CA – Chapter 68
Chapter 68
The people from the Inquisition had come to question Monica about Anthony’s collusion with the Vampires.
The timing of Anthony's disappearance made it seem more like he had fled to escape punishment after his actions were exposed. The Inquisition had already issued a warrant for his arrest, but they had yet to find any clues.
Monica had Jonas lead the men here. Tang Qiu tactfully rose to leave, planning to return to her room and properly consider Monica's proposal.
She left the meeting room, intending to go back to her own quarters. However, as soon as she entered the hallway, she looked up and saw Jennifer waiting for her in front of her room. Her steps faltered for a moment before she calmly turned around, changing her mind on the spot.
Perhaps spending a night at Lucille's manor would be quite nice.
Passing through the main hall, Tang Qiu planned to leave through the Holy See's back door. Unexpectedly, she ran into Archbishop Cambecus. Although she had never met him before, she easily recognized his status from the archbishop's robes he wore. Tang Qiu stopped and curtsied slightly, her long golden hair swinging in a graceful arc before her.
A gentle and perfectly measured smile graced her face. “Archbishop Cambecus, good day.”
Cambecus stopped and gave her a slight nod. His brown eyes fixed on the blonde priest, sizing her up for a few moments as his gaze flickered. “Good day.”
After a few polite pleasantries, Tang Qiu took her leave. Cambecus, however, watched her retreating back thoughtfully, his gaze lingering for a long time.
The attendant priest behind him understood his meaning and turned to ask Linda, who had been with them all along, “Which priest is that?”
The smile on Linda’s lips was somewhat strained. “Grace Barton. She was away from the Holy See, accompanying Priest Monica to escort the Light Believers.”
Cambecus withdrew his gaze and nodded. “A very talented child.”
Linda lowered her head and said nothing.
As soon as Tang Qiu was outside, she donned a wide cloak to cover her priestess robes. Weaving her way through the crowded streets, she arrived at the gate of Lucille’s manor.
The usually diligent maid was not trimming the branches in the garden today. Tang Qiu pushed the gate open and went inside. Instead of seeking out the manor's owner first, she went straight to the garden. She pulled down the hood of her cloak, picked up a pair of shears, and began nonchalantly trimming the somewhat messy flower branches.
Her long golden hair cascaded down her back, looking brilliant and dazzling under the sunlight.
She was in a very good mood, occasionally humming a few tuneless notes as she pruned.
In the second-floor bedroom directly facing the garden, a corner of the heavy curtains was pulled back. Lucille gazed down at the “uninvited guest” in the garden. The brilliant golden sunlight enveloped her, seeming to add a halo around her. The distance between them was like the dividing line between darkness and light.
Lucille slowly raised a hand, pressing her palm against the cold windowpane. The room behind her was pitch black. Backlit as she was, her dark red eyes appeared somewhat dim, and a gloomy atmosphere surrounded her.
A Light Ball bounced up and landed on the window. The white light shone through the gap in the curtains, slightly illuminating the room behind Lucille. Tang Qiu, who had long since sensed Lucille's gaze, looked up toward the second-floor bedroom, raised her voice slightly, and asked with a smile, “Would you like some tea?”
...Yes.
Lucille opened the window and jumped down.
On the table sat two cups of fragrant, steaming rosehip tea. Tang Qiu sat opposite Lucille, picked up a cup, and sniffed it. “I thought you were hungry.” She glanced up at Lucille and said with a smile, “But it seems you’re alright for now?”
There was no gloom in Lucille’s eyes, and her aura was cool and distant. It was clear she wasn't in a state of thirsting for blood.
Lucille picked up her cup and took a sip. “I can still hold on,” she said faintly.
Tang Qiu nodded, her fingers stroking the warm side of the cup. Just as she was about to tell Lucille she was considering going to the Central Church, she heard the person opposite her say in a low voice, “I need to return to Edry.”
Her hand, which was stroking the cup, paused. She was a little surprised. “Did something happen?”
“Charles II is dead.”
That fatuous and arrogant king? Tang Qiu raised an eyebrow. “Was he assassinated?”
Lucille shook her head. “Natural causes.” Of course, as for what kind of natural causes, besides Charles II himself, probably no one else was very interested in knowing.
With Charles II dead, Edry needed to enthrone a new king. Lucille indeed needed to go back to consolidate her power. As for the time it would take... it probably wouldn't be short. Tang Qiu nodded slowly and said softly, “I have the fruit Jemma gave me. Don't worry about me.”
Lucille saw through Tang Qiu’s thoughts at a glance. She drained the tea in her cup, raised her eyes to look steadily at the blonde priest, and explained, “The new king is too young. I’m going back to help him select reliable ministers to assist him.”
“It’s not to consolidate my own position.”
Seeing Tang Qiu’s surprise, she pressed her lips together, then lowered her gaze and added, “I don’t want to control Edry. I just haven’t found a suitable king to entrust it to.”
This time, Tang Qiu was thoroughly astonished. She could see how much Lucille valued Edry and had assumed it was because she prized her status as Marshal. But now it seemed that wasn't the case... She asked curiously, “Were you from Edry before you became a Vampire?”
