Chapter 25: Chapter 25

Aland just stared coldly at Jonea and didn't say anything else. The young man's mouth was tightly shut. He stepped out, leaving Jonea alone in the room.

"Wait!" Jonea shouted as she jumped off the bed and chased Aland's explanation.

The bedroom door slammed shut. Jonea could only stand there gawking.

“Wa-wait…” the girl muttered in a low voice.

Jonea lowered her head and stared at the clothes she was wearing. Jonea instantly could not move.

"These are not my clothes. This tracksuit is too big for me. Then, where are my clothes? Who replaced clo–”

Jonea's eyes opened wide at that moment, and her mouth rounded. She was speechless.

Outside the room, Aland stood before the door holding his beating chest.

"What is wrong with me?" he muttered. “Of course, I know who that girl is! She… she was the girl that Elmar wanted. We have promised each other and agreed not to want something the other already wants.”

Aland was still holding his chest. It's not that his heartbeat has subsided; it's getting louder when he remembers how cute Jonea looked when she was wearing oversized clothes. Her small body sank into Aland's sport suit.

“Why does it feel like it's still beating fast? She's not that pretty, though." Aland grunted. “I need to correct my opinion last night about her. No, she's a bad girl!” muttered Aland to convince himself not to have feelings for Jonea.

“Ah, fool! I even forgot to ask what her name was!” Alan tapped his forehead.

"Young master?"

Aland jumped in surprise. He was already about to attack the person who suddenly appeared beside him.

"Sir?" said a middle-aged woman with a pale face while crossing her arms. "This is me!"

“Oh,” said Aland, no less surprised. "You are the maid in charge of cleaning the house. Have you just arrived? What's wrong? Usually you go straight to work. What do you need?"

The woman began to hesitate. She lowered her head and continued staring at the hem of the house slippers he wore.

"What is it?" he asked. "Did I forget to pay you yet?" Aland started to reach into his trouser pocket to look for his wallet.

“No… no… it's not like that, Young Master,” said the maid, sweeping her hand in the air. “It was at the wash; I saw dirty clothes with lots of blood. The clothes were also torn. Should I throw it away?”

"Huh? Right," muttered Aland. He smoothed his slightly tousled hair.

The housemaid raised her eyebrows slightly when she saw that Aland was not as usual.

"Just throw those clothes away and burn them so they don't cause trouble," Aland asked.

"Okay, Young Master. After throwing the clothes away, I will clean up the room. Excuse me."

When the woman was about to turn to the kitchen, Aland held her shoulder instead.

“Young Master, do you needs anything else?”

“For today… you don't need to clean the house. After taking out the trash, you can go home. I'll still pay you in full."

The woman understood Aland's intentions and desires. She smiled to herself and nodded shyly.

“Remember, only you know! Don't let this spread everywhere, especially my annoying family." Aland blew his bangs in annoyance.

"Ready, Young Master!" said the houseworker. "I was young too, really. There's nothing wrong with youthful passion. Have a good time. If you need anything, I am ready to help.”

"No!" protested Aland frantically. "It's not what you think, Ms. She…."

The houseworker ignored Aland's rebuttal. She hurriedly left Aland, who looked awkward.

The houseworker comes to Aland's apartment once a week. The woman returned to the kitchen and cleaned up the trash. She put on Aland's and Jonea's clothes, covered with blood spots. She also found some sterile cotton and gauze filled with blood.

"This isn't normal," the woman muttered. “Young Master Hamilton has never brought his friends here. Even his three handsome and rich friends are rarely allowed here. This is not only strange but also incredibly shocking. The only time he brought a friend home was a mysterious girl!”

The housekeeper tilted her head. She was surprised but also happy at the same time.

“And the next weird thing is… this girl is not just any girl. She is not from the werewolf race. The scent of blood on her clothes was very thick. She is the pure human race. I am sure of it!"

Secretly, the woman looked back to pay attention to the direction where Jonea was hidden–in Aland's room.

Aland went to the reading room. He sat down on a soft couch and sank into it. Aland tried to reach for the book and leafed through a few pages. Then he closed and put the book back down. Things like that are done over and over again.

“Aahhh… What's wrong with me, anyway?”

The restless Aland started to stand up and headed towards the window. He pulled back the ceiling-length curtains, and the sunlight hit his face. The young man's skin was glistening.

"Why can't I focus? What's wrong with me? She's Elmar's girl. Maybe I should tell Elmar he'll pick up the girl immediately.”

Aland walked over to look for his cell phone. His hand stopped just as he was about to pick up the phone above the book.

“No, I can't! If I called Elmar right now and said his girl was in my apartment, surely he would ask other things. I don't want Elmar to worry about the attack two nights ago."

While at Johny's Cafe & Bar to enjoy a full moon party, Elmar left his table with a sombre face. From their seats at table five, Aland kept watching Elmar, who was arguing with a guest from table three. Aland saw a girl among them.

Aland sighed. He couldn't see the girl's face because she stood with her back to Aland. But Aland was sure Elmar wouldn't do anything in vain if the girl had no advantages–whether because of her beautiful face or something interesting about her.

Elmar couldn't avoid the debate. Something similar happened many times whenever dealing with girls.

"Why is Elmar taking so long?" grunted Hunter then. "Is he having trouble with table three?"

Hunter and also Ed saw Elmar hugging the shoulder of a waitress.

"Should we go down there?" he asked. "I haven't fought in a long time."

Aland held them down to keep them seated in their seats. “Let him solve his own problems. If we come, the girl might turn away from Elmar.”

Then they laughed together.

After Elmar returned to his seat, they continued drinking for several hours. However, Aland could see something odd about Elmar. He kept glancing towards the kitchen where the employees were working.

"If you're worried about her, come over and make sure she's okay," Aland called out.

Elmar shook his head with his usual cheerful smile. "No, I'm sure she's fine. She's a tough girl." Elmar smiled even wider.

“Do you want to make her the 101st lover?” quipped Hunter.

Elmar burst out laughing. “Are you kidding me? She's a barmaid. I won't do that.”

"But you helped her," said Ed. “I think your taste buds have dropped a lot by now. But we're not surprised, really. You have tried all kinds of girls one by one. Only girls from the lower ranks who haven't and the human race….”

Suddenly Elmar's face hardened. “You guys don't know anything. Better keep quiet. I was just bored and happened to see the assholes at table three. Now it's over.”

Elmar kept glancing at the watch on his wrist.

“It will soon be morning, and I need time to rest. I don't want my eyes to be like pandas while shooting tomorrow. We'd better end the party tonight," Elmar pleaded.

The other three friends agreed. They finished the party before sunrise. Elmar's gaze was again fixed on the door when he left the bar.

Aland immediately approached his friend and tapped his shoulder. “Come home! You should rest. I'll make sure she gets home safely."

Elmar looked at Aland doubtfully and defensively.

"Since when did you not trust me?" he asked.

“The problem is… she….” Elmar's words hung. "But, I trust you will look after it for me." He grinned widely.

“You just need to act and portray your character to the best of your ability. If your role is bad, then I will not support you anymore. You better be a toilet cleaner at school.”

Aland returned to his current self. His dream is shattered. He didn't take his cell phone and crossed his arms. He stood in the middle of the reading room.

“If Elmar says that girl is unimportant and not special to him, why does he want to protect her so much? There must be something. I have to ask the girl. And also her face… she reminds me of someone. But, who, huh?”