Chapter ９

It had been days ever since I embarrassed myself in front of Liam. I didn't even see his face. Was he avoiding me? I couldn't know even if that was the case.

I would only pout and complain about him in front of Daleri. These days I strangely dreamt about the nights I spent with him. And surprisingly, I don't feel an ounce of disgust. Instead, I would be sexually high after waking up. I would be so ashamed of myself every morning that I would have the urge to dig a pit and bury myself.

At first, I had wondered if something was wrong with me. But after contemplating over and over again, I came to one conclusion—I liked him.

I don't know when it started. Why did I even begin to have feelings for that Vampire who knew nothing but to give the cold shoulder to me?

I couldn't understand my heart. But now that I had accepted the fact, I didn't know what to do about it.

At this time, even being marked by him didn't seem like a punishment. This thought made me instantly regret my actions that day.

How could I be so stupid?

Shaking my head helplessly, I focused on watering the plants. The sound of water echoed in my ears as I thought about how things would have been different if only I had agreed with Liam. But I had to go ahead and wear sexy lingerie only to be ruthlessly rejected by him.

Thinking about that toned naked body and soft lips that would always plaster a sticky stamp on my face, my throat would be dry. Gulping saliva, I would then take deep breaths to get rid of the images in my mind.

But it had been days since I had never seen his face. What do I do?

The more I thought about it, the more depressed I got. Just as I got up with a watering can at hand, someone bumped into me.

I tilted my head to see a woman who looked more like an actress with a pale complexion. Her straight brown hair rested on her shoulders while her ears were studded with diamond earrings. The creamy top and jeans suited her hair very well. If it weren't for disdain in her eyes, I would've liked her.

She humped and left without saying a single word. I stared at her back, stunned by her reaction. I was about to open my mouth to call the woman out of curiosity, Daleri stopped me.

"My lady, let her go."

I turned toward the old woman only to see her pursing her lips. Her gaze flickered toward the woman who just passed by, and Daleri shook her head. "I've prepared food for you."

"Wait!" Now that my curiosity had been piqued, I wanted to know why that woman looked at me in disdain. "Who's she?"

Daleri hesitated before parting her lips. "She's the daughter of the Vampire king from Europe."

"Then why's she here?"

Daleri's lips pressed again. "For the yearly ball that will be held in a week."

"There's a ball?" Why do I always get to know about the essential things so late?

"Yes, vampires hold a yearly ball, inviting all the vampire couples and singles to enjoy."

I snorted. "Right, their enjoyment is sucking human blood."

Daleri nervously chuckled and turned around to ignore my gaze. This action made me suspicious. I narrowed my eyes at her. "Are you hiding something from me again?"

"My lady, it was all in the past..."

I walked over to her and squinted my gaze. "Daleri, I get even more curious when you do that."

Daleri coughed uncomfortably and said, "Fine. I'll tell you. That girl is Barbara, master Liam's ex."

My eyes widened at that. Liam had a girlfriend before me? My heart sank. I couldn't even bear to think of an image of him with another girl.

"His ex?" Words blurted out of my mouth.

How did I not know that? Why am I so ignorant?

I had never hated an ignorant attitude so much as now.

"So, I'm guessing I'm not invited to the ball?"

"That's not true!" Daleri didn't hesitate this time to hinder my words. "All human partners will be invited."

"What human partner? When did Liam let me act like a human partner? Huh?" I crossed my arms over my chest. "He's always bossing me around."

"My lady, please try to understand the master's heart. Please don't blame him for everything. He just doesn't like sharing his emotions."

I pursed my lips and didn't say anything. It wasn't like I hadn't noticed it before. The way Liam acted was almost like those cold CEOs in the novels, hiding emotions inside.

The week went by just like that. Liam and I went back to spending only nights, but he didn't talk to me, treating me as his doll. I tried to make a conversation with him every time he would press me on the bed. But every effort would be ignored. He would treat as if he was deaf.

