Just a second before the specially made silver arrow was about to pierce Scarlett, a slender, fair hand reached out from the air, and a young man in a pure white wedding dress landed gracefully, grasping the arrow shaft in his hand.
Time seemed to stand still. The interference of external magic tore everything around them apart, and shouts, cries, and noises were all stretched into strange tones.
Scarlett turned around, but could only see Willy's figure. Moonlight draped over the light gauze, the skirt fluttering, his shoulders thin and slender, yet he had saved Willy's life.
However, Vili did not turn around to look at him, but instead searched for something among the vampire army.
That traitor...
—Found it.
With almost no effort, Vili spotted the out-of-place soldier in the crowd at a glance. He hadn't even had time to put down his bow and arrow; the string was still trembling slightly.
More importantly, his facial features were blurry, like ink that had been blurred and was indistinct.
after all……
This was Scarlett's dream, and he died without ever knowing who the person who betrayed him was.
It all happened in the blink of an eye; in an instant, Vili was already in front of the man, and then—
Without hesitation, he plunged the arrow in his hand into his neck.
Blood spurted out in a spray, and Vili closed her eyes slightly but did not flinch, letting the specks of blood stain half of her veil and soak the pure white wedding dress in a mottled pattern, the vivid marks trailing downwards creating a painting of extreme contrast.
As the arrow was pulled out, without any struggle, the man's body went limp and he collapsed to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
At this moment, the Grand Mage's power could no longer be concealed, erupting and turning the entire dream world upside down. The fake NPCs were like shadows under pure light; whether they were vampires or the army of the Inquisition, everyone scattered and disappeared in an instant.
In the end, only the red-haired prince remained, gazing at Vili from afar.
The world was twisting and spinning, day and night rapidly alternating. Scarlett couldn't see the boy's expression clearly; through the veil, she could only catch a glimpse of the faint curve of his lips.
Click.
Vili broke the useless silver arrow in his hand.
Whether it's a beautiful dream or a nightmare...
“—Scarlett, it’s time for you to wake up.”
-
With heavy breathing, the prince suddenly opened his eyes. His noble face, as pale as snow, had eyes that shone with a blood-red light in the darkness, making one's heart tremble at the sight.
Beside him, the loyal butler bowed respectfully as always, his voice filled with barely concealed excitement.
"Your Highness, you've finally woken up."
"..."
His master remained silent for a long time before finally speaking slowly. His voice was calm, yet inexplicably low and hoarse, as if gently plucking a dull string.
“…Deville, I had a dream.”
"A dream?" Deville asked, somewhat surprised.
Vampires rarely dream, especially during their hibernation period, when they mostly spend their time in deep darkness.
"If you'd like, could you tell me what it is? Perhaps I can help you with your worries."
The room was deathly silent. Deville, as was his habit, kept his head down, waiting for the prince's reply.
Silky silver hair slipped down her shoulders, and Zephyr instinctively touched the side of her neck, only to feel a chill.
He shook his head.
"……never mind."
"It was just a dream."
His voice was very low, and it was unclear who he was speaking to.
With Deville's help, Zephyr slowly rose from the coffin. His movements were stiff at first, but he regained his usual elegance after a moment.
His gaze wandered across the dimly lit room, and he gradually recalled everything that had happened before he went into hibernation.
With Deville around, he doesn't need to worry about most things, except for one...
"Is Leisen awake?"
“Yes.” Having anticipated this question, Deville replied, “He woke up almost a day earlier than you.”
After leaving the restaurant, the old butler stayed by the prince's side, and servants came to report on the follow-up of the matter.
It is said that after he left, Prince Leisen and Prince Vili exchanged a few words, then went their separate ways back to their rooms, as if they had both fallen into a deep sleep.
He didn't harm his young master, which was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.
"Did he cause you any trouble during this time?"
Zephyr's words brought Deville back to his senses, and the wrinkles on his face twitched, giving him a helpless smile.
"That's exactly what I wanted to report to you."
"During your slumber, the castle has become much more lively. Not only have two more young masters arrived, but also a human blood servant and a half-vampire lady."
"Oh, and there's even a werewolf that's not quite an adult yet."
"..."
Zephyr began to wonder if his hibernation had lasted for centuries.
How come when I woke up, the ancient castle where I had lived for thousands of years had become a place I didn't recognize?
As they spoke, the two had already arrived at the study. From there, looking out the window, one could see the garden directly in front of them.
Listening to Deville's words, Zephyr glanced around and found that the place seemed to have been completely renovated, with all the plants in different positions than he remembered.
"..."
Deville, oblivious to the prince's odd behavior, continued:
“If it were before, when His Highness Lysen was confined to the castle, he wouldn’t have caused any major problems.”
"But now, I can let go of those insignificant people, but I am really worried about the safety of the two young masters."
“Young Master Elijah is fine. He is busy with family affairs outside and will not meet with His Highness Leisen.”
“But young master Vili is still too young, I…”
Zephyr suddenly raised his hand to interrupt him. His already pale skin seemed even more translucent, but a storm was brewing in his calm eyes, shining brightly in the darkness.
"Who did you say...?"
Deville keenly noticed the tremor in his voice, and although he didn't understand why, he instinctively lowered his voice.
“Of course it’s Master Vili… formerly Hughes, now Thun.”
"This was a decision you made yourself back then, don't you remember?"
"..."
Zephyr remained silent for a long time, but Deville felt that this silence was different from the previous ones, as if... His Highness was having difficulty accepting this fact.
Young Master Kevili is so lovable, how could His Highness possibly regret adopting him?
They had never even met once.
Deville decided to offer some words of advice.
“Your Highness, you may not know Master Vili, but I have spent so many years with him and I can assure you that everyone in the entire castle who knows him dislikes him.”
He wanted to say something more, but before he could speak, Zephyr interrupted him.
"Does this include Leisen among the people you're talking about?"
Deville: ...?
For some reason, he seemed to smell a sour odor in the air.
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