Chapter 2: Shattered Longing

“Master’s up so early today?”

Aiersha asked curiously as she saw Bai walk out of the room in a daze, barely moments after entering.

“Mmm… Master said to burn the flowers outside. She doesn’t like them.”

Bai’s voice was hoarse and low.

Her long gray hair hid her face, making her look even more desolate.

Aiersha’s expression froze.

She watched Bai walk past her and instinctively reached out to grab her arm, but accidentally pulled off the bandage wrapped around it, revealing the terrifying knife scars beneath.

Her hand hovered in the air, unable to move further.

“Lady Aiersha, is there something else you need?”

Bai’s voice was still hoarse, and her gray eyes were disturbingly dark.

“Master might just be in a bad mood lately. Don’t take it to heart,” Aiersha tried to comfort her, but Bai only shook her head and said.

“Lady Aiersha, do you think Master ever truly cared about me? Or did she just see me as a tool?”

Aiersha opened her mouth but couldn’t find anything to say.

She could only watch as Bai’s lonely figure walked down the corridor.

Bai slowly lifted her left hand and gripped the scarred arm tightly.

Her silhouette seemed even more frail.

Inside the room, Yalbera stared at the bowl of blood that was about to go cold, her eyes trembling slightly.

A question rose in her mind, unbidden: Why did she choose Bai for the ritual in the first place?

She couldn’t remember clearly.

Maybe it was because Bai’s dullness and ignorance made her easy to manipulate.

Or maybe Bai’s blood simply met the ritual’s requirements.

But whatever the reason, all she needed now was for Bai to serve her obediently.

Letting Bai approach her, even dressing her, this was already a tremendous honor for a slave.

Bai should feel grateful.

Most blood slaves weren’t even allowed to touch their master.

And the price was the “Blood Curse Reversal” ritual a few days from now.

At that time, Bai would be drained of all her blood and become the ritual’s sacrifice, granting Yalbera a significant increase in power.

With that strength, she would eliminate the other five True Ancestors and become the new Archduke of the blood clan.

“Yes, Yalbera. Bai is just a blood slave. A mere human of no significance. You couldn’t possibly feel regret. Sacrificing a human slave is nothing compared to your goal. Because you are blood clan. Noble blood clan…”

Yalbera frowned, but a trace of confusion flickered in her eyes.

The three moons of the night rose slowly until they formed a triangular pattern.

Yalbera gazed out the window and murmured.

“She should be arriving soon.”

The castle’s ancient doors were knocked.

Aiersha, who had been waiting, opened them.

Standing outside was a girl, quiet under the moonlight.

Her silver hair cascaded like a waterfall, strands gleaming with a faint chill.

Each hair seemed touched by the night’s cold.

Her crimson eyes were more alluring than Yalbera’s, yet resembled a bottomless pool of blood, mesmerizing and dangerous.

Her skin was pale as snow, creating a stark contrast with those vivid red eyes, adding an eerie beauty.

Unlike Yalbera’s noble gown, she wore a black Lolita dress, layers of lace and ribbon intertwining like a dark blossom of the night.

The deep black fabric shimmered with dark red accents, like congealed blood, elegant yet unsettling.

A butterfly bow at her waist swayed gently in the breeze.

In her hand, she held a matching parasol, its handle inlaid with a blood-red gem, mysterious and ornate.

Aiersha curtsied slightly, lifting her skirt with practiced grace and respectfully said.

“Welcome, Lady Yare.”

Yare gave a captivating smile.

Under the moonlight, it seemed to conceal an unseen threat.

She spoke, her voice cool and elegant.

“Still playing house, Aiersha? A noble of the blood clan serving someone else, your family must be laughing.”

Aiersha didn’t answer her, only continued, “Lady Yalbera is already waiting. Please follow me, Lady Yare.”

In the dim room, Bai curled up on the wooden bed.

Just then, a white Twilight Rose fell onto the bedding above her head.

Bai stared at it in a daze.

“What are you even hoping for, Bai… You’re just a slave,” she murmured to herself.

Looking up, it was already afternoon, the guest Master mentioned should have arrived by now.

“Time to prepare the blood meal…”

Bai stepped out of her room and immediately locked eyes with Yare, who was passing by.

A flicker of surprise passed through Yare’s eyes, as if she paused for a moment.

Bai lowered her head until Yare walked past, and in that moment, those crimson eyes narrowed slightly, seeming to size her up.

Is that the guest Master mentioned?

It felt like a strange gaze was fixed on me just now.

She wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but when that girl passed by, Bai had felt a burning stare on her, only for an instant.

But that wasn’t something she should be thinking about.

A being as proud and powerful as a True Ancestor of the blood clan would never pay attention to a lowly slave.

Bai retrieved two elegant sets of bowls and dishes, then once again picked up the dagger.

Her arm trembled weakly from days of repeated bloodletting.

She was well aware of her own condition, but she had to follow her master’s orders, just like always.

Undoing the bandage, she once again pressed the dagger against the still-unhealed wound from the morning, and stabbed down…

In Yalbera’s study, Yare sat upright in her chair.

Her folded parasol rested beside her.

Dressed in her black Lolita dress, she looked like a living doll.

She seemed to catch a scent and glanced toward the bowl of blood on the desk.

“Blood meal? That kind of filthy thing only common vampires eat. You’re already a True Ancestor, why are you still consuming trash like this?”

Yare said with a mocking smile.

“Her blood tastes quite good. Nothing wrong with indulging a little now and then. With eternal life, a bit of fun doesn’t hurt,” Yalbera replied coolly.

Yare didn’t respond.

She dipped a finger into the blood, then extended her crimson tongue to gently lick it off.

In the next instant, her scarlet pupils constricted sharply.

All the blood in her body seemed to boil, and her long-dormant bloodlust surged to a peak in a flash, stronger, wilder than ever before.

Her cheeks flushed red.

A feral smile revealed sharp fangs, and her dazed eyes were laced with astonishment.

A thin mist seemed to rise around her.

This taste… it can’t be wrong…

More. I want more. More!

Every organ in her body screamed out for more, desperate to consume that flavor again.

Just a single drop, and yet the exquisite taste had already carved itself into the depths of Yare’s memory.

“This is… truly delightful. Hehehe…”

Yare’s voice trembled slightly.

Noticing her strange behavior, Yalbera asked with a puzzled tone.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Yare instantly composed herself, returning to that graceful and aloof demeanor, as if nothing had happened.

In the corridor, Bai carried two bowls of blood meal.

Her entire body felt like it had plunged into an ice pit, cold sweat pouring down her skin.

Having lost too much blood, even walking demanded all her strength.

She panted weakly, face pale as paper.

Her heart thudded rapidly, warning her to rest at once.

Even the sounds around her began to blur.

Struggling with each step, Bai finally reached the door of Yalbera’s bedroom.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.

After all, a distinguished guest was visiting, she couldn’t embarrass her master.

Just as she was about to knock, she heard voices from inside.

“Only five years have passed, and you’ve already taken in a blood slave? That’s truly surprising,” Yare said with a hint of mockery in her tone.

“That’s none of your concern,” Yalbera replied, her expression showing a trace of irritation.

She clearly didn’t want to discuss it.

A knowing smile spread across Yare’s face.

“Among the Six True Ancestors, you’re the only one who’s accepted a blood slave. And a human, no less. I remember very well how much you detested their filth and stupidity. Yet now you’ve chosen a human as your blood slave? Heh, how could I not be curious?”

Yalbera frowned, brushing aside a strand of her golden curls, her tone clearly annoyed.

“If you came just to talk about pointless things, then you’d best leave.”

“Ara, of course I wouldn’t fuss over some ordinary blood slave. But that girl… she doesn’t seem like just a blood slave, does she?”

Yare smiled, though her expression felt like a mask, sending a chill into the heart.

“Her blood just suits my taste, that’s all. Other than that, she’s nothing but a lowly slave, nothing special.”

Seeing Yalbera still trying to brush it off, Yare spoke directly: “When I arrived, I saw the mark on her neck. That’s not a slave’s mark, is it? If I’m not mistaken, that’s the Blood Curse Reversal sigil, isn’t it?”

Yalbera’s pupils shrank.

She clenched her fists on instinct.

She’d miscalculated.

She never should’ve allowed Yare to visit.

This woman’s only hobby was reading forbidden magic tomes, and over a millennium she had uncovered nearly every known forbidden spell, including Blood Curse Reversal.

The plan was meant to be her secret alone.

If the other True Ancestors found out, it would be a disaster.

Yare rose from the chair and slowly walked toward the bowl of cold blood on the table.

A cold smile curved on her lips as she continued.

“Ten thousand years ago, the first Archduke of the blood clan, Nicholas, once obtained a spell from the Land of Blood Demons called Blood Curse Reversal. The principle is simple, using the pure, flawless blood of a soul untouched by corruption, injected into a ritual array, one can awaken the dormant ‘Primordial Power.’ Of course, the cost… is the life of that person.”

“The Archduke lived for hundreds of thousands of years and never found a suitable human. He eventually passed away in the Sacred Hall of the blood clan. But you, Yalbera, I’m curious. Does that little blood slave of yours meet the conditions for the reversal?”

“You’re afraid that once I ascend, I’ll kill you? Yare, has just a few years apart made you this timid?”

Yalbera’s voice turned sharp with mockery.

“No, of course not. Even if you succeed, your power would still fall far short of mine,”

Yare replied, her tone filled with pride and ease.

“I originally planned to make just a casual remark… but then I saw something interesting. Hehehe… Yalbera, there’s confusion in your eyes. You’re hesitating. You’re reluctant, because of a human?”

Those words struck like a dagger to the heart, piercing straight through Yalbera’s core.

She rose to her feet as well, shouting furiously.

“That girl is nothing more than a lowly slave in my eyes! Her existence is solely because her blood meets my needs. Her life means nothing to me. So what if she dies? Blood slaves, aren’t they as plentiful as sand? Her death is merely a small price to pay for achieving my goal. A filthy blood slave, offering her life for my grand plan, shouldn’t that be her honor?”

“I am blood clan, a proud True Ancestor, with infinite power and eternal life! My bloodline is noble and supreme, how could a lowly creature like her ever compare? Her life isn’t even worth a second glance. Her death is her destiny as a blood slave!”

“Bai is nothing but a breathing container! That’s all she is!”

Crash!

At that moment, the sound of porcelain shattering rang from outside the door, followed by hurried footsteps racing down the corridor.

Bai was running, wildly, as if fleeing something monstrous.

Yalbera’s words had pierced her like a poisoned barb, burying deep into her chest, the searing pain leaving her breathless.

“A breathing container.”

Every syllable stabbed into her spine like frozen needles.

She staggered, her heart aching so violently she couldn’t tell whether it was blood loss or the collapse of her faith and longing that made her weak.

That’s right, Bai.

You’re just a human, a filthy, lowly slave.

Yalbera’s voice echoed again and again in her mind.

Cold.

Mocking.

Like a dull blade slicing her pride open over and over.

How could you ever have such laughable dreams or desires for a blood clan?

The proud blood clan would never care about tiny, fleeting creatures like humans.

Your devotion is pitiful.

Pathetic.

You even stupidly believed that Master might have loved you once.

Five years ago, you should have died in that accident.

Her saving you… was only to use you, and now to take your life once more.

That’s all it ever was.

All light vanished from Bai’s heart.

She had foolishly believed that if she worked hard enough, her master would one day look at her the way she once did, would love her again.

But now?

Her longing, her promise… were all reduced to a humiliating illusion by Yalbera’s cold, heartless words.

The pride and eternity of the blood clan would always stand worlds apart from Bai’s insignificance and mortality.

The last thread of hope in Bai’s heart unraveled completely, like wind scattering the final remnants of a broken dream.

She finally understood.

She had never been needed.

“She never loved Bai. She never cared about Bai. Bai was never needed from the beginning. These five years of feelings… how laughable. How absurd. A lowly slave hoping for the attention of a blood clan? How utterly foolish…”

“Bai… doesn’t want to be a blood slave anymore.”

“Bai wants to go home.”