Codename Vestia - Chapter 5

“Camar? That’s an odd name.”

 

Doyeong said.

 

It was difficult to identify her nationality just by her name. However, given her red eyes, she must have lived for a long time. She could have been born in a country that had already disappeared.

 

“Odd?”

 

Camar tilted her head at the unfamiliar word. Doyeong was a little surprised at how innocent she looked. When she was fighting him, she looked scarier than anyone else.

 

Doyeong said it again in simple words.

 

“It’s strange.”

“Not strange.”

 

Camar immediately showed a sad expression. She seemed to have more personality than he had expected.

 

“Fine. I’m sorry.”

 

Doyeong didn’t want to scuffle much, so he politely apologized. Then Camar asked sensibly.

 

“You?”

 

Doyeong looked at Camar.

 

She had an innocent-looking face, but he couldn’t tell what she meant, so he couldn’t reveal his identity hastily. All of this could be a trap, and she could’ve been an informant sent to dig up information from him.

 

“Ismael.”

 

So he deliberately used a pseudonym.

 

“Strange name.”

 

But Camar said just that. Doyeong kneaded his temples.

 

“This rascal is for real.”

“That is not your name.”

 

Camar said calmly. Doyeong was surprised, but he asked calmly without showing much expression.

 

“Why do you think so?”

 

Camar then opened the crossbody bag, rummaged through it, and pulled out a familiar object. It was Doyeong’s wristband. There was only half of it left, probably damaged during the fight, but it was definitely his.

 

“Your real name is… .”

 

Doyeong got nervous as Camar spoke slowly. Camar flipped the band over to reveal the dog tag.

 

“Lieutenant.”

 

<t major(소령)>

[소령: Lieutenant Commander or Major in Korean]

 

The wristband was cut on the part where his name was supposed to be. Camar pointed at it and said with a triumphant expression.

 

“Don’t think of lying. I know everything. Lieutenant.”

“Oh, of course.”

 

She was a bit dumber than he thought.

 

Perhaps it’s because she didn’t know the word ‘lieutenant’ itself, but in any case, it was fortunate for Doyeong.

 

“Do you live on this island?”

 

Doyeong changed the topic, and Camar nodded her head.

 

“Umm.”

“Alone?”

“Umm.”

 

When Doyeong looked around, it was like a deserted island.

 

“Why? Don’t you feel distressed?”

 

Even if this island was a little far from the mainland, a vampire would have been able to escape somehow either by swimming or building a huge raft. However, Camar didn’t answer.

 

Doyeong had asked why, but she replied with a different answer.

 

“I live here.”

 

Doyeong thought that Camar didn’t understand the word ‘distress’ and said it again.

 

“Distress is…”

“Eat food.”

 

Camar suddenly pushed the food from the bamboo basket in front of Doyeong. Doyeong tried to speak again.

 

“So why are you here alone…”

“You have to eat. To be ha…thy?”

 

Camar tilted her head to see if her pronunciation was confusing.

 

‘She has no intention of answering.’

 

Doyeong realized. And there should be a reason for that. So, for now, he decided to take a step back and say the words properly instead.

 

“Healthy.”

“Healthy.”

 

Camar smiled broadly and recited the word. When she was expressionless, it felt like she was out of this world, but when she smiled, she looked like the gentlest dog. Doyeong was amazed.

 

‘How cute.’

 

Then he almost kicked himself for thinking that way spontaneously.

 

In front of him was a vampire, although these days, the word ‘vampire’ itself is misleading as vampires don’t drink blood anymore.

 

Anyway, he was hungry because Camar came late. No matter what he was trying to do, he had to eat first. So, Doyeong held out his arms that were tied with a rope.

 

“Come on, release me.”

 

Camar shook her head.

 

“No.”

“Do you think I can run with this leg?”

 

He didn’t know if there’s anywhere else to run, but Camar was still adamant.

 

“Don’t move. Hurt. Have to be still.”

 

It sounded like she was telling him to stay still because it would hurt when he moved, but he had to apologize, he wasn’t going to let her decide whether or not to move. Doyeong raised one eyebrow.

 

“Release me while I’m saying it nicely.”

 

Camar shook her head, and Doyeong said again.

 

“Release me.”

 

Camar seemed timid, but she still stubbornly shook her head. Doyeong sighed.

 

“Then how am I going to eat like this?”

 

Then Camar suddenly showed an expression of having a good idea.

 

“I feed you?”

 

Doyeong buried his forehead in his hands.

 

How did he happen to be caught on a deserted island by a vampire wearing an ‘I ♡ NY’ t-shirt? He didn’t know the exact time, but if he had told himself about 30 hours ago that he would be in this situation, Doyeong would have laughed out loud.

 

From the moment the bomb exploded at the mission site, it was like an experiment to see how bad his luck could go.

 

Doyeong sighed and shook his head while Camar waited patiently.

 

“Look here.”

 

While Doyeong was contemplating his rotten luck, Camar was focusing on him, like a child who heard the teacher calling ‘attention’.

 

“You’re a vampire. I’m a human. Correct?”

 

Camar nodded her head as Doyeong continued.

 

“I don’t know how long you’ve lived here, but you must know the terrain here, while I don’t. Did you understand so far?”

 

Camar nodded again. Doyeong pointed to his leg that had been secured with a splint.

 

“And my leg is this way thanks to your kick.”