He hadn't even talked about marking me!

Of course, it did frustrate me to death. But I didn't have another choice but to endure. I had hurt him deeply this time. First, I rejected him and said those words, and then I tried to seduce him into marking me just for the sake of my sister. It was almost as if a bad guy had been using a girl to get something out of it.

I wanted to see Lucy, but not by hurting Liam.

The day that the ball was arranged, Daleri woke me up early in the morning. She had a massive smile on her face as she showed off the dress Liam ordered for me. It was light pink with a silver design adorned the surface of the cloth.

"See? Master Liam didn't abandon you!" She acted as if her daughter was getting married.

I smiled helplessly and went to take a bath. Just as I had stripped off my clothes and entered the tub, I heard the sound of footsteps behind the curtains. Remembering the ex Daleri was talking about, I asked, "Why did Liam break up with her?"

"It's not difficult to understand because the Master never liked her."

I was surprised after hearing that. Even my hands stopped while scrubbing the soap on my stomach. "Then why did he..." I couldn't even form a sentence because of shock. Liam didn't seem to be a person who could be forced into such situations. If he didn't like her, he wouldn't call her his girlfriend.

Then what exactly happened?

My eyes narrowed as my mind drifted towards the old vampire king, Liam's father. Why do I feel like he was the one behind this fiasco?

Sensing my confusion, Daleri explained, "You might have guessed who forced him into it—old king. But it was a political matter. Even the king was forced into making such a decision."

My eyebrows knitted together at that. What was the emergency that could even make the king force his son into such a situation?

"George was behind it. He was too anxious at one point to get the crown and conspired with the British king." Daleri scoffed. "How could the enemy King let such an opportunity slip away? He forced our king into a corner by sending his precious daughter—Barbara."

"How could the old king be forced into something?" My first perception of that old king was that he was ruthless and cold enough to see everyone beneath him as ants. It was impossible, no matter how you look at it!

"No one knows what happened. Master Derrick was still injured after the second war between Master Liam and the enemy king, but he held a meeting when the war failed to handle the situation. And when he came out of the conference room, his face was grim." Daleri sighed as she remembered those days. "Vampires' association here wasn't as strong as it is now. And the enemy King just took advantage of that."

"But why did they approach Liam?"

"The enemy king wanted Barbara to approach Master Liam, sleep with him, and kill him in his sleep. George was supposed to be a king under enemy’s control after killing Master.”

I gasped. "Ki-kill him?" My heart was filled with pain, hearing that. Was he supposed to die? A disturbing image of his heart being stabbed with a wooden stick flashed in my mind, making my heart twist in pain. But Daleri didn't notice my discomfort and continued.

"But later, she seemed to change her plans and was attracted to Liam. She aspired to become the queen." Daleri paused and sneered. "She is her father's daughter, after all, having the same ambitions as him."

The realization hit my face as my mouth fell open. So, it was like that. No wonder Barbara seemed to look at me in disdain. I took her chance away to break inside the American vampire's City. Why do I feel like I would soon get caught up in this political affair?

Pursing my lips, I asked, "Why did they break up?" I referred to Barbara and Liam's previous relationship.

"It was Master. He saw through her facade, but he had ignored her at first, thinking she was just a harmless lady." Daleri sighed and continued. "Even though the master hated his father, he still gave him some face before the public. He still pretended as if his relationship with Barbara was perfect. He put up with her for a few months until he caught George red-handed confronting Barbara. Back then, George had two cities under his command. But after this incident, one of the cities was taken away."

"Is that why George is afraid of Liam?"

"Exactly."

"But I still don't understand something." Pausing, I rubbed away the soap on my body. "Why is Barbara here as if nothing happened?"

Daleri sighed. "I'm not sure. After that incident, Liam ruthlessly dragged her out of the palace, not even caring about the sunlight. Her body was gravely affected back then and didn't dare to approach Liam for a year. And now she's back suddenly..." She paused and collected a towel, handing it to me. "I have a hunch that she came just to deal with you and take her position as the future American queen back in her hands."

