Chapter 65
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: Blood
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Blood
All ten werewolves who had infiltrated the Gemstone Estate were dealt with.
But the real chaos began afterward.
The townsfolk, awakened by the sudden commotion, cautiously emerged only to be horrified by the sight of the half-destroyed estate.
Their frantic confusion plunged the estate into disarray.
This was made worse by the fact that the lord's family was absent, and Raul's invasion had eliminated most of the remaining staff, including the guards.
That was why.
Elise had stepped in to take control.
Interfering in another's domain was taboo, but circumstances dictated otherwise.
The people, desperate for direction, readily bowed to the authority of a direct descendant of the Baekdaesega.
Under her leadership, order was swiftly restored to the Gemstone Estate.
It was a good thing for everyone, but the one who benefited most wasn't one of the townsfolk.
It was a certain visitor who gained access to the infirmary late at night.
"Ahem. That concludes the treatment, but please don't overexert yourself until the wound has healed."
"Understood."
"Also, Lady Vlad left a message asking you to see her as soon as your treatment was finished..."
"Don't worry. I'll go right away."
A mask covering his face.
Tattered night-crawling clothes.
He looked suspicious at a glance.
Yet the medic didn't question Dion's identity.
As a commoner, even if an Awakened One, he simply followed Elise's orders to treat him.
He likely assumed Dion was one of Elise's secret guards.
In any case, thanks to him, Dion received immediate first aid and could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
The scarf wrapped around his wound.
Although the wound would have healed on its own thanks to the recovery and regeneration effects granted by the [Giant Serpent's Valve]...
It was only natural that receiving even basic treatment would speed up the process.
Elise, however, looked displeased when she saw Dion's condition.
"...To still be in that state after receiving treatment. The standards of the Gemstone Estate are lower than I expected."
"At least the medic treated me with the utmost care."
"Hmph. Of course he should have."
As Dion replied politely, even using a somewhat stilted tone to hide his identity.
Elise scoffed.
She leaned back against the sofa, crossed her legs slightly, and continued.
"In any case, the ruling family of the Gemstone Estate won't be able to evade responsibility for this incident."
"It seems you believe they were involved."
"Are you feigning ignorance?"
"I'm not trying to defend them."
No matter how grand the party, it was rare for an entire ruling family to leave their domain.
What's more, the hounds from the hunting city had attacked at that exact moment.
It would be stranger if it were a coincidence.
Even if it were a coincidence, their failure to protect Elise, who had paid a fortune to rent the estate, was a grave responsibility.
Whether she held them accountable for their betrayal.
Or accepted compensation and forgave them.
It was entirely Elise's choice.
Dion stated flatly that, as someone merely passing through, he had no reason to intervene.
Then, he quietly asked Elise, who was watching him with narrowed eyes.
"More importantly, is your knight escort alright?"
"Hmph. I appreciate the sentiment, but there's no need to worry. She's a vassal of House Vlad, no matter how incompetent."
"I'm glad to hear she is safe."
The female knight, who had already retreated with a severed arm, had been caught in the sunlight and left on the brink of death.
It was a good thing Naru had quickly moved her indoors.
She could have been reduced to ashes.
Elise showed no concern for how critical the knight's condition was.
They were the Vlads.
Arrogant and aloof, they considered showing weakness a shame worse than death.
The moment she heard Dion's next words.
Elise's eyes grew cold for that very reason.
"—However, I am concerned that you, my lady, are not."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Exactly what I said."
"..."
Holy relics were rare items.
So much so that even the Baekdaesega struggled to acquire them.
Depending on how they were used, they could threaten even a Transcendent Awakened One.
A holy relic of the sun, which was extremely effective against vampires, needed no further explanation.
Even if it was only for a moment, Elise, who had been hit by its power at point-blank range, could not possibly be unscathed.
Fortunately, as a high-ranking vampire with powerful regenerative abilities, her burnt arm was now fully healed, but...
"Your external wounds may have healed, but you've suffered a great loss of power, haven't you?"
"..."
"You'll need at least a month or two to recuperate. Am I wrong?"
At that observation.
Elise did not answer immediately.
She stared at the masked intruder with her deep, blood-red eyes, only speaking after a long moment.
"I'll let it slide this once... but watch your words."
"..."
"Such an insult to a Vlad could be taken as a declaration of war."
"I apologize if my words were careless."
*Just as I thought.*
Dion apologized without protest.
He had anticipated this reaction from Elise.
Nobles lived and died by their pride.
And among them, a direct descendant of House Vlad would never willingly show weakness.
*This must have been the goal from the start.*
Even with a holy relic, they wouldn't have expected to kill Elise with that alone.
If they were truly trying to kill her, they would have sent a Transcendent Awakened One.
The reason they sent only Raul and the werewolves was simple.
It was enough.
Elise, having suffered a major blow, would be unable to use her full power for some time, causing her to fall drastically behind in the succession race.
She wouldn't even think of revealing the assassination attempt, as doing so would only weaken her position further.
*Still using such efficient methods.*
Instead of taking the risk of being traced by using a Transcendent Awakened One for the assassination.
They dealt her a fatal blow, just light enough to knock her out of the succession race.
Just like when they used a spy to break off her engagement with him and diminish her influence.
Efficient.
Simple.
Yet fatal.
It was exactly the kind of scheme *she* would use.
The silver lining was that Dion's intervention had reduced a blow that could have left her bedridden for over a year to a mere month or two of recovery, but...
There was no way those one or two months would pass peacefully.
