Reason told Elizabeth that trading a favorite but replaceable collection piece for the initiative to deal with those two archdukes was a good deal.
But emotion—or rather, the deep-rooted need for control and possession—prevented her from handing Ke Leya over.
She needed a stepping stone, a way to appear victorious or at least not completely defeated.
She also needed one last confirmation of this hunter’s sincerity, and one final taste of her property.
Elizabeth suddenly let go.
“Cough! Cough, cough, cough…”
Ke Leya collapsed onto the cold floor, one hand bracing herself as she coughed violently.
Her silver hair fell in disarray, and every breath pulled at her aching throat.
Elizabeth stepped back, watching her gasp for air, and slowly wiped her fingers with a handkerchief, as if they had touched something unclean.
“Your offer is very tempting, Miss Vanessa.”
Elizabeth spoke slowly, but her gaze fell on Ke Leya, who was curled up on the ground.
“But I need more guarantees. Words are cheap. How can I be sure the information you provide is worth my precious Ke Leya?”
Vanessa’s eyes swept over Ke Leya, who was still coughing quietly. She frowned.
“You can sample the goods first. Tell me what you want to know about Archduke Adrian’s return details, but not the exact time and place.”
“I’ll give you one answer. If you judge it valuable, we’ll continue. If not, I’ll leave immediately, and tonight never happened.”
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes.
It was a cautious proposal, favorable to her.
“Oh? And if I find it valuable, then what?”
“Then…”
Vanessa met Elizabeth’s gaze again, speaking each word deliberately.
“I’ll take her. In exchange, you’ll get the complete intelligence, enough to make any arrangements you want.”
Ke Leya finally caught her breath, the coughing subsiding, but her throat and chest still burned fiercely.
She slowly sat up, still keeping her head low.
Her silver hair covered most of her expression, only her trembling shoulders and drooping fox ears betrayed her discomfort.
She listened to the two women negotiating, weighing her as a bargaining chip.
She lifted her eyes slightly, peering through the strands of silver hair at the black-haired woman who had proposed to trade her.
Vanessa seemed to sense her gaze.
Her gray eyes shifted and met Ke Leya’s for a brief moment.
“Fine.”
Elizabeth seemed to have made a decision.
She stepped forward, her high heels stopping in front of Ke Leya, casting a shadow over her.
“Then first question: when Adrian returns this time, will old man Collison come in person, or just send his useless son?”
It was a test, both to gauge the partial truth of the intelligence and to determine the pressure level she’d face.
Vanessa didn’t hesitate.
“Archduke Collison himself will accompany him. He considers this an important moment for his son’s alliance with the Scarlett family.”
“It’s also an opportunity to show other families the solidarity of the Collison and Scarlett union. He won’t miss it.”
Elizabeth’s fingers lightly tapped her arm.
Old Collison coming in person…
That matched the old-fashioned vampire’s obsession with ceremony and authority.
If this was true, then Adrian’s return was much larger and more determined than she had expected.
“Second question.”
A sharp glint flashed in Elizabeth’s violet eyes.
“Is it true, as some rumors say, that Adrian was seriously injured during his year of disappearance, or even weakened?”
This went deeper, directly related to the level of threat Adrian posed upon his return.
Vanessa paused for a moment, as if weighing the risk.
Then she slowly shook her head.
“No, he wasn’t injured. He spent that year performing an ancient bloodline ritual.”
“I can’t disclose the details here, but I can tell you the ritual was a success. He might be even more troublesome now than before.”
Elizabeth looked down at Ke Leya by her feet.
The girl still sat quietly, gasping slightly, the red marks on her neck clear, her fox ears drooping listlessly.
A thought suddenly crossed Elizabeth’s mind.
“Fine.”
She uttered the single word, all emotion in her violet eyes settling into an unfathomable darkness.
“Miss Vanessa, you win. I accept the deal.”
Her gaze shifted to Ke Leya, her voice returning to its elegant, husky tone.
“My little Ke Leya, it seems our lessons are ending early.”
Ke Leya’s body trembled slightly.
Her curled fingers dug into her palms.
“However.”
Elizabeth suddenly smiled again, a brilliant smile.
She stepped closer, her cold fingers lifting Ke Leya’s chin, forcing her to meet her eyes.
“Before you leave, let me give you one last lesson.”
“Remember who gave you shelter this past year, and who taught you how to please.”
Before she finished speaking, she leaned down, pressing her cold lips to Ke Leya’s neck.
A sharp sting shot through Ke Leya immediately.
She groaned, her body stiffening and then wildly struggling.
But Elizabeth’s arms held her like iron rings, and the greedy sucking sound echoed clearly in the silent room.
Ke Leya could feel the warm blood being drawn from the wound, along with her strength and warmth.
Her body turned cold, darkness creeping in at the edge of her vision.
Just as her consciousness began to fade, a sharp shout accompanied by hurried footsteps rang out.
“Elizabeth, let her go!”
Vanessa’s hand precisely clamped onto Elizabeth’s wrist, which was still tightly holding Ke Leya.
With force, she pried it outward.
Elizabeth finally released her mouth.
When she lifted her head, her lips were stained with fresh red.
She frowned in displeasure but didn’t immediately shake off Vanessa’s hand.
Instead, she let go of Ke Leya, allowing the girl, who was too weak to stand, to fall back into Vanessa’s other arm.
Elizabeth glanced at Vanessa’s cold face, then at Ke Leya trembling in her arms.
She extended her tongue, slowly licking off the blood, her violet eyes narrowing in satisfaction.
“Don’t be nervous, Miss Vanessa.”
Elizabeth chuckled, her voice carrying no hint of guilt, only a casual air of being interrupted.
“It’s just a farewell mark.”
“A bit of my bloodline aura will let any clueless fool know she used to belong to me.”
Her gaze stopped at the tooth marks on Ke Leya’s neck, where drops of blood were slowly seeping out.
Her smile deepened.
“And of course, it’ll leave her weak for a while, making her easier to manage for you, won’t it?”
P.S.: Thanks to the generous Yan Di Miao!
The bonus chapter counts toward the publication schedule.
Meow~