43. Vincent’s Bedtime Story

“Before talking about atavistic bloodlines, I think we need to understand the basic situation of the vampires.”

“The vampires are divided into innate vampires and acquired vampires, and this is no secret.”

“Innate vampires transform humans into acquired vampires through the process known as ‘First Embrace,’ granting them what they call a ‘new life.'”

“Nowadays, what is referred to as ‘First Embrace’ is not actually the true First Embrace; rather, it resembles more of a contractual relationship.” Vincent’s posture, usually upright, slightly relaxed as he leaned back on the sofa. The gaze behind his glasses seemed distant, as if he was reminiscing about something.

“In movies and TV shows, the transformation of humans into vampires seems like a venomous infection. But in reality, the transformation of a human into a true vampire involves sharing one’s own lifespan.”

Vincent’s original name wasn’t Vincent; he couldn’t remember the exact name anymore. He was an Asian who had drifted to Europe aboard a trading ship, wandering through various places and almost being sold into a manor as the lowest-ranking slave.

At that time, a noble vampire picked him up.

“That person was also of atavistic bloodline.”

André, His Highness of the atavistic bloodline, guarded a magnificent yet dilapidated castle. The first time Vincent stepped into the desolate and empty castle, he thought André was an exquisitely dressed swindler or a serial killer.

He tensed his body and followed André, but when he saw the elegant noble come to a stop, a gust of wind passed through the castle. André turned around, revealing his crimson eyes and sharp fangs.

Vincent widened his eyes, startled, and took a few steps back, his thin back hitting the wall and causing slight pain.

André found the sight of this little mouse-like guy cowering in the corner amusing. He laughed heartily, approaching to lift up Vincent’s messy long hair, tilting his head to take a careful look, and laughed, “Child, you have very beautiful eyes. Don’t be afraid, I won’t eat you.”

At that time, Vincent couldn’t understand what the handsome noble with red hair was saying. He stared at the man’s teeth with wariness and curiosity.

“He is someone who follows his own desires.”

André was fond of rescuing those little ones who were about to breathe their last breath and bringing them back to the castle. He would watch them cry in fear, then provide them with warm food and splendid clothes. After dressing them up nicely, André would ask if they wanted to make a deal with him.

“So, if you just bite me, I can gain health and longevity?” The two individuals, unable to communicate through language, communicated through gestures and guesses, barely managing to understand each other’s meaning.

“Perhaps I should learn a new language.” André, in agony, covered his forehead. He repeated his proposal to Vincent, who understood it but expressed doubts.

He never believed that good things would just fall into his lap.

André didn’t rush Vincent; he let him stay in the castle and taught him English.

“From time to time, new kids would come to the castle. Some agreed to André’s proposal, while others refused.”

In the corridor, two people embraced each other. André wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth, his vibrant red lips curving up. He gently stroked the chestnut-colored hair of the child in his arms and said softly, “Take your time, no rush.”

After a while, the girl who had consumed André’s blood fainted.

Vincent, hiding at the end of the corridor, leaned back against the wall abruptly, his brows furrowed, and whispered, “This is indecent.”

“My darling, what are you mumbling about again?” André peeked out from the wall, holding the unconscious girl in his arms.

“Ah, are you here to ask me something?” André saw the book in Vincent’s hands and happily said, “Wait a moment, let me take this young lady to her room to rest. You go to the study and wait for me, sweetheart.”

Vincent noticed the bloodstain on André’s neck, staining his pristine white shirt. He turned his face away and spoke coldly, “If you really want to help these children, why don’t you give them money instead of turning them into monsters like yourself? They might become stronger and live longer, but once they leave this castle, they will still be bullied by others.”

“Hey, baby, you’ve hurt my feelings.” André leaned closer, standing against the wall alongside Vincent, and grinned, “I’m not a monster. Have you ever seen such a good-looking monster?”

Vincent didn’t want to pay attention to this disreputable man. He turned around and left, while André watched his retreating figure and said aloud, “Child, when the young years are infinitely prolonged, there’s nothing you can’t achieve. Money, status, reputation, the long journey of youth. You will have countless opportunities to start anew. Someday, you will realize that life is just like that.”

