Chapter 304: The Refined Palate
Looking up, Eve felt Ivan’s body go rigid as he became fully alert. She followed his gaze, and through the silver moonlight, she spotted a tall silhouette. The man stood still, watching intently as warm, dim light seeped through one of the attic windows.
As the figure turned, sensing their presence, the tension suddenly evaporated. It was Damien. A wide, knowing grin spread across his face at the sight of the disheveled couple.
He didn’t offer any of his usual fun remarks this time. Instead, he pressed a finger to his lips, signaling for them to remain silent. He then beckoned them closer, pointing down through the roof window where he had been keeping watch.
Ivan and Eve carefully moved to Damien’s side and peered through the glass. Below, they saw Minister Silas standing before someone, his demeanor desperate and overly eager to please.
His head remained slightly bowed, his posture stooped as he spoke to a figure hidden from their line of sight. Though Eve couldn’t make out the words through the thick glass, she glanced at Ivan and Damien.
Their expressions were grim and focused. She realized then that with their heightened senses, they could hear every word perfectly; all she could do was wait and ask for the truth once the meeting was over.
Turning her gaze back to the window, Eve still couldn’t see the stranger; they remained obscured on the far side of the room. She leaned over slightly, straining for a clearer view, but all she could discern was a deep red hood covering the mystery figure’s head.
Soon, Maribel and Ruby joined the scene. They, too, mirrored Silas’s subservient behavior, their usual arrogance replaced by fawning desperation.
That was when a man’s shoulder finally came into view at the edge of the frame, Eve’s curiosity spiked. A cold, suspicious feeling bloomed in her chest, and as she shifted to get a better look, her foot caught on a loose roof tile.
A loud, sharp crunch echoed through the quiet night.
Below, every head snapped toward the ceiling window. Their eyes narrowed as they scanned the glass