“Sylvie!”
Tiana immediately reached out to steady Sylvie’s swaying body when she saw her fall. Her gaze subconsciously swept across the water’s surface, where she caught sight of thin threads of vivid red slowly blooming in the clear pool water near where Sylvie had slipped.
This is… blood?!
Tiana’s heart tightened. Her other hand quickly plunged underwater and fumbled around for a few seconds. Confusion flashed across her face at first, but then her expression changed as she seemed to touch something. Her brows furrowed, and she forcefully pulled the object out of the water.
It was the metal syringe! Fresh blood still lingered on its needle tip.
Sylvie’s breath stopped. A flash of genuine panic appeared in her emerald eyes.
I’ve been discovered… and in this way…
However, to her surprise, when Tiana looked at the syringe in her hand, there was no suspicion or scrutiny on her face. Instead, she looked as if she had suddenly realized something, mixed with clear annoyance.
“Ah! This!” Tiana exclaimed, her voice full of obvious apology.
“This is mine! It must have fallen into the water when I was changing earlier! Geez, how careless of me!”
She carefully examined the blood on the needle tip, then looked at Sylvie’s pale face and the hand covering her thigh. The apology on her face deepened.
No wonder you reacted so strongly and even fell… You got pricked by the needle, didn’t you? I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! It was all my fault!
While speaking, she hurriedly helped Sylvie toward the edge of the pool and casually placed the blood-stained syringe on the side.
“Quick, come up. Let me see how bad it is. If the Queen finds out, she’ll definitely punish me.”
Tiana had completely not suspected her at all! Sylvie was somewhat stunned by this string of reactions.
“Sylvie… is fine. It’s just a small scratch.”
She forced herself to stay calm.
“Really?” Tiana asked worriedly, but seeing Sylvie’s insistence and that it truly seemed to be just a sudden fright from the pain, she let it go.
Sylvie replied softly and stood up. Sure enough, there was a small needle prick on the outer side of her thigh. Although it was still oozing a little blood, compared to all the bite marks on her body, this injury was far too minor.
“As long as you’re okay… Hurry and dry yourself. The Queen is probably getting impatient.” Tiana breathed a sigh of relief.
“Yes.”
After drying her body, Sylvie was about to look for clothes when she suddenly remembered… the Queen had no intention of letting her wear any. Of course, no clothes had been prepared for her—only a piece of red satin.
With no other choice, she picked up the satin and wrapped it around her slender body in a single loop. She quietly glanced at the syringe on the ground. She had failed to take it, but at least she now knew who had it.
Tiana quickly dried herself as well, got dressed, and picked up the syringe, slipping it securely into her pocket. She then led Sylvie toward the Queen’s bedroom.
In the corridor, Tiana walking ahead turned her head to glance at the girl behind her. Sylvie simply kept her head lowered, following quietly. She was well aware of the torment she was about to endure, yet her expression remained exceptionally calm—that numb, hollow look born from countless repetitions.
Tiana felt strangely unsettled, especially by that… outfit. Cough, cough.
She turned her head again and raised a finger, speaking as if giving advice.
“Listen up, little one. Her Majesty’s mood has been quite bad lately. If you don’t want to suffer too much, it’s best not to resist. Just behave and wait until the Queen is satisfied.”
Upon hearing this, Sylvie merely shook her head.
“Master likes it most when Sylvie resists. That feeling of dominating fear and struggle gives Master the greatest satisfaction.”
Tiana was momentarily at a loss for words.
After all, she wasn’t the one serving in bed. She really hadn’t heard… So the Queen actually had this kind of preference?
They finally arrived at the door to the Queen’s bedroom.
It was completely silent inside, yet an invisible pressure seemed to seep out, making her already cold fingers curl slightly. She placed her hand on the doorknob, about to enter, but then seemed to remember something. She turned around and looked at Tiana.
Then, she bowed slightly and spoke in her flat, emotionless voice:
“Thank you, Miss Tiana.”
Tiana was stunned.
She looked at the pale girl standing barefoot in the cold corridor, wrapped only in a bath towel. The girl gave her a small nod, thanked her in that flat voice, then calmly walked inside.
What a strange child… she muttered to herself.
Of course, Tiana wouldn’t just wait around foolishly. The Queen still had tasks for her.
Carrying the syringe with her, she walked out of the hall. Right outside the door, she spotted a familiar figure leaning against the wall.
The person’s expression was dark, complicated, and even carried a hint of unease.
Tiana was about to greet her when she noticed Utia’s empty sleeve swaying limply in the air.
“Utia! Long time no see. What happened to your arm?”
Utia merely shrugged casually at her question and replied concisely.
“Couldn’t hold back.”
“Never mind that. Why are you here? And why did Her Majesty return so quickly?” Utia asked.
“Well, let me tell you~”
Tiana organized her words briefly and told Utia everything: the humans captured in the penned district, the syringe, and the planned matters. She also mentioned how the Queen had waited in the room for an entire night.
Once Tiana finished speaking, Utia’s brows furrowed tighter and tighter. She hadn’t expected the Queen to return early either… She wondered if Klal had noticed anything.
But what concerned her more was something else.
“Can I take a look at that syringe?”
Tiana handed it over without thinking.
“This is it. According to the humans, it seems to be some kind of tracker, but the indicator light is broken. Her Majesty told me to bring it to the Blood Sciences Department for repair.”
Utia took the syringe, and her expression changed.
Wait… why does this syringe feel… lighter than mine?
Noticing the abnormality in Utia’s expression, Tiana asked in confusion, “Is something strange about it?”
“No, it’s nothing…”
Utia returned the syringe to Tiana, but her gaze lingered thoughtfully on the closed door behind them.
“Have you seen that girl?” she suddenly asked, her voice slightly lower than usual.
“What do you think… of her?”
Tiana was caught off guard by the sudden question.
She recalled the petite, calm-to-the-point-of-numbness girl in the bathroom, who had shown strange reactions at certain moments, and that abrupt thank you at the end.
“You mean Her Majesty’s exclusive blood servant…” Tiana frowned slightly as she thought. “How should I put it… she’s very… special. Unlike ordinary blood livestock. She’s always so calm, even a bit lifeless. But it feels like she’s hiding something—I can’t quite explain it. And…”
She paused, then lowered her voice.
“Her body is covered in marks left by Her Majesty. The Queen’s feelings toward her don’t seem to be just about blood. This is the first time I’ve seen Her Majesty wait an entire night for a human. It’s truly unbelievable.”
Utia listened in silence. A hard-to-read light flashed deep within her blood-red eyes. In the end, she simply let out a soft laugh and murmured to herself.
“I thought you and that little one would get along quite well…”
“What?”
“Never mind. The Queen still has tasks for you, right? Then I won’t keep you.”
“Hey! Wait!”
Utia turned and left on her own, completely ignoring Tiana’s attempt to stop her.
She had wanted to catch up after so long…