Episode 385

Thud, thud, thud!

Zeke rode in a carriage drawn by ghostly horses, heading towards the ancient castle where Carmilla resided, accompanied by his guide, Nikki.

Throughout the journey, Nikki couldn’t take her eyes off Zeke, scrutinizing his face intently.

Finally, under her relentless gaze, Zeke spoke up.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

Nikki turned her head away, pretending she hadn’t been doing anything at all. But as soon as Zeke looked out the window again, she resumed her intense observation.

‘Must be a vampire thing. Quite the peculiar personality,’ Zeke thought, dismissing it since he had never had any dealings with vampires in either of his lives.

The carriage traveled for a while before arriving at the solitary castle perched on a hill.

As Zeke stepped out and surveyed the castle, he turned to Nikki with a question.

“Why do vampires always choose places like this? Old monasteries or castles?”

Nikki pondered for a moment before answering.

“Because they’re dark and damp. Cozy, you know.”

”……?”

It wasn’t just mold that liked dark and damp places. Vampires, by their nature, couldn’t roam in bright sunlight. They preferred areas that were perpetually cloudy, dark, and damp. The northern regions, with their lack of sunlight, were ideal for them. Besides, vampires, with their cold blood, didn’t feel the cold as much.

Though Zeke felt the answer was lacking, he followed Nikki into the castle without further comment.

The castle seemed abandoned for ages, with no signs of human presence. Yet, Nikki navigated the darkness with ease, leading them down to the castle’s underground.

As Zeke followed her, he noticed stone coffins scattered throughout the underground.

‘Is this a catacomb?’

He hadn’t realized such a hidden space existed beneath the castle. It seemed to be a secret hideout for vampires.

‘With no nearby villages, no one would find this place if they snuck in.’

Nikki and Zeke passed the stone coffins and descended further into the depths.

Eventually, they came upon a massive door deep within the underground chamber.

Nikki approached the door and signaled to those inside.

At that moment, a message appeared before Zeke’s eyes.

[Detected the Sanctuary of the Faceless Clan.]

[The sanctuary’s system is damaged and not functioning properly.]

[The door’s mechanism has been switched to manual operation.]

‘The Faceless Clan’s sanctuary?’

It was a name he had never heard before.

Responding to Nikki’s signal, those inside began to open the door.

Creak!

The heavy machinery started to move.

Soon, the thick door slowly opened, and Nikki gestured for Zeke to enter.

He stepped inside, where Carmilla awaited.

The interior of the sanctuary resembled a typical mansion. Though dimly lit, it wasn’t gloomy, with candles flickering here and there.

From within, Bacchus emerged, holding a candle.

“Welcome.”

Bacchus greeted Nikki and Zeke, guiding them further inside.

They walked down a dark corridor until they reached a door at the end.

Bacchus turned to Zeke.

“Mother is inside. Nikki, wait here.”

Nikki nodded, taking a seat on a nearby chair with a languid expression, crossing her legs.

Bacchus gestured for Zeke to follow him.

The two entered the room quietly.

Inside was a massive bed, large enough for several people, draped with heavy curtains.

Bacchus placed the candle on the wall and approached the bed.

“Mother, Zeke Draker is here.”

Though the surroundings were dark, Zeke’s keen eyes allowed him to see through the shadows.

He noticed Carmilla stirring within the bed’s curtains.

‘Huh?’

Zeke was taken aback when he saw Carmilla rise from the bed.

‘She’s just a child?’

A young girl, no older than ten, with fiery red hair, rubbed her sleepy eyes and yawned.

Zeke glanced at Bacchus, who nodded.

“Hard to believe, but she is indeed my mother.”

”……?”

As Zeke struggled to process this, Bacchus explained.

“After resurrection, the body starts anew from infancy, gradually growing. Three weeks ago, she was still babbling, so we waited until she could communicate.”

Zeke’s eyes widened at Bacchus’s words.

“So, when resurrected, the body has to grow from the beginning?”

“Yes, the original body disappears, and a new one must grow from scratch, making the early stages of resurrection very vulnerable. That’s why both Mother and I had to be cautious.”

Zeke now understood why Carmilla had remained hidden.

Carmilla, dressed in a frilly, cute dress, rubbed her eyes and climbed down from the bed, looking at Zeke.

“Ugh. I’m sleepy.”

Given her apparent age, it was clear she was still in a phase where sleep was abundant.

Bacchus spoke to the drowsy Carmilla.

“Mother, Zeke Draker is here.”

Carmilla rubbed her eyes again.

”……Zeke Draker, you say?”

Though she recognized him, her sleepiness made her words slow, and she began to nod off.

Bacchus, looking slightly troubled, turned to Zeke.

“Mother’s body is still growing… Her mind and memories are intact, but her young body can’t help but follow its instincts.”

Bacchus took Carmilla to wash her face and wake her up.

While Carmilla changed clothes, Zeke sipped tea, waiting for them.

‘So, the progenitor’s resurrection starts from childhood. I didn’t know it worked like this.’

The fact that the original body vanished and a completely new one had to grow was a significant burden. Even with a sound mind and knowledge, overcoming the physical limitations of an undeveloped body was challenging. The physical attributes of that age—strength, stamina, flexibility—were inevitably tied to the body’s state.

