Foenix

Hi, I'm sorry I don't know any Mandarin. Maybe one day I'll be able to learn.

I love anime and manga. Some of my favorites are JoJo, One Piece, Attack on Titan, etc.

A fun fact about me is that I'm actually an editor for a Chinese to English webnovel translations team. My all-time favorite novel was and still is Doomsday Wonderland (末日乐园) even though the translation is discontinued. I suffered through machine translations to read the rest.

【茸徐】His Christine: Chapter 9 (Final)

Jolyne slowly opened her eyelids as her consciousness surfaced. The room reflected in her blurred vision was dimly lit as if a black veil covered it. From the appearance of the room, even her hazy mind understood that it was midnight.

She blinked a few times and used her hand to trace the softness that touched the right side of her body. The sensation informed her that she was in bed.

Giorno had put her to sleep, and when she woke up, she ate a home-cooked meal he prepared before going right back to sleep. She felt sluggish now, probably due to mental exhaustion. Rubbing her eyes with her fingertips, she reflected on the situation.

She turned her gaze to her own body to clear her thoughts and vision. Her eyes caught a glimpse of the ice blue camisole and pair of shorts she used as pajamas. They were blurry, but somehow, even in the darkness, she could see the color.

It was not because her eyes had become accustomed to the darkness but because there was a light illuminating the room. Sensing someone's presence, she looked up without hesitation. What she saw was Giorno, whose face was illuminated by the light of a cell phone screen. Seeing it, she looked at him.

Though he wore black slacks, his upper body was naked. He was not touching her but leaning his back against the bed's headboard. His face was grim as he stared at his phone.

She tried to get closer with her elbows on the mattress to the face that was clearly grumpy.

"You're awake," he said.

Her movement had notified him that she was awake. His face, wrinkled between his eyebrows, relaxed as soon as he looked at her. His usual calm face. A gentle expression that was only for her.

"Yeah, good morning..."

She greeted him with a mumble, and he broke into a smile. Dropping the hand holding the phone onto the bed, he bent over and placed a kiss on her cheek as she looked up at him.

She smiled at the tender touch.

"It's only two-thirty in the morning," he said. "Isn't it too early to say good morning?"

"Yes, it's that time of night... No, I've slept too much."

Her awareness became clearer as she huffed at her own words.

It was no exaggeration to say that she had slept all day. Although it was the middle of the night, she thought about preparing for her father's hospitalization. She tried to get up out of a desire to help him.

However, Giorno's hand gripped her shoulder and stopped her from moving. The force was not strong, but it did not budge.

"Giorno," she said, opening her mouth to say something.

"You should still be sleeping," he said. "The fact that you've slept so much is a sign that you're exhausted. Besides, what are you planning to do, getting up in the middle of the night like this? Moving around now will only contribute to your fatigue."

Jolyne shook her head. She moved her mouth, still open.

"I have to prepare for my dad's hospitalization. If I do it now, it shouldn't take until morning."

"There's no need to be in such a hurry," he said.

"I'm not in a hurry... I just want to get started and ease some of his time spent confined to a bed. I just want to reassure him that it's okay to take a rest."

As she spun the words, thinking of her father, Giorno's gaze drifted downward. He seemed to glance at the cell phone he had left on the bed, but his blue eyes quickly returned to Jolyne.

"Your haste has no bearing on your father's recovery," he said. "The injury can only be healed slowly with his body's own restorative power and the doctors' medical skills. So, please calm down."

"I am calm."

"No, you seem to be in a hurry to leave. If you're so worked up, you're the one who's going to feel overwhelmed."

His words and the hand that stroked her cheek were so gentle. She could feel his love for her in a way that was plain to perceive.

"I'm fine," she said. "I was just shocked by my dad's injury. He's the one who's suffering the most. He can't even move, and his whole body must hurt. Who knows if he'll recover well and when he will be able to walk again. And if he knew that he might even lose his voice, I'm sure..."

