Chapter 3

My mother smiled perfectly into the glowing projection crystal, and publicly blessed the bastard growing inside my father's mistress.

The moment the crystal stopped recording, I snapped.

I grabbed the heavy stone table right out of its floor mount and hurled it across the room.

"Why?!" I screamed, my lungs burning. "He is the one sleeping with a lesser bloodline! He is the one shaming the Clan! Why are you the one bowing your head to clean up his mess?!"

"Don't waste your anger, Alice," she whispered softly. "Every royal estate, every vault, every ounce of political backing in this Clan will belong exclusively to you. By swallowing my pride today and saving the Clan's reputation, I am barricading your future. I am paying for your throne."

Within an hour, the illusion broadcast was playing across every territory. The entire vampire nobility was laughing at her. They called her the most pathetic, subservient Covenant Wife in history.

But my father? He was absolutely thrilled.

That evening, Sinhel actually came back to Covenant Castle. He strode in, looking like a benevolent god descending upon his loyal subjects.

He knelt in front of me and clasped a glowing Blood Crystal bracelet around my wrist. The magic inside it instantly warmed my fragile veins.

Then, he walked over to my mother. He pressed a delicate, crimson Protection Amulet into her hand.

"I unfroze your accounts," he said, his voice dripping with that sickening, nostalgic warmth he used to have. He kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry about the fight. I know you've been feeling unwell. Wear this amulet. I still want to spend eternity with you, Lokui."

For a split second, looking at his handsome face and the deep crimson stone in his hand, a foolish spark of hope flared in my chest. Maybe he still cared. Maybe he still loved her.

As soon as his carriage left the courtyard, my mother sneered.

The warmth in her eyes vanished. She tossed the amulet onto the broken stone table. Then, she pulled out a Clan Intelligence report and tossed it to me.

"Look at it, Alice. See your father's eternal love."

I picked up the parchment. Yesterday, Sinhel had drained equivalent to three entire city vaults to purchase a colossal, top-tier Blood Crystal.

He used the massive core of that crystal to forge a heavy, flawless bangle. He slid it onto Vera's wrist this morning.

The bracelet on my wrist, and the amulet in my mother's hand? They were just the remaining dust. The leftover scraps carved from the edges of Vera's jewelry.

I ripped the bracelet off my wrist and threw it on the floor. I wanted to vomit.

My mother just tapped her communication crystal and called the Royal Enchanter.

"The date is set." my mother said flatly.

She chose the Vow Day as her date of death. 

“In this way, as soon as he bind himself in a Soul Pact, he will remember my death.”

"Only by remembering me for a long time will it benefit my daughter more."

I hid in the shadows of the corridor, biting my own arm until it bled just to stop myself from sobbing out loud.

The following days were a blur of calculated, ruthless moves.

Knowing the Blood Corruption was eating her organs alive, my mother worked flawlessly. She called Elder Zhao, the most rigid and powerful conservative in the High Council, for a secret meeting. They whispered behind soundproof barriers for over an hour.

Next, she began selecting dresses. My father had informed her that he was taking her to a highly exclusive Royal Family Banquet. Only her. He intentionally left his mistress behind to maintain his public image in front of the elite.

My mother even played the perfect wife, actively helping Sinhel pacify a whining Vera before he left to get ready.

But the moment he was out of earshot, she pulled me into the hallway.

"Go to her courtyard," my mother instructed. "Provoke the idiot."

I marched straight up to Vera, who was pouting on her velvet chaise lounge.

"So what if my father makes it snow for you?" I sneered, looking down at her with absolute disgust. "You are still just his dirty little toy. Tonight is a formal Clan event. Only my mother is legally allowed to walk hand-in-hand with him. You? You stay locked in the kennel where you belong."

Vera took the bait instantly. Her face contorted with pure, venomous jealousy. She smashed her teacup against the wall.

The trap was fully set.

That night, the Royal Banquet Hall was blindingly opulent. The highest-ranking Pure-Bloods, the Elder Council, and allied Warlords filled the room under massive gold chandeliers. Sinhel sat on his throne at the Sovereign's dais beside my mother, raising a glass, basking in his absolute power.

Then he saw Vera.

She stood near the entrance, holding her swollen belly, her eyes entirely red and overflowing with tears as she stared pitifully across the massive hall directly at my father.

My mother stood up slowly. She looked breathtakingly frail, her skin pale as moonlight. She walked down the steps of the dais, the absolute picture of a heartbroken, dignified queen.

"Sinhel," my mother spoke softly. "This is our most important social event. I am begging you... please, spare me this one shred of dignity in front of the Clan. Don't go away."

Under the judging gaze of the entire vampire nobility, my father swallowed hard. His throat bobbed as he looked at Vera's fake, pitiful tears.

Then, he slowly patted my mother’s hand and pulled away.

"There are too many people here," he said loudly, actively stepping away from his Covenant Wife. "Vera is pregnant. I am afraid she will get bumped."

He walked straight down the stairs and escorted the weeping Vera to a side table.

A collective gasp of sheer disbelief echoed through the massive hall. The public humiliation was absolute.

My mother lowered her head, her shoulders shaking as if she were utterly destroyed.

But she subtly raised her eyes and exchanged a single, sharp look with Elder Zhao across the room.