CA - Chapter 104
Chapter 104
Delphine successfully bluffed Evan by bringing up Faye, making him abandon the idea of pursuing Tang Qiu and the others. After Delphine left, Eric frowned and said, “Elder Evan, is it really okay to let those Vampires leave?”
There were only two types of Vampires who would appear at Rose Manor: members of their clan, and experimental subjects for procreation.
Letting the test subjects escape could bring trouble to their Tzimisce clan.
“It’s too much trouble to deal with them. Let them run.” The few who ran off were either Gangrel or Ravnos. The former preferred to live in desolate wilderness, while the latter were rarely ever seen. Moreover, neither of these two clans had any interest in vying for control of the Blood Domain.
This also meant their clans held little sway among the Vampires, so there was nothing to worry about a few small fish getting away.
Evan raised his hand and dispelled the Blood Domain. The Holy See’s forces outside Rose Manor had not yet fully retreated to a safe location. Eric glanced in their direction, moved to Evan’s side, and asked in a low voice, “Shall I take some men to deal with them?”
Evan waved his hand dismissively. “Forget it. There’s a Cardinal with them. It would be too troublesome to handle.”
Eric nodded and retreated to Delia’s side.
After the Blood Domain was dispelled, the ruined, ravaged state of Rose Manor was presented even more clearly to everyone. Evan surveyed his surroundings, his gaze finally landing on Delia, who had kept her head lowered. He said slowly, “Is this what you meant when you said there would be absolutely no problems if you handled it?”
Delia met Evan’s gaze and explained in a low voice, “The people from the Holy See have been causing trouble.”
“Before, some werewolves and dark elves fought with the Black Witches inside the manor. The commotion was probably too big and attracted the Holy See’s attention.”
She did not mention the Blackening Disease to Evan.
“Whatever the reason, you have disappointed me.” Evan sighed and beckoned to Delia.
Delia’s heart tightened. She lowered her eyes and silently walked over to Evan.
A hand suddenly pierced through her chest, gently closing around her heart. With just a little more force, it could crush her heart to pieces.
Delia bent over in pain, a flash of fear in her eyes. The shadow of death loomed over her, but she didn't dare struggle or resist, because she knew that the slightest hint of resistance would be met with true death.
Evan looked down at Delia and slowly withdrew his hand. He licked the bloodstains from his fingertips and said flatly, “Disobedient children must be taught a lesson.”
“Get rid of those little schemes of yours. Otherwise, even if you are the one Faye sent, I will tear you apart.”
Delia collapsed to the ground, clutching her chest, not yet free from the terror of death. Her voice trembled as she said, “...I am loyal to you, Elder Evan.”
Evan snorted coldly. He lowered his hand and said in a deep voice, “You should be very familiar with Faye. Was that person Delphine mentioned really Faye’s daughter?”
Delia looked down at the blood on her palm and said softly, “Her name is Grace Augustine. She is Clan Leader Faye’s eldest daughter.”
“Oh?” Evan narrowed his eyes. “What was she doing here?”
“...I don’t know either.” Delia had slowly suppressed the fear in her heart. She clutched her chest and carefully stood up from the ground. The movement pulled at her unhealed wound, causing her to suck in a sharp breath of pain. “Faye hid Grace very well. Even the werewolves didn’t know they had a young master.”
“I’ve only met her once.”
Delia mixed three parts truth with seven parts lies, and she actually managed to deceive Evan, mainly because he never expected her to have the guts to lie right after being threatened.
Evan watched Delia for a moment, then changed the subject. “There was a Gangrel Vampire with that werewolf. Have you investigated her identity?”
Delia shook her head. “She was not one of the Vampires from the dungeon.”
Evan nodded thoughtfully and said, “Go investigate her identity. After the matter of the Divine Ruins is over, I want to know whose descendant she is.”
Delia nodded in agreement.
It was clear Evan intended to stay in the Gosse Empire for some time. Finding another place to stay would be troublesome, and Rose Manor needed to continue its operations in the future. He raised his eyes and scanned the ruins before him, then slightly lifted his arm.
Dark energy materialized in his palm. He expressionlessly pressed his hand to the ground, and the dark energy spread out from his palm as its center. The earth beneath their feet turned pitch black, the energy flowing across the surface like a black river.
The shattered stones on the ground were lifted by the dark energy and pieced back together. As the stones on the ground vanished, exquisite buildings rose up within the manor in their place.
The Rose Manor, rebuilt by the dark energy, was even more magnificent and luxurious than before.
Evan withdrew his hand and walked toward one of the buildings. Eric and the others followed behind him. Delia fell half a step behind Eric. The wound in her chest had not yet healed, and she could feel pain with every breath. But under the gazes of the Vampires behind her, she could only stride forward with a composed expression.
After entering a building, Evan waved a hand at those behind him. Eric stopped and led his subordinates to find lodging. Only after Evan and Eric were out of sight did Delia’s hands, hanging at her sides, slowly clench into fists.
The eternal life she desired was not one spent in a cage.