Jolyne looked down, her own words making her more anxious. She tried to get up, placing her hand on top of Giorno's that was on her shoulder.

However, he still inhibited her with force. He really wanted her to rest.

She raised her eyebrows in frustration. He just wouldn't listen... She remembered that he was a man who didn't listen to others very well. From what she'd seen and learned from talking to him, he often let his own opinions stand.

Looking up at him with a look of discontent, she met his sincere gaze.

"I know how much you care about your father," he said. "But I care about you and I worry about you. And..."

Giorno's hand, which had been touching her cheek, came to cup it. Fixed it in place so that she could not escape his gaze.

"I still think you should stay in this town. If you feel for your father who can't move, remaining here would be best. With me, you can experience a normal life without being discriminated against. There will be no inconvenience at all, and you can concentrate on assisting with your father's treatment. His injuries may take a long time to heal completely, but he should make a beautiful recovery if he recuperates here quietly."

Again, a permanent stay was proposed.

Jolyne, feeling that it was due to good intentions and love, was pleased but could not consent.

"I told you before, I can't," she said. "It's for the same reason as last time, plus my father's injury."

Staring straight into those sea-colored eyes, she rejected his proposal once and for all. The moment she did, his pupils twitched.

"If he stays in this town, only his broken bones will heal. The damage to his vocal cords won't recover completely. The nurse told me that the wound is so deep, the facilities at the local hospital won't be able to treat it. It would have to be done at a larger hospital in the city, a specialized department. So..."

His hand slipped from her cheek. The movement drew her attention to him, and she saw that he was clutching his cell phone.

Jolyne turned her gaze to Giorno's face again. His eyebrows were slightly raised, and he looked at her with a downcast expression.

"When it's safe to move my dad's body, I'm going to transfer him to another hospital," she said. "I'll be leaving town with him. I'll go back to my parents' house. I'll go back and help with his injuries from home... That's what I'd like. It's the only way to take care of him."

"I see..."

His voice was weak and lackluster, and she could tell he was devastated. She knew the reason for that sadness was that he would be separated from her.

She was genuinely happy that he was pining for her, but her intentions were firm. She was not bound to him.

"Just have to be thorough then," Giorno mumbled, making no sense.

Despite the low volume of his voice, it was clearly audible.

"Huh?"

She blinked her eyes and stared. He dropped his gaze but then slowly raised it and smiled at her.

"When it comes to your father, I have to... I have no choice because you really, really love him."

After saying this, he brought his hand to Jolyne's head and stroked her hair, combing through it. He looked calm. Jolyne, believing he understood, put on a smile, though it seemed troubled.

"I told you before, I want to stay with you too," she said. "But I can't give up the life I have already."

"It's okay, I already know," he said. "It's my own selfishness, childish selfishness... I never thought I had this childish side of me."

He smiled with embarrassment. She hadn't stopped looking at him. As they stared at one another, they began to laugh.

Hence, Jolyne missed it. She didn't notice that the hand that Giorno had left on the bed was operating the cell phone.

---

Inside the hospital room.

Jotaro, in his bed-ridden state, was subjected to DIO's neverending abuse.

He was verbally taunted and mocked, tortured mentally. His body was not safe either. Hands that could easily tear a human body poked and prodded him as if to claw into him, wanting to deepen the wounds.

Double torture. Unable to speak, he could only let out a roar, which DIO laughed happily at too.

Jotaro could only glare at the face he wanted to punch, and inwardly, he braced himself for the moment when DIO brought out his fangs.

He was told he wouldn't be killed, but that would depend on the mood of Giorno, DIO's son. If Jolyne displeased Giorno, he could be easily killed.

He was forced to walk a tightrope without a lifeline. Irrespective of his own will, he was being balanced by Jolyne's hand.

'I need to tell her the truth somehow.'

It seemed hopeless, but he did not give up.

As long as he continued to endure, DIO would eventually leave before the sun rose. Jolyne would then come to his hospital room while the sun was still up. Even if Giorno followed her, he would have a chance to convey a message.

