Chapter 197: Five Meals And Four Prisoners
Back in the dungeon, Edward was on the brink of losing his composure over Cece’s continued absence. She still hadn’t returned, and this time it wasn’t just him; Damien, too, had grown increasingly anxious about his sister’s safety and whereabouts. The half-hour mark Edward had warned about had long passed, and he was now pacing furiously, ready to sneak out if she didn’t show up soon.
Dante and Seira had also fallen silent, each quietly fretting over their student’s safety in this cursed palace.
"I cannot sit here any longer when gods know what Cece might be experiencing out there!" Edward said in a low, distressed voice.
"I’ll come with you. It’s been far too long to just sit and wait for her to come back. I’m worried she might’ve been caught by that evil witch!" Damien added, sounding just as tense.
Dante and Seira both frowned at their students.
"Wait! I understand you’re both worried about Lady Cece, but two people running out there is far too risky!" Seira said, alarmed at the thought of both of them leaving the cell.
"Dante, say something to them!" she urged, turning toward him.
Dante pressed his lips into a thin line before letting out a weary sigh. "Seira, the castle is enormous. It would be impossible for one person alone to scout the entire area for Cece. Not to mention, Lord Edward has a disadvantage when it comes to speed. And if Lord Damien goes by himself, he would be at a disadvantage trying to cover so much ground alone. It would take far too long."
His gaze moved to the dark ceiling, "I think it’s better if both of them go...but then again..." His sigh deepened. "You will get caught, you know?"
They all knew Dante was right. Even though it made logical sense to have both Edward and Damien out searching, neither of them possessed the ability to turn invisible or move completely undetected. If they stepped outside, they would be caught sooner or later.
But on the other hand, Cece’s safety gnawed at them relentlessly. Every second they hesitated could be disastrous for her, depending on the situation she was trapped in.
"So what do we do?" Seira asked, anxiety creeping into her voice as she began pacing the small cell again. Dante furrowed his brow as he sank deeper into thought, trying to figure out the best course of action.
While Dante took his time weighing their options, Edward, already fraying at the edges, suggested quickly, "How about this? I go out first, put a stun spell on the guards outside, and then slip into the castle to look for her. Lord Damien can follow a bit later since he has the advantage of speed."
"Hmm...that actually sounds more doable," Damien replied.
"It is..." Dante stood up from his place and added, "But...you’re both forgetting one more thing. Even if you manage to sneak out successfully, what will you do when they come to check on us and find the first two cells empty?"
And as if summoned by his words, they heard the echoes of footsteps descending the staircase leading to the dungeon.
Edward, who had been about to respond, fell silent instantly. His pale blue eyes snapped toward the entrance just as a group of six guards marched into the dungeon, each carrying a tray in hand.
Damien’s eyes hardened the moment he saw the guards, knowing that at any second now, they would notice Cece’s absence.
Edward, Seira, and Dante cursed their luck inwardly at the timing. They all knew this would turn ugly the moment the guards discovered a missing prisoner. Holding their breath, they prepared themselves, with Cece was already gone, if the guards found out, they would have no choice but to fight their way out to find her.
Each of them mentally braced for the confrontation that was about to unfold, fully aware that diplomacy would be useless here.
Edward moved to stand in front of the cell door, attempting to block the guards’ line of sight. A futile attempt, he knew that, but he still had to try. The dungeon’s lighting worked in their favour; the torches were mounted outside the cells, leaving the interiors considerably darker, with shadows pooling in the corners.
If they were lucky, maybe, just maybe, the guards wouldn’t immediately notice Cece’s absence.
The guards stopped in front of their cells and announced stiffly, "His Highness has sent meals for each of you. I request that you step back from the gate so we can place them inside."
Dante let out a derisive snort. "Step back, huh? Do we look like the kind of goons who’d sprint for freedom the moment you open those paper-thin doors of yours?"
"That’s right," Damien added with a lazy shrug. "If we wanted to run, we’d have strolled out of these pathetic tin-can dungeons hours ago. These cells can’t even hold a half-starved vampire, let alone a pure-blood." He stared the guards down, enjoying the way their eyes widened in wary alarm at the blatant threat.
"W-what do you mean? Are you trying to threaten the monarchy of this kingdom?" one guard stammered.
Dante raised a brow, "Threaten the monarchy? Seems like you didn’t get the memo that the first one out there already squeezed your precious crown prince’s neck like a rotten lemon not too long ago."
The guards whipped their heads toward Damien in shock, who simply examined his nails as if bored. Then, slowly, he lifted his gaze and let his dark crimson eyes shine bright red at them before stretching his lips into a sadistic grin.
"Hmm... looks like you all really didn’t know..." Damien mused and then paused as if savouring their fear before letting his gaze trail slowly to their necks. "I must say...how considerate of your crown prince to send you all here...for my meal." His voice dropped to a low murmur that sent icy chills down their spines.
The guards exchanged panicked glances, one of them squeaking, "W-We’re only here to deliver your meals!"
"I wonder how much your prince values you all, sending you down here for...our meals," Dante also added in a low, dark voice, before flashing them a psychopathic smile, letting one fang peek out just enough to make every guard swallow hard in fright. "I mean, you were all so fiercely fighting for him just moments ago."
Seira, who stood beside Dante, watched the guards sweat bullets. She could practically feel how much Dante was enjoying his dose of sadistic pleasure, and he wasn’t the only one. Her student Damien was no better. She shook her head slightly, knowing full well that if things were left to those two, then only the gods could save the poor souls unlucky enough to be on the receiving end of their attention.
Just then, when all the guards looked as if they might pass out between the two very threatening vampires, one of them paused to look at the number of trays in their hands and remembered that their prince was waiting right outside with a beautiful lady, expecting them to finish quickly and bolt from there.
He looked at the prisoners, swept his eyes across all the occupied cells, and suddenly noticed...
One, two, three, four...
He blinked, then looked back down at the five trays.
Confusion creased his brow as he leaned toward the guard beside him and whispered, "W-wait...weren’t there five prisoners?"
Another guard, shivering like a dried leaf, whispered back, "Maybe there’s one extra for one of those vampires. I bet the pure-blooded one has a bigger appetite."
Damien and Dante, who heard this, held their breath as they readied themselves to attack, when they heard a third guard whisper, "What are you two talking about? There are supposed to be five prisoners. One meal for each!"
"But sir, we only see four."
"Only four?" The guard narrowed his eyes at the cells and counted the prisoners again.
A moment later, he stiffened and burst out, "Hey! Where is the fifth one? Aren’t there supposed to be five of you?"
Edward, who had been silent all this while, tightened his jaw as he stared at them with cold eyes.
Damien was the one who spoke, "Well...well, it seems like you guys need that food more than we do, as your brain doesn’t seem to be functioning anymore."
"Don’t talk back, prisoner! Check the cells for the fifth one!" the head guard barked, and they all turned to set the trays down. Just then, Seira, Dante, Damien, and Edward took their stances to fight when they all felt a shift in the air, making the lit fire in the torches tremble slightly before stilling.
When the guards turned back to look, they saw how alert all the prisoners suddenly looked. Especially the one in the middle, his pale blue eyes were shining. They frowned and said, "Y-you there! What are you planning to do?!" He pointed his shaky finger at Edward.
