After escorting the Finnish coven out of Volterra, the Guard returned to the castle to enjoy the fresh feast Heidi had prepared for them. The burning thirst that had built up after going so long without feeding was finally extinguished, and once their hunger had been satisfied, everyone gradually dispersed to pursue their own plans.
Dimitri was still full of energy and immediately began organizing a hunting trip to Florence. Alec, however, still had the promise he had made weighing on his mind, so he politely declined with an excuse. Since Alec wasn't going, Jane naturally had no interest in leaving him behind, and she rejected Dimitri's invitation without the slightest hesitation.
It seemed Felix was the only one willing to indulge Dimitri's enthusiasm. Not wanting the secret to be exposed too soon, Alec quietly persuaded his sister instead. "Just think of it as taking a walk on my behalf, Jane." After studying him for a moment, Jane finally relented and gave a small nod.
The twins exchanged their customary kiss on the cheek before parting. Alec waited until the others were about to leave before casually asking, "Is there anything you want me to pass on to Sophie?"
"No." Jane looked at him strangely.
"Why are you suddenly so concerned about her?" Alec answered without missing a beat.
"The newborn period is always difficult." Jane's expression remained indifferent. "If she causes any trouble, just throw her into the dark room."
The moment those words left her mouth, even Dimitri sensed that something was terribly wrong. He exchanged a subtle glance with Alec before wisely choosing to remain silent. Although Dimitri usually talked far more than anyone else, when it came to important secrets, he could keep his mouth firmly shut.
Only the straightforward Felix remained blissfully unaware of the atmosphere.
"All right." Alec smiled calmly. "I trust Sophie won't cause any trouble. I'll send some blood from the cold storage to her later."
Then, with deliberate emphasis, he added,
"Dimitri... make sure you all stay out for a while."
Once Felix, Jane, Dimitri, and the others had departed, Alec immediately hurried toward the storage vault to gather suitable materials for Sophie's gift. Some types of paper were expensive merely because of their complicated manufacturing process, yet they weren't actually practical for vampires and proved difficult to preserve over long periods.
After carefully comparing several options, Alec ultimately chose high-quality wood-free paper for the inner pages. Once the contents were finished, they could bind everything inside a durable coated-paper cover, achieving both practicality and elegance.
After selecting the paper, Alec stopped by the cold storage and picked up five bags of blood, intending to deliver them to Sophie together with the notebook materials. But he still couldn't explain the truth behind Jane's sudden behavior. If Sophie questioned him, he would only create even greater complications.
After thinking it over, Alec immediately decided that, for the next several days, he would remain inside his own territory and avoid seeing Sophie altogether. Instead, he summoned one of the roaming guards and entrusted both the supplies and the blood to them for delivery.
….
Over the following days, Sophie stayed alone in her room, completely absorbed in designing the contents of her gift.
Jane never came to retrieve the sketchbook.
Likewise, repairing the broken necklace remained postponed indefinitely. Much like Sophie herself, it seemed to have been quietly abandoned in a forgotten corner, no longer occupying anyone's thoughts.
Suppressing every distracting emotion, Sophie devoted herself wholeheartedly to completing the first draft of her illustrated combat manual. Looking at it through the eyes of a beginner, she found herself rather satisfied with the result. Still, if she wanted to refine it into something worthy of becoming a gift, she needed someone experienced to review it and point out any flaws.
Who should I ask?
After considering it for a while, she realized it hardly mattered.
She could simply visit the training grounds and ask the first suitable person she encountered.
Fortunately...
Luck was on her side today.
At the training grounds built around the mountain stream behind the castle, Sophie found Felix training alongside two of his subordinates.
"Sophie!" Felix greeted her with his usual booming enthusiasm.
"I'm glad to see you're still alive."
Not every newborn vampire survived long enough to complete the newborn period. Seeing Sophie standing there healthy and unharmed genuinely pleased him.
"I'm honored by your concern, Felix." Sophie smiled without the slightest offense.
"I don't think I'm dying anytime soon."
She had long since grown accustomed to the Volturi's rather morbid greetings. Trading a few sarcastic remarks before sharing a laugh suited both of them perfectly. Felix's personality was wonderfully straightforward. His words meant exactly what they sounded like, without hidden meanings or elaborate schemes. Compared with speaking to Alec, conversations with Felix were refreshingly simple.
Felix dismissed the two guards with a wave before walking over to her.
"Want to spar?"
"Not today."
Sophie reached into her pocket and pulled out a notebook, waving it lightly.
"I actually came to ask for your help with something else." Then she added with a smile. "Keep it secret."
"I'll do my best." Felix answered honestly.
"But if Aro decides to read my memories..." He shrugged helplessly. "Then there won't be much I can do."
The two of them sat cross-legged on the grass beside the flowing stream.
Felix opened the notebook.
Inside were page after page of everything Sophie had learned about close-quarters combat, carefully organized into concise explanations. She had paid particular attention to highlighting the techniques that differed from Caius's teachings. Every important movement was accompanied by simple stick-figure illustrations, each little character wearing exaggeratedly funny expressions that somehow made the technical explanations surprisingly entertaining.
As Felix read, he found himself chuckling more than once.
Sophie simply waited patiently, eager to hear the opinion of her very first reader.
"It's excellent." Felix closed the notebook with an approving nod. "It's easy to understand."
He tapped the cover thoughtfully.
"If the Guard ever recruits smaller female members in the future, this could genuinely serve as a training manual."
Sophie smiled but immediately pressed further.
"Now give me some criticism."
Felix considered the request seriously before eventually offering a suggestion.
"How about translating it into Italian?" He looked at her matter-of-factly. "Everyone here speaks English well enough... but Italian is still our first language."
Sophie's expression immediately became troubled.
"I..." She laughed awkwardly. "I don't know Italian."
After thinking for a moment, however, she slowly nodded.
"But you're right. Italian would make much more sense." A determined look appeared in her eyes.
"Maybe I should sign up for an intensive language course."
Sitting around reading books wasn't exactly Felix's favorite pastime. He handed the notebook back before rising smoothly to his feet.
"So..." He grinned. "How about a match?"
"If you beat me..." He lowered his voice conspiratorially. "I'll secretly take you hunting in Florence."
During the several days Sophie had spent working on her manuscript, she hadn't had a chance to feed even once. Her usually red eyes had gradually darkened with hunger.
"That wouldn't be fair." She shook her head with a helpless smile. "I'm too hungry right now."
Her gaze wandered toward the trees lining the stream, where countless branches stretched overhead, covered with fresh young leaves in shades of tender yellow and deep emerald green.
"Let's compete..." A mischievous smile slowly spread across her face. "...at something else."
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