Chapter 9 Butterfly

The past two days passed in an eerily calm manner. No one came to find me, and the food was delivered to my room by that sarcastic Jebber. Naturally, I never left because he wasn't there, and neither was Fire Butterfly.

I slept for twenty hours a day, leaving just four hours for eating and silence.

Watching Jebber finish clearing the table and exit the room, I slowly floated up from the bed, standing in midair. I heard he had returned today, apparently having encountered a formidable vampire, which caused severe losses. Even he had suffered some injuries and was resting in his room.

I gently pushed open the window and leapt outside. With my current senses, I didn't need to search for Fire Butterfly's room. I could clearly sense she was in the attic on the fourth floor. With a flicker of motion, I was already hovering outside her window. Looking into the room, I had to admit, the Young Master's treatment of her was different. Even the decorations she seemed indifferent to were extremely elaborate.

"Who's there?" She was sitting in front of the bed, daydreaming. When she sensed my presence, she suddenly stood up and leaped to the window. The window opened in an instant.

"It's me." I slowly landed on the windowsill and stood before her.

"Why did you come to find me?" Her gaze was no longer as vacant as before. It seemed she was no longer just a puppet, a weapon; at least, not now. Seeing her like this gave me a bit of hope.

"Do you want to know who you are?" I spoke slowly, appearing as a friend, though we indeed were friends, but only a century ago.

"Who I am? I know that already. I am a slave." Her blood-red eyes were filled with supreme caution. With her current abilities, she could certainly sense just how powerful I was.

"A slave? Do you think that's a name?" I said with a mocking smile, intentionally emphasizing the two words.

"I..." she hesitated.

"Remember, you're not a slave. You're Fire Butterfly, a butterfly like fire. That's the name your true master, your father, gave you." I looked into her eyes, a fleeting thought crossing my mind, but I didn't act. After all, using hypnosis would be no different from what the Young Master and the others had done.

"Fire Butterfly?" She hesitated, seemingly lost in thought, before retreating to the bed and sitting down blankly.

"Do you believe it?" I jumped into the room, slowly landing before her and asked calmly.

"I don't know... I don't know... I don't know anything," she said after a long moment, suddenly clutching her head, shaking it in panic and confusion, her eyes tightly shut in pain.

"Forget it, if you can't remember, then let it be. But I don't want to see you hurt anyone, including vampires. Because the real you... is very kind." Looking at her like this, I couldn't deny it. No matter what methods the Young Master and the others used, they had indeed erased all her memories. Perhaps now, she truly was no longer Fire Butterfly, but only a slave.

"But... I don't want the name slave, because that name makes me..." She looked up at me, her eyes glistening with tears and a blood-red glow.

"Then just tell others that your name is Fire Butterfly."

"Is that okay?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"Okay, I understand. From now on, I'll be called Fire Butterfly." A smile appeared on her face, a genuine smile, without a trace of impurity. I was momentarily stunned. I had never seen her smile before, except for that one time.

"Good." I turned and left.

"Wait!" Just as I leapt out of the window, she suddenly called out.

"Is there something else?" I floated in midair and looked back at her.

"I will keep tonight's events a secret." She smiled at me, a sincere smile, and for a moment, I was speechless.

"Mm, as you wish." I flew away, intending to return to my room and rest. However, since my mind couldn't settle down, there was no way I could sleep. So, I leapt up and flew to the weather vane on top of the small building. I stood on the sharp tip, looking at the silver moon in the sky, the mountain forests beneath, the eerie nightfall. All of this should belong to any vampire, yet how many vampires would appreciate and observe it like I did?

Saphroth, where are you?

I gazed into the distant sky, my eyes becoming slightly moist. If that dream was real, then perhaps he no longer remembers anything, no longer remembers the past, and most likely doesn't remember me. If that's the case, why should I still search for him? Even if I found him, would it still matter?

As I thought, my mind drifted further and further, until I had been standing there until dawn. Watching the sky slowly brighten, I suddenly felt a surge of heat in my head and an impulse to bask in the sunlight with this body. As the sun was about to break through the horizon, I smiled and stretched my arms wide, welcoming it.

"You!" Suddenly, a startled voice came from behind. My body was violently yanked back, and a chill swept through me, as if I had been dragged into another place. Once I regained my bearings, I found myself in a world of pure darkness, everything around me pitch black.

"Virtual Curtain!" I exclaimed, slowly getting up from the ground and turning toward the darkest area, "I didn't expect you to have this ability!"

"What are you thinking?" The black mist began to dissipate, and his serious face emerged from behind.

"Just wanted to bask in the sun," I replied nonchalantly.

"Bask in the sun? Don't you know you're a vampire?" he scolded.

"Hmph! Can't vampires bask in the sun?" I laughed coldly, dismissively waving my hand as I exited his virtual curtain. Of course, as I exited, I sealed the spell, but I forgot I was originally standing on the roof's edge. This human body couldn't maintain my balance. As a result, my footing faltered, and I lost control, falling straight down.

"Ah!"

The Young Master had just woken up, enjoying the early sunlight outside the window, when suddenly a figure fell before him. He let out a startled cry but could only watch helplessly, as everything felt like it was moving in slow motion, even his cry dying in his throat, unable to make a sound.

Hmph! I'm not going to die like this, am I? I smiled, feeling strangely at peace inside, as if the chaos was nothing more than a distant memory. Maybe deep down, I still preferred to escape, because it was the most comfortable choice for me. Although the fall wasn't far, for someone like me, full of expectations, it felt so distant, I almost couldn't wait.

Suddenly, there was a hard feeling at my back. I slowly closed my eyes. Let it end here.