Codename Vestia

Chapter 12: Joonie

Doyeong’s gaze, with pupils sharply distinct from the whites, fixed on Gamal. It was a quiet and strong gaze, one that knew no fear.

Gamal tilted her head toward the nape of Doyeong’s neck. The breath escaping between his lips was sweet.

It felt as though something was gently tickling her skin, like soft foxtail grass. Her senses, always overly heightened to the point of discomfort, were now more sensitive than ever, and she felt a tingling ache spreading down her lower back.

Her lips brushed against the nape of Doyeong’s neck. His skin was hot and soft, radiating heat. There was a faint, slightly sour smell of sweat mixed with a woody scent unique to him.

Without realizing it, Gamal licked his neck once, and Doyeong murmured in a low voice.

“Don’t lick.”

“Sorry….”

Gamal mumbled absentmindedly, her focus slipping, and almost instinctively, she licked his neck again.

But this time, Doyeong didn’t say anything. His hands remained resting behind him on the horizontal wooden post, unmoving.

As Gamal leaned in closer, she gradually pushed herself forward until, at some point, she found herself sitting in the space between Doyeong’s legs.

Her teeth sank into the nape of his neck.

Doyeong’s body flinched violently. Like an anaconda instinctively wrapping its prey in its coils, Gamal encircled Doyeong’s body with her arms, pulling him closer. She could feel the hard contour of his scapula under her palm.

In her ears, Doyeong’s heavy breathing was audible.

As she inhaled deeply, warmth seemed to spread to the tips of her fingers and toes. It was like water dripping into a body parched and dried of all moisture, sending shivers through her entire being.

It didn’t feel like the blood was passing down her throat but rather that it was being absorbed into her entire body the moment it touched her tongue.

At some point, Doyeong placed a hand on her head.

“Watch your head.”

Gamal snapped back to her senses and slowly pulled her mouth away. Their eyes met. Doyeong looked slightly weary, while Gamal felt as though her vision shimmered with the brilliance of a rainbow.

A mesmerizing glow rippled through his eyes.

“Major.”

The faintly fragrant breath escaped from between her reddened lips. It should have smelled like the metallic tang of blood, yet it was as if the blood had been filtered within Gamal’s body.

The dryness that once gave his figure the impression of brittle branches now seemed to have been replaced with a radiant, rosy sheen.

A vampire who had just finished feeding didn’t appear as decadent or chilling as one might imagine. Instead, it was closer to the vibrant, iridescent vitality of a natural pearl born from the sea. It was as if the glow was tangible enough to grasp…

Doyeong pulled Gamal’s head closer and kissed her. Gamal showed no surprise or resistance. She wrapped her arms around his neck, as though she had been waiting for it all along.

He couldn’t quite understand what he was doing, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop.

“Major… hmm….”

“Don’t bare your fangs.”

Doyeong spoke in a breathy voice and kissed her again.

This time, it was much gentler. Considering his personality, one would expect him to be more assertive, but he cupped her cheek with his large hand, parting their lips softly, and smoothly slid his tongue inside.

For Gamal, the sensation was unfamiliar. The men she had encountered before had never been this considerate when it came to physical contact. It wasn’t just because they were men of ancient and medieval times, where women’s rights were minimal; it was simply not their way.

“You drive men crazy. There’s something about you that makes them think they must have you right away.”

That’s what Daniel had said.

Daniel was a human she had once lived with before coming to the island. After saving her from being attacked by men in the fields, he had invited Gamal into his home. Even after learning she wasn’t human, he allowed her to stay for a while.

He was a man who liked men—what humans had started calling “gay” at some point. That was why he had been attacked in the fields.

Coming from ancient Greece, where homosexuality was often encouraged, Gamal didn’t find it to be her concern, nor did she understand why it was an issue. Nonetheless, Daniel lived alone in a house built far from the village because of it.

For Gamal, it was the perfect environment to stay.

Perhaps because of his tumultuous life, Daniel was a man of considerable insight for his age.

“Find someone who knows how to kiss gently,” he had once told her.

The tongue in her mouth tasted sweet. It reminded her of soft candy, and she instinctively gave it a light suck. Doyeong’s body stiffened as if struck, but Gamal, finding the sensation unexpectedly pleasant, did it again.

Suddenly, Doyeong pulled her into an embrace. The earlier gentleness seemed like a lie, but the sensation of their closeness felt inexplicably good. She wanted to be even closer.

However, at that moment, Doyeong snapped back to his senses and pulled away. Gamal let out a small gasp. Even a vampire could forget to breathe, and it left her momentarily breathless.

“Putain.”

Doyeong cursed under his breath and tried to stand up. However, due to his legs, he couldn’t get up immediately without support. Gamal instinctively reached out to help him.

Even in this situation, Doyeong found himself astounded by her actions.

He ran a hand over his forehead and spoke in a tone that made it clear he found the situation frustrating.

“Why are you just standing there? If you don’t like it, you should push me away.”

“I’m okay with the Major.”

It was strange. Doyeong’s heart raced at those words. But in the next moment, Gamal smiled brightly and said,

“Because we’re friends.”

Doyeong was momentarily dumbfounded. Then, veins popped on his temples.

