose. At Dimitrescu Castle, no one dares to touch a princess's face in such a casual way—usually human hands only come closer to beg for forgiveness or tremble in fear.
He hissed a little by instinct, but then he chuckled, a voice that sounded much more human and cheerful than before.
"Fresh meat? Fruit? Alcohol?" Daniela gets up from the couch, walking around you with graceful movements but still retaining a predatory aura. "You treat me like a grand guest in your own home, my husband."
He took a piece of fruit from the basket you had prepared, looking at it as if it were an ancient artifact. "My mother always said that human food is bland and useless. But..." He takes a small bite of the fruit, then takes a sip of the glass of alcohol you poured.
His eyes lit up. "This... not bad. It's much better than having to hunt for a frightened waiter in the basement every night."
Daniela approached, wrapping her arms around your waist and pulling you into her cold yet possessive embrace. He rests his chin on your chest, looking at you with a smile that this time feels sincere, though his fangs are still visible.
"You really want to tame monsters, huh?" he whispered teasingly. "Alright. I'll try this 'human' lifestyle with you. Stay close to me... Your body smell is much more soothing than any alcohol you can buy."
Life in a Hidden Villa
Months passed. The villa is a silent witness to the strange but deep relationship between a human and a vampire princess. Daniela began to get used to modern routines; He loves the classical music from the vinyl records you collect and likes to wear the silk clothes you bought.
However, one night, as a small snowstorm descends outside—reminding you of the night of your escape from the castle—Daniela stands sculpting in front of the locked main door.
"They're looking for me," he whispered suddenly. His voice was flat and full of anxiety. "Mom doesn't like to lose hers. And Bela... He can smell betrayal from hundreds of miles away."
He turns to look at you, his face pale as death. "If they find us here, they won't kill you so quickly. They will destroy this villa and bring you back to be made into eternal torment."
Me : "If they come, I'll stand in front of you. I'm no longer the weak man they knew in the castle."
You held both of Daniela's shoulders, staring directly into her eyes that trembled with anxiety. You no longer saw her as a terrifying monster, but rather as a couple who had risked everything for you.
"Let them come," you said in a low but emphatic tone. "I'm no longer the limp man they dragged to the dinner table. We've built a life here, and I'm not going to let anyone—not even your mother—take it away from you. If they want to bring you back, they'll have to go through me first."
Daniela was stunned. For the first time in her hundreds of years of life, she felt the need to be the strongest because there was someone willing to be her shield. The aura of darkness around her exploded; thousands of black flies began to swirl wildly, but this time not to attack you, but rather as a form of protection.
"Then..." Daniela grinned, a smile that blended human beauty with predatory ferocity. "Let's show my brothers what it's like to deal with a man who already has a reason to stay alive."
Night of Battle
The sound of glass breaking was heard from the upper floor. The air inside the villa suddenly dropped drastically until it reached the freezing point. The sickening scent of roses filled the room, followed by the sound of shrill laughter that you were so familiar with.
"Daniel... My poor little brother," Bela's voice echoed from the darkness of the stairs. "You think you can hide your toys in this trash can?"
Cassandra emerged from behind the shadow of the curtains, her sickle gleaming with bloodluster. "Mother is very disappointed. But don't worry, we'll take your head home... and this heart of yours as a gift for her."
Me : *I immediately pulled the collar of Bela and Cassandra* *then whispered, call your mother*
Your sudden and very brave action made the whole room seem frozen. Bela and Cassandra, who are usually the most feared predators, gasp as your human hands grip the collars of their robes with a force they didn't expect.
They were too surprised to attack directly. Never before had there been a "food" that dared to touch them in such a way, let alone rule them.
"Call your mother," you whispered right between them, your voice cold and full of authority.
Bela hissed, her fangs just a few centimeters from your face. "You... little mouse, you think you're the one who rules us?!"
However, before Cassandra could swing her scythe, a heavy and authoritative thump of steps rang out from the direction of the villa's terrace. The front door, which was previously tightly closed, was now shattered into pieces as if hit by a storm.
Lady Alcina Dimitrescu stepped in. He had to bow his head deeply to pass through the frame of the door of the vilamu. His wide hat covered part of his eyes that gleamed with wrath, while his cigarette pipe emitted a smoke that smelled of death.
"Let go of my daughters, man," Lady Dimitrescu's voice thundered, making the glass throughout the villa tremble.
Bela and Cassandra immediately broke free from your grip and knelt beside their mother, their faces flushed between anger and embarrassment. Daniela stands beside you, her hands trembling, but she keeps her thousands of flies on alert.
Lady Dimitrescu looked around your new villa with a contemptuous look, then her eyes fell on you. "You stole one of my daughters, took her to this slum, and now you have the guts to call me?"
He stretched out his deadly silver claws, pointing right at your heart. "Tell me the reason why I don't have to level this building and its contents right now."
The atmosphere reaches its peak. Lady Dimitrescu stands before you, waiting for an answer that will determine your and Daniela's fate.