His eyes showed surprised but in the next second, amusement sparkled brightly in his ashen eyes. "No vampire had ever called me an idiot and talked to me in that manner, you know?"

  "I don’t care! Let me go!"

  "You really are amusing, my love." He chuckled while the young girl gasped again in both embarrassment and surprise.

  "You…… you…… you pervert! Stop calling me that. I’m not your…… your love! I think you’re crazy –"

  "You don’t like that too?" Kyle was seriously thinking and thought of a better pet name to call Lilith with. One that she would like this time. "I was certain you liked it. You even blushed when –"

  Lilith chanted a spell and a smoke appeared between them. The next second, Kyle began to cough.

  "Release me from this chain, or else……"

  Kyle caught her slim wrists in his hands and Lilith lost her balance in shocked surprise. She fell back but the vampire was quick to catch her. Due to the smoke and partly also to his coughs, the vampire just let his body go along with the motion, causing the two of them to fall on the floor, trapping her beneath him.

  Shock coloured Lilith’s face as she went passive in his hold for a while. As he fell on her, his weight naturally pinned her down to the ground, causing Lilith to start wriggling under him, determined to get out from this extremely compromising position. Though she was young, she was a proper young lady and should conduct herself in a proper manner. The young vampire’s eyes widened slightly, and he stayed still as if paralyzed as he looked down at her. She gradually went still too, when it dawned on her that he seemed to have gone frozen.

  "G-get off me." Lilith said, looking up at him, cheeks red as apples. He made a low sound in his throat.

  "Alright, I’m not going to tease you anymore." He said in a low but tender voice, still not moving off her. "But I can’t let you go yet. Let’s stay here for a while, okay?"

  For a moment, Lilith saw what seemed like sadness in his eyes.

  "But why? What are we going to do in here?"

  "Well……" he paused, thinking. "Nothing…… just stay with me."

  Lilith’s lips parted, speechless. She really couldn’t understand this weird vampire at all. The only thing that was keeping her from having a panicked escape from his grasp that moment was the fact that she wasn’t scared of him and the fact that she can’t escape anymore because of the chain. She also didn’t know why but she had the intuitively felt like he would never hurt her. There was something in him that seemed to be restraining her, that has nothing to do with the chains and his strong hands. Did this vampire boy do something strange to her without her realizing?

  "I think you’re just lonely……" she said, not knowing why she suddenly felt concerned for him. Out of a sudden impulse, she stretched out her hand and patted his head, giving him some comfort and care.

  "Lonely……" he repeated and for a while he seemed lost in his own thoughts. However, the next moment, his thin lips curved up into a tantalizing smile and he pinched her nose playfully before finally rolling off of her and letting his back rest flat on the floor right next to her.

  Both of them ended up just lying there in quiet companionship, staring at the antique chandelier hanging beautifully from the ceiling and the house was still and peaceful. "If I don’t return, Queen Alicia will send someone to look for me. Also, the other witches will worry." She then broke the long stretch of companionable silence.

  She heard him give a long-suffering sigh and when she turned to look at him, he was already facing her. His grey eyes seemed incredibly intense as he stared at her. "I promise I will bring you back there myself later."

  "When is later? I don’t want anyone to worry about me. I have left for quite a long while and they are expecting my return. I have to –"

  "You really don’t like me, do you?"

  Lilith didn’t know what to say so she ended up sitting there and frowning at him. Did she like him? She didn’t know. She only saw him for the first time today! How would she be able to tell? However, she certainly knew was that she’s not afraid of him. When she didn’t respond even after a few minutes, gloom seemed to set in his grey eyes, causing Lilith to swallow that lump that suddenly appeared in her throat, not understanding why he was reacting that way.

  "W-why are you doing this? It’s not like you like me either. You’re just lonely and it seems you don’t have any friends and that’s why –"

  "I have many friends." He cut her off. Lilith was about to retort again when his face suddenly inched closer to hers, causing her to suddenly pull back to make space between them. "And you’re wrong. I like you. I wouldn’t keep you with me for longer than one minute if I don’t."

  The girl was so stunned she was completely tongue-tied. But after the initial shock had passed, she sighed and pushed herself up to a sitting position. "The like you’re talking about is the same as that feeling when you see a really, really cute little puppy in the market and you liked it very much that you want to buy it at all cost and take it home right away, right?"

  He rose and sat next to her as well. He rested his elbows on top of his knees and then leaned his cheek on his palm. When he looked at her, his expression was serene. "How could you compare yourself to a puppy? You’re not a puppy so you’re wrong. That’s not the kind of like I’m talking about. It’s definitely not that way. I really like you."