Ignoring DIO's constant bullying, he continued to think, trying to come up with a way to get his daughter out of harm's way. Serious thinking led him to turn his gaze to the ceiling at some point.

His thoughts were fogged by a tightening around his neck.

There was breathlessness along with a sharp pain in his constricting throat. Jotaro turned his sharp gaze toward DIO with a frown.

DIO did not smile as he squeezed his neck with one hand. He looked down at Jotaro with cold eyes, as if he were looking at an insect crawling on the ground, and gradually increased the force of his grip.

"Urgh..."

He couldn't breathe. He felt as if blood was flowing back into his brain. In his vision, blurred by the agony, he saw DIO's other hand. In his hand was a foldable cell phone. The screen glowed in the darkness.

"I'm sorry, very sorry about this, Jotaro."

"Urk..."

Jotaro's head became dizzy from the pressure. The blood flow had stopped, and he was about to fall into unconsciousness.

However, DIO's measured force kept his consciousness from falling and he continued to suffer.

The situation had taken a turn for the worse. Choking while understanding this, Jotaro repeatedly opened and closed his mouth in desperate need for oxygen.

"My son is in a foul mood. He has asked me to kill you. This is truly unfortunate... I wanted to finish you after I'd punished you some more."

Perhaps because of his heightened emotions, DIO released the restraints on his neck with a chuckle.

Jotaro hurriedly breathed repeatedly to take in oxygen.

"Huh... huh, huh."

Breathing so hard that his stomach rose and fell, his eyes followed DIO as he stepped away from him, even turning his head to the side when DIO moved out of his hazy vision.

The black cloak DIO wore made him look like one of the walls in the room. The door was half-open in front of his huge body, showing just his back to Jotaro.

Behind the door was a female nurse with a pale complexion and a frightened expression on her face. She trembled, the tears that filled her eyes running down her cheeks. In her hand, which she held to her chest as if in prayer, was a silver oil lighter.

DIO bent over and brought his lips to her ear.

"You've spread the fuel, correct?"

"Yes, yes... upstairs..."

"You're the wick. Go set yourself."

"Oh, uh... Ugh..."

The nurse sobbed and ran out as she cried uncontrollably. She was out of sight, but Jotaro could tell from the sound of her hurried footsteps that things were imminent.

Her reaction. The object in her hand. The words DIO whispered to her.

Sensing that the worst was about to happen, Jotaro became emotional, writhing and trying to move his limbs. The bed made a creaking sound with his movements.

DIO turned around and gave him a smirk.

"Don't be so violent. Nothing will change even if you are. There's nothing you can do about it now."

He put one foot in the hallway, with a hand on the entrance frame. It was a slow movement, probably to get on Jotaro's nerves.

"This hospital is going to burn. The cause was the mismanagement of fire by the nurses. The exterior of this place is stucco, but the interior is made of wood. Since you'll be inside, you'll slowly burn..."

The worst had come. DIO was right; there was nothing Jotaro could do.

All he was able to do was grit his teeth in anger.

"Are you mad? I know you are. You will burn to death because of your daughter. Her words and actions angered Giorno. If you want to hate someone, hate your own daughter."

DIO's laughter echoed, seeming to really be enjoying himself.

He completely slipped out into the hallway but then his smirking face peeked in.

"I've been burned alive too, and it's pretty painful. How much more can you take? No, you might suffocate from the smoke before you burn... Hmph, suffer at best."

DIO guffawed, and then his face also went back behind the entrance. The sound of slow, heavy footsteps moved away.

Jotaro, who had been staring at the entrance the whole time, saw only the still-open door. In the darkness, it looked like an endless hole.

How long had he been gazing at it? Not more than a few minutes, he thought, smelling a burning stench. Realizing that the fire had been set, he closed his eyes.

He was not resigned but thinking of Jolyne.

'Please... be safe.''

