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“I was the one who brought that Outer Demon.”

Ysabelle’s voice wavered as her body failed to listen to her demands. Trembling like a scorched leaf in the summer, the young girl’s body temperature rose while the pure agate eyes turned mistier by the second.

“I was the one who caused your injury, Jin. I was the one who made you lose fifteen years of your life! I-I was the one-…”

Tears broke free from the young woman’s face. Hiccups shook her dainty little shoulders while the ferocity of the War Goddess was nowhere to be found. What laid before me wasn’t an indomitable warrior but a young girl with broken emotions. Ysabelle attempted to stop her sobs, but the more she tried, the more the tears fell.

Before long, the girl had turned into a broken little girl who sobbed endlessly on my lap.

“Ysabelle… Calm down…”

I placed my left hand on her waist while my right stroked her head. I pulled the girl closer to my chest, unwilling to give her an inch to leave. My hands gingerly traced down the middle line of her crown and gently caressed the base of her nape. In the same stroking motion, I continued to soothe the crying girl, all while placing soft kisses on her pale, white forehead.

“Calm down, Ysabelle…”

“Jin… If it wasn’t for me, you…”

“Calm down, Ysabelle…”

I didn’t know what happened in the past, and neither could I remember. But, I couldn’t have a clear conversation with Ysabelle if she wasn’t calm. Sobbing and heaving, the girl was in no condition to have a reasonable discussion with me. So, I did my best to soothe the black-haired beauty, even if it meant spending a dozen minutes just embracing her.

“Have you calmed down?”

“… Sorry.”

“No, I don’t mind it at all.” Other than tender love, I ensured my face was free of any other emotion. “Don’t blame yourself, Ysabelle.”

“How could I not?!” The girl yelled while raising her reddened face from my chest. “If not for me, you wouldn’t have taken that injury! If you didn’t meet me, you wouldn’t have suffered all those fifteen years! You wouldn’t have been ridiculed by your classmates! You wouldn’t have spent so many years in the hospital! You would have accomplished your dreams to become a Hunter! It’s all my fault!”

“Ysabelle…”

“All my life, I had been the bringer of bad luck…”

Ysabelle tightened her grip on my clothes as her face broke into a decrepit little smile. Her nose was red from all the snot that was discharged, and her body was shaking wildly as if she were afraid of something.

“The day I was born, the Blackburn House suffered a defeat against the Outer Demons, killing twenty-six of our finest Vampires. That was the beginning of my omen. When I was three, my brother lost an arm while fighting against an Outer Demon because he was protecting me. When I was six and first training my Vampire Aspect, I burnt down my villa and all the precious valuables within it. When I was seven, I broke a Blackburn House relic…”

Ysabelle continued to list down the instances of bad luck that occurred in her life. Honestly, most of them were just incidents of happenstance, which couldn’t be blamed on a young girl her age. Even burning and breaking things could be the fault of poor parental supervision.

But I could see why the young beauty felt that it was all her fault.

“All my life, I have been a jinx. Misfortune follows me everywhere, and I cause hurt to those who care about me.”

“Ysabelle, that’s not true.”

“But it is!!!”

The girl yelled out at the top of her lungs, broken and torn by the years of self-suffering she’d inflicted upon herself.

“Fifteen years ago… I was the one who didn’t listen to you. I insisted on going into the cave to train. Because of that, Jin, you…”

Once again, Ysabelle turned distraught. Her body was shaking, and her face was filled with despair. She held onto my hand, fearing that I would let her go and, quite possibly, abandon her once and for all.

“Ysabelle… Just slow down,” I whispered softly. “I promise I won’t leave you, so rest assured. I won’t leave you.”

“Jin…”

Ysabelle closed her eyes and took one deep breath in. The pressure that was weighing on her gradually faded away, and with that, she unveiled the truth.

“Fifteen years ago, we were spending all of our time together. The five of us. You came every morning from your home and left when it was late at night. We were all happy that you spent the effort; we truly were. But, all of us wanted more. Irina wished to play with you. Lilith wanted to study with you. Rosa, as always, silently stayed by your side. As for me… I wanted you to continue training me.”

I could imagine that. A young Ysabelle who had just found her purpose in life. If she wanted to go down the path of a knight, she would want my guidance.

