Codename Vestia

Chapter 14: Joonie

Doyeong turned the letter to the back page.

*“But Gamal did not share the same feelings as I did. What I hoped for from her wasn’t anything like physical love. I couldn’t even dare to expect such a thing.”*

Reading that passage did nothing to suppress the creeping jealousy that slowly rose within him.

*“We were like Dante and Beatrice, respecting and revering each other as teacher and disciple.

We spoke of everything, watching the countless sunrises and sunsets. I felt as though I had looked deep into Gamal’s soul. No one had ever seen into my soul as deeply as Gamal had.

Gamal called herself a vampire. But I thought perhaps she wasn’t human or monster, but rather a spirit of nature, manifesting herself to teach me what I truly desired.”*

The letter went on to describe Johannes’ experiences and feelings during his time on the island, but none of it was particularly important to Doyeong.

Rustle.

Doyeong put the letter down. As he gazed at the sea, a gentle breeze ruffled his hair.

In the end, he was just another Johannes.

Even if he were to die here, unable to escape this deserted island, Gamal would remain, waiting for the next man to arrive.

Meeting, parting, and then meeting again. When you break it down, it was the same flow as a human life, except that for some, this cycle spanned their entire lifetime.

But Doyeong had no intention of being trapped in that cycle.

Suddenly, Doyeong realized that quite a bit of time had passed, and he frowned slightly.

“Why isn’t she here?”

And then it happened.

A wild boar suddenly sprang out from beyond the bushes. Startled, Doyeong instinctively reached for his waist to grab his gun, but of course, there was none.

The wild boar, however, collapsed to the side with a thud. It was already dead.

Gamal then emerged from behind it, smiling like a puppy greeting its owner.

“Major!”

Doyeong was bewildered.

“What…?”

“The Major said he wanted to eat meat.”

She had the expression of a dog waiting to be praised, and Doyeong stared at her in astonishment.

—

When Doyeong was young, there was a scruffy cat that lived in his neighborhood.

The cat was grumpy to everyone, but for some reason, it liked Doyeong. And one day, it began to bring him mice, birds, and lizards.

The cat’s owner said it was a sign of affection. It was the cat’s way of saying, “I brought this for you,” offering something it deemed precious.

It seemed that this vampire woman liked him.

Doyeong thought.

It wasn’t unusual for a woman to like him, but the problem now was that the one showing interest was a vampire who was halfway holding him captive.

Moreover, Doyeong didn’t believe that Gamal was sincere.

She seemed to have lived alone for a long time, so it was likely that she had instinctively grown fond of him, the first man she had met in a while. After all, he was a young, healthy man who didn’t look bad.

In other words, it wouldn’t have mattered if it was Doyeong who came to the island, or William, or John. As long as they had similar qualities.

“Major.”

Just then, Gamal appeared from behind a tree and called out to him. Her long hair flowed out from under the straw hat she had woven herself, giving her a fresh, lively appearance, like she belonged in an energy drink commercial.

“I’m going to pick flowers.”

Doyeong put down his book and said, “I’ll go with you.”

Gamal blinked. “With me? But Major, your leg…”

“I’ve got a sturdy splint, so what’s there to worry about?”

Doyeong extended his hand, as if asking why she wasn’t already helping him up. Gamal hesitated for a moment, but then stepped forward and helped him to his feet.

“The flowers are far away.”

“I’ve been cooped up around here for so long, I’m starting to feel like I’m being raised. Let’s go somewhere a bit farther.”

Doyeong leaned on Gamal and took a step forward.

By now, he hardly felt any pain in his leg.

He had always been in good health, and perhaps because he’d been eating and resting well, his leg healed faster than he expected. He could already walk to some extent, but Doyeong wasn’t sure if he should let Gamal know about it yet.

“Is it hard for you, Major?” Gamal asked at that moment.

“I’m fine.”

From the way she acted, she didn’t seem to be hiding any harmful intentions. Maybe it was just his imagination, but if it wasn’t, that would be a problem. So for now, he felt the need to keep pretending that he hadn’t fully recovered.

And so, the two set off down the path.

Even though Doyeong’s leg had mostly healed, it had been a while since he’d gone for a long walk, and pretending to still be struggling with his leg made him sweat quite a bit. As the back of his T-shirt grew damp with sweat, Gamal asked, “Should we take a break?”

“Yeah.”

Gamal helped Doyeong sit on a rock by the lake. Then she took out a wooden bowl from her crossbody bag, filled it with water, and handed it to him.

“Here, water.”

“Thanks.”

Doyeong accepted the bowl and drank the water. But when he looked up, he saw that Gamal’s face was somehow filled with emotion, and he couldn’t help but ask, “What’s with that look?”

“Nothing,” she replied shyly, turning away.

“What’s up with her now?”

Doyeong didn’t realize that it was because of his casual “thank you.” He just thought she was being as odd as ever.

He looked up at the sky. The cliff beside him had a deep indentation, as if struck by a giant’s fist, and it cast a half-roof over his head. The air was cool and refreshing in the shaded area where Doyeong sat.

