Chapter 8: Genevieve Valois [2]
Genevieve stubbornly kept her mouth shut, her expression twisting in visible disgust like the very idea of drinking Cressida’s blood was beneath her.
Ouch. Rude.
But Cressida wasn’t one to back down. She knew vampires could lose control once they got a taste, blood had a way of turning composure into hunger. If she could tempt Genevieve, just for a moment, it might work in her favor.
"Are you sure I’m the stubborn one?" she teased, voice low.
Once she shifted her weight, Genevieve stumbled and the two of them crashed to the floor in a tangled heap.
Cressida gasped, realizing she had landed squarely on top of the knight.
Before she could even process the embarrassment, a sharp pain bloomed on her skin.
Genevieve’s once-silver eyes had turned a deep crimson, glowing like rubies in the dark.
"See? I told you it isn’t so—"
Her words broke into a sharp gasp, a pitiful sound that barely escaped her lips.
She felt it first, the ghost of warm breath against her skin, then the bite followed.
A sudden, sharp sting bloomed at the most tender part of her neck, and the world seemed to collapse into that single, consuming point of contact.
Her pulse thundered in her ears as fangs sank deep, drinking greedily and Genevieve wouldn’t let go.
The silver-haired woman quickly snapped back to her senses, releasing Cressida’s wrist as though burned. A faint blush dusted her pale cheeks, betraying the calm in her voice.
"Get off me."
"Not until you admit you actually liked it," Cressida countered, lips curling.
Genevieve exhaled sharply through her nose. "Fine," she muttered. "It tasted good."
"Thought so."
Satisfied, Cressida slid off her stomach and sat beside her, rubbing the ache on her wrist. The other woman stayed unnervingly still, eyes faintly glowing as she fought to steady her breath.
If Cressida remembered right, this was normal. Blood did that to vampires. It wasn’t just hunger, it was a trance, a madness born from starvation and the curse of eternal night.
This was also how the heroine managed to reel Genevieve into her harem.
Yes. The heroine collected both men and women, and Genevieve, for all her cold beauty, was no exception.
Genevieve wasn’t proud; she was obedient to a fault. A doll sculpted by Agrona’s will, her words rehearsed, her emotions trimmed to silence. She existed only to mirror her mistress. Whatever Agrona desired, Genevieve desired. Whatever Agrona forbade, Genevieve feared. Even the simple act of drinking unapproved blood was a defiance punishable by pain or worse.
And she had another weakness, perhaps her only real one. Her twin sister, Gwyneira. The woman who, in the novel, died for Agrona’s cruelty.
’So that’s it,’ Cressida thought, lips twitching. ’That’s her leash. And maybe mine off it.’
She softened her voice, lowering her gaze as if afraid. "Genevieve..."
The guard turned slightly, suspicion in her silver eyes.
"I overheard something," Cressida continued carefully, tracing her finger along the hem of her sleeve. "About Lady Agrona. About... Gwyneira."
At the mention of the name, Genevieve stiffened.
"She plans to use her again. Something about an offering. You don’t want that, do you?"
"Stop lying," Genevieve’s tone cracked, but her trembling hands betrayed her resolve.
"Then go ask her yourself. You’re loyal, right? I’m sure she’ll tell you everything."
║[SYSTEM] +10 Negative EXP — Manipulative Persuasion Detected.║
"You—!" Genevieve’s voice cracked like thunder as her hands shot forward, wrapping around Cressida’s neck.
Not enough to choke her, but enough to remind her who held the power.
The grip tightened by the second, a wordless warning in every tremor of her fingers.
"What do you know about me?" she hissed, fangs glinting under the light. "You’re just a lowly mouse for the madam."
"I know enough," she said, steadying her tone despite the tremor in her throat. "About your deal with Madam Agrona. About what’s going to happen to your sister, your only family left. You were coerced, weren’t you?"
Genevieve’s eyes widened, color draining from her face. "Stop."
║[SYSTEM] +10 Negative EXP — Psychological Manipulation Successful.║
"If you help me," Cressida whispered, leaning closer despite the hand still on her throat, "then I’ll help you."
To Genevieve, the once loud and ridiculous Cressida now looked... different.
"Just..." she finally muttered. "Just stop mentioning my sister for now."