“I’m finally back.”
Vivian stretched her limbs, looking as if she had just cast off the exhaustion of an entire day’s travel.
“Husband, please take a seat and wait for a moment. I’m going to change my clothes.”
She shifted to the more intimate address with a hint of shyness, trying to better adapt to her role as a wife.
Even though this was a fake relationship she had fabricated using hypnosis, she had to act the part convincingly. Otherwise, if she ever slipped up and was discovered, her identity might be revoked. Wouldn’t all her hard work be for nothing then?
If she didn’t have her own innate resistance to hypnosis, she would have considered using a mirror to hypnotize herself as well. ‘That way, it would be a flawless disguise.’
“All right.”
As soon as he spoke, there was a soft *bang*.
Vivian’s body burst apart, transforming into a swarm of small, pitch-black bats with eyes flashing red. Like a gust of wind, they scurried into the coffin inside the house.
*Thud!*
The coffin lid slammed shut tightly, as if she were afraid he might try to peek.
After a short while, the *rustle* of fabric rubbing together drifted out from inside.
*Clang!*
The coffin opened once more.
Vivian appeared, now dressed in a pair of bear-themed pajamas!
Without pausing for a breath, she trotted over to the hearth on her small feet, moved a small stool over, and stood on top of it. She ladled fresh water from a nearby wooden bucket, lit the firewood, and began busily boiling water with a series of huffs and puffs.
***
The dim yellow firelight licked at the wooden walls.
Nolan picked up his longsword and sat down at the wooden table. He slowly drew the blade from its scabbard; the satin-patterned steel was soon draped in a soft halo, reflecting the dancing flames.
He used a piece of coarse burlap to wipe the dust from the blade, following its curve. Next, he took out a small jar, dabbed some wax oil onto the metal, and rubbed the longsword repeatedly until the blade gleamed with its original, cold luster.
Only then did he steadily return it to the scabbard.
Nolan had successfully completed his weapon maintenance for the day. During the process, he occasionally looked up to watch Vivian’s small figure busily moving about the house.
A warm atmosphere permeated the small cabin. He felt a sense of cozy satisfaction in his heart.
Ever since his family had been attacked… how long had it been since he had enjoyed such a peaceful daily life?
The last time seemed to have been when he was 12 years old. Together with his sister, Eleanor, he had escaped the family training grounds and reached an unknown little grove. They had napped together under the trees and caught fish by the river. They had rested on the grass together, gazing at the sky.
Back then…
“Once the hot water is ready, let’s wash our hands and feet before we go to sleep,” Vivian’s crisp but slightly youthful voice called back Nolan’s drifting thoughts.
“But where will I sleep?” Nolan asked, looking up as he set down his sword.
“Let me think.” Vivian turned around and scanned the room.
Usually, she slept in her coffin. Perhaps because she had become a vampire after crossing over to this world, she always felt that a coffin was more comfortable than a bed. But Nolan wasn’t a vampire; he was a living human…
It was somewhat inappropriate to make him sleep in a coffin with her.
“Hmm… How about this?” Vivian’s eyes rolled as an idea sparked in her mind. “I’ll go to Uncle Hawthorne’s next door to borrow some wooden planks and knock together a bed for you.”
Vivian jumped down from the small stool. “Husband, keep an eye on the fire while I’m out. Don’t go burning the house down, okay?”
With that, she pushed open the door and stepped out into the dark night.
“Okay,” Nolan replied softly, sitting on the small stool in front of the hearth.
His gaze remained fixed on the flames. The fire cast a blurry, orange-red glow in his eyes as it danced and flickered. No one could tell what he was thinking…
***
Vivian hoped that Uncle Hawthorne wasn’t asleep yet; otherwise, it would be rude to disturb him. With the mindset of a late-night visitor, she arrived at the wooden house next door.
*Knock, knock, knock.*
Vivian raised her hand and rapped on the door. “Uncle Hawthorne, are you asleep?”
A few seconds later, the sound of heavy footsteps approached.
*Creak.*
The wooden door opened a crack, revealing a tired eye with dark circles underneath. The man looked out cautiously, surveying the area outside. Once he saw it was Vivian, he relaxed his gaze.
