Thud, the earring fell out of my hand.

Noticing my suddenly pale face, the owner cautiously called out to me.

“Miss? Are you alright? If you’re short on funds, you can pay after you return home.”

“No, no. Just calculate everything for now. Quickly.”

I quickly flipped the mirror over so the owner wouldn’t notice anything strange.

‘What, what is this!’

In the meantime, the passerby left, and Janet turned to smile at me.

I forced a smile in return, but cold sweat was running down my back.

‘She’s not human.’

I reminded myself that I had the coal in my bag and barely managed to steady my nerves.

I don’t remember how I paid. When I came to my senses, I was standing in front of Janet.

“What’s wrong? You look pale.”

“It’s nothing. I get dizzy sometimes due to anemia.”

“Oh dear, even though you haven’t been bitten, how did that happen? Should we sit down and rest for a bit if you’re struggling?”

“No, I’m fine now.”

“That’s a relief. Make sure you eat well and take care of yourself, Lou.”

Her concerned tone momentarily confused me.

Could I have been seeing things?

Janet shyly continued.

“By the way, it’s a bit out of order to ask after already calling you, but can I call you by your name? We’re friends now, after all.”

“Of course.”

I avoided her eyes and subtly lowered my head. The next moment, I had to bite my lip desperately to keep from screaming.

Janet had no shadow.

As we walked together, I kept forcing my gaze upward.

“Can I stay at your place tonight? I’ve always wondered what it’s like to chat with a friend all night. If it’s too much trouble, you can say no.”

“T-That’s a bit difficult. I need to get permission from my parents.”

Janet’s eyes turned cold for a moment but soon returned to their usual gentle expression.

“I knew it. I must’ve been too excited and crossed the line. I’m sorry.”

If I hadn’t noticed the lack of a shadow, I might have brought her home. But now, there was no way.

“I’ll invite you over soon instead.”

“Sure, I’ll be waiting anytime.”

“Then I’ll be going now. My carriage is over there. Take care on your way back, Janet.”

After saying goodbye, I ran towards the carriage in a panic.

I tried to figure out her identity, but having only met her three times, I knew nothing. Two of those times were just brief encounters.

When I reached a deserted area, I immediately took out the coal.

“Shahar.”

“Can we talk now, my mate?”

“Yes, please just say something!”

It was the first time I was so relieved to hear the coal’s voice.

“That woman, my friend. Did you sense anything about her?”

“What do you mean? That she’s not human?”

“Yes, why didn’t you say anything?”

My relief quickly turned into a sense of betrayal.

“You said we couldn’t talk while you were out…”

“That’s only in normal situations! If you noticed something strange, you should’ve told me!”

“I didn’t realize. I thought you didn’t care about species when it came to friendship, since you accepted me as your mate.”

“What nonsense is that!”

I snapped without thinking.

“Anyway, what is that woman’s identity?”

As I asked, a thought crossed my mind.

‘Why was Janet always outside?’

The answer naturally came out of my mouth.

“Because she wasn’t invited…”

That’s why she couldn’t come inside.

A species that doesn’t appear in mirrors, wanders at night, and can’t enter uninvited places.

Just as I realized Janet’s identity, something rushed at me from behind.

I instinctively ducked.

A chilling sound like nails on a chalkboard followed, and then someone cursed.

“Damn it, what is this!”

The voice was all too familiar.

Of course, it was. We had just been talking until a moment ago.

Slowly, I turned around, still hunched over. As expected, Janet was there. But she looked very different from when we had said our goodbyes.

She had shed the guise of a demure noblewoman and was clearly not human.

Her pomegranate-like red eyes had turned completely blood-red, and her skin was so pale it was almost bluish. From head to toe, she exuded an eerie, unsettling aura.

Just like when I faced the hydra, an invisible barrier separated her and me.

Janet scratched at the shield irritably. Her long nails scraped against the shield, making a sharp noise.

“You’re quite perceptive for a human. I thought you wouldn’t notice until the end.”

Her seductive lips revealed and then hid long, sharp fangs.

‘No way, a vampire!’

Vampires were high-ranking demons, incomparable to hydras.

They surpassed humans in physical ability, intelligence, and even lifespan.

“It’s rather unfortunate. If you hadn’t realized, you could’ve died peacefully. Don’t you think?”

As Janet’s eyes flashed, the shield tore apart.

I stammered.

“Sh-Shahar…”

But my muscles were paralyzed with fear, and I couldn’t speak properly.

“Don’t worry, my mate. I am here.”

Before Janet could attack again, the shield was restored.

Failing to break through again, she contorted her face.

“What kind of trick is this? No matter how I look at you, you’re just an ordinary human.”

With the shield back up, I finally regained my composure and held out the coal. Believing it would take down the vampire instantly, I shouted confidently.

“Go, coal! I choose you!”

But nothing happened.

“……?”

“What are you doing?”

Janet sneered.

I urgently whispered to the coal.

“What are you doing, Shahar? Hurry and take down that vampire.”

“That level of demon can’t be dealt with in this form.”

“What…?”

“I regret to inform you.”

“Why do you always tell me important things too late?”

“What nonsense are you muttering to yourself? Have you lost your mind?”

Unable to approach me due to the shield, Janet’s voice grew more irritated.

She shattered the shield again. It was immediately restored, but we couldn’t keep this up forever.

“What do we do now?”

“You need to lure her to a secluded, enclosed place. There, I can reveal my true form.”

Without hesitation, I grabbed the coal and started running. Thankfully, it was late, and there were no people around.

‘Where should I go?’

There was a nearby house. I couldn’t lead a vampire to a civilian’s home.

I had no choice but to head away from the city center.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Black mist spread before me, and Janet appeared in the air.

Startled by her sudden appearance, I tripped and fell. The coal slipped out of my hand and rolled away.

‘No!’

“Playing hide-and-seek with humans is always so boring.”

Janet spoke casually as she approached.

I scooted back, still on the ground.

“At first, I thought the rumors about Enril disappearing were nonsense. Who would believe that the great dragon vanished in an instant? But then I saw humans freely roaming Mount Acheron.”

“……”

“A girl like you, of all people.”

“I-I am Enril’s officially recognized successor. I even received an imperial decree from His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Lies.”

As I fell, my skin had scraped, and my dress clung to my knees.

Smelling the blood, Janet’s eyes narrowed.

“You expect me to believe that a great dragon chose a human as a successor? You should come up with more believable lies. Oh, not that you’ll get another chance.”

“Ugh!”

Janet grabbed my throat.

“I don’t know how you got Enril’s power, but you’d better hand it over.”

“I-I don’t have it with me.”

I wasn’t wearing the necklace since I was going out and I wasn’t meeting with the other male leads.

“So? Did you leave it safely at home?”

Janet leaned in threateningly, whispering in my ear. Her fangs looked ready to pierce my neck at any moment.

‘Stay calm.’

I suddenly remembered that I had eaten aglio e olio for dinner.

Although my soul was from another world, I was fundamentally Korean. Aglio e olio was just an excuse to eat more garlic.

I blew my breath at her as hard as I could.

“Take this!”

“Ugh, what is this disgusting smell?”

Janet recoiled, pinching her nose.

I didn’t miss the opportunity and shouted.

“Shahar!”

With a whooshing sound, the coal flew like lightning and struck Janet’s head.

“Ow!”

Janet screamed and staggered, while the coal landed gently back in my hand.