EnCoffin Me Chapter 27
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 27
Alexio had no idea someone sent him a message. It was Ellie who had set his account to reject messages from strangers. He hadn't intended to socialize anyway, though recently, he had added the wolf cub, Lucy, and the cub's caretaker, Dalph, to his contacts.
Oh, and also Zhu Heng. Even though he was very suspicious, Alexio just couldn't bring himself to dislike him.
“Alexi.” Zhu Heng stood up with a smile. He had been examining the tongue of a fallen angel and paused his work when he saw Alexio.
“Today's the last day, right? How are the preparations for the new home coming along?”
“It's ready for people to move in. Some other items are still being purchased and will arrive today and tomorrow,” Alexio replied as he sat down and pulled out his medical report. “Ellie came by this morning and even did a livestream.”
“I saw it,” Zhu Heng said with a smile, though his expression soon grew more serious. He reached out to gently pat the head of the young fallen angel who was secretly peeking at Alexio from their chair.
“Hatred never blossoms… I think that's very true.”
Alexio looked up at him. He didn't understand why Zhu Heng, who might already be secretly aligned with the current era's Holy Temple, would say something like that. Maybe the Holy Temple's method of hiding emotions was too effective, or perhaps Zhu Heng's expression at that moment was too sincere. Either way, Alexio found himself unable to refute the words.
“Congratulations on the new home. Let me give you something as a gift,” Zhu Heng said with a beaming smile. “I'm not really sure what else to get, but how about a first aid kit and some kitchen utensils?”
It seemed that in this era, there was a custom of giving household items as gifts for a friend's new home. Alexio paused in surprise. He had never set foot in a kitchen before and was about to decline when Zhu Heng spoke again.
“Why not ask your housemate? It is your shared home, after all.”
Ask that lunatic? Alexio was just about to retort, but Zhu Heng shook his head with a smile.
“Alexio, learning to consider the other person's opinion is part of cohabitation. Why not just ask? Communication is easy these days.”
Under Zhu Heng's persistence, Alexio sent a message to the lunatic.
【Alexio: Dr. Zhu wants to give us a first aid kit and some kitchenware. Want it?】
【Lucius: Yes. For the cookware, get this brand.】
A screenshot followed almost immediately.
Alexio: ???
【Alexio: First of all, who do you think you are to be so picky about a gift someone else is giving? Second, you can't even cook, so why do we need kitchenware at home?】
The other side clearly hadn't paid any attention to the first question, or perhaps he had, and just didn't care. He sent over several more screenshots, each carefully specifying the brands for the kitchen items. For someone receiving a gift, he was surprisingly thoughtful. Only then did he finally respond to the second half of Alexio's message.
【Lucius: Who says I can't cook?】
【Alexio: !!!】
【Lucius: It was part of my training.】
Was the Holy Temple training hunters or future brides…? Alexio was full of snarky thoughts. He stared at the screen for a moment, then slowly looked up.
“Dr. Zhu, he said yes. Also, he has a few screenshots he wants to send you.”
Zhu Heng couldn't help but laugh and good-naturedly said he'd place the order today. Just then, a medical staff member came over to report that a young siren was showing signs of coughing and wheezing and needed his attention. He patted the fallen angel on the head, then pulled two candies from his pocket, one for the angel who had obediently finished the checkup, and one for Alexio.
“Here. Time for your checkup.”
The candy, golden in color, felt like a symbol of the medical center. Alexio still had two untouched ones in his pocket. He couldn't help unwrapping this one. It tasted sweet, with a hint of orange.
The rest of the day was especially busy. Alexio completed his checkup and signed a few supplementary contracts. Toward evening, Ellie delivered some of the fan gifts to his room, including several flower baskets and banners. One banner looked very familiar. He picked it up and read it, each word on it clearly declared. “Long live the glorious vampire race!”
Ellie asked if she could take a few photos, as the center needed some promotional material. Alexio agreed.
@Vampire Caretaker Ellie: Looking forward to a new chapter.【Photo】
The image showed the vampire leaning by the window, with a multicolored basket of roses on the round table beside him. His gaze was lowered toward the golden-red banner in his hands, his expression calm and gentle.
【Aaaaah the banner made it into Xixi's hands aaaaah!】
【I helped crowdfund that banner aaaaah!】
The Darklife Conservation Center quickly reposted the update. The comment section was filled with well wishes for Alexio, and…
Jealousy toward Lucius, who was about to live with the cutie vampire.
【I'm so sour. Even pickles aren't this sour, huhu!】
【That History Book is way too lucky. I want to live with Xixi too, waking up together every morning, hug his waist and say good morning…】
【Smack! Snap out of it, you there upstair!】
【Smack! Let me make it symmetrical!】
As Lucius scrolled through the comments and saw the talk about symmetrical bruises, he couldn't help but feel personally attacked.
As soon as he opened the door, the vampire next door heard the movement and poked his head out.
“Heading to bed?”
“…Mm.”
“Wait for me,” Alexio said. He went back inside to grab a blanket, then came out juggling it along with his lightbrain, wireless headphones, snacks, and various other small items. “Let's go,” he said to Lucius.