Hopefully, the unnatural fire at the hospital would be a stepping stone to the truth. He hoped that she would find out everything and escape from the town and from Giorno.

---

A fire broke out at the hospital where her father was hospitalized. Jolyne discovered this when she was packing up his belongings inside his bedroom.

The trigger was the sound of sirens blaring in the middle of the night and the noise of the neighbors. When she went outside with Giorno, who was wearing a black jacket, she saw red flames floating in the distance.

"The location of the flames is the hospital. There may be a fire in there."

Giorno's voice was tense. It was the switch that sent her running. She rushed over to make sure her father was safe in the hospital, wanting to dispel her shock and great anxiety.

However, when she arrived, gasping for breath, Jolyne's eyes caught sight of the hospital, with red flames shooting out of the roof and the second-story windows. The second floor, making a crackling sound, was on fire.

Two fire trucks were parked in front of the hospital, and firefighters were spraying water with hoses. The town's residents gathered behind the fire trucks, huddled together in fear, screaming and cowering.

It was a scene reminiscent of hell.

The heat of the flames reached her from a few meters away. The hot air caressed her skin, and she felt a burning sensation in her throat. It was quite a lot of heat; she could tell from the flames curling up from the white building.

Trembling, Jolyne almost fell to her knees, but she stopped when she saw doctors, nurses, and patients being rescued from inside the hospital, supported by firefighters.

She could not see her father among the soot-covered people being saved. He may still be inside.

"Dad."

The thought made her legs head for the burning hospital. She took a step or two and was about to run forward when someone grabbed her shoulder, stopping her.

She turned around. A grim-faced Giorno was gripping her shoulder. The force was so strong that his fingers dug into her skin; her arm was unable to move.

"It's not safe to get close," he said.

"But my dad! He must still be inside!"

"The firefighters are doing a rescue operation. He must be one of the survivors already brought outside."

"You don't know that!"

Her voice rose out of frustration. Wanting to see her father safe as soon as possible, her body tried to move out of the desire to help.

Giorno's grip was strong, however. He pulled Jolyne back and wrapped his arms around her, causing her to be trapped in them.

"Let go of me, Giorno! I have to go, I have to help my dad!"

She screamed in distress, as did others. She whipped her head, her bangs and loose back hair swaying, and scratched Giorno's arms, which were wrapped around her waist, trying to peel them off. She could not keep up appearances because of her love for her beloved father.

Giorno resisted and would not let go.

"Do you want to save your father?"

His tone was emotionless and apathetic as he whispered the words into her ear. It was like cold water, and Jolyne stopped lashing out.

She nodded and looked up into his face. Like his voice, his expression was devoid of any emotion. He was unusually calm as he stared at her with his beautiful blue eyes that reminded her of the ocean.

"Of course, I want to help. Why wouldn't I? He's my dad."

The moment she made her intentions known, Giorno laughed. A twisted smile was raised on the edge of his mouth, utterly wrong for the situation.

She was unable to reproach him for it. She couldn't even form words, frightened by the twisted smile she had never seen on his face.

"Gio..."

She tried to call out his name in a shaky voice, wanting to confirm that it was the Giorno she knew.

She became speechless when the arms that were wrapped around her pulled away and she was released.

Beautiful blue irises continued to stare at Jolyne from within narrowed eyes.

"Then I'll make you a deal," he said. "I'll help your father, but you have to promise to stay by my side forever."

"You're saying you'll help me?"

She was about to ask "how," but her words were silenced as Giorno's middle and index fingers traced her lips.

"Promise first. If I help you, you won't leave me... Is that clear?"

Jolyne hesitated. The sudden frightening appearance he showed her made it impossible for her to give an immediate answer. She didn't recognize his new face. She even had the feeling that he was capable of doing terrible things to her if he didn't like how she answered.

However, despite her hesitation, she put her father's life first.

And most importantly, Giorno was her lover. She loved him and counted on his words.

"I'll do as you say if you help my dad."

