The Pact: Bruno and the Crimson Veil

It might sound strange, my disbelief… but Flávia is the regent of this territory. The fact that she was still sleeping could only mean one thing: she was avoiding training — and also her responsibilities as a baroness.

— Selena — I called, in a firm but calm tone. — I'm going to take a bath and freshen up. After that, come with me to Flávia's room.

Selena looked at me, a bit surprised by the request, but then her expression softened, and she nodded with a gentle smile.

She stepped away, while I, carrying Ignis in my arms, returned to my room.

I removed the 15kg weights from my legs — the silent burden from this morning's training — but decided to keep the 10kg ones on my wrists. The chain, for some reason, I kept wrapped around my arm, a constant reminder of where I was… and what I was becoming.

I carefully laid Ignis on the bed. The young wyvern curled up in the blankets, as if born for that kind of comfort.

Then, I went to shower.

Clean and refreshed, I met up with Selena, and we made our way to Flávia's room. It was already 1:20 p.m.

Along the way, I kept Selena close to me, whispering something in her ear. She simply blushed and nodded shyly.

Soon, we reached the door to Flávia's room. Selena opened it with a spare key, and I stepped inside first.

The room was massive — by far the largest in the castle. A magnificent chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting a soft light across the space. The king-sized bed, beautifully decorated, dominated the center. In one corner, there was a sofa with a discreet TV. In the other, a table with chairs and a few fresh fruits on top.

Flávia was sleeping deeply, curled up in the sheets, in a way that could only be described as adorably peaceful.

I grabbed a chair, took a plate from the table, and picked three fruits. I positioned the chair in front of her bed and began to peel the fruit calmly.

Selena, still standing beside me, watched in silence.

— Flávia… it's time to wake up, don't you think? — I said gently, almost affectionately.

Half-asleep, she mumbled:

— Not now, Selena… give me a few more hours...

— It's not Selena, Flávia — I replied with a smile. — It's me. Bruno.

She slowly opened her eyes, recognizing my voice, and stared at me.

— Good afternoon, sleeping beauty — I teased.

Timidly, she replied with a soft "good morning." She sat up clumsily, took the fruit plate from my hands, and placed it on a nearby side table.

Then, she leaned in and kissed me before curling up in my lap like it was her rightful place.

She almost dozed off again right there, which made me chuckle softly. I began to gently stroke her hair.

— You should get up… — I said playfully. — Weren't you the one who invited me to watch a movie today? It's Saturday, and lunchtime is long gone. If you don't wake up, I'll just watch it with Selena…

At that, Flávia seemed to snap out of her daze. Her body tensed slightly, and she hugged me tighter, casting a sidelong glance at Selena — not exactly angry, but with a very clear touch of jealousy.

Seeing she wasn't going to move on her own, I gave her a light, teasing spank.

She shivered subtly and blushed deeply. In a flash, she got up, clearly flustered.

— I-I'm going to shower! Wait for me, okay? — she stammered as she rushed away.

As she was leaving, I asked cheekily:

— Leaving without giving me another kiss?

She paused for a second, cheeks burning, and replied without making eye contact:

— I'll give you one later… — and darted into the bathroom.

Satisfied, I extended my hand to Selena, who seemed initially confused. When she touched my hand, I gently pulled her into my lap.

Graceful Selena was now completely red, her face burning like embers. Stammering, she tried to excuse herself:

— I-I need to take care of some things...

But before she could leave, I wrapped my arms around her and reminded her:

— You told me you had no tasks left today...

With no arguments, she nestled against my chest, hiding her face like a child caught red-handed.

Maybe I was starting to enjoy teasing these little bats too much...

With Selena still in my lap, I began stroking her hair gently while we waited for Flávia. Her body slowly relaxed, though her face remained flushed.

— Selena — I whispered with a smile — come watch the movie with us after lunch.

Still blushing, she muttered between stammers:

— I-I can't… I'm working as a maid right now...

I cut her off gently:

— I'll talk to Flávia. She'll definitely let you off.

Selena couldn't come up with any excuse. She just averted her eyes, her cheeks growing even hotter. I lifted her chin gently, making her look at me. She nodded with an embarrassed smile. I leaned my forehead against hers and felt the warmth of her skin, like she was made of pure blush.

Interestingly, despite being in a maid's position, Selena held the rank of Baron. If she wanted to free herself from her duties, all it would take was a simple wave of her hand. But she chose to be here. At my side. At Flávia's side. Of her own free will.

I continued teasing her subtly, playing with a strand of her white hair while the room fell into a comfortable silence.

