Chapter 88
“A V-Vampire?”
Ha-eun was greatly flustered.
'Ah.'
My mind got ahead of me and the words slipped out first.
It was rude to just abruptly say I’d turn someone else’s mother into a vampire.
Ahem!
I let out a fake cough and explained in a deliberately solemn tone.
“The noble blood of a True Ancestor shall purify all impurities dwelling within the flesh. Thy mother’s illness shall also vanish without a trace.”
“Ah! Does that mean her illness will be cured if she becomes a vampire?”
Hearing my words, Ha-eun let out a small exclamation as if she had realized something.
She was right.
The effects of the [Embrace] Skill included the ability to purify all harmful status effects the target possessed.
Mana stone disease was also strictly a type of status effect.
There was a high probability that the illness would disappear if I made her a vampire.
“Indeed. Ask thy mother for her opinion.”
“Yes!”
Ha-eun approached her mother’s side.
The two seemed to share a serious conversation, and soon Yoon Su-yeon nodded after deep contemplation.
“Ha-eun, this person is the benefactor who saved your life twice.”
She showed a faint smile toward me.
“Besides, after experiencing the healing effects of that coffin earlier, I know just how amazing True Ancestor-nim is. Since you’ve become a vampire, it’s actually better for Mom to become the same species as you.”
“Ahem. A wise decision, mortal.”
Great, scouting complete!
I nodded.
And I checked the Retainer compatibility to see whom I should have perform the [Embrace].
[Yu Si-yeon: 42%]
[Riri: 35%]
[Sera: 68%]
“Sera is at 68 percent.”
Just as I was thinking I should leave it to Sera again this time.
'Huh?'
The name that appeared at the very end completely caught my eye.
[Katarina: 150%]
“150 percent?!”
The retainer compatibility that actually exceeded 100%.
Furthermore, a message like this was floating beneath it.
[Retainer compatibility is extremely high!]
[If the Retainer 'Katarina' directly performs the Embrace, the target’s blood fiend potential will increase to A+ rank!]
'Wow, that’s crazy.'
What in the world was this?
A rank was already good, but it would become an A+ rank.
Was her blood compatibility with Katarina just incredibly good?
I summoned Katarina to the living room without delay.
“Is it an Embrace?”
Receiving the order, Katarina approached Yoon Su-yeon’s side without a word of complaint.
“The Liege Lord’s First Retainer, Yu Katarina.”
“I’m Ha-eun’s mom, Yoon Su-yeon.”
Katarina, who overflowed with charisma, and Yoon Su-yeon, who had a sickly but gentle atmosphere.
The two faced each other and shared an awkward nod.
“Please take care of me.”
Su-Yeon said with a smile, and Katarina spoke politely.
“Excuse me.”
Katarina carefully sank her fangs into the nape of Yoon Su-yeon’s neck.
At that moment.
“…!”
Katarina’s eyes widened slightly.
Perhaps the blood suited her taste, for she began to covet the blood at an incredibly fast pace, unlike her usual self.
“Ah… mm… it’s fast…”
A pained moan flowed from Yoon Su-yeon’s lips.
Watching the sight from the side, Ha-eun muttered with her mouth hanging open blankly.
“Whoa… Mom is sucking so much… Lady Katarina is sucking so much…”
Yoon Su-yeon gently patted the back of Katarina, who was hastily gulping down blood.
“You’ll get indigestion. Please drink slowly, Lady Katarina.”
Katarina flinched at the touch, then soon slowed her vampirism pace.
Not long after, Yoon Su-yeon’s body, having given up all its blood, went limp.
Katarina carefully held her in her arms, formed a drop of blood on her own fingertip, and let it flow between her lips.
The next moment, an amazing thing happened.
Her dry and parched skin began to regain its vitality and become smooth.
Flesh filled out her emaciated limbs.
The hair that had all fallen out in the aftermath of the mana stone disease grew back abundantly.
It was a light brown color that looked exactly like Ha-eun’s.
“Gasp…”
Ha-eun covered her mouth with both hands.
The eyes of the other retainers watching went wide also.
Of course, I couldn’t hide my internal shock either.
'Jackpot. This is totally on the level of a body reconstruction you’d see in a martial arts novel, isn’t it?'
A moment later, Yoon Su-yeon, who now sported deep red eyes, slowly opened them.
She let out a breath as if she couldn’t believe it.
“My body… doesn’t hurt at all…”
“Mom!”
Ha-eun rushed forward and hugged Yoon Su-yeon tightly.
“Mom, you’ve gotten so pretty!”
“My daughter…”
Yoon Su-yeon patted her daughter’s back and smiled brightly.
“You’re okay now, right? You’re not sick anymore…?”