“Sorry.”

 

Camar sincerely apologized, but Doyeong shook his head.

 

“I’m not asking for an apology, but what are you so afraid of that you have to tie me up?”

“Uh… .”

 

When Camar pondered about it, he wondered if she would release him from his restraints. Then suddenly, she picked up the bowl and stuck out a piece of flatbread, baked without yeast, that looked like Indian naan, and said determinedly.

 

“No.”

 

Doyeong swallowed the curse in his mouth. He’s so done with this.

 

“Eat.”

 

Camar shoved the slice of bread in front of his mouth. Doyeong looked at the bread and had no choice but to eat it. Firstly because he was hungry, and his leg had to get better.

 

However, after eating the bread, an unexpected discovery was found.

 

“Is it okay?”

 

Doyeong, as a Frenchman, had high standards for bread. As long as he said that ‘it’s okay’, it meant that it would be able to sell well anywhere.

 

Camar looked proud and gestured with both hands, mimicking a burning fire.

 

“Bake bread. Fire… Uhh, hot.”

“Are you talking about an oven?”

“Oven?”

“The thing used to bake the bread.”

“Umm. There is one. I made it.”

 

In any case, it seemed obvious that she had lived on this island for quite a while, enough to make an oven. She didn’t look like an informant who had just been planted.

 

Camar tore some more bread and held it out. Doyeong took it. They did this a few more times, but Camar, who was looking at him with a curious gaze, suddenly said this.

 

“Like a dog.”

 

Doyeong paused.

 

“This rascal, for real…!”

 

Doyeong hit Camar’s chin with his head like a launched rocket. It did not matter that she was a vampire, Camar fell backward because she was hit by the jaw, which is a vital point, and because she was not prepared.

 

Ding. Da-lang!

 

Dropped dishes and food rolled on the floor with a loud noise. Doyeong covered his head and shouted.

 

“Who am I to be so bothered by such a thing, just like a child? But still, a dog?”

 

Camar had a surprised face. She kneaded her chin and muttered.

 

“Hit me with the head.”

 

Meanwhile, Doyeong shouted, unable to go any further with his limbs struggling, being tied to the rope.

 

“Remove this! Let me go! I’ll show you what a real crazy dog is!”

 

Camar looked at Doyeong with a shocked face, then got up and ran away. Doyeong shouted behind her.

 

“Where are you going, you rascal!”

 

***

 

Doyeong lied down and summarized what he had learned so far.

 

‘Name, Camar. Race, vampire. Nationality, unknown. Age, unknown. About 24 or 25 in appearance. Her red eyes make her at least 400 years old. Peculiarity, living alone on a deserted island. But still not sure if she’s truly alone.’

 

No matter how hard he tried, that was all he knew for now. He couldn’t find out anything past that because he had not unleashed his manly charm. He should’ve flirted with her a little bit earlier, but his anger surged unconsciously.

 

He didn’t feel guilty about hitting the woman. Where does she fall into the category of ‘old’ or ‘weak’? Compared to that vampire, he was the one who ought to be treated like an old man. Still, he had thought he was going to die from hitting Camar using his head.

 

That aside, Doyeong still couldn’t trust the unknown vampire. She had a cute face, but nobody knew what she was hiding inside.

 

Furthermore, there was a different problem now.

 

“Damn, what about the bathroom?”

 

Doyeong grumbled.

 

Despite being caught and bound by an unknown vampire in an unknown situation, human physiology was truly honest. What’s more, his stomach had the ability to digest 10,000 calories a day when he was at his best.

 

The door swung open and Camar appeared.

 

“You want to go to the bathroom?”

 

Doyeong was surprised because he thought Camar had gone somewhere else.

 

“What are you—? Were you in front this whole time?”

“Umm, I was.”

 

That means that they were currently living a scene where a couple had a fight and one of them had run out. But in the end, because there was nowhere to go, the person merely sat in front of the house and shivered outside, like a husband smoking a cigarette. Moreover, she had such a good hearing and seemed to have heard Doyeong muttering.

 

Doyeong raised himself using abdominal strength.

 

***

 

The night sky was so damn beautiful. Alphonse Daudet must have written ‘Star’ while looking at the night sky like this.

[Alphonse Daudet was a French novelist.]

 

Come to think of it, I can’t remember the last time I looked up at the night sky so leisurely.

 

Perhaps it was when I was studying in the dormitory in the sixth grade, when I needed cold air for a while. He looked up at the sky with a sigh. Or was it when I was out on a mission. His gaze stopped momentarily at the night sky while waiting for nature’s call.

 

Looking back, he lived a very hard life. He studied as a trainee to become an officer, and as a special forces soldier, the time and effort he put into his studies was infinite.

 

After such efforts, I’m now doing this in the grass of a deserted island.

 

“I’ve truly lived my life.”

 

Doyeong grabbed his pants and buckled them, looking around quickly with his eyes. There was not much that the human eyes could see in the dark forest, but he still did so to gather information about anything.

 

At that moment, the rope that bound Doyeong’s wrist was tugged. And Camar asked loudly from beyond the bushes.

 

“Done?”

 

Doyeong rolled his eyes.

 

“Wait a moment.”

 

And limped out of the bush. Camar was standing there while holding the end of the rope that tied Doyeong. Then Doyeong asked,

 

“Who do you have an appointment with? Why are you rushing?”