Scarlet Rose

Chapter 7 - The First Sparks

The next day, Katherine woke much earlier than usual, at 6 instead of around 9, so she knew Margareth would not be looking into her room anytime soon. For a moment she lied on the bed, staring at the crimson canopy of the bed, decorated with gold threads. Eventually, Katherine decided to get out of bed and look for Margareth, Marie, or someone else from the servants herself, to let them know that she was up and wanted to get dressed. Katherine opened the door of her room slightly, looking out into a corridor, but it was completely empty and frighteningly quiet. So she left the room, trying not to make too much noise with her bare feet. Katherine looked around but found no servants upstairs. Were they asleep at this time? She then walked downstairs and heard noises from the dining room. The door was locked so Kath opened it a little so she could see what's happening inside.

A strange sight caught her eyes immediately - all the servants were gathered around the table, and at one of its ends stood Shiro and Wayne, on the table exactly 12 goblets, the same number as servants. Then Shiro and Wayne, almost simultaneously, raised their left hand, on which the toenail of the index finger suddenly grew into something like a claw. Then they both raised their right arm, pulling up the sleeve of their shirt to reveal the wrist. What happened next shocked Katherine and caused shiver down her spine - Shiro and Wayne incised their wrists, bringing them one by one to each goblet, draining some of their blood into them, each filling a half of the goblets - 6 of the all 12. When they finished, they both lifted their wrists to their mouths, licking a wound that seemed to disappear under the touch of their tongue in the blink of an eye. Then Shiro began handing the full goblets to the vampires on the left and Wayne to the ones on the right side of the table. Each of the servants put a goblet of blood to their mouths right away, emptying it quickly. It was evident that this blood gave them tremendous relief, and for some they even seem to enjoy it very much. Katherine noticed that their somewhat wild gazes grew calmer, and the light red color of their eyes darkened, however, it was significantly different from the burgundy shade of Wayne and Shiro's eyes.

- You can start your work now.- Wayne turned to the vampire servants, and as they began to part ways, Katherine jumped back from the door, hiding in the living room, to avoid being caught peeping. Fortunately, neither of the servants entered the living room, so Katherine, cuddled against the corner of the room, closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths.

- Lady Katherine...- she suddenly heard a familiar low voice, and felt clearly that someone was standing over her, but Kath was afraid to open her eyes.- Please, open your eyes first. And may I know what you are doing here not dressed properly, lady O'Sullivan?- the voice asked once more with a firm tone, and Katherine finally had to open her eyes. As she guessed, Shiro was standing over her, his brow furrowed slightly.

- I was just...- Katherine began to stutter, startled by his serious expression, firm voice, and the strict expression on his face. Besides, she felt ashamed that had only her nightgown on, and he was standing so close.

- Let me guess...- Shiro tilted his head slightly to the side.- You looked into the dining room and watched our little morning ritual.- he continued, not changing his face expression even for a second.

- No, of course not!- Katherine immediately denied it, even nodding her head left and right.- I just... I woke up earlier than usual... That's why I wanted to find one of the servants or dr Stone...- she said. in fragments, clearly nervous.- I swear I never...- she stopped suddenly, feeling Shiro's finger against her lips. Katherine's eyes grew large due to the shock.

- Quiet, don't explain yourself like that.- Shiro replied, looking at her in a strange way.- I know you've been looking through the c***k on the door to the dining room. It's not nice to peek, let alone lying.- he added in in a scolding tone.

At this moment Katherine felt anger rising inside of her again, so she grabbed his hand and pulled it away from her face brutally, using all the strength she had.

- How dare you touch me like this!- Katherine raised her voice, lightning flashing in her eyes.- A true gentleman should not touch a lady who is not his beloved, especially if she is engaged to someone else.- she added in an lecturing tone, head proudly held high.

However, she fell silent immediately when Shiro rested both hands on the wall, on either side of her face, causing Kath to rest back against the wall.

- And who said I am a gentleman?- he asked in a little bit ominous tone.- First of all, I am a pure blooded vampire, and the fact that I wear similar clothes and act like a human aristocracy does not mean that I am bound by your rules.- Shiro continued in a calm tone.- Besides, I would like to point out that a real, self-respecting lady does not walk around the house in only a nightgown, especially being aware that she lives with grown men.- he reminded her.

- But I said I was looking for...- Katherine tried to explain, looking at him scared and embarrassed that they were so close. She could feel his breath on her face as he spoke, and the chill radiating from his body along with some sweet scent unlike anything she had smelled before.

- So why didn't you ask Margareth where her room is?- Shiro asked, cutting her in mid-sentence.- Then you wouldn't have to hang around the house in a nightgown. And her room is upstairs, in the same hallway as yours, lady Katherine.- his tone changed back to that obnoxious, scolding one she hated so much, and it again reminded her of father.- Besides, I believe you have no right to judge me, my lady, especially after you acted rude while being hosted at my house. And it doesn't really matter whether you're hosted here of your own free will or not, because as a lady you should keep your manners and control your anger, am I right?- he asked, staring at her. It was as if right now Shiro wanted to express all of his frustration at her behavior earlier.

