My Blood Legacy: Reincarnated as a Vampire

Velryna hesitated for a moment before accepting Dante's hand. He gently pulled her closer, and together they began walking through the park. The soft breeze tousled her newly colored hair as their slow steps echoed on the stone path cutting through the vast greenery.

For a while, they walked in silence. Velryna still seemed distant, her mind wandering between the shadows of her past and the uncertainties of the present. But Dante knew that sometimes, words needed space to be heard—and at that moment, he wanted Velryna to feel the tranquility around them before saying what needed to be said.

After a few minutes of walking, Dante glanced at her from the corner of his eye and finally broke the silence.

"You know... I've never really talked about this, but there's something I've always wanted you to know," he said.

Velryna looked up at him, surprised by the sudden seriousness in his voice. "What?"

He smiled, but this time it wasn't a smile of irony or teasing—it was a smile filled with something deeper. "About what you did for me."

She furrowed her brow, confused. "What did I do for you?"

Dante let out a small, nasal chuckle before replying. "Everything."

She blinked, unsure how to respond. Dante sighed and placed his hands in his pockets, gazing at the horizon as they continued walking.

"I guess it must've slipped your mind, but... I probably wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you." He turned his gaze to her, his eyes carrying a raw sincerity. "I died, Velryna. I died, and I had lost everything around me in an instant. I spent ten years trapped in some kind of incubator—seems easy to forget, but... you were the first person I saw after I died and came back to life." Dante said with a smile.

She felt her chest tighten, the weight of her own doubts threatening to cloud her words. "I... I don't know if I made that much of a difference."

Dante stopped and gently held her wrist, making her meet his gaze directly. "You made all the difference."

Velryna felt a slight blush rise on her skin, but she kept her gaze firm on his. "Why?"

Dante tilted his head slightly, as if gathering the right words before speaking. "Even though I tricked you by pretending to be a woman, something I truly regret, but I had no choice... Well, you saw me as a man. You were fair, knowing who I was, and that I wouldn't have done anything wrong, despite being named Demon King. You weren't afraid of me, you didn't pull away when I revealed myself. And at the same time, you were always by my side, even when I didn't deserve it."

She looked away for a moment, feeling strangely vulnerable. "I just did what I thought was right."

He smiled again, this time with an uncommon tenderness. "And that's exactly why you're so important to me."

The silence between them wasn't uncomfortable. It was filled with meaning, with unspoken words hanging in the air. Velryna felt her heart warm slightly, a sensation she hadn't experienced in a long time.

Dante resumed walking, gently pulling her along with him. "You know, I've never said this out loud, but there's a moment I've never forgotten."

She raised an eyebrow. "What moment?"

He smiled to the side, as if reliving the memory in his mind. "When your father died... He asked me to protect you with everything I had, and I feel like, in a way, I failed to honor his death."

Velryna's eyes widened slightly. She remembered that day well. The pain. The desperation. She remembered the day her father was gone... After everything... "Seeing you like this makes me a bit disappointed in myself, for leaving so many doubts in your mind." Dante smiled faintly, a smile... melancholic.

"Do you remember those moments?" he asked, his voice softer now.

She nodded slowly. "Of course I remember..." Dante stopped again and turned fully toward her. "I never thanked you for that."

Velryna crossed her arms and looked away. "You didn't need to thank me. I did it because..." She hesitated, searching for the right words. "…because I didn't want to lose you."

He took a step closer, closing the distance between them even more. "And I never wanted to lose you, let alone leave you like this."

She felt her heart race slightly but tried to maintain a neutral expression. "Then why didn't you say this before?"

Dante chuckled softly. "Because I'm probably a proud idiot. And because I never had time to rest a little and enjoy life the way it should be enjoyed, until now."

She couldn't help but smile slightly at that answer. He always knew how to break down her walls, even when she didn't want him to.

For a moment, they simply looked at each other. And in that moment, Velryna felt something different. It was as if the storm inside her was beginning to dissipate, as if the shadows of her insecurities were slowly being pushed away by the light of Dante's presence.

"So…" he said, taking her hand again. "How about we stop talking about the past for a while and actually enjoy this meeting properly?"

