The confidential archives were vastly different from what was expected.
It wasn’t a straightforward space, but rather intricate and spiderweb-like, with countless connecting passages.
It was hard to imagine such a huge space beneath the academic building.
Like a beehive.
The corridors in all directions were spacious, with many precious paintings hanging on the walls.
Some rooms at the end of the corridors contained antiques and other collectibles, suggesting this was likely St. Antiona College’s collection room.
An Xiaoyi’s expression was grave as he looked up at a painting on the wall, wondering if he was mistaken.
The painting was a portrait of a royal family from a medieval country.
He had seen it in his high school history textbook; King Henry VII of England was originally melancholic, but became cheerful after marrying his queen, for whom he personally painted a full-body portrait.
The queen in the painting was incredibly lifelike.
The original of this painting was once acquired at an auction by an unknown buyer for 200 million and taken away.
An Xiaoyi felt that the one on the wall was likely the genuine article.
“It’s real.”
He Xiaoxin noticed his speculation and stood behind him, explaining the painting’s origin.
“Seventeen years ago, someone bought this painting and donated it to the school.
It might have been a special commissioner sent by the school, spending nearly 300 million in total.”
“300 million?” An Xiaoyi exclaimed, “They’re really rich.”
“It’s certainly not a small sum, but the one thing St. Antiona has no shortage of is money.”
“Does the school also deal in antiques?
Are they kept underground to appreciate in value?
Could this be the principal’s private collection?” An Xiaoyi moved to another painting, examining it curiously.
He couldn’t believe how much all the paintings on the wall were worth combined.
And these were just paintings.
There were several rooms specifically for storing antiques and other collectibles.
“It’s related to vampires,” He Xiaoxin said.
“Look at the queen in the painting again.”
“Very… pale. These paintings are all for studying vampires.” An Xiaoyi realized, the queen in the painting had slightly red eyes.
“Audrey, whose surname is reportedly untraceable, was originally a fisherman’s daughter. Her ancestors were once nobility, making her a rather fallen aristocrat. When King Henry VII visited Tsarist Russia, while accompanying the Tsar on a hunt, he encountered a pack of wild boars and was knocked off his horse, sustaining an abdominal injury. Given the medical conditions at the time, it was a hopeless situation.”
He Xiaoxin began to tell him the story.
An Xiaoyi could already guess the story’s direction: the King, on the verge of death, sought out talented individuals across the country, promising a hefty reward to anyone who could save him… then Audrey, the heroine, appeared, and the King, as the male protagonist, immediately fell in love with his savior.
He Xiaoxin glanced at his wandering thoughts and couldn’t help but chuckle, “It’s exactly what you’re thinking.”
An Xiaoyi was startled.
She continued: “But the rest of the story is that although King Henry VII escaped his life-threatening crisis and, defying all objections, made Audrey his queen, less than three years later, he died suddenly in his bedchamber, found with his blood drained, and Audrey disappeared.”
“Didn’t they say she committed suicide to join him?” This was the historical account An Xiaoyi knew.
“She was later executed. At the time, the ministers easily guessed that the vampire who drained the King’s blood was someone close to him. The ministers made full preparations, sending a thousand elite soldiers to hunt down Audrey.”
At this point, He Xiaoxin paused, and softly said: “The strange thing is, the queen did not resist or defend herself, only saying it was fate. Ultimately, she was executed beside the King’s body in the palace. Later, the ministers learned that the King had known the Queen’s identity all along, and the Queen knew this too; they had already discussed it.”
“They… were very much in love.” An Xiaoyi could only utter these words.
“Yes, the ministers learned from the pageboy that the King actually found out on the night of his severe injury. It was Audrey who voluntarily revealed her vampire identity and used her abilities to save him. In fact, they had known each other before, when the King was still a prince and the Queen was a girl. The innocent children fell in love at first sight. Later, the girl, knowing her vampire identity would lead to no good, quietly left. After that, the prince was melancholic every day.”
An Xiaoyi reached out and touched the painting, lowering his gaze.
“The girl saw the boy from her past on the verge of death, so she took a great risk. Later, she became queen and decided to abandon her identity, not drinking blood for three years, but for a vampire, that’s a fatal outcome.”
“Three years later, she became sick and delirious. The King couldn’t bear to see the Queen tormented, so one night, he voluntarily offered his blood. But for a queen who was almost insane, controlling herself was almost impossible.”
“She regretted it, blamed herself, and didn’t want to explain anything more. This was a rare story of a vampire and a human falling in love. At the time, the ministers and demon hunters had to believe it, but fearing a bad influence, they didn’t publicly reveal the King’s true cause of death, and instead said the Queen died of sorrow.”
He Xiaoxin finished speaking, looking at the pensive An Xiaoyi.
It’s so melodramatic, isn’t it?
Like a collection of all the forced emotional scenes from bad online novels, so melodramatic it couldn’t be more so… but at the same time, there’s a genuine sadness, a sadness that doesn’t just touch the heart, but is ingrained in the very bones.
Why didn’t the King use someone else’s blood for the Queen to drink?
Even prisoners would do, right?
Perhaps because he was a good king, or perhaps too selfless, a selfishness within selflessness.
He knew the Queen could abandon her vampire identity for him, that the Queen loved the wise and excellent prince from many years ago, and that the prince, years later, had become a king who was still wise and excellent.
So, he too had to continue being wise and excellent for the Queen, and thus could only use his own blood, not that of other innocent people, or even prisoners.
To feed a vampire with fresh blood is inherently dirty.
The King was also unsure what he would become, or what the country would become, if he used prisoner’s blood to feed her.
But wasn’t she just a monster? The one he loved was just a monster, no matter how beautiful or pretty.
An Xiaoyi’s heart stirred slightly.
For a moment, he thought of many things, and also many added details, such as the reason for the King’s actions.
It was strange, as if An Xiaoyi had known this story before, and knew even more, vaguely feeling there was another version, in a dream-like memory, he had told others.
Memories flashed back.
“I don’t like this story, it’s too sad.”
“Xiao, just like us, just like our first meeting, we always have to know the ending.”
“You’ve already acknowledged me as your older sister, so I must say, from now on, you’re not allowed to say such sad things in front of your sister.”
“Xiao…”
“Call me Sister Xiao!”
“Xiao, they’re coming.”
“Hold them down! Prepare for the final stage of the experiment!”
“Increase the neurotoxin! Damn you, you schizophrenic madman! Stay put!”
“Heart transplant preparation! Dig out the older child’s heart and throw it out!”
“Oh my god! Artificial… artificial god! The experiment is finally going to succeed!”
“…Control failed!”
Fragments of inexplicable memories stung his head.
An Xiaoyi clutched his head, the alarm blared, explosions, blood, corpses, incessant wailing, an extremely real scent, and an embrace that shielded him.
An Xiaoyi was in a daze when someone patted his shoulder from behind.
“Let’s go. Next, we’re going to the confidential document room. We have thirty minutes. After thirty minutes, the USB drive’s permissions will expire.” He Xiaoxin’s back looked somewhat familiar.