CA – Chapter 42
Chapter 42
Three streets away from the church, Lucille's manor was also affected. Its usual tranquility was broken by an endless stream of carriages, nearly all of them heading toward the church.
The maid trimming branches in the garden grew absent-minded, her gaze frequently drifting outside, curiously watching the luxurious carriages pass by.
Lucille was sitting on a bench in the garden, drinking afternoon tea. Although the fruit tea was prepared using the same method as the golden-haired priest, it seemed to be missing something. Lucille took one sip before setting the cup down, her eyes lifting slightly to glance through the fence at the carriages outside, her expression cold.
Seeing that Lucille was also looking outside, the maid hesitated for a moment, unable to resist the urge to gossip. She tentatively shared the news she had heard, "It seems Priest Grace is highly sought after by the nobility now. These carriages are all for nobles from other places, hoping to catch a glimpse of Priest Grace at the banquet."
The maid had interacted with Tang Qiu a few times. Recalling it now, she couldn't help but sigh, "Priest Grace is truly a gentle person. No one can resist her charm."
"Marshal, will she come here again?"
Lucille silently watched the maid's expectant face without speaking. The maid belatedly grew anxious, regretting her decision to bring this up with Marshal Lucille.
Was it because Marshal Lucille hadn't seemed so cold recently? The maid looked vexed; she had even ruined the flower branch in her hand. She lowered her head guiltily, then heard Lucille say in a cold tone, "She will."
The maid froze for a moment, realizing Lucille was answering her earlier question. She breathed a small sigh of relief. Just as she was carefully preparing to respond, an arm suddenly wrapped around her waist. She subconsciously turned to look and saw a strange woman with brown hair and red eyes.
The maid cried out in alarm, pushed the woman away, and ran to hide behind Lucille.
Lola bent down to pick up the shears the maid had dropped. She looked around, raising an eyebrow. "You certainly know how to enjoy yourself."
Lucille gestured for the maid to leave. Lola casually set the shears aside, crossing her arms as she looked at Lucille with a teasing smile. "Only lords among the Vampires own manors. Do you have many descendants?"
The "lords" she spoke of referred to vampires of the fifth generation or higher who had a certain number of descendants and, with the support of their clan, possessed their own territory in the Blood Domain. It was a completely different concept from Lucille's manor.
Lola's words were purely a test.
Her probing gaze fell upon Lucille. However, Lucille simply stated, expressionless, "I have not created any descendants." Descendants referred to vampires she had transformed through the Embrace.
Lola narrowed her eyes, then smiled. "Right. After all, we don't have the ability to create descendants."
Lucille glanced at her but did not refute it.
Having gotten the information she wanted, Lola's lips curved into a slight smile. She walked over and sat opposite Lucille, taking an empty cup and pouring herself some hot tea.
"What are you doing here?" Lucille asked coolly, watching the unceremonious Lola.
For a vampire, nothing was more delicious than blood, so Lola put the cup down after a single sip. "Weren't you looking for me?"
"I saw you went to Rose Manor."
Lucille denied it coldly. "My visit to Rose Manor had nothing to do with you."
Lola shrugged nonchalantly, then smiled. "So? Did you discover anything at Rose Manor?"
Lucille frowned. "No." The fire thirty years ago had burned Vandent and Rose Manor to the ground, leaving nothing behind.
Lola wasn't surprised by this outcome. She let out a low laugh, picked up a piece of fruit from the table, and tossed it into her mouth. The red juice stained her lips. Licking the corner of her mouth, she said to Lucille, "I'll take you to see something. Interested?"
Her attitude held a faint hint of provocation. Lucille met her gaze for a moment before giving a cold nod, indicating for her to lead the way.
Vampires were several times faster than swift horses. It didn't take much time to get from the main city to Vandent. Lucille and Lola slipped past the patrolling knights and delved deep into Vandent, arriving at Rose Manor before the sky had completely darkened.
Even without black witches or monsters lurking here, Rose Manor was still grim and terrifying. The dim, yellow light of the setting sun brought no warmth, instead adding a touch of unreality to the scene.
There wasn't even the sound of insects or birds; Rose Manor was shrouded in dead silence.
Lola seemed very familiar with the place, leading Lucille through the crumbling walls until they stopped before a pile of ruins. She bent down and lifted a stone slab, revealing a small green sprout still growing tenaciously underneath. With an unreadable expression, she teased, "Look at that. What a tenacious little thing."
The sprout was tiny, with only a few leaves, making it impossible to identify what kind of plant it was. Lucille frowned slightly. Instead of asking Lola what it was, she lowered her gaze in thought for a moment, then suddenly bent down and began digging in the soil next to the sprout. A few severely corroded nutshells mixed with dirt came into view.
"...Were these buried here when Rose Manor was still intact?" Lucille picked up a nutshell, examining it closely as she murmured.
Lola threw up her hands. "I don't know." She had only discovered them by chance. As for when they were buried here, she couldn't say.