Below the cliff, darkness stretched deep where the lake’s waters flowed and disappeared.

Birds flew across the clear, bright sky.

Doyeong lowered his gaze and looked at Gamal, who was crouched by the water’s edge.

If it was true, as she claimed, that she had lived for a long time, it was certainly a miracle that she remained so untainted after all those years. But now, he thought he understood.

It was partly due to her inherent nature, and partly because she had spent so much time sleeping, but above all, it was because she had lived on this island. In a natural environment that was still close to its primordial state, there was no place for impurities to cling.

Nature had preserved the being that was Gamal.

Sensing his gaze, Gamal turned to look at him. She fixed her clear, translucent red eyes on him, the light glistening over her.

“Are you okay now?”

“I’m fine. Let’s go.”

Doyeong naturally rested his hand on Gamal’s shoulder.

Gamal looked up at him. Her eyes seemed to bloom like flowers as she gazed at him.

Had she looked at all the men who came to this island like this?

No, he didn’t think so.

His instincts told him otherwise.

Flap.

The sound of birds taking flight snapped Doyeong out of his thoughts.

While he watched the birds disappear beyond the sky, Gamal glanced toward the forest where the birds had flown. Just as Doyeong was about to turn his head in that direction, she quickly spoke.

“Let’s go.”

Doyeong looked at Gamal again. Somehow, it felt like she was trying to distract him.

But it was only a suspicion, so he didn’t say anything. The two of them continued on their way. After a while, Gamal climbed ahead up a nearly sheer hillside and extended her hand.

“Be careful. It’s a bit steep.”

She seemed to mean that it was quite a climb.

Doyeong took her hand, and she pulled him up. As soon as he reached the top, a different world unfolded before him. Doyeong was at a loss for words, as one often is in front of a breathtaking view.

The sight of red flowers blooming in profusion as far as the eye could see was overwhelming.

Unable to take his eyes off the scene, he asked, “Were they always here?”

“No.”

Gamal replied, “I found them up high. I brought them down and planted them.”

Doyeong, surprised, looked at her. “All of this?”

“Worried there wasn’t enough time?”

Doyeong stared at Gamal blankly. “Did you learn how to be sarcastic?”

That didn’t matter much; Doyeong took another look around the flower field and asked, “When did you start planting them?”

“Right after I came to the island. I needed something to eat. But I thought they’d all die soon, since I was going to sleep. They don’t naturally grow here.”

As she had said before, the flowers were a type that thrived in cold climates.

Gamal muttered as she looked over the field of flowers, “But they didn’t die.”

Gamal often had this kind of expression. She could look completely clueless, like a fool, but then suddenly pierce deep, as if with a knife.

“They’ve grown stronger. They adapted to the new land and got bigger.”

“They’re beautiful. It’s strange, though.”

The sight of the crimson flowers waving in the breeze should have been eerie, like blood rippling on the surface, but the way they shimmered, reflecting the light as the wind brushed over them, made them look beautiful.

They were just like Gamal’s eyes—something that should appear ominous, but didn’t at all.

“Yeah, they’re beautiful,” Gamal said, gazing at the flowers.

Doyeong could picture Gamal planting those flowers. All alone on this island, even before Flos was developed. Wearing that straw hat she had woven herself.

Just imagining that scene brought a tender and pitiful feeling over him.

Before he realized it, his hand was cupping Gamal’s cheek. She closed her eyes softly.

Their lips met.

Doyeong understood then. He would probably regret this moment.

There was no future for them. Not just because he had to leave the island, but because Gamal was a vampire, and he was human.

Even in this world, he had never imagined he would find himself liking a female vampire, so the typical issues of the lifespan differences between vampire-human couples hadn’t really hit him.

But just as it had been for the past three thousand years, Gamal would always remain the same, while he would grow old.

Still, he could understand now why so many vampire-human couples chose to enjoy the time they had together and stay with each other. Nothing felt more right than this moment.

—

The two of them watched the flower field together for a while. The sight of the red waves flowing was endlessly captivating. It even gave a sense of satisfaction, like looking at a piece of art that had been crafted over a long period.

After all, this was a landscape Gamal had painstakingly created.

“Shall we go?” Doyeong asked. Gamal nodded and helped him up. He leaned on her a bit more than before, and noticing the subtle difference, Gamal’s cheeks flushed slightly.

They retraced their steps down the path they had come.

“Can I have some water?” Doyeong said when his throat felt dry.

“Here,” Gamal replied, pulling a water bottle from her crossbody bag. But as their hands missed each other, the bottle slipped and rolled away, prompting Gamal to run after it.

“Ah, hold on a second.”

Doyeong chuckled at the sight and, as he absentmindedly lowered his gaze, he saw it.

A footprint.

Clear and deep in the dried, hardened mud.

It was a bare footprint, and judging by the size, it belonged to a man—a rather large one, at that.

“Major?”

When Doyeong didn’t come over, Gamal called out to him. Doyeong casually stepped on the footprint, covering it with his own.

“Let’s go,” he said, and continued walking.