“And so, we spent every morning training. We would wake up earlier than the rest and spend the waking hours before dawn swinging swords and running laps. It was tiring, but you were always there to catch me when I fell.”

Wow… I must say, the younger me was quite a stud. If I ever invented a time machine, I would go back in time and give him a big thumbs up.

“I loved the days we’d spent together. I never wanted it to end.” Ysabelle’s face relaxed, revealing a bitter and defeated smile.

“But it all changed that fateful day… It was a blistering, hot morning. There wasn’t a cloud in sight in the sky, and the Sun was radiating all of its heat. It was hotter than anything I’d felt before, and so after our morning workout, I brought you to a cave to rest.”

That didn’t sound too bad. Vampires were creatures of the night, and their peak performances came during the times when a Blood Moon hung over the sky. The four Vampires probably gave me a concession by working in the morning rather than the night, so Ysabelle being weak to the blaring hot Sun made a tonne of sense.

“I’d thought that if we were isolated, maybe I could have an additional hour or two with you. I was so young and selfish back then…”

Ysabelle’s voice contained a tinge of self-remorse. No, she was probably overwhelmed by that decision and had carried that regret ever since.

“Is that when… The Outer Demon attacked me?”

I broke my silence with a sombre question. No, at this point, it was a rhetorical question. I knew what the answer was.

“Yes…”

The black-haired beauty’s entire being had turned desolate as her voice resonated with the emptiness of a fallen civilisation.

“When we realised that we had entered a devil’s den, you immediately stood in front of me. Like a true knight in shining armour, you protected me. You forced me out of the cave and sent me to safety, all while you stood behind to face the Outer Demon.”

Ysabelle tightened her fights so much that the fabric of her clothes began to rip and blood streamed down her blistered palms.

“I begged to help you, but you shouted back at me. You said that I would only weigh you down. You said the best way I could help was to get reinforcements. And you said… That you were going to be my guardian knight, even if it meant your death.”

“…”

“And so… I ran and ran… I ran all the way back to the house, even though I wanted to stay by your side. I went to get the other three, who were still fast asleep and rushed back to save you. I thought… You were my knight, after all. There’s no way that you would suffer. Even if you couldn’t win against the Outer Demon, you could at least run away… That’s what I told myself over and over. But…”

Ysabelle now looked like a broken woman. A widow that had lost both her husband and child to the plague. An emperor that had to watch his empire burn to the ground. The helplessness in her eyes… It was something that I couldn’t unsee.

“When we returned… You were lying in a puddle of your own blood. Y-Your soul had been injured, and your body was just one push away from breaking apart. I-I couldn’t bear the sight… I just…”

The girl turned her head away and gulped down the tears that were rising up from her throat.

“You killed the Outer Demon… At the expense of your own life. When I arrived, you didn’t blame me for what I did. You didn’t ask for someone to treat you. You just… smiled.”

“…”

“Jin… That blood-laced smile of yours… Is something that I will never forget. Lying in a puddle of your own blood, battered and blue, unable to lift a single finger… You turned to me and asked…”

“Are you okay?”

I continued Ysabelle’s sentence unknowingly.

I remember now… The memories that had been locked were slowly resurfacing. Yes, that’s what happened. I was so concerned for Ysabelle’s life that I chased her away and faced that monstrosity alone. I didn’t escape because I feared that it would chase after her if I did. And so, even when I was beaten down over and over…

I persisted.

“Yes, that’s what you said.” Ysabelle smiled. “I… I was the one who led you to the Outer Demon. I was the one who ran away to safety. And yet, you asked me if I was okay… I couldn’t take it anymore and cried my soul out. If it wasn’t for Lilith and her smarts… We would have lost you that day.”

“Ysabelle…”

“From then on, I made an oath. Just like how you protected me, I will protect you. I trained harder than before. I mastered the Blackburn’s Ghostflame and became the best martial artist in my generation. I worked all day to eliminate as many Outer Demons as I could, just to make sure one doesn’t hide in a cave to harm you again. But… I didn’t want to see you. I wanted to protect you from the shadows, even if it meant going my entire life living unnoticed.”

“Because you thought you were a jinx?”

“…”

The black-haired beauty remained silent. She bit the bottom of her lips and scratched the bottom of her nails. Skin started to tear, but they quickly healed, never tarnishing the silky white hands that Ysabelle possessed.

