The door slammed shut heavily on its own, and from within, not the slightest trace of a living presence could be felt anymore.
Laurien watched Viktor enter, then looked at the door that had shut by itself, remaining silent without saying a word.
"Count Laurien, why are you here?", Suddenly, Aurelian's voice sounded beside his ear.
Laurien turned his head and happened to see Aurelian and August walking over.
Aurelian looked around.
But aside from Count Laurien standing at the door, there was no one else.
Wasn't her teacher with Count Laurien?
So she spoke up and asked the count, "Count Laurien, where is Teacher Viktor?"
Count Laurien's eyes seemed immersed in memory as he slowly explained to Aurelian, "While we were chatting, Mr. Viktor suddenly told me that perhaps he had a way to cure my wife's madness."
"He hoped to enter this room and take a look."
Aurelian froze for a moment, then turned her head to look at the wooden sign hanging on the door. On the warning sign were three large letters.
[Do Not Enter]
The crimson warning looked especially alarming under the moonlight.
Aurelian asked in disbelief, "Teacher… went in?"
Count Laurien nodded and continued, "My wife may be insane, but she is not completely uncontrollable."
"Mr. Viktor's abilities far surpass mine as an old soldier. Your Highness need not worry."
Aurelian nodded.
She wasn't worried about Teacher Viktor, but the unknown behind that door still made her uneasy.
It felt somewhat eerie.
At this moment, August showed a gentle smile, "Since Councilor Clevner has matters to attend to, how about we head downstairs together first?"
Count Laurien hesitated for a moment, his gaze once again falling on the tightly shut door.
Then he nodded, "Alright, waiting here might not lead to any result anyway."
"Your Majesty, Princess Aurelian, please."
He politely extended his arm, guiding them to leave together.
Just as they turned to leave, Vanilla's cat ears suddenly twitched, as if sensing something, and she abruptly looked back.
A quiet black figure flickered past her eyes without a sound.
Although Vanilla felt a bit uneasy, she didn't think much of it and quickly followed Aurelian's steps as they left together.
———
In the oppressive air, Viktor stepped deeper and deeper into the pitch-black room filled with the smell of blood.
As he went further in, the nauseating odor grew stronger.
In the end, that sharp stench became even more intense, rushing straight into his lungs.
Viktor's brows knitted tightly, as if the smell made it hard for him to breathe.
Feeling that he had gone far enough, a crimson flame ignited out of thin air beside him.
The bright firelight slightly illuminated the entire room.
The horrifying scene was revealed before him without any concealment, severed limbs were scattered everywhere in the room, and bloodstains and claw marks covered the walls.
Pieces of servants' crimson uniforms were torn apart and scattered all over the room, with dried blood still on them.
It looked as if they had accidentally entered this room and met a tragic end.
All the furniture around was shattered beyond recognition, with wooden fragments embedded into the floor and walls.
The blood-covered walls were marked with streak after streak of claw marks, perhaps traces left behind by servants in their final desperate struggle.
Aside from that, the entire room was far too quiet.
It was hard to imagine that inside such a splendid and glamorous mansion, there could be such a filthy and bloody room hidden within.
However, Viktor remained completely unaffected, looking at everything expressionlessly.
Even Vega yawned out of boredom before speaking, "Just as I thought, I knew something felt off."
"If it were just madness, how could it end up eating people?"
Suddenly, its voice stopped, and its entire body stiffened as it stood on Viktor's shoulder.
But its bird head twisted backward at a full one hundred and eighty degrees in an extremely eerie manner.
A deep, sinister black light shone from its single eye, locking firmly onto the nightmare-like, twisted monster in front of it.
At the moment it saw it, a voice that sounded almost pleased echoed faintly from within Vega's body, "Wouldn't you agree?"
The monster's eyes glowed with a dim red light. Its limbs looked as if they had been brutally broken, supporting its body against the cold ground in a twisted and unnatural posture.
Its torso seemed inverted like a lost soul, moving across the ground in a warped, crooked manner like a dry leaf blown by the wind.
Only through the scattered white hair could one vaguely tell that this monster had once possessed a human form.
When it saw Vega's flickering, malicious black eye, its body suddenly froze as if time itself had stopped.
Its already deformed limbs began to tremble, as though it had encountered something even more terrifying than itself.
Its muscles twitched, as if it had even forgotten the instinct to flee.
"Bloodline breed."
At this moment, Viktor slowly turned around, his lowered eyes deeply fixed on the horrifying monster.
Vega seemed to share an unspoken understanding with him, its body also slowly turning toward the monster.
Viktor's gaze was cold as ice as he said calmly, "A crossbreed between a pureblood vampire and another race is called a bloodline breed."