Lucille looked down at the exquisite patterns on her cup. After a moment of silence, she said in a flat tone, “My mother was the royal princess of Edry, from the third generation of the royal line.”
Charles II was already the fifth generation of the royal succession.
“...Before she died, she made me promise to protect Edry.”
This was the second time Tang Qiu had heard Lucille mention her mother, and each time she could detect a hint of stiffness in her tone. Not wanting to reopen old wounds, Tang Qiu proactively changed the subject. “If you need any help, you can come to me.”
Tang Qiu refilled Lucille’s cup. After a moment's thought, she decided against mentioning her potential move to the Central Church. Instead, she slowly rolled up her sleeve, waved it at Lucille, and teased, “Aren’t you going to fill your stomach before you leave?”
The smile playing on her lips was just a little bit alluring.
Lucille watched her for a moment, then suddenly put down her cup and stood up. Tang Qiu watched her approach, a hint of a smile in her eyes.
Her suspended wrist was not grasped as she had expected. Lucille’s hand reached for Tang Qiu’s collar, her fingers deftly undoing two buttons. Just as she was about to continue, her hand was firmly stopped.
Tang Qiu looked at her with a half-smile. “I didn’t say here.” They weren't in a special situation like last time.
With the buttons undone, the collar gaped open slightly. With a downward glance, Lucille could see the not-yet-fully-healed bite mark on the side of the blonde priest’s neck. Because her skin was so fair, even the slightest mark was exceptionally obvious.
Lucille easily broke free from Tang Qiu’s grip. Tang Qiu frowned slightly and subconsciously used her other hand to block her, but her wrist was suddenly seized. Lucille took her hand, bent down slightly in the posture of a knight, and pressed a light kiss to her fingers.
This was the highest form of knightly etiquette, generally reserved only for the king or queen one pledged allegiance to.
Tang Qiu was stunned for a moment, her gaze toward Lucille slowly softening.
“What’s this?” Tang Qiu said playfully. “Are you pledging your loyalty to me?”
Lucille released her hand and sat back down in her chair. “This is a knight’s promise,” she said faintly.
“I will be back before the next full moon.”
If Lucille planned to return before the next full moon, she would have to depart as soon as possible. Tang Qiu abandoned the idea of staying the night. Seeing that it was already dark, she announced she was returning to the Holy See.
Lucille nodded, rising with her and insisting on seeing her back.
After nightfall, the streets of the main city were mostly empty, save for the occasional drunkard. Even so, Tang Qiu and Lucille avoided the wide avenues, sticking mainly to the dark, narrow alleys.
Tang Qiu stopped in an alley not far from the Holy See. She turned to face Lucille, about to tell her to go back, when a familiar voice came from above them. “A deeply moving master-slave relationship.”
The brown-haired, red-eyed Vampire jumped down from the wall, the corners of her mouth still stained with fresh blood, looking as if she had just fed. Her meaningful gaze swept over Lucille and Tang Qiu as she said with a low chuckle, “I didn’t expect you two to still be together.”
Tang Qiu turned to face the newcomer. She pushed her hood up slightly and called out in a low voice, “Lola.”
Lola licked the corner of her mouth. “Long time no see.”
Tang Qiu’s gaze rested on the bloodstain on Lola’s mouth. She frowned and asked, “Were you just feeding?”
The scent of blood in the air carried a faint trace of light magic. She looked up at the wall behind Lola. Lucille stepped out from behind her, leaped over to the other side of the wall with a cold expression, and returned a moment later. “The person already escaped,” she said in a low voice to Tang Qiu.
Tang Qiu’s expression slowly turned cold.
Lola leaned against a nearby wall and said nonchalantly, “Relax. The prey had already run off before you arrived.”
Tang Qiu glanced at her and curved her lips into a smile, but there was little warmth in her tone. Instead, it sounded rather chilly. “It had better be that way.” She pulled her hood down lower and turned to walk toward the Holy See.
Lola shrugged at her retreating back and said casually, “Being threatened by a priest is quite a novel feeling.”
Lucille watched until the blonde priest’s figure disappeared into the darkness before retracting her gaze. She turned to Lola and said, “I’ll be returning to Edry for a while.”
Lola raised an eyebrow. “Are you coming back? I just heard some interesting news I wanted to tell you, about Rose Manor.”
Lucille gave a cool nod, then looked toward the direction Tang Qiu had left for a moment longer before saying in a low voice, “While I’m gone, help me protect her.”
“Entrusting a Vampire to watch over your prey for you?” Lola said jokingly. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll steal her away?”
An icy gaze swept over her. Lola pouted and threw up her hands. “Just kidding,” she said, bored. The Gangrel really are a clan that can't take a joke.
At the back door of the Holy See, Jennifer was waiting with a stack of invitations, hoping to catch the blonde priest who had snuck out. Who would have thought that instead of the blonde priest, another one would show up.
Linda ran to the back door of the Holy See in a daze. Seeing Jennifer, a flash of panic crossed her eyes. She subconsciously raised a hand to cover her neck, her face deathly pale.
Jennifer looked at her in confusion. “Priest Linda, what’s wrong with you?”
Linda shook her head. “Nothing.” With that, she lowered her head, walked past Jennifer, and hurried away.
Jennifer turned to watch her retreating back, frowning. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong with her.
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