The side hall's room has now become a veritable, exquisitely crafted cage. An invisible energy barrier, like the strongest glass, completely isolates the inside from the outside, preventing even sound from penetrating. Two high-ranking vampire guards, their auras heavy with concentration, stand watch outside the door day and night. Their very existence is like a cold declaration—the only consequence of disobeying the prince's will is destruction.
Su Nian's activities were confined to this small area. Meals and items were delivered by her personal guards, and even Derrick rarely showed up, as if she were a sealed-off collectible.
However, extreme confinement often means extreme "attention".
Xie Chen's summons became more frequent and regular. Almost every two or three days, the pull from the soul contract would arrive precisely on time, leaving no room for refusal. The process still took place at the observatory or outside his bedroom, but the atmosphere was completely different from before.
He no longer turned his back to her, nor did he show the brief daze that followed drinking her blood. Instead, his gaze was one of deeper, more oppressive scrutiny. He would sit there, his blood-red eyes fixed on the entire process of her drawing blood, from the icy power slicing her wrist to the blood dripping into the dark red wine glass—not missing a single detail. His gaze was like that of someone examining a precision instrument, or confirming the complete integrity of their possession.
After drinking her blood, he no longer made her leave immediately. Sometimes he would gaze at her silently for a long time, his eyes filled with complex and unreadable emotions: inquiry, assessment, a hint of suppressed desire, and... a subtle inertia that he himself might not even be aware of, which gradually developed from this periodic "soothing."
Su Nian obediently played the role of "exclusive blood servant," her head bowed and her posture respectful. But she could clearly feel that the connection between herself and the source of the earth had become stronger, like a thin but unbreakable spider silk in the darkness. Every time she provided blood and Xie Chen's dark side immersed itself in that moment of "quiet," it would produce extremely subtle fluctuations.
This life under close surveillance did not lead Su Nian to despair; instead, it ignited her greater resilience. She devoted more time to honing her own strength and exploring that subtle connection.
She discovered that when Xie Chen drank her blood and immersed himself in a state of "quiet," not only was his connection with the earth's origin temporarily weakened due to the "soothing" of the same source, but the cool chill originating from the Ice Soul Mark within her own soul also seemed to flow more smoothly, even exerting a slight attraction on a certain thin substance in the surrounding environment that was different from the dark energy of the vampires (perhaps the remaining moonlight? Or perhaps some ancient ley line energy hidden deep within the foundation of the castle?).
She began to try to subtly guide that wisp of Ice Soul Power during the brief moment after each blood draw when Xie Chen's attention was most scattered and his defenses were most relaxed. Instead of touching the seal or contacting the underground, she guided it like the roots of a plant, extremely slowly and carefully drawing in the sparse, unknown energy from the surrounding environment.
The process was so slow it was almost despairing, and the gains were minimal, but little by little, they added up. She could feel the finest cracks on the soul ice crystals healing themselves at a faster rate than simply relying on "changing the environment." In this process, the power of the ice soul also became more refined, possessing a strange resilience that allowed it to coexist with the dark energy of the vampires.
That day, after completing yet another "offering," Xie Chen, unusually, did not immediately let her leave. He rested his chin on his hand, his gaze fixed on the eternal red moon outside the window, and suddenly spoke, his voice devoid of emotion:
"Derrick said you've been very quiet lately."
Su Nian felt a slight chill and lowered her head in response, "I dare not disturb Your Majesty's peace."
"Is that so?" He turned his head, his blood-red eyes deep. "Your blood seems to taste more 'stable' than before."
Su Nian's fingertips twitched almost imperceptibly. He noticed! He noticed a subtle change in her blood after her soul repair and the slight enhancement of her Ice Soul Power!
“Perhaps it’s because I’ve adapted to the environment here,” she said, keeping her voice steady, “that my mind and body have become more peaceful, and my blood has naturally become purer.”
Xie Chen stared at her for a long time, then a faint, ambiguous smile appeared on his lips: "That would be best."
He didn't delve into it, waving her away. But Su Nian knew that this seemingly casual question was actually a warning. She had to be even more careful.
Back in her cage-like room, Su Nian fell into deep thought. Passive waiting and slow accumulation seemed insufficient. Xie Chen's perception of his dark side was more acute than she had anticipated; she needed to proactively utilize the existing conditions.
She turned her gaze to the invisible energy barrier and the guards standing outside the door.
She began to observe the guards' shift changes more closely, their energy attributes, and even the extremely subtle emotional fluctuations they occasionally revealed. She noticed that one of the guards, who looked relatively younger, would have a fleeting, almost imperceptible glint of curiosity in his eyes each time she returned from drawing blood…
The opportunity arose after a late-night summons.
