As the carriage drew closer to Thorn Castle, Xiu's expression gradually shifted from relatively normal to expressionless.
The atmosphere inside the carriage was already somewhat strange due to the subtle standoff between Spitbolt and Xiu, and now Xiu's unpleasant expression made the entire carriage unusually quiet.
Even the usually oblivious Spurs sensed something was amiss, but Maggie remained completely calm throughout, as if she hadn't noticed Xiu's emotions at all.
Maggie actually sensed that Xiu was probably angry, but she didn't understand why.
People who get angry for no reason won't provoke you unless you take the initiative to ask them. Sometimes, there are people who get angry for very strange reasons. Just ignore them and they'll be fine in a while.
Furthermore, this was the place where Maggie and Xiu first met, so Maggie could vaguely guess what was going on.
Therefore, I wasn't in the mood to coax her.
Finally, when the carriage stopped at the edge of the nearby forest, Maggie was about to get off when Xiu spoke with a stern face.
"Are you going to see that vampire again?"
Xiu only knew that a vampire was sleeping deep inside the castle, but he didn't know that the vampire inside was actually the progenitor of vampires. So he probably didn't understand why Maggie, who said she was very busy and needed to return to the temple as soon as possible, would travel all the way here to see a vampire.
Keep in mind that this place is not on the way back to the temple at all.
"Yes, I'll be back soon."
Maggie paused, gave a soft reply, and then went downstairs.
"Is that vampire important to you?"
Xiu seemed somewhat unwilling to give up. Seeing that Maggie hadn't stopped, he asked her another question while looking at her back.
Before meeting him, Maggie had met vampires, who were unknown and very threatening to Xiu.
He just hasn't realized his feelings yet, but that doesn't mean he doesn't feel a sense of crisis.
"...is very important."
After a long while, as Maggie walked into the forest, her somewhat ethereal reply finally came.
"..."
Xiu fell silent and sat back down in the carriage.
Now only Sperr, Spock, and Xiu remained in the carriage. They had nothing to say to each other, and the atmosphere was even more silent than before.
...
On the other side, Maggie entered the Thorn Castle again with practiced ease. This time, she was not as disheveled as the first time, but rather composed.
Although she was very unhappy about having to face the old monster with a twisted sense of humor, wasn't this a kind of progress?
“Miss Maggie, it’s been a long time.”
Before Maggie could even step into the hall, Ulysses' elegant and mellow voice rang out, seemingly carrying an eager invitation.
Of course, it's unclear whether they're facing prey, food, or the expectations of a collaborator.
"It has indeed been a long time."
Maggie had learned her lesson this time, and she responded while casting a spell.
This time, she didn't approach the crystal coffin. Instead, she removed the prism stabilizer and used magic to send the 'Blood of the Night' to Ulysses, keeping a safe distance from the old monster to prevent him from causing any more trouble.
"Miss Maggie's defensiveness is truly heartbreaking."
Ulysses' voice carried a hint of regret, and he even went so far as to reprimand Maggie, which only made Maggie roll her eyes.
“If you can be a ‘safe’ collaborator, I don’t need to be so wary of you.”
Maggie spoke frankly, since it would take three drops of blood for Ulysses to be resurrected anyway, and she wasn't afraid of him suddenly attacking her, so she naturally didn't speak very politely.
"oh?"
Ulysses uttered a syllable that was difficult to decipher, and after a long pause, he chuckled softly.
He had an exceptionally good temper and was not angry at Maggie's offense.
Perhaps it was because he already knew Maggie's personality and knew that getting angry was useless.
“Miss Maggie always brings me something interesting, and this time I also want to tell Miss Maggie something interesting.”
His rich, deep voice was like a cello playing, melodious and captivating.
Ulysses seemed to be anticipating Maggie's reaction.
However, Maggie merely gave a forced smile and casually uttered four words.
"I don't want to know."
With a single sentence, she successfully ended the conversation. Maggie had no desire to hear what the old monster had to say; that stuff was like a pyramid scheme, and listening to it could kill you, so it was better not to listen at all.
Putting aside the fact that she already has a lot of information, the content in the comics is enough for her to use. Even if we take a step back, she doesn't want to suffer the same loss again.
Last time, I almost made her die of anger at Archangel El.
"..."
Seemingly not expecting Maggie to act so unpredictably, Ulysses remained eerily silent for two seconds before his voice echoed through the hall, reverberating throughout the castle as if he were omnipresent and could appear from any direction.
"Miss Maggie is truly...a delightful surprise."
He was embarrassed, but instead praised Maggie, which sounded strangely creepy and gave Maggie goosebumps.
It was as if a pair of scarlet eyes were watching her from behind, with the excitement of a hunter. The more the prey struggled and refused to cooperate, the more fun it was for vampires, and the more irresistible it became for them.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."
A bad feeling crept over her, and Maggie, not wanting to linger, simply left after saying those words.
The moment she turned around, her entire body suddenly seemed to be controlled, completely unable to move. Her legs and body felt as heavy as lead, accompanied by a cold and terrifying aura approaching from behind.
"!"
Maggie was horrified. She instinctively wanted to take out the 'Nightmare Crescent,' but she was completely unable to move and could only let the cold body approach.
Tall, heavy, and reeking of blood, he stood not far behind her. The chill of the entire castle seemed to seep through her clothes and skin into her bones, making Maggie's back go cold along with his body.
“If Miss Maggie is always in such a hurry, I think we’ll have even fewer chances to meet.”
Ulysses's nonchalant tone, as if he intended for his guest to stay, made Maggie's expression freeze.
The icy breath was more terrifying than a venomous snake; it was so close to Maggie's ear that she could feel it clearly.
Now Maggie can only comfort herself that these are all illusions, that Ulysses hasn't woken up yet, and that she won't die here.
"My dear progenitor, is there anything else you wish to do?"
Maggie used honorifics she hadn't used in a long time; when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. But when she said it through gritted teeth, it always had a sarcastic tone to it.
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