Chapter Eleven: A Heart of Ice, Touched by Tears

Elysia sat inside the hall where she was imprisoned, her head bowed. She wanted to cry, but she held back and whispered to herself.

"Elysia, don't cry. You can do this. Find a way to escape," she told herself.

Gathering her strength, she came up with a plan. She stood up but immediately stepped back in hesitation. Then, taking a deep breath, she ran towards the door, hoping to push it open with all her might. But just as she was about to do so, the door suddenly swung open.

Because of her speed, she accidentally crashed into something hard. She quickly looked up to see what was in front of her—and her eyes widened in shock. Lord Draegon stood there, his piercing gaze locked onto her. His expression was unreadable, making it hard to tell if he was angry or just surprised.

Elysia quickly stepped back and lowered her head.

"Please don't scold me... Please don't..." she anxiously thought.

"What are you doing? Where is the task I gave you?" Lord Draegon asked, his face still serious.

"Ah? I… I'm sorry, my lord," Elysia stammered.

"H-here it is," she added, handing over the wooden cart filled with bottles of wine.

"It's too late," the young lord replied coldly.

Without hesitation, he grabbed the wooden cart and, with just one hand, threw it hard against the wall. The cart shattered, and the bottles smashed into pieces.

Elysia flinched, bowing her head and trembling in fear. Lord Draegon's eyes burned with anger as he glared at her.

"It's too late to give me that… You mortals are so slow. Worthless, just like the others I've killed," he sneered.

Without warning, he grabbed Elysia by the collar and lifted her off the ground with one hand. Her feet no longer touched the floor.

She struggled, trying to pry off his cold, pale fingers, but her efforts were useless—he was far stronger than her. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she questioned why this was happening to her. She knew she had done nothing wrong.

In the end, she stopped resisting. She felt hopeless.

"F-forgive me… If a mortal like me… is nothing but worthless in your eyes… Please, forgive me, my lord…" Elysia sobbed.

Lord Draegon's eyes widened. This was the first time in his entire life that someone had ever asked for his forgiveness.

No one had ever dared to beg him like this. Everyone feared him too much. Even his own vara (cousins) never once apologized to him—it simply wasn't in their nature.

As Elysia's tears fell onto his cold hand, something stirred inside him.

For the first time, he felt pity.

He had never once pitied anyone before. The kindness he had as a child had long since vanished. He had grown up cruel, heartless, and without remorse.

But now, for some reason, he felt something new—a strange mix of pity, guilt, and an overwhelming urge to embrace her.

Letting out a breath, he finally released her. But instead of letting her go, he pulled her against the wall, leaning in close until their foreheads touched.

"I should hate you… despise you. But somehow, you make me feel otherwise," he murmured, gently cupping her cheek.

He wiped away her tears, wanting her to stop crying.

For days, he had tried to ignore these emotions. From the very first moment he saw her, his heart had pounded uncontrollably. And the first time their skin touched, he had felt an overwhelming desire to hold her close—to kiss her.

He had tried to suppress these feelings, but no matter how hard he fought them, his body moved on its own.

Without realizing it, he brushed a soft kiss against her forehead.

Elysia's eyes widened in shock. She never expected the king to do such a thing.

Her fear of him faded, replaced by something else—an unfamiliar, unexplainable feeling.

Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, and she felt warmth creep into her face. She wanted to say something, but her voice refused to come out.

If she tried, she was sure she would only stutter.

And at that moment, for the first time in her life, her cheeks turned red because of him.

Then, without another word, Lord Draegon wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear.

"I'm sorry..." he said softly.

It was the first time that Lord Draegon had ever asked for forgiveness. In his thousands of years of existence, he had only ever said it to Elysia. Only to her, and no one else.

From a short distance away, Selene could clearly see the king embracing the fated woman. She was not happy with what she saw. Hatred and rage filled her heart toward Elysia. She wanted to tear her apart and end her life so that no one could steal the man she loved the most.

"Prepare yourself... I won't let you get close to the king. I won't allow it… Lord Draegon belongs to me alone. I will make you suffer, you wretched woman!" Selene thought.

Selene couldn't bear to see the two together. It fueled her anger and pushed her to hurt Elysia in any way possible.

After that incident, Elysia sat alone in the kitchen of the servants' quarters, staring blankly into space. She never imagined that the young lord would do such a thing to her. Lord Draegon's apology had washed away her fear. Because of those words, she felt a sense of peace in both her mind and heart.

As she sat there, Selene arrived. Her face was twisted with jealousy, anger, and the perfect opportunity for revenge. Without hesitation, she slapped Elysia. Being a vampire, Selene's slap was more like a heavy blow. The force was so strong that it left Elysia's face numb. The impact knocked Elysia to the ground, making her clutch her cheek in pain.

"I will never let someone like you have Lord Draegon! You're a weak creature. You are not worthy of him!" Selene spat furiously.

She immediately stepped toward Elysia, who was still lying on the ground, and without hesitation, grabbed her by the throat. Elysia struggled to breathe as Selene tightened her grip. She could clearly see Selene's glowing red eyes, filled with the intent to kill.

"H-help... please...," Elysia gasped desperately.

She couldn't move. At that moment, she thought it was the end for her.

But suddenly, the pressure around her throat loosened for a brief second. Elysia slowly opened her eyes. What she saw next terrified her—Selene's sharp fangs, inching closer. She was about to bite into her neck. Tears welled up in Elysia's eyes.

"P-please… don't…," she begged.

"It's too late. I'm thirsty!" Selene replied, her voice laced with a demonic tone.

Without hesitation, Selene sank her fangs into Elysia's neck. The sharp pain was unbearable, as if her neck was being slowly ripped apart. She felt her strength draining away while Selene greedily drank her blood. Her vision blurred, and she felt herself slipping into unconsciousness.

But just before she blacked out, she saw someone restraining Selene. The only words she heard from that person were—

"Run!!."

"Run! Run now!" the servant shouted.

"Stay out of this, Rahna!" Selene shouted.

"Stop this!" Rahna yelled back as she tried to hold Selene back.

Summoning all her strength, Elysia forced herself to stand. Though weak and dizzy, she pushed her feet forward, stumbling away from Selene. She ran as best as she could, her blurred vision making it difficult. She didn't stop—she kept running and screaming for help.

In the distance, she saw a bright light shining from an open door. It was her only hope. She needed to reach it, to find someone who could save her.

But just before she could step through the door, someone blocked her path.

And then—darkness.

She lost consciousness.