Janet said I shouldn’t trust Michalis, but I had nothing more to lose here. In the worst case, my lifespan would be shortened by five months.

Seeing my resolute gaze, Michalis laughed out loud.

“Well… should I call this bold or reckless?”

“It’s that important. Michalis, you may not understand, but this isn’t just for selfish reasons. Do you think I want to act so pathetic? Please, if I succeed, I will serve you as my master for the rest of my life.”

I clung to Michalis, forgetting my pride.

I wasn’t doing this because I wanted to progress with Gined. It was all for the greater good of saving the world.

“Alright. Let’s meet outside after sunset. We can’t talk about other men where the King of the Underworld is.”

Eventually, night fell, and Janet was shocked when I told her I was going to meet Michalis.

“You’re going to meet the Lord?”

She pondered something seriously and then spoke with determination.

“I’ll go with you. If the Lord tries anything, you won’t be able to handle it alone.”

“…Alright.”

No matter how prepared I was, facing Michalis alone was daunting. But since the topic of conversation was what it was, I couldn’t bring the coal along, so having Janet with me was a relief.

It felt strange. The day had come when I would rely on her.

“Quite dependable, aren’t you?”

“I’ve always been dependable. It’s just that the extraordinary people around you overshadowed me.”

Janet answered primly.

The place where we were to meet Michalis was a famous entertainment district.

Since it was my first time coming to such a place, I followed Janet nervously.

“Hey, cuties over there.”

A few burly men chuckled frivolously and spoke to us.

“Don’t turn around.”

Janet warned.

Ignoring them as she said, we continued on our way, but the men, seemingly offended, followed us.

“We just want to talk for a bit. No need to be so aloof.”

One man boldly grabbed Janet’s arm. She didn’t shake off his hand but looked at them like they were insects. Janet’s eyes glowed bright red. Even from the side, it was enough to make my hair stand on end.

The men froze. They might not have understood it mentally, but instinctively they realized they were facing a predator.

“No, please go ahead!”

The men bowed politely and vanished in an instant.

“What kind of person calls a child to a place like this?”

Janet sighed lightly.

Fortunately, we soon found Michalis. He was talking to a woman he had an arm around.

Seeing us, Michalis whispered something in the woman’s ear, causing her to blush and leave.

“I can’t understand it at all. Why does he flirt like that when he doesn’t even plan to eat?”

It was a harsh assessment. But to me, Michalis seemed nothing short of amazing.

From his skill in captivating the opposite s*x with just a few words, to his shamelessness in seducing someone clearly much younger.

“Janet, you’re here too.”

Michalis didn’t say much even when he saw Janet.

He led us to the most luxurious private club in the district, and within the club, he chose the most expensive room.

As soon as he stepped inside, someone who seemed to be the manager appeared.

“The usual.”

He must have come here often, as his manner of ordering drinks was very natural and concise.

I sat on the sofa, looking around. Just as it was my first time in the entertainment district, it was also my first time in such a bar.

‘Is this the playground for adults?’

Soon, wine and simple snacks were placed on the table.

“Let’s talk over a drink.”

Seeing a vampire drink red wine gave me an eerie feeling.

I tried not to look at his lips as I sipped the wine. It was incredibly bitter and astringent.

When I grimaced, Michalis chuckled mischievously.

“I’ve looked into Gined Roengreen a bit over the past few days. He’s an exemplary priest. His innate holy power is impressive, and he has never neglected his training for even a single day. He’s a man destined to become the youngest leader of the Holy Knight Order in history. And…”

Michalis turned to Janet with a peculiar look.

“…Janet once tried to seduce him and failed.”

“What? Is that true?”

I looked at Janet in shock, and she gulped down three glasses of alcohol with a bitter expression. My trust in Janet plummeted at that moment.

“So, I’m very curious about how our young lady managed to capture the heart of the Holy Knight Order’s leader, whom even Janet failed to seduce.”

“Well, I haven’t captured his heart yet.”

