"Isn't it obvious?" Lecan replied flatly. His voice wasn't playful or cold—just calm, steady, as if he were merely stating a fact.
"I am late!" Agatha gasped, shooting up in panic. Her hair swung wildly with the motion, eyes wide as realization struck. She made to step away—
—but a hand caught her wrist. Firm. Swift.
She froze.
The grip wasn't tight. Just enough. Enough to stop her completely. Her breath hitched as she looked down, finding her wrist neatly enclosed in fingers that held no tremble, no hesitation.
"Where are you going in such haste?" Lecan's voice came quiet, but clear—cutting through the tension.
Agatha blinked. "Huh?"
Her eyes followed the hand that held her… then moved across the room, landing on the woman sitting opposite her.
Velmira.
That woman sat with her palms calmly resting over her knees, her posture straight but relaxed. Her eyes were locked on Agatha—not piercing, not warm. Just… steady. Like deep water that didn't ripple.
Agatha's gaze bounced between Velmira and Lecan, her thoughts scrambling to make sense of the moment.
"W-wait, Lecan… it might cause misunderstandings. Between you and your girlfriend…" she muttered, voice soft and uncertain, trying to defuse whatever this was. Her eyes avoided his. Her wrist still buzzed faintly with the warmth of his hold, and her cheeks had begun to flush with a soft, creeping heat.
Velmira didn't flinch. Her eyes stayed where they were. But her voice came in—silken, even, sharp in how smooth it was. "Don't act like that. He's just my…" She paused, just for a beat, her gaze brushing Lecan for a fraction of a second. "…cousin."
'!'
Agatha stiffened.
"Wh-what?!"
The word burst out before she could stop it. Her mind reeled, and with it came a memory—clear, vivid.
The image. A bruise. A handprint. Velmira's right breast.
Her jaw parted in disbelief, and her eyes snapped toward Lecan. He exhaled, mouth twitching, likely realizing Velmira hadn't really considered how that sounded from a human's point of view.
"…Don't make it more awkward than it already is, Velmira," Lecan murmured as he slowly stood. He released Agatha's wrist gently and tucked one hand into his pocket. Then casually said, "I need to buy some clothes. Mind if I tag along?"
"Huh?" Agatha blinked, confused again. Her eyes fell to the apron he wore. As he undid the straps and peeled it off, the fabric fell away—revealing the taut lines of his torso, muscle clearly defined beneath bronze skin. His arms flexed subtly, veins barely visible under the surface, his pants tied lazily with a rope.
There wasn't an ounce of excess on him. No stretch marks, no scars. Just a body sculpted clean, quiet, and capable.
Agatha's breath hitched. For a moment, it felt like she was seeing a stranger. But it was Lecan. It was him. That realization made her heart twist oddly, and she gave a short nod, quickly averting her gaze to hide the blush building near her cheek.
"I'll go too." Velmira's voice broke through.
She rose slowly, arms folded, her tone unreadable.
After leaving her clan, days here had become dull. A walk through a human city, even if trivial, was at least something. Or so she told herself. In truth, her gaze had lingered on Lecan. She didn't trust him wandering free.
"Why?" Agatha asked, eyebrow lifting sharply. Her voice wasn't confrontational, but it wasn't welcoming either. There was tension now. Clear and mounting.
She still didn't trust this woman. Not as Lecan's girlfriend. And now, knowing they were cousins?
Unacceptable.
Agatha's resolve deepened. She wouldn't allow this to continue. Whatever this was between them—it had already gone too far. She couldn't let it grow unchecked. Not now, not after what she'd seen and what she'd heard.
Lecan was kind. Naïve even. That made him vulnerable to manipulation. Agatha could see it—Velmira was dangerous. And now that Lecan had become absurdly handsome, like a model straight off a runway, of course women would come for him. Just like this one. A woman who apparently forgot the meaning of boundaries.
"Because I can't let someone approach him," Velmira said flatly. Her gaze locked onto Lecan. "Not after knowing what he is."
A vampire.
To her, that fact alone made Lecan a potential threat to innocent people. Her people.
It was just how Velmira thought. Harsh, pragmatic, protective in her own way.
But in Agatha's eyes—
'!'
Agatha's eyes widened, mind catching on something else entirely.
'She's that possessive?'
A chill ran down her back.
'Is she really planning to guard him from every woman who comes close… just because he's kind?'
Even Agatha herself had taken a year to truly see through Lecan's cold, distant exterior—to the gentle soul underneath.
But this woman… Velmira. She'd figured it out in one night.
That scared Agatha more than anything else.
'She's too dangerous.'
"I'll just grab my cards," Lecan said, heading to the other room. He moved casually, but Agatha noticed—he didn't have much. Banished from his vampire family, stripped of inheritance due to his weak bloodline, he barely had savings.
A strange sadness clung to the thought.
"Wait, I'll get my salary—" Agatha started, but stopped as he disappeared behind a door.
Now, just the two women remained in the living room.
A quiet tension hung between them.
Agatha cleared her throat, trying to make conversation. "So… what's your name?"
"Velmira," the other replied coolly. "But you can call me Vela."
She stood, hands folded across her chest. Her floral skirt reached just above her thighs, swaying lightly as she walked. Her top clung lightly to her frame, cleavage visible but not overt. Her long black and grey mixed hair flowed like a dark river down to her waist, contrasting with striking blue eyes that looked straight ahead as she made her way toward the exit.
"I see," Agatha murmured. She could've stayed behind.
But she didn't.
Seeing Velmira walk out made something twist in her chest, and without thinking, she followed.
Soon enough, Lecan stepped out too—wearing a loose white shirt and simple pants that looked almost like soft bedsheets wrapped around him.
Even dressed plainly, he stood out—not due to being super handsome, but overall charming enough because of his facial structure and muscles hidden within loose fabric to attract people's gazes and be counted among the top handsome models of the country.
While he was exiting the apartment, he used his remaining fate value....
Not on himself though.
'System, use 3000 Fate Value to increase Velmira's luck stat....'