“Every time someone gets close to me, bad things happen. Jin, I couldn’t lose you… Not again. Even now, you came to find me and you were swallowed by Eyghon! If it wasn’t for me, you…”

Ysabelle’s pure white hands were dyed red. Not from the heat rising from her emotions but from the injuries she self-inflicted on herself.

I see now…

I finally understand why Ysabelle had been avoiding me since I arrived. I now understood what kind of character she was.

Ysabelle was a noble soul. She hated the fact that others had to suffer because of her. She would rather hurt herself with a million cuts than let a single injury fall on her loved ones. If she failed to save someone, Ysabelle would blame it all on herself, unwilling to split the burden.

Sacrifice.

Ysabelle will willingly sacrifice herself if the situation calls for it. A prime example would be what happened before. She tossed me aside and flung herself into the unknown dark chamber, even attacking the Iron Heart without thinking about the repercussions.

That was the kind of girl Ysabelle Blackburn was. A woman who could do anything for the person she loved, even if it meant never meeting me ever again. As long as I was safe and sound, Ysabelle would be content.

But I wasn’t content with that.

“Ysabelle, you sure are a fool.”

“H-Huh?”

Not waiting for her response, I forcibly took her lips and pushed her onto the alabaster white jade floor.

The Amazonian beauty struggled for a bit, her hands turning into fists as they pounded against my chest and her legs flailing about under my bottom as if trying to swat me away. However, there wasn’t any significant force to push me away.

Ysabelle’s strength far towered over my own. If she genuinely hated it, she would have sent me flying to another planet. And the fact that she was still under me, was proof that she didn’t have the slightest bit of aversion for my touch.

And thus, I indulged in the feast before my eyes.

Ysabelle’s beguiling, ivory-white teeth were covered by my tongue, which had started to bleed from the girl’s clumsy kiss. While she was taken aback by my forwardness, Ysabelle naturally blended in with my kiss by moving her tongue on her own. However, it seemed to be her first time doing such a thing as her Vampiric fangs cut the tip of my tongue, drawing blood that filled both our mouths.

My hands rose from her waist and covered her head. Both of them. I grabbed the back of her hair and pressed her face deeper into mine. I didn’t want to give her a chance to breathe or think. My lips forced their way onto hers like an electromagnet, never once splitting away.

And it was only after I had my fill that I finally separated from the young beauty.

“J-Jin…”

“You’re a fool, Ysabelle. Do you think that I would be happy if you stayed away? Have you ever once thought of my feelings?”

“B-But… If I stay with you, you will be cursed…”

“I don’t care!” I hollered out. “I’ll never think of you as a jinx, Ysabelle. Rather, you’re a blessing. A fairy that fulfils my dreams and heals my soul.”

“J-Jin…”

“And even if you were a jinx,” I scoffed with a hearty smile. “I will never split from you ever again. I will break down any danger that might come, and kill anyone who dares to give you bad luck. Even if it was God himself.”

“Jin, you…”

Slowly but surely, Ysabelle’s smile turned from one of despondence to one of hope and love. She had suffered all these years alone and had blamed herself for all the bad happenings in my life.

Not anymore.

“Ysabelle. I ask you here and now… Become my woman.”

“!!!”

“I don’t care if every Demon Lord in the world, every Vampire in the world, or every Human in the world is against your side. I don’t even care if the world has condemned you to a lifetime of bad luck! All I want… Is to stand by your side… as your knight and lover.”

“Jin…”

“So don’t worry about being a jinx or unattractive or whatever fucking deranged fantasy you have about yourself. I want you, Ysabelle.”

“Y-You!”

Ysabelle averted her eyes away from my forceful gaze and trembled like a little deer caught by a lion. Goodness… The gap between her indomitable War Goddess face and her current anxious one truly showed the dichotomy Ysabelle possessed.

On the one hand, Ysabelle was a warrior who bathed in her enemies’ blood, slaying them without a moment’s remorse.

On the other, she was a kind, docile soul. One that remained shy when she was under her man.

Like the black and white of this chamber, my lover possessed two sides of the coin… And I loved both of them.

“… If you would have me.”

“Hehe, I would want nothing more.”