Chapter 4 · Blood Bond Broken, She Crawled Back

Chapter 4

Many things that Wendy used to take for granted were handled by me.

She only needed to stand in the spotlight, and everything came to her effortlessly.

But now, things were gradually slipping out of her control.

*****

Meanwhile, in the ballroom of Northfeld, Claude sat at the seat of honor, leisurely swirling his wine glass.

"Looks like Southfeld has been bustling lately," he remarked.

I looked up at him.

Claude smiled. "The Sterling coven is being probed by the other clans.

"How long do you think they can hold out?"

I kept quiet but looked down and took a sip of the blood wine.

The icy liquid slid down my throat.

The music in the hall played on.

Many nobles were trying to catch my attention.

The way they looked at me was nothing like before.

I suddenly realized that since I left Wendy, the whole world seemed to be much quieter.

*****

It had been snowing in Northfeld for three days straight.

I stood on the castle terrace, a border patrol report in my hand.

The cold wind whipped snowflakes against my face, biting through to the bone.

"Southfeld is stirring up trouble again." A voice came from behind me.

I turned around and saw Claude walking over leisurely.

He wasn't wearing his council robes today, only a black coat draped over his shoulders. His silver hair rested on his shoulders.

He looked a bit less intimidating than usual.

He tossed a scroll to me. "Your former fiancée isn't doing well these days."

I took the scroll and glanced at it.

It recorded the recent moves of several clans in Southfeld.

Two of the blood crystal lodes controlled by the Sterling coven had been attacked.

The Council of Elders had rejected three of her resource requests.

Even the count who used to be friendly with her was going out of his way to avoid her.

I was stone-faced.

Claude fixed his gaze on me, a smile tugging at his lips. "You're so calm.

"When she left you hanging for Edward, I bet she never imagined things would turn out like this."

I closed the scroll. "That was her choice."

Claude raised an eyebrow and didn't press the issue.

Before he turned to leave, he added with a knowing look, "Once one gets used to having others fix their messes for them, they start forgetting who's actually important."

I said nothing.

But deep down, I couldn't help thinking about Wendy.

She was always fond of drinking by the window.

Whenever she had a headache, she'd frown and call out for me.

One night, she came back from a party with her shoe heel snapped.

I crouched down and helped her swap them out.

She smiled, eyes sparkling, and promised that if she married me, she'd make sure I'd never be wronged.

It was so ironic when I thought about that now.

*****

Over in the castle of Southfeld, the air was filled with tension.

Wendy sat at the end of the long table, looking ghostly pale.

There were more than a dozen ledgers piled up in front of her.

The elder next to her was raging. "Why are the blood crystals from the lode in Westvale down by ten percent?

"The patrol teams were late on their rounds two times in a row.

"Wendy, what on earth have you been up to lately?"

No one in the hall dared to utter a word.

Wendy pressed her fingertips so hard that they turned bloodless.

Back then, she never had to worry about any of this.

I always took care of everything before she had to think about it.

But now, every problem landed squarely on her shoulders.

To make matters worse, Edward was constantly making things messier.

The hall doors burst open with a loud bang.

Edward walked in, looking gloomy.

He'd gotten noticeably thinner lately. He had dark circles under his eyes and bite marks on his neck that hadn't faded.

Anyone could tell he'd been hitting up those underground blood parties again.

The elder gave him a cold stare. "What do you want?"

Edward ignored him and headed straight for Wendy. "I need some blood crystals."

Wendy frowned. "You took a whole crate a few days ago."

Edward tugged at his collar, clearly annoyed. "That wasn't enough.

"I've been feeling off lately, and my bloodline's been unstable."

The elder's face darkened instantly. "Edward, you're only a baron. You don't have the right to touch the coven's reserves."

A hint of menace flashed in Edward's eyes.

But in the end, he held himself back.

At present, he was completely dependent on Wendy.

If he turned against her, he'd have nothing left.

Wendy rubbed the space between her brows. "Step outside for now."

Edward stared at her for a few seconds, his expression sour, and then left the hall.

Once Edward left, the elder finally broke his silence and spoke in a low voice. "Wendy, are you seriously thinking about letting someone like Edward into the coven's inner circle?

