A Game Of Chess With A Vampire
Chapter 76: What If You Got Hurt?!

Chapter 76: What If You Got Hurt?!

Avelina furiously blinked her eyes and quickly backed away from him. She darted her gaze around and cleared her throat.

"I-it is not what you think." She could feel fear overtaking her body.

Valentine smiled at her. "Why are you afraid? I’m not going to hurt you."

Avelina was a bit flabbergasted. "Oh...really?"

"Yes. Not each vampire wants to consume every single human in their way." Valentine was rather amused.

Avelina could see the sincerity in his eyes. She relaxed her body, stopping her hands, which were trembling in fright.

"May I ask why you are here?" Valentine inquired.

"Oh..." Avelina flickered her lashes. "Ha...ha. It’s really nothing. I just heard someone playing piano, so—"

"You liked it?!!" Valentine immediately questioned her, stepping closer to her.

Avelina was alarmed. She quickly backed away.

"Y-yes."

Valentine halted and smiled widely. "Then do you perhaps want to hear me play?"

"Apparently my family has a very bad taste in music, so none of them ever want to hear me play. You were the first to enjoy it. Shall I play more for you? You can come in."

He gestured to the door.

Avelina did not say a word, but her body language was enough to send out the message that she was afraid to go in.

What if he gobbles me up and takes my blood? Avelina was thinking.

Valentine blinked his eyes. He chuckled softly, very amused.

"Sister-in-law, relax. Even if I wanted to take human blood, it wouldn’t be my brother’s wife. I am not berserk." He laughed.

Even though she was still cautious, Avelina had a feeling he wasn’t lying. She reluctantly nodded her head and moved a bit closer to him.

"Do you mind leaving the door open?" she asked.

Valentine shook his head at her. "Not at all."

He walked inside the room, and Avelina followed behind him.

"Do you want me to play a different note or the same?" he inquired as he sat down at the piano. "You will be my first actual audience."

Avelina thought about it and replied, "A different one that is just as good as the first one."

Valentine beamed at her and averted his gaze to the piano. His slender fingers gently caressed the keys, and his emerald-colored eyes fixed on the keys as he tied his hair back, ready to play.

Avelina, who stood near the piano, peered at him in anticipation. Her slightly large hazel eyes reflected a mix of fear and agitation.

As Valentine touched one of the white keys and began to play, the room was instantly filled with a mesmerizing melody. Each note carried a melancholic sweetness, leaving Avelina to subconsciously smile.

The music swirled around her, enveloping her in its emotive embrace. She listened with rapt attention, spellbound by the raw emotion conveyed through the piano’s gentle vibrations.

Valentine’s fingers danced effortlessly across the keys, eliciting a symphony of emotions. It was as though the music was a reflection of his own soul, a haunting lament of the life he once knew—a pain perhaps.

Each stroke of the keys revealed a vulnerability rarely seen by his kind, exposing a depth of feeling that belied his being.

As the music reached its crescendo, Valentine’s eyes lifted from the key and he looked at Avelina.

"I recently wrote these notes down, so I am not very sure if it sounds right. What do you think?"

Avelina stared at him and slowly smiled. "It’s beautiful. It looks like you have been playing for a long time now."

"Mhm." Valentine nodded at her.

He then asked, "Has my brother ever played for you?"

"Who? Draven?" Avelina was perplexed.

Valentine gave a nod. "Yes. You have no idea he plays?"

"Uh...no." Avelina shook her head.

Valentine laughed softly. "My dear brother!"

"He loves the violin. When we were young, we attended music classes together, and he liked playing just as much as I did. However, he suddenly stopped. I have no idea why. He just didn’t seem enthusiastic anymore. I wanted to ask, but he doesn’t really speak to me or anyone, so I never did."

"Music was sort of our solace, a way of expressing the emotions we dared not show. So perhaps he lost his...spirit."

Avelina did not know what to say. To think Draven actually plays music

A cynical smile formed on her face, and she let out a soft breath.

"I think you—"

Avelina abruptly felt the hair on her skin rise, and she quickly blinked her eyes.

He’s behind me! She didn’t need to be told, because she could tell that Draven was behind her.

Wasn’t he asleep? When did he even get there?

"Bonjour Frère." Valentine glanced past Avelina to look at Draven, who had no expression.

Avelina slowly turned around to look at Draven. She gulped and smiled at him while darting her eyes around.

Draven did not say a word, but he simply grabbed her hand and began to walk back to their quarter.

"Merci, sister-in-law!" Valentine shouted from across his room.

Avelina did not even get to say welcome because Draven wasn’t stopping. They stepped into the room, and Draven shut the door.

Avelina was blinking her eyes in confusion. Is he mad?

Draven closed his eyes and took a deep breath to settle his nerves. He looked at her and asked as calmly as he could, "Why were you there?"

"Uh..." Avelina scratched her hair. "Well, I heard him playing, so I..."

Draven pinched between his brows. "What if you got hurt? Do you think that you could flee if he intended to hurt you?"

"No." Avelina shook her head.

"So then, why did you go?" Draven was baffled.

Avelina pondered a bit before saying, "He doesn’t seem so bad. He was nice and wanted me to—"

"Avelina, people do not open themselves to you for you to see they are bad." Draven let out a soft breath. "Yes, Valentine is not an awful person, I know that, but... please be careful of him. He isn’t as innocent as he looks."

Avelina nodded and bit her lower lip. "Okay, but how... did you know I was gone?"