Codename Vestia

Chapter 36

Doyeong stared at the dark ceiling and swallowed a sigh.

Judging by the expressions on his parents’ faces, it didn’t seem like they completely believed the excuse about the imprinting effect of a duckling. However, regardless of what his parents thought, Gamal refused to sleep alone, so there was no other choice.

It wasn’t like anyone could stop this crazy dog either.

In hindsight, it seemed like he had set a bad precedent from the very beginning.

Doyeong glanced at Gamal, who was lying close beside him. If it were a dog or a cat, he might have found it cute and even petted its belly, but this was… different.

Even though the most beautiful woman, the kind every man dreamed of seeing only in their sleep, was clinging to his side, he couldn’t bring himself to be happy about it. After all, it was just an unattainable picture.

Sensing his gaze, Gamal opened her eyes and asked.

“Why?”

Doyeong, deciding it wasn’t worth explaining, pulled out the hand that had been supporting his head and shook it before placing it back down.

“Nothing. Go to sleep.”

At that, Gamal mumbled and snuggled closer to him.

“Doyeong is warm.”

He could feel the curves of her body pressing against him. Out of habit from the base, Doyeong began singing La Marseillaise (the French national anthem) in his head. However, the lyrics of La Marseillaise were so aggressive that it only made his heart beat faster instead of calming him down.

Gamal, on the other hand, seemed to find comfort and appeared nearly asleep. Watching her like this, a question escaped him naturally.

“Is it just warmth?”

“Hm?”

Gamal opened her eyes and looked up at him.

“I mean you.”

Rustle.

Since the topic had come up, Doyeong turned on his side. The blanket rustled loudly as it shifted. In the complete silence, the noise felt disproportionately loud.

“Do you know what it means to cling to a man like this while you sleep?”

Gamal looked up at him with moist eyes, reminiscent of Puss in Boots from Shrek, and asked softly.

“What does it mean?”

Seeing her expression, Doyeong realized it. She already knew what it meant. She was just asking for the sake of it. It was ridiculous. Even though he knew she wasn’t completely naive, he had still been fooled by that cute face.

Doyeong narrowed his eyes.

“You cheeky thing.”

He muttered and kissed her.

“I was feeling uneasy.”

Gamal murmured.

“Worried that now that we’re out here, you don’t like me anymore.”

Doyeong furrowed his brows.

“Why would you think that?”

“On the island, you did it often. Out here, you don’t.”

“Well….”

It was true they didn’t have much leisure time, but the biggest reason was that he feared that if he initiated anything, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself. How could he possibly explain that?

Still, considering the change in environment, it wasn’t unreasonable for Gamal to feel unsettled.

Doyeong looked at Gamal and then casually asked.

“Do you like me that much?”

Gamal, surprisingly, blushed. Doyeong thought she wouldn’t answer, but instead, she responded boldly.

“Yes.”

As a man with exceptional physical attributes, Doyeong had received plenty of confessions from women before, but this was the first time he had encountered someone so honest about their feelings. Gamal wasn’t calculating at all.

“When I think about you, I feel strange. My chest tightens.”

Her face reflected how embarrassed she felt saying such things, yet she didn’t hold back. Her rosy cheeks grew even redder.

“It’s like my heart races and chills run down my spine.”

The whole “duckling imprinting effect” Doyeong had been joking about wasn’t entirely baseless. He had long believed Gamal saw him the way a duckling sees the first thing it encounters upon hatching as its mother.

It wasn’t news to him that Gamal liked him—he’d known for a long time. But considering how long she had lived alone, no matter how many years she had spent sleeping, she must have met countless men of all kinds across different species throughout her life. Maybe not an infinite number, but still plenty.

So why, out of everyone, did she like him, a mere human? It seemed like nothing more than a miracle of timing. She had been particularly lonely, and the environment had been perfect for falling in love.

The same was true for him. Being stuck alone with a woman in a wide-open natural environment made it almost inevitable to fall for her. Their feelings couldn’t possibly be genuine.

But what if he had met Gamal on the Champs-Élysées during Christmas, where the whole world seemed to gather?

Naturally, Doyeong already knew the answer.

He covered his eyes with his hand.

“This is why I didn’t want to bring you out here. Out there, where I don’t have to worry about anyone’s eyes, I can’t control myself.”

“Whose eyes are you worried about?”

“Well… I guess my conscience.”

Even though he was aware of the duckling imprinting effect, he couldn’t help but hope Gamal would never wake up from her illusion.

A cool hand reached over, brushing away the hand covering his eyes. Gamal had propped herself up on her elbow, her black hair cascading like curtains to the side, casting a shadow over Doyeong.

“Doyeong….”

Her voice was low and husky, enough to send shivers down his spine. Her eyes, veiled by shadows, were elegantly deep.

At that moment, Doyeong knew he would never forget the image of Gamal looking down at him like this for the rest of his life.

“You like me.”

The commanding tone of her words stood in stark contrast to her wistful gaze.

Doyeong sat up and leaned over Gamal, whispering.

“There’s no need to say it.”

Doyeong drank water as he looked out at the morning garden through the kitchen window. Behind him, Elio passed by and remarked.

“If you mess with a duckling, you’ll get caught.”

Doyeong spat out the water he was drinking. Drops trickled onto the sink as Elio made his comment and walked out into the living room.

“My hearing’s just as sharp as ever.”

Doyeong wiped the water and lifted his head.

He already felt like he was losing his mind from pent-up frustration. Though their feelings for each other were mutual, the enormous barrier of “species difference” stood between their bodies.

