Twilight: Darling of Volturi (YURI/GL)

A young, sweet voice drifted out from behind the golden doors.

The line of sight was blocked, preventing Sophie from seeing its owner. Yet from the voice alone, she could already tell it belonged to an extraordinary beauty.

As though she had heard Sophie' wish, the speaker took two graceful steps forward and revealed herself.

The girl was only slightly taller than Sophie. She possessed a rare pair of red eyes, while platinum-blonde hair had been woven into an intricate braid that rested elegantly beside her delicate face.

Her features were even more exquisite than the braid itself. Every eyelash looked as though it had been individually sculpted by a master artisan. Her breathtaking beauty should have felt overwhelmingly aggressive, yet the lingering traces of youthful innocence on her face softened that sharp perfection into something mesmerizing.

Perfect.

Perfect.

Sophie' mind instantly went blank.

She knew, with complete clarity, that her soul had just been struck by beauty itself.

She had once thought Irene was beautiful. Even after looking at her every day for three years, she had never grown tired of that face.

Then she had met Miss Heidi, and Irene had immediately become almost unpleasant to look at. Admittedly, personal feelings had played a part.

But the moment this girl appeared...

This magnificent face seemed to have been carved directly from the deepest recesses of Sophie' ideal sense of beauty. Even Heidi had been surpassed.

Although, of course, the kind Miss Heidi was still beautiful.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

After missing several beats, Sophie' heart finally remembered how to beat again.

The blonde beauty, however, completely ignored her.

Sophie' tiny hope vanished, and her heart ached.

She suddenly understood.

Beneath that sweet, youthful appearance hid a heart utterly indifferent to the world. She was someone who deserved to stand above all others in a magnificent hall, looking down upon ordinary mortals from an unreachable height.

"Jane, perfect timing!" The tour guide, Heidi, gestured toward the unusual human standing beside her.

"This girl isn't part of the tour group. Could you please escort her outside? You've already finished feeding today, haven't you?"

Jane gave the faintest nod.

"Of course. The newborns are far too noisy when they feed. I prefer a quieter environment." A faint trace of disdain entered her voice. "Though I doubt they'll be picky."

As she spoke those last words, Jane's gaze settled on the human girl.

She wrinkled her nose with obvious disgust, making it clear that she possessed an exceptionally sensitive sense of smell.

Embarrassment immediately washed over Sophie.

She instantly realized the girl could probably smell every unpleasant odor she had carried from the overcrowded tour bus.

She had remained there for far too long. Even the mountain breeze hadn't completely carried away the lingering scent.

"I'm sorry."

Sophie looked at the blonde girl with even greater sincerity and warmth. Her gaze was so earnest that it seemed she wanted to memorize Jane's face for the rest of her life.

"Please lead the way. Once we're outside, I'll buy something to eat first, then find somewhere to wash up immediately."

She tried her hardest to pour every ounce of pleading into her eyes.

Even Jane was momentarily distracted.

For the first time in a long while, she failed to reject a human immediately.

"I'll leave her to you, Jane!"

Taking advantage of Jane's brief hesitation, Heidi slipped gracefully back into the hall. The golden doors closed behind her.

Jane knew exactly what would happen inside those doors. Even with them shut, the sounds would eventually leak through.

"Follow me." Without waiting for a response, she uttered those two words and strode toward the exit.

Confused but obedient, Sophie hurried after her.

Jane had never cared to associate with humans.

The ones who approached her willingly were either followers or food.

As her master's most trusted guard, Jane had her own methods of obtaining meals.

The slaughter of unsuspecting tourists was merely a reward prepared for newborn vampires.

"Wait... please wait for me..."

A human's pace was simply too slow.

Sophie nearly lost sight of Jane after only two corners.

Jane stopped impatiently.

She possessed virtually no patience for humans.

Truthfully, she wasn't particularly patient with fellow vampires either.

Heidi, on the other hand, always understood boundaries remarkably well. She navigated human society with effortless ease despite being a vampire herself, and she maintained friendly relationships with most members of the Volturi.

That was probably related to her supernatural gift.

A vampire's gift.

Today, however, Heidi had asked Jane to inconvenience herself for the sake of an ordinary human.

That was highly unusual.

Even so, Jane had no intention of indulging Heidi.

She thought Heidi had completely lost her senses.

Only moments earlier, Jane had fully intended to shove the girl through those doors and add her to the feast.

Even if that embarrassed Heidi, would Heidi truly become angry over a mere human?

Of course not.

Yet somehow...

Jane found herself escorting the girl outside instead of killing her.

The journey was too short.

Even after deliberately slowing her pace, they soon arrived at the arched stone doorway.

"Thank you. It was nice meeting you." The human thanked her awkwardly.

Jane sneered.

"You're celebrating far too early."

Sophie placed both hands against one side of the stone door and pushed with all her strength. It didn't move in the slightest. Darkness began creeping into her vision again. Just as she prepared to try once more, the blonde girl stepped forward.

Jane casually placed a slender finger against the stone. With one hand, she effortlessly pushed the enormous door open.

