Lucius watched as Naiya slowly sat up from the bed. She still had a slightly confused expression on her face.
She finally remembered something. She looked around like a frightened cat.
“The city is safe. The beasts have been repelled, Your Highness.”
Somehow, Lucius’ mockery calmed Naiya’s senses.
“And you, on the other hand, is the hero who repelled those beasts.”
“I…”
Naiya was about to speak when Lucius threw over a light, lacquered black ribbon to interrupt her words.
“Tie them up,” Lucius repeated.
“…..”
Naiya gazed at the ribbon in her hand. Her long black hair scattered on the bed. It’s not bothering her, but why did he keep telling her to tie her hair?
She wasn’t sure, but a scene of being burned by fire emerged in her head.
Naiya took the ribbon, but the faint blood scent made her body tremble. She reached out and covered her mouth.
She had used too much blood when she was injured. Now, she needs to replenish them.
In other words, drink…
Thirsty…
Really… thirsty!
What’s this strange throbbing?
Naiya turned her gaze to the priestess, who was kneeling on the ground beside her.
Devour her…
The horrible voice kept swirling in her mind.
Lucius certainly noticed Naiya’s craving for blood. After all, she’s a vampire. If she doesn’t consume blood, she’ll die.
“Eat this.” Lucius threw candy in front of Naiya. “You’re a life that dominates blood, not a life controlled by bloodthirst.”
Lucius is the King of Bloods. It’s impossible for him to be controlled by bloodthirst. But Naiya is different. The newborn vampire has not yet tasted the exciting taste of a virgin’s blood.
The blood flowing inside a young woman’s body was like a drug for vampires. Once they tasted it, they can never forget it.
Lower class vampires would do anything for it. In order to such blood, they would even abandon their dignity, personality, and intelligence!
Naiya is Lucius’ blood kind. He doesn’t want to raise this kind of creature that has no dignity.
So now, Lucius is teaching her one thing!
Vampires are the King of Blood! An existence that dominated the night! Blood is the vampire’s servant, not the other way around.
This is the way to have complete control over bloodthirst.
For bloodthirst, he can control it. But what he couldn’t master is his bloodthirst for killing.
Just like a few days ago, when Lucius was served a bowl of noodles by Muccia. Obviously, pure nun’s blood taste would be 100 times better than ordinary humans. But Lucius was able to calmly chew on the noodles that tasted like wax.
“I hate candy.”
Seeing the candy, she tossed it aside. Clenching her teeth to endure the pain.
“Hate… candy?”
This was the first time she ever disobeyed Lucius’ order.
This isn’t an ordinary candy. It can replenish her blood. If she didn’t eat it, then things would get messy.
He wasn’t sure if Naiya, a vampire who never tasted human blood, especially a virgin’s blood, could still maintain her human posture in front of the people. She could be turning into a bloodthirsty monster.
“I see. You just don’t want to remember Muccia, right?”
“….”
Naiya grunted in pain as she bit her lips in order to suppress her rage.
“If you want to avenge her, then save yourself! Remember how painful it was when she died…”
Muccia…
Naiya’s rage suddenly stopped when she heard that name. She took a deep breath. Lucius watched the scene with interest. Her bloodthirst gradually subsided.
Naiya’s willpower was so strong that even Lucius felt a bit amazed. Her will power could surpass her vampire instinct.
“And then get stronger,” Lucius said, looking at Naiya, who had regained her composure.
She had that kind of power. To become powerful, more than anyone else. Not just her own power. Her desire for revenge gave her the fuel to become stronger.
Naiya’s raspy breath gradually calmed down. The strange sensation inside her finally disappeared.
The first thing she needs to do is get out of the way. Naiya looked at the candy she had tossed.
What about you?
She raised her head, gazing at Lucius on her bedside, squeezing the black ribbon in her hand.
What are you avoiding?
Lucius always hated her waist-long black hair, and she didn’t want to do anything that makes him unhappy.
She knew this. It’s an important rule for her survival. He had given her everything, so she didn’t ask much.
After her body was rejuvenated, she tied her hair up into a simple ponytail.
“Ah!”
The priestess who were suppressed by Lucius finally gave up resisting. Her body hit the ground hard. Nervous, she was sweating profusely.
“Hold onto your sword.” Lucius glanced at Naiya, who just stepped down from the bed.
Naiya seemed to be worried about the priestess’ condition. But with Lucius by her side, she didn’t ask much.
“Kill her?”
Arondight was silently leaning against the bed. When its master picked the sword, the sharpness of the magical sword remained unabated.
The sword was sharp. Very sharp that it made Naiya a little scared because she could easily slash off the priestess’s head in front of her.
If only Lucius would…
“No. Didn’t I tell you? I’m a big fan of humans…”
Killing intent…
Once again, in the silent room, Lucius sensed a killing intent from the corner of the room, somewhere. The killer was unknowingly in position.
