Chapter 20
Asmodeus was currently in his bedroom, waiting for his parents to come home.
“I need to explain Mom and Dad that I'm a vampire. And at the same time not get bonked.”
“I need evidence… I guess blood manipulation works… but first the speech…”
“Mom, Dad, I'm a vampire…”
“No.”
“Don't be scared, I just changed species…”
“That's even worse.”
“So I'm a vampire, and that's because I decided to bleed on this weird looking ring, and it worked…” his voice trailed off at the end.
“...”
“I'm definitely getting bonked if I word it like that.”
“How do I tell this?”
“Maybe the internet knows…”
He scratched his head in frustration, then grabbed his phone from the nightstand and typed frantically in the search bar.
[How to tell your parents you are a vampire?]
[Did you mean: how to tell your parents you're a lawyer?]
“No! That'd be much easier, actually.”
[How do prank my parents that I'm a vampire…]
“I'm not pranking!”
[Treatments for delusional teens…]
“What the—”
[Just be honest about your feelings…]
“Feeling? I’m not confessing to my crush.”
“And my crush is a fictional character who died three hundred chapters ago, so not happening.”
[What to do if your kids are convinced they're vampires…]
“I'm not even married! Where am I supposed to get kids from?”
[Shopping for vampire outfits…]
“I can just ask mom to design me one, why do I need this?”
Asmodeus continued to scroll across the results, but none satisfied him.
“Arh… even internet doesn't know what to do, how will I know?”
Asmodeus had completely given up on finding a good search result on internet.
He closed his browser and threw his phone on the side of the bed.
“If someone got hold of my search history, I'm getting admitted back in the hospital.”
“Alright, final plan, I'll start with being a vampire, then when they say no, I'll show my blood petal…”
He paused for a moment.
“Hopefully a petal…”
“...”
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“I'll even take potato at this point…”
“Then they'll have to believe that I'm a vampire.”
“Best-case scenario, they believe me.
Worst-case scenario, I'm back in a hospital, just a different department.”
“I blame Crow for this.”
“But Crow is now a compost…”
“...”
“Still Crow's fault.”
Asmodeus stared at the ceiling in silence. His ears on the other hand picked up familiar sounds.
“...Madam, would you like…”
“...Is Vincent not home…”
Asmodeus sat up slowly, trying not to disturb his biopsy site.
“Oh… Mom's home…”
“And Dad's apparently late again.”
“Well it's still 5 p.m., he usually comes much later.”
He walked up to the door, rested his hand on the door handle, he stared at the closed door.
“...”
“Can I not tell? But Dad told, they'll wait until I'm ready, and it feels bad to not tell them…”
Asmodeus gritted his teeth, his grip on the handle tightened.
“...”
“Maybe… maybe it's better to wait till Dad comes home.”
“He'll only be an hour or two late anyway.”
“Yeah, that's better, then Dad'll prevent Mom from bonking me twice.”
With that, Asmodeus flopped back on his bed.
All alone, his thoughts kept drifting through multiple things, until they landed on the blood manipulation.
“I wonder how I'm even moving the blood. Is there something moving it for me?”
“And how can I put it back? Like if I used it then it should vanish right?”
“...”
“Did Christopher mention anything about it?”
“I only remember him saying something about it being innate and all that… and then he said something about nether and that I need to—”
He sprinted up from his bed.
“—WAIT! NETHER! THAT'S IT… ow ow!”
Asmodeus sat down, regretting the pain his sudden jump had brought upon his lower back.
“But nether might be the answer!”
“Though, what is it?”
“Ah… I'll have to go to subspace again…”
“I don't wanna, Crow doesn't explain stuff right…”
“Plus, I don't even seem to be going there physically. What happens if someone comes in?”
“Even if I lock the door, I don't know how the time there moves, what if I'm over half a day late? Then they'd be worried enough to consider breaking the door.”
Asmodeus left out a defeated sigh.
He stared at the ring on his finger.
It just stayed there, motionless, as if it was really an ordinary yet odd-looking ring.
“I have no other choice. I'll just have to go there, and hope for the best.”
“Hey, ring—”
He was interrupted with the opening of the door.
“Mm?”
“Asmo? What are you up to?” Cassandra asked with a confused expression.
“Oh um… nothing really, Mom.” Asmodeus gave a guilty smile.
‘Not now. I gotta wait till Dad comes home.’
His eyes darted towards Cassandra's hand.
“What's that?” He pointed at a plastic bag in Cassandra's hand.
“Oh this? Here.” she handed it to him, “This is for you. I promised you I'll get you some, didn't I?”
“What is it…?”