Sophie stared in astonishment. Before she could properly see anything, dazzling sunlight flooded through the opening, forcing her eyes shut. A powerful shove struck her shoulder. She never saw Jane's movement, nor did she manage one last look at the face that had shaken her soul.

The stone doors closed once again. From beginning to end, Jane had never actually touched the human. Only the edge of her cloak brushed against Sophie' shoulder. Even so, the girl was sent stumbling forward as though she had been launched through the air.

Outside, bright sunlight illuminated the ancient city. Modern facilities once again surrounded the old architecture. The strange journey that had felt like crossing through time abruptly came to an end.

The brilliant sunlight restored Sophie' vision. Instinctively, she reached back and pushed against the stone doors. They remained perfectly still. It felt as though those doors separated not merely the inside from the outside, but another world from the present one.

For a fleeting moment, Sophie wondered if she had actually encountered the ghost of a princess who had lived within the palace a thousand years ago. Perhaps that was why the stone beneath her feet felt so ancient, and why the walls seemed to contain countless forgotten secrets.

A cool breeze brushed across her back. Sophie immediately turned around.

The first thing she saw was a chest clothed entirely in black. Resting against it hung a pendant shaped like a capital "V." The mysterious driver had appeared once again without making a sound. His expression was filled with disbelief.

"How did you come back out?" he asked. "Didn't you find the person you were looking for?"

If Sophie admitted she hadn't, she had the strange feeling the driver would simply reopen the stone doors and shove her back inside. Now that the mysterious feeling of traveling through time had faded, reality returned with the warmth of the afternoon sun.

She couldn't help complaining.

"They wanted tickets inside. I couldn't possibly cause trouble for Miss Heidi. There wasn't even a ticket booth outside. It looked just like one of those free tourist attractions."

The moment the driver heard Heidi's name, he abandoned any thought of forcing her back inside. He silently studied the girl as she continued muttering about admission tickets and free entry.

Then, without another word, he disappeared.

Just like that.

Sophie was left standing there alone.

Where did he go?

Silence settled over once more. She began wondering whether the driver had been an illusion as well. The mountain wind continued weaving between the old buildings.

Feeling a chill, Sophie slipped her hands into her pockets for warmth. Her fingers brushed against something. She pulled it out.

Two euro banknotes.

The same money Irene had tossed at her.

Those bills proved that everything which had happened inside the palace had been real.

Sophie had never loved euros more.

Even though she was about to spend every cent.

Dessert.

A hot dog.

An espresso.

Then somewhere to bathe and change into clean clothes.

Hunger...

Please leave me alone.

….

Behind the closed golden doors, when Irene saw that only Heidi entered the banquet hall alone, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

As Sophie' partner, Irene understood better than anyone how frightening Sophie' curiosity and determination truly were. Both of them had come from humble backgrounds. Both had endured impoverished childhoods. Their shared hardship had once been genuine.

More than once, Irene had sincerely imagined facing life's struggles together. Whenever reality became suffocating, producing videos in their spare time had eased some of life's misery. Sophie created the content, while Irene appeared on camera, wearing flawless makeup and presenting it like a television news anchor. On her personal social media accounts, she carefully cultivated the image of a beautiful, intelligent young woman, gradually attracting a modest following.

So when did everything changed?

Their third year together.

Sophie took a leave of absence from school to devote herself to growing their channel full-time. Their income skyrocketed. It became more than enough to cover all of their living expenses.

It should have been wonderful.

Irene's bank account grew healthier by the day.

Yet...

The more money she earned, the more anxious she became.

The rewards had become too great. Sooner or later, someone prettier than her would volunteer to replace her.

Sophie possessed an inexhaustible curiosity and an incredible drive to explore the unknown. Those qualities translated into astonishing learning ability. Even if her academic grades were merely average, there was no doubt she would eventually become someone extraordinary.

Whether it was jealousy or insecurity...

Even Irene couldn't say.

She simply knew one thing.

She wasn't someone who could walk beside Sophie forever.

Rather than waiting for the day Sophie discarded her, she might as well take one final payday and disappear.

Among her followers was the handsome son of a wealthy Spanish family. Irene had set her sights on him long ago. Pretending she needed investment funds for immigration, she tricked Sophie into handing over every cent she owned. By the time Sophie uncovered the lie, Irene had already transformed herself into a Sophieticated middle-class woman blessed with beauty, wealth, and intelligence. She was seated comfortably in first class, flying to Italy to meet her wealthy admirer.

Heidi stepped into the banquet hall. The smile lingering on her lips immediately caught Irene's attention.

"No one knows whether tomorrow or disaster will arrive first."

Heidi winked playfully. For some reason, every word she spoke sounded utterly convincing.

"So it's always best to repay the debts you owe while you still have the chance."

She smiled sweetly.

"Wouldn't you agree, Miss Irene?"

"Yes... you're right."

Irene nodded absentmindedly. She took out her phone. Opening Sophie' video channel, she found the donation button.

"I should return the money now instead of waiting until after I marry Raymond."

She entered the exact amount she had stolen from Sophie. Then she remembered the platform would deduct a percentage. So she added the share of the profits she had previously taken from Sophie as well. She donated every last euro.

With a quiet snort, Irene murmured,

"I don't owe you anything anymore, Sophie."

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