Zeke recalled his own experience of having to rebuild his body from scratch after his first regression, realizing that without his strong mental defenses, he might have faltered.

Soon, Carmilla returned, dressed in a gown with her hair braided, accompanied by Bacchus.

Bacchus lifted Carmilla onto his lap, sitting across from Zeke.

Despite her attempt at a solemn expression, to Zeke, she looked like nothing more than an adorable little girl.

Carmilla spoke to Zeke.

“I am Carmilla, the Vampire Queen.”

She tried to deepen her voice, but her eyes drifted towards the table, where a selection of treats lay.

As she reached for the sweets, Bacchus shook his head.

“No, Mother. Eating that now will ruin your teeth.”

Carmilla’s face fell, disappointed.

Her young body instinctively craved sweets.

Watching her, Zeke remembered a special pie Helen had gifted him and placed it in front of Carmilla.

“Wow, this is delicious!”

Carmilla looked up at Bacchus with pleading eyes.

Unable to resist her gaze, Bacchus allowed her to eat.

She devoured the pie, getting it all over her face, while Bacchus gently wiped her mouth.

Zeke observed the scene and commented.

“You seem to have a knack for taking care of children. It’s like a calling.”

”…….”

Bacchus didn’t respond, and Carmilla, now full and content, leaned back on the sofa with a satisfied expression.

Zeke watched her with curiosity.

After a moment, Carmilla turned to Zeke, staring intently at his face.

“Are you really Zeke Draker?”

Bacchus nodded, answering for her.

“Yes, Mother, he is.”

Carmilla tilted her head, continuing to scrutinize Zeke.

“Strange. I swear I’ve seen you somewhere before. I’m sure of it….”

She kept murmuring, puzzled.

Zeke, observing her, spoke to Bacchus.

“If she grew this much in just three weeks from infancy, it shouldn’t take too long for her to reach adulthood.”

Bacchus shook his head.

“The growth rate varies. From childhood to adolescence, it’s quick, but it slows down after that. It will take several years to reach full adulthood.”

Zeke nodded at Bacchus’s explanation.

He addressed Carmilla.

“Carmilla, given the unusual nature of your family, it’s not uncommon for parents and children to rarely see each other. You might be mistaken, but today is our first meeting.”

Carmilla shook her head.

“No! I saw Zeke Draker when he was a baby! I even fed him milk and sang lullabies in place of Laura. He was so small and cute.”

Zeke was taken aback by her words.

“You mean you took care of me when I was little?”

Carmilla’s expression darkened.

“Laura suddenly disappeared… She left baby Zeke behind and vanished.”

As she murmured, tears welled up in Carmilla’s eyes, and she began to cry.

Bacchus gently embraced Carmilla, soothing her until her sobs subsided. Just as she reached for a snack on the table, Bacchus caught her, and she reluctantly put it back.

Watching Carmilla calm down, Zeke asked, “So, my mother didn’t die right after giving birth to me?”

Carmilla trembled and shouted, “Laura was a healer! There’s no way she could have died like that!”

It was something Zeke had never considered, but hearing Carmilla’s words, it made sense.

‘Mother had remarkable healing abilities, not as strong as mine, but still impressive. As Carmilla said, she couldn’t have died during childbirth.’

Something felt off.

Carmilla clenched her small fists and gritted her teeth. “Arthur Draker! He hurt Laura!”

Zeke snapped to attention at her words. “What do you mean? Are you saying Arthur Draker harmed my mother?”

Carmilla’s face flushed with anger. “Arthur Draker! He’s a bad man! You can’t trust him!”

Bacchus gently calmed the agitated Carmilla once more.

Zeke, observing the scene, turned to Bacchus. “It seems there’s no love lost between you and Arthur Draker.”

Bacchus nodded. “He didn’t marry my mother out of love. He didn’t marry her to have me.”

“It’s hard to understand why he would marry a vampire without any affection, especially when the Draker family values bloodlines so highly.”

The Prana family, from which the eldest, Carly, hailed, was renowned. Helen’s maternal family, the Millaris, was a prestigious knightly lineage in Thebea with exceptional bloodline abilities. Abel’s maternal family, the Siemens, was one of the most powerful Draker allies.

In contrast, marrying a vampire like Carmilla or someone from the cursed Agamemnon family like Laura seemed to offer Arthur Draker no advantage. Both Carmilla and Laura despised him, so the marriage was puzzling.

After a moment of silence, Bacchus spoke to Zeke. “Arthur Draker was conducting a kind of bloodline experiment.”

“An experiment?”

“He wanted to see what kind of offspring would result from combining a woman with special abilities and the strongest direct Draker lineage.”

“So, he married Carmilla because she was a progenitor?”

Bacchus nodded, a wry smile on his lips. “Zeke, have you ever felt any fatherly affection from Arthur Draker?”

Zeke had never felt such a thing. In his past life, he barely saw him, and in this life, while Arthur showed favor due to Zeke’s abilities, it was far from paternal love.

‘He probably sees me as a useful pawn.’

Listening to Bacchus, Zeke realized that from Arthur Draker’s perspective, marrying Carmilla or Laura made a certain twisted sense.

Just then, Carmilla shouted, “Ah! I remember!”

She looked at Zeke with wide eyes. “Kai Reubern! You’re Kai Reubern, aren’t you?”