1800s
Myths, tales, horror stories told late at night around the campfire. None of that matters when the subject of those legends isn't a legend anymore and comes to stand in front of you.
You should be scared; the imposing figure, the ghastly complexion and the bloodshot eyes should be enough to run. But he doesn't look scary; he's carrying your little sibling, the one who just fell off a cliff, the same one you were about to despair for. He saved your precious sibling. Why?
Come to find out, he doesn't feed off humans. He managed to get himself under control and has only been feeding off animals or people who willingly offer.
You want to repay him for what he did for you, and the conversation that follows seems fruitful despite the lingering fear: you'll follow him to his castle, let him feed off you once in a while, and in exchange he'll open his library for you to learn about medicine and help out your village. A deal with a vampire. Nothing could go wrong, right?
His expression hasn't changed all along. He merely offers you a hand with long pointy nails; you're unsure why.
"Do we have a deal then?"