Asmodeus took out a bottle from it.
“Wait… sunscreen? Mom, thank you!”
Asmodeus launched himself at Cassandra, and she patted his head, with a practiced ease.
“There, there, kid. Calm down now.”
“Imma put it on the vanity so I won't forget to apply.”
“Alright, go ahead.”
Asmodeus walked away to his vanity.
Cassandra had to go back to her home workshop.
“Asmo,” she called out to him. “Wanna help me with the fitting?”
“Sure.”
Asmodeus had decided to put off the visit to the subspace.
They were both now in Cassandra's home workshop, and Asmodeus was trying on the clothes.
“The shoulder is too loose.”
“I guess you’re right, let me pin it.”
“NO! No needles!” Asmodeus immediately protested.
“I mean the binder clips, sweetie.”
“Oh.”
“Raise your arm a bit.”
“I can't raise it higher, the fabric tugs.”
“Can you walk a bit?”
“It's actually comfortable to walk in, Mom.”
They were both deep in work, while the clock quietly ticked behind them.
It was almost 8 p.m. when Vincent returned home, and shortly after that the family was having their dinner.
‘It seems I'm forgetting something, but what?’
“Puffer fish, is everything alright?”
“Hm? No, I feel like I forgot something.”
“Wasn't there some homework from your university, did you forget about that sweetie?”
“No, I already completed that and now Lucy hid it somewhere.”
“Then how are you going to submit it?”
“I made another for submission. And that's why now I'm jobless.”
Vincent let out a knowing sigh while Cassandra just shook her head.
“I guess I'll remember it later.”
The conversations moved and Asmodeus finally remembered.
‘Ah right, I'm a vampire and Mom and Dad gotta know.’
‘And how do I do that?’
He gulped and called out to Cassandra, who was sitting opposite to him.
“Um… Mom…”
“Hmm?”
“I… I was wondering if you finally got that fabric?”
‘THAT'S NOT WHAT I WANTED TO SAY! MY MOUTH'S A TRAITOR!’
“No…” Cassandra said with a defeated tone. “They keep saying they'll ship it but then they say there was a problem and try again tomorrow.
But, was that wh—”
“Cassy, why won't you try a different supplier?” Vincent cut her off.
“Because, this is the one I always go to. Perhaps, I should search for a different supplier this time.”
“You should do that.”
“Mom, do they always delay?”
“No, they are usually always on time. This is the first time something like this has happened.”
“Oh.”
‘Damn it, I couldn't tell.’
‘Maybe wait for servants to leave…’
A moment later, a servant had gone to bring the dessert. The other to get Vincent's drink.
‘Maybe now I tell them. But William is still here…’
‘Maybe William can know about it, but…’
“Um… Dad…”
“Hm?”
“That, I—
How was your day today?” Asmodeus gave a broken smile.
“Oh… well, it was busy as always. Right, you told me you were bored right? Wanna help with some paperwork?”
“Sure! And I demand ice cream.”
“I know, kid. I'll buy it for you.” Vincent sighed defeatedly.
‘Why do I keep saying stuff, that has nothing to do about vampires?’
‘Anyway, at least I won't be bored now.’
The dinner concluded and Asmodeus’ parents had retired to their room.
As for Asmodeus, he laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
He had already changed into his night pants, no shirt as always.
“Alright, I'll tell them tomorrow. That's better.”
“And I need evidence for that. I guess a blood potato will do.”
“Tomorrow, I gotta finish Dad's paperwork.”
“Then gather evidence.”
“Then explain.”
“Then don't get admitted to psychiatric ward.”
“...Hopefully in that order.”
Asmodeus turned over in his bed.
“It feels weird sleeping before midnight.”
The villa had gone quiet.
Asmodeus stared at the ring.
“It all started with this ring…”
“And now I forgot how to talk to Mom and Dad.”
“I even made Mom cry in the hospital, I feel like shit now.”
"Dad said they'll wait until I'm ready…”
“...but what if I never become ready?”
He still fell asleep in a few minutes.
***
Vincent and Cassandra were lying on the bed.
“Vince, do you think Asmo wanted to tell us something important?”
“I'm not sure. He seemed like he wanted to, but kept hesitating.”
“I almost asked him if it weren't for you interrupting me, Vince. It might have made it awkward for him, wouldn't it?” Cassandra laughed bitterly.
“It absolutely would have. Let's just wait for the kid,” Vincent said, turning the lamp off. “He'll be ready at some point.”
“And what if he never gets ready?” Cassandra smirked, while nudging her husband.
“Then we were probably never meant to know.”
“I guess you're right.” Cassandra laughed heartily.