“It’s Miss Vivian. One moment, I’ll open the door for you.”
A middle-aged man’s voice came from behind the door. He unfastened the iron chain secured behind the wood and opened the entrance wide.
3 months ago, when Vivian had just arrived in Maen City and was preparing her new home on Black Rat Street, she had encountered a group of bandits. They had crudely broken into Uncle Hawthorne’s house next door, intending to rob them. The noisy sounds of smashing and shouting had echoed in Vivian’s ears, irritating her.
Without a second thought, she had rolled up her sleeves and beaten the entire gang. The unlucky bandits had all been converted into warm XP, while also offering up their wealth to contribute to Vivian’s peaceful life.
As for the rescued Uncle Hawthorne, he had been so grateful that he wept. Seeing that his benefactor, Vivian, had nothing in her home, he had proactively offered his own food and money.
Vivian had been stunned by the passion of the people in this different world. However, in the end, she didn’t accept the Hawthorne family’s money. ‘They’ve been through enough being robbed by bandits. If I drive the bandits away and then take their money, doesn’t that make me a bandit too?’
Instead, she had set her sights on the leftover wooden planks from when the Hawthornes had repaired their house.
***
“So, Uncle Hawthorne, do you have any spare wooden planks left?” Vivian asked after briefly explaining the situation.
“I think there are a few left. Come in and take them; don’t be a stranger,” Uncle Hawthorne said with a smile, forcing his tired eyelids open as he stepped aside to let her in.
“Sorry for the intrusion.”
Vivian walked into the house. The air was thick with the scent of tannins and animal hides. It felt as if she had stepped into a rugged, primitive tribal hut. She looked around. A few crude leather belts were drying on the hearth, and two curved skinning knives hung from the rafters, their handles polished bright from years of use.
“Rosey! Vivian is here!” Hawthorne shouted toward the back of the house. “Quick, bring out those carrots we got today.”
A moment later, a thin woman dressed in coarse burlap walked out of the kitchen holding a basket. Inside were five or six vibrant carrots.
“Good evening, Miss Vivian.”
Rosey was Hawthorne’s wife, and she usually ran a vegetable stall in the market. “These are carrots my sister from the countryside sent over. You must take some and try them.”
Aunt Rosey smiled warmly as she stuffed a pile of carrots into Vivian’s arms. Ever since Vivian had helped the Hawthornes drive off those bandits, the woman had been sending vegetables to Vivian’s house every few days.
‘I’m a vampire, though…’ she couldn’t help but grumble inwardly.
“Thank you, Aunt Rosey. I actually happen to need some ingredients to host a guest.” Vivian put on a friendly smile. She felt a bit helpless, but she accepted them with a smile every time. After all, she didn’t want to let someone’s kindness go to waste.
‘I’ll just stuff all these carrots into Nolan’s mouth tomorrow…’
***
“I’m back!”
Vivian kicked the door open, carrying several thick wooden planks on her shoulder and a fruit basket in her hand.
“Uh… welcome back.”
Nolan, who had been focused on the fire, looked back toward the door. His jaw dropped in surprise at Vivian’s boisterous display.
Vivian didn’t care about Nolan’s reaction. She set the basket of carrots down by the hearth, went to a corner of the room, dropped the planks with a loud *clatter*, and pulled out a hammer.
*Bang, clang, thud.*
Under Nolan’s curious gaze, a crude wooden bed appeared. Then, that small figure darted toward her coffin like a swift rabbit and rummaged around inside. To his surprise, she pulled out a set of pillows and bedding. She huffed and puffed as she ran to the new bed, spreading them out and smoothing them over.
Seeing this, he finally understood. These pieces of furniture had actually been built by Vivian’s own hands. No wonder they looked all crooked…
The corners of Nolan’s mouth curled into a faint smile. He couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.
In that moment, the crooked, crude furniture suddenly seemed to have a filter over it in his eyes. On closer inspection, weren’t they actually quite cute?
The poor rating he had given them earlier was instantly thrown to the back of his mind.