Vincent paused his footsteps, about to turn back, when André added with a smile, “If all else fails, these children can play symphonies at the graves of those who mistreated them. By then, they can hire someone to do it.”

Vincent: “…”

“The exchange of blood is like an embrace. People call this process ‘First Embrace.'”

After that day, André no longer embraced anyone else. Instead, he used a silver knife to cut his wrist and offered a small bowl of blood for those who made a deal with him to drink.

“If that’s possible, why did you bite the neck before?” Vincent asked.

“It’s more convenient,” André extended his wrist for Vincent to bandage, supporting his chin with the other hand, smiling as he looked at Vincent’s beautiful face, which resembled that of a grown-up child.

Vincent responded to André’s convenience argument with a cold laugh, “Barbaric.”

Seasons passed, and Vincent still hadn’t given André an answer, but André was not in a hurry.

The children brought into the castle by André didn’t stay for long; they made their own choices and left the castle. Only Vincent remained here, and from a certain day onwards, he took on the responsibility of finding maintenance workers for the castle.

André occasionally sighed, wondering if he would get used to it when Vincent eventually left.

Vincent held a thick Latin book he couldn’t understand, furrowing his brows and paying no attention to the lazy nobleman beside him.

“Don’t read these boring books. Come with me to listen to a concert,” the nobleman lazily reclined on Vincent’s lap, his fingers entwined in the Asian boy’s sleek black hair, gently pulling it, “Darling, let’s go.”

André would occasionally leave the castle and go to faraway places to attend banquets, watch performances, or simply go on excursions to the countryside.

Vincent sometimes followed him, and other times he stayed alone in the castle, while André ensured there was plenty of food prepared for him.

It was a stormy night when André returned to the castle with a girl draped in a black robe. Vincent assumed he had brought another unfortunate child and didn’t pay much attention.

In the middle of the night, intense arguing could be heard outside the bedroom. Vincent took a candlestick and went out.

“Father, I’ve had enough of this life! Watching my loved ones age and only I remain at nineteen! My lover left me, and my daughter calls me a child in front of others!… And now she’s gone too, Father. I don’t want to live alone in this world anymore…”

“Perhaps you’re right.” The next morning, André leaned against a pillar in the corridor and said to Vincent, who had walked up to him, “I should give them money instead of longevity.”

The girl, who had lived for who knows how long, stood alone in the courtyard. She wore a pristine white gown and gazed at the clear blue sky.

André approached her. “Are you certain you’ve made up your mind?”

The girl turned around, lifted her skirt, and curtsied to André.

“Yes, Your Highness, I have made up my mind.”

A night of torrential rain fell upon the courtyard, causing many flowers that had bloomed beautifully the day before to wither and fall. Yesterday’s vibrant roses now lay withered, leaving only barren stems.

A cluster of flames ignited, growing more intense as it consumed the scattered petals and burned away the pure white gown. André stood in front of the blazing fire, his red hair blowing in the wind. He blended with the flames that stretched towards the sky, as if embracing death itself.

“André,” Vincent called to him.

André turned around, his profile sharp against the glow of the fire, and he smiled, asking, “What is it, darling?”

“You always say this is a transaction. A transaction implies an exchange between both parties. You gave them longevity, but what did they give you?”

For the first time, André seemed to face such a question. He pondered for a moment, then walked back to Vincent’s side and said, “They shared my longevity.”

“André has lived for a long time, so long that he wouldn’t feel lonely living alone in an empty castle. But he has retrogressive blood, and his life is still long, so long that it seems never-ending.”

“By sharing my longevity with the children I’ve embraced, I can live a few years less,” André said as he explained to Vincent while they were on their way to a certain place. “Those children are under my protection. They don’t die or get hurt. Only I, as their ‘father,’ have the ability to end their lives.”

