Escorted by a squad of vampire guards, Tenra and his party soon arrived at the grand hall of the palace.
The heavy doors parted with a slow, ominous creak. The guards stepped aside, leaving Tenra, Gasper, and Yubelluna's group to enter on their own.
The hall stretched wide and deep, its floor draped in a blood-red carpet, embroidered with intricate demon sigils that shimmered faintly, as if alive with hidden magic.
At the far end, a golden throne sat atop a raised dais. On it, a young girl in ceremonial robes and a crown gazed down at them.
Her features had changed—matured, hardened—but Tenra and Gasper recognized her instantly.
Valerie.
Beside her stood a second throne, occupied by a pale, aristocratic-looking vampire man. Below the dais lingered a handful of soldiers and nobles—far fewer than expected for a royal court.
Gasper's voice broke the silence, trembling with emotion.
"V-Valerie…"
He didn't care about the others. The moment he saw her, tears spilled down his cheeks, unbidden and unstoppable.
They were supposed to escape together. But fate intervened—Valerie had given him her chance at freedom. Gasper had followed Tenra into a life of happiness and liberty, while Valerie stayed behind, trapped in suffering. The thought of it had haunted him ever since.
But now—finally—he saw her again. This time, he swore, they wouldn't leave her behind.
Tenra, though moved, kept his composure. He studied Valerie on the throne, brow furrowing in quiet concern.
Valerie spoke, her voice gentle as falling snow.
"Welcome, everyone. I am Valerie Tepes."
"Ah… yes, I suppose I'm the new queen of Tepes now. Please… treat me kindly."
Her tone was soft, almost fragile. But her crimson eyes were empty, unfocused. The smile she wore was polite, but hollow—a mask that barely concealed the ache beneath.
And she didn't seem to recognize Gasper or Tenra.
Gasper's voice cracked, desperate.
"Valerie, what's wrong? It's us! I'm Gasper—and this is Lord Tenra! We came back to save you!"
At last, the oddity in Valerie's demeanor registered. Gasper's disbelief rang through the hall.
Valerie blinked, her gaze sharpening for a moment.
"Gasper? Lord Tenra?"
"Oh… it's you. I remember now. It's been so long."
A flicker of light danced in her eyes, but faded almost instantly. Her smile returned, perfunctory and distant.
"No… this isn't right… this isn't…"
Gasper stumbled back, stunned. The reunion he'd imagined a thousand times was nothing like this. The Valerie before him was a stranger.
"Valerie, what happened to you?!"
Overcome, Gasper tried to rush the dais—only to be blocked by the vampire man beside Valerie, who rose to his feet.
"That's enough. You're not getting any closer to Her Majesty."
"Dhampir."
The word was spat like poison—a slur for mixed-bloods. The man looked down at Gasper with icy contempt, as if he were filth.
Old memories surfaced—dark, lonely days locked away in the castle. Gasper went pale, staggering backward until Tenra caught him.
"Easy, Gasper."
Tenra gripped his shoulder, steadying him.
"Lord Tenra, Valerie… she's…"
Gasper's voice trembled, on the verge of tears.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of everything."
Tenra's words were calm, but his eyes were cold.
"Tosca, keep an eye on him."
"Yes, Lord Tenra."
Gasper was too shaken to act rationally. Tenra handed him off to Tosca and the girls, then turned his attention to the man on the dais.
"Name yourself."
His mood soured, voice dropping to a low, dangerous register.
The man smirked theatrically.
"Oh my, how frightening! The Red Dragon Emperor himself!"
"I am Marius Tepes, fifth in line to the Tepes throne. Prime Minister of the provisional government, and Chief Advisor for Sacred Gear research."
"Actually, the latter's my real job. Prime Minister is just a side gig."
He gestured grandly, voice dripping with false humility.
"According to the family tree, I'm Valerie's elder brother. My sweet sister worried about our family's future and took the throne, determined to change the vampire world. As her brother, I couldn't just stand by—I became Prime Minister to help protect her…"
Tenra listened, unimpressed. It was all self-serving nonsense.
"So you're the one who colluded with Khaos Brigade and staged the coup?"
Tenra's tone was ice.
Marius waved a hand, feigning innocence.
"Colluded? Mastermind? Oh no, no. The Khaos Brigade came to us on their own, offering help. I merely borrowed a bit of their power."
"Unlike the usual trash and dhampirs, Valerie is an exceptional mixed-blood. Her Holy Grail is a gift from heaven to our vampire race—endless potential. Sadly, Father and my brothers couldn't see it, so they had to… step aside."
The admission sent shockwaves through the hall. Before Tenra could speak, the vampire nobles erupted:
"Marius, what's the meaning of this? You never told us any of this!"
"We demand an explanation!"
"How can you say such things in front of outsiders? Watch your tongue, Lord Marius!"
The elders' voices overlapped, the hall descending into chaos. Clearly, not everyone had been in on the secret.
Marius only smiled, unbothered by their outrage. He didn't even try to hide his contempt for the old guard.
Tenra couldn't care less about their internal drama. He'd come for one reason only.
"Marius, I don't care about your vampire politics. Meet my demand, and I'll leave."
The hall fell silent.
"Oh? I'm listening."
Marius's interest was piqued. Tenra swept his gaze across the room, settling on Valerie.
"Hand Valerie over to me."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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