Music Recommendation: Bloomsbury- Amelia Warner

Vincent sat in his study room with his legs crossed and resting them on top of the desk while he leaned back in his chair. He stared at the ceiling of the room with an expressionless face. A knock was heard on the door, and in stepped Alfie with a glass of blood in the tray that he carried in.

"Master Vincent, I brought your blood tea," Alfie informed, stepping towards the desk.

"Take it back," Vincent didn't look at Alfie and continued staring at the room's ceiling, which had a painting stretched wide.

Alfie stopped his feet and watched his master, who appeared to be in a bad mood since he had returned to the mansion last night. The pureblooded vampire, who often drank glasses of refined blood in the mansion, now hadn't sipped a single drop of blood since this early morning. It made the butler wonder if perhaps his master had already drank blood before returning to the mansion.

When Alfie didn't leave, Vincent's eyes moved from the ceiling to narrow his eyes at the butler. He questioned, "Is there anything else you wanted?"

Alfie's back straightened at the way his master looked at him. It was obvious that his master appeared to be in a bad mood. Clearing his throat, he said,

"I wanted to inquire what hour you would be going to Darthmore, sire."

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Instead of responding to the butler's question, Vincent questioned, "How did Ms. Barlow appear today?"

Stunned by the question, Alfie opened his mouth and closed it before opening it to answer, "Uh, she looked the same as yesterday." So this was something to do with the governess, the butler thought in his mind. This morning's atmosphere seemed a little odd, considering how neither of the two had spoken to each other. He asked, "Would you like me to check on the governess?"

"That won't be needed," Vincent dismissed the question and said, "You can leave."

Alfie bowed and stepped out of the study room before closing the door behind him to not be the one to receive his master's ire now.

Inside the study room, Vincent's thoughts returned to what had transpired last night in Meadow. He clicked his tongue in annoyance because, for some reason, he couldn't go on his way, ignoring the mermaid. As if infecting him with her words, she now plagued his mind.

When he pushed his back further into the chair he sat on. A soft sigh escaped from his lips.

'Don't... I think I am falling for you,' her words echoed in his mind, and the look on her face at that time didn't leave his mind.

It was a lie that her blood had turned stale. Hell would have to freeze for him to dislike her blood and he was still as addicted to her blood as the first time he had taken a sip from her. But the mermaid's feelings had put them in a situation, and he couldn't take her blood without hurting her.

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He had noticed her shoulder's drooped and her voice slightly shaky.

Vincent had known Eve to be a strong woman and he admired her. And because of it, he enjoyed poking and teasing her until yesterday, where things had started to sway in a different direction before she had even confessed her feelings.

The pureblooded vampire wasn't unaware that as much as Eve had leaned towards him, he had leaned the same amount towards her with their lips barely away from each other.

The only female relationships he had until now was of a mother, a sister and women whom he used to drink blood from. He had never treated a woman like this before, as a friend and cared for someone, that it created a conflict of feelings within his mind.

The more the conflicts arose, the more irritated he became.

He ran his tongue over his fang, playing with its sharpness as he thought.

No one had ever been able to get close to him like Eve, and Vincent questioned if it was because she could get through the walls or if he had subconsciously let her. It was something to think about.

Putting his feet down on the ground, he got up and walked towards the trolley that had many bottles of alcohol. Pouring himself a glass, he drank it before turning to look at a spot where he and Eve stood in this same room a few days ago.

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It would be a lie if he said yesterday was the first time he had gravitated towards her and wanted to move in closer. But even Vincent knew who he was, and a woman like Eve was better off with a man who wasn't as corrupted as him. It was precisely why he had warned her.

But at the same time, remembering her other words, 'It isn't the first time that I have had feelings for someone. Like others, it will pass too.' It irked him and added to his foul mood with the lack of blood.

Under the pressure of his conflicting thoughts, the glass in his hand broke. Most of the pieces fell on the ground along with the alcohol, while some stuck into his hand.

"How troublesome," Vincent clicked his tongue in disappointment and raised his hand before pulling the pieces off his palm and fingers for blood to drip down on the floor.

Hours passed in the Moriarty mansion, and soon it was time for Vincent, Eve and Allie to leave for Darthmore. Mr. Briggs pulled the carriage in front of the mansion's entrance. While the young vampiress stepped inside the carriage, Eve waited outside the vehicle with Vincent to get in.

"Your flower looks as wilted as you," Vincent remarked, seeing the flower in Eve's hand. But in response, he was offered a stare.

"You don't look less yourself, Mr. Moriarty," Eve responded.

With Allie sitting inside, Vincent was the next one to get inside the carriage, where the Moriarty siblings sat opposite each other. Allie moved to the side, making space for Eve, and she finally climbed in. She could only hope that the horses moved quicker than usual as she sat facing the silver-haired vampire and the journey to Darthmore wasn't short.

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