“Do you kiss all your friends? I don’t know what country that’s considered normal in, but I guess you’d even kiss a volleyball, wouldn’t you?”

Gamal’s eyes widened in surprise, as large as lanterns.

“Why… are you mad? And what’s a volleyball? Is it your friend?”

“Yeah, my best friend. Now get lost, you idiot!”

* * *

By evening, Gamal couldn’t bring herself to approach Doyeong and was keeping her distance, cautiously watching him. But Doyeong didn’t glance her way even once.

“Um, Major….”

At last, Gamal hesitated before speaking up.

“Your neck wound… aren’t you going to heal it?”

Doyeong turned to look at her with an emotionless gaze. Right. She was a vampire. No matter how cute her outer appearance might be, no matter if she lived off flowers, a vampire was still a vampire.

And a female vampire and a human male couldn’t have a relationship.

Why? Think about it. Vampires were incredibly strong—throughout their entire body. Imagine what might happen if a human male and a female vampire tried to have a physical relationship. Well, let’s leave that to the imagination.

So while relationships between male vampires and human females were possible, the reverse was deemed impossible. For anyone who knew even a little about vampires, this was common sense.

Of course, Doyeong knew this well. He had never thought it would be a problem for him personally.

No, it still wasn’t a problem. The fleeting moment of attraction he felt toward this foolish vampire had been nothing more than a delusion—like a Stockholm Syndrome victim facing death.

“Should I heal the wound?”

Gamal asked cautiously. Doyeong let out a sigh.

“Sure. Go ahead.”

When it seemed like Doyeong’s anger had finally subsided, Gamal’s face brightened as if his emotions truly mattered to her.

Doyeong muttered bluntly.

“Don’t make that face.”

“What face?”

Gamal asked, genuinely clueless. Doyeong exhaled deeply and turned his head.

“Never mind.”

After the wound was treated, Doyeong lay sprawled on the beach. The stars twinkled as brilliantly as a Christmas tree, just like on the day he had first arrived on this island.

Gamal sat beside him.

Listening to the sound of the waves rolling in, Gamal suddenly asked,

“By the way, why do you call vampires ‘Luas’?”

Having lived only on the island, it made sense that she might not know what was considered common knowledge in the outside world.

“The last common ancestor.”

Doyeong spoke while staring at the sky.

“Actually, every plant and animal on Earth shares a single ancestor. Of course, it’s just a hypothesis, but it means that humans, the fish we ate earlier, and even those blades of grass were all once part of the same species.”

“The same species?”

Gamal sounded skeptical, and understandably so. But Doyeong continued.

“Yes. And before animals became animals, and plants became plants, they existed in one form. That last form is called the LUA—the Last Universal Ancestor.”

The waves rolled in, the stars twinkled, and the atmosphere felt unnecessarily romantic.

“The unknown X-virus that turns humans into vampires is thought to have come to Earth much earlier than we realize. It co-evolved with us for a while until one day, humans developed into humans, and vampires diverged into their own species.”

Of course, this was the kind of speculative theory that scientists threw around, almost like science fiction.

“So, they say that vampires are called Luax because of the combination of the last shared ancestor, LUA, and the unknown X-factor.”

Gamal, lost in thought, asked,

“Then does that mean humans and vampires are the same?”

“Scholars say they’re like siblings—like Homo sapiens and Neanderthals.”

“Homo sapiens?”

Gamal seemed unfamiliar with the term.

“It’s the scientific name for humans. It means ‘wise man.’ Vampires, on the other hand, are called Homo bibens, meaning ‘drinking man.’”

The emergence of Homo bibens, a species that preys on Homo sapiens—long the dominant force on Earth—was naturally shocking and gave rise to hostility. But unbeknownst to most, the two had coexisted on this planet almost from the beginning.

Just because a star isn’t visible doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

“Then vampires aren’t monsters,” Gamal murmured.

Doyeong lowered his arm to rest it on his stomach and closed his eyes.

“That’s just what they used to call them. Now, they’re just another species.”

Lying side by side like this reminded him of the days spent at his grandmother’s house by Lake Annecy.

Back then, Uncle Julian would sit by the bedside, reading a book, while Father Elio strode around with his strong, sturdy legs. From the kitchen, the sound of his mother Sarang laughing and chatting with cousins would float in.

With his eyes still closed, Doyeong spoke.

“Gamal. I have a home.”

Gamal answered softly.

“I know.”

Not just knowing, but fully aware that unlike her long-gone home, his still existed. Even at this very moment, it was a place where someone waited for their son’s return.

* * *

Gamal, slightly taken aback, stared at Doyeong before asking,

“Major, did you become a vampire?”

“What are you talking about?”

Startled by the unexpected question, Doyeong paused mid-meal to look up. Gamal hesitated, unsure if she should phrase it this way, before speaking.

“You eat like a vampire.”

Last night, after mulling over various thoughts, Doyeong had come to a single conclusion: his top priority was to recover his leg as quickly as possible. So he resolved to focus entirely on healing.

And the best way to heal without medicine was simple—eat well and rest well.

“I’m just hungry.”

“Do you want more?”

Doyeong suddenly stared intently at Gamal before speaking.