When he arrived at the door of Ivina's room, Luo dismissed the servants.
He had never imagined that he would touch any human food and use it to please a human! How absurd, but now he was willing to do so.
He could see everything inside the room, but he still knocked lightly on the door out of politeness. Gently pushing the door open, he found Ivina lying by the door, sound asleep.
He quietly knelt down, carefully lifting her into his arms, and gently placing her on the bed. His touch was as delicate as if he were cradling a fragile crystal.
By the bedside, he watched her eyelashes tremble adorably, her pink lips slightly pouting. Her pure white gown was still on, making her look like a weary angel. Her skin blended seamlessly with the white fabric, as fair as a delicate porcelain doll.
As he gazed at her, he realized he was growing increasingly fond of spending his time this way. He no longer cared about the clan's internal strife, no longer ruled over the clan's complex affairs, and even desired to become human himself.
Had he fallen in love with her? He loved her defiance of his imperial power, her restlessness when she was powerless to resist, and her courage in defending her dignity. Thinking of this, he kissed her lips sweetly.
She always changed the subject when he confessed his true feelings, always distorting his good intentions. What was it about this woman that attracted him?
When they first met, he angrily sent her away because he wanted to understand the purpose of a human girl approaching him. But even now, he still didn't understand, and he no longer wanted to understand. He only wanted to know if she had missed him on the night he missed her.
If she was an angel sent by God to punish him, then he would surrender.
In her sleep, Ivina suddenly caught the scent of dried cheese. This forced her to slowly awaken from her sweet dreams. Where was the scent coming from? Was it from her small room? Had she returned to human society? Then...
Why did a powerful sense of loss well up from her heart? Having left the vampire realm, would she never see him again?
She gently rubbed her sleepy eyes, her black hair disheveled.
And the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was him. His hands were gently tidying her clothes.
"You look terrible when you sleep," Luo said, deliberately putting on a serious expression.
But seeing him again, she felt an indescribable sense of peace and satisfaction in her heart.
"Really? Is it really that bad?"
"It's absolutely disgusting!"
"…"
"So, you must stay here and not go anywhere, lest you scare my clan members." Luo forced a smile and continued seriously, "Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?"
Still reminiscing about the scent from earlier, her stomach growled in protest.
"Let me out. I want to eat something." She had no hope for the so-called "something." Her only hope was that she might find some fruit to sustain her life.
"I came specially to prepare delicacies like 'pig's blood' for you. After you get up, I'll have the servants bring it for you to eat."
Ivina's face turned pale. "No, that's okay."
"Why? It was you who said you were hungry just now." A crooked smile appeared on his face.
"I'm fine now… not very hungry."
But Luo somehow produced a beautifully carved vessel and gestured for Ivina to open it.
Expecting it to be disgusting animal blood, Ivina held her breath and reluctantly lifted the lid.
But—croissants, hot milk, pine nut cookies, and cheese. The fragrant aroma filled the air, and it certainly didn't feel like a dream.
She looked at him in confusion.
Was this another trap...
Grabbing a croissant, Ivina chewed it without caring about her appearance. She was too hungry; at this moment, her desire to survive outweighed her caution.
It was worth his while to travel all the way to the human world to bring her food. Watching Ivina eat like a little hamster, Luo smiled, pursing his lips.
"Hmm… seeing you eat so heartily, I'm getting hungry too." He propped up his handsome chin and lazily glanced at Ivina.
"You... do you want to eat too? Really?" Ivena asked innocently. She reached out to tear open the bread, holding up half of it toward Luo.
Her heart was racing. This was the first time she had ever taken the initiative to show affection to a man.
Luo raised his eyebrows in surprise. With a slight tug, he pulled the slender Ivena into his embrace.
"Yes, I really want to eat it." He leaned in close to her moist lips with a smug expression.
Ivina blushed and lowered her eyelids. She had grown accustomed to his domineering demands.
But Luo only gently kissed her lips, tasting the bread crumbs on her mouth.
Time stood still in that moment, and he wished it could last forever.
"I command you to only blush in front of me."
"Um, why?" Ivina's bright black eyes looked at him in confusion.
Luo smiled without answering. She might not know that her blush, like a ripe apple, was so tempting.
"Luo Dandel. Nice to meet you." Luo sighed and reached out his hand. This was the first time he had introduced himself. Indeed, meeting her had made him break his principles, try new things, fail, and even hide his identity, appointing a human as a witch. For her, he had abandoned his principles.
Ivina furrowed her brows; she could never fully understand his words. But in response, she reflexively shook his hand.
"Hello, my name is Ivina." As soon as the words left her mouth, she knew she had made another "grammatical error."
"I, I'm not… I said it wrong!" Ivina hurriedly corrected herself, but the small hand she had extended mid-air was already firmly grasped by him.
"Ivina, my witch."
He kissed the back of her hand, his eyes filled with tenderness.