CA - Chapter 147
Chapter 147
Back at Lucille’s manor in the capital of the Gosse Empire, Erin, Lola, and the others who had returned ahead of time waited, but with no sign of Tang Qiu and Lucille, they grew anxious.
The explosion from the E Leaf powder had been immense, and they had been too far away to know the specifics of the situation. The fact that Lucille and Tang Qiu had not returned for so long filled them with unease, fearing that something had gone wrong with the plan.
Lola was guarding Delia, while Erin waited in the garden, her eyes fixed on the gate, her heart burning with anxiety. Unable to sit still, she finally took out a black jar, intending to try a divination.
Vera, who had been lost in her own thoughts nearby, saw her take out the jar and, after a moment’s consideration, walked over to watch.
Kama squatted beside Erin, also watching her with wide, expectant eyes.
Their gazes were so focused and earnest that Erin felt the pressure. But just as she was about to prepare her materials, the atmosphere in the garden suddenly fluctuated. One after another, vampires in black cloaks leaped down from the surrounding walls.
Erin instantly grew vigilant at the sight of the unfamiliar vampires.
Tang Qiu was the last to vault into the manor. She appeared at Erin’s side in a flash and patted her on the shoulder, signaling for her to relax. “They’re here for Byron.”
Seeing Tang Qiu, Erin’s tense body slowly relaxed. She wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and said with lingering fear, “You scared me.”
She had thought their plan to kill Evan had failed and that he had brought his vampires to their door for revenge.
Upon entering the manor, Beverly’s nose twitched as she caught her brother’s scent. She left the garden, following the trail, with the other Brujah vampires close behind her.
After Beverly and the other vampires had gone, Erin felt she could breathe easier. She quickly packed away the jar she had placed on the ground and looked up at Tang Qiu and Lucille, asking with concern, “Your injuries?”
Neither Tang Qiu nor Lucille looked well, and their clothes were stained with large patches of blood. It was clear they had just been through a fierce battle.
Tang Qiu shook her head slightly and cast a cleaning spell on herself and Lucille, making them look a bit tidier. “We need to rest for a while.”
Erin nodded in understanding. Kama, who had been about to hug Tang Qiu, also sensibly stopped and turned to hug Erin instead, not wanting to disturb Tang Qiu’s rest.
Tang Qiu smiled at Erin and Kama, then turned with Lucille and walked toward their room.
“Grace, wait…” Erin suddenly remembered something and called out to stop Tang Qiu. “Lola captured a vampire—the fourth-generation lord from Rose Manor.”
Tang Qiu paused, raising an eyebrow. “Dini? Lord Delia?”
Erin nodded. “Yes, that’s her. It seems she was caught in the powder explosion but was lucky enough to escape. Lola has her locked up in the warehouse.”
“Oh?” Tang Qiu and Lucille exchanged a look, both somewhat surprised. “She’s that fortunate.”
She hadn’t told Delia about her plan, intending to leave her behind in Rose Manor with Evan and the other vampires.
She never expected the woman to be so cautious.
Tang Qiu let out a soft laugh. She leaned in and whispered a few words in Lucille’s ear, then took out several vials of Holy Water of Light and drank them before turning to walk toward the warehouse.
Delia was gravely injured. With Lola guarding her, she couldn’t switch to a new body and could only endure the pain as her severed arm and leg slowly healed.
When Tang Qiu arrived at the warehouse, Delia’s leg had just finished regenerating, but one arm was still a stump. The injuries made Delia exceptionally hungry. Her face was deathly pale as she sat in a corner, desperately suppressing her desire for blood.
Lola was leaning against the door, distractedly watching Delia. Hearing footsteps, she turned her head and, upon seeing it was Tang Qiu, unconsciously let out a sigh of relief.
“Are you hurt?” Lola asked, looking Tang Qiu up and down.
Tang Qiu shook her head slightly. Her gaze passed over Lola and settled on Delia. “Go back and rest,” she said softly.
Lola shrugged. “Be careful. This one looks very cunning.”
With that, she turned and left, quickly disappearing into the darkness.
After Lola was gone, Tang Qiu entered through the doorway. She walked up to Delia, bent down slightly, and grabbed her by the shoulder, lifting her up. Her sharp nails pressed directly against Delia’s chest.
“Do you want a quick death?”
Delia’s eyes flew open. The sharp pain in her chest made her back straighten instantly. She tried to keep her voice from trembling as she said, “Wait… let’s talk.”
“Talk about what?”
“I-I can tell you secrets about the Wolf Race.” Delia swallowed nervously, organizing her thoughts before speaking rapidly. “You know about your relationship with Faye, right? Aren’t you curious why she still hasn’t come to see you?”
“Faye was there in the Earth Mother’s temple when you were fighting for the Godhead, but she didn’t meet with you.”
“Don’t you find that strange?”
Strange? Of course, it was strange.
