The Ball - Part 4

"SO, that is the vampire guest?" Bridget stood at the atrium of the second floor of the ballroom. Her eyes were intriguingly adhering to the young lady, who she believed was a vampire. The surprise guest she waited for the most since the ball began was right in front of her eyes. "Excellent job, butler!"

"Yes, my Duchess." The head butler, Winston, was standing next to her. After a long time hiding in the dark, he finally showed up. Winston took a glance at the mysterious lady. It was just a coincidence and utter luck to have her coming to the ball. The lady passed out before and woke up at the perfect timing.

Bridget finished drinking her wine. "So! So! Who is this little girl?" Bridget followed her shadow everywhere. She saw the young lady walked into the crowds. Standing up there, she had the advantage to stalk the new victim of her game. It was amusing to watch a mouse in a cage of unleashed cats. They might eat this little mouse alive as their appetizer for the night. The nasty noblemen looked at the young vampire with swarming lust.

"Oh! Here comes the hero!" Bridget looked excited. She witnessed the young lady finally meeting the protagonist of the ceremony. It was like a climax scene in the theatre performance. The part of the noble hero meets the hapless heroine. And Bridget was sitting at the VIP seat, where she could enjoy the show the best.

Damien to the rescue! It was hopelessly romantic!

Bridget saw the adorable pair, but she could not hear their conversation. They were discussing something. Hmm. They looked awkward standing close. They might be arguing. After a moment, the duo finally had a dance.

Damien was dancing with a woman other than his fiancée. Shocking!

However, no one dared to complain. Their dancing mesmerized the other guests. Damien was charming, as always, and the lady looked gorgeous in the blue-colored dress. Ha-ha! That dress! It fascinated Bridget.

The young lady wore her dress! Bridget prepared that evening gown. She personally instructed the maid alias her mole in the second manor, to provide the dress for the vampire lady. However, the dress was the one that Bridget hates the most. She hates the color of the dress. Because it reminded her of something unpleasant, yet it fit the young vampire perfectly. Like it was handsewn, specifically for her.

All of a sudden, a headache hit her. "UGH!" Bridget closed her eyes for a moment. Lately, her head was throbbing for no reason. The pain was horrible. She saw Winston had a bottle of red wine in his hand, and she asked for another refill. Winston hesitated at first, but he still poured the red wine into her goblet until it filled the half glass. "More!" She demanded a glassful of wine. She needed to drink a lot this night. Maybe it would help her with his headache, she thought. And in planning a new strategy. Yes! She had to think of her next master plan for her ultimate revenge as soon as possible.

Bridget looked at the lady again. "This young vampire might be the key to my revenge." She smiled. Then she giggled. And she hiccupped.

"My Duchess. I believe you should retire for the night." Winston realized his master was half-drunk. "Let me assist you." He held her shoulder.

___

"WHO is the mystery lady?" Harry asked his best friend. They were previously looking for their plus-ones, but the unexpected scene interrupted them.

"No idea." Eric shook his head. "But, WHOA! Someone is green with jealousy." Eric tilted his head in that direction.

Lady Vanessa was standing among the crowds. Completely frozen. And her face was red, painted with anger and mixed with embarrassment. Her fiancé was happily dancing with another woman! And Damien did not even offer her a single dance throughout the night. In fact, he never danced with Lady Vanessa before! The other noble ladies starting to look at Lady Vanessa while gossiping. She felt humiliated.

"That is my guest. Sister Yuki!" Grace suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She surprised the gentlemen.

"Hey… little Grace!" Eric roughly patted her head. "Long time no see. You are all grown-up!"

Grace tried to push Eric away. "Stop it!" That was not a perfect time for a reunion.

"Hey! Hey! Don't stand too close to little Grace." Harry stepped between those two. He was afraid if Grace would have smelled the smoke from Eric. Harry knew Grace had asthma.

"Wow. Damien never danced other than with little Grace. Who is this lucky lady?" Eric looked interested.

Grace was also dumbfounded. That was not about luck or surprise. Damien was dancing with the woman he almost killed once. And a human at that. What was happening to her sadist brother?

"Is he drunk?" Eric thought of that possibility.

Harry shook his head in disbelief. "Blurry sight, maybe. But drunk? No way in hell! Damien has high-tolerant of alcohol," Harry said while not taking his eyes from the pair. He used to have drink competition with Damien when they were in the academy, to see who would knock out first, and who would last until the end. And Damien won every freaking single competition!

"Goodness! Look at their dresses!" another lady voiced out. She might have intended to whisper, but her voice was loud enough that even Grace, Eric, and Harry, who were standing near the door to the terrace, could hear the statement.

It was a sheer coincidence that Yuki and Lady Vanessa wore the same dress color. It was charming berry blue. The significant color of Damien's eyes. However, Lady Vanessa's dress was a simple, austere evening gown. One could see every day. With her black hair and eyes, Lady Vanessa looked pretty ordinary. There was no awe in her effortless and dull appearance. While on the other side, Yuki had thousands of white Swarovski crystals embroidered on her ball gown, made of multiple layers of luxurious satin organza. Her signature red hair perfected the last look. It was like the sky of mythical Aurora, adorned with trillions of brilliant stars. It was a marvelous piece of art! Mamma Mia!

"A vampire?" Harry asked Grace.

Grace replied. "No. A Dhampyr."

Harry looked at Eric for a moment. "Doesn't see that coming." And Eric frowned.

So the lady was not a vampire. But a Dhampyr? Well, it did not make the situation any better. They were biased and uncomfortable talking about the vampire-related topic.

But Harry suddenly said. "I never see Damien looked so happy before."

"Me neither." Eric agreed. "Damien looked like you, Harry. When you look at Claire."

"Yeah. Really!" Harry laughed at that declaration.

They ended their conversation when they finally found Nora and Claire standing in the crowds. And Grace returned to Doctor Evelyn.

___

DAMIEN looked at Yuki for a long time, but this young woman never looked at him throughout the dance. To make a reason to touch her, Damien suddenly touched her neck. He wanted to ask about the cut and ask if it was still hurting. But to his surprise, the wound was no longer exist. "Where is the cut?" That unexpected question surprised Yuki.

Yuki avoided his hand. "It healed." She answered without looking directly at Damien. Yuki had never spouted lies in her life. If she did, she could not look properly at the person asking. It was nerve-wracking. Even though her proclamation was half true and half lie.

"And no scar?" Damien was confused. As if she had never been injured before.

"Y-yeah," she stuttered.

Damien stopped dancing, and so did Yuki. "I don't know if you ever heard this before. But. Thou shalt not lie." He gently forced Yuki to look into his eyes. A demon could sense lies in one's speech. "I gave you the cut, miss. It should be there. The healing process can take at least days."

"No!" Yuki refused to talk. She pushed Damien away. Yuki finally saw Grace sitting at the corner of the ballroom with an adult woman, and she ran to Grace to escape from Damien.

Their dance marked the finale of the ceremony. In the end, the grand ball ended with the last toast to Damien and his knights' victory on the battlefield.