If there was a way to go further with Gamal…

There wasn’t. At least not as a human.

Leaning back against the sink, Doyeong mulled it over.

‘I guess the only way is for me to become a Luas.’

Of course, it wasn’t just about his body. If he aged and died, Gamal would be left alone again. Sure, Tora and Rato were there, but it was clear they couldn’t fill the void he left behind.

Still, not everyone who got infected succeeded in the transformation, so recklessly attempting it wasn’t an option.

Doyeong trusted himself, but he wasn’t arrogant when it came to matters of probability. Taking risks in areas beyond his control was nothing short of foolishness.

“Elio, good morning.”

Gamal’s voice came from outside.

“Did you sleep well?” Elio asked.

“I died and came back to life,” Gamal replied cheekily, making Elio chuckle.

“Who taught you to say things like that?”

“Elio, baby.”

At that, Elio couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter. Though he wasn’t stingy with his smiles, it had been a long time since Doyeong had seen him laugh so heartily.

Gamal appeared at the kitchen door.

“Doyeong.”

Reaching out his hand, Doyeong said, “Come here.”

As Gamal approached, he pulled her into a hug and kissed her lightly. Gamal was startled. It was the first time Doyeong had been so sweet in his actions. But ultimately, she liked it and leaned into him.

“Am I your baby now?”

Her tone, as usual, didn’t match her actions. Gamal nodded.

“To Elio, you’re a baby.”

“This gigantic baby would be hard for anyone to handle,” Elio remarked, appearing again to place a cup in the sink. Then he asked, “I’m going grocery shopping. Want to come along, Gamal?”

“Grocery shopping?” she asked.

“It’s modern-day hunting. Going out to gather food.”

“Sure, I want to go.”

Once they were ready, they stepped outside. Elio wheeled himself toward the driver’s seat and, using the modified car’s handlebar, pulled himself in with just his arms.

Though Doyeong had more than enough strength to lift his father, he didn’t help at all. The most he did was fold the wheelchair and load it into the back.

“Elio, you’re amazing,” Gamal said with genuine admiration.

“In the old days, people without legs were abandoned because they were seen as useless. But now, they give legs to those without them. I think the civilized world is wonderful.”

Gamal laughed, her expression showing genuine joy. Elio laughed along with her.

“You’re such a good person, Gamal,” he said. Then, almost as if muttering to himself, he added, “How did someone like you end up becoming a vampire?”

His tone carried a trace of bitterness, as though he was genuinely curious. A silence fell over them.

“I didn’t want to die,” Gamal replied.

“I don’t remember much about when I got infected. But I think I kept repeating that thought—how I absolutely didn’t want to die.”

An 18-year-old bride, newly married and suddenly murdered. How intensely must she have clung to that thought?

Doyeong stroked Gamal’s hair. Gamal seemed to enjoy the gesture but didn’t appear to understand why he was doing it all of a sudden.

***

The three of them arrived at the supermarket.

“Wow….”

Having spent most of her time either on the island or at the base, this was Gamal’s first time in a large supermarket. Her eyes filled with wonder as she took in the sight of countless items neatly organized by type.

“Gamal, don’t get distracted,” Doyeong warned.

Doyeong spoke and began helping Elio with the shopping.

Dressed simply in a t-shirt and jeans, Doyeong still managed to stand out from afar.

Meanwhile, Gamal, feeling a gaze, looked down. A boy, around five years old, was staring at her with a slightly dazed expression. Gamal glanced at the bag in his hand and asked, “What’s that?”

The boy answered in the crisp voice typical of young children, speaking in French.

“Haribo.”

“Haribo?”

Gamal tilted her head, puzzled. She had no reason to know the name of a famous jelly company synonymous with gummy candies, but the boy looked at her as if she were an alien.

“You don’t know Haribo?”

“No, I don’t.”

The boy reached into the bag, pulled out a gummy, and handed it to her.

“Here. Now you will.”

Gamal was genuinely impressed.

“You’re cool.”

When Doyeong, who had returned after noticing Gamal’s absence, saw the scene, he was dumbfounded. Did they realize there was an age gap between them wide enough to encompass the rise and fall of the Roman Empire—twice?

People say the elderly often resemble children as they age. He couldn’t help but wonder if Gamal was regressing in a similar way.

“Try it,” the boy said with a charisma that hinted he’d break a few hearts when he grew up.

Gamal, intrigued yet wary of the squishy candy, placed it in her mouth. The moment it touched her tongue, her eyes widened as if she had just discovered a new world.

“It’s delicious…!”

Later, Gamal was seated on the couch, hugging a cylindrical box of gummy candies. Elio, observing her, let out a helpless chuckle.

“Do you think that’s okay?”

“She’s a vampire. It’s not like she’ll get a stomachache,” Doyeong replied nonchalantly, washing the dishes. Elio couldn’t hide his amusement as he looked at Gamal. A vampire claiming to have lived 3,300 years—it was absurd at first, but now….

“If all vampires were this cute, I’d want to keep one too.”

“I’m against it,” Doyeong responded immediately. “Do you know how much they eat? There’s a rumor the government turned vampires into soldiers because feeding them without subsidies was impossible.”

Elio chuckled softly.

“She reminds me of Julian, somehow. Isn’t that strange? They’re nothing alike.”

“It’s fine, Father. Julian is happy,” Gamal suddenly interjected, still clutching her box of gummies.

Elio smiled, surprised. “How do you know Julian?”

“Julian told me,” Gamal replied, her expression serious, without a trace of a smile.