Just waiting for the right moment to strike.
Lucius stepped forward and walked to the priestess, who gazed at him with frightened eyes.
“Naiya. Order. Protect her.”
Protect… protect her?
Naiya looked around the chaotic room.
From whom?
Just when she was wondering, Lucius squatted down, pinched the priestess’s cheek.
She looked at Lucius’s golden eyes in horror. She was a devoted follower. She certainly understood what those golden eyes represented.
It’s just that… the golden color that should be holy emanates a light that one trembled to gaze into.
“Don’t be afraid, beautiful lady…”
Lucius’s voice murmured in her ear. Slowly, the voice pierced her brain like a knife, taking away her sanity.
“What you’ve seen is just a dream. When you wake up, everything will dissipate. Her Highness the Empress is a hero, isn’t she?”
“Her Highness… The Empress…” The priestess’s eyes, originally tinged with fear, gradually changed to oblivion, reflecting the golden eyes.
Vampires were a race that tempts humans to their fall.
Lucius gave the priestess a small hint.
“Her Highness… The Empress…”
She murmured the name like she was possessed.
“That’s right.” Lucius smiled and patted her delicate cheek before standing up.
“What did you do to her?”
The scene of the priestess became like a puppet made Naiya shiver.
“Nothing, just making her forget some bad memories.”
Lucius walked towards the only window in this room, through which the moonlight shone into the room.
Before Naiya could relax, his figure turned into glass shattering and dissipating the moment moonlight shone upon his body.
“Renewed your legend, Her Highness…”
Lucius disappeared in front of Naiya.
…….
After he left, Naiya ran towards the fallen priestess.
She was about to bend to help her. But then, that dangerous feeling suddenly emerged within her.
As if a poisonous snake aimed its sharp fangs towards her, she had a cold feeling.
Naiya instinctively held the Arondight in her hand to block the attack against her neck.
Steels clashed, sparking a tiny fire.
“Who are you?”
Naiya raised the magic sword and swung it. The books piled up around her flew and scattered like rain.
In front of her, illuminated by the moonlight, was an existence shrouded in a grayish-white cloak.
Wearing a metal mask looking like a skeleton. The figure holds a short blade in his hand. After a few seconds, the ominous killing intent filled the air.
At the same time, it also indicates his identity.
He was an assassin! And an elite one!
But, who’s the target?
Her?
Naiya had no time to reconsider as the figure moved fast. In a heartbeat, the sword already got close to her.
The sword stopped mid-air, just before it pierced Naiya’s eyes.
From within the ground, a large number of scarlet tentacles emerged, binding the figure’s legs.
The speed of these tentacles was amazingly fast. If it weren’t for them, she would be dead already.
Although the thing happened very fast, Naiya still can defend herself.
The purple-black blade of Arondight penetrated into the assassin’s flesh, stabbing through his back. A lot of blood splashed.
After she pulled out the sword, the assassin’s body collapsed.
It all happened so fast. After she killed him, she found her back covered in cold sweats.
The adrenaline of almost being killed but managed to kill someone instead made her excited.
Just after she drew her blade, the door was pushed open.
A large number of priests and heavily armed knights donned in black trench coats ran in, holding lighting devices cast from fluorite in their hands.
“Lady Priestess? Is she alright? And oh! Your Highness!”
They ran into the room. As soon as they entered the room, a blood scent emanated in the air.
After looking at the corpse on the ground and at Naiya, who held a great blood-stained sword, they knew something terrible had happened.
She held the unconscious priestess in her hands.
“I…”
Naiya didn’t know how to explain the situation. But the lady priestess’ words made her silent.
“He’s an assassin. That guy tried to kill me. It was Her Highness the Empress that saved my life.”
“….”
Naiya suddenly understood as soon as she saw an unnatural scarlet flashed in her eyes.
“So it’s those ‘mourners’! How dare them!”
Someone recognized the assassin’s identity. A number of people grew restless just from seeing the skeleton mask.
But here she was, standing there unharmed.
She was the one who killed this ‘ghost’ that scared the people in the town.
“Her Highness did this? So the rumors are true… Your Highness, thank you for protecting our Lady Priestess. May the Dragon God shelter you.”
The priest and knights saluted her.
“Her health is in bad condition.” After entrusting the priestess to one of the priests, Naiya turned her head to look at the window from which the moonlight illuminated the room.
‘Is that you?’
‘Of course, it’s me.’
Lucius never left. How could he miss out on such great pay?
Right now, he was sitting on top of the church, admiring the moonlight. At the same time, the blood-colored silk thread and the rhythm between his fingers finally stopped.
“Become even stronger, little Naiya.”
Lucius repeated the words that would never change.