Katherine didn't know what to answer. There was no point in arguing, for he was absolutely right, she should have asked Margareth where her room was, just in case something like this happens. And even if Katherine were to leave the room, she could have pulled one of the scarves from the wardrobe to cover herself more.

- I'm terribly sorry, count Akira.- Katherine choked out with difficulty, as she wanted to burst out with anger and stamp her feet until he agreed with her every word, but she did not have the courage to do so in this situation.

- What exactly are you apologizing for?- Shiro continued, not intending to let her go so easily, though he moved a bit away from her, crossing arms over his chest.

- For not asking dr Stone... And walking around the house wearing nothing but a nightgown...- Katherine stammered.

- Also for peeking and lying afterwards.- Shiro finished for her.

- But I said that... I did not peek at all...- Katherine raised her voice again.

- Lady Katherine... Do I really need to say this and make you feel ashamed?- Shiro sighed heavily, looking at her disapprovingly.

Katherine looked at him, frowning, not understanding what he was saying.

- You know I'm a vampire, right?- he asked, and when she nodded, Shiro continued.- Vampires hunt, guided by the scent of their prey and each human has a different smell. Do you understand so far?- he asked another question and she confirmed again with a nod.- You see, my lady... My point is that I know your smell well enough to be able to feel it from afar. That's why I knew you were standing near the door of the dining room, most likely peeking inside.- Shiro explained, causing huge shock on her face.

Katherine immediately put her hands over her cheeks, which were already flushing with embarrassment.

- I'm so sorry... I'm really sorry...- she whispered, close to crying.

Shiro, seeing the tears in her eyes, sighed slightly.

- All right, I forgive you. Just don't cry, please, my lady.- he suddenly said in such a soft tone that she looked up at him in surprise.- Why are you looking at me like that? Do you really think I'm such a heartless monster?- asked Shiro.

- No... I mean...- Katherine began to stutter again, unable to look up again.

- It's okay if you're afraid. This is not an insult to me. After all, I'm a vampire, and an old one at that. By nature, the vampire is hostile to humans, it is a predator that's higher up in the food chain. Fear is a natural reaction.- Shiro said calmly.- You should probably go upstairs to dress up finally. Like I said, Margareth's room is upstairs, down the same hall as your's, but a little bit further, next to the library. I guess you know where it is, lady O'Sullivan, since you borrowed some books to read, am I right?- he asked.

- Yes, I know.- Katherine replied shortly, gradually calming down. His words were somehow soothing to her.

Shiro moved out of her way, stepping more to the side, and Katherine passed by him, heading for the stairs. Unfortunately, as she left the living room, Kath met Wayne, who shot a puzzled look first to her, and then to Shiro, whose presence he had noticed in the living room after going in.

- Have I interrupted you two in something?- he asked, looking at his cousin significantly, raising one eyebrow up.

- You did not disturb anything. Stop talking nonsense, Wayne.- Shiro replied quite coldly.

- So why was lady Katherine alone with you in the living room, dressed like that?- Wayne asked, not at all touched by his harsh words and cold tone.

- She woke up earlier than usual today and decided to look for Margareth or someone from the servants to help her get dressed.- Shiro explained, slightly annoyed.- I sensed her at the dining room door when we were giving the servants our blood, so I later followed her scent and found lady Katherine in the living room. Our lady was peeping, so I wanted to teach her a lesson, especially since she was rude to me again, and lied about not watching us.- he added.

- Ah, so that's why you didn't come with me to the garden through the kitchen door?- Wayne realized.- You smelled her, her scent.- he added.

- Yes. I'm surprised you didn't sense her.- Shiro replied sourly.

- Ah, you know that I have never been close enough to lady Katherine to remember her scent percisely or to smell it from a distance. But I have the impression that you sense it too well.- he marked with a slightly malicious smile.- Are you interested in her? Or maybe you are so drawn to the smell of her blood?- he asked.

- Wayne, don't provoke me.- Shiro shot him a scolding look.- You're a vampire, you should always have your senses ready. What if the turned will decide to attack us and you won't sense them in time?- he added, and as always, hit the nail on the head, because Wayne's expression turned serious immediately.

Wayne couldn't deny it, his cousin was right. It already happened several times that he didn't sense the attackers in time because of shutting down his senses for a while.

- So I thought you would agree with me.- Shiro concluded, passing him while leaving the room.- Aren't you coming?- he asked, stopping in the hallway.

- Yes, I'm going now.- Wayne replied quickly, but still with a slightly cloudy expression. He followed Shiro, and together they went to the office to do some work before breakfast.

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Katherine had almost run up the stairs and was already standing in front of the door to Margareth's room, with hand up, ready to knock, but at the end decided to go back to her bedroom. She closed the door and leaned her back against it. Katherine's heart was still beating quite fast, and his face was still in her mind. When Katherine looked at him from a distance, she felt nothing special, but a moment ago, in the living room, when count Akira was standing over her, leaning against the wall with his hands, and their faces were so close, Katherine had the feeling that her heart was about to tear out of her chest. At first she was sure it was because of fear, in the end Kath didn't know if this vampire would stick his fangs into her neck. And, of course, she was definitely inadequately dressed - the nightgown itself was perfect for sleeping, but not for walking around the house, unless you wanted to show your charms to everyone like some woman of easy virtue.

