Chapter 181: The Hum Beyond The Gate
He chuckled at her response and replied charmingly, "I’m glad there’s something in my kingdom that has caught your interest."
Eve offered him a polite smile. She thought she might use this opportunity to draw out more information, so she continued casually, "Well, yes, it is interesting indeed. Don’t you find it interesting yourself?"
"Well..." Valen began, his tone light, "I’ve lived here all my life, so for me, it’s just another thing that’s always been a part of home." He glanced at her again, his pulse quickening with excitement at the fact that she was initiating conversation.
"I suppose I understand that," she said, then turned to him with another smile, one she hoped appeared warm enough before asking softly, "So...have you ever entered the Vault yourself?"
Valen found himself utterly captivated by her smile and answered eagerly, "No, I haven’t...although I don’t really have any particular reason to seek out the Vault in the first place."
"Is that so? Is there nothing you’ve ever been curious about?" Eve asked carefully.
Valen’s lips curled into a grin as his gaze stayed on her. "Whatever I’ve ever been curious about is walking right beside me."
Eve felt like she was about to throw up from his sickly sweet words. She forced a small smile and cleared her throat, feeling uneasy under his predatory gaze. She nervously licked her lips and chose to ignore him. "Well, there are many things I’m curious about regarding the Vault."
His gaze lingered on her lips a moment longer; her small gesture hadn’t gone unnoticed beneath his watchful eyes. Indulging her further, eager to keep her talking, he said smoothly, "Really? Well then, let’s hear it..." He placed a hand dramatically over his chest and added, "I promise to answer truthfully, whatever I can, at least."
Eve’s eyes glinted at the opportunity he had just handed her, and she smiled. "You would do that? If I remember correctly, His Highness mentioned earlier that he wasn’t allowed to disclose much about the Vault in the first place."
"That’s right," he said, coming to a sudden stop, which made Eve halt as well. Turning toward her, he met her gaze and leaned in closer, as though about to share a forbidden secret. "Like I said, I’ll make an exception when it comes to you, Princess Evelyn..." He paused, his voice dipping into a dark whisper. "It can be our little secret."
Eve’s heart pounded against her ribcage, not from affection, but from the revulsion coursing through her at the sight of this sleazy man who seized every opportunity to get close to her. She swallowed hard, forcing down the bile that threatened to rise and spill right onto his smug face. ’It’s for Ivan. Pull yourself together,’ she reminded herself firmly, scolding her own trembling nerves.
When he still didn’t move from his spot, she let out a nervous laugh. "Ah, I see... ahem...then I’ll ask without restraint."
As she took a subtle step back, the sleazy prince only smirked, leaning in further with flirtatious intent, until, suddenly, a vase on a nearby table fell and shattered, snapping his focus away from her.
Valen narrowed his eyes at the sudden interruption, frowning at the sound of the vase shattering out of nowhere. Eve also turned toward the source of the noise and froze when she caught sight of a dark shadow gliding swiftly across the floor before it vanished. Her pulse quickened. ’What was that? Am I imagining things now?’
She tried to sense it, but couldn’t. The castle was so saturated with sinister, dark energy that it was nearly impossible to distinguish anything within it. It was as though the entire place was cloaked in shadow. ’Is it a Darkrot?’ she wondered uneasily.
Before she could focus further, Valen spoke, breaking her concentration. "I think the curtain got caught on the vase," he said coolly, glancing around before adding with a faint smirk, "It’s getting quite windy, huh?"
Eve kept her thoughts to herself, but no matter what, she could only feel grateful for the interruption that had stopped her from actually throwing up all over Valen’s smug face. Letting out a soft sigh, she said evenly, "Let’s get going, shall we? We’re still short on time, if you remember."
Valen’s eyes shifted back to her, but before he could say anything, she had already started walking ahead, leaving him with no choice but to follow in silence.
Resuming their earlier conversation as if nothing had happened, Valen spoke again, his tone smooth and curious. "So... what are your questions?"