Tang Qiu had felt it was strange for a long time. The Elf Queen, Ophelia, and even Evan could recognize her identity at a glance. Faye would surely be even more familiar with her own “daughter.”
And yet… since she had transmigrated, she had only met Faye once in the werewolf territory, and even then, it was as strangers.
That was not how a mother should treat a “daughter” who had joined the enemy’s Holy See.
And this vampire before her… Delia… her attitude toward her was also very peculiar.
The nails pressing against her chest slowly moved away. Tang Qiu stared at Delia for a moment, then said with a smile, “Perhaps you can explain it to me.”
Seeing that Tang Qiu was willing to listen, Delia let out a small sigh of relief. She leaned her back against the wall to support her weakened body and, as if lost in a memory, said in a low voice, “Faye never appears to disturb you because of a prophecy that has been passed down in the Wolf Race.”
“According to the legend, when the Wolf Race faces a crisis of extinction, only Grace can save the race.”
Tang Qiu frowned, offering a flat assessment of this prophecy. “That sounds rather nonsensical.”
Delia glanced at her, her expression somewhat grave. “It is nonsensical, but you wouldn’t think so if you knew the full version of the prophecy.”
She didn’t keep her in suspense and recited the entire prophecy.
“Bright moonlight accompanies crimson flames. Within the holy church, a maiden guided by the Light Goddess descends upon the continent of Statu. She dispels the darkness and spreads the light, leading the Wolf Race to its glorious peak.”
“She is a werewolf of the Field clan, the eldest daughter of the patriarch.” Delia looked at Tang Qiu and said, enunciating every word, “Her name is Grace Field.”
Field was the surname of the royal werewolf family. This body’s original name was Grace Field.
Everyone who knew this prophecy, including Delia, had assumed that the “maiden guided by the Light Goddess” referred to some change that would occur during “Grace’s” awakening on the first full moon of her adulthood. But they never imagined that the real “Grace” would be an outsider.
If Delia hadn’t personally witnessed the original Grace’s death, coupled with Tang Qiu’s completely opposite personality, she wouldn’t have believed it either.
She believed Faye must have confirmed it only after seeing Tang Qiu.
No one knew what the “savior” was supposed to do, so Faye didn’t dare to make contact with Tang Qiu rashly. She could only observe from a distance and wait for Tang Qiu to seek her out.
After Delia finished speaking, the atmosphere turned silent. Tang Qiu lowered her eyes, the smile gone from her face. Crimson flames, bright moonlight, and the holy church—these three descriptions reminded Tang Qiu of the night she had transmigrated.
The church, engulfed in raging flames on a full moon night…
A maiden guided by the Light Goddess descends upon the continent of Statu…
Tang Qiu’s eyes narrowed slightly. She reached out and grabbed Delia by the neck, her gaze icy as she said in a low voice, “…You know I’m not the original Grace?”
Delia’s face turned red from lack of air. She grabbed Tang Qiu’s wrist and said in a hoarse voice, “Faye knows too.”
She pleaded for mercy. “I won’t tell anyone. I can do anything for you, just don’t kill me.”
When she first learned of the prophecy from Ophelia, she was growing anxious because Faye had refused to help her achieve eternal life. She didn’t dare tell Ophelia of her greed, so she set her sights on Grace. She knew how important “Grace” was to the Wolf Race, so she deliberately got close to her, hoping to attach herself to the girl who might become the “savior” or the next clan leader.
If Faye hadn’t suddenly agreed to help her attain eternal life, according to her original plan, she would never have ended up in such a hostile relationship with the “savior.”
The hand on her neck tightened, and a dull pain throbbed in her chest again. Delia’s mind went blank for a moment before she spoke urgently, “…Lucille… Lucille is still in great danger. Although Elder Evan is dead, there are others who want to capture her.”
“I can help you find Elder Eden’s hiding place. Keeping me alive… is more useful to you.”
Tang Qiu’s movements paused slightly. Her eyes flickered as if she were considering whether Delia was as useful as she claimed.
Seeing her attitude soften, Delia seized the opportunity to pledge her loyalty. “You can place a Light Mark on me. With your power, killing me would be incredibly easy. I have no reason to deceive you.”
A Light Mark would allow Tang Qiu to track Delia’s whereabouts. With Tang Qiu’s current strength, killing Delia would indeed be as easy as turning over her hand.
Tang Qiu released Delia, watching her collapse limply to the ground. She let out a sneer and said coolly, “You really know how to save your own life.”
Delia lay on the ground, the cold floor making her body feel stiff. She took a deep breath. As the shadow of death receded, her emotions gradually stabilized.
She raised a hand to her neck and said self-deprecatingly, “Perhaps it’s because I’ve lived with death as my companion since birth.”
Delia covered her face with her hand, her eyes numb as tears slipped through her fingers. For as long as she could remember, she had been struggling just to stay alive. If she hadn’t been so greedy for eternal life, if she had just lived out a peaceful century with Ophelia, a normal human life, she would probably be much more at ease now.
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