Lorevil walked across the Blood Hunting Ground, emerging from a woodland path. Dressed in her dark school uniform with her snowy hair fluttering, her pretty face remained as calm as still water.
The point plate hanging at her waist displayed a value: 32.
To the freshmen who had just come out of the outer ring—haggard and covered in dust—this number was exceptionally eye-catching.
“It’s Lorevil!”
“I heard she’s already reached Level 3. It’s like she’s a completely different person.”
“I used to hear she was a useless noble who didn’t practice. She was even bullied by her cousin, and the family didn’t even give her resources. She just lived off her monthly allowance. Now… she’s actually terrifyingly strong.”
Whispers rose and fell around her, but Lorevil acted as if she hadn’t heard a thing, walking past the registration office with a light step.
*Pfft—*
Inside the registration office, Isolde was nonchalantly sipping tea. When she caught a glimpse of the number on Lorevil’s point plate, her narrow eyes flickered, and she spat out a mouthful of tea.
“Cough, cough…”
She hurriedly wiped the tea stains from the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief. The way she looked at Lorevil’s retreating figure had changed.
Thirty-two points!
It had only been one afternoon. Lorevil was alone, and those points were all earned by soloing Level 1 and Level 2 blood beasts.
One had to understand that while Level 1 and Level 2 blood beasts weren’t the strongest, they were scattered. Hunting them was extremely mentally taxing. This efficiency was on par with many veteran Level 3 vampire students.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk… Loriditia, your cousin has been hiding quite a lot.”
Isolde set aside her contempt, her pretty face turning solemn. She had originally thought Lorevil’s transformation was just a facade or a flash in the pan from some lucky encounter. Now it seemed the girl truly possessed the strength matching a Level 3 status.
Isolde picked up a communication blood crystal and sent a message: “Loriditia, it’s your sister’s first time at the Blood Hunting Ground, and she hunted thirty-two blood beasts in a single afternoon. She’s not simple.”
Loriditia: “?!”
Lorevil was naturally unaware of Isolde’s actions. Even if she knew, she wouldn’t care much. After all, she and her cousin were rivals; being watched was the norm.
Just as she stepped out of the academy gates, the communication blood crystal in Lorevil’s pocket vibrated.
[Lorevil, I made your favorite blood marrow stewed mushrooms for dinner.]
[I also have the blood fudge glutinous rice cakes you’ve been talking about for days. Everything is ready, just waiting for you to come home.]
“Okay, I’m coming back now. I’m on my way~”
It was a message from her wife, Noxia.
The nerves Lorevil had kept taut all afternoon finally relaxed. A soft smile involuntarily spread across her lips as she replied.
‘In my past life, I dreamed of a scene like this countless times.’
A warm home, a person whose heart was full of her, a light left on, and a table of steaming food. Back then, it was just an unreachable extravagance… Now, it was simply her daily life.
At that thought, Lorevil’s pace quickened. She boarded a carriage and urged the driver toward the estate.
As she pushed open the manor doors, a rich aroma wafted toward her. Noxia was standing by the dining table, arranging the utensils. Her petite body was wrapped in cream-white loungewear, and her skin was as fair as fine jade.
Her calves were so pale and tender they looked like they would bruise at a touch. She wore a pair of fluffy rabbit slippers, the ears of which wobbled as she walked. It was exceptionally playful.
“You’re back.”
Hearing the door, Noxia looked up. A shallow smile rippled in her star-bright eyes.
“Mhm, I’m back. We had free time this afternoon, so I went to the Blood Hunting Ground.”
Lorevil nodded and walked to the cloakroom, taking off her dusty coat to hang it up. She bent over to shake the dust from her shoes and arranged them neatly. Turning back to the dining room, she reached out and pulled Noxia into her arms.
Noxia was half a head shorter than her, standing about 162 centimeters tall, which allowed Lorevil to rest her chin perfectly on top of Noxia’s head.
“Noxia… you smell so good.”
Lorevil took a deep breath, greedily drinking in her wife’s fragrance. She was recharging her “good wife” energy.
“Hmm? That tickles. Don’t rub against me like that; I’m still setting the table.”
Noxia blinked, her small face filled with a bit of confusion. She habitually gave a light struggle, causing the collar of her robe to slide down slightly, revealing half of a white, fragrant shoulder—a reward for Lorevil.
Even though she was Lorevil’s wife, intimate hugs still made her cheeks flush with heat. Lorevil didn’t speak, only tightening her arms to hold her closer.
“What’s wrong? Are you exhausted? You didn’t get hurt at the Blood Hunting Ground, did you?”
Sensing Lorevil’s dependency, Noxia nervously placed her small hands on Lorevil’s back, gently patting her. The deep concern in her voice was unmistakable.
