Chapter T3N: The Forbidden Truth

Elysia couldn't stop herself from crying over what had happened to her. She tried to forget it many times, but the memory was burned into her mind. Every time Lord Draegon called her, she trembled in fear. She couldn't speak properly, nor could she even look at him. She always avoided him, afraid that he might do the same thing to her again.

Sitting on her bed, Elysia kept her distance from him by locking herself in her room every night. While sitting there, she suddenly heard loud knocking on her door. She hesitated to open it, but she could feel the fear of the person knocking. When she finally opened it, she saw the terrified face of a servant. The servant's fear was so intense that their whole body was shaking.

"Elysia... the k-king is s-summoning you..." the servant stammered.

"W-What? W-Why...?" Elysia asked, her voice shaking.

"Please... just go. If you don't, he will kill me," the servant pleaded, nearly in tears.

Despite her hesitation, Elysia decided to go to the king's hall. She felt sorry for the servant and didn't want them to suffer because of her. As she walked towards the hall, her heart pounded with anxiety. Just before she could step inside, Elizabeth blocked her path. Elizabeth looked at her from head to toe before crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow in contempt.

"Elysia, right? It seems you've come to the wrong place. You won't survive here," Elizabeth sneered.

"Hey! Witch! Stop insulting her!" shouted another voice, contradicting Elizabeth.

Elizabeth turned to see who dared to speak against her. From a distance, she saw Sophie, who looked furious. Elizabeth knew that Sophie didn't like her and often opposed her because of their shared feelings for Lord Draegon. Since Sophie had a bad attitude, Elizabeth made sure to challenge her every time they clashed.

Sophie quickly approached Elizabeth and Elysia, gently pulling Elysia away from the woman she despised. Sophie shot Elizabeth a smirk, full of mockery.

"Stay away from her, you desperate woman!" Sophie snapped.

"Desperate or not, Lord Draegon will still choose me!" Elizabeth retorted confidently.

"Oh really? But you're not his destined one. Do you even know what that means? My brother has already found his fated partner. He can't control himself from loving her... which means you're just a plaything!" Sophie said sharply.

As the argument between Sophie and Elizabeth continued, Elysia hesitated to interfere. She knew they were not ordinary humans like her. Even if she tried to stop them, she didn't have the strength to match theirs. Their shouting only stopped when a frightened servant entered the hall carrying a crystal bottle. The bottle had an arched design with openings at both ends. Inside it was a red liquid—the blood consumed by beings with immense power.

Elysia watched as the trembling servant hurriedly left the hall, terrified of the king. As the large doors creaked open, Sophie and Elizabeth ceased their bickering. Inside the hall, Lord Draegon sat on his throne, staring at them expressionlessly. Seeing him again made Elysia's fear return. She couldn't stop trembling, remembering what he had done to her. She wanted to cry, but no tears came out. She couldn't even bring herself to look at him.

Sophie immediately walked toward her brother, dragging Elysia along. Before Elysia could react, she found herself inside the hall. Frustrated, Elizabeth stormed off, knowing that Sophie had done this on purpose to bring Elysia closer to Lord Draegon—the rival she hated most.

Standing in the hall, Elysia kept her gaze fixed on the floor, refusing to look at Lord Draegon or even Sophie.

"Hey, brother! What did you do to Elysia?! Why does she look so scared of you?!" Sophie asked, frowning.

"You're being annoying again," Lord Draegon responded coldly.

"Ugh! Can't you just treat her better? You even made her wear a servant's outfit! Brother, you are the least romantic person I've ever known when it comes to women!" Sophie huffed.

"She chose to be a slave," Lord Draegon replied shortly.

"I won't allow it, brother. You're terrible! No way, she's not going to be your servant. If you make her one, I swear I'll punch you! Oh, and I'll take your carriage since you abandoned me last time," Sophie threatened.

"Leave. I have a meeting with my council," Lord Draegon said dismissively.

"Fine! You're so frustrating! I'm taking Elysia with me, or else you might treat her like a servant again!" Sophie declared.

She grabbed Elysia's hand, ready to take her out of the hall. But just as she was about to step away, Lord Draegon suddenly grabbed Elysia's arm, holding her tightly as if he had no intention of letting her go.

"She stays here," he said coldly.

Sophie smirked at his response. She was thrilled because she knew her brother wouldn't allow Elysia to leave. Seeing his actions made her heart flutter with excitement. In just a blink of an eye, Sophie vanished, leaving Lord Draegon alone with Elysia. Now, she was sure her brother had feelings for the girl.

After Sophie left, Lord Draegon closed the door. He turned to Elysia, staring at her intently. He noticed her trembling, as if she were freezing. He knew she was scared of him. Elysia felt paralyzed, as if she had turned into a statue pressed against the wall. Her fear made her heart race uncontrollably. She shut her eyes tightly, convinced that she would die in the hands of this heartless man. But just as she closed her eyes, she felt something cold touch her cheek.

When she opened them again, she saw Lord Draegon's face only inches from hers. Panicking, she stepped back, pleading with him not to hurt her.

"P-Please... don't..." Elysia begged, struggling to pull away.

"Why do you always hide your face behind that scarf? What secret are you keeping?" he asked, grabbing her bandana.