“Before, you asked me what the purpose of granting them longevity was. After thinking about it, it seems like it doesn’t serve much of a purpose. Living too long isn’t necessarily a good thing,” André laughed. “So I changed my approach. The blood exchange ritual we have now is like entering into a small contract. Those children don’t have to bear a long lifespan. If they ever grow tired of life, they can find other congenital bloodline vampires to take back this ‘gift.'”

“That way, they won’t have to spend several years like Emma did, seeking me out for death.”

“Do the congenital bloodline vampires have such long lives? Long enough to share with so many people,” Vincent questioned. “Doesn’t that mean there will be many transformed acquired bloodline vampires among humans?”

“The lifespan of bloodline vampires isn’t that long. If they insist on seeking death, they can indeed die. So, nowadays, it’s rare for bloodline vampires to share their longevity with others. I’m somewhat special,” André winked at Vincent. “I’ve regressed.”

They arrived at a vast grassland, lush with green grass. Tombstones stood on a lawn that reached up to their calves, most of them lacking death dates.

A gust of wind blew, causing the purple clovers to sway to one side. Vincent looked up and saw the statue of the Virgin Mary standing in the center of the cemetery.

Following Vincent’s gaze, André laughed and said, “The original bloodline vampire who erected this statue was truly a genius. Perhaps they hoped for the merciful Virgin Mary to descend and take all the vampires in this land.”

Vincent followed André into the graveyard, feeling the itch and prickle of grass against his calves. André walked ahead, slowly explaining, “Those buried here are the ancestors of the bloodline vampires and some individuals like me who possess regressive bloodlines.”

“I didn’t deceive you. As long as life is long enough, one can eventually stand at heights others cannot reach, thanks to stolen time.”

“But it’s strange sometimes. After obtaining everything they desired, people often feel bored.”

The bloodline vampire ancestors, having gained eternal life, without exception, slumbered beneath this land.

They stopped in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary. André sat unabashedly beside the statue, gazing at the graveyard before him. “Eternal life is never a gift; it is a curse.”

“The bloodline vampire ancestors didn’t know how long they would sleep underground or which day they would die. Later, people discovered that whenever a slumbering ancestor met their desired death, a child with a regressive bloodline would be born among the vampires.”

“It’s like a continuation of the curse.”

The candle flame flickered, casting long and short shadows of André and Vincent. Vincent continued the narration under André

The days spent accompanying Andre in his whimsical antics were indulgent and unrestrained. Occasionally, children who had been initially turned by Andre would come seeking death.

As fires blazed one after another, Andre would sometimes gaze at Vincent as if afraid that he, too, would turn to ashes.

“People often say ‘forever’ and ‘a lifetime,’ as if promises never change. But a hundred years is too long, dynasties rise and fall, industries flourish, and eras change. We change along with them.”

“Is Lilith the last child I turned?” Another person departed, and Andre sat on the edge of the veranda, reminiscing. “I remember her beautiful flaxen hair.”

From a certain year on, violets were planted in the courtyard, blooming vigorously during this season.

Vincent stood behind Andre and said calmly, “I am the last person you turned.”

“Hey, baby, don’t use that formal language like others do,” Andre said, tilting his head disapprovingly. “You should learn less about the elaborate rituals of the bloodline. It’s not something good.”

Vincent smiled faintly, sitting beside Andre and saying, “According to the rules, I should call you father.”

Andre leaned against Vincent’s shoulder and sighed, “Spare me, please. Stop it.”

They watched the blooming violets together, the drifting ashes carried by the wind, and the crimson sunset that painted the sky.

“Vincent.”

“Yes?”

Andre lay down on Vincent’s lap and whispered softly, “I feel a bit tired.”

Vincent lowered his eyes, avoiding the stray red hair falling on Andre’s forehead, and said, “Then, go to sleep.”

“I received half of Andre’s blood, which allows me to take care of those ‘children’ who seek death.”

Andre once said that he had thought about it. He didn’t care about the atavistic bloodline, and he wouldn’t be influenced by the world-weariness in the bloodline. He wanted to live long, live until the day of his natural death.

But just like his ancestors, he now lay beneath the merciful gaze of the Virgin Mary.