The fingers that had been tracing her lips left. Giorno's face was expressionless as he proceeded past the still Jolyne and headed toward the burning hospital.

"If your father survives, he'll be taken to the nearest hospital. That's roughly fifty kilometers away from this town, so I don't know if his life force will hold out until then, but it doesn't change the fact that I saved him. Is that okay with you?"

He turned only his face. Although there was a devilish glint in his eyes, illuminated by the flames, she nodded.

Giorno let out a breath from amusement and turned forward, heading toward the hospital. He waded through the town's residents, who were shouting and huddling together, and walked between two fire trucks, calling out to a firefighter on the side.

She could not hear him due to the distance, but when the firefighter bowed his head, Giorno moved even closer to the hospital.

His skin should have been exposed to searing heat, but he showed no signs of suffering. He soon stood in front of an unused fire hydrant to the side of the building.

He lifted his right leg, and suddenly, the fire hydrant crumbled and blew away. Jolyne's eyes widened at the unusual sight. Her startled emerald green eyes reflected the column of water that spewed out.

The water moved in a straight line toward the heavens, but as Giorno put down his right foot and held up a hand, it changed shape.

Swelling and expanding, a huge body of water floated in the air. Illuminated by the flames, it took the form of something. There were two protrusions on either side of the body that were pectoral fins, one on the back that was a dorsal fin, and when you traced down that, you would see that growing out of the dorsal fin was also a tail fin.

It was a whale. The moment she realized this, the whale-shaped body of water fell onto the burning hospital, crushing it with a roar.

The roof and the second floor were destroyed. The impact also caused the body of water to burst open and flood into the hospital. The flames were extinguished, and any remnants of the heat produced steam.

Everyone was stunned. There were no screams, no wails of grief; everyone looked at the soaking hospital and at Giorno. It was a miracle, a bizarre and unusual sight.

It branded firmly in Jolyne's eyes. She was stunned, unable to comprehend what her lover had shown her.

"That was..."

"The fire is extinguished! Check for survivors!"

Someone's voice. She was startled by the words, probably uttered by one of the firefighters.

Indeed, the fire in the hospital had been extinguished. The second floor had collapsed to the point where the skeleton was visible, but the first floor, where her father's room was located, was still intact.

Firefighters entered the building one after another through the entrance and rescued soaking wet, soot-covered survivors in their arms.

Jolyne, praying while watching the series of rescues, finally saw her father. One firefighter carried him on his back while another lent support from behind with his hand. He was not covered in soot, but his body seemed wet.

"Is he alive?"

She couldn't tell because his eyes were closed. Her legs moved to run over and check.

However, she stopped when she saw Giorno standing in her way. He stared at her with a blank expression on his face, and she felt as if her heart was being gripped.

"Giorno..."

She called his name. She wanted to believe it was the Giorno she knew.

That made him smile. It was a wicked smile, with the edges of his mouth curling upward.

"I saved your father, as promised."

He held out a hand to Jolyne. When she saw it, she looked at his face.

A terrifying man. A man with unknowable power. A cold man feared by everyone in town. And a man who was kind to her. An affectionate lover who was always there to help.

She hesitated only for a moment before taking his hand. Instantly, he pulled her into an embrace, and she closed her eyes as she saw the transformed hospital in the darkness.

Her father was no longer in sight. The hustle and bustle of the area also faded away. All Jolyne felt was Giorno's warmth.

---

At a port town in Florida, a fire broke out in their only hospital. The cause was mismanagement of the fire by a nurse.

Nine people were killed, including the nurse who caused the accident. Although the fire did not completely burn down the building, seven inpatients and an inpatient's daughter, who was on the second floor where the fire was the most intense, became victims.

The daughter had run into the burning hospital to save her father, who was too badly injured to get out of bed. She was apparently consumed by the flames and her body was found so charred that she could not be identified.

The autopsy was performed by a watchman who resided in the town and was based on the testimony of those gathered at the scene. Her body was delivered to her bereaved mother.

