Chapter Two: Friends

The clamor of voices pulled me from my thoughts. At some point, the teacher had disappeared from the podium, replaced by the noisy bustle of students during the break.

I sat in the corner of the classroom, my gaze drifting over the class. A group of girls clustered together, whispering, occasionally glancing furtively in my direction. Though I could easily catch their words, I had no interest in what they were saying. Many of the boys in the class seemed intrigued by me as well, some even appearing to consider approaching, but in the end, none of them acted.

"Hello, my name is Lexiaoyu." As I sat, bored, a girl's voice sounded in my ear. She was petite, and I hadn't noticed when she had come to stand beside me. "Mm." I replied indifferently. "Don't underestimate me! I'm the class sports representative, and I'm great at running," she announced, clearly dissatisfied with my cold response, striving to impress me. "Mm." I answered just the same.

I had come here only to experience human life, not to form any bonds with humans. Thus, I had no interest in interacting with them.

"Xingyu, Nana is so cold," Lexiaoyu complained to someone approaching.

Nana—who was that? Her casual use of my name took me aback. Nana—how dare a mere human address me so familiarly? My gaze grew icy. If any other member of the Bloodline heard me called by such a diminutive, I would become a laughingstock.

"Hello, Liliana. May I address you that way?" A gentle male voice sounded near me. It was him—the boy who had caught my attention.

"Mm." I responded, glancing at Lexiaoyu with a cold edge. "Please use my full name. I am Liliana Lytis Alucard. I do not wish to hear you call me 'Nana' again. Otherwise, you will learn what it means to regret."

"What's with the anger? Fine, I won't do it again," Lexiaoyu shrank back, cowed by my gaze.

"I'm sorry, Liliana. Lexiaoyu meant no harm. Please don't mind her," he apologized on her behalf.

"It's all right. I won't take offense," I replied. The offense of an ant hardly mattered; should she truly provoke my wrath, I could simply kill her.

"Thank you. I'm Xingyu, class president of Class Six. It's a pleasure to meet you. If you ever have any difficulties, feel free to come to me," the boy introduced himself with a pleasant smile.

"Hello, Liliana. I'm Baiye, vice president of Class Six. If you ever need anything, you can always come to me as well." The boy who accompanied Xingyu was gentle and refined, his face adorned with a warm smile that would easily endear him to others. Yet, for some reason, I felt an inexplicable aversion to him. Behind the warmth of his smile, I sensed a chill. I ignored him entirely. Despite my disregard, Baiye maintained his perfect composure, smiling still.

"Liliana, have you prepared your lunch?" Xingyu, perhaps sensing the tension between Baiye and me, shifted the topic.

"Lunch?" I looked at him, confused.

"Yes, the school requires that students remain on campus during the lunch break, so we eat lunch here. While there's a cafeteria, it's always crowded. Most students bring their own lunches for convenience," Xingyu explained.

So that was it—what a troublesome rule. The Bloodline survives on blood; food is unnecessary for us. A rare few indulge in eating only for the illusion of taste, a deception since our kind long ago lost the sense of flavor for anything but blood. So, I had no habit or interest in eating lunch.

"Don't worry. I'll go to the cafeteria," I deflected.

"Would I have the honor of inviting you to lunch, Liliana?" Baiye, whom I had ignored, suddenly interjected.

"No need. I'm not accustomed to dining with others," I refused coldly. I couldn't fathom his intentions—was he seeking my favor, or simply putting on his perfect act?

"Nana, it's lively when everyone eats lunch together," Lexiaoyu chimed in, using that damned nickname again. I seriously considered whether I ought to kill her after all.

"If you don't mind, Liliana, join us for lunch. It'll be a good chance for everyone to get to know each other," Xingyu suggested.

Strangely, I found myself reluctant to refuse Xingyu's invitation. How could that be? It must have been my imagination. When was the last time I dined with my father? Fifty years ago, or was it a hundred? The memory was so distant I could no longer recall, only that it had been a warm, cherished moment—my father, myself, and her—a memory I dared not touch.

