Chapter 72: Errand boy
Vlad could hear the rustling of fabric as he sat on the floor on his legs, his head lowered and his eyes closed. The carpet was soft beneath his knees.
"Now, explain yourself," Seraphina demanded in a low, cold tone. Her voice had lost all warmth.
"May I open my eyes now?" Vlad asked, his voice cautious.
"Aren’t you a bit too late to show courtesy now?" she retorted, annoyance clear in her tone.
Vlad remained silent, his head still bowed.
"Open your eyes," she said, a low sigh escaping her lips.
Vlad slowly opened his eyes, finding her sitting cross-legged at the edge of the bed in a pink night suit and shorts. Her long, slender legs were partially illuminated by the soft moonlight streaming through the window. Strands of crimson hair fell over her shoulders as she looked down at him with her glowing pink eyes, her expression unreadable.
The sight made Vlad skip a heartbeat. He quickly wiped his bloody nose with his jacket, turning his eyes away from her figure to pull himself together. His pulse refused to slow.
"I don’t know how I appeared here," Vlad explained in a fast pace, the words tumbling out. "I went to meet the Principal. After our meeting, she threw me into some strange dimension. When I opened my eyes, I was on top of you. I am telling the truth. I am also a victim in this incident."
"Victim, you say?" Seraphina muttered, her brows twitching in suppressed anger. Her fingers curled into the fabric of her shorts. "I lost my first cheek kiss. You even saw me in a state that only my future husband would be allowed to see."
The temperature in the room rose rapidly, her hair glowing like crimson embers as she demanded, "Tell me, commoner, who is the real victim here?" The blush never left her cheek, deepening instead.
Vlad slightly flinched under her dangerous aura. ’Crap, she is furious,’ he screamed inwardly. ’Well, she has every reason to be.’
He took a deep breath, regaining his calm composure as he answered, looking straight into her eyes, "Although it was not my intention to come here, I did accidentally wrong you. Tell me, what should I do to calm your fury?"
Seraphina intently stared at him for several seconds, her pink eyes searching his face. The glow from her hair vanished, the temperature in the room returning to normal as a playful smile appeared on Seraphina’s face, her earlier fury nowhere to be seen. The shift was almost unsettling.
"Become my slave."
"Definitely not!" Vlad’s response came in an instant.
A crease appeared on her forehead. "You said you would take responsibility."
"And you are going too far with your demand."
"One scream and your life is over."
"I beg you to change your demand," Vlad pleaded shamelessly with a poker face, his expression completely neutral despite his words.
Annoyance was clear in every feature of her face. After a brief pause, she demanded, "Then become my errand boy."
"For how long?"
"As long as you do not forget the sight you have witnessed tonight."
"Not possible," Vlad shook his head. "Ask for something else."
Now the furious expression returned to Seraphina’s face, her complexion darkening like a storm cloud.
"You do remember I am the one with the upper hand here? Since when do beggars become the choosers?"
"But your demands are clearly unfair," Vlad answered. His eyes turned sideways in awkwardness, his hand rubbing the back of his head as he said in a low tone, "I cannot become your errand boy for my whole life."
"What do you mean?" Seraphina asked, confused. Her head tilted slightly.
Vlad decided to use his right to remain silent, his gaze fixed on a spot on the floor.Seraphina took a moment to process his words. When their meaning finally sank in, a blush bloomed across her face, painting her cheeks a rosy hue. Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out.
Neither of them spoke, leaving the room shrouded in an awkward silence for several seconds.
"For one semester," Seraphina answered a moment later, her voice barely above a whisper.
"And we will be completely even after that?" Vlad asked in a serious tone, his eyes fixed on her.
"Obviously not," Seraphina said in a sharp tone, her pink eyes narrowing.
She crossed her arms over her chest as she said, "It is only for what you did today. I have not even started my revenge for what you did ten years ago."
Vlad’s brow twitched at her words. He knew this moment would eventually come. But now that she had clearly mentioned the event, it was a chance for Vlad, a chance to put an end to her petty revenge once and for all.
"You are being too petty, Seraphina," Vlad said as if he were offended, his voice carrying a hint of indignation. "We were kids back then. You threatened us with a dagger. I only did what I did in self-defence."
"Self-defence should have ended with snatching the knife," she shouted, her voice rising as she tried to hide the embarrassment and flustered expression on her face. Her cheeks burned crimson. "What you did afterwards was completely inhumane! I could not sit properly for several days, not to mention the trauma I suffered that scarred me and made me afraid to sleep alone at night."
Her voice slowly lowered, her eyes shining with moisture as she continued, "You kissed me, saw me naked, and even hit me at the most embarrassing place, yet you are trying to dodge your responsibilities. Mother’s words were true. Men really are terrible."
She began rubbing her eyes, her chest rising and falling with heavy gasps. "Just go away."
"Thank you," Vlad replied with a little bow as he jumped to a standing position and moved towards the window. His steps were quick, eager to escape.
"You jerk! How could you leave a crying lady!" Her voice came from behind, shocked and loud.
"Where is the crying lady?" Vlad asked, turning his head over his shoulder.
Not even a tear had left her eye. Her face was dry, her acting exposed.
"Tch," she clicked her tongue, realising he had seen straight through her performance.
"Become my errand boy for one year, and I will forgive all of your transgressions," she declared, releasing a long sigh. She was done pretending. Her arms fell to her sides.
Vlad’s hand moved from his forehead to his chin in frustration as he replied, "Alright. One year it is, then."
He continued his walk towards the window, his hand reaching for the frame, when Seraphina called him again.
"Commoner!"
"Yeah." He paused, his fingers resting on the cool wood.
"Stay here for the night."
