EnCoffin Me Chapter 96
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 96
After cursing at the lunatic, he reined himself in too quickly, almost swallowing the silver cross in his mouth. Actually, he could have spat it out. But when Alexio looked at the man, he caught the quiet expectation in his eyes.
Alexio: “……”
He wasn't sure if accidentally swallowing the silver cross would be worse than pulling it out with his tongue. The former meant a hospital visit, while the latter gave him a strong sense of foreboding. He looked around. The place the lunatic had chosen was secluded, and the float parade was on its second round, drawing most people's attention.
So Alexio tightly closed his mouth and decided not to speak from that moment on.
He certainly wanted to grab the lunatic and question him about everything, but compared to the vague sense of danger, he planned to postpone the interrogation. After all, the lunatic wasn't going anywhere.
The saint's eyes showed a trace of disappointment.
“You're not going to spit it out?” He pretended to be concerned. Alexio slowly shook his head. He felt the act of spitting it out was too suggestive and feared unpleasant consequences.
His gaze fell on the lunatic's pocket, motioning towards it. There were candies inside, and if the lunatic ate a few pieces, he would at least act more normal.
Sure enough, after learning that he had regained all his memories, Alexio became very cautious. Lucius felt a bit regretful. He had planned to wait until the two fully settled their relationship before telling Alexio about the memory restoration. But now it didn't matter. Having spent so long together in the present era, their past conflicts had gradually faded during this long period of subtle interaction (and bickering), enough to welcome a stable relationship.
Alexio had already shown possessiveness toward him, which was a very, very good start. Furthermore, there was absolutely no external interference now. These factors were the source of Lucius' inner peace.
“Do you still want to see the parade?” he asked naturally, as if nothing had happened. Alexio shook his head cautiously. Right now, all he wanted was to find a safe place to spit out the silver cross… spit it out… spit…
Alexio paused and licked the silver cross with his tongue. The cross didn't move an inch.
He had a… rather unpleasant feeling.
Licking again, Alexio was completely unaware that the slight bulge on his cheek, where his tongue pressed against it, was betraying the small movement he was making. Lucius watched the tiny, pointed bump appear and disappear on Alexio's face, maintaining a poker face while eating a few candies.
After repeated attempts, Alexio finally realized a terrifying truth—
It was stuck.
More precisely, it was caught on his fang.
The silver cross had intricate patterns with many hollowed-out sections, and one of Alexio's fangs had pierced through one of those gaps. No matter how he moved his tongue, he couldn't separate them.
Alexio: “……”
Well, now he no longer had to worry about accidentally swallowing the silver cross!
The parade circled three full times before finally leaving. During that time, Alexio tried countless ways to dislodge the silver cross. His cheeks grew sore, but the cross stubbornly stayed hooked on his fang. The frustration gnawed at him, and he almost reached in to rip it free himself.
He glanced at the lunatic, who immediately turned his head, clearly watching his every move closely.
The lunatic with fully restored memories was indeed difficult to deal with. Alexio had to come up with a plan.
“…Want some ice cream?”
Lucius looked in the direction Alexio was pointing. He guessed he wanted to distract him, but he didn't say anything and obediently went to buy ice cream. Alexio immediately seized the opportunity, about to open his mouth and use his hand to remove the silver cross…
“What flavor do you want?” The lunatic returned suddenly. Alexio quickly closed his mouth and gestured vaguely.
“Same as before? Okay.”
The lunatic left again, and Alexio's spirits lifted. Once more, he—
“Want any toppings? Chocolate or fruit?”
“……”
“Oh, right, you don't seem to be able to eat much right now. Are you sure you don't want to spit it out?”
“……”
Just give him a chance to spit it out! As long as the lunatic walked away and turned his back for more than thirty seconds, Alexio would definitely, immediately remove the silver cross from his fang!
Alexio shut down.
He completely gave up on the idea of taking off the silver cross and spitting it out. He silently watched the parade, quietly watched the lunatic eat ice cream, and quietly held onto his balloon. Dazzling fireworks painted the night sky in vibrant colors. Alexio looked up at the display and heard the lunatic beside him, holding an ice cream, sigh softly.
“I won't tease you anymore,” he said slowly. “Try biting it.”
Hhmm???
Alexio hesitated, looking at him to confirm if he meant what he thought. The lunatic nodded affirmatively. Alexio was momentarily confused. His tongue touched the silver cross. The texture was exactly like a real silver cross, which was why he hadn't dared to press hard, afraid of damaging the gift.
Now the lunatic was telling him to bite it?