"Hm, let’s see..." She pretended to think for a moment before asking, "I remember you saying that the royals protect the Vault. But if the Vault doesn’t allow just anyone to enter, then simply keeping its location secret wouldn’t be enough to protect it from palace staff or guards who might already know where it is and might one day have a change of heart and try to uncover something. So, how else do you protect it?"
Valen was momentarily taken aback by her sharp reasoning before a faint smile curved his lips. "Well... that’s quite the observation, Princess Evelyn. I must say, I didn’t expect such a question."
Eve continued to feign casual curiosity. "Just something to think about," she said lightly.
Valen’s smile widened before he reached into his coat and pulled out a small golden key that hung from a chain around his neck, hidden beneath the crisp white fabric. He held it up between them with a hint of pride. "People can’t enter the Vault without unlocking it first, can they now?"
Eve’s blue eyes fixed on the key, watching as the sunlight caught its surface and made it glint like gold. ’So this is it...a small key to all the answers’, she thought as she tried to keep her expression composed.
Her eyes moved back to Valen’s wickedly pleased face as she quickly added, "I see...so that’s how it is. I’m glad to know the royals have taken such thorough measures to keep it secure."
Valen responded with a self-satisfied smile before tucking the key back beneath his coat.
"So what happens after that?" Eve asked smoothly, her tone casual, as if merely continuing the conversation. "Once the Vault is unlocked, do you simply enter it?"
Valen hummed thoughtfully before replying, "I suppose so. Anyone who’s tried to enter after the Vault has been unlocked has encountered a powerful barrier, one that can’t be broken, no matter what kind of magic is used. As far as I know, only a few kings have ever been allowed to enter it."
"Really? How did they describe it? I mean, what’s it like to be inside?" Eve asked with genuine curiosity.
Valen merely shrugged and replied carelessly, "I only remember them saying it was an otherworldly experience, that the information comes to you, rather than you having to search for it." Then he turned to her with a sly grin. "Though I must admit, I never really paid much attention to the Vault before."
Eve resisted the urge to sigh and instead rolled her eyes inwardly. ’What a useless brat...if only he used his brain to learn more about his own kingdom instead of brooding over his morbid art,’ she thought dryly.
She gave him a small smile before turning her gaze ahead, choosing not to reply....uncertain of what she might end up saying otherwise.
As silence settled between them once more, they eventually reached a corridor that opened into an indoor garden. A stone pathway wound its way through lush greenery, leading to a magnificent golden gate.
Eve’s eyes noticed the guards stationed outside, each holding a sceptre imbued with magic, ready to unleash sorcery at the first sign of intrusion.
At the sight of their prince, the guards immediately bowed in respect.
"Open the gates," Valen commanded.
They obeyed without hesitation, and the gates parted smoothly to reveal a white marble staircase that ascended toward a narrow passage. Everything beyond gleamed in pristine white, a stark contrast to the palace’s otherwise gloomy interiors.
As soon as she entered the area, she felt a sudden shift in the air; it was lighter, unlike the gloomy heaviness that permeated the castle and the rest of the city. She could feel a strong, pure energy radiating from within the narrow path, compelling her to move forward.
Prince Valen kept saying a few things here and there about the place, but Eve wasn’t listening anymore. It was as if she could feel that pure energy that somehow called out to her. The magic that had been quiet within her for so long began to stir, thrumming faintly through her veins once again.
’What is this strange sensation I’m feeling?’ she wondered while taking a deep breath. The air here felt so clean, so untouched... devoid of anything dark or sinister. ’Such pure energy...’
Then she heard it, a low hum and her eyes locked on the direction it came from. ’This hum...it’s calling to me. Could this be a sign that it would allow me to enter?’ Excitement coursed through her at the thought of being able to enter the Vault and finding all the answers she had been looking for. Her steps became more hurried as she pushed forward in her trance-like state.