The torrent of history surged forward, while Vincent stayed in the old times, guarding a deserted castle and a desolate graveyard.

Until one sunny summer when sunflowers bloomed, Vincent heard that the youngest son of the Kate family had been injured, and his father made all sorts of excuses to avoid visiting the poor child.

That child was abandoned in Huaguo because he possessed the atavistic bloodline.

The slumbering antiques beneath the purple clover found their fulfillment in Maria’s embrace.

The curse of immortality continued on another innocent child.

Vincent placed a fresh shamrock on Andre’s tombstone, bidding farewell to this land where he had stayed for too long.

“The continuation of the atavistic bloodline is not reincarnation. His Highness is His Highness, Roy Kate, Yan Ling. I don’t see him as a substitute for anyone. I have just been alone for too long and wanted to see the outside world.” Facing the complex gaze of Qiu Rong, Vincent chuckled. “Mr. Qiu, you don’t have to be so hostile towards me. His Highness is like my own grandchild.”

Qiu Rong awkwardly rubbed his nose. He wasn’t worried that Vincent had ill intentions towards Yan Ling; he was simply afraid that Vincent, by being by Yan Ling’s side, wanted to see a certain person through him.

How miserable Yan Ling would be in that case.

“His Highness knows that I once followed someone with an atavistic bloodline,” Vincent answered the unspoken doubts of Qiu Rong

. “I found His Highness when he was receiving treatment at the affiliated hospital of University A. Bai Ze was the attending physician there.”

Vampires don’t easily die, but it takes time to recover from injuries. With a fatal wound like a broken heart, the Center, to express concern for the vampire prince, sent Yan Ling to Bai Ze.

“His Highness doesn’t care about where I come from. When I said I wanted to stay by his side, he allowed me to follow him,” Vincent said. “When His Highness was born, the Director of the Paranormal Control Center was not yet Song De. The previous Director genuinely hoped to take good care of His Highness and teach him the ideals of the new era. He hoped that His Highness could manage the vampires of Huaguo well and find his own value in this matter.”

“But later, Song De took over as the Director, and there were significant changes in the Center’s environment.”

“In Song De’s eyes, His Highness’s abilities were too strong and posed a significant threat. He indirectly confined His Highness to the research institute, intending to find an opportunity to send him back to Europe.”

“It wasn’t until the incident with Ulel occurred that Song De told His Highness that Ulel had been dealt with. He used the excuse of not wanting to cause panic in the outside world and asked His Highness not to speak much about demons. In exchange, the Center would no longer restrict His Highness’s life.”

“In reality, His Highness doesn’t care much about these things.” Vincent stood up and walked to Qiu Rong’s side. He looked at Yan Ling lying in the coffin and said, “If Andre wanted to fight against his own fate, then His Highness is indifferent to everything.”

“They are both free-spirited individuals. Andre lives passionately, while His Highness is more serene.”

“Even though he has taken on the position of clan leader and accepted various assignments arranged by the Center, all of these things don’t really matter to His Highness. He once said that when the opportunity arises, he will return to Europe and sleep for eternity.”

“But then His Highness met you, Young Master Qiu.” Vincent turned his gaze to Qiu Rong, who was sitting on a small stool. “His Highness cares about you a lot.”

“At first, when His Highness was with you, he considered giving you his first embrace, when you knew nothing. But then he changed his mind.”

“His Highness said that you enjoy a peaceful life, and he wants you to have a relaxed and fulfilling life without having to bear the anxieties and uncertainties that immortality brings.”

Vincent hadn’t spoken so much in a long time. He smiled and addressed the young man in front of him:

“The curse of immortality seems to be an unsolvable problem. Andre and I haven’t reached each other’s end, and no matter what choices you and His Highness make, I hope you can find happiness.”

Author’s Note:

Vincent talked for five thousand words and then went upstairs to show off with three glasses of water. (Vincent: ?)

And by the way, the cat can hear everything. It was Uncle Wen (Vincent: ?) speaking for the two of them to hear.

The cat will wake up in the next chapter!