Perhaps due to dealing with some thorny political matters, Xie Chen's mood was noticeably more irritable and violent than usual tonight. The brief "quiet" after drinking the blood didn't seem to completely calm his agitation. The oppressive aura emanating from him made the air in the observatory almost freeze.
As Su Nian bowed to leave, he suddenly said coldly, "Tomorrow, have Derrick take you to the library."
Su Nian was startled and looked up at him.
“Aren’t you interested in ‘ancient knowledge’?” His eyes held a condescending mockery. “Remember your place and the boundaries of your permitted activities.”
This sudden "grace" was by no means benevolent. It was more like a test, a way to put a more elaborate shackle around her neck while giving her a rope that seemed to offer some freedom, to see how she would dance.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Su Nian suppressed her doubts and respectfully replied.
The next day, under Derrick's meticulous "accompaniment," Su Nian once again stepped into that vast library. Unlike last time, she could clearly sense that the entire library was now equipped with more and more concealed monitoring arrays, and that her every move was likely under Xie Chen's watchful eye.
She didn't go back to the corner where the dark gold scroll was kept, nor did she deliberately search for books related to souls and seals. She simply browsed through some books about the history of the Eternal Night Dynasty, local customs and products, and even some miscellaneous books recording ancient poems and legends, within the safe area designated by Derrick, like a truly curious scholar.
Her performance seemed to have put the watchers on the edge of their seats.
Just as she picked up a picture book describing a certain extinct moonflower, a folded piece of black paper, the same material as before, quietly slipped from the pages and fell into the folds of her skirt.
Su Nian was shocked, but remained outwardly calm. Under the guise of bending down to carefully examine the details of the flowers in the illustration, she very naturally slipped the paper into her sleeve.
It's the same mysterious person! He (or she) was able to still transmit information even after Xie Chen strengthened the surveillance!
Back in the side hall, after confirming no one was watching, Su Nian took out the paper. Activating her Ice Soul Power, words appeared:
"Darkness thirsts for light, yet it also hates light. Your blood has become both its poison and its antidote. But the dosage must be carefully controlled, for too much is as bad as too little."
"The cracks in the shell begin with dependence. But dependence can also be transformed into an opportunity for control. Its shadow can serve as a mirror."
"Beyond the portrait in the west corridor lies another mystery. We can explore further once the unusual phenomenon of 'two moons in the same sky' appears. Be cautious."
The information was more obscure, yet it hit the nail on the head! The first paragraph confirmed her observation: her blood was a double-edged sword for Xie Chen's dark side. The second paragraph hinted that she could exploit the growing dependence he was developing, even… What did "his shadow" refer to? Derrick? Or…?
What intrigued her most was the third paragraph! Was there some hidden meaning in the prayer room? Did it require waiting for the unusual phenomenon of "two moons in the sky"? What was that?
Just as Su Nian was repeatedly pondering these lines of information, there was a noise outside the door. It wasn't food delivery, but Derrick.
He entered the room carrying an exquisite silver tray with a small crystal bottle on it, the liquid shimmering like starlight.
“Miss,” Derrick’s voice was still rigid, but Su Nian keenly noticed that his eyes seemed to have a deeper, more indescribable quality than usual. “This is ‘Star Dew’ bestowed by the master. It comes from the Moonlight Moss deep in the Eternal Night Forest and has a remarkable effect on stabilizing the mind and nourishing the soul. The master hopes that your ‘condition’ can always remain at its best.”
Su Nian stared at the bottle of "Star Dew," her mind racing with alarm bells. This was no ordinary reward. It was more like... a "precision feeding" after confirming that the improvement in her blood quality was not accidental! Xie Chen was trying to control the variables, ensuring that the "quiet" he received was stable and predictable!
She took the crystal bottle, her fingertips touching its cold surface. "Please thank His Majesty for my kindness."
Derrick nodded slightly, but did not leave immediately. His gray eyes fell on Su Nian's face, paused for a few seconds, and then he suddenly spoke in an extremely soft voice, audible only to the two of them:
"Star dew is good, but too much of it will make you dizzy. Miss... take care."
After saying that, he said no more, bowed and left the room.
Holding the bottle of ice-cold Star Dew, Su Nian stood there, her heart filled with turbulent emotions.
Derrick…was his final reminder well-intentioned, or a warning on another level? Is he the “shadow of the other” mentioned in the message?
Xie Chen's "reward," the mysterious man's information, Derrick's cryptic reminder... all of this intertwines into an even more complex and perplexing web.
She looked down at the starlight swirling in the crystal bottle. It was both nourishment and a shackle.
And she must find the most dangerous path to the light amidst this labyrinth of mysteries.
The faint wisp of thought from the earth's origin seemed to ripple slightly as she made a certain decision, carrying a hint of encouragement and a deeper sense of worry.
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