The Night Belongs to the Moon | Taeyong

8 | Frozen Blood

Taeyong and Dal-ae never spoke of that night in the weeks that followed. The two kept to their formal relationship, speaking only what was necessary, and soon found themselves fallen into a routine.

Every morning Dal-ae reported to Taeyong's chamber, escorted his consort out of the bedroom, made the bed, cleared out the goblets of blood (which had been increasing day by day), then lay Taeyong's clothes on a rack and waited by the window. Since that night, not once had Taeyong asked her to wash him, dry him or dress him, and Dal-ae had never asked to do so as well. She would be dismissed almost immediately after Taeyong stepped out of the shower and would not be called to his room until next morning to repeat the same.

In the centuries that he had walked this world, this was the first time that Taeyong had lost control with a human. There had been several moments where he had craved human blood to the point of desperation but it never mattered who the blood came from. But that night, he craved not only Dal-ae's blood but her. Every inch of him yearned for her. He wanted to bathe himself in her essence till all that remained in his world was her.

Before taking Dal-ae as his Familiar, he had resolved to two things. First, that he would never drink from her and second, that he would never take her to bed. Having already broken the first rule, he was afraid that he would not be able to keep the second either.

As for Dal-ae, she never sought the reason behind her Master's arousal that night nor the reason behind his anguished desperation for her blood, and whether the moment when Taeyong moaned her name was real or not, remained a mystery – Taeyong did not say anything and she did not ask.

This morning was no different. Dal-ae woke up in the early morning hours, which had started to remain dark owing to the approaching winter, then dressed herself in her uniform with the addition of a short jacket for the slight chill. She tied her hair in a low ponytail in the same manner that Taeyong had done for her on the day they visited the Court Palace.

As usual, Dal-ae escorted the female consort, covered in red marks all over her neck, out of the room while Taeyong was in the shower. After changing the sheets on the bed, she carefully laid out his clothes and shoes on the rack and took her position beside it. Some moments later, Taeyong walked out of the shower, in a bathrobe wrapped around his body.

'Good morning, Dal-ae,' he said, distracted.

'Good morning, Master,' Dal-ae replied and lowered her gaze away from his naked body.

'Can you receive Jaehyun in the saloon for me, I'll get dressed and join you.'

'Yes, Master.' Dal-ae bowed before walking out.

Upon reaching the entrance of the saloon, Dal-ae found the door already opened and the guest that she was supposed to receive already seated inside. But he was not alone.

'Tch, the Head of Staff doing menial jobs,' Jaehyun remarked. 'Is there nobody else who can place goblets of blood for the guests or do you want to seize this chance to be near me?'

The Head of the Staff of the Mansion was Doyoung and the moment the other person spoke, Dal-ae knew it was him.

'Can you shut your mouth,' Doyoung hissed.

'Why don't you make me? You know very well how to,' Jaehyun said and a silence fell inside.

Dal-ae was still outside with her hand on the doorknob. But hearing this, she stopped and stepped away. Fortunately, she was spared from making a decision when she heard a third voice.

'Good morning Jaehyun.' It was Taeyong who had just descended into the saloon from the other entrance.

'Good morning, my Lord' Jaehyun replied.