Chapter 2

I gripped the sink and looked up. The woman in the mirror had bloodshot, swollen eyes.

It felt like I had swallowed shattered glass, but I forced the bitterness down.

Diana stepped in with a parchment. "The Soul Blood Pact Annulment is ready," she said.

I stared at it. Six centuries of shared life and magic. I don't sever that overnight.

I still didn't know how to tell Valerius.

I buried the sting in my chest and walked outside.

A thick fog cloaked the street. He was standing right there.

Our eyes met, and his gaze shifted into flawless devotion.

"Seraphina!" He pulled me into a crushing embrace. His familiar warmth hit me.

"Where were you? Why didn't you answer my messages?" Valerius's voice trembled. "I drove back overnight. I was worried sick."

I went rigid.

For a second, I drifted back to our centuries of love.

Then the memory of that boy's soft cry—Daddy—spiked through my skull.

How could a man who supposedly loved me father a child with someone else?

I pushed him back a few inches. "I'm fine. I'm heading home."

Valerius exhaled. "If you feel sick, tell me immediately."

Before he finished, his wrist rune flared red. He glanced down, jaw clenching.

I was close enough to see the sigil of a low-born blood-slave: Elara.

He looked up, eyes apologetic. "Emergency at the borders. I need to go."

He pressed a quick kiss to my forehead and got in his car. I watched his taillights vanish.

"Go ahead," I whispered.

He had no idea I was following him.

The Medical Wing.

I stood in the hallway's blind spot, watching the ward. The boy lay unconscious with a fever.

Valerius slammed his fist against the bed frame. "Useless! You can't even suppress a cold? Want to be thrown out?!"

The staff bowed their heads.

His lieutenant stepped forward. "My Lord, you gave your word. Once that blood-slave gave birth, she'd take the money and leave. If the Archduchess finds out—"

"I must have an heir!" Valerius snapped. "And she is the mother."

"Is it really about securing a bloodline, my Lord, or are you just looking for an excuse to keep her?"

Valerius lowered his voice. "I will only ever love Seraphina. But Elara... she bore my child. I can't just toss her aside."

Right on cue, Elara stumbled into the room. Her tears were perfectly timed.

"My Lord... it's my fault. I didn't take care of him. I shouldn't interrupt you and her Grace... but he kept crying for his daddy."

Valerius's anger vanished. He pulled her into his arms. "Don't cry. He is our child."

I stood in the shadows. My nails dug into my palms until they broke the skin. Blood dripped to the floor, but it was nothing compared to the agony in my chest.

I walked out into a sudden downpour. Freezing rain lashed against my skin.

An attendant rushed out with an umbrella, trying to call Valerius.

"Don't," I cut him off.

Everyone was certain Valerius loved me. No one knew this "love" was already crawling with deceit.

I went back to my room. The moment the door locked, I slid to the floor and let the tears fall.

By evening, I decided to pack and leave.

But downstairs, a child's laughter pierced my eardrums.

Elara stood there in a maid's uniform. She lowered her head respectfully, but her eyes gleamed with triumph.

"My Lady. I came to care for the young master."

I stared at Valerius. How dare he bring them into my territory?

He walked over, his explanation seamless. "The Senate is pressuring me... I had to adopt an orphan. You haven't been well lately. I thought this would give you a distraction."

I lost my ability to bear children centuries ago, backing a curse meant for him. Now, he used my trauma to bring his bastard son into our home.

"Valerius, did you bring them here just to disgust me?"

He furrowed his brows, instantly groveling. "If you don't like it, I'll throw him out tomorrow! If it makes you unhappy, I'll give up anything."

Hearing this, the boy pointed at me. "Bad lady!"

"Shut your mouth!" Valerius barked.

Elara shrank back, apologizing, her hand clamping onto Valerius's sleeve.

He looked at her, his tone softening out of habit. "Take him to his room. Don't upset the Archduchess."

Playing tragic lovers in my own home. I saw it all.

Midnight.

Valerius stood outside my locked door. "Darling, I'll send them away tomorrow. Please stop overthinking."

I let out a silent sneer. Send them away? He just meant hiding them elsewhere.

As long as that blood tie existed, they would always stand between us. I was the one who needed to leave.

At 3:00 AM, wide awake, I headed downstairs for a drink.

The room at the end of the hall was ajar. A faint glow and the sound of heavy breathing spilled through.

"You're hurting me..." Elara whimpered. "Is she asleep?"

Valerius chuckled breathlessly. "If you're scared of pain, why sneak in? If you want your child to stay, keep out of her way."

"Then tonight... make it up to me."

This was the man who swore to love only me.

Nausea surged up my throat. I bolted to the bathroom, dry-heaving over the sink. Nothing came up.

I lifted my eyes. The woman in the mirror was a wreck.

But I am Seraphina. An Archduchess of the purest bloodline. I am not a pathetic creature begging for scraps.

I washed my face, went back to bed, and stayed awake until dawn.

From this exact moment, I was abandoning him.