Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

“In a sense, it has been sealed away,” Beatrice said, holding a white wooden carving of a stiff Medusa. Lyle hadn’t noticed the change in her form at all. “Any form of power, medium, or summoned creature has reverted to its original form.”

"Try your ring again."

No need to try anymore. Lyle looked at the Andre Ring in his hand, the marks of the Scholar, Mr. Raymond, and the Cup of Extravagance on it were all dim and lifeless.

“Loshutal doesn’t have the power to directly erase mystery. I suspect it’s a large-scale seal that silences our abilities.”

"But you are still very strong."

“That’s a vampire’s innate power. I discovered it in the hall.” Beatrice said with lingering fear. “We were completely at their mercy just now. If you had summoned Andre directly just now, it wouldn’t have worked and would have provoked an attack from the vampires.”

“Loshutal used an unknown method to avoid the seal, but we were weakened into an ordinary human and a vampire.”

"We can only protect ourselves by relying on De La Ris's own etiquette."

"So you honored the marriage agreement and made me the bride's representative." This made Beatrice and Lyle indispensable figures in the wedding.

“Otherwise what? Do you really think you’re on the same level as my father in my heart? You bastard.” Beatrice scratched her hair and complained, “Hearing that beast mention this so-called engagement, I wish I could rip his tongue out.”

Lyle looked at Beatrice, who was gritting her teeth. Although the current situation of the two of them being under house arrest was worrying, he couldn't help but feel happy.

"Your charm saved our lives, Beatrice."

“Joshua isn’t some maggot that’s easily swayed by beauty.” Beatrice’s eyes were filled with disgust as she stroked the pure white gem on her chest. “He’s after my Blood Artifact, Blood Power and Blood Oath. Do you understand? I’m just a dowry item; this is his bride!”

Pfft, Lyle finally couldn't hold back.

Lyle and Beatrice locked eyes.

“You seem very angry, Beatrice.”

"You seem very happy, you bastard."

Silence returned between them, but this time it was filled with a strange sweetness.

Chapter 461 The Only Traveler

“That ritual, the ritual that transformed Joshua into the Antichrist, must be related to Karen. She is a purifier, and the origin of vampires comes from paladins.” Lyle and Beatrice maintained their original sitting posture with their fingers interlaced tightly.

“Draris mentioned baptism, and this castle has only one church capable of performing baptism.” Beatrice looked calmly at the blood-red curtains hanging from the ceiling. “Below the castle is an underground catacombs used for hibernation, and at the deepest part of the catacombs is a building, a church. I received the Embrace there, which the Loshutar calls the Twilight Chapel. Karen must be there, in the Twilight Chapel.”

"Once we find a way to break the seal and seek help from the outside, we can go directly to rescue her..."

"Or we can lie in wait until the ceremony begins, then disrupt it directly. You go and rescue the little knight, and I'll tear my 'bride' to shreds."

"That would be very dangerous."

“They brought this on themselves. Naslan’s anger, the humiliation I’ve endured—I need to vent.”

"If everything goes well, I'll listen to you."

Beatrice hummed contentedly, and Lyle could feel her fingers making a few grasping motions; the vampire's monstrous strength made him wince in pain.

“As long as this damned seal is broken, Naslan’s daughter will have a sure way to win.”

"That's great. We just need to use our brains a little and break the unknown powerful seal we've never seen before within ten days. Then, while we're basically under house arrest and powerless, we can ask for help from the outside world."

“Not only that, we also have to face the accusations from the Loshutar vampires.” Beatrice’s face darkened. “Draris does dote on his children, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s a treacherous fellow—gloomy, cruel, and vindictive. He’s a typical vampire. Actually, I’m worried about…”

"What are you worried about?"

"My punishment. All vampires who err will be punished, let alone a traitor like me. He will love me, and he will hate me, but no matter how much a vampire duke dotes on me, he will not go against his principles, sin and punishment. I originally thought that this time I would be punished with whipping. Don't be surprised, this is the lightest punishment in Loshutal. I even changed into black clothes for this, so that the bloodstains wouldn't look bad."

“Beatrice,” Lyle looked at her, a fire burning in his otherwise calm eyes, “you didn’t tell me you would be punished. How could you…”

“I am the most suitable candidate. You are now a member of Naslan, my family. And I also kept the engagement a secret, didn’t I? If you think about it that way, we’re even.”

"How... is this even? Didn't you hide two things from me...?"

"You still have the nerve to talk back? You bastard! I'll just kill you!" Beatrice stood up, grabbing Lyle's collar and shaking him violently until Lyle begged for mercy for the third time. Lyle's face was ashen, as if he might vomit at any moment, while Beatrice wore a wicked smile and panted heavily.

"It's so depressing to be back in this castle. I need to rest. I feel a bit nauseous."

Beatrice, her face flushed with a strange blush, walked toward the bed.

"Go ahead, I didn't know vampires could get sick."

“It’s not an illness, just a slight discomfort. I haven’t had this in a long time… a long… a very… long time…” Beatrice stood frozen in place, her body trembling. She stood in the center, arms crossed, trembling helplessly. “No… no… no!”

Beatrice rushed to the cupboard, her swaying body rummaging through it. She screamed frantically and sadly, "No...no...no!" Her behavior gradually became more and more frantic. Portraits, books, and curtains were all torn down, and she continued to destroy things hysterically, as if she wanted to dig a hole through the wall.

Beatrice's sudden madness worried Lyle, and he reached out and gently patted her back.

Beatrice, what's wrong?

