“Discovered…”
On the empty street, Sylvie walked toward the great hall with uneasy, anxious steps, her heart filled with dread and fear.
And by that troublesome woman Utia, of all people.
Yet… Sylvie couldn’t tell if the current situation was fortunate or unfortunate.
The unfortunate part was that her secret of privately feeding blood to another vampire outside had been uncovered.
The fortunate part was that the one who discovered it was Utia.
If it had been any other vampire, upon learning of this inexplicable “usurpation,” they would have reported it to the Queen without hesitation.
But Utia was different.
She craved her body—and craved it intensely.
To her, “loyalty,” “order,” and “duty” were far less important than satisfying her own desires.
This woman would do anything to please herself—torment others, even indulge her filthy sexual urges!
She was nothing but a lunatic who only knew how to pour out her ugly desires!
So… Sylvie was absolutely certain she would keep this “secret,” using it as the perfect leverage to blackmail her, forcing her to “satisfy” her and toy with her until she grew bored.
Sylvie’s cold little hands slowly clenched, her lips bitten tight.
But what terrified her more than this was…
“If my master finds out…”
She dared not imagine the scene.
With Klal’s extreme possessiveness and obsession with purity, merely knowing her possession had been touched by another would be enough to incur her fury—let alone her daily blood servant.
The more she thought about it, the more unease and fear gripped her. If she didn’t find a way to resolve this, the slightest mistake could plunge her into an abyss of irredeemable suffering…
Unknowingly, she had reached the long staircase leading to the great hall. On both sides, the vampires in black enforcer uniforms stood as always with stern faces.
At the hall’s entrance, Utia and Sulga were already waiting. The former deliberately narrowed her crimson eyes, giving her a meaningful look before pulling open the doors.
Sylvie said nothing, not even daring to meet her gaze. She simply lowered her head and approached.
Utia produced the cuffs from behind, bending slightly to fasten them around her wrists. And in that moment, the cold whisper left unfinished earlier continued fully in her ear.
“Tonight… wait in my room, hm hm…”
Thud…
The heavy hall doors closed behind her, shutting out Utia’s uncomfortable gaze.
Sylvie stood in the vast, empty hall, her heartbeat sounding especially clear in the silence.
Atop the raised throne, Klal lounged lazily in the crimson chair, silver hair spilling like moonlight.
She toyed with a crystal goblet in her hand, crimson eyes half-lidded as if pondering something. When she noticed Sylvie standing dazed at the entrance, her eyes furrowed in displeasure.
“Do I need to invite you over?”
Sylvie snapped back to reality, hurrying forward a few steps before dropping to one knee before the throne.
“Your Majesty…”
She quietly raised her eyes to the scarlet figure on the throne… Still utterly arrogant, but her expression lacked the earlier laziness and casualness. Even the constant contempt in her gaze had been replaced by an irritation that seemed ready to erupt at any moment.
“The Queen tonight… seems in a bad mood…”
“Has something happened…”
“You’re late.” She stated coldly.
Those words made Sylvie’s heart skip a beat.
“Y-Your Majesty, Sylvie has properly followed the time you set! It’s six o’clock at night! But it’s only five now…”
She hurriedly raised her head, anxiously explaining, but before she could finish, the cold voice from the throne interrupted in an undeniable, uncompromising tone.
“I said… you’re late… Any problem with that?”
“Ugh…”
Sylvie deflated completely, burying her head lower, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz.
She could feel Klal’s gaze pressing substantively on her back—cold and heavy.
“Yes… Sylvie was late.”
I’m done for.
The Queen is very angry right now…
She just wants to vent her fury and displeasure on me. She was in such a good mood this morning—how did it turn into this by evening!
“Since you admit to being late… you should accept punishment.”
Before Sylvie could react, an invisible force suddenly yanked her up and slammed her heavily onto the steps before the throne.
Clang!
The silver cuffs struck the stone steps with a piercing ring, sharp pain shooting through her wrists.
“Please forgive Sylvie, Master…” She pleaded through the pain, her heart sinking to the bottom.
Klal gazed down at her imperiously, a flicker of displeasure in her crimson eyes. She elegantly raised her leg, using her cold toes to lift Sylvie’s chin.
The anger in her eyes had not faded in the least.
“Stand up.” She commanded coldly.