Her father, who was an inpatient, was taken to a nearby hospital, but he did not regain consciousness even after many days. His life force had been worn down to the limit, causing him to have fallen into a coma.

Even if he regained consciousness, he would find his voice and arms lost due to the deep wounds from the serious injuries he sustained before the fire and the crushing injuries from the collapse afterward. When he awoke, his despair would be immeasurable.

The incident was so tragic that Florida's television station broadcasted it daily. Playing in homes and on the streets was the funeral of the girl who lost her life to save her father.

The sight of her mother weeping and clinging to the coffin brought tears to people's eyes. Everyone probably prayed for the dead girl's soul to find peace.

However, people's interest waned with each passing day. TV stations also stopped broadcasting the fire incident due to declining viewership.

The fire at the hospital in the small port town and the victim's daughter were gradually forgotten. The only ones who remembered her were her mother, her friends, and her comatose father.

If only her father would wake up, things would change. The true cause of the fire and those who nested in the port town would be brought to light.

No one knew when that would be. His life force may run out before he woke up. That was how deep his injuries were.

---

From the window of the chapel, one could see the town spread out below the cliff. The darkness of the night had fallen, yet one spot in the town shone brightly.

It was the light of the festival. The monthly festival to select the Vampire's brides was now in full swing.

Jolyne did not know how many girls were participating this time. Nevertheless, one of them would surely be chosen as a bride and would come to the mansion where that chapel was located.

The girl would meet the monster that lurked there, a vampire who sucked the blood of the living. If the vampire, who had become the ruler of the town with his formidable power and charisma, took a liking to her, her family would become wealthy. He would give her a fortune and she would rise in status within the town.

The bride would also be favored. The vampire was a man of beauty, so the satisfaction of being loved by a beautiful vampire would be immeasurable.

But only if he liked her. If the vampire's mood was offended in any way, he would kill the bride by sucking her blood. Her corpse would also be dropped off a cliff by his son, branded a failure.

And even if he liked her and favored her, her life would last no more than a month. This was because the vampire was insatiable. After toying with her for a long time, he would kill her cruelly and leave his son to dispose of her corpse.

Most of these girls were chopped into small pieces and scattered into the sea, but some were thrown into the graves of the brides of the landowner, once known as the Vampire.

Death was the only thing that awaited the Vampire's brides. The town's higher-ups were aware of this, but they likely did not even have an opinion. It was the town's ruler who was killing after all. Because he was a vampire, not a human, there was no one to oppose him.

This town would continue to devote its young girls to the vampire until he was no more.

Jolyne, seeing the lights of the festival, let out a small breath.

Dressed in a long black coat over a black dress, she could only contemplate the powerful being over whom she had no control.

There was a hand holding her shoulder, providing her warmth. It drew her body in.

She did not refuse as Giorno pulled her close, even putting her head on his shoulder. He dropped a kiss on her forehead, which she allowed.

"If my father likes the bride this time, we can go home very soon."

"Right..."

She nodded her head slowly and rubbed her cheek against his chest. A small breath from above wafted through the air.

"I can't wait to get home... and give our bodies the proper attention they need."

"It's so windy here on the cliffs," she said, "it's freezing me to the core. Could you keep me warm?"

"Sure."

Jolyne closed her eyes at the gentle voice and warmth.

The words of her father, Jotaro, ruminated in her mind. They echoed, "You are not a good judge of character."

The words must have come back to life from some slight regret. But she had attained love. She was enveloped in a relentless love that was directed only at her.

Jolyne did have regret. A town where death was the next-door neighbor. The horror of a ruler who was a vampire. But even with all that, she still had Giorno. Because of him, she did not despair.

Suddenly, she thought of her father. She was told he was in a coma, but he was still alive. He survived because she chose Giorno.

With that as support, Jolyne continued to be with Giorno. She could only convince herself that she had not made the wrong choice, embraced by the warmth of his loving arms.

The End

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