Vampire Residence

XXXIII

The two were sat around their usual spot in the workroom, but the atmosphere had noticeably shifted. Sybil had far too much to drink, and her own pent-up emotions seemed to be taking advantage of the situation.

She had abandoned her usual stiff-backed, proper composure a while ago, and was now leaning back in her seat with a rather dazed look on her face, staring off at nothing in particular.

The only thing she could seem to hold properly was the teacup, filled with far more gin than tea, clutched in her hands. She had a small hunch that Daciana was intentionally keeping her drinking, adding more gin to her cup despite her already being thoroughly drunk.

"He's so... uptight. Can't he have some fun now and then?"

Sybil grumbled, taking another sip from her cup. She wasn't quite sure when she'd started complaining about her husband to the young woman, but she couldn't deny that it was easier to speak truthfully now that she was influenced. Or perhaps it was just the alcohol speaking.

Daciana was listening intently, as usual. She was always giving off an almost intimidating air around her, even now, but her unwavering attention and intense, unblinking stare seemed far less intense when viewed through the gin-fueled fog in Sybil's mind.

"And he never listens to a goddamn word I have to say, either. I could tell him I- I don't like the color of his dinner jacket and he'd still wear it just to make me mad!"

Sybil huffed, setting down her teacup rather abruptly, gin sloshing over the side.

"And now he's forcing us to hold a ball, in front of all his bloody high society friends, to show off how fine and elegant he is!"

Sybil's rant was more of a drunken ramble at this point, fueled by the liquor and an alcohol-influenced need to vent her frustration.

"And on top of everything, we can't even..."

She'd meant to say something about how they couldn't attend the social events of high society as often as they should to keep up appearances, but the words stumbled in her mouth, and that was not what came out.

"We can't have... we can't have children..."

There was a pause as Sybil's voice trailed off. She'd said it almost accidentally, and just like that the drunken haze faded a little from her mind.

Daciana just continued watching her as usual, her gaze unwavering. "Why not?"

Those two words sounded surprisingly clear through the drunken fog. In the silence that followed after, Sybil almost forgot how to talk, her hands fumbling with the teacup as she tried to find the right words.

"I- my miscarriage... it destroyed any hope of me bearing a child."

She let out a shaky exhale, trying not to think about it too closely. The thought still sat in her mind like a lead weight, no matter how much she drank.

"I'm... I'm supposed to be his perfect wife, and I can't even..."

Sybil felt her breath catch in her throat again, a strange pressure building around her eyes. She knew it was a little pathetic to be so upset about it, especially in her state, but she didn't care.

"And he wants me to act perfect in front of all those damn people at his parties. To dance and greet all his high and mighty friends like everything is just fine..."

The pressure in her eyes was getting harder to ignore. She knew she was on the verge of bursting into tears, but she didn't want to, especially in front of this strange woman.

"...and it's not fair, it's not fair!"

She knew it was the alcohol talking, making her say far too much for a lady of her social standing, but at that exact moment, she found that she simply didn't care anymore. Her emotions were spilling out of her, just like her cup that had long since tipped over, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.