“It doesn’t hurt at all. I’m all better, so now I’ll prepare lots of delicious food for my daughter every single day.”
I watched that touching scene with a pleased expression.
The other retainers also offered their congratulations.
“…I am glad it seems to have gone well, Liege Lord.”
Katarina, who had directly led the Embrace, couldn’t hide a strangely proud look.
“Wow! That’s great!”
Riri jumped up and down in joy, and Si-yeon also nodded silently.
“Whoa… this is so touching…”
Sera’s sensitivity must have completely exploded, as she was wiping the corners of her eyes.
A short while later.
“Truly… how should I ever repay this grace, True Ancestor-nim.”
Once the situation had roughly calmed down, Yoon Su-yeon bowed her head repeatedly toward me, expressing immense gratitude.
She looked ready to at least pretend to die if I told her to.
'Hmm. It’s still not enough.'
But my employee welfare didn’t end here.
There was one thing that kept catching my eye, and that was the white hospital gown Yoon Su-yeon was wearing.
Because she was wearing something like that, she looked sick even though she was completely cured.
I gestured toward Ha-eun and spoke.
“Go and procure new garments. For a retainer of mine to be in such attire goes against the dignity of this True Ancestor.”
“True Ancestor-nim…!”
At the instruction to go to the department store and buy clothes to their hearts' content, Ha-eun and Yoon Su-yeon’s faces brightened.
Of course, before they went out, I didn’t forget to provide fresh blood and congealed ox blood for Su-Yeon, who would be hungry having just become a retainer.
Was it because she was Ha-eun’s mother?
She took a bite of the congealed ox blood and smiled without any aversion.
“Oh my, it’s savory and delicious!”
Like that, the two went on a joyful shopping trip, and when Yoon Su-yeon returned, her appearance had changed beyond recognition.
“I told her these kinds of clothes are only worn by young people, but this Ha-eun really…”
An off-the-shoulder white knit sweater and a black skirt that Ha-eun had personally coordinated for her.
It exuded an elegant and luxurious atmosphere.
“I don’t know if I’m being too frivolous at this age…”
Su-Yeon blushed as if embarrassed, but she looked young and beautiful enough to pass for someone in her late twenties.
However, among the things the two had bought, there were art supplies like brushes, a canvas, and paints, aside from the clothes.
“What are all these things?”
“Ah. My mom was originally a painter.”
Ha-eun explained proudly.
Since she had caught the mana stone disease, her hands had trembled so much she couldn’t draw at all, but now that her body was fully healed, she wanted to pick up a brush again for the first time in a long while.
“And she says she wants to gift that first artwork to True Ancestor-nim!”
'Oh, that’s really meaningful.'
A painting dedicated to her benefactor, which she created after picking up a brush for the first time after gaining a new life.
Wasn’t it a romantic and meaningful gift?
Su-Yeon set up an easel in the middle of the living room and began to fill the canvas with colors using elegant hand movements.
And a few hours later.
The completed painting was a single red rose.
'Oh?'
But this painting was extraordinary.
The shape of a beautiful flower against a black background.
The colors were incredibly intense, giving an immersive feeling as if one were being sucked into the canvas.
“It is magnificent!”
It was to the point where even I, who knew nothing about art, couldn’t help but admire it.
“Wow!”
“It’s very pretty!”
The other retainers also gathered around the canvas and let out exclamations of awe.
Su-Yeon herself looked at the painting as if surprised by her own work.
“Now that I’ve become a vampire… for some reason, inspiration comes easily and my brushstrokes seem much more delicate.”
I also kept admiring it as I looked at it again.
“Wow. This is on a level that could be exhibited in a place like the Louvre Museum.”
I couldn’t hang it in an art museum right away, but it was too much of a waste to look at this incredible artwork all by myself.
Wanting to show it off to other people as well, I took out my smartphone and took a picture of the painting.
“I should post it on Heon-gael.”
This time, I accessed the Heon-gael instead of the climber community.
It was because the forced speech of [Exalted dignity] didn’t apply to posts written anonymously.
[Title: Everyone, come take a look at this dope painting]
[Poster: Anonymous]
I attached the photo and pressed the register button with a light heart.
As soon as I refreshed, the view count rose in an instant and comments started pouring in.
Thinking everyone must have been surprised after seeing the artwork, I looked at the reactions with a beaming smile.
- Seeing this painting suddenly makes me feel anew just how amazing True Ancestor-nim is…
- I suddenly want to offer my blood to True Ancestor-nim.
- True Ancestor Absolute Worship
…
'Huh?'
I tilted my head and looked down at the screen.
I definitely hadn’t mentioned the word True Ancestor in the body of the post.
Why was everyone suddenly talking about me?