The Maid’s Accidental Advance and the Awakened Thirst

Daphne’s mind raced during that brief moment, her skin already sensing the faintly cool, sweet breath as Hedy’s dark red lips drew closer, about to meet hers.

Daphne admitted that the little lich maid was indeed adorable, and giving her first kiss to Hedy wasn’t entirely unacceptable.

Yet, Hedy’s current state was clearly abnormal. Daphne refused to believe that the ‘Terrifying Harassment’ spell had failed. To yield now would be to surrender to the R18 MOD, a thought she suddenly found utterly intolerable.

But what could she do if she lacked the strength to break free?

Daphne had a brilliant idea!

Just as Hedy was about to kiss her, a translucent, ghostly blue hand suddenly materialized, forming a barrier between Daphne’s lips and Hedy’s.

The constructed creature felt soft and cold against her skin. Hedy immediately sensed something was amiss and snapped back to awareness.

The moment the lich maid regained her senses, her eyes were met with an incredibly alluring scene: dark red hair spread wildly across the bed, the hem of a beige travel dress disheveled and nearly revealing her upper thighs. Her long legs, encased in white silk stockings, were coyly intertwined, creating a soft rustling sound. The beautiful half-blood girl gazed at her through tear-filled, misty eyes, appearing to be suffering immense grievance and humiliation.

And pinning this beautiful girl beneath her was none other than Hedy herself.

‘This was the Great Lord Arsuga’s esteemed Death Emissary!’

‘What disrespectful act was she committing against the Great Lord Arsuga’s esteemed Death Emissary!?’

Hedy’s small face flushed crimson instantly. She hastily released her grip, retreated five or six steps from the bedside, and then knelt to apologize to Daphne.

“I-I’m so sorry, esteemed Death Emissary! I, I don’t know what happened… it just suddenly…” She was utterly flustered, seemingly convinced she had committed a grave transgression.

But what could Daphne do about this little maid?

Provoking Daphne merely meant provoking Daphne. She was the softest persimmon for a hundred miles around; kicking her was akin to kicking cotton.

“Just call me Daphne.” The kind-hearted, considerate, and gentle half-blood young lady naturally chose not to dwell on it. “It’s not your fault. My magic had a slight malfunction, which unfortunately affected you.”

“You won’t tell Lord Grover, will you?” Hedy asked, her face etched with worry, tears still welling in her eyes.

“No,” Daphne replied, shaking her head.

After a brief pause, a sudden idea struck her. “If you feel truly sorry, then do me a small favor.”

“Miss Daphne, please command me freely! Whatever Hedy can assist with, I will do my utmost to accomplish!” The little lich maid stopped sniffling and stood up, nodding to Daphne.

The half-blood girl offered Hedy a faint smile. “Bring me some animal blood, fresh blood.”

****

Hedy quickly returned with a bowl of reasonably fresh blood for Daphne, reportedly drawn from a recently deceased hunting dog.

Klogtia had a custom of domesticating animals, then killing them and converting them into undead to serve as combatants. Thus, it wasn’t difficult for Hedy to procure fresh blood from the camp. Daphne had made this request precisely because she was aware of this practice.

Gazing at the thick, crimson, swaying liquid in the earthenware bowl, Daphne actually felt a little dizzy.

To be a half-blood and suffer from mild hemophobia was truly pathetic.

Nevertheless, the heavy, metallic scent emanating from the bowl transformed into a faint, sweet aroma to her senses. The allure of blood remained irresistible.

Daphne reluctantly brought up her status screen.

She still had no class and no faith, and her skills were the same innate spells. However, a new debuff had appeared in the status bar at the very bottom.

[Status: Bloodthirst (Initial Stage)]

[Bloodthirst (Initial Stage)]

[The vampire bloodline within yearns for fresh blood. This is the first sign of blood deprivation. You frequently feel thirsty and experience weakness in your limbs. If fresh blood is not consumed within 24 hours, your condition will further deteriorate.]

Half-bloods were far more dependent on blood than pure-bloods. The nobler and purer a vampire’s lineage, the less they craved blood. High-ranking vampire nobles from the six great families merely regarded blood consumption as a lifestyle aesthetic.

It was typically half-bloods who would suddenly attack pedestrians on the streets, biting necks and drinking blood, thus exposing their identities. They found it hardest to suppress their cravings at critical moments, perpetually plagued by the inferiority of their lineage.

In addition to drinking blood, half-bloods also needed to consume human food normally.

Unlike pure-bloods, who could sate their hunger and replenish energy solely through blood, half-bloods would still starve to death if they drank blood but ate nothing else. Blood consumption merely appeased the deep-seated cravings of their bloodline; their stomachs and digestive systems remained similar to those of humans or elves.

What a troublesome race they were, inheriting few of the advantages from either side, yet all of the disadvantages.

Fortunately, it was only the initial stage of ‘Bloodthirst’.

In the game, this stage merely presented a warning without any debuffs. However, if no blood was consumed after 24 hours, the character would suffer various attribute-reducing debuffs, which would intensify as the ‘Bloodthirst’ condition worsened.

In reality, however, Daphne could distinctly feel a burning pain in her throat, her entire mouth seemingly undergoing scorching and drought.

Even the initial stage was incredibly difficult to endure; she instinctively yearned to drink the red liquid.

A creaking sound emanated from the door. Daphne glanced sideways with her peripheral vision, noticing a pair of large, dark eyes peeking at her through the crack. The little maid, Hedy, seemed to have remained just outside the door the entire time.

She was clearly unaware that she had been discovered, still blinking her eyes as if eagerly anticipating that bowl of blood to be put to use.

Daphne sighed helplessly. She closed her eyes tightly and began to try drinking the red liquid from the bowl. The metallic taste gradually faded with each sip, leaving only a faint sweetness, yet accompanied by an indescribable bitterness.

The burning sensation in her throat gradually receded, and the turmoil in her heart subsided.

Before she knew it, the entire bowl of red liquid had vanished without a trace. Daphne dazedly wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, leaving a stark, vivid red smear.

‘Unsatisfied.’

‘If it were human blood…’

“Miss Daphne, p-please wait! Your hands are covered in blood; it will stain your dress!” The little maid, unable to bear the sight of dirt, rushed in frantically, completely disregarding that her actions would reveal her peeping.

****

‘What a terrifying thought.’

‘For a moment, she had actually considered drinking human blood, as if she had truly transformed into a vampire…’

Since animal blood could also alleviate the ‘Bloodthirst’ state, it was best to stick to that. The thought of drinking human blood still left her feeling somewhat uneasy.

Daphne sat up straight, while Hedy stood behind her, combing through her long hair.

This was the first time she had properly cared for her dark red hair since becoming a girl. Although her hair was naturally soft and silky, dirt and tangles were still inevitable, and accidentally tugging on her scalp could cause pain for hours.

“Miss Daphne, your hair is truly beautiful~” Hedy hummed a cheerful tune as she combed.

“Thank you,” Daphne replied, looking straight ahead, her tone still somewhat indifferent.

‘Come to think of it, this little lich maid truly had a simple mind.’

‘The first thoughts she had upon regaining consciousness were to apologize and to not be reported.’

‘If she were Hedy, she might have said to the pitiful, trembling half-blood girl on the bed: “Hmph, Miss Death Emissary, you wouldn’t want Lord Grover to know that you’re actually a weakling, would you?”‘