The door slammed shut automatically, extinguishing all traces of life from within.

  Count Laurien watched silently as Viktor entered, remaining wordless as the door closed behind him.

  "Count Laurien, what brings you here?"

  Suddenly, Aurelianne's voice rang out beside him.

  Laurien turned to see Aurelianne and Augustus approaching.

  Aurelianne glanced around.

  But besides Count Laurien standing at the door, there was no one else.

  Wasn't her teacher supposed to be with Count Laurien?

  So she inquired:

  "Count Laurien, where is Teacher Viktor?"

  Count Laurien's eyes were lost in reminiscence as he slowly explained:

  "While we were chatting, Mr. Viktor suddenly mentioned he might have a way to cure my wife's madness."

  "He wished to examine this room."

  Aurelianne froze. She turned to look at the wooden sign hanging above the door, which bore four large characters:

  [NO ENTRY]

  The crimson warning was chilling under the moonlight.

  "Teacher... went in there?" Aurelianne asked in disbelief.

  Count Laurien nodded and continued:

  "Though my wife is insane, she's not completely uncontrollable."

  "Mr. Viktor's abilities far surpass mine as an old warrior. You need not worry, Princess."

  Aurelianne nodded.

  She wasn't really concerned for Teacher Viktor, but rather the unknown behind that door still filled her with dread.

  There was something distinctly eerie about it.

  At this moment, Augustus offered a gentle smile:

  "Since Council Member Kravina has matters to attend to, shall we head down together?"

  Count Laurien hesitated briefly, his gaze falling once again on the tightly closed door.

  Then he nodded:

  "Indeed, standing here won't necessarily yield any results."

  "Your Majesty, Princess Aurelianne, after you."

  He extended his arm gentlemanly, guiding them to leave together.

  As they turned to depart, Vanilla's cat ears suddenly twitched, as if sensing something, and she whirled around sharply.

  A quiet black shadow silently flashed before her eyes.

  Though Vanilla felt uneasy, she didn't dwell on it, hurrying to catch up with Aurelianne as they left.

  ...

  In the oppressive air, Viktor stepped deeper into the pitch-black room permeated with the stench of blood.

  As he ventured further, that nauseating odor grew increasingly intense.

  Finally, that acrid smell became more pungent than spices, flooding his lungs all at once.

  Viktor's brows furrowed tightly, as if that smell made breathing difficult.

  Sensing he had gone far enough, a crimson flame spontaneously ignited beside him.

  The bright firelight dimly illuminated the entire room.

  The bone-chilling scene was revealed before him without concealment:

  Dismembered limbs were scattered throughout the room, with bloody claw marks covering the walls.

  Servants' crimson uniforms had been torn to shreds and scattered about, still bearing long-dried bloodstains.

  It appeared as if those who had mistakenly entered this room had met with a horrific fate.

  All the furniture was completely destroyed, with wooden splinters embedded in the floor and walls.

  The blood-stained walls bore claw mark after claw mark, perhaps the desperate traces left by servants in their final struggles.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Beyond this, the entire room was unnaturally quiet.

  It was hard to imagine that such a filthy, bloody chamber could exist within this bright and elegant mansion.

  However, Viktor showed no reaction, observing everything expressionlessly.

  Even Vega yawned boredly before speaking:

  "As I suspected, something wasn't quite right."

  "If it were merely madness, how could she consume human flesh?"

  Suddenly, its voice halted as it stood rigid on Viktor's shoulder.

  But that bird head twisted backwards 180 degrees in an extremely bizarre manner.

  Its single eye emitted a deep and eerie black light, firmly locking onto the twisted nightmare-like monster before them.

  Upon seeing it, a voice like pleasure echoed from within Vega:

  "Wouldn't you agree?"

  The monster's eyes glowed with a residual red light. Its four limbs appeared cruelly twisted, supporting itself on the cold floor in a grotesque and bent posture.

  Its body was inverted like a broken soul, walking on the ground in leaf-like contortions as if blown by the wind.

  Only through the scattered white hair could one vaguely discern that this monster once had human form.

  When it saw Vega's flickering, malevolent black eye, its body suddenly froze as if time had stopped.

  Those originally deformed limbs began to tremble, as if encountering something even more terrifying than itself.

  Its muscles twitched, seeming to have forgotten even the instinct to flee.

  "Blood descendant."

  At this moment, Viktor slowly turned, his lowered eyes deeply observing this spine-chilling monster.

  Vega, as if sharing an indescribable understanding with him, also slowly turned toward the monster.

  Viktor's gaze was like ice as he said calmly:

  "The mixed blood between pure-blooded vampires and other races are called blood descendants."

  "Blood descendants need blood to maintain their lives. If they go without fresh blood for too long, they fall into madness. At that time, any living being that appears before them will be torn apart and devoured."

