CA - Chapter 178
Chapter 178
As a vampire who had lived for nearly a century, Lucille was displeased to have suddenly grown a tail. This was especially true since the tail had little to do with combat; in Teresa's words, it was actually a symbol of the Ice Wolf bloodline.
Violet and his descendants would all grow tails after mastering their innate talents, symbolizing their status as dominant warriors.
But Lucille felt it was highly likely Violet had said that deliberately to maintain his own image.
After all, they were still vampires at their core, fundamentally different from werewolves.
The changes to her claws were to increase her combat strength, but a tail was unnecessary.
Lucille only wanted to play with Tang Qiu's tail; she had no desire to be the one being played with. Judging by Tang Qiu's reactions when her tail was touched and how rarely she manifested it, the sensation must be very strange.
That was why Lucille had kept it from Tang Qiu, never expecting to be sold out by the talkative Lola.
On the way back to the Holy See, Lucille's face was expressionless, but inwardly she was constantly thinking about how to respond if Tang Qiu asked about it. To her surprise, however, the blonde bishop was quiet the entire way and didn't ask a thing.
Still, although Tang Qiu asked nothing, her gaze would occasionally sweep over the area behind Lucille's waist, a thoughtful look on her face that made Lucille feel rather peculiar.
Avoiding the guards, they entered the manor. Lucille leaped in through a window and vanished. Tang Qiu didn't go looking for her immediately. Instead, she leisurely unfastened her cloak, changed into a loose, comfortable robe, and only after tidying up did she follow Lucille's scent.
Aside from the bedroom she always used, the other rooms in her manor at the Holy See were all empty. Tang Qiu went up to the second floor, pushed open the door to the room in the farthest corner, and saw Lucille standing by the window at a glance.
Lucille was holding a glass. Her throat was a little dry, and she was trying to moisten it with a drink of water.
A familiar scent drew near. Lucille tilted her head slightly. A hand pressed down on the one she had resting on the window frame, its grip so strong she couldn't break free. A lock of snow-white hair slid from her shoulder to her chest, and the blonde bishop's gentle, smiling voice sounded by her ear. "Water."
Lucille glanced down at the white hair mingling with her own red strands and licked her lips. She tilted her head back, took a sip of water, then set the glass aside. Reaching out, she pinched Tang Qiu's chin and leaned in to kiss her lips.
Tang Qiu parted her lips slightly, her sky-blue eyes filled with a faint smile. One of her hands pressed against Lucille's wrist while they kissed, while the other moved with clear purpose to her lower back, her fingers kneading suggestively.
Lucille: "..."
She released Tang Qiu's lips, her voice tinged with a hint of barely concealed helplessness. "What are you doing?"
"I'm inspecting." Tang Qiu's nail slit open Lucille's dress. She patted her waist, neither too hard nor too soft, and said with a light chuckle, "Lie down."
When their powers were comparable, a vampire couldn't beat a werewolf in a simple contest of strength.
Lucille merely possessed the bloodline of an Ice Wolf, but Tang Qiu was true werewolf royalty.
She could have used the Power of Darkness to break free from Tang Qiu's hold, but Lucille would never do that. She bent over, leaning against the window frame, and felt her legs being parted. She subconsciously raised a hand to grab Tang Qiu's arm.
"...A tail doesn't grow there." The blonde bishop's so-called "inspection" made Lucille's breathing a little heavier. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, the crimson in their depths was startlingly rich. She leaned forward and bit down on Tang Qiu's arm. The sweet blood that flooded her mouth eased some of the hunger in her heart.
Tang Qiu casually tore off the cumbersome dress and tossed it to the floor. Glancing at Lucille's slightly trembling legs, her eyes deepened. "Is that so?" she said nonchalantly. "Then where is it?"
As she spoke, she moved her hand downward. But before she could conduct a thorough "inspection," her wrist was suddenly wrapped by something. The furry sensation made Tang Qiu pause for a moment, then she couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile.
Unlike hers, the tail of an Ice Wolf was grayish-white.
She grabbed the tail and stroked it a couple of times, then leaned close to Lucille's ear and teased in a low voice, "It feels quite nice." Lucille had once said the same thing to her.
She never thought she'd be the one saying that line back to her now.
Lucille gripped Tang Qiu's arm and took another large mouthful of blood to soothe her agitation. Licking her lips, she reached up, hooked her arm around Tang Qiu's neck, and pulled her down to seal her lips.
The hazy, silver-white moonlight shone in from the window, enveloping the two intimately entwined figures. The night breeze blew the curtains by the window, causing them to flutter up and perfectly conceal the amorous scene.
The moon slowly set, and a sliver of dawn appeared in the east. Tang Qiu, draped in a thin outer robe, stood alone by the window, looking down at the parchment in her hands. On her fair arms were several crimson bite marks that had yet to fully heal. The air still seemed to hold a lingering, fiery heat.
The content on the parchment was brief, just a few sentences. After reading it, Tang Qiu lowered her eyes, lost in thought.