Everything fell silent. The more I started to find out about the vampire Prince, the more I felt that he wasn't that bad of a guy as he seemed to be.

...

When I wore the dress, I realized that it was nothing like the gown draped over my body during the eclipse party. It covered my chest and beautifully carved out my figure. This dress was so elegant that it made me feel moved.

Touching the cold silver on the surface, I pursed my lips. Did he spend thousands in a single dress? Even the embroidery didn't seem to be made out of a fake metal.

Grabbing the skirt that seemed to wipe the floor, I headed downstairs. Just as I walked before the crowd, every eye in the hall paused and stared at my face. I fisted my hand tightly until knuckles appeared. I was never a person who could be afraid of speaking in public. I had done this during college. But those gazes weren't filled with malice and greed.

That was when my eyesight fell on a familiar face. Liam stood at the foot of the stairs, hands in his pocket. Surprise flashed in his eyes when he saw me descending from the stairs. I could tell his gaze carried a hint of lust. My heart skipped a beat as my ears turned red. I averted my eyes.

Unfortunately, our interaction wasn't missed by the crowd standing around him. Some of the vampire guys whistled and teased the prince.

When I went downstairs and stood before Liam, he grabbed my hands and interlaced our fingers, making me surprised.

These days, this man has never made a positive attempt at showing his affection. He was so cold that I almost felt like I was just going to be his prostitute. But who would've thought that he would suddenly grab my hand so intimately in front of such a large crowd? At this time, my heart couldn't help but thump loudly inside my chest.

"You look good." After a long time, he spoke. His husky voice made my ears turn even redder.

"Th-thanks." I stuttered under my breath. The thoughts of Barbara flew out of my head as I tightened my grip on his hands. Whatever the past was, I silently promised Liam to share the burden in the future.

Just then, slow music started, and Liam pulled me as I fell in his embrace. His arms went around me, pulling me closer to move along with the rhythm.

This action yet again shocked me to the bones. My lips were parted as I stared at the neckline and collarbone visible through the first opened button. I had to control the impulse to open the shirt and feel my hands against his toned stomach.

As if reading my thoughts, Liam chuckled and bent down to bite my parted lips softly. Going near my ears, he exhaled a hot breath before whispering. "You're too easy to read, dear Emily."

My ears turned red after hearing that, and I pushed him back, averting my eyes to the ground. For more than a week, Liam acted like he didn't know me at all. And now, he was acting as if we had been in a relationship for more than a year!

What do you want me to do? I'm begging you to tell me!

I had never felt more confused in my life before today. Did Liam have feelings for me or not? I couldn't tell by seeing his confusing actions.

Just then, I felt a cold gaze directing toward me, making a shiver crawl on my back. I swiftly turned around only to find a few couples dancing across the floor. I frowned and looked around without gaining any result.

Was that my imagination that someone just stared at me, coldly? I shook my head and focused on Liam.

What I didn't know was that a certain girl wearing a dark green dress embroidered with diamonds stood on the other side of the hall, staring coldly at my face.

The entire dance was nothing less than torture for me. First, the craze feeling that someone wanted to burn me alive kept coming back to me. Someone's eyes were always on my back, making me feel a chill on my spine.

And second, Liam's confusing behavior. I was getting mentally drained just because I couldn't tell what he was feeling toward me. Was it love? Lust? Or just a fake act for the old king?

I was getting a migraine thinking about it.

By the time the dance was over, I was both mentally and physically tired. Gasping softly, I found a chair in the bar section and sat quietly, lessening my sense of existence.

Liam sat beside me, calling someone for a glass of water. Shifting his focus toward me, his lips curved up. "You don't have to be nervous."

"W-who's nervous?" I stuttered and looked at the glass being filled with water by the bartender.