Under Delphine’s cover, Tang Qiu and Lucille led the other Vampires several hundred miles away from the Blood Domain before finally slowing down. Once they were out of its range, Lola regained consciousness. Aside from some mental fatigue, she was unharmed.
On the other hand, Tang Qiu, Lucille, and the others had all sustained injuries of varying severity from fighting the Vampires and resisting the pressure of the Blood Domain.
Only three other Vampires had made it out with them. Due to prolonged starvation and their current weakness, they were in desperate need of feeding.
Although they had a “food source” like Tang Qiu among them, after personally witnessing her send Eric flying, the other Vampires didn’t dare make a move on this ferocious werewolf, even if their eyes were glowing with hunger.
Once they were safe, they began to bid farewell to Tang Qiu and Lucille, eager to hunt for prey. The Gangrel Vampire with wings on his back was the last to leave.
Before he left, he made a point to say a few words to Lucille. “The Gangrel clan wanders the border between the Blood Domain and the continent of Statu.”
“I think you should return to the clan for a visit, because you…” The Vampire thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully. “You don’t seem very familiar with your own abilities.”
“Can you tell me who the Vampire was that gave you the Embrace?”
He still found Lucille’s aura very strange.
Lucille stared at him expressionlessly, saying nothing.
The Vampire could see Lucille’s wariness toward him and knew he wouldn’t get an answer, so he didn’t dwell on the question. He left with one final sentence, “Vampires still need their kin. I’ll be waiting for you in the Blood Domain.”
After the Vampire left, Lola leaned against a tree trunk, took a few deep breaths, and waved a hand, indicating she was also going to hunt.
After watching her figure disappear into the woods, Tang Qiu turned to look at Lucille and asked, “What about you?” She rolled up her sleeve and shook her wrist.
Lucille walked over and pressed her against a tree. She reached up and undid Tang Qiu’s cloak, her cold palm gripping Tang Qiu’s arm and inspecting it inch by inch. Her voice was a little low. “Are you hurt?”
Tang Qiu pressed Lucille’s hand down and showed her her own palm. The gash in its center hadn’t healed due to the residual dark energy, and it was still stained with dried blood.
“It’s just a small wound.” Tang Qiu wrapped an arm around Lucille’s waist and rested her head on her shoulder, closing her eyes slightly as she began to sort through the chaotic situation that the third-generation Vampire’s involvement had created.
One of Lucille’s hands rested on Tang Qiu’s back, while the other brought her injured hand to her lips, gently licking away the bloodstains on her palm.
Huddling together affectionately after escaping danger felt like they were licking each other’s wounds. It was a first for Lucille, but she found herself deeply addicted to it. Even though the hunger in her heart was screaming, she had no intention of feeding, not wanting to ruin this beautiful atmosphere.
After licking the blood from Tang Qiu’s palm clean, Lucille began to gently kiss her fingers.
The soft touch brought Tang Qiu back to her senses. She opened her eyes for a look, her gaze gradually softening. “That tickles a little.”
Tang Qiu tapped Lucille’s lips, then released the arm around her waist. She took out a piece of parchment and a quill from her Space Gem. While quickly writing something, she said, “I’ll record what happened at Rose Manor on this paper. Later, when my werewolf form disappears, remember to remind me to read it over.”
She carefully noted down the key points, then folded the parchment and clutched it in her palm.
“Let’s head back to the Holy See first,” Tang Qiu said softly to Lucille as she put her cloak back on.
Returning the way they came was impossible. They could only avoid the direction of Rose Manor and detour through other cities to get back to the capital.
After Evan’s sudden appearance at Rose Manor, although Tang Qiu had focused almost all her attention on Lucille, she had still been aware of the burst of light magic outside.
Only a member of the Holy See at the rank of Cardinal or higher would have the power to break a third-generation Vampire’s Blood Domain with the Power of Light.
Who had come to the Gosse church?
Tang Qiu lowered her eyes slightly, hiding the contemplation within them. If it was Reese, that would be fine. But if it was someone else… that would be troublesome.
The appearance of a third-generation Vampire was outside her expectations. Not only did it disrupt all her plans, but it also plunged her directly into the worst possible situation.
Even a third-generation Vampire had left their own territory. Could it be for the same purpose as Delphine and the others—for the Divine Ruins buried beneath the Mentos Desert?
What exactly was under the Divine Ruins that both the Elf Queen and a third-generation Vampire wanted to obtain… Tang Qiu frowned, a cloud of doubt settling over her heart.
Using her werewolf form to travel would save a lot of time. Tang Qiu wanted to get back near the Holy See before her transformation ended. Just as she pulled up her hood, her peripheral vision caught a gray shadow pouncing toward her.
Before the gray shadow could reach Tang Qiu, Lucille raised a hand and intercepted it. She grabbed the shadow by the neck, glanced down, and said flatly, “...Looks a little familiar.”
She handed the little fur ball to Tang Qiu. Tang Qiu let out a sound of surprise and was about to take it for a closer look when, from behind a nearby tree, Erin suddenly peeked her head out. Her wary gaze lit up the moment she saw Tang Qiu. “Grace!”
She gathered her wide cloak and ran happily toward Tang Qiu.
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