MY SUGAR MUMMY IS A BEAUTIFUL VAMPIRE

Chapter 181: Blood over matter

He turned and began striding down the corridor, not deigning to look back and see if she obeyed. For a long moment, there was only resentful silence behind him. Then, the faint sound of rustling skirts reached his ears as Rose hurried to catch up, her expression caught between anger and resignation.

"Any try to lure me back into your lair for nefarious purposes, and so help me..." she growled warningly.

Damien barked a laugh despite himself. "Yes, because ravishing you amidst your lethargy and insolent poutings has always been my greatest fantasy," he drawled sarcastically, delighting in the way her cheeks flushed crimson.

"You insufferable wretch!" Rose fumed, struggling to match his long strides with her shorter legs. "Just you wait until this child arrives safely, then you'll see precisely where my priorities lie!"

"Pipe down and save your idle threats," Damien chuckled, leading Rose through the winding castle corridors towards the main dining hall. "You'll need your energy for more productive pursuits...like eating every scrap of food I put in front of you."

Rose opened her mouth - likely to deliver another biting retort - but her stomach chose that moment to betray her with another insistent growl. She snapped her jaw shut with an audible click, shooting Damien a venomous glare from the corners of her eyes.

Despite her obvious ire, she allowed him to usher her into the high-ceilinged dining chamber without further protest. As they entered, a handful of servants bustled about, promptly freezing in their tasks at the sight of their masters.

Damien waved them off brusquely. "Prepare a feast worthy of foreign dignitaries," he commanded. "And see that it's done promptly - the lady's hunger will not be kept waiting,"

The servants bobbed hasty bows and scurried away to fulfill his order. Rose watched them go with a mix of haughty disdain and poorly-concealed longing, as though she weren't certain whether to be offended or grateful that vittles were being provided.

"You needn't look so downtrodden," Damien remarked, taking his seat at the head of the long dining table. "This is meant as a kindness, not an indignity."

Rose seemed to consider his words for a moment before squaring her shoulders in a transparent attempt to regain her regal composure.

"I require no 'kindness' from you, my dear prince," she said stiffly, settling into a seat several chairs down from him. "I am more than capable of seeing to my own needs."

The bald-faced lie might have been more convincing had her stomach not punctuated the statement with yet another insistent gurgle of emptiness. Rose flushed again, shooting Damien a defiant look as though daring him to remark on it.

He simply shook his head in exasperation. "For someone so keen on reminding me that you require no coddling, you certainly do relish every opportunity to be bullheaded and contrary."

"I am not a member of your docile little harem to be ordered about as you please!" Rose shot back hotly.

Before Damien could counter, a small army of servants began parading into the chamber, bearing heavy silver platters and crystal decanters. They set about arranging a dizzying array of cuisine along the table - thick trenchers of hearty bread and roasted meats, bowls of fresh vegetables and pungent cheeses, even a few delicately crafted desserts.

The rich, savory aromas wafting from the food were enough to make Damien's mouth water, despite his lack of hunger for mortal fare. For Rose, however, the effect was even more pronounced - her eyes widened almost comically, and he could have sworn a thin line of drool began to leak from the corner of her parted lips.

Sensing an opportunity to rob her of the sniping retorts, at least temporarily, Damien waved a hand grandly at the groaning table.

"Well? You've hardly touched a crumb in days from the looks of it. Best not let this incredible spread go to waste on my account."

Rose swallowed hard, her earlier bluster deflating as her hunger clearly overwhelmed her body's rarer need for vampiric sustenance. With jerky, almost furtive movements, she reached out and began filling her plate with hearty portions of every dish within reach.

Once she had assembled a towering mound of comestibles, she paused, casting Damien a sidelong glance that was the slightest bit sheepish. When he merely arched an expectant brow, she seemed to rally, lifting her chin in a transparent attempt at decorum as she grasped a fork.

And then...she devoured.

Rose attacked the food with a voracity that was almost startling, her movements swift and efficient as she shoveled forkfuls of meat and vegetables into her mouth with an almost ravenous hunger. It was as though she had been starved for days, her body craving the sustenance of mortal fare to fill the void within her.

As she ate, the tension that had been simmering between Damien and Rose seemed to dissipate, replaced by the simple satisfaction of indulging in a hearty meal. The servants watched in stunned silence, their eyes wide with disbelief at the sight of the normally aloof Lady Rose devouring her food with such gusto.

As Rose continued to devour the array of human food before her, a sense of bewilderment settled in her mind. It was not lost on her that Damien had chosen to present her with mortal fare instead of the blood she typically consumed. It was an unexpected gesture, one that left her feeling both puzzled and strangely grateful.From Damien's perspective, however, the decision was a simple one.

He knew Rose was a passive consumer of blood over the years and assumed she would have no interest in the wine and food of his people. His intention was not to deny her blood, but rather to offer her a choice, albeit one he expected her to decline.

In truth, Damien had not given much thought to the implications of his actions. His mind was preoccupied with other matters, and he had simply acted on instinct, without considering the potential significance of his gesture.

Meanwhile, Damien observed her with a mixture of amusement and bemusement. He had expected Rose to resist the offering of mortal food, given he expected her preference for blood as a source of sustenance. Yet here she was, practically inhaling every morsel in sight without so much as a second thought.