"C-Cruise…" Agatha murmured, walking beside Velmira. She kept blinking in disbelief, a single ticket clutched tightly in her hand—clearly stunned by the sudden surprise of winning such a trip in the most unexpected setting.
She had only come here to buy clothes for Velmira, and yet somehow, luck had smiled on her.
"Is this really that big of a deal?" Velmira asked, glancing toward the ticket in Agatha's hand. She didn't quite understand why Agatha was this excited.
Her confusion deepened when she looked ahead and saw Lecan walking in front of them, holding the other ticket with a smile on his face. It seemed like even he was oddly thrilled by the whole situation.
"Of course... living like a rich person, even if just for a while, sounds like a dream," Agatha replied, trying to sound upbeat. But in truth, she could sense Velmira wasn't all that excited either.
Agatha herself was only pretending. Neither wanted to spoil the mood that came with winning something unexpectedly special.
Agatha wasn't someone who enjoyed crowds or flashy places, so deep down, she wasn't thrilled—just acting it out.
But noticing Velmira's lack of enthusiasm helped her feel more at ease. They were on the same wavelength, at least in that regard.
"Hm, I see. If you enjoy it, I could book the whole—" Velmira started, nodding slightly. She realized humans must think differently about material luxuries.
It prompted her to casually offer Agatha something extravagant—an easy gesture for someone from her clan.
After all, they were among the top 200 richest individuals in the world.
But before she could finish, she was cut off.
"I guess you're lucky for me, Velmira," Lecan called out, glancing back at her. He spoke just in time to interrupt her before she exposed too much.
He knew she was about to reveal her wealth, but to him, this was a golden opportunity—an ideal setup to bring all four of them together: Velmira, Agatha, himself, and the man destined to be Agatha's future husband.
"Huh? What?" Velmira blinked in surprise at Lecan's words. She stared at his back as he continued walking ahead, acting like this cruise was something monumental. She couldn't understand why he treated it with such significance.
Vampires, due to their long lifespans and need for careful human interaction, were known to dominate the business world.
They were some of the wealthiest individuals alive, strategically maintaining power behind the scenes, using humans as their vessels of influence.
If her senses were right—and judging by his unique scent, they were—this man was the heir of the Bloodmoon family.
Which would place him easily among the top 100 wealthiest in the world.
"I mean… I've always wanted to recreate the Titanic movie scene," he added casually, flashing a smile toward Agatha.
She blinked. Her heart skipped a beat at the way he looked at her—charming, playful, and somehow deeply genuine. And that wink…
He was undeniably handsome. But for Agatha, it was more than just appearance. She had seen the way he treated others—with kindness and purity. That made everything he did hit harder, linger longer, flutter louder in her chest.
What is this feeling? she wondered, quickly turning her head away in confusion.
But Lecan noticed everything. The subtle shift in her blood flow, the tremor in her pulse—nothing escaped his sight.
Vampires didn't see the world like humans did. Their vision was a fusion of infrared and ultrasonic perception—like a hybrid of bats and mosquitoes.
Their bodies emitted sound pulses constantly, which bounced back with detailed information about depth, form, and movement. They saw in crimson hues and outlines of life—flesh, veins, hearts.
So when he looked at Agatha, he didn't just see her face.
He saw her heart—literally.
Not the poetic kind, but the real one. He saw how it beat faster when she lied, trembled when she helped him, and raced when she felt shy.
"Titan… what? And a movie?" Velmira blinked in confusion. None of this made any sense to her.
She had spent the last thirty years under rigorous training—fully devoted to her awakening. Like all werewolves, she had reached adult-level intelligence by the age of ten. From then on, her life had been consumed by discipline and isolation.
She never indulged in anything made by humans or dwarves.
Yes, dwarves still existed—just not in the way humans portrayed them, with hammers and rugged mining. They had long since blended into human society.
But to hear that a vampire—especially one of such high standing—was so into human pop culture?
It shattered everything she thought she knew about bloodsuckers.
He didn't match the profile—not even slightly.
"Have you never seen a movie?" Lecan asked with a smirk, clearly aware of her upbringing. The system had given him enough intel to know about her isolation, and he decided to use it.
Use it as a weapon.
He was going to poke at a weakness she might not even know she had.
"Tch. One point to Agatha in that case—she watches movies all day," he added, tilting his head and gently nudging Agatha's shoulder with his own.
Agatha flinched slightly, frowning at the implication.
Did he just insult me? she pouted inwardly. It wasn't like she was lazy. Still, she didn't express her discomfort out loud. She knew him. He likely didn't mean it in a bad way.
But Velmira didn't take it lightly.
"What? What point? Are you saying even a human is better than me?" she snapped, halting in her tracks.
Her pupils flickered for a split second.
That sentence brought back years of quiet pain—decades of hearing similar comparisons. The cruel whispers of her clan, mocking her for not awakening her ability, comparing her to mere humans.
It wasn't the worst trauma—but it had left a deep scar. One that resurfaced now.
"W-What h-human—" Agatha sensed the shift and tried to step in, but her voice trailed off.
"I didn't mean it like that," Lecan said, raising a hand from his pocket as if to clear the misunderstanding he himself had planted. His tone was light, his expression innocent.
But his crimson eyes told a different story.
Humans are emotional by nature. They read too much into words, find comfort or offense in tone, and treat even their dogs like family. So to Agatha, his words sounded like a genuine attempt to fix things.
But Velmira?
She looked into his eyes.
And she saw the truth.
Werewolves and vampires were natural enemies—predators forever at odds. Open warfare was forbidden now, but that didn't erase the ancient bloodline grudge.
Werewolves had learned to avoid vampire tricks. Their words were sharp, their tongues charming.
But the one thing a vampire couldn't hide?
Their eyes.
> "Never look into the eyes of a wolf—or any predator. They see both fear and strength. Equally."
Velmira stared.
And she knew.
Lecan hadn't just compared her.
He had mocked her.
And that truth was carved in further when he added, casually—
"So, for me, Agatha is always better than you…"