Chapter 34: Seal of the Silver Ring (Part I)

Falling from mid-air, I slammed hard against the icy ground.

Why? He clearly could have killed me.

Although my life was not in danger, I couldn't move a single muscle in my body. I tilted my head with great difficulty, watching helplessly as Gareth turned to leave.

Look back at me, just once, I prayed in my heart.

He did not look back.

With his departure, that single beam of white light vanished, and the darkness slowly dissipated. By the time everything returned to normal, it was already evening.

I didn't know when the surroundings had become quiet, but it was a deathly silence.

Lying on the ground, I stared up at the blood-red sunset in the sky. Despite it being the setting sun, I still found it piercingly bright—so bright it made my eyes throb with pain, as if tears might fall at any moment. Slowly raising my right hand, I covered my eyes. The sunset spilled through the gaps between my fingers onto my face, and my gaze suddenly fell upon my right index finger. A silver ring had originally been there.

That silver ring turned out to be a seal. It was only because the Queen snatched my silver ring away that I transformed into that state, wasn't it?

The person who bit me—who was it? Why did they seal my power?

Moving slightly, I tried to sit up, but I couldn't manage it. Heh, a figure like Gareth... how did I not see it before? Even though he withdrew that lethal Cross magic circle at the last second, I was still severely injured.

My heart felt a pang of sorrow, and I fell back onto the ground once more. My head didn't hit the cold floor; instead, I bumped into a chest.

"Alastor?" He hadn't left; he had been standing quietly behind me the whole time.

He looked at me, his deep blue eyes so profound they seemed bottomless. At this moment, his body leaned forward slightly, one knee on the ground, so that I could lean peacefully in his embrace.

This posture... was quite eerie.

"I am your loyal knight."

Sure enough, what followed was a magnificent line of dialogue.

The corner of my mouth twitched out of habit, then froze slightly. These were habits that belonged only to Aurora. I am Aurora; even if I have the memories of the Vampire Queen, so what? Even if I am the Vampire Queen, so what?

He reached out and pulled off his cloak, draping it over me. Only then did I notice my clothes were in tatters. My clothes had likely been shredded by the air currents while falling from the sky; half of the fabric was torn away, leaving my snow-white shoulder exposed to the air.

Picking me up gently, Alastor turned back toward the castle.

By the time Alastor carried me back to the room, Rose was already waiting in battle array with her secret remedies.

"Your Majesty." Seeing Alastor carry me in, Rose bowed respectfully.

I blanked out for a moment and looked at Alastor, completely bewildered.

Alastor blinked and gave a smile that could captivate the world, leaving me dazed and dizzy, before placing me on the bed.

"Sigh, why are you always getting hurt!" Rose looked at me with a headache and complained, but then she paused and covered her mouth. "Forgive me, Your Majesty."

I finally understood what was wrong. Rose's way of addressing me had evolved from "Little Thing" to "Aurora," and had now become "Your Majesty."

Four hundred years ago, that underage Queen and I were the same woman named Aurora—the King of the Demon Realm.

But now, we had long since been split into two individuals within the magic circle. I had my own name; I was Aurora, not that other self.

I was a complete person with my own thoughts and feelings.

If I was "Your Majesty," what about the other one?

Wouldn't that be a case of King against King?

"Your Majesty, I heard you were incredibly heroic, battling the Inquisition and saving the Demon Realm from peril. You killed ten of their Exorcists and even heavily wounded that arrogant High Priest, right?" Rose looked at me with excitement while applying the medicine, her beautiful eyes sparkling with admiration.

I grimaced. "Gentler, be gentler."

"Ah, sorry, sorry..." Rose apologized with a face full of trepidation, then nodded again. "A person like you—how did I not see it before? Lord Archon, you knew the inside story, didn't you? And you didn't tell me..." Rose suddenly looked at Alastor, who was standing to the side, with a grievance-filled face.

Alastor, being called out, gave a helpless smile and looked toward me tentatively.

"Lord Archon, you knew the inside story, didn't you?" Looking at Alastor, I mimicked Rose's tone, pitching my voice high.

Alastor’s face stiffened, and he didn't speak.

Silence was a confession.

A strange feeling suddenly surged in my heart. I closed my eyes and spoke no more.

When I was at my most helpless, Alastor suddenly appeared. He was willing to pose as my Creator; he was willing to teach me how to be a vampire, saving me from the fate of starving to death.

He always appeared when I was most in need and most vulnerable.

It's just that... it turns out there really is no kindness in this world without a reason.

He was good to me because I was the other half of the Queen, not because I was Aurora.

After the medicine was applied, Rose couldn't stand the eerie atmosphere in the room and hurriedly found an excuse to leave.

"By the oath of blood, from this day forward, I am loyal only to you," Alastor's voice rose slowly. "By the oath of blood, I shall accompany you forever, so that you shall never be lonely."

I kept my eyes closed, remaining motionless.

"I am right by your side. Call my name when you need me... and I will appear."

I slowly opened my eyes and saw Alastor turn around, vanishing into the darkness.