A Game Of Chess With A Vampire
Chapter 47: Romance!

Chapter 47: Romance!

Amidst the ride back home, Avelina couldn’t help but suddenly smile.

"They are all very nice," she said.

Draven glanced at her. "I guess so..."

Avelina looked at him and curiously asked, "May I know who your pawns are? You did not mention them to me."

"My other workers, they are my pawns," Draven replied, his gaze fixed on the road ahead of them.

"I see..." Avelina nodded. She did not utter another word throughout the ride.

Draven drove into the courtyard. He parked the car, and Avelina proceeded to get down, but he grabbed her hand, stopping her before she could.

Avelina turned her head to meet his intent gaze.

"Is there a problem?" she inquired.

"No," Draven answered.

"Do you like books?" he asked.

Books... Avelina thought about it but ended up bewildered. She could not understand what brought about the sudden question.

Regardless, she replied, "Yes, I do."

"May I ask what genre?" Draven further queried

Avelina rapidly batted her lashes in thought. "Well...romance! I like romance."

"Alright." Draven nodded. "You can leave now. I have somewhere to go, so get some sleep."

As perplexed as she was, Avelina stepped down from the car. She stood to watch him leave but ended up even more bemused.

"Are you not leaving anymore?" she inquired.

"I am, but I am waiting for you to go inside," Draven responded, looking pretty confused himself.

Hit by the realization that he was still there because of her, Avelina’s cheeks flushed pink in embarrassment.

"I will be going in now." She hurried off into the mansion.

Draven blinked, baffled. He couldn’t comprehend why her face had turned pink all of a sudden; however, he did not linger on the thought for more than a second.

With a swift reverse, he drove out of the compound. He sped off down the road and arrived at the bookstore that they had earlier passed by.

Draven parked the car and stepped down. He locked the doors and shoved the key into the pocket of his coat. With a quick glance at the huge store, he took a step forward to the entrance.

"Bonsoir, monsieur," the security man at the door greeted him with a cheerful smile.

Draven did not respond, but instead, he moved forward to enter the building. The second he marched through the door, he was immediately enveloped by the warm and comforting scent of books. It was a bibliophile’s paradise.

The space was vast, with high ceilings adorned by elegant chandeliers and lit candles that bathed the area in a soft, inviting glow. The rows upon rows of shelves, reaching high heights, were meticulously organized and labeled with various genres.

The soft murmurs of the book enthusiasts, engaged in quiet conversations and flipping through pages, resounded in his ears.

Draven drew in a soft breath, completely clueless about what to do. He peeked at the woman at the counter and reluctantly approached her.

The middle-aged lady, who was the bookseller, had an inviting smile plastered on her face. "Bonsoir, monsieur, how may I help you?"

"I’d like to buy some books for my wife," Draven casually replied, his countenance neutral as usual.

"Oh. May I know the genre?" The bookseller adjusted her glasses, which perched atop the bridge of her nose.

"Romance," Draven answered.

The lady smiled.

"Please follow me."

She stepped out from behind the counter and began to proceed to the romance aisle.

Draven followed behind her, and he couldn’t help but notice reading nooks tucked away in the corners.

He came to a stop behind the woman, who abruptly halted.

"Monsieur, there are lots of good romance books on this shelf, so help yourself out." The lady pointed at the rather tall shelf.

But Draven blinked at her.

"Um... I can’t really do that," he said. "It would be nice if you could recommend something very interesting that would entertain her. Maybe something you think most will like."

"Monsieur, everyone has different tastes in—"

"I know." Draven cut her off and said, "Please just... give me something interesting that she will most likely enjoy."

The lady exhaled and offered him a charming smile. "Alright. Please give me a few moments."

She went ahead to climb the wooden ladder.

Draven patiently waited while awkwardly glancing around. A minute... two minutes... three minutes...five minutes...

The lady finally climbed down with a stack of books in her left arm. She turned to Draven with a mischievous smile on her face and handed them over to him.

Draven couldn’t understand the intent behind such a smile, and worse, it made him feel uncomfortable as though something was amiss. He paid for the books and exited the store. As he arrived outside, he lowered his head and glanced at the watch strapped around his wrist.

"Just a bit more," he mumbled.

To kill a bit more time, Draven diverted to the coffee shop next to the bookstore. He ordered a cup of coffee and took a seat at an empty table, positioned in a corner away from everyone else.

Every once in a while, the other customers in the shop would glance at him, confused as to why he would choose to sit in such an isolated corner. No one ever sat there. It was so lonely, unwelcoming, and gloomy.

Draven, who was oblivious to the eyes on him, peacefully drank his coffee. His gaze was distant, as though he had something serious going on in his mind.

The clock hanging on the wall ticked, and as though it were instinctive, Draven glanced at his wristwatch.

"It’s time." He stood up from the chair and exited the coffee shop.

Drops of rain abruptly began to fall on him, and he lifted his head to look at the sky.

He heaved a deep sigh and boarded his car to return to the royal mansion.

Upon arrival, he slowed down and drove in to park the car. He stepped down, locked the car, and proceeded to his quarters.

Everywhere was quiet, therefore leaving him absolutely sure that nothing had yet occurred. His timing was precise.

"Welcome back, young master." Santino, who was standing guard at the door, slightly bowed.

Draven approached the door and opened it, however, before he stepped in, he said, "Santino, you don’t have to be here tonight. You can go to your room."

Santino was thoroughly perplexed. "Young...master, may I ask why? This is my duty."

"I know. But you can leave, just for tonight," Draven tersely replied.

But Santino pressed further, "Is everything going to be okay?"