Chapter 37: The Weight of Secrets

Silver hair floated like seaweed on the water’s surface. Chloe cupped a handful of water, pouring it over her smooth, delicate skin. The droplets scattered, creating ripples that spread across the bath.

Chloe firmly believed that bathing not only cleansed the body of grime but also purified the impurities of the soul. Indeed, she now felt considerably calmer.

Chloe submerged herself, allowing the water to gently unfurl her beautiful silver hair. After a moment, she surfaced, pulling her head from the water. The brief deprivation of oxygen sharpened her weary mind, bringing her back to full awareness.

The reason behind Xiao Nuoqi’s murder of Tucker remained an enigma, impossible to ascertain without directly confronting him—an undeniably foolish prospect. Meanwhile, Alice’s secrets were surely concealed within her letter. Retrieving it would finally reveal her true intentions.

‘But what if they truly were colluding with Cliff?’ Chloe realized with a jolt of terror. Even setting Alice aside, Xiao Nuoqi’s combat prowess alone might prove overwhelmingly superior to her own.

‘If a confrontation truly erupted, she would be utterly crushed.’

Her current body was frail and vulnerable, utterly devoid of the myriad spells and ultimate techniques common to light novel protagonists. As a vampire, her only inherent advantage was the gift of immortality and eternal youth.

While she could transform into a bat and unleash Blood Reversal, these abilities were pathetically weak. Against the Elder Council, wielding world-ending magic, she wouldn’t even stand a chance of escape.

Chloe could already envision herself being burned alive, reduced to ashes.

‘No,’ she resolved. ‘I must grow stronger.’

Surely, the vampire race possessed numerous formidable abilities. Lucia, as a True Ancestor, was remarkably powerful. Yet, Chloe was the ‘Most Ancient True Ancestor,’ implying she should theoretically be even stronger than Lucia.

It seemed she would have to learn vampire combat techniques from Lucia.

‘But was Lucia truly beyond suspicion?’ A chilling thought struck Chloe. ‘What if she, too, was a spy for Cliff?’

‘Considering this, it made perfect sense how effortlessly she had dealt with Sir Rurik. They were likely in league all along!’

“Lady Chloe, I’ve come to prepare your change of clothes.”

Through the haze, Chloe heard Lucia’s voice. The woman materialized from the steam, clad only in a bath towel, her alluring figure—curvaceous and statuesque—fully revealed. However, her sudden appearance startled Chloe, nearly making her leap out of her skin.

“What’s wrong?”

Lucia tilted her head, gazing at Chloe. She resembled a startled cat, curled up naked in the water. Lucia stepped closer, gently stroking Chloe’s hair.

“Lady Chloe, what has happened?”

The tender touch shattered Chloe’s last defenses. She collapsed into Lucia’s embrace, tears welling in her eyes.

“Ugh… ugh…”

Chloe wept softly, her sobs hushed. Lucia, without pressing for details, simply patted Chloe’s back, offering gentle comfort.

Within Lucia’s warm embrace, Chloe’s taut nerves finally began to unwind. At last, her weeping subsided. She pulled away from Lucia, her gaze fixed intently upon her, a faint blush still lingering around her eyes.

“Lucia, I’m so afraid.”

Chloe poured out everything she had seen, suspected, and feared, a torrent of anxieties unleashed upon Lucia. She no longer cared if Lucia was a spy; she simply yearned for someone to share her burden.

Lucia, in turn, listened in silence, offering not a single word.

Once her confession was complete, Chloe sagged, leaning against Lucia’s smooth shoulder, utterly drained.

“Lady Chloe, are you suggesting that both Xiao Nuoqi and Elder Alice are spies for Cliff?”

“Mm.” Chloe nodded silently.

Lucia gently stroked Chloe’s hair, then voiced her doubts. “But Lady Chloe, setting aside Xiao Nuoqi, a spearman of unknown origins, Alice is a prominent Elder with considerable standing. It seems highly improbable she would conspire with a mere prince.”

Chloe had also considered this possibility. More importantly, Alena had been murdered by Cliff’s agents, making it impossible for Alice to be working for him.

She had been so blinded by Xiao Nuoqi’s actions, indiscriminately suspecting Alice. A profound sense of guilt now washed over her.

“Lady Chloe, if you truly wish to know the contents of Elder Alice’s letter, I can retrieve it for you.”

“No, how could I drag you into this?”

Lucia gently smoothed Chloe’s disheveled hair. “Lady Chloe,” she said softly, “no matter what, I am always on your side. I will help you in every way I can, so please, do not shoulder all these burdens alone.”

“Thank you, Lucia,” Chloe said with genuine sincerity.

“It’s nothing,” Lucia replied, a gentle smile gracing her lips. “After all, we are mother and daughter, bound by blood. It is only natural for a daughter to assist her mother.”

“Oh, Lucia,” Chloe asked, “can you teach me vampire combat abilities?”

Lucia’s gaze grew suspicious. “But… shouldn’t you be far more skilled than I am, Lady Chloe? You are the Most Ancient True Ancestor, after all.”

“This Most Ancient True Ancestor of yours has slept for far too long,” Chloe replied, fabricating an excuse. “I’ve forgotten all my combat knowledge, effectively becoming a useless True Ancestor.”

Chloe offered a casual excuse, yet Lucia merely nodded in understanding.

“Then I shall teach you everything I’ve learned in my lifetime!”

Chloe leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to Lucia’s forehead. “Thank you so much,” she whispered.

