Master of Lust

In his defensive reflex, Rick misinterpreted Evelina's intent, assuming she was after the pill. His hand moved swiftly, evading what he thought was an attempt to snatch the pill from him.

But before he knew it, Evelina had actually struck him in the back of his head. She actually just wanted to slap him and did not even look at the pill in his hand.

"Why are you always so theatrical? Can't you be serious for once?" Evelina asked.

"Did you just hit me?" Rick's eyes widened in disbelief as he turned to face Evelina, his hand instinctively rubbing the spot where he had been struck. "Did you seriously hit me?"

"I did, so what?" Evelina retorted, her defiance unwavering. "I am already older than you. I can do whatever I want and punish naughty little brats like you."

"Little brat? Fuck you," Rick cursed, the sting of the unexpected slap fueling his anger. "Where is all your confidence coming from? Till yesterday you were like a scared little lamb, walking on eggshells around me. And now look at you." Rick's surprise was palpable.

"You made me understand, 'BOY'. There is no need for me to live a suffocated life, always in fear," Evelina, undeterred by Rick's outburst, stepped closer, her voice lowering to a whisper, "I can be whoever I want, however I want."

Ding!

[Love: +1]

Rick scratched his head in bewilderment when the notification popped up, 'Love point acquired?' He furrowed his brows, thinking, 'Wait, I don't remember any quest or choice related to this.'

And with that with confusion in his eyes, Rick turned to look at Evelina and quickly opened the system.

[

Name: Evelina Bloodthorne

Age: 28 years

Carnal Calibrator: 65/100

Romance Radar: 01/10

]

The Romance Radar had indeed increased for Evelina, and even her Carnal Calibrator was at 65. But Carnal Calibrator was something Rick had watched go up and down plenty of times, so he was not that concerned about it. But this was the first time, Romance Radar, something more concrete had gone up just like that.

[Why are you being paranoid? Not only the choices from the system, but your own choices affects the people around you]

[You are your own person, you know]

'If I wanted condescension, I wouldd have requested it. So, thanks but no thanks. Can we have some quiet for a bit?,' Rick quickly shut the system up, but his tiny bit of doubt has been cleared.

Rick, rubbing the back of his head, regarded Evelina with a mixture of astonishment and irritation. "You could have just asked me to be serious, you know. Didn't need to resort to violence."

"I just needed to shake you out of that dramatic mindset of yours," Evelina, undeterred, crossed her arms and shot back, "Sometimes a slap is the only thing that gets through your thick skull. Maybe you will start taking things seriously now."

"Whatever," Rick dismissed the topic with a nonchalant wave, flinging a small, dark brown pill in Evelina's direction, where she deftly snagged it from the air.

Evelina looked at the pill and there was a surprised frown on her face, "What is this?"

"It's the cure for your grandmother," Rick replied, "Mix it up in methanol and give it to her. Trust me, she will be back on her feet in no time."

Evelina's brow furrowed as she accepted the pill from Rick's outstretched hand. Her eyes moved from the dark brown capsule to Rick, and a puzzled frown crept onto her face. "Do you even know what methanol is?" she questioned, her tone flat and devoid of emotion. "It's poisonous if you don't know that, even for vampires. Are you trying to kill my grandmother?"

Rick hesitated, his confidence momentarily shaken by Evelina's pointed inquiry. "Well, yeah, I am aware," he admitted with a touch of uncertainty. "But hey, it is the cure, or at least that's what I have 'read'. What can I say?"

Evelina's skepticism grew deeper, and she gave Rick a long, assessing look, mulling over his words. After a beat of silence that seemed to stretch, she decided to shake things up, "Hang on a sec," she said, pivoting away from Rick.

Rick observed as Evelina waved down a passing guard. The guard, all stone-faced, ambled over, ready for whatever she needed. Evelina's voice remained flat as she spoke to the guard. "Get me some Methanol."

With a nod, the guard vanished, leaving the room hanging in suspense. Rick squirmed, now that he thought more about serving Methanol to the old granny. Meanwhile, Evelina had now completely made her mind. Evelina, seemingly unfazed, held her ground, waiting for the guard's return. The tension hung thick in the air.

