A Game Of Chess With A Vampire
Chapter 225: No, Stay!

Chapter 225: No, Stay!

Natasha stood before the mirror, looking at herself. It was currently six p.m. in the evening.

Her eyes were slightly widening, as though in disbelief. "It’s...gone," she muttered beneath her breath.

A smile slowly emerged on her face, and she dashed out of her room, clad in nothing but a white dress and her slipper. She rushed towards Ryan’s quarter, and without even allowing Lancelot to announce her presence, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

As she shut the door behind her, she stared at Ryan, who was slipping into his shirt.

"Sweetheart, look at me." Her tone was filled with excitement.

Ryan, who had only just noticed her, turned around to look at her. "Nata...sha..." His words faded as he glimpsed Natasha’s face. Every single rash was gone. Her skin was as flawless as it had always been. In fact, it looked even better than before.

"Your rash is gone." It was clear that he was shocked.

Natasha nodded her head in elation. "The elixir worked." She chuckled softly.

A wide smile emerged on Ryan’s face, and he began to walk toward her to examine her closely, but Natasha moved first, running and jumping into his arms to hug him.

Ryan twirled her around, appalled and confused as to why she had embraced him so dearly.

"Oh, dear Ryan, thank you! Thank you, my beloved!" she said to him, laughing heartily.

Ryan’s pupils dilated, this being the first time he had heard such genuine joy in her tone. She really was happy. Surely it cannot be just because she had been cured, right?

Natasha pulled back from the hug and stared at him.

Ryan looked down at her, smiling. "You look more pretty when you laugh like this." He reached out his head, tucking her dark hair behind her ear.

Natasha bit her lower lip, beaming. She went up slightly on her tiptoe, pressing her lips against his.

"I’ve missed your touch, Ryan," she mumbled, speaking against his lips.

Ryan’s eyes flickered, and he cackled softly.

"Have you now?" He wrapped his fingers around Natasha’s neck as she nodded at him.

They locked in a passionate kiss before he eventually laid her on the bed to continue the deed—a deed that would go on for the next thirty minutes.

——

Draven walked out of his room, dressed in a set of white, fitted casual wear. His hair was wrapped up in a low man bun.

He strolled straight to his master bedroom, where Avelina was, and pushed the door open. He stepped inside and looked over at the bed in the hope of seeing Avelina, but she was not there. She was seated at the table, legs crossed over like a child, completely immersed in the book she was reading.

Draven tilted his head to his side, sort of loving what he was seeing. This lady was unlike anyone he had ever met before. There was just so much about her that he had come to learn.

There were so many things that, even though he didn’t understand them, he was willing to jot them down in his journal, hoping to improve his understanding of them.

She was like a puzzle that he sometimes struggled to connect, but at the same time, that was something that drew him to her—the one thing that makes him...enjoy being with her.

Draven subconsciously smiled, his eyes narrowing into a thin line. He shut the door behind him, shoved his hands into his pockets, and began to advance toward her.

He was getting close enough to her, but recalling that he had to keep his distance, he stepped back. Five meters away from each other was the distance.

He muttered, "Avelina." His tone would always get so gentle in between uttering her name. It was in a way that no one ever did.

That alone caused Avelina’s heart to skip a beat. Yes, she had finally noticed his presence! She turned her head, glancing at him.

They stared at each other in silence before Draven abruptly beamed at her.

"Are you good?" he asked.

Avelina’s eyes batted slowly, and she nodded her head at him.

"I am good." She was wondering why he had come. This was contrary to her expectations, as she believed he must have thought she was asleep.

Draven lifted his hand as though reaching out to touch her. He had the urge to pat her head, and that was what he wanted to do. He had been doing it so instinctively that he had gotten so used to it. This was not even something he ever did to anyone, but it seemed to be a habit that he had developed with Avelina.

Avelina, who noticed, raised her eyes as though wanting to glimpse her head. She knew he wanted to pat her head, and this caused her to smile.

"Draven, I want to ask you for a favor," she said.

Draven retracted his hand, shoving it back into the pocket of his pants. "Go ahead."

Avelina gazed at him for a few seconds. She took a deep breath before managing to voice out her request.

"Would you mind giving me hugs every morning before you sleep and every night before I sleep?"

Draven was taken aback by the request. Didn’t she want distance? Was something wrong?

He tilted his head, a look of confusion apparent on his face. "Sure, I can do that. But...I thought you did not want me to come close to you."

"I know," Avelina responded. "But..." She pinched between her brows, unable to complete her sentence.

Draven let out a soft breath, saying, "It’s alright. Whatever you may ever desire from me, I will do it for you."

"That reminds me, there is somewhere that I want to take you."

"Somewhere?" Avelina asked, curious.

Draven nodded. "Indeed. Dress up, I’ll be waiting for you out—"

"No, stay!" Avelina spoke, interrupting him.

Draven’s lips trembled. It was obvious he had something to say, but, seeming speechless, he refrained from doing so. "Are you sure?"