"Many other vampires are gossiping."

Chapter 4

Many things that Wendy used to take for granted were handled by me.

She only needed to stand in the spotlight, and everything came to her effortlessly.

But now, things were gradually slipping out of her control.

*****

Meanwhile, in the ballroom of Northfeld, Claude sat at the seat of honor, leisurely swirling his wine glass.

"Looks like Southfeld has been bustling lately," he remarked.

I looked up at him.

Claude smiled. "The Sterling coven is being probed by the other clans.

"How long do you think they can hold out?"

I kept quiet but looked down and took a sip of the blood wine.

The icy liquid slid down my throat.

The music in the hall played on.

Many nobles were trying to catch my attention.

The way they looked at me was nothing like before.

I suddenly realized that since I left Wendy, the whole world seemed to be much quieter.

*****

It had been snowing in Northfeld for three days straight.

I stood on the castle terrace, a border patrol report in my hand.

The cold wind whipped snowflakes against my face, biting through to the bone.

"Southfeld is stirring up trouble again." A voice came from behind me.

I turned around and saw Claude walking over leisurely.

He wasn't wearing his council robes today, only a black coat draped over his shoulders. His silver hair rested on his shoulders.

He looked a bit less intimidating than usual.

He tossed a scroll to me. "Your former fiancée isn't doing well these days."

I took the scroll and glanced at it.

It recorded the recent moves of several clans in Southfeld.

Two of the blood crystal lodes controlled by the Sterling coven had been attacked.

The Council of Elders had rejected three of her resource requests.

Even the count who used to be friendly with her was going out of his way to avoid her.

I was stone-faced.

Claude fixed his gaze on me, a smile tugging at his lips. "You're so calm.

"When she left you hanging for Edward, I bet she never imagined things would turn out like this."

I closed the scroll. "That was her choice."

Claude raised an eyebrow and didn't press the issue.

Before he turned to leave, he added with a knowing look, "Once one gets used to having others fix their messes for them, they start forgetting who's actually important."

I said nothing.

But deep down, I couldn't help thinking about Wendy.

She was always fond of drinking by the window.

Whenever she had a headache, she'd frown and call out for me.

One night, she came back from a party with her shoe heel snapped.

I crouched down and helped her swap them out.

She smiled, eyes sparkling, and promised that if she married me, she'd make sure I'd never be wronged.

It was so ironic when I thought about that now.

*****

Over in the castle of Southfeld, the air was filled with tension.

Wendy sat at the end of the long table, looking ghostly pale.

There were more than a dozen ledgers piled up in front of her.

The elder next to her was raging. "Why are the blood crystals from the lode in Westvale down by ten percent?

"The patrol teams were late on their rounds two times in a row.

"Wendy, what on earth have you been up to lately?"

No one in the hall dared to utter a word.

Wendy pressed her fingertips so hard that they turned bloodless.

Back then, she never had to worry about any of this.

I always took care of everything before she had to think about it.

But now, every problem landed squarely on her shoulders.

To make matters worse, Edward was constantly making things messier.

The hall doors burst open with a loud bang.

Edward walked in, looking gloomy.

He'd gotten noticeably thinner lately. He had dark circles under his eyes and bite marks on his neck that hadn't faded.

Anyone could tell he'd been hitting up those underground blood parties again.

The elder gave him a cold stare. "What do you want?"

Edward ignored him and headed straight for Wendy. "I need some blood crystals."

Wendy frowned. "You took a whole crate a few days ago."

Edward tugged at his collar, clearly annoyed. "That wasn't enough.

"I've been feeling off lately, and my bloodline's been unstable."

The elder's face darkened instantly. "Edward, you're only a baron. You don't have the right to touch the coven's reserves."

A hint of menace flashed in Edward's eyes.

But in the end, he held himself back.

At present, he was completely dependent on Wendy.

If he turned against her, he'd have nothing left.

Wendy rubbed the space between her brows. "Step outside for now."

Edward stared at her for a few seconds, his expression sour, and then left the hall.

Once Edward left, the elder finally broke his silence and spoke in a low voice. "Wendy, are you seriously thinking about letting someone like Edward into the coven's inner circle?

"Many other vampires are gossiping."