<h4>Chapter 183 The Winner</h4>


    "Thanks for the food~" Rias said as she finished eating.


    After eating dinner, Rias and Reba were doing dishes, while Rudy went to his room to grab something he was looking for.


    Rias nced at Reba from the corner of her eyes and asked, "Did you suggest the bet because you were confident that he would choose you?"


    "No. It was also a test for me to see if I qualified to win a ce in his heart or it was all just talk," Reba answered with a bitter smile.


    "Then you won, I guess." After a brief pause, she said, "I will honor our promise won''t try to take Rudy from you."


    After that, Rias didn''t say anything and continued doing the dishes.


    Rebeca turned to Rias and looked at the sad expression on her face that clearly showed how devastated Rias was feeling.


    "Do you really love Rudy?" she asked.


    "Obviously~ Why would I go so far for a human I don''t like?" Rias answered.


    "You refer to him as a human, not a person. That''s just like how humans refer to animals; they like animals but don''t have romantic feelings towards them."


    "Are you trying to say that my feelings for Rudy are just a normal feeling one would have between two spices?" Ria asked with a bit of an annoyed look on her face.


    "No. But to be honest, I am not sure either. If animals also had humanoid figures who could speak and had intelligence, maybe humans could also have developed romantic feelings for them. But that''s too disgusting for me to imagine."


    "Rudy told me the same thing. He imed my love for him was not romantic. I don''t know what to do to prove to him that I love him. I could have chosen any other human, but I chose him to be my partner. If that''s not love, I don''t know what is."


    Reba washed her hands and leaned on the tform so she could talk face to face with Rias. She folded her hands below her bosom and asked, "Have you ever fallen in love before?"


    "I… haven''t…."


    "Have you actually met with a human before?"


    "Of course, I have. I enrolled into a human school, after all."


    "Let me rephrase my question." Reba locked her eyes with Rias and asked, "Have you interacted with a human boy before? Preferably a boy around the same age as Rudy."


    "Well…" Rias averted her gaze and broke eye contact with Rebeca.


    "I will take that as a no."


    "Are you saying that I fell in love with Rudy because he is the first human boy I interacted with?!" Rias asked with a furious look on her face.


    "I didn''t say that, did I?" Reba shrugged her shoulders and said, "It''s honestly up to you. If you truly think you love him, then keep loving him. But if you aren''t sure, then stay away from him."


    Reba frowned her face and red at Rias, which sent shivers down her spine.


    "But if you ever hurt him or make him cry because of your selfishness, then your entire vampire race will go extinct."


    Rias gulped down in fear and uttered while stuttering: "W-What can y-you do? You are j-just a h-human..."


    "Then you shouldn''t underestimate humans."


    "Mom, I think I can''t find it. Should I buy a new one?" Rudy asked as he came downstairs.


    He was surprised to see Reba and Rias in the kitchen, as he never expected Rias to be so diligent suddenly.


    ''Is she that desperate to get acknowledged by mom?'' Rudy wondered, not knowing anything about what he did and how he chose Reba over Rias.


    "Sure. Ah!" Reba wiped her hands with the towel and suggested, "How about youe with me then? It''s been a while since west walked together. I also have to go for my night shift, and the store is on the way."


    "Okay…" Rudy replied while looking at Rias.


    "Great. Let me get my purse and the phone." After saying that, Reba rushed to her room.


    Rias also walked into the living room and stood in front of Rudy.


    "So, are you not going to drop me off at my house? Even though you promised me in the morning," she asked in a low voice, seemingly uninterested in hearing Rudy''s response as she already knew what it would be.


    "Umm… if you can wait until I return, then I will be d to drop you off," Rudy replied awkwardly.


    ''So you are still choosing her over me and even go as far as breaking your promise for her? I guess I can''t win against her, after all.''


    "No, it''s okay." Rias said with a forced smile on her face and continued, "I can go by myself. I am a vampire, after all."


    "..."


    After saying that, Rias grabbed her bag and left Rudy''s house without even saying ''bye'' to him.


    "I never saw such a sad smile on her face before…" Rudy muttered under his breath.


    Reba came out of her room while fixing her hair and noticed Rias wasn''t there.


    "Huh? Where did she go?" she asked curiously and nced around.


    "She… left…"


    Reba could easily see and feel the sadness on Rudy''s face and voice.


    "Oh…" Rebeca realized that Rias felt defeated and left to save herself from further humiliation.


    "You know what, just go after her. I will bring the thing you want on my way back from my night shift."


    "But…"


    "Just go."


    "Thanks… mom."


    Rudy wore his shoes and rushed after Rias.


    "..."


    SIGH!


    Reba threw her purse on the couch and rushed back to her room. She opened her closet and took out the old diary.


    She flipped the pages one after another and opened the seventeenth page, which had only one sentence written on it.


    "Wait for one more year," she read.


    Meanwhile, Rudy chased after Rias, but he couldn''t find her.


    ''Did she fly her way to the house? But it''s still not dark, and she said she only flies at night because that lessens the chances of her getting seen by someone.''


    With no other choice left, Rudy ran his way to Rias'' house.