Chapter 105 - Princess Ivanka

Although Valerie had been a sociable noblewoman all her life — she had never met Princess Ivanka. She had only heard of her through rumors. Her status as the daughter of king Dimitri also did not allow her to interact with the Florentia's Vampire. She couldn't possibly sit with the vampire lord Florentia let alone drink together.

Ivanka exudes a thick mysterious aura, as well as an elegance that was difficult to match. Her jet black hair was shiny, which was now in a bun with jewels as accessories attached to her head. She wears slightly bold makeup, blood red lip tint and light purple strokes on her captivating eyelids. Her body also smells of floral essential oils—a blend of Jasmine, rose and a hint of sandalwood.

However, when she opened her mouth to speak, Valerie was instantly captivated because the girl didn't sound haughty. Behind her elegant appearance, she was apparently quite approachable. She did not hesitate to greet the other guests without having to wait to be greeted first.

The noblewomen— some returned to busy licking the blood of the prey that was served today. Some held daggers and slashed it bit by bit. Some simply use their pointed fingernails to scratch the skin on the poor youth. Valerie didn't want to lie to herself. The way they ate had shamefully aroused her thirst. If she had hung out with these Avalon vampires longer— she might have turned out to be like them.

Drinking from a donor who drips their blood in a glass may no longer be satisfying enough for her. Valerie gulped, thinking about joining the drink. But she soon remembered her duty. This was not the time to drink blood.

"Princess, we spared the neck for you," one of the ladies said to her with a slight bow. Ivanka smiled and approached the poor red-haired man. His skin was dark but gleaming like copper. Ivanka stroked his chin, touched his hair and breathed close to his ear. Before finally the princess stuck her fangs in his sweet neck and took a sip with her eyes closed.

That was a beautiful sight. Even the way she drank blood was elegant. Valerie couldn't remember the last time she had that special opportunity. Drinking blood straight from the human neck was very tempting. Valerie licked her tongue, her fangs grew as she imagined how sweet and fresh it would be when warm blood ran down her throat. Valerie bit her lip a little.

When Ivanka finished, she used a silk handkerchief to wipe off the remaining blood on her lips. The man looked weak, but his eyes were slightly different. His breathing quickened and his pupils dilated.

"You know, the king said that I could infect someone if I wanted to. Don't you think it would be a shame if this human ended his life in vain?" Princess Ivanka asked. The whole room was immediately filled with doubt. They muttered with slightly gloomy faces.

"He is handsome, has a good body, he can definitely be a strong vampire even though he is not pure blood," said Ivanka again. She touched the poor man's chin and lifted it slightly so she could see his eyes.

Yes, there was still a way to save the man. First, by immediately sucking his blood out and ending his suffering. Second, turn him into a vampire. Ivanka seemed interested in him. She was smiling while stroking his head at this time as if he was her pet.

"I—I'll serve you," the man stammered with a lingering vestige of consciousness.

"Princess, turning him into a vampire might be quite a hassle. The newly infected vampires can't hold themselves back," one of the noble girls spoke.

"We can control him until he calms down and accepts his new fate," Ivanka said again.

"Or we'll drain his blood right now so he doesn't have time to turn into a vampire," suggested another noble girl. She had not had the chance to taste the young man's blood and was too hungry to accept Ivanka's proposal.

"Ah, I'm sorry Lady Miriam, this human is your prey. I shouldn't be this selfish," Princess Ivanka looked regretful. She then released the man.

"Ah, no— help me..don't let them kill me—" the young man begged. He was ready to give up his humanity and become a Vampire. He wanted to live longer.

"Princess Ivanka, if you really want him, I won't stop you..he used to be a Florentian knight caught around Jalad-hur. He would make a good bodyguard," Lady Miriam smiled at him.

"Okay then, Ladies, I'll call my maid to prepare new food for this party. Do you guys mind?" Princess Ivanka asked. Of course the whole room agreed. They couldn't possibly go against the will of a princess. Although some of them still show regretful expressions for not having tasted him.

Lady Miriam raised her hand and several male maids approached her. They wore thick leather gloves and carried silver chains in their hands. It was a dangerous material for vampires. Silver was able to weaken their strength and hurt the vampires. The male servants were now tying the red-haired youth with chains.

Valerie could see that the man's breathing was getting faster, his pupils dilated and he was screaming as if in pain. The infection from princess ivanka has spread all over his body. The red-haired youth writhed violently and screamed louder as if he could not endure the torture. That was what happened when a human was about to turn into a vampire. His physique became stronger, his heart pumped blood faster. When it ends, he would go through the monster phase. Where he loses his identity and preys on any human he meets.

"Drag him into the dungeon, give him a human to prey on," when the transformation wore off, they had a few minutes to keep the new vampire in a more powerful prison. Infecting humans has been forbidden by Avalon and Florentia. Because those who were infected must be monitored continuously for several days. The new vampires were constantly thirsty and causing trouble. Not infrequently they ended up being killed because the other vampires couldn't be patient with them.

Valerie watched the procession with various thoughts running through her head. That was something that shouldn't have happened. Now she may have to improvise to carry out her plan. She slightly glanced around Ivanka. Although invisible, it turns out that she was protected by several bodyguards. If she wanted to kill her right away, it wouldn't be so difficult. But there was no point in killing Ivanka. In addition, an investigation would be carried out. If a Florentian was caught doing so the truce would be void.

Valerie would not hurt the princess. That's not her job. She was here to catch her interest. She had to make sure the princess herself spoke to her.

Valerie looked at the large clock hanging on the wall of Miriam Richie's dining hall. It was almost time for that event to happen. Valerie felt her heart skip a beat. If her status as a spy was known, she might not be able to escape that easily. She had undergone an elaborate and rigorous training while in Aetherna. But this was a real thing, no longer training.

After a few minutes, when the nobles were again joking and laughing. One of the Miriam family's maids was seen clutching her own neck as if to strangle herself. She was in the line of vampire maids who were staying by the window. Her shoulders shook and she bent slightly as if in pain.

"Hey? What happened??" Lady Miriam looked worried. Surely she wasn't worried about her maid. She was afraid that the incident would upset Ivanka's so she no longer wanted to attend her party.

"We— we'll take her away," another bewildered maid bent down and tried to hug her. But the maidservant shook off her hand and looked at her angrily. Her hooves were black and she growled like a beast. The noble girls stood up from their seats.

The maid girl roared, scratching her own neck in frustration. The residents of the hall were terrified.

"What? What happened?! Bring me the silver chain!"

The knights wrapped her with silver chains. Everyone looked pale and scared. It was as if the person had been cursed. Only Ivanka that looked at her seriously by biting her lip. Obviously such a sight was not a rare thing for her.

Then, a piano chimes sounded. Celia Durant aka Valerie played music that made the whole room calm again. Including that raging maid. The maid panted, but she no longer tried to struggle. Her skin was red and burning from the silver chains. Valerie quietly played her song to the last note.

"Pierre Mackanzie's twelfth symphony. It is said that certain melodies can calm vampires like her. I've met vampires like them, and my teacher taught me how to calm them down," Valerie said after finishing her play. She then bowed to her audience.

"I'm sorry if I presumptuously played your piano, Lady Miriam," Valerie continued again looking regretful.

Then, Princess Ivanka walked towards her. She seemed to take off all her elegance and did not care about her image. Because she put on a fierce face mixed with curiosity. She then grabbed Valerie's shoulder.

"What's your name?"

"Celia Durant, Your Majesty," Celia bowed to her.

"Come with me to the palace, you will play the piano for me and my brother," she said again as if it was a matter of urgency.