She raised an eyebrow, a small glimmer of curiosity appearing in her eyes. "And what exactly do you have in mind?"

Dante smiled mischievously. "Well, I've heard the human world has some pretty interesting things." He smiled. "How about we go to a festival? Did you know the West is now celebrating the end of the war?" Dante asked, grinning.

Velryna looked at him with a mix of surprise and amusement. A festival? She couldn't remember the last time she allowed herself to truly have fun without the shadow of responsibilities, without the constant vigilance of what could go wrong. She was so used to being on guard, worrying about what would come next, that the idea of something so light and joyful seemed almost strange.

"Are you serious?" she asked, curiosity taking over. "A festival? Now?"

"Yes, why not?" Dante replied, shrugging. "The war is over, which means people will gather to celebrate. Music, dancing, food... all the good stuff." He smiled, his eyes sparkling with an enthusiasm Velryna rarely saw in him. "I imagine you've never experienced anything like it. Just the two of us, no weight on us."

She hesitated for a moment, observing the way he looked at her. Something in his tone, something in his energy made her feel a slight wave of relief, as if the heavy clouds over her were starting to dissipate. It was like, for a moment, she could breathe without worrying about the future, without carrying the fears and losses that had always been present.

"Maybe it will be fun," she murmured, feeling something in her heart loosen. She was so used to fighting, to being in constant vigilance, that the simple act of being led by him to a place where joy was the only concern seemed almost like a transgression. But maybe it was exactly what she needed.

Dante pulled her closer, his smile now wide and contagious. "Then let's go, Velryna. Let's forget all of this for a while. Just the two of us, having fun, no pressure, no shadows."

She smiled back, something light and sincere, as if his invitation was offering her more than just a pause in time. It was a chance to start over, to live a little for herself.

"I accept," she said, the sparkle in her eyes now reflecting his enthusiasm. "But I hope you don't think I'll let you win at every game."

He laughed, the sound natural and joyful, as if life had found some lightness again. "Don't worry, Velryna. I accept all challenges."

As they walked away from the park, the path now illuminated by the promise of a new beginning, the sound of the wind and the falling leaves seemed softer, almost as if the world was smiling along with them.

[Heavenly Realm]

"Uriel." Strelitzia called to her daughter, who seemed lost in her thoughts, absorbed in questions that made her retreat into her own world. Uriel had always been a deep and introspective young woman, which often made things more complicated.

Sometimes, thinking too much wasn't a gift, but a prison.

"Yes, mother." Uriel replied, looking at Strelitzia, who let out a tired sigh.

"Go have some fun." Strelitzia ordered, her voice tinged with a hint of impatience.

"Huh?" Uriel blinked, not understanding the sudden shift in her mother's attitude.

"You heard me, daughter! Go to a festival, live a little! Stop being so responsible all the time. It's wearing me out! You're always so serious, always worrying about everything…" Strelitzia spoke casually, her voice filled with an almost exasperated tone.

"Mother, I don't…" Uriel tried to protest, but was cut off.

"Raphael!" Strelitzia called firmly, and soon a woman with pink hair appeared beside them, like a shadow, ready to follow any command.

"Yes, mom?" Raphael answered, with a soft smile, her presence always calm and serene.

"Take your sister to have some fun! I can't stand seeing that serious expression on her face anymore!" Strelitzia said, her voice showing that her patience was running thin.

Raphael looked at Uriel, a playful smile touching her lips. "Alright, mom. Let's go, Uriel. A little fun never hurt anyone."

Uriel looked at her mother, then at Raphael, clearly surprised. "I… but I was just thinking about responsibilities…"

"I know," Raphael interrupted, gently placing a hand on her sister's shoulder. "But sometimes, life needs a little more lightness. Let's help you forget those responsibilities for a while."

Their mother watched from a distance, her eyes shining with joy as she saw her daughter, even if reluctantly, being pulled into a moment of joy, away from the constant pressure she herself placed on Uriel's shoulders.

"Have fun, girls! And don't come back looking like you've been run over by a celestial army, alright?" Strelitzia called out, before giving a satisfied smile.