Human Blood

IX -Amelie

THIRD PERSON

Lexus stepped into the tub and relaxed in the hot bath. He sighed as the heat washed over his body. It was a brisk taste of the luxury that he used to have. Snow’s whole house, though not as big as his mansion from when he was a mortal, reminded Lexus of his old life.

The chandeliers, the marble floors, the grand staircases, and the ornate ceilings.

Everything was reminiscent of when he wasn’t a vampire tasked with looking for this “prophesied woman”.

As he closed his eyes and breathed in the aroma of expensive soap, he thought about how things might have been if he hadn’t met Amelie.

Amelie, whom he loved so much.

Amelie, who caused his demise.

He’d probably be married now, to some girl who would also inherit a fortune. Maybe he’d even have children. How old would he be now had he not stopped ageing a decade ago?

The vampire sighed, Clinging to the past was not an option. He had to focus on the present.

On the task at hand. And that task was to find the woman from the prophecy. Only then will he have the life that he truly desired—the life that involved him and Amelie, his one true love.

The bath he was having was a chance for him to rest—an opportunity for him to have even at least thirty minutes of uninterrupted silence before continuing his quest.

Without warning, he heard the door open, and in walked Songnara, clad in clothing that looked like it was poorly stored.

Startled, Lexus covered up as much as he could. Why would this woman have the audacity to come into a bathroom uninvited?

“Lexus… Oh no, I’m sorry…” Songnara blushed nervously and turned away. Lexus rolled his eyes. What purpose could she possibly have interrupting his bath?

“I was just going to inform you that we’ll have dinner here, at Snow’s.” She said nervously.

“And you couldn’t wait a few minutes before telling me that?” Lexus asked, annoyed.

“Sorry… I’ll be on my way to the dining room. Oh, you should see the whole house, it’s absolutely…“

“Songnara? I’m not yet done.”

“Oh, right… Sorry.” And with that, she exited the bathroom. She even locked the door behind her, which was convenient since Lexus didn’t have to get up and do that himself.

Songnara was almost juvenile in his eyes.

She had a bright personality, and it seemed like she was always happy.

In truth, the girl was a breath of fresh air. He enjoyed their time at the river, although he didn’t show it on his face.

She surely knew how to have fun. It was a while since Lexus had experienced that kind of leisure. Even back when he was a mortal, his source of “leisure” was playing the piano, reading, or getting drunk at the winery in his mansion.

With Songnara, he experienced adventurous, playful leisure. Never in his life did he think he’d enjoy bathing in the rain, let alone with a girl as enthusiastic and energetic as Songnara. It was a different experience for him, and he did enjoy it.

After a few minutes, he finally decided to get out of the tub and put on the clothes that Snow had given him earlier—a collared shirt and black trousers, just like what he always used to wear.

Lexus put on the clothes and stared at his reflection in the mirror. All of a sudden, memories came flooding back to him.

His first piano lesson as a child. The way he smashed the keys in anger and frustration over not getting all the chords right, emulating the way his father acted whenever something went wrong.

The times his father scolded him for not being polite enough when he was younger. All the times he planned to leave his mansion and go somewhere else—anywhere, as far from high society as possible.

How he changed and became more respectful overtime after coming to terms with the fact that his life was never going to change. He was born privileged and wealthy, and there was nothing he could do about it.

How he smiled and waved and did exactly as he was told at parties and events. How he charmed all the wealthy young maidens without meaning to.

How he met Amelie. How he thought about his future with her.

He looked exactly like he did a decade ago, and yet he was so different. It was crazy to think that his life would have been so much more diverse now.

Physically, time paused for him. But the world continued turning and being immortal, and he continued living. And he would continue living for many more years, decades, centuries, millenniums… Who knows how long.

He heard a knock on the door and shook his head. Now was not the time to be having another Vampirical existential crisis.

“Lexus, are you done?” It was Songnara.

“I’m so sorry if I’ve interrupted you… You know, for a guy, you take a long bath… Anyway, you should come with me around the house while we still can, there’s a lot of things worth seeing here. The house has a ton of rooms…” Lexus rolled his eyes and opened the door.

Songnara fell silent as if enamoured by his presence.

“Oh… Um, come on!” She took his hand and dragged him downstairs and into the house’s living room.

“Can you believe that this house has a living room separate from that… That hall…”

“Foyer.”

“Foyer. So that’s what it’s called. Wait, how did you know?” Songnara asked.

“I just know,” Lexus answered. It was a stupid answer, but he wasn’t about to tell her that he was once a Billionaire.

Thankfully, Songnara didn’t ask any more questions.

“Oh, and look, look!” She dragged him towards a piano that was at the centre of the living room.

“They have a piano! I’ve always wanted to learn, you know, but lessons are only available to the high class…”

“You’ve come across our piano, I see.” A voice said.

Lexus and Songnara turned to see who it was.