Levi's taste still lingered on Andromeda's lips. Wanting the sweet sensation to stay as long as it could, she refused to take a glass and drink even though she was parched. She went to her bed and sat on the soft, white mattress. Both Nifa and Barbara were already sound asleep in their beds.

As if in a trance, she took off her shoes and slipped into a pair of brown slippers.

Once again, the memory of Levi's kiss appeared in her mind, painting a shadow of a smile on her pale, beautiful face.

She stood up and shed her clothes to wear a nightgown provided by the palace to every female soldier staying inside the castle for the celebration. She was in the middle of braiding her hair when the wooden door of the room suddenly swung open.

Levi entered uninvited, Proteus and Erwin trailing behind him.

Andromeda immediately walked toward the unexpected visitor. "Levi? It is rude to enter a ladies' quarters--"

"Did you kill them?" The man's tone was bitter. His eyes pierced Andromeda's with stinging accusation.

It took a lot of effort for the vampiress to keep her calm composure. "I have no idea about what you are saying," she lied as shook her pretty head and placed the wooden brush on the foot of the bed.

"Bullshit. Do not keep on deceiving me. Just answer the question. Did you or did you not kill them?" Levi leaned closer, demanding the damn truth.

Just then, Nifa stirred. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Captain Levi? Is there an emergency?" Then, she gasped. "Titans?!"

It was Andromeda who answered, "No. Nifa, wake up Barbara and stay outside. Levi and I need to talk."

"Why?"

"Just do it," the Captain commanded, eyes still not leaving the vampiress.

The female soldier did as she was told. In less than a minute, she and Barbara exited the room.

The door closed.

This was bad. Levi knew something.

How could Andromeda convince the Captain that she was innocent of any accusation? The man should never know the truth. But where in Aurum's name did he get the idea that she could kill someone? The vampiress' eyes caught Proteus looking guilty.

Oh.

That foolish boy.

She glared at him. Now, what? How would she get out of this damn mess? She should think--

"Concocting another fucking lie?" The Captain's words stopped her thoughts. He looked so angry before but his tone was softer when he said, "Tell me Proteus is lying."

"What did he say?"

"The same shit you already know. I want to learn the truth from you. Who really are you?"

"I have no idea what you are trying to make me say. I am Andromeda from the Detlef tribe--"

"Bullshit."

"What?"

"That's just some stupid wack Erwin told you to tell the rest of us."

"Levi--"

"Tell me." The man walked closer to where Andromeda was standing. He pleaded, "Just tell me the truth."

Was that water forming inside the Captain's eyes?

The vampiress resisted the urge to cradle the Captain's face and kiss the tears away. She wanted to tell him that everything would be fine and that they could just continue living in the dark. Because she knew the truth would set them apart. But she also knew that, this time, she could not continue her lie. There was no other way than to finally come clean and be honest.

So, she squared her shoulders and revealed, "I am Princess Andromeda, a vampire and the eldest daughter of King Aurelius, ruler of the great kingdom of Aurum. I was exiled for treason and sent to another world--this world. I wished to be this kingdom's Queen and exact revenge on Aurum, but since it is already in the middle of perishing, I only want to remain Queen here."

Andromeda thought Levi would gape or gasp at her words, but he just continued looking straight into her eyes. Waiting.

For what?

"That's not all," he remarked.

"That is all."

"What about Derek and James?"

Ah. Yes. How calm Levi was when she told him about her true identity but he now trembled at the mention of the two dead soldiers' names.

Andromeda inhaled. "I was thirsty, so I drank."

The man's brows furrowed deeper. Anger flashed in his gray orbs. He could not contain the volume of his voice when he exclaimed, "You killed Derek and James like prey!"

They were, but she did not tell this to the Captain. Instead, she said, "I am a vampire, Levi. I drink human blood."

"Did you have to kill them?"

"I could not contain my thirst."

The man clenched and unclenched his fists. "You both bled them to death?"

"Only Derek." The scenes of that night flashed before Andromeda, making her feel queasy. "James saw Derek and I walk inside the forest."

"Fuck!" He kicked a wooden chair so hard it hit the wall and broke a leg. "Fuck! Fuck!" He clenched his fist and hit his forehead as he said. "You did not need to kill them."

"But I did. Levi, I'm a vampire. We drink human blood. That's what we do."

"You did not have to kill them." He spelled out each word slowly like he wanted to let them sink into Andromeda's head.

The vampiress was unfazed. "Do not look at me as if I'm the only one who's a monster. You've killed people, too."

"At least I did not earn their trust first before I bleed them dry or break their neck!"

Andromeda looked away. Her insides quivered, and she felt like she was going to be sick. It was so strange how the humans in this world could make her feel this way. Especially, this man before her. She should remember who she was and what the humans in this world were so she said, "If you expect me to go down to my knees and beg for forgiveness, then you will be disappointed. I do not regret what I had done and am willing to do that again."

"You're a traitor."

"I am a blood-drinking vampire."

"That's why they call you the Bloodbitch."

"Who's going to be Queen." She lifted her chin and ignored the rising panic inside her.

"Heartless."