For a moment, Lucius found himself thinking about that ‘waking up together every morning’ comment. He immediately pushed the thought aside.
“What are you even doing?”
“Monitoring your sleep quality,” Alexio replied, feeling like he was worrying way too much. Fortunately, this lunatic's eyes hadn't sustained serious damage, only needing a few drops of eye drops and some rest. But his insomnia had lasted seven straight days. If it didn't get better soon, Alexio was seriously considering knocking him out.
Of course, Lucius could sense that dangerous thought too. He took a deep breath and considered that it might not be a bad idea.
He lay back down in the coffin again. Despite being trampled repeatedly, the roses inside the coffin had somehow managed to stubbornly cover the base. Because they were magical plants, they had almost the texture of a mattress when layered together. He closed his eyes. Nearby, the faint rustling of the vampire crunching potato chips filled the silence. He'd thought the noise would make sleep even harder, but the moment he shut his eyes, his exhausted mind sank straight into the arms of the God of Dreams.
In the dream, he heard chaotic, murmuring words he couldn't quite make out. Figures moved around him, all bathed in a dull yellow twilight. Identical dark names flitted everywhere. He managed to grab one and saw the name: Alexio.
It seemed to trigger a switch. The shadows around him began to move faster. The murmurs turned into loud shouts and furious roars. Everyone seemed desperate to force something into his mind. Countless hands reached out, trying to drag him down.
Dim light, noise, suffocation...
“Lun… Lucius! Were you having a nightmare? Wait… you actually fell asleep…”
As Alexio's voice reached into the dream, the dim yellow sky was suddenly stained with a drop of thick ink. The inkblot spread, and the scene changed, becoming a clear moonlit night. A golden stag lay prone, the gentle gurgling of the stream blending with the shimmer of stars and moonlight on its surface. Lucius stood in the shallow water, its depth reaching his knees, while on the shore, the vampire gazed at him with deep rose-colored eyes, as if watching from an immortal realm where sprites floated.
【Hello, my playmate.】
The vampire's words were carefully spoken, not a hint of mockery or frivolity.
Peace settled over him all at once, allowing him to keep dreaming.
Alexio watched as the saint in the coffin regained a calm expression. After a moment's hesitation, he decided not to wake him up. Just earlier, he'd been happily munching on chips and scrolling through videos when there was a loud thud from inside the coffin. It startled him so badly he nearly dropped his lightbrain. Peeking inside, he saw the lunatic caught in a nightmare. He had gone to wake him, only now it seemed unnecessary.
He struggled a bit to close the coffin lid. Only now did he deeply regret removing the twist-off lid. Compared to this hassle, that one was so convenient! Now, he had to align the edges manually, and it never seated properly, always tending to skew.
After fumbling around for a while, trying not to make too much noise, Alexio got annoyed. He gave up and left the lid resting at an angle. He himself felt drowsiness creeping in, so he simply collapsed on top of the coffin lid and fell asleep.
His lightbrain was still glowing faintly.
【Ellie: Alexi, are you still awake? Mr. Andrei wanted to send you some electronic equipment, but his message got auto-rejected.】
【Ellie: So cold and heartless, Alexio lololol】
【Ellie has retracted a message.】
【Ellie: Looks like you're asleep.】
No more messages came through. The lightbrain gradually dimmed and shut off, and the slumbering vampire seemed to drift into a dream filled with stars and moonlight.
Of course, the dream would've been even better without that lunatic in it.
Morning light was blocked by the heavy curtains, but Lucius still woke right on schedule, guided by his biological clock. It had been so long since he'd slept this soundly that even he lingered in that comfort for a while before slowly opening his eyes.
The coffin lid hadn't been fully closed, so he could hear the vampire's breathing. The sound was close. He looked toward the faint light and indeed saw the edge of Alexio's collar. It seemed the vampire had simply collapsed onto the coffin and fallen asleep there.
A deep sense of peace settled in his chest.
He reached for the notebook that had belonged to his former self. It felt as though another page had finally opened. Using the dim light, he flipped through the entries. As he suspected, the memory he'd dreamed of last night, the moonlit night, the golden stag, and the vampire, had been written down. His gaze settled on the last line.
【For some reason, in that moment, my left eye hurt terribly.】
“……”
He lowered his gaze and decided to get out of the coffin. But since the vampire was sprawled across the lid, this move was bound to be tricky. With the screw cap broken, Lucius had no choice but to slowly lift the coffin cover and gently shift it diagonally backward. He was hoping the motion would be enough to wake Alexio.
However, Alexio was sleeping deeply. He vaguely felt something tugging and rubbing against the side of his face pressed against the lid, but it wasn't enough to wake him. The pulling sensation grew more pronounced. Suddenly, whatever was beneath his face tilted sharply. His head was lifted for a brief second and then dropped, landing hard against something solid.
“Thud!”
A deathly silence followed.
Dazed from the impact, Alexio looked up with a faint red mark already forming on his forehead, his eyes still hazy with sleep. The sound of the falling coffin lid echoed in his head. He slowly looked at the saint who was now sitting up in the coffin.
The saint's expression was calm.
“Could you pick up the coffin lid for me? It fell over that way.”