‘He’s right. I overreacted.’
Malakai admitted, but made sure to do it deep in his mind so Valentine couldn’t hear him.
He didn’t have the strength to deal with the rambling spirit.
Despite admitting that he had overreacted with the maids, Malakai still didn’t ask them to stand up.
He had already given out the punishment, taking it back now would make him seem weak and unsure.
The hour passed by quickly.
And fortunately for them, they were able to finish in time.
They both knelt in front of Malakai, bodies trembling and their heads bowed down, almost touching the floor.
The hour they spent cleaning made them realize just how screwed they were.
The Veins and Pulses had killed numerous maids for less than what they did.
Now that Malakai had evolved… what was stopping him?
They bowed, heads lowered, and spoke in pleading voices.
“N-n-ninth Vein, w-we’re d-done with the t-task.”
Malakai stared at the two trembling maids in front of him.
Their knees were both bloodied from having to move around so much on their knees.
A few seconds passed, and then Malakai nodded.
“Alright. Now, both of you should leave this manor and never return.”
They both froze. Had they heard wrong?
But seeing that Malakai was serious, they quickly bowed.
“Y-yes, Ninth Vein,” they said in unison.
They turned and began crawling away, desperate to leave.
“Walk,” Malakai ordered calmly.
They paused, then shakily stood and rushed out of the manor as fast as they could.
They didn’t even care that they had been sent here as spies. At this point, their only goal was to escape this monster.
As the maids left, Malakai was now the sole person remaining in the manor.
He stood up from his seat and moved toward the entrance of the building.
‘She’s not here yet…’
It had already been one hour since the meeting with the Sovereign and the powers of the Sanguine Clan ended, and yet, Nyx still hadn’t returned to the manor.
Malakai removed his gaze from the entrance and turned away, heading back inside just as Valentine spoke.
Again.
“Um, Malakai… where are your other maids?”
“I don’t have any more,” Malakai replied.
“Damn,” Valentine muttered. “Aren’t you like a prince or something in the clan?”
Malakai paused, shaking his head slightly.
“I thought you were well-versed in politics. You saw everything that happened in that meeting, figure it out.”
He moved deeper into the manor, heading for his room. He entered.
Valentine continued.
“Ah yeah, I mean… I know you were treated like trash, but you’re still a prince. I expected more, to be honest. This manor is… hmm.”
“Stop calling me a prince,” Malakai said. “I’m a Vein. A. Vein.”
“Oh yeah, my bad… Vein,” Valentine corrected quickly.
He paused for a second, then added, “That’s right, what about that nice, overpowered maid from before?”
“Nyx?” Malakai asked.
“Yes! That one. Where is she? You left her behind after the meeting.”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” Valentine echoed, sounding genuinely surprised. “Isn’t she… em… valuable? Can you afford to lose her?”
Valentine had seen just how powerful Malakai’s enemies were, and he truly didn’t see a way Malakai would survive without Nyx.
Malakai sighed. He knew what Valentine was getting at.
He had just found out that Nyx was a Bloom. And although he had finally evolved, right now, he needed support more than ever.
The Sovereign’s words, despite being absolute, could only protect him so much.
‘Maybe she decided not to work for me again…’ Malakai thought as he sat down on the edge of his bed.
Valentine went silent for a moment before he muttered,
“We’re fucked.”
…
Back in the large hall where Malakai had met with the Sovereign and the other powers of the Sanguine Clan, a lone figure knelt beneath the flight of stairs that led to the Sovereign’s throne.
In the entire hall, only this figure was present. But that soon changed.
The large doors creaked open, and a man stepped in.
Instantly, the air in the hall grew heavy, as though gravity itself had multiplied.
The figure kneeling beneath the stairs bowed even lower as the man walked right past her, stopping just beneath the stairs.
“Nyx.”
The man turned, and his gaze landed on the kneeling figure.
“My Sovereign,” Nyx greeted, lowering her head even further.
The Blood Sovereign stared down at her in silence for several seconds.
“You requested an audience with me. Why?”
For the past one hour, Nyx had been waiting on her knees, head bowed, waiting for the Sovereign to grant her an audience.
And now, he was here.
Nyx hesitated. Her fingers clenched tightly into fists.
Then, she finally spoke.
“My cover has been blown,” she began. “I won’t be able to continue as the Ninth Vein’s sp—”
“That’s not why you’re here,” the Sovereign cut in. “Speak your mind.”
Nyx’s head dropped lower. Her clenched fists trembled slightly.
And then, after a pause, she said quietly,
“I… I don’t want to work as a spy anymore, my Sovereign.”
The Sovereign’s gaze bore into her.
He didn’t respond immediately, and seconds passed.
Then, finally, he said,
“As you wish.”
Just as he turned to walk away…
“A-and I want to protect him!”
The Sovereign paused mid-step. He turned to look at Nyx once more.
“Is this the truth?”
Nyx nodded slowly, then spoke again, her voice firmer this time.
“I want to serve him. I want to protect him from anyone who tries to harm him.”
“Even me?”
Nyx froze.
“I-I-I… n-no…” she stammered.
But suddenly, the Sovereign burst into laughter.
If anyone had seen him at that moment, they would have been beyond shocked.
The Blood Sovereign… laughing?
But Nyx didn’t look surprised. Her face was flushed red, as though she had just been wronged.
As the Sovereign’s laughter died down, he turned back to her.
“I apologize, Nyx,” he said, smiling slightly.
“I’m just… happy for you. I’m glad to see you found a reason to live again.”
Nyx bowed lower.
Her expression turned solemn as memories flashed across her mind.
“Thank you, Sovereign.”
The Sovereign nodded and continued,
“Alright. I’ll allow it. You are free to pledge your loyalty to him. And Nyx…”
“Yes, Sovereign,” she replied immediately.
“Protect him.”
Nyx clenched her fists tighter, then nodded firmly.
“I will, Sovereign. No matter what.”