Not too long after, the guard came back, clutching a bottle of Methanol like it was the secret sauce to life. Evelina snatched it from him, not bothering with a nod or a "thanks." Her attention was a one-way street aimed straight at the job. She pivoted back to Rick, Methanol cradled in her grip.

"Okay, tell me, how much Methanol do we need?" she quizzed, her tone a flatline, an emotional desert.

At the sound of Evelina's query, Rick's eyes did the whole widening routine, like a light bulb flickering to life. It hit him square in the face - he forgot to ask the Rabbit about it, and the furry informant was in too much of a hurry to give him any hint either. Urgency slammed into him, and he fumbled for an answer.

'Damn it, I totally spaced on asking the Rabbit about that,' Rick admitted in his frustration-soaked mental monologue.

"I, um... don't have a clue." Rick told Evelina.

Evelina's expression remained unchanged, her gaze unwavering. "So, we are just supposed to guess, huh?"

Rick scratched his head, a nervous laugh escaping him. "Yeah, I guess so. I mean, this is the cure, but I don't have a manual or anything."

Evelina sighed, her frustration palpable. "Great. Just great. We are playing a guessing game with my grandmother's life."

Under the palpable weight of Evelina's skepticism, Rick took a stab at playing the reassuring card. "Hey, I understand your hesitation. It's a bit of a shot in the dark. But if there's even a slim chance that this Methanol thing can make a difference for your grandma, wouldn't you want to take the chance?"

Evelina's stare intensified, her eyes digging into Rick's soul for any hint of sincerity. "And what if it backfires? What if it ends up making things worse?"

Rick's shoulders slumped, a helpless vibe oozing from his casual shrug. "Look, I don't have all the answers. I am just trying to make the best call with the cards we have been dealt."

Evelina, still holding the bottle of Methanol, stared at Rick for a moment, contemplating the choices before her. Finally, she spoke, her voice steady but tinged with hesitation. "Fine. We will do it. But if anything goes wrong, it's on you."

The room fell into a tense silence as Evelina poured the murky brown Methanol solution into a glass, the dissolving pill transforming the liquid into an unsettling mixture. Her eyes flickered towards her family, a momentary hope lingering that someone might intervene, that someone might stop her from going through with what felt like an audacious act.

Yet, all she found were encouraging smiles, silently pushing her to carry out the desperate attempt.

With a resigned sigh, Evelina approached her grandmother, the glass of Methanol clutched tightly in her hand. She hesitated for a moment, her eyes meeting those of the old lady lying on the bed. There was a hint of vulnerability in Evelina's expression, a silent plea for understanding, as if she sought permission from her grandmother for the unconventional remedy.

Opening her mouth, the old lady remained still, her frail form vulnerable to the choices being made. Evelina slowly poured the Methanol into her grandmother's mouth, the liquid disappearing into the aged body. The room held its breath, the weight of uncertainty pressing on everyone present.

As the seconds stretched into minutes, the room remained silent, the only sound the muted breaths of those waiting. The old lady lay motionless on the bed, and doubt crept into the minds of those who had pinned their hopes on this unconventional cure.

"Is she dead?" Michelle's voice cut through the silence, a question tinged with anxiety and fear. Evelina, her eyes flashing with a mixture of frustration and worry, turned her glare towards Rick.

"Don't accuse me," Rick protested, his voice defensive. "There was always some amount of risk. We didn't have a guarantee."

Evelina, frustration evident in her expression, walked towards her grandmother. Her steps were slow, hesitant, each one echoing the anxiety in the room. As she approached the bedside, she tried to gauge any sign of life in the old lady.

Reaching out, Evelina attempted to feel for her grandmother's breath. The room held its breath with her, the collective tension almost suffocating. Just as Evelina's hand hovered close to her grandmother's chest, a sudden movement startled them all.

The old lady's eyes shot open.

* * * * *

[A/N: Second day of Ban :( ]