The man's words were cold, and she was not used to it. Levi had always been warm to her. It was like she could see a barrier quickly materializing between them. "That's what they say," she replied.

"You're nothing but a killer."

"I ate."

"Derek loved you like family. Maybe James did too."

"I do not care."

"You should care! Shit! Can't you see how rotten you are?" He banged the wooden table with one of his fists. "You lied and manipulated us. You betrayed your friends and fucking killed them. You have no idea what friendship and love is. You are pathetic and disgusting!"

Surprisingly, Andromeda was hurt when she heard those words from the man's lips. "Do not call me that!" she shouted back.

"Now that I know who you truly are, I regret having feelings for you."

"Do not forget, soldier, you are already mine."

"You do not and cannot own me."

What was happening?

Why did their conversation steer in this direction?

Andromeda felt her soul turn dim. "You cannot just separate yourself from me. You're a mere human. Humans are nothing but blood bags and yet I let you be close to me. You must be honored I let you stay by my side!"

The man shook his head. "I cannot believe you're this foul. How did I not see this before? If I'd realized you were this evil, I would not have pursued you."

What was he saying?

Wounded, the vampiress took a step back. Every word fired against her by Levi pierced her deeply. "Take that back," she ordered. "Take that back!"

But Levi already made up his mind, "We're over, Andromeda." He turned his back on her. "From now on, you are dead to me." And then he walked out of the room and out of the vampiress' life.

He left her.

Levi left her.

Whatever relationship they had now turned into dust, scattering out of Andromeda's hands. As the man disappeared from her sight, her knees wobbled and gravity harshly pulled her to the ground. She sat disgracefully on the floor.

No...

This was not happening.

Levi would not leave her.

But he already did.

He hated her. Despised her. She was already dead to him.

Without warning, blood tears ran endlessly on her cheeks. Her lungs gave out and she heaved as she sobbed. Her insides burned, and the hurt she felt was indescribable.

Never had she experienced something like this. She was not just lost; she was devastated. Didn't know what to do. Didn't want to know what would happen next. She just wanted Levi back.

Inside her, something broke. Its crack resounded within her soul.

She was... heartbroken.

Yes, her heart was bleeding, throbbing as if every beat was already its last.

This was unthinkable, yet true.

For the first time in her long life, she realized she had a heart. An aching, breaking heart.

+0+0+0+0+

The Princess was reduced to a heap on the floor, and it was Proteus' fault.

He bit his lip and was about to get out of the room to chase after the man called Levi when Erwin grabbed his arm. "Don't. He needs to be alone right now," the Commander said.

But Proteus took his arm back, "I must do something. I cannot continue to watch Her Highness hurting like this."

"You've let her get exiled before, she'll survive."

"This is different," the vampire was sure, "Princess Andromeda did not cry when being reprimanded, didn't cry when the Royal Queen died, didn't break down when she was cursed and thrown to another world. When something bad happened to her, she was always angry and spiteful, not broken." She looked at the crying royal, and his insides broke, too. "It's the first time she felt pain like this."

He opened the door but Erwin stopped him the second time. "There is nothing you could do. Leave them, Proteus. Levi would not listen to you anyway. Not now."

"I need to try."

"Do you really plan on doing every single thing for a Princess who could easily kill the people she is close to?"

"You know nothing about the Princess."

"I know enough."

"Stop this, Erwin. Let me go," he shook his arm away from the Commander's grasp but he was holding too tightly on him.

"No. I'll never let you go."

"Let me go, or Princess Andromeda will not be the only one who loses someone special to her tonight," he warned, eyes staring deeply into the other man's.

At last, the Commander released him from his grip. Proteus went out of the room and ran through the torch-lit palace halls. He called, "Levi-san! Levi-san!" Where could the human be? He didn't know him so he did not know where to look for him. Right! His room. He should look first in the man's room.

But he wasn't there.

Proteus wanted to cry.

+0+0+0+0+

It was dangerous riding one's mare during the night, but Levi mounted his favorite black stallion and sped along the only forest within Wall Sina. He was hoping the rush of adrenaline would calm the seething rage inside him.

"Hiya!" He urged the horse to go even faster.

The winds were harsh against his face and he welcomed them. Let them brush away the burning sensation in his eyes. He was a total mess inside. Andromeda's beautiful image kept on appearing in his mind. The memory of their kiss was unforgettable. And then he would remember Derek and James' faces. Remember that they were killed by the vampiress because she was fucking thirsty.

Was that who she truly was?

A monster?

The Bloodbitch?

"Fuck!" he cursed out loud.

Just then, his horse tripped over a rock and fell down to the dirty soil. It yelped, taking down Levi with it.

"Shit!" Levi did not feel the pain of the fall. He was already aching too much inside.

Dirt covered his back but, this time, he didn't care. His horse already recovered and had stood up but Levi was still on the ground. He put one arm over his eyes and stayed like that for a long time. His comrades' lives had always been important to him, even deemed them sacred. But Andromeda just took away Derek and James' lives like they were nothing. Levi didn't want anything to do with that bloodthirsty vampiress anymore. He would never forgive her.

His shoulders shook and he pressed his arms harder over his eyes.