Having taken a short rest in bed, a re-energized Lucille took a new set of clothes from her Space Gem and put them on. She walked barefoot to Tang Qiu's side, glanced at the parchment in her hand, and asked quizzically, "What's this?"
Tang Qiu turned her head to look at Lucille. Seeing that the corners of her eyes were still a little red, she couldn't help but smile as she handed over the parchment.
Lucille took it and glanced at it. "Faye?" she said flatly.
"Delphine gave it to me." Tang Qiu turned to face Lucille, her fingers toying with the slightly open collar of her dress as she spoke distractedly. "I'll take this opportunity to accept the invitation."
The letter only invited her back to the werewolf territory; there was nothing else.
Judging by the signature, the letter was likely written by Faye herself, but the wording was extremely cautious and polite.
It seemed that what Delia had revealed to her back then was credible.
Faye already knew she wasn't the real Grace.
As for some werewolf prophecy, Tang Qiu had honestly never paid it any mind. She didn't believe in things like saviors. She had encountered plenty of dangers since transmigrating, and luck was only one part of why she had managed to overcome them.
While Tang Qiu was thinking about Faye, her hand restlessly tried to slip inside Lucille's clothes, only to be caught.
Lucille handed the parchment back and said with a frown, "I'll go with you."
Tang Qiu thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No need, I'll go by myself." She squeezed Lucille's hand and said with a smile, "I have a more important mission for you."
Lucille watched her quietly, waiting for her to continue.
"Take the vampires to the Shas Principality." Tang Qiu gave her an address. "Cambecus has a teleportation scroll that can ignore domains. Go to the scroll's destination point ahead of time and verify if it's real."
"I'll have Karen and Erin go with you."
Although Tang Qiu believed the information Lisa revealed under those circumstances wouldn't be false, it was still better to be cautious to prevent any accidents.
Erin was more skilled in this area. With her and Lucille investigating, Tang Qiu would be more at ease.
Lucille was silent for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Alright." She paused, then added, "Then I'll have Lola and two other vampires protect you in secret."
Tang Qiu didn't refuse Lucille's concern, nodding readily. "Okay."
A thought occurred to her, and she let out a low chuckle. "Lola can have a feast this time."
Having vampires to clean up the aftermath would save her a lot of trouble.
Time flew by, and the day of her appointment with Cambecus arrived. With Jennifer at the Gosse Church, Tang Qiu had nothing to worry about. After giving a few simple instructions, she boarded the carriage prepared by Mario and set off for Skont City.
At the entrance to Skont City, Cambecus's convoy was already waiting.
Tang Qiu disembarked from her carriage and was led by one of Cambecus's attendant priests to his carriage. A hand pushed the door open, and Cambecus emerged, giving Tang Qiu a cordial smile. "You've worked hard, Bishop Grace."
Tang Qiu smiled and shook her head. "It is my duty."
Cambecus looked her up and down, a dark glint flashing in his eyes for an instant. He feigned concern and asked, "What is the Elf Race's opinion on His Holiness the Pope's proposal? Did they agree?"
"The Elf Queen is hesitating. She didn't give me a definite answer." Tang Qiu sighed, her tone full of self-reproach. "I have failed to live up to His Holiness's trust."
Cambecus said gently, "It's not your fault. The elves are just ungrateful."
"If it had been you, Your Excellency, perhaps you would have succeeded."
Cambecus was pleased by Tang Qiu's flattery but still waved his hand humbly. "That's not necessarily the case."
The two exchanged a few more pleasantries, then smiled at each other before turning to return to their respective carriages to set off.
Once back in their carriages, the smiles on both Tang Qiu's and Cambecus's faces vanished. They gazed at the scenery outside, the profound meaning in their eyes known only to themselves.
With Holy Knights clearing the path ahead, the two convoys set off in a grand procession toward the Gru Empire, treading over the corpses of monsters. Lucille and Lola stood on a high mountain, looking down at the Holy See's party below.
"Are you sure Grace said I could drink the blood of these people?" Lola licked her lips as she eyed the priests in the convoy.
Lucille pointed a finger at Cambecus's group and said flatly, "Feed after it's over. Remember to follow Grace's orders."
Lola crossed her arms, a flash of impatience in her crimson eyes. "You've said that many times."
Sensing the chill emanating from Lucille, Lola shifted two steps to the side. She stared down at the carriages below, and a thought occurred to her. "Can I have that Red-robed Archbishop?"
She raised her hand, looking at her palm thoughtfully. "I think I'm about to reach the fourth generation."
Lola's voice was filled with uncontrollable excitement. When she and Lucille first met, they were both sixth-generation. Lucille's strength grew rapidly, and it wasn't long before she left Lola behind and ascended to the fourth generation.
But Lola wasn't surprised. She was different from Lucille. Lucille's starting point was already at the fourth generation, while she had climbed up step by step, relying on blood-drinking.
The fourth generation was a major turning point. Lola's red lips curled into a somewhat wicked smile. Using a Cardinal's blood to break through the bottleneck that had plagued her for so long—such an opportunity was truly once in a lifetime.
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