“I used a special edible coating. Isn't it just like the real thing?” the lunatic bragged. “From the temperature to the texture, it's exactly like the real one, right?
“I even made this silver cross exactly like the one I want to give you, the patterns, the shape, everything…”
Alexio heard a crisp snap as he bit through the silver cross. No longer worried about damaging the gift, with just a little pressure, the cross shattered completely. Alexio tasted…
His sore cheeks and tired tongue seemed to mock his earlier foolishness.
“So fierce,” the lunatic said with a smile in his eyes. “Is it sweet?”
Sweet, my foot!
Alexio wielded the balloon as a weapon, glaring dangerously at the lunatic. At this moment, he had almost forgotten that this was a lunatic who had regained all his memories. The guy's dog-like behavior was no different from usual!
But for Lucius, who had regained all his memories, guessing Alexio's thoughts was easier than ever. He could even predict every trigger point. So before things turned into a fight, he stepped ahead, handing Alexio the ice cream he had bought, and pulled tonight's gift from his pocket.
“Just like before, a Carnival gift.”
Alexio instinctively took the ice cream first, then looked at the lunatic's hand. Under the bursting fireworks, the saint's slender fingers held a silver chain, with the small, shimmering silver cross dangling below, gently swaying back and forth. Entwined with thorns, the cross was the standard design of the Holy Temple. But unlike the one from ten thousand years ago, this one was adorned with scattered flowers among the thorns.
Roses.
The saint handed the silver cross to him.
“But I'm still curious, what happened to the old one?”
That question touched Alexio deep inside. He closed his eyes briefly and recalled that brutal battle long ago. Theo, a second-generation vampire, had far greater strength than Alexio, which was why he was able to tear off Alexio's wings. Alexio wasn't a fool. Since he couldn't defeat Theo, he chose to submit. Whether or not he held the highest power didn't really matter to him.
But...
They quarreled again over whether to use ordinary humans as test subjects. His vampire father sneered and spat out words full of anger.
【Would you behave better if I killed that little friend of yours?】
The second confrontation ended with Alexio's fake death.
Near-death was a painful experience, and a vampire's constitution stretched that pain endlessly. But Alexio didn't want to die. At least not for the next few hundred years. So he woke up, dragging his still-injured body to the carnival date. At that reunion, the saint, unable to control his emotions, embraced him.
【You're still alive… you really are still alive…】
The vampire held a doll made in Alexio's likeness. His red eyes slowly widened as he felt the warmth of the human embracing him, and he made a firm decision.
He would definitely… definitely kill Theo.
The third time he stormed into the Blood Moon Castle, which already regarded him as a deadly enemy, he faced his vampire father who awaited him calmly. Alexio drew his scythe. His growth rate was undeniably fast. This was evident from Theo's grim expression. But it still wasn't enough! They fought all the way to the castle's peak, and before sunrise, Alexio had been severely wounded by Theo.
【To make me this disheveled, if I give you more time…】
Missing an entire arm, with half of his face torn, the usually composed second-generation vampire's expression darkened.
【My child, you must die here!】
The moment of death slowed down like in slow motion. This time, he probably had no luck left. The sun was just peeking over the horizon. The second-generation vampire formed a blade with two fingers, ready to stab into Alexio's chest.
Something blocked the hand that was about to take his life.
The Holy Temple's pure barrier sprang up, and the sun rose over the horizon. Alexio strained to raise a corner of his domain, his shadowed roses sealing Theo's movements. The second-generation vampire struggled hysterically as sunlight burned deep, bone-searing wounds into him. He screamed, watching helplessly as his child raised the scythe.
It was like the God of Death's black scythe.
He began to wail and plead. If Alexio showed even the slightest mercy, he could seize a chance to turn the tide!
But Alexio's heart was like iron.
Before the scythe fell, he gave Theo a faint smile.
【That is my destiny. You shouldn't have wanted to kill him.】
The silver cross on his chest burned away all its power, slowly crumbling to ash. The vampire's eyes followed the scattering ashes. This gift, given by the one who had granted him courage, had brought him the chance to win. It was a pity it was destroyed. There was a faint regret in his heart.
Now, that regret was rectified.
Alexio reached out and grasped the silver cross, then looked up at the saint. The saint lowered his lashes and carefully wrapped the silver chain around Alexio's hand to keep the cross from falling.
“The original one…” Alexio said softly, “I used it up.”
“Is that so? I've attached even stronger magic to this one.”
Alexio stared at the silver cross in his hand, feeling as if he held the courage given by the saint.
He was no longer afraid of Theo.