𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒' 𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐅𝐔𝐋 𝐃𝐎𝐆 | 𝘷𝘢𝘥𝘵𝘥 𝘹 𝘔.𝘺/𝘯 |

(2) A Taste Of Blood.

"........,"

"Your grace; it's time for breakfast,"

A gentle voice nudged me awake.

I grumbled, shifting slightly.

Light sleeper, always had been.

Exhaustion weighed heavily on me.

Pulling an all-nighter hadn't been wise.

Denial clung to me - this couldn't be real, just an elaborate, confusing dream.

Waking up to a scolding lecture from the professor sounded heavenly right now.

A quiet groan escaped my lips as I cracked open my eyes, squinting at the sunlight filtering through the curtains a male servant had drawn open.

"Favorite day of the week, isn't it, your grace?"

his cheerful tone chimed as he stood by the bedchamber corner.

His grey eyes met mine, framed by light orange hair pulled back in a ponytail.

Unlike the faceless, identically clothed servants in the game illustrations, this one had a distinct presence.

'Favorite day? I don't even know the date. Whatever, pretend it's (F/D).'

I managed to sit up, stretching, then reached for a glass of water on the nightstand.

Draining it in one go, the coolness brought a fleeting relief.

My servant paused, considering something.

"Your grace, you seem troubled lately. Is something wrong?"

Panic surged.

No excuse formed despite me trying to speak.

Thanks to that freaking system.

Seeing my forced smile and silence, he bowed politely.

"If you need someone to talk to, I'm here."

Concern flickered in his eyes.

"The bath is prepared, your grace,"

he said respectfully, tidying the room.

With a sigh, I rose, hoping a shower would clear my head.

Inside the lavish marble bathroom, steam billowed from the hot tub adorned with fragrant rose petals and essential oils.

Cool marble greeted my bare feet.

Undressing slowly, I revealed the toned physique of this body - muscles flexing as I removed the clothes. It was built for battle - muscular yet flexible, with a wide chest and broad shoulders tapering to narrower hips.

The harsh reality of my situation settled in as I glanced at the crisscrossing scars etched across my torso, a brutal reminder of past battles - battles I had no memory of fighting.

My gaze drifted down, and a jolt of surprise momentarily stunned me.

There, undeniably large, was...well, it was impressive.

Certainly more impressive than what I was used to.

Discomfort prickled at my skin.

This wasn't my body, not truly.

Back in my own life, I was comfortable enough.

Here, though, everything felt...alien.

Maybe it didn't matter.