However, later, as she calmed down and the fear faded when count Akira changed his behavior, Katherine's heart continued to beat fast. Although on the whole, when she thought about this more deeply, it didn't have to mean anything more than that Shiro was attractive to her. Katherine told herself it was quite normal, after all, only a blind woman would probably pass indifferently by any of them, both count Akira and count Williams. On the other hand, however, she realized that the path from mere interest to deeper feelings wasn't very long, so Kath certainly had to be careful. First of all, she had to avoid situations similar to today's at all costs.

Katherine took a deep breath and went back to bed, on the way picking up one of the books she was reading from the shelf. She covered herself with the duvet and opened the book, immersing herself completely in the world of the heroes of this particular story, at the same time hoping it would help her forget for a moment the unpleasant events of the morning.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Shiro stood by the window, book in hand, trying to focus on reading and looking for some clues in the text. Wayne was sitting at a desk nearby, studying the map, and from the descriptions of their scouts, he tried to pinpoint the most accurate locations of the turned vampires nests. Shiro watched his cousin out of the corner of his eye, feeling a little guilty that he had pointed out his mistakes just to distract Wayne from himself.

He sighed a little, directing his eyes to the view outside the window, specifically the garden. Out of nowhere, the thought showed up in his mind that lady Katherine should leave the house and walk around this garden, for she would surely like it. Then he saw a picture of her from not so long ago, when they met the living room, she standing in the corner of the room in only her nightgown, frightened and embarrassed. But despite all this, Katherine was still able to show her claws when he put a finger on her lips to silence this girl. She could be like a helpless kitten, only to turn into a predatory lioness in a moment. All in all, it had some charm, and quite a good amount actually. In that one thing Shiro agreed with Wayne, he didn't like when a woman was too calm either. In fact, most pure blooded vampires he knew were attracted to rapacity, therefore each of them said that they could never bond with human, because they usually lacked this part of personality. But what if you suddenly found a human girl who could easily match with other pure blooded maids with her rapacity? It was a very good question, and he would love to ask it to his 'brothers' at the earliest opportunity.

Shiro had mixed feelings about lady Katherine. On the one hand, he was irritated by her childishness and rudeness, but on the other hand, there was something about her aura that attracted him greatly. And it wasn't about the smell of her blood, which in fact was extremely sweet, and Shiro did not hide that he wondered several times what it tasted like. It also was not the outside appearance at all, more about something inside... But Shiro couldn't explain what precisely yet. He had the impression that perhaps saving this girl and bringing her home was not such a fortunate coincidence, but rather some kind of danger. It didn't bode well if he felt any form of interest towards her, after all, Katherine O'Sullivan was a human, a forbidden fruit Shiro was not allowed to touch. And not only because the pure blood vampires community would not accept such a relationship, but most of all because pulling Katherine deeper into his world would surely destroy her life. Any relationships of immortal or long-living creatures, not just vampires, with humans had almost never ended a good. Eventually, one side would have to die or undergo some ritual that would make them the same long-living being. However, it was usually a very painful process and it was often depriving someone of humanity. In many cases, however, there was no way to turn a person into the same being as the loved one was.

Of course, in the case of vampires, turning someone else into a similar being was fairly simple, except that it was strictly forbidden, and it didn't turn a human into exactly the same being, with the same rights. A human could only become a turned vampire who had blood mixed with his human blood, thus it was unclean, and therefore such a creature could not mix with a pure blooded vampire. A pure blood vampire who became associated with a creature other than another pure blooded, mixing his blood with it, had no right to call himself pure blood anymore, much less could his offspring. Such children were called hybrids until the end of their lives, no matter if the mother giving birth to them was already transformed into a vampire or was still a human. Not to mention the fact that such offspring was ruthlessly pursued by the rest of the pure blooded vampires, making their live into a nightmare by a need to constantly escape and hide from enemies that want them dead.

- Shiro, can you hear me?- Wayne's voice suddenly snapped him out of his reverie.

- Hm? What were you saying?- Shiro asked, but without a trace of embarrassment, because he was often pensive and certainly didn't arouse any suspicions.

- I heard the bell, which means that servants are calling for breakfast, it's time to take a break- replied Wayne, smiling slightly.

- Okay, let's go then.- Shiro replied, inserting a piece of blank paper as a bookmark and closing the book.

- Did you find anything?- Wayne asked as they headed for the door.

- Unfortunately still nothing.- Shiro replied, sighing heavily.

- Relax, we'll find something sooner or later.- Wayne patted him lightly on the back.- After all, there is always a grain of truth in every legend, and if this story we saw wasn't a legend, they would call it a myth instead.- he pointed out, going out into the corridor and towards the dining room.

Shiro just nodded, trying to smile, closed the office door and followed his cousin.