  "In fact, Count Laurien knows everything, understands everything clearly."

  Viktor lightly waved his hand, and the flames beside him flew toward the ceiling like meteors, flickering overhead.

  Replacing the magical lamps that would never light again, they illuminated the entire room as bright as day.

  "So the one who truly died wasn't Count Laurien's daughter."

  As the light illuminated that moment, a beam of intense white light also enveloped the ghost in black formal dress beside them.

  It was the beautiful yet pale Pricis.

  She held one hand tightly to her chest, the other gently stroking her black dress, her face as white as snow, bearing immense worry and fear.

  Viktor looked at her, then pointed at the twisted monster whose face was identical to Pricis':

  "It was your human mother."

  "Am I right, Pricis?"

  ...

  In the banquet hall, elegant lights brightly illuminated every corner.

  The nobles held wine glasses, gracefully taking their seats one after another, engaged in hushed conversations about various topics.

  Soon, a small cart bearing a huge, exquisite cake slowly entered the banquet hall, drawing everyone's attention.

  This sixteen-tiered cake, resembling a small tower, caused amazement to show in the eyes of many noble lords.

  They had never heard that someone had prepared a cake for this diplomatic banquet.

  Who was this cake prepared for?

  But no one could guess the answer.

  Just as everyone was discussing this, Aurelianne's group slowly walked in from the magnificent corridor, drawing the gazes of countless nobles.

  Augustus walked alongside Aurelianne, with Count Laurien following closely behind.

  When they reached the vicinity of the cake, Augustus raised his voice:

  "You may be wondering who such a grand cake was prepared for."

  The nobles were indeed curious, breaking into hushed discussions, a rustling commotion arising.

  Only the twelve diplomatic ministers from the Empire wore knowing smiles, showing no confusion.

  For this matter was what they had instructed Count Laurien to prepare.

  Augustus smiled and continued:

  "The reason we held the banquet today was not just for friendly diplomatic relations with the Empire."

  "It was also to celebrate our Princess Aurelianne who came from afar."

  "Her sixteenth birthday."

  The nobles present immediately understood upon hearing this.

  No wonder this feast was so grand - today was Princess Aurelianne's birthday.

  They might not defer to the king, but they certainly wouldn't dare disrespect the Imperial Princess.

  Not only was she a princess from the Empire, but her background was profound, as everyone present could see.

  Her father was Aubrey, the world's strongest warrior, and that legendary disaster mage Viktor was her teacher.

  Moreover, their kingdom's strongest duke, Festan Balo, was also Aurelianne's maternal grandfather.

  With such connections and 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, seeming to sing praises for Aurelianne's birthday.

  Aurelianne responded with a polite smile to everyone.

  Only after the applause gradually subsided did Augustus turn to address the gathering, his eyes deep with meaning:

  "Well then, on this special day, I happen to have something I wish to announce."

  "I have determined my future queen."

  Countless heads instantly turned to look at Augustus.

  Even Hilda, sitting with her sister, suddenly looked up upon hearing this news and stared intently at the king.

  Aurelianne revealed an even more shocked expression, her eyes widening in apparent disbelief at Augustus's words.

  Why would the king mention such a topic on her birthday?

  Suddenly, the gazes of all the kingdom's nobles focused on Aurelianne.

  Clearly, countless people had reached the same conclusion.

  Augustus was going to propose to Aurelianne?

  To this princess from the Empire!?

  This would be the most suitable marriage alliance possible.

  After all, Aurelianne's background was powerful, and allying with her meant gaining support from three parties.

  And Augustus had chosen to announce it on Aurelianne's birthday, making it seem even more like a match made in heaven.

  As for Aurelianne not agreeing? The Empire not agreeing?

  How could that be possible, unless Aurelianne was the Empire's heir?

  Otherwise, the benefits of a marriage alliance with the Kingdom of Kanter were far too numerous - how could the Empire not agree?

  Besides, a girl becoming the Empire's heir? Impossible.

  All eight emperors of the Empire had been male!

  Marriage to Aurelianne would also strengthen Augustus's ruling position.

  Even their names both contained the syllable "Au"! It seemed to have predicted their destiny.

  This was simply a win-win situation.

  Everyone present seemed to believe this marriage was already settled.

  While Aurelianne appeared somewhat dazed, as Augustus's gaze had locked onto her.

  An ominous feeling rose in her heart.

  Finally, Augustus addressed her with a gentle smile:

  "I have decided to marry Count Laurien's daughter, Pricis Nisse, as my future queen."

  "I hope Princess Aurelianne can witness this on her birthday today."

  In that instant, the entire venue fell silent.

  Even the cheerful music came to an abrupt halt.

  As if speaking of a deafening silence.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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