“Judging by his reactions so far, you could say it’s quite optimistic. Janet almost got obliterated by him.”

“Ugh…!”

Janet spat out her wine. Coughing painfully, she hurriedly made excuses.

“In my opinion, no, I’m almost certain. He must be either into men or have issues with his reproductive abilities. You know how irresistible my charm is. It’s nearly impossible to reject a beauty like me!”

“Uh, it’s neither.”

Knowing how vigorous the original Gined was, her assumption seemed absurd to me.

“How can you be so sure?”

“Sir Roengreen is just a very devout priest. Not only you, but even the Fairy Queen failed to seduce him.”

“That’s obvious. The Fairy Queen is less attractive than I am.”

“Let’s not fight. Whether he’s into men or has reproductive issues, such trivial conditions can’t be obstacles to love. Right, Lou?”

Michalis asked, addressing me familiarly.

“Well, that’s a bit…”

Ignoring my reluctant response, he continued.

“There are generally two ways to elicit a reaction from someone as emotionally reserved as Gined Roengreen. Jealousy or crisis.”

“Jealousy, crisis?”

I repeated his words like a parrot. But I couldn’t imagine Gined being jealous. Wasn’t he the one who didn’t even blink when the Crown Prince and Iscallion were so hostile towards each other?

Then what about a crisis?

I recalled the time when the Crown Prince was kidnapped by the fairies. Even amidst the relentless attacks from the fairies, he calmly pushed me into their midst, deeming it the more rational decision.

“Jealousy! Let’s go with jealousy, no matter what.”

Janet strongly insisted as she put down her empty glass. Having drunk consecutively, her tongue seemed slightly twisted from the intoxication.

“The more intense emotions come from crises.”

The two high-ranking vampires were at odds over which method to use.

“Sorry to interrupt, but both…”

“Oh, Lou knows something. Let’s try both.”

Before I could finish my sentence, Michalis quickly interjected.

‘I meant it might not work.’

He hummed a tune as he listed off strategies to seduce Gined. While active help was always welcome, his face, which seemed more excited than mine, gave me an inexplicable sense of unease.

“Why are you so enthusiastic?”

“It’s fun. Lou, you’re still too young to understand, but when you get older, the most important thing is having fun. If something seems even slightly interesting, you can’t resist.”

His voice unmistakably carried excitement as he answered. Come to think of it, he had responded to Ines’s summons just because it seemed interesting.

‘Is that what happens when an old soul inhabits a young body?’

I looked at him with a weary expression.

But I wasn’t in a position to be picky. He was my only male advisor.

“Let’s toast to love.”

Michalis raised his glass high. The sound of crystal glasses clinking was cheerful.

The discussion continued all night long.

Having no experience in romance, I was practically deprived of my right to speak, while Janet and Michalis passionately expounded their views on love to me.

I was completely exhausted by the endless debate that continued without conclusion.

“Enough, just bite me. If I become a vampire, I won’t have to worry about this.”

I said, unable to bear it any longer. Janet looked at me with disdain.

“Who becomes a vampire just to seduce a man?”

“I have to seduce him. If I don’t, the world will end.”

“You’re drunk, Master. Let’s go home.”

Janet dismissed my desperate confession as mere drunken rambling.

I felt wronged but had no energy to argue. I just wanted to go home and sleep.

Perhaps feeling sorry for my weary state, Janet personally helped me onto my bed.

“Thank you. You should go rest in the basement too…”

As soon as I finished speaking, I fell asleep as if I had fainted.

***

After confirming that Lou was asleep, Janet stepped outside again. By then, the alcohol flush had completely disappeared from her face.

“You really are like a nanny. Are you that worried about her?”

Michalis, who had been watching her, chuckled.

Of course, she was worried.

Her master was quite bold but also incredibly naive. In fact, calling her naive was an understatement.

To Janet, who had lived through countless experiences over the long years, Lou seemed barely above the level of a village idiot.