Chapter 232: Sacrifice

"To be honest, I never planned to sacrifice Camy for Ciel, or to put it bluntly, I didn't intend to sacrifice any of them. Before the castle was attacked, I went to the infirmary where Camy was lying unconscious. I knew that she was going to be awakened as Lyn notified me in advance but I didn't have the time to inform you. To stop her from going berserk or killing anyone, I restrained her using silver but someone had already tied a talisman around her neck"

Vladis hands turned cold.

Talisman

"If it was a talisman, couldn't you undo it?" 

However, Arthur eyed him as if he was looking at an idiot. If it was possible, he wouldn't be sitting here and chatting with him like this. 

"I couldn't"

"It was too strong. To make a talisman of such caliber, you need sacrifices. You need to offer blood to it and I wasn't capable of such a blood bath. Though I could have used my dragon sword, I had to save its blood intent in case."

"You telling me, someone broke through your security and tied a strong talisman around her neck? But why? And who could it be?"

He was clueless. It couldn't be members of the dark triad since they were busy fighting with him at dungeons. It couldn't be Vladella either since she was imprisoned.

Who else?

"Laura"

'Hmm?"

"I am not following?"

"It's Laura, the maid and also niece of Dennis"

"Dennis?"

The name shocked Vladis. "Wasn't he a loyal butler? His family had been serving Ewans family for generations and never had they done anything to question their loyalty."

"Are you sure Arthur?" 

Arthur was quiet. 

"I never suspected the loyalty of Dennis, but I am not sure about Laura. She was the adopted child of his sister. I asked someone to run a background check on her."

"What did you find out?"

"Vladis, she is a runaway slave girl"

Vladis once again was shocked. 

"Slavery?"

"I am pretty sure we closed down all the slave establishments. Are you sure she is a runaway from the slave room?"

Arthur nodded his head.

"However, that is not something you ought to worry about. The thing is, Laura, isn't a human but a witch" Now, this completely blew him off. A witch was living right under their nose and they didn't even get the wind. 

"Tell me Arthur that you knew it because if you say you don't, I don't know what I am supposed to do"

"Easy"

He instructed him.

"I knew what she was, the moment she entered the castle, but I wanted to know why she was here, that is why I let her live. Cheshire is on her trail, you don't need to worry about it."

"Alright, if you say so."

"Although I am shocked by how she gets her hands on such a high-level talisman that even I couldn't make it. She smacked inside the room and swung it around her neck. The talisman magnified her energy and that is why Camy turned into a vengeful vampire. She wasn't herself at that moment."

"And later she became so quiet, you could mistake her for being obedient," Vladis repeated.

"The talisman is made so that the one who blessed it can control the one who wore it."

"So, you're saying Laura is controlling Camy?"

"I highly doubt it" He splashed water on Vladis hopes.

"So, who is controlling her? Why is she like this?"

"Like what?"

Vladis sighed.

He couldn't explain it to Arthur.

"She changed, her entire personality changed. I don't know how to explain, but Arthur, she is different now. All the life and light disappeared from her eyes."

"Nowadays, she is like a walking corpse."

"Won't talk to anyone other than Hugo."

"Someone is jealous?" Arthur joked with him but shut up when he received a glare from Vladis.

"No, on a serious note, Laura isn't capable of controlling Camy. So, no, she isn't the one who is behind all this but to find the mastermind, I still can't kill Laura."

"Vladella?"

"No, she is out of the question."

"Then who?"

"That's what we need to find out?"

"Anyways, I tried to bind her energy since I knew it will be at its peak on a full moon, but I failed, or should I say, the silver failed"

"The talisman ruined everything."

"Bang on"

"That's all that happened inside the castle that day. Now you tell me, what did you dig up in the rat hole?"

"Rathole?"

"Seriously Arthur?"

"I don't have any better adjective to describe the kind of place where members of Dark Triad live?"

He shrugged innocently.

Sigh!

"What did you find out?"

"Vladis, she is a runaway slave girl"

Vladis once again was shocked. 

"Slavery?"

"I am pretty sure we closed down all the slave establishments. Are you sure she is a runaway from the slave room?"

Arthur nodded his head.

"However, that is not something you ought to worry about. The thing is, Laura isn't a human but a witch"

Now, this completely blew him off. A witch was living right under their nose and they didn't even get the wind. 

"Tell me Arthur that you knew it because if you say you don't, I don't know what I am supposed to do"

"Easy"

He instructed him.

"I knew she was what, the moment she entered the castle, but I wanted to know why she was here, that is why I let her live. Cheshire is on her trail; you don't need to worry about it."

"Alright, if you say so."

"Although I am shocked by how she gets her hands on such a high-level talisman that even I couldn't make it. She smacked inside the room and swung it around her neck. The talisman magnified her energy and that is why Camy turned into a vengeful vampire. She wasn't herself at that moment."

"And later she became so quiet, you could mistake her for being obedient," Vladis repeated.

"The talisman is made so that the one who blessed it can control the one who wore it."

"So, you're saying Laura is controlling Camy?"

"I highly doubt it" He splashed water on Vladis hopes.

"So, who is controlling her? Why is she like this?"

"Like what?"

Vladis sighed.

He couldn't explain it to Arthur.

"She changed; her entire personality changed. I don't know how to explain, but Arthur, she is different now. All the life and light disappeared from her eyes."