"You really can sleep soundly..."

In the hazy depths of slumber, Yueci Ru vaguely heard Nishikino An’s voice calling her awake.

What a dream...

Finally, she was shaken fully awake.

Her eyes fluttered open to Nishikino An’s expressionless gaze boring down at her.

Sunlight pierced the curtains, still sharp enough to sting. It was already noon.

"Honestly... if I hadn’t seen that file on the coffee table, I’d have thought you never got up at all."

Nishikino An raised an eyebrow at the tangled heap of blankets that was Yueci Ru.

Still, there was no denying it—after that extra nap, Yueci’s headache had vanished, leaving her remarkably refreshed.

Stretching lazily, she tidied herself up, thanked Nishikino An for last night’s help, and followed her downstairs. They sat facing each other on the sofa.

Nishikino An picked up the file folder on the coffee table.

"Hmm... everything’s here..."

She counted the documents inside, then gave a satisfied nod.

When she’d returned to the silent villa earlier, her heart had lurched—terrified Yueci might have vanished again.

Finding her still snoring in bed had left her torn between exasperation and amusement.

She’d even fantasized about locking Yueci away, keeping her trapped forever... but that would never achieve her real goal.

A caged Yueci would only glare at her captor with hatred—counterproductive, to say the least.

She wanted more than just Yueci’s presence. She wanted her heart.

She needed Yueci to crave her, deep in her bones.

"Hmm..."

"I’ve also smoothed things over with Light Academy. You can enroll tomorrow morning."

Nishikino An set the folder down and rubbed her chin.

Relief washed over Yueci at the confirmation of her new identity—the biggest hurdle since waking after 23 years. But the slight hesitation in Nishikino An’s next words snagged her attention.

"Is there... trouble?"

Nishikino An sighed, propping her head on one hand.

Beneath the scar, her eyes gleamed with calculation.

"Your situation is delicate. You’ve been dead for 23 years, and you’re tangled with the non-human world."

"Without an old identity to build on, even as Chief of Police, I couldn’t legally grant you a new one..."

She steepled her fingers under her chin, studying Yueci with deliberate intensity.

Yueci faltered.

"So... these documents..."

"Everything here was arranged privately. Off the books."

Nishikino An’s voice slowed, each word deliberate.

"So... how do you plan to repay me?"

The air turned glacial.

Nishikino An’s gaze swept over Yueci, unapologetically predatory.

A cold sweat broke across Yueci’s back.

*What does she want?*

*Is she expecting... payment in flesh?*

Yueci pressed her lips tight, but her fingers twisting the hem of her shirt betrayed her turmoil.

*The old An only saw me as a partner... Why this demand now?*

That sharp stare felt like a wolf’s—ready to tear her apart and swallow her whole.

What could she say? How could she face this?

In under a minute, her mind had raced through a dozen desperate scenarios.

*Pfft—*

"Just kidding. Look how jumpy you got..."

Nishikino An chuckled, the earlier ferocity melting like mist. She leaned back against the sofa, casual and relaxed.

"Really, it’s no big deal."

"You’re still my former partner. Besides, I’m counting on Detective Yueci to crack this case for me."

The tension snapped out of Yueci’s shoulders. She shot Nishikino An a mock glare.

To Nishikino An, that faux-fierce look was like a kitten swatting at trousers—harmless, even endearing. She shifted, resting her head on her thigh.

"But..."

"I only went to such lengths because I *know* you’ll find the flaw in this case..."

A flicker of cunning crossed Nishikino An’s lips before vanishing behind a warm, sincere smile.

"Just like old times. Solving murders together..."

*Appeal to her sense of duty. Make her feel indebted.*

Yueci flushed under that earnest gaze. She’d assumed—arrogantly—that the Chief of Police could effortlessly forge her a new life.

Why *would* Nishikino An risk so much for a partner she hadn’t seen in 23 years?

She’d mistaken trust for obligation.

Nishikino An believed in her enough to break rules for her...

After all these years, she still felt that familiar pull...

Guilt and gratitude tangled in Yueci’s chest, making the sofa feel like a bed of nails.

"Don’t overthink it. Truly, it was nothing..."

"You’ve been healthy for the first time in decades. I won’t let you slip back into that suffocating life."

Nishikino An’s soothing words contrasted with her still, bottomless eyes.

Yueci didn’t notice the web tightening around her—woven from honeyed phrases.

"Still, Yueci... what *kind* of non-human are you now? I should know to help you avoid exposure."

"After all, as a police officer, I must consider public safety."

Flustered from the earlier exchange, Yueci frowned slightly. The words came out strained.

"...Vampire."

She watched Nishikino An’s face, bracing for disgust at the word.

Nishikino An merely nodded.

"Vampires need blood monthly, don’t they?"

"But you don’t eat regular food... so this morning’s breakfast..."

"I finished it. It was... thoughtful of you."

Yueci rushed to explain.

Nishikino An smiled. *Still so earnest.*

"Drinking human blood *is* problematic... Getting caught would be a nightmare to clean up..."

Her gaze never left Yueci’s face as she spoke.

Yueci swallowed hard under that stare, meeting her eyes with tight lips.

"After all, it’s assault. Isn’t it?"

Nishikino An drawled each word. They landed like shards of glass in Yueci’s ears.

She remembered the graveyard—Hiru Kawakami’s terrified flinch.

That look. That *monster* look.

She didn’t want to be that thing in anyone’s eyes.

"Is there... a legal way?"

Yueci’s voice was barely a whisper. She couldn’t meet Nishikino An’s eyes, ashamed to ask for more.

"A legal way..."

Nishikino An rolled the phrase slowly on her tongue. Her gaze drifted to Yueci’s shoulder, exposed where the oversized hoodie slipped. Pale skin, smooth and tempting—begging for a mark only she could leave.

A smirk ghosted across her lips.

"But don’t worry. I’ll help with that too."

The low, steady timbre of her voice snapped Yueci’s attention back. She stared, stunned.

*She’d do this much for me?*

"I’ll arrange monthly blood bags from the hospital. Privately."

Nishikino An’s smile stayed warm, sincere.

"After all... if I don’t help you, who will?"

Her dark eyes held Yueci’s reflection.

*Who else will you turn to now?*

Yueci’s throat tightened. Gratitude, guilt, and something nameless choked her. She didn’t deserve this.

A new identity was already a lifeline. Now blood?

She couldn’t imagine navigating this new world alone. Maybe she’d have crawled back into her grave, never seeing the sun again.

She’d stayed to solve Nishikino An’s case—but part of her craved this fragile normalcy.

Trapped in a sickly body for years. Then the blood-soaked manor. Then decades of sleep...

She’d never lived like this.

Nishikino An trusted her. She couldn’t betray that.

She’d guarded herself these past days. Twenty-three years changed people.

But she’d misjudged her. Nishikino An was still... *herself*.

Maybe she could trust her a little more.

Who else did she have?

"...Thank you. For everything."

Nishikino An’s eyes crinkled at the corners.

"No need. Helping you helps me too."

*So owe me a little more...*

"One thing, though. We must discuss this."

Nishikino An picked up the file again, pulling out a sheet of paper covered in writing. She handed it to Yueci.

Yueci scanned the page, puzzled.