The swift, heavy blow sent Lyle flying. "Don't touch me!!!" Lyle crashed into the wall, his body responding to the impact, turning into a shockwave. Suddenly, his throat tightened, and a trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.

Beatrice stopped moving, her body stiffened as she turned around, staring straight at him. The next instant, Beatrice appeared in front of Lyle, her heavy breaths spraying onto her collar.

Beatrice kissed the corner of her mouth, licking the blood, like a docile wild beast.

Beatrice?

Her name was like a switch, sending a shiver down her spine. Beatrice raised her head again, meeting Lyle's gaze. Two streaks of blood slid down the corners of her crimson eyes.

"I'm sorry, Lyle, I'm so sorry." She stood up, trembling, and slowly backed away like an abandoned child, finally curling up in the corner of the room.

"My power is sealed, I... I'm thirsting for blood... I'm in so much pain, I'm in so much pain right now, your scent... it's punishment for me... Get out of here!!!"

Beatrice raised her hands and pounced like a wild beast, but halfway there her body suddenly convulsed and fell to the ground like a helpless baby.

“Beatles…”

"Get out! Get out! Don't look at me! Don't look at me!!" The girl's voice was pleading, her beautiful body convulsing uncontrollably on the floor, tears streaming down her face.

Lyle didn't reach out; instead, he walked out of the room and closed the door tightly.

The next moment, a banging sound erupted against the solid door, followed by the screeching sound of fingernails scratching the wooden board. Beatrice, who had lost her mind, didn't even think about how to open the door.

This was the punishment Duke Delawares gave her.

He forced the bloodthirsty Beatrice into a room with a human Lyle, watched her suffer from her vampiric urges, and killed her family. He didn't physically harm Beatrice, but he inflicted a deeply painful punishment upon her.

With her power sealed and imprisoned in this castle, Beatrice is tormented by thirst for blood, while Lyle is isolated and helpless.

Ten days was also the duration of Beatrice's torment.

Tormented by the urge to drink blood, or by her own conscience after killing Lyle, Beatrice endured immense suffering. No normal human could withstand ten days' worth of blood from a vampire, not even a single day.

But there is another option.

I've placed it here; my child, you and your servant can enjoy it at any time.

The Crimson Grail, becoming a blood bag of eternal lamentation, satisfied Beatrice's urges. This was the mercy of Delawares.

The scraping sound behind the door continued violently, accompanied by Beatrice's beast-like howl. Those fingernails seemed to be scraping Lyle's heart, making it bleed.

The dim candlelight illuminated the dark corridor, and the scraping sounds in the room ceased. Beatrice's insatiable vampire urges seemed to have finally exhausted her strength. Pressed against the door, Lyle could hear her moans.

Lyle faced the door, his forehead pressed against the door panel, his palm flat on the spot where the scraping sound had been the loudest, as if he could touch Beatrice in that way.

Lyle said softly, “Beatles, everything will be alright, I promise, you will soon be free from pain.”

The panting stopped, followed by utter silence.

"No... Lyle... stay..." The voice from inside the door disappeared.

Lyle didn't hear her voice because he was slowly walking away.

In the dim candlelight, a figure strolled across the blood-red carpet.

Behind him, the writhing shadows seemed alive.

Chapter 462 Noble as I Am

The figure moved forward in the swaying light and shadow, as if it were not light flickering but the figure itself.

Dampness clung to the cold stone walls, and in places thick with the stench of blood, traces of tragic souls remained. Blood servants crouched in the corners, barking like vicious dogs at every passing living thing. In this mad castle, darkness had swallowed sanity.

But none of the strange and supernatural phenomena could compare to that eerie figure.

Bloodstains darkened in his shadow, and blood-soaked servants whimpered beside him. He walked the red carpet like a mad king.

"Am I Lyle?" a gentle voice asked.

"Are you Lyle?" a somber voice asked.

The figure was talking to himself, the two different tones making him seem terminally ill.

"Foolish vampires, they don't understand what power is at all." The gloomy voice whispered like a demon, full of contempt. "Power is not just magic, but also knowledge."

"Knowledge is power—such a familiar phrase. You know what? It makes you seem quite endearing."

"Shut up, you idiot! If anyone's cute, it's you. You only realized I was there so late? You're such a cute idiot!"

"Omens are Lyle. We are not mystics, we are spiritual suggestion, we are the two sides of personality."

"Is this the humiliation of being sealed away, sharing a barren body with the cowardly other side? I finally understand the tragedy of the old god Triton."

"It's great that you can be dissatisfied with my body. Actually, it's quite uncomfortable for me to be squeezed together with you."

"Lyle, have you become like Ralf, you idiot?"

"You chose it, you academic genius. By the way, you're more like Ralf."

"..." The two voices stopped abruptly from the same lips, as if they were experiencing the same misfortune.

"Let's get down to business..." "Okay..."

"The flow of magic within this seal does not match the way magic is used as recorded by the various races in the Wandering City in my memory. This is an unknown racial ability, more powerful and more ancient."

"Holy Light Seal?"

"Holy Light can indeed crush evil, but do you think the clergy capable of setting up a seal of this scale wouldn't kill these vampires? This is a power of order different from ours, yet it also contains disorder. What does this mean..."

"This is an ancient existence that existed before humanity dominated the world, and ancient existences are usually very powerful."

"It is powerful yet small, with strong suppressive abilities, but its magical structure is quite simple, like a castle drawn by a child at random, and then the castle can actually be inhabited."

"So, we have an opportunity to take advantage of this?"