"N-Nothing... I-I just have a big acne..." she stammered, trying to make an excuse.

Elysia became even more nervous. She was afraid that the young man would see her captivating appearance and that her life would return to the way it was before. Even though Lord Draegon couldn't read Elysia's mind, he knew she was lying.

It was evident from the young woman's movements that she was hiding something she didn't want anyone to uncover. Because of Elysia's actions, Lord Draegon was compelled to remove the scarf covering her face.

Slowly, Lord Draegon reached for Elysia's black scarf and attempted to remove it. Just as he was about to take it off, the council arrived.

Twenty council members entered the hall. They were dressed in long black capes. Their appearances were similar in age to the king. They had dark hair that matched the color of their capes. They swiftly entered the room and immediately took their seats.

Because of this, Lord Draegon let go of Elysia's face and turned his attention to the council members awaiting him. Before taking his seat among them, he whispered to Elysia. He brought his crimson lips close to her ear and spoke.

"Bring the Lugu (blood wine)," Lord Draegon commanded.

"O... okay, sir," Elysia replied.

Elysia hurried out of the room and walked quickly away. As she walked, she suddenly stopped—she had no idea where to get the Lugu (blood wine). She also didn't know which room contained the item the young man had requested. Fortunately, she encountered another servant walking by. She took the opportunity to ask where the blood wine was kept. When the servant pointed her in the right direction, Elysia didn't hesitate to go there.

Upon reaching the room, Elysia looked around. The room was filled with bottles of blood wine in every corner. They were attached to the walls and even placed at the center of the room. The ceiling had an arched shape with large, sturdy pillars supporting it. The items inside looked expensive. Elysia hesitated to touch anything.

Her eyes wandered around the place—it was her first time seeing a room full of blood wine. She didn't notice that another servant had entered. The servant tapped her on the shoulder and asked, puzzled.

"What are you doing here?" Rahna asked.

"Ah... the king ordered me to get some Lugu (blood wine)," Elysia replied.

"Hmmm... is that so? I suppose the council is in session," Rahna remarked.

"Follow me," Rahna added.

Elysia followed Rahna as they walked towards a small wooden door made of dark wood. The room inside wasn't too big or too small. Its ceiling was different from the one in the larger room—it was made of strong red and brown cement. Inside, dark wooden cabinets lined the walls. Compared to the previous room, this one contained fewer bottles of blood wine.

A round table with six chairs stood in the middle of the room. As they entered, Elysia's eyes roamed the space, then she asked the head servant.

"Why did we come here, Rahna?" Elysia asked calmly.

"When there is a council meeting, the king always orders the blood wine from here. This separate room holds special blood—the sweetest kind," Rahna explained.

"The council prefers sweet blood?" Elysia asked, suddenly nervous.

"Yes, every vampire loves sweet blood. They are obsessed with it. Sometimes, its scent drives them mad," Rahna replied.

"R-really?" Elysia stammered.

"Oh? Why are you shaking?" Rahna asked, confused.

"N-no reason... I'll just get the Lugu (blood wine)," Elysia said.

"Wait... don't just grab any bottle. If you take the wrong one, the king will surely punish you. Many have been punished before, and some even lost their lives," Rahna warned.

"Then... which one should I take?" Elysia asked.

Rahna pointed to a cabinet containing the wine. Elysia carefully took the bottles and placed them on a wooden cart. The cart had two levels—the top held a single bottle of blood wine meant for the king, while the bottom had four bottles for the council members. The cart itself was made of expensive antique wood, with round wooden wheels and a handle for pulling.

After collecting the bottles, Rahna and Elysia left the room. Rahna then left Elysia behind to attend to her other duties.

Elysia made her way to the hall where the council and the king were supposed to be, but when she arrived, they were gone. She had no idea why they had disappeared so suddenly, as they had been there just moments ago.

Since they were no longer in the hall, Elysia decided to leave and look for them elsewhere. However, when she tried to open the hall doors, they wouldn't budge. It was as if they were locked—without a key.

"Oh no... what do I do now? I can't get out..." Elysia murmured, on the verge of tears.

She tried shaking the door, but it still wouldn't open. Even when she pushed against it with all her strength, it wouldn't budge. Desperate, she started shouting, hoping someone would hear her and open the door.

"Help! Please... someone open the door!" Elysia cried out.

"Help!" she shouted again.

She screamed for help several times, but no one came to her aid. What she didn't know was that some servants had indeed heard her cries—but they were too afraid to intervene.

Selene had warned them that if anyone dared to open the door, they would suffer a fate worse than death.

"Let her suffer in there," Selene sneered, crossing her arms.

The servants had no choice but to obey Selene. She held a higher position than they did, and though they didn't agree with her cruelty, they had no choice but to follow her orders.

"It's better that she's locked in there—she doesn't deserve to be the chosen one for my beloved Draegon!" Selene thought to herself.

"Leave now! Act as if you heard nothing," Selene ordered again.

And so, the servants left Elysia while Selene stood outside the hall, happily gazing at the room where Elysia was. Now, Elysia's life was miserable under the rule of the vampires. It wouldn't be long before she, too, would experience sorrow and pain because of them.

"Poor Elysia, tsk…!" Selene whispered before walking away.