Chapter Seventeen: Lord Draegon's Discovery

Lord Draegon carried Elysia back to the palace. He was puzzled—why did Blade take Elysia? He also wondered why Elysia kept covering her face. What was she hiding? Lord Draegon wanted to find out. He wanted to uncover the secret she was keeping. He wanted to know everything about her.

Laying Elysia down on her bed, he noticed she had fallen asleep from exhaustion. She needed rest and healing. His curiosity got the best of him, and he was tempted to see her face. Slowly, he reached for her scarf, ready to remove it and reveal the truth. But just as he was about to do so, the door opened, and a servant entered, bringing food for Elysia. This interruption forced him to stop. Annoyed, he frowned at the servant, making them hurry out of the room.

He turned back to Elysia just as she woke up. As she opened her eyes, she found Lord Draegon staring intently at her. Her face turned red, and her heartbeat quickened. It was so fast that she struggled to breathe. She tried to sit up but winced in pain. Lord Draegon immediately held her and helped her. Their eyes met, and for a moment, neither of them spoke.

Elysia finally forced herself to say something.

"I... I'm fine..." she said softly.

"Don't lie to me," Lord Draegon replied.

He gently laid her back down and tucked her in. As he held her hand, he felt its warmth. It was a comforting warmth, as if guiding and embracing him. He stared at her again and asked a question.

"Do you love me?" he asked directly.

"Ha... what?" Elysia stammered.

"Do you?" he repeated.

"I... it's just..." she hesitated.

"Would you refuse a king like me? I can give you anything you desire," he said arrogantly.

"I don't care about status or wealth," Elysia replied calmly.

Lord Draegon smiled at her answer. He admired her honesty. He moved closer and gently kissed her forehead. Elysia's eyes widened in shock. It was the first time Lord Draegon had ever protected and cared for someone like this. Whispering softly, he held her cheek and said:

"I will wait for your answer."

Then, as he was about to leave the room, he turned back and asked, "Why did you go outside?"

"You told me to," Elysia replied.

"I never gave you such an order," he said, frowning.

"But... the servant told me you did," she explained.

"Is that so?" Lord Draegon murmured, his tone dark and unreadable.

Without another word, he left. He went straight to the servants' quarters, where they were gathered for a meal. His presence immediately silenced the room. His aura shifted, and he scanned the room, reading their thoughts effortlessly—except for Elysia's, which remained a mystery to him. He stared at each servant until his gaze landed on one who was nervously eating with their head lowered.

Reading their mind, he heard:

"He... he might kill me... because I told Elysia to go outside."

In an instant, Lord Draegon grabbed the servant and lifted them by the throat. His red eyes glowed with fury. He wanted to tear them apart but held back. He needed them alive.

"Why did you do it?" he asked, his voice cold.

"I... I was ordered by... Elizabeth," the servant stammered in fear.

"Elizabeth?" Lord Draegon repeated, his expression darkening.

Releasing the servant, he stormed toward Elizabeth's chambers. Surprisingly, he hadn't killed anyone yet—unusual for him, as he typically executed those who defied him.

Inside her room, Elizabeth was sipping Lugu (Blood Wine), unaware of what was about to happen. When she saw Lord Draegon enter, she assumed he had come to see her out of affection.

"Elizabeth... so here you are," he said, smirking.

"My dear Lord Draegon," she greeted with a flirty smile.

She walked toward him and suddenly kissed him on the lips, trying to be seductive. But Lord Draegon did not respond. Instead, he grabbed her by the throat, squeezing tightly.

"Why... are you... choking me?" Elizabeth gasped.

"I never thought you would betray me," he said coldly.

Without warning, he dragged her by the hair and took her to the Obsidian Lux (Death Mansion). No one who entered that place ever came out. It was a place of torture and suffering.

Inside, Elizabeth could hear the agonizing screams of those being punished. Lord Draegon locked her in a cell, its walls made of unbreakable metal with ancient witchcraft inscriptions that prevented vampires from escaping. The environment itself was a form of torture—endless hallucinations and unbearable noises that could drive anyone insane.

Soon, the overwhelming sounds invaded Elizabeth's mind. She screamed in agony.

"AHHHHHH!" Elizabeth screamed.

Lord Draegon merely smirked and walked away, leaving her in the darkness.

Elizabeth screamed and screamed because of the noise—until it finally stopped. But then, she heard something again. A sound coming from somewhere close by. And there, in one corner, she saw Selene. She was hunched over, mumbling incoherently.

"Shhhhhh..." Selene murmured, her mind shattered.

"Come, little children, I'll take thee away, into a land of enchantment..." she sang in a hushed whisper.

"Se... Selene?" Elizabeth uttered hesitantly.

"Hahahahahahaha!" Selene burst into laughter.

Then, Elizabeth remembered why Selene was there with her. It was because she had nearly killed Elysia for tasting the young woman's blood.

But what was even more terrifying was the thought of losing her own mind, just like Selene. To start seeing and hearing things that weren't real.

And soon enough, something appeared before her eyes. And the hallucinations began...