Lucia’s face flushed with warmth. She averted Chloe’s gaze, turning to leave, so flustered that she didn’t even notice her bath towel slipping to the floor.

Chloe wanted to call out to Lucia, but she had already vanished from sight. Chloe picked up the fallen towel, noticing the faint, lingering scent of Lucia’s body still clinging to it.

Wrapped in the towel, she returned to her bedroom and finally drifted off to sleep.

****

The next morning, a series of urgent knocks roused Chloe from her slumber. Sunlight streamed through the window, and a potent scent of blood hung heavy in the air. Chloe, a trickle of drool at the corner of her mouth, sat up.

Chloe stretched languidly, then slowly made her way to the door. Behind it stood Lucia, holding a letter.

“This is Elder Alice’s letter,” Lucia explained. “It was simply left by her bedside, with no apparent attempt to hide it.”

“You didn’t read it?”

“No, I wouldn’t wish to know the truth before you do.”

Chloe eagerly took the letter from Lucia’s hand and tore it open. It was sealed with an embossed emblem depicting several grand pillars. Chloe didn’t recognize it, but Lucia did.

“That’s the emblem of the Elder Council,” Lucia stated.

Chloe let out a long breath of relief, for this meant the letter wasn’t from Cliff. However, as her eyes scanned its contents, that breath hitched in her throat.

[To Her Highness, Alice Fabian Caligula:]

[How have you been? I trust your vacation has been going smoothly.]

[The Elder Council has fractured completely. The Conservatives are prepared to defend the No-War Edict at all costs, and they have resolved to side with Cliff. Meanwhile, the Divine Chosen faction has placed their bets on Carloman and has already departed for Loennya to meet with him.]

[As you suspected, the Conservative faction has further split into two sub-factions: the Moderates, led by Little Cato, who merely wish to maintain the status quo; and the Radicals, who intend to assassinate the Divine Chosen. As I write this, the assassins should have already reached your vicinity.]

[I urge you to deliver the Divine Chosen to our side as soon as possible. We will do everything in our power to ensure their safety.]

The signature was a series of Latin cursive letters that Chloe couldn’t decipher. She gestured for Lucia to come and translate. Lucia, intrigued, leaned closer. Her expression abruptly shifted, and her lips trembled as she pronounced the name: “Alysia Junia Brutus.”

‘Brutus?’ Chloe thought. The name was uncommon, yet it resonated with a faint sense of familiarity.

“You know her?” Chloe inquired.

Lucia continued, “That person is the leader of the Original Order. They are a notorious group of assassins who, centuries ago, orchestrated the assassination of Caesar, accelerating the Empire’s downfall. Even after the Empire’s collapse, they continued to hunt down any surviving Elders.”

‘So, *that* Brutus!’ Chloe realized. Alice had once mentioned the existence of the Original Order, but Chloe had dismissed it as a mere fabrication, perhaps a diversion to get her to change clothes. She never imagined they were real.

“But why would she write to Alice?” Chloe questioned, her brow furrowed in confusion. “Shouldn’t they be enemies?”

Just then, a series of startled cries erupted from downstairs.

“There’s a tiger! It’s attacking people!”

A shadow instantly fell across Lucia’s face. She dashed straight to the window, vaulted over the sill, and leaped out.

‘Wait, that’s five stories high!’

Chloe rushed to the window, only to see a small crater blasted into the ground below. Lucia, however, was completely unharmed, already sprinting towards the source of the commotion. Chloe quickly dashed out of her room, hurrying downstairs to investigate what had happened.

By the time Chloe emerged from the castle, she saw everyone around her cowering inside, terrified. Anna, however, stood defiantly, confronting Simon.

“Simon, have you gone mad?!”

Bright red blood stained Simon’s muzzle. It shook its head, inhaling deeply through its nose, while smears of blood marred the ground all around.

‘It… it killed someone?’

Chloe frantically scanned her surroundings. She saw neither Xina nor Alice. Where had they gone?

“Has anyone seen Jack?”

Miko frantically questioned the people huddled inside the castle. Yet, it seemed no one knew Jack’s whereabouts. After all, few cared about the fate of a mere guard.

Simon pressed forward relentlessly, forcing Anna to retreat. Her beautiful face was etched with bewilderment and confusion.

“Simon, listen to me, sit down!”

Anna tried once more to calm Simon, but it ignored her completely, continuing its advance.

Step by step, it drew closer. Chloe swiftly shielded the servants behind her, fearing it might suddenly lunge and harm them. Chloe, at least, possessed high-speed regeneration; the lives of others were far more fragile.

Lucia stood at a distance, a bow in hand. She aimed at Simon, an arrow already nocked.

“Wait, no!”

Anna rushed towards Simon, attempting to shield it with her own body. However, just as the arrow was about to be released, Simon’s massive form suddenly collapsed.

Confusion enveloped Chloe. She hurried closer, discovering a gash across Simon’s belly, from which blood still flowed incessantly. All the blood on the ground, it turned out, was its own.

The trail of blood stretched all the way from the mountain. It seemed that after being wounded, Simon’s first thought was of Anna, prompting it to run all the way to Sirena Castle to find her.

“Who… who hurt you?” Anna’s eyes brimmed with tears.

Just then, Xina approached them, carrying a person covered in blood. Alice followed behind, her face grim, a blood-stained spear clutched in her hand.

He possessed short brown hair and a slender build. Though his face was a bloody, mangled mess, his distinctive spearman’s attire still confirmed his identity.

Xiao Nuoqi was dead.