— Selena, can I ask you something?

She looked at me, still shy, and nodded.

— Your hair… is it naturally white? How does that work for vampires? — I asked, still caressing her soft hair, without letting go of her waist.

Still a bit flustered, she answered:

— Vampires are different from humans when it comes to hair color… It depends a lot on the environment we're born in and our genetic heritage. My parents had black hair, but I was born with white hair because of a rare event — a vitae rain.

I nodded softly, intrigued, but decided not to press her on such a personal subject. Instead, I kept the conversation light and casual, and time passed peacefully.

After about twenty minutes, I laughed and commented:

— Looks like our little bat fell asleep in the bathtub...

Selena smiled, stood up from my lap, and went to the bathroom to wake Flávia.

While she was inside, I remained in the chair, but a strange feeling crept over me. I sensed someone just outside the room — holding their breath. Watching. Listening.

My attention split between the quiet corridor and the sound of soft footsteps approaching from inside.

A few minutes later, the door opened, and Flávia appeared alongside Selena.

She was dressed casually, but still radiated her usual elegance: white slippers, short shorts that revealed just a hint of her curves, and a loose shirt that modestly covered her body — the perfect balance of allure and grace.

With a bright smile, she ran toward me and jumped into my lap without hesitation — like it was her rightful place.

I wrapped my arms around her and laughed.

— You fell asleep in the bathtub, little bat?

She laughed, embarrassed, as if caught red-handed.

Lifting her up like a princess, I asked:

— What's the first stop, my little princess?

She thought for a moment, then answered shyly:

— Let's watch the movie.

I nodded and continued chatting as we walked:

— Flávia, release Selena from her duties so she can join us.

She looked at me, puzzled and a bit jealous, but finally gave in:

— Sure, no problem.

I then asked Selena to go change. She nodded and left.

Getting closer to Flávia's neck, I caught a sweet, fragrant scent.

— You smell amazing — I said.

— It's a cologne produced right here in my territory — she replied with a smile. — Nice, right?

I nodded slightly, inhaling her scent once more.

She sighed and added:

— I thought that once you became a vampire, you'd start losing that "do whatever you want" streak… but it got worse.

I paused for a moment, grinning:

— So, you're saying I can do whatever I want with you, little bat?

She kicked her feet shyly and muttered a soft protest, saying little else.

— Aren't you forgetting something, little bat? — I asked suddenly.

She looked at me confused, then remembered.

— Bruno, what's gotten into you today? You're so shameless!

She then hid her face in my chest.

— You don't deserve anything right now… And stop with those little teases for today.

Just as she finished speaking, we arrived at the movie room — an enormous wing of the castle. There was a screen as large as any cinema's, and a giant sofa, one of those recliner models made for comfort.

I set Flávia down on the sofa, though she clung to me a bit. While she gave instructions, I turned on the screen, grabbed two remotes, and joined her.

On the sofa, Flávia lay across my arm, excited to start the movie. I stopped her for a moment and said we should wait for Selena. Flávia didn't mind — she just stuck her tongue out at me playfully.

I began tickling her — at the waist, knees, and feet. She laughed uncontrollably, begging me to stop.

I only stopped when I felt satisfied, though I still gave her small tickles here and there. She was clinging to me and couldn't escape.

Selena arrived, dressed in white sweatpants, cute open sandals, and a casual white blouse — graceful in its simplicity.

I opened my free arm and invited her. She came shyly, stepped close, and I pulled her by the waist, hugging her the same way I held Flávia.

Flávia looked slightly jealous, but confident — as if she were the number one, and Selena number two.

As long as they didn't fight, I had no problem. Their personalities were similar, yet distinct enough that conflict was unlikely.

I asked them what kind of movies they liked. Selena preferred comedies or suspense, while Flávia liked romance, fantasy, and adventure.

After a while deciding, we chose to watch Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Each of them curled up beside me in the way they found most comfortable, and Flávia started the movie.

It was a good film — nothing exceptional, but enjoyable.

For the second movie, Selena suggested:

— How about The Mask? It's a really fun one — and one of my favorites.

I immediately agreed, and Flávia didn't resist either. It was a great movie — we laughed and praised it nonstop.

In the end, both girls turned to me and asked me to pick the last one.

I thought for a bit and said:

— What about Godzilla 2? It's one I really enjoy.

They nodded, and we began watching it — but before the movie even ended, the three of us had fallen asleep in the movie room.

It wasn't even that late — around 8 p.m. — but I was happy.

We talked a lot between movie selections, and in the end, we finished our movie night in perfect harmony.