“I’m not hurt, just a little tired.”
A surge of tenderness rose in Lorevil’s heart. She caressed the soft flesh at her wife’s waist; the squishy texture made it hard to let go. With her Level 3 strength, dealing with those Level 1 and Level 2 blood beasts wasn’t difficult, but after an afternoon of high mental concentration, she felt weary once she relaxed.
But seeing Noxia made all the fatigue in Lorevil’s heart vanish.
“Good thing I made soup for you. Quickly, taste it and see if it’s good.”
Noxia pushed her away slightly, picked up a spoon to scoop some warm blood marrow stewed mushrooms, and carefully held it to Lorevil’s lips. She let out a soft, “Ah—”
“Ah.”
Lorevil obediently opened her mouth and took the spoon. The warm broth slid down her throat, its warmth spreading through her esophagus to her entire body. Even her exhaustion faded significantly.
“It’s delicious,” Lorevil praised sincerely. She rubbed her face against the top of Noxia’s head again, like a kitten seeking comfort.
“Really?”
Noxia’s eyes lit up, her face filled with joy. “I specifically stewed it for 6 hours. I was afraid it wouldn’t be flavorful enough when you got back.”
“It’s very flavorful. It’s a hundred times better than the academy cafeteria.”
Lorevil suddenly remembered her achievements from the afternoon and couldn’t help but boast a little childishly. “I was at the Blood Hunting Ground today, and I hunted thirty-two blood beasts in a single afternoon!”
“In the future, I’ll be here. No one will be able to hurt you.”
Noxia was stunned for a moment before a gentle smile bloomed on her face. She nodded heavily and plucked up the courage to wrap her arms around Lorevil’s waist, pressing her cheek against her chest.
“Okay. I believe you.” Always.
They held that hug for a long, long time.
—
After dinner, Lorevil sat on the sofa with Noxia in her arms. She suddenly remembered the sandbag she had given her a few days ago and asked casually, “Noxia, do you still like that sandbag?”
Whenever she thought about the version of Noxia that had blackened and held a kitchen knife, Lorevil’s kidneys felt a faint, phantom pain.
“I like it, but it’s almost broken,” Noxia said, tilting her head with an innocent look.
Lorevil was surprised. In the past, she liked hitting sandbags to vent her emotions when she was in a bad mood, but was Noxia really that strong? “Come, let me take a look.”
The sandbag was hanging in the training room on the second floor.
Lorevil’s eyes widened the moment she pushed the door open. The sandbag was torn in several places, and only a small amount of sand remained, with less than half the bag barely hanging on.
“Noxia, how do you usually use this?” she asked, looking at her wife in disbelief.
“My strength is too low; I can’t move it by hitting it at all.”
Noxia gave a shy smile. She turned and picked up a tool resembling a meat cleaver from a shelf and gestured with it. “Like this.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she plunged the blade into the sandbag and began to stir it vigorously.
*Shhh—*
The remaining sand sprayed out of the gaps, looking exactly like the fountain of blood Lorevil had seen in her memories.
Lorevil’s eyes bulged, and cold sweat immediately broke out on her forehead. Her lip twitched. “That… Noxia, that’s not how you use a sandbag. I’ll get you a new one tomorrow.”
She hadn’t expected Noxia to use the specially-made sandbag this way. Lorevil took a deep breath and forced herself to check the Blackening Bar. Seeing it stabilized at a value below one-tenth brought her a small measure of peace.
“It’s fine. It can still be used for a long time like this.”
Noxia gave a bright, innocent smile as she pulled the cleaver-like tool out. Then, she virtuously began to sweep the sand into a pile in the corner.
“Noxia, what do you usually do that makes you happy when you’re in a bad mood?”
Lorevil watched her wife’s petite body and swallowed hard. She felt a mountain of pressure. ‘Please don’t let her awaken some weird hobby.’ She hurriedly changed the subject.
“In a bad mood?”
Noxia finished tidying the training room, thought for a moment, and turned back to Lorevil. “Watering flowers, cooking, and such.”
“The sandbag you gave me is also quite useful. The sand can be put in the garden; it’s very easy to clean up.”
As she spoke, she burrowed back into Lorevil’s arms like a docile house cat. Her soft, sweet manner helped Lorevil regain a sliver of her sense of security.
‘Thank goodness, thank goodness.’ Lorevil let out a sigh of relief. Her peripheral vision swept over the meat cleaver tool, and she rubbed her neck, her heart fluttering.
“Okay, I understand. Let’s get some rest early. We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
Lorevil’s body was stiff as she held her, and she quickly closed the training room door.
That day, Lorevil finally remembered the terror of being dominated by a kitchen knife. Letting Elini arrange a workout plan for Noxia was truly the best decision she had ever made.