She could easily be eliminated from the line of succession during that time and cast out of House Vlad.
*That would be a problem.*
"Lady Vlad. What if I told you I have a way to help you recover?"
That was why Dion spoke up.
Fortunately.
Or unfortunately.
Even without revealing his identity...
No, it was precisely because she didn't know his identity that Dion now had a way to help her.
"What way is that?"
Despite having just warned him about his words.
Elise raised an eyebrow at Dion's immediate defiance.
Yet she asked for confirmation.
She knew better than anyone that she was in danger if she didn't recover her strength as quickly as possible.
But...
"—I will offer you my blood."
"Ha."
Elise let out a dry laugh.
Then, with a glare sharper than any she'd given him before, she stared directly at Dion's mask.
"Is that all your 'good method' amounts to?"
"I understand that drinking blood is the most efficient way for vampires to recover their strength."
"Hmph! You may have heard that somewhere, but I have no need of it."
He wasn't wrong.
The primary reason vampires were called vampires.
Was because blood was the source of their power, their everything.
Nevertheless, Elise flatly rejected the offer for two reasons.
One, it was useless.
The damage she'd sustained from the holy relic's sunlight was immense.
So immense that drinking hundreds, no, thousands of people dry would hardly be enough to recover.
And the other reason was...
"To treat me, a direct descendant of House Vlad, like some common vampire who drinks just any blood is truly insulting."
To vampires, drinking blood was a sacred act.
Even low-class vampires without a shred of dignity didn't feed indiscriminately.
A direct descendant of House Vlad would only drink the blood of carefully selected high-ranking species mixed with wine to maintain their dignity.
To offer raw blood, of all things.
For other intelligent species, it was like being offered a piece of raw meat from an unknown source.
Considering what drinking raw blood meant to a high-ranking vampire, it was a million times more rude and shameless.
"Be grateful for the good fortune that you helped me catch that hound. Otherwise, I wouldn't have let you off so easily."
In that sense.
Elise's words were extremely merciful.
The fact that she didn't try to kill Dion on the spot was an unusually lenient act for a direct descendant of House Vlad.
But instead of being grateful for her mercy, Dion asked calmly.
"Lady Vlad. May I take that to mean that I was of some help to you?"
"...And what of it?"
"As compensation, I would like to ask you to accept my blood."
"...How absurd. Do you really think I would accept such a request?"
"Of course."
"..."
"You are not the kind of person to feign ignorance after receiving help, my lady."
A common ruffian with no pride might.
But the noble and aloof Lady of House Vlad would never do something so shameful.
With unwavering conviction.
Wearing a mask that covered his eyes.
After staring intently at the intruder who spoke with a faint smile.
"—One sip."
In an utterly frigid voice.
Elise spoke.
"In consideration of your sincerity, I will drink just one sip."
"..."
"But be prepared. The price for daring to use a favor to make me do this will be heavy."
As if she had been asked for her first kiss by a strange man as repayment.
Dion wasn't particularly disappointed by Elise's ice-cold demeanor.
He simply approached her with a slight curve of his lips, as if that was enough.
*Shing.*
He removed his glove.
Drew his sword slightly.
Grasped the blade.
And slid his palm across it.
He offered his hand, blood dripping from it.
Elise watched the masked intruder with cold eyes.
*...To act so blatantly suspicious is almost impressive.*
Hiding his face with a mask.
Refusing to reveal his identity.
He appears in secret to warn of an attack.
Risks his life to help her, and then offers his blood as compensation.
His intentions were completely indecipherable; from start to finish, he couldn't have been more suspicious.
A fool with their head in the clouds might have thought he had fallen for her, but...
Elise was no fool.
Frankly, she thought this was another trap.
She was ninety-nine percent certain it was a scheme concocted by her sister to feed her a far more lethal poison.
*The fact that the blood has no scent is clear proof that it's not normal.*
Despite this, she took hold of Dion's wrist.
She was Elise Vlad.
An aloof princess who would rather drink from a poisoned chalice than tarnish her pride.
So, just one taste.
She would wet her lips as promised.
Then kill Dion for daring to defile her mouth and erase this entire incident.
With her mind made up, she gently touched her lips to Dion's wound, from which drops of blood were trickling.
Like a guest forced to taste a wine that was clearly spoiled, simply because the host had offered it.
And so.
Between her red lips.
A drop of blood gently flowed.
The moment it touched the tip of her soft tongue.
*Grip.*
"...?"
For an instant.
Elise couldn't comprehend it.
Her stiffened tongue.
Her contracted pupils.
Her clenched thighs.
Her trembling skin.
Her toes, which had instinctively gone on point.
Even her hand, which was now clinging to Dion's arm.
The sudden, unruly rebellion of her own body, which had intended to merely touch its lips to him and pull away.
It was instinct.
Through her delicate taste buds.
A sensation had penetrated too deeply, too suddenly.
To protect itself from a stimulus so vivid it was fatal.
Her nervous system had reflexively severed the connection between her brain and body.
But that was only a temporary measure.
Like a dam overflowing in a flood.
The sensation that began at the tip of her tongue and swept through her entire body finally broke through the blocked neural pathways.
And so, the moment the stimulus—which had driven every cell in her body into a frenzy just by passing through—finally reached Elise's brain a few beats later.
*Flinch!*
"!!!!!!"
—Sweet pleasure.
Shattered her mind.
`[[Blood-Killing Star]'s hidden special effect has been released.]`
`[5. All Blood (血) Attribute Charm & Effect Boost ↑ (Transcendent)]`