"Very well. I'll find you at lunch," I agreed almost involuntarily.

"Since you're new, why don't we prepare lunch for you?" Xingyu offered, smiling brightly at my acceptance.

"No need. I'll prepare it myself," I declined.

"All right, then. Let's meet for lunch on the bench beneath the cherry blossoms. Is that all right?" he asked, unfazed by my refusal.

"Mm." I replied simply. The cherry tree—I had noticed it on my way in, a truly beautiful spot, ideal for lunch. The shade of the trees should help lessen the sun's harsh glare. I thought of the burning sunlight at noon and couldn't help but regret my promise.

"All right, see you under the cherry blossoms at noon," Xingyu said with a smile, then returned to his seat. The others gradually drifted away as the next class was about to begin.

Never mind—since I've agreed, I must keep my word. The noble Bloodline never breaks a promise, I reminded myself.

"Ang," I called softly.

"Yes, my lady? What are your orders?" Though Ang was not physically present, his voice sounded clearly in my ear.

"You heard everything, didn't you? Prepare a simple lunch for me," I instructed.

"My lady, being outdoors at noon is too harmful to your health. Are you certain you wish to go?" Ang asked with concern.

"It's fine. I'll be careful. A little sunlight is nothing I can't endure. Since I've given my word, I will keep it. The Bloodline does not break its promises," I replied calmly.

"Understood, my lady. If that is your decision," Ang answered respectfully, his voice fading from my ear.

—

Lunchtime.

I walked slowly toward the cherry tree, Ang following close behind, holding an umbrella to shield me from the sun's rays and carrying a lunch basket in his other hand. Even with the shade of the umbrella, the noon sun pierced my clothes, searing my skin.

"Nana, over here!" Lexiaoyu called cheerfully. In this world, she was perhaps the only one bold enough to address me so and still live.

I looked toward the sound—beneath the cherry tree, the bench was already surrounded by many people.

Xingyu saw me too, waving with a smile. Baiye, ever refined and smiling, sat there as well, his expression as polished as ever.

"Liliana, sit here," Baiye said, gesturing to the spot he'd saved beside him on the bench, which could seat only four—Xingyu, Lexiaoyu, Baiye, and the empty place next to Baiye.

Ignoring Baiye's invitation, I pointed to the space between Xingyu and Lexiaoyu. "Could you move over?" I asked Lexiaoyu.

"Sure, I don't mind," she replied cheerfully, shifting closer to Baiye. Baiye maintained his warm smile, though it now seemed a bit forced.

Ang handed me the lunch basket, standing behind the bench with the umbrella.

"Who is this?" Xingyu asked curiously, looking at Ang.

"He is my butler, Ang," I introduced. Ang nodded politely to Xingyu.

"Butler? Nana, is your family rich?" Lexiaoyu asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

"More or less," I replied, choosing to ignore her insistent use of my nickname.

"Nana, what did you bring for lunch?" she pressed, but I ignored her.

"Nana, don't be so cold! I'll take a look," she said, quickly leaning over to peek into my basket. "Wow, what's all this?" she exclaimed.

"The main dish is orange foie gras, with caviar and truffle cheese as accompaniments," Ang explained behind me.

"You're definitely rich!" Lexiaoyu exclaimed in awe.

"What about you, Xingyu? What did you bring?" I asked, disregarding Lexiaoyu's excitement.

"Just some homemade food," Xingyu replied, opening the lunchbox on his lap. It was simple, but carefully prepared. "Would you like to try some? I made it myself," he offered.

"May I?" I asked.

"Of course, if you don't mind," he answered, handing me his lunchbox.

"Then, shall we trade?" I said, taking his box and passing him my basket.

"This…" Xingyu hesitated.

"It's fine. I've always wanted to try exchanging lunches with a friend," I told him.

"Then, we're friends from now on," Xingyu replied happily.

Friend? What a foreign word. Since I was born, I’d only had subordinates and servants. What does it feel like to have a friend? I had never known. I never imagined I would one day call a lowly human my friend. But now that I am here in the human world, perhaps having a human friend isn’t such a bad thing after all.