Chapter 51:The Lord's cardinal law...

The man that stood before Yuki was not an ordinary person. His aura felt different and much sinister than any aura she had perceived throughout her life. Maybe it was because she did not feel like herself then, anyhow, Yuki felt afraid. This time, both her mind and body agreed that fear was the best emotion to associate to the person, whose very presence felt like the embodiment of malice. All the senses in her body told her to run, while her literally frozen legs told her she was doomed either way.

For a second, Yuki tore her eyes away from the man to look back and see how far into the woods she had come; there was no end to the trees behind her. She frowned, then turned back to look forward once more.

"Salutations!"

Yuki's eyes widened from the sudden startling encounter before her tensed legs lost the last of strength and gave out, causing Yuki to stumble and fall heavily on her butt. She stared up into the face of the eerie man who was now standing before her. Yuki trembled ceaselessly; her face paling under her tan.

A sinister grin crept onto the man's face as he looked at the trembling girl. His red eyes flickered hungrily when a gentle breeze passed the girl and gifted him with her scent. Slowly, sharp fangs emerged from his gums, replacing the canines in his upper teeth. He stooped unhurriedly, bringing his face down, towards the nape of the girl's neck.

'Hmmm…' the man inhaled loudly before pulling away and straightening his back nobly.

"Magnificent!" said the man, under his breath; satisfaction evident in his chilly voice.

"I thought that this day was foredoomed to calamity, when my olfactory senses were grievously affronted by the foul and loathsome stench of that most odious creature, which didst appear to take a perverse pleasure in befouling these streets with its vile and pestiferous emanations. I didst wonder at its unbridled audacity, in thus shamelessly proclaiming its noxious presence amongst us…it seems that the creature sought to conceal your aroma, a clever ruse indeed!"

Every single word the fearsome man uttered entered Yuki's left ear and emerged from the right; she heard nothing. The only thing she was focused on, were the sharp fangs that came into view each time the man opened his mouth and spoke. Unexpectedly, Yuki was very much intrigued she stared at the man with undivided attention.

Now that he stood so close to her, Yuki was certain she perceived him correctly when she thought he was not an ordinary person. His icy features aside, the way the man stared at her was no different than an apex predator looking down at a small, frail prey. His mannerism and appearance were definitely not of a simple person either.

A new wave of emotions overwhelmed Yuki. She felt conflicted and truthfully, exhausted. All she wanted was a brief moment for her to gather her thoughts. All she wanted was a normal and peaceful life. All she ever wanted was moment, no matter how brief, to be freed of all of the peculiarities that haunted her. Was that too much to ask for? Why was she not allowed to think of a peaceful future? What did she ever do to deserve her fate? Did all the chaos in her life happen just because of who she was? Would she find peace if she died? Could she even die? As Yuki's mind drifted further and further into her unpleasant thoughts, a clear look of despair appeared on her soft features.

"It is a condescension on my part, of which you should be duly grateful, that one such as myself, of refined breeding and station, would deign to consume your abominably humble blood. You have the distinction of this honor, commoner. Although, since you are surrendering so easily to my esteemed person, I will honor you further by bestowing you my noble name, I am Reigh Val Schift, the eighth of the ten great Nobeilles of Beicheden," the man said airily.

When the man bent once more, he bluntly grabbed the back of Yuki's neck, yanking her towards his mouth. Yuki felt a graze of something sharp against her neck as soon as it came into contact with the man's lips; she shut her eyes defeatedly. She did not struggle; she neither had the strength nor the will to. Her mind was devoid of any thoughts in that moment.

The instant Yuki's desolate eyes closed, a countenance appeared behind the darkness of her eyelids, it was a face etched in her memory. At first, there was but a vivid image of a pair of alluring black eyes, then slowly, as if light was shed on it, the enigmatic visage of the Duke, Kaithenn Valthanae, materialized in Yuki's mind. The appearance of the Duke in Yuki's mind promptly calmed her; the mere sight of his face in her mind offered Yuki all the hope she lost.

Unconsciously, she muttered, "Kaithenn Valthanae," in a low, calmed voice.

…

At the same time in Beicheden~

Inside a chamber sheathed in complete gloom, a handful of candles that casted flickering shadows on the walls were the only forms of light.

In a large bed, a figure lay motionless, his features were bathed in the faint, golden glow of the candle lights. His eyes, closed as if he was dead, suddenly opened.

Kaithenn remained inanimate despite his wake. His eyes, dilated and black, gazed into nothingness. Then with languid grace, he turned his head. His eyes locked onto the flower vase on his bedside table, its contents were limp and lifeless flowers whose petals had wilted and turned brown.

Kaithenn watched the withered flowers intently, his brows furrowed slightly. When he attempted to lift himself from the bed, he halted with a deep frown on his handsome face, his back was arched in a graceful, yet tortured, curve. Then, suddenly, a cough that was both fierce and weak escaped his pale lips.

His hand flew to his mouth as if to stifle the cough, when it came away, his hand was smeared with a glistening, crimson thread. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, staining the bedsheets and his chin. His eyes, which were blank and emotionless, stared at the red stain without any reaction.

"Master," A grey-haired man in his late forties tried to announced his presence when he went unnoticed by Kaithenn upon his hasty arrival.

Kaithenn unhurriedly turned to look up at the man without any changes in his stoic expression.

"Where is Wysten, Loid?" Kaithenn questioned quietly.

"He has not returned in the past three days, Master. Do I get someone to fetch him, Master?" Loid responded in a respectful tone.

Loid's eyes were cast downward in a respectful gesture the entire time. Meanwhile, his shoulders were slightly bowed and his hands were clasped together in front of him. His demeanor showed his utter respect, submission and reverence to his master.

"It is alright, he is already where he needs to be. Leave me, I will return to my slumber."

"As you wish, my Lord," Loid uttered after briefly hesitating when he noticed the bloodstain on his master's bed.

After Loid retreated, Kaithenn laid back down, his face clouded with a nuanced look of pain and frustration. For a brief moment, his black eyes flickered in red before he shut them once more, returning to his sleep.

…

Back in the woods~

"Kaithenn Valthanae."

As soon as the name left the girl's lips, the man halted in his tracks, his red eyes darting uncontrollably while his hand behind the girl's head shook subtly. His gaze became distant, lost in the shadows of memory, as if the sound of the mentioned name had summoned a feared entity from the depths of his mind. "That name…"

"Master Reigh…"

A chilly voice interrupted the man before he could say anything else. He halted in his tracks, slowly withdrew his head from the nape of the girl's neck and lifted his gaze from her face to look in the direction the voice had emerged.

Yuki's eyes unhurriedly open when she felt the man's subtle retreat. Having also heard the audible voice, she slowly turned her head to look behind herself.

Although Yuki was not the best at remembering people's faces, or minor encounters, she quickly recognized the stern looking man that stood behind her then. Afterall, he had left quite an impression on her when she laid eyes on him the first time. The person was the duke's bodyguard who stood at the door when she met the duke at the mascherata festival.

For a brief moment, when his solemn gaze fell on her. Yuki dictated explicit and unbridled contempt in his mystical white eyes as he held her gaze. And although it was normal for Beichans to show contempt when they looked at commoners, the disdain in those eyes were different. It was stronger. It was deeper. It was more than sheer contempt; if anything, it was revulsion.

Wysten tore his gaze from Yuki and set it on Master Reigh once more. The disdain in his eyes settled into its original stern form. His lips parted unenthusiastically before he uttered, "You are not planning to break our Lord's cardinal law, are you?"