Chapter 259: Garden of Broken Vow
Ulrich shot his eyes open as the scenery before him became painfully familiar.
The bustling streets, the warm air, the voices of merchants calling out from every corner. It was the same Kingdom of Morum they had entered moments before, as if time itself had been reversed to the instant before their deaths.
He immediately noticed the little girl running toward him.
This time, Ulrich calmly stepped aside.
The child rushed past without colliding with him and continued playing as if nothing had happened.
Only then did he turn toward Andrew and Matthew.
"This isn’t an ordinary domain," he said in a low voice. "King Morum can control everything inside it, but it seems he cannot completely control who enters. As long as he doesn’t notice us, we still have a chance."
The relaxed smile he usually wore had disappeared, replaced by an unusually serious expression.
Neither Andrew nor Matthew questioned him. They simply nodded.
The three of them quickly blended into the crowd, quietly taking spare clothes and accessories from unattended stalls before changing into outfits that matched the people around them.
Once they no longer stood out, they walked naturally toward the royal palace together with the endless stream of servants and visitors.
However, the moment they reached the main gate, Ulrich stopped.
A familiar chill crawled across the back of his neck.
The same feeling he had experienced just before his head rolled across the ground.
If they crossed this gate, they would die again.
"Let’s find another way," Ulrich said while taking a step back.
"And don’t use any of your powers unless absolutely necessary. Iscaron’s presence feels weaker than before. He hasn’t realized we’re here yet, so let’s keep it that way."
The three quietly circled the outer wall until they found a group of servants carrying supplies into the palace.
Following them from a distance, they slipped through a smaller entrance hidden behind the main courtyard and changed into servants’ uniforms that had been left unattended.
The passage eventually led them into a secluded palace surrounded by blooming flowers.
Every path was lined with carefully maintained gardens, while colorful blossoms climbed along white stone walls and wooden corridors. Compared to the rest of the palace, this place felt peaceful and strangely warm.
"This must belong to the Concubine," Andrew suddenly said.
Ulrich glanced toward him. "Because of the blooms?"
Andrew shook his head.
"Partly. But look at the servants. Their clothes are clean, they’re well fed, and nobody looks afraid. Even the maids are smiling. Whoever lives here treats the people under them well, which usually means better pay and better conditions."
Ulrich nodded in agreement.
Andrew had always been observant when it came to ordinary people. He noticed details that nobles and vampires often overlooked.
As they walked through the garden, Ulrich suddenly stopped.
An indescribable feeling settled over him.
Something important was about to happen.
Without explaining himself, he grabbed Andrew and Matthew by the sleeves and pulled them into the nearby hedge maze just as footsteps approached from the other side.
Then voices drifted through the leaves.
"My King, how could you?" a woman asked, her voice trembling with restrained anger. "How could you accuse me of betraying you when you know the only man in my heart has always been you? Why would you destroy the trust between us so cruelly?"
Her tone remained gentle, yet every word carried enough sharpness to cut through stone.
None of the three dared to peek through the branches.
If those voices truly belonged to King Morum and the Concubine, revealing themselves would only invite disaster. Remaining hidden was their safest choice.
"I don’t have a choice!" a man’s voice answered, filled with exhaustion rather than anger.
"My sons, my daughters, the people I believed would inherit everything I built... they reject the vow we made. If I do nothing, they will kill you. The only way left is for you to confess before our God."
"False God!" the woman shouted without hesitation.
"I will never confess to a sin I did not commit. You are the King. The land beneath our feet, the sky above us, every creature living within this kingdom belongs to you, yet you stand before me claiming you have no choice?"
Her voice shook with disappointment. "I cannot believe it anymore. You are weak... and that weakness will become your death."
The moment those words left her mouth, the ground beneath them began to tremble.
The clear sky darkened without warning as thunder echoed across the palace. Flowers scattered through the air while the earth split apart beneath the labyrinth, as though even the memory itself could no longer contain the grief buried within it.
Ulrich barely had time to react before the stone beneath his feet collapsed.
Together with Andrew and Matthew, he was swallowed by the darkness below as the entire world disappeared around them.
.
.
.
"Ulrich, do you still remember the vow we made? The day we chose to walk separate paths even though our hearts remained intertwined?"
A warm hand, slowly losing its warmth, gently brushed against his cheek.
"Remember that promise. You once told me that every path in your life leads you to failure except the one where we loved each other. Even now, after becoming nothing more than a corpse with only half a soul left, you are still warm within my memories."
The voice paused for a moment before continuing, calm and accepting.
"So cherish those memories for me. I will die with this flesh and return to the earth, while my soul will be embraced by God and forgiven for every sin I have carried."
Ulrich let out a quiet chuckle.
"You still believe in the God who filled our lives with misery, while the New God I serve offered us everything we ever desired."
He slowly reached for her hand, but his fingers only met fading warmth.
"Oh, Celeste..."
His smile carried more sadness than amusement.
"How foolish you are."
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