"Bloodline breeds rely on blood to sustain their lives. If they go too long without fresh blood, they fall into madness. At that point, any living being that appears before them will be torn apart and devoured."
"In fact, Count Laurien knows everything. He understands it all."
Viktor lightly waved his hand, and the flame beside him shot upward like a meteor, flickering on the ceiling.
Replacing the magic light that would never shine again, it illuminated the entire room as bright as day.
"So the one who truly died is not Count Laurien's daughter."
The moment the light filled the room, a beam of blazing white light also fell upon a ghost in a black dress standing nearby.
That was the beautiful yet pale Priscis.
She held one hand tightly against her chest, while the other gently stroked her black dress, her face as pale as snow, filled with deep worry and fear.
Viktor looked at her, then pointed at the twisted monster whose face was exactly the same as Priscis's, "It was your human mother."
"Am I right, Priscis?"
———
Inside the banquet hall, the brilliant lights illuminated every corner brightly.
The nobles held their wine glasses, taking their seats one after another with elegance, whispering among themselves about various topics.
Soon, a small cart carrying a huge, exquisite cake slowly entered the banquet hall, attracting everyone's attention.
The cake, stacked up to sixteen layers, looked like a small tower, making many noble lords show expressions of amazement.
They had never heard that such a diplomatic banquet would include a cake.
Who was this cake prepared for?
But no one could guess the answer.
Just as everyone was discussing, Aurelian's group slowly walked out from the magnificent corridor, drawing the attention of countless nobles.
August and Aurelian walked side by side, with Count Laurien following closely behind.
When they reached near the cake, August raised his voice and said, "You may be wondering who this large cake is prepared for."
Everyone was indeed curious. The nobles began discussing among themselves, and a wave of murmurs spread.
Only the twelve diplomatic ministers from the Empire wore smiles, showing no confusion at all.
Because this matter was told to Count Laurien by them.
At this moment, August smiled and continued, "The reason this banquet is held today is not only to celebrate the friendly diplomatic ties with the Empire."
"It is also to celebrate Princess Aurelian, who has come from afar."
"Her sixteenth birthday."
The nobles present immediately understood upon hearing this.
No wonder this banquet was so grand... it turned out that today was Princess Aurelian's birthday.
They might not give face to the king, but they definitely wouldn't dare ignore the princess of the Empire.
Not to mention she was an imperial princess, her background was so powerful that everyone present had witnessed it.
Her father was the strongest warrior in the world, Aubrey, and that legendary calamity mage Viktor was her teacher.
And the strongest duke of their kingdom, Festian Barlow, was also Aurelian's grandfather.
With so many connections and such a background, who would dare not show respect?
The nobles present all began to applaud, and thunderous applause erupted throughout the banquet hall.
The elegant violin music also changed for her, as if singing praises for Aurelian's birthday.
Aurelian also politely smiled slightly at everyone.
Only after the applause gradually subsided did August turn to the crowd and speak with deep eyes, "Then, on this special day, I happen to have something to announce."
"My future queen has already been decided."
Countless people instantly lifted their heads and looked at August.
Even Hilda, who was sitting with her younger sister, suddenly raised her head upon hearing this news, her gaze fixed tightly on the king.
Aurelian showed a shocked expression, her eyes widening as she looked at August in disbelief.
Why would this king bring up such a topic on her birthday?
Suddenly, the gazes of the kingdom's nobles all gathered on Aurelian.
It was obvious that countless people had realized it.
'August was going to propose to Aurelian?'
'To this imperial princess!?'
This was simply the most suitable political marriage.
After all, Aurelian's background was powerful. Forming an alliance with her meant gaining the support of three sides.
Moreover, August had chosen Aurelian's birthday, making it the perfect occasion to settle the marriage.
Mentioning it on her birthday made it seem even more like a match made in heaven.
As for Aurelian not agreeing? Or the Empire refusing?
How could that be possible, unless Aurelian was the Empire's heir.
Otherwise, the benefits of marrying into the Cant Kingdom were simply too great. How could the Empire refuse?
And a girl becoming the Empire's heir? How could that be possible?
All eight emperors of the Empire had been male.
Marrying Aurelian would also further solidify August's rule.
This was simply a win-win situation.
Everyone present seemed to believe that this marriage was already settled.
Meanwhile, Aurelian looked completely stunned, because August's gaze had already locked onto her.
A bad feeling rose in her heart.
Finally, August, with a gentle smile, spoke to her, "I have decided to marry Count Laurien's daughter, Priscis Nice, as my future queen."
"I hope Princess Aurelian can, on this birthday, bear witness for me."
In that instant, the entire hall fell silent.
Even the cheerful music came to an abrupt stop.
It was as if the silence itself was deafening.