Liam had just opened his mouth when a blonde vampire approached him, hanging his arms around his shoulder. He punched Liam playfully and said, "Why don't you introduce us to your girlfriend?" The man's eyes swept on me as he licked his lips. His lusty eyes made me shiver from head to toe.

Just then, I noticed Liam's darkened face. He glared at the blonde and dragged him away without saying anything.

I was stunned at what happened before me. Did Liam just seem to be jealous the second time? A trace of warmth flooded my heart at the thought.

Suddenly, I felt that cold gaze again that seemed to walk closer. I stiffened as my breathing intensified. My grip on the glass tightened subconsciously.

Just who was it? A thought flashed across my mind, seems to be telling me the identity of the person. But as soon as I focused, the thoughts floated away.

Sighing, I took a sip. Whoever it was would approach me if they would want to.

Just then, someone splashed liquid on the top of my head, making me shiver in the cold. The cold red liquid dripped down my hair as it touched the surface of my cloth. I jerked up, cursing.

When I stood up and was about to head over to the washroom, I tripped over something and fell on the floor.

"Ugh..." A groan slipped through my mouth as I stood up, rubbing my nose, flinching at the same time because of pain.

"So this how the future queen of American Vampire's association looks like." A cold voice uttered these words sharply. "How weak!"

My eyes darted toward a familiar figure I had bumped into a few days ago. "Barbara..." Words whispered out of my lips without my permission.

The corners of her lips curved up to form a smirk as she sent me a mocking glance. "What? You know about me?"

My mouth opened and closed only to pass air. My lower lips quivered under her sharp gaze. I couldn't utter a word. It wasn't like I had been a weak girl, but this woman before me had too much hate in her eyes. So much that I couldn't stand it. I wanted to run away, far away from this woman.

How could Liam handle this woman for months?

Her smirk turned into a grin as she grabbed my hair. I hissed in pain and struggled against her hold, but she tightened her grip, pushing my head up to meet her eyes. "Listen to me, you bitch, no matter what you did to seduce him, but he's gonna abandon you."

My eyes widened at her words. I was so shocked that I even ignored the pain in my head. How could she say that? Just because she was abandoned doesn't mean that he will treat every girl the same way. Did she think that should end up scaring the hell out of me just because of her words?

Even though Liam's feelings matter to me, it doesn't have anything to do with this woman before me. And I knew the reason why he abandoned her. I knew the inside story. After today, my confidence level had increased.

Abandon me? It was more like I had rejected him first. I snorted as I slapped her hands away when she loosened her hold. Standing up on my feet, I fixed my appearance and stared at her with cold eyes.

"You better stay away from him." I moved closer and poured the glass of water on her straight brown hair tied in a bun on the top. I went closer to her hair and whispered. "Because he's mine."

She was shocked. Her widened eyes stared at me for a long time before she reacted. Her brows knitted together as anger flooded her veins, making nose flare. "You!"

Just as she raised her hand to push me back, a cold voice interrupted us. "Barbara, what do you think you're doing?"

I remembered that voice. It was Derrick, Liam's father. I was stunned at that. I didn't think he would come to save the day. I turned around to see the furious old king glaring at the woman behind me. I turned toward Barbara and saw her opening her mouth to say something. But before she could speak, Derrick raised his hands to stop her. "I invited you to this ball to keep my word. If you continue to make trouble, you better go back to your father."

"Your highness," she gritted her teeth as she bowed at the old man silently. "I apologize for my behavior."

This action satisfied Derrick a little. He nodded, but his gaze still had a touch of coldness. "Emily will be queen someday. You better start practicing how to respect the queen from a neighboring country." He paused and thought of something and narrowed his eyes at her. "You are still in touch with George, aren't you?"

Barbara's eyes bulged at that. "I-I'm not-" I tilted my head at that. Was this an indirect way to threaten two people in one sentence? If yes, it was working! Barbara didn't seem to think that Derrick would bring out old accounts in public.

"Go tell him that he better start respecting Emily and her sister. After she becomes a queen, you two will naturally have to follow her command."