"Can you tell what plant this nutshell is from?" she asked quizzically, seeing Lucille still bent over, studying the shell.
Lucille frowned. "I can't tell." The shell was too badly corroded.
Lola sounded rather bored. "Brought you here for nothing." She turned and leaped onto a high wall, sitting with one leg bent and the other dangling as she gazed up at the star-filled night sky.
"Someone once told me the night sky here is very beautiful." Lola's lips suddenly curved into a smile as she recalled something. "Looking at it now, they were clearly lying."
When she received no reply, she couldn't help but glance down. Seeing Lucille digging up the small green sprout, she wore a strange expression. "You're not thinking of transplanting it to your garden, are you?"
Lucille's hands didn't stop as she asked in a low voice, "Can't I?"
Lola frowned, hesitating for a moment before letting her be. "Do as you please. It probably won't survive long here anyway."
Lucille placed the sprout, along with its soil, into her Space Gem. She took out a handkerchief to wipe her hands clean. Noticing how quiet Lola had been, she instinctively glanced up and saw her still staring blankly at the night sky.
"...Who told you the night sky here was beautiful?"
Hearing Lucille's voice, Lola was silent for a moment before looking down to meet her gaze, smiling. "My mother. She was the daughter of an earl in the Principality of Wagley."
That was indeed a status that would have granted her entry to Rose Manor. Lucille lowered her eyes, concealing the complex emotion within them.
The moon had just risen in the sky. Unbeknownst to Lucille, who was still at Rose Manor, a guest had arrived at her own manor. The maids had been dismissed early, so Tang Qiu, who had slipped past carriages and pedestrians in a wide cloak, was met with a locked door.
She pushed back her hood slightly and looked up at the dark, unlit manor, frowning. Where had Lucille run off to now?
She touched her wrist, stood still for a moment, then turned and left.
The square was still bustling with people at night. Tang Qiu returned to the church through a small path from the back gate. Just as she reached the main hall, she happened to run into Jennifer, who looked surprised to see her. "Weren't you staying out tonight?" she asked, puzzled.
Tang Qiu had specifically told her during the day that she had something to do and would be staying out for the night.
Tang Qiu pulled down her hood and said nonchalantly, "I had a last-minute change of plans." Seeing that Jennifer looked like she was about to head out, she asked, "Where are you going?"
"You're back just in time." Jennifer handed Tang Qiu a piece of parchment. "The imperial knights sent word that monsters are still causing trouble in the city."
Tang Qiu raised an eyebrow. "Have they been caught?"
Jennifer shook her head. "No."
Tang Qiu grew thoughtful. She scanned the contents of the parchment, her eyes narrowing. "They're suggesting the Church send people to patrol with the knights?"
Jennifer nodded. "Priest Monica has already agreed."
"Priests will each lead five clerics to patrol the main streets of the city."
It seemed Monica was truly serious about building a new square near the church. Tang Qiu folded the parchment and sighed, "Time to get busy again."
"The Church has a duty to protect the believers who trust us," Jennifer said with a serious expression. Tang Qiu looked at her and patted her on the shoulder. "If only every cleric had your dedication," she lamented.
Jennifer frowned at her, disapproving. "What nonsense are you talking about?" She instinctively glanced around, relieved to see that no one was paying attention to their conversation.
Back in Kafu Town, she had already known that Tang Qiu was not as gentle and harmless as her appearance suggested. But after spending some time with her, she found that although the person was different on the inside and out, she was comfortable to be around because she understood how to maintain proper boundaries and distance.
Most importantly, Jennifer had concluded after long observation that this person was not bad at heart.
Having failed in her "feeding duty," Tang Qiu could only reluctantly join the patrol. The squad of clerics she was leading was assigned to the most remote street, right next to the city gate.
There were few pedestrians on the street. The knights led the way at the front, while Tang Qiu and the five clerics followed unhurriedly behind, carefully observing their surroundings.
Lola and Lucille, having returned from Rose Manor, stood on a rooftop behind them, looking down at the departing squad of clerics. Lola's eyes were fixed on the figure of the golden-haired priest. She licked her lips and said teasingly, "Your blood slave."
Lucille was also looking in Tang Qiu's direction. Hearing the ill intent in Lola's tone, she was silent for a moment before offering a piece of well-intentioned advice, "You'd best stay away from her."
Lola glanced at her, assuming her words were born from a possessiveness over her prey. Her expression was odd. "Are Gangrel vampires this domineering?"
Lucille ignored her comment and simply said flatly, "She wants to kill you."
Lucille didn't know whether Gangrel vampires were domineering or not, but she herself felt displeased that Lola had her eyes on Tang Qiu. However, she wasn't particularly worried, for the very reason she had just told Lola.
If Lola really made a move on Tang Qiu, it might be exactly what the golden-haired priest wanted.
Lola thought she had misheard. She turned to look at Lucille and, seeing her serious face, couldn't help but scoff, "Just a little priest."
For an Assamite skilled in assassination, even a bishop posed no threat as long as she could get close.
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