“Yes…” Sylvie struggled to her feet, still keeping her head lowered, not daring to meet Klal’s eyes—fearing even a hint of panic in her expression would be caught.
Klal’s crimson eyes narrowed slightly. With a light flick of her fingertip.
Snap!
The silver cuffs shattered in response, falling to the floor with a crisp ring.
Before Sylvie could react, Klal had already grasped her wrist, pulling her close.
Those scarlet eyes surged with indecipherable emotions—anger mixed with an almost greedy desire.
“…Compensate with your blood.”
Before the words finished, she suddenly lowered her head, sharp fangs piercing mercilessly into Sylvie’s slender wrist.
“Ugh!”
Sylvie arched her head in pain but dared not pull away.
She could clearly feel the moment the fangs broke skin—the initial cold stab followed by an even more unbearable burning.
Klal’s lips pressed tightly against her wrist, licking the seeping blood beads, bringing a tingling numbness.
Gulp… gulp…
A series of swallowing sounds echoed in the deathly silent hall.
This feeding was utterly different from usual—no longer restrained and elegant, but rough with punitive force.
Blood was sucked from her body. Sylvie could even clearly feel her blood draining rapidly, a chill spreading through her limbs.
Not long ago, she had been drained unconscious by Cassia—her body hadn’t fully recovered. Now facing this frenzied taking, how could her frail frame endure it?
Soon, Sylvie’s vision began to blacken, her body swaying involuntarily, head heavy and feet light.
Yet Klal’s “punishment” showed no sign of stopping—in fact, it grew more frenzied.
Finally, Sylvie couldn’t hold back her humble pleas.
“Your… Your Majesty… Could Sylvie rest a moment…” Her voice was utterly weak, breathing labored.
Klal seemed to hear nothing, gripping her slender wrist even tighter. The sharp fangs sank deeper into the vein, greedily drawing the warm blood.
“Ha… ha… ha…”
Sylvie panted weakly and rapidly, the darkness before her eyes thickening, a buzzing in her ears. Her legs softened, barely supporting her weight.
“No more… really… at my limit…”
She wanted to struggle, but her body no longer obeyed. The dizziness from excessive blood loss surged like a tide, drowning her last shreds of consciousness.
In the moment before fully losing awareness, she felt Klal finally release her wrist.
But what followed was not relief—a spinning dizziness, then her body going soft as she collapsed.
When her dim vision gradually cleared, a stunning yet icy face was staring down at her unblinkingly… She was now lying in her embrace.
“S-Sorry, Sylvie will stand right—”
She said panickedly, hurriedly trying to push up from the embrace, but Klal’s next words sent a chill through her.
“This works too… More convenient.”
With that, one arm wrapped around Sylvie’s slender waist, the other around her neck, half-lifting her body.
In Sylvie’s confused gaze, Klal’s face drew closer, her sights locking onto the still-bleeding wrist.
Wait… She’s not… going to continue?!
Any more and she’ll really die!
“Wait, Master! Could Sylvie rest a bit! Sylvie’s body is already near its limit!”
She pleaded urgently, but Klal was beyond listening.
But just as Klal prepared to bite the wrist again, she suddenly sniffed.
A scent… not her own.
Klal’s gaze followed the scent, gradually fixing on her neck…
“Someone else has fed on her.”
Klal’s face darkened completely.
Her already irritated mood turned even more furious and agitated.
“Who left this…”
Klal’s voice was terrifyingly low, her scarlet eyes surging with storm-like rage. She stared fixedly at the lingering scent on Sylvie’s neck.
Sylvie’s heartbeat nearly stopped.
Exposed?!
And in this situation!
“I can explain!”
“You know I don’t like others touching my things, right?” Her voice carried a heart-pounding chill.
“I can—mmph!”
“You know that for vampires, an exclusive blood livestock being enjoyed by another is humiliation and provocation, right?”
Klal questioned coldly, giving Sylvie no chance to explain… because one pale finger pressed against her vulnerable neck. With the slightest force, her breathing would stop forever.
Her voice grew even colder.
“You know… what punishment a tainted blood livestock like this usually receives?”
Sylvie’s breathing grew difficult. She could feel Klal’s killing intent condensing in the air.
“They’d be nailed to the city walls, drained drop by drop, letting all vampires see the fate of traitors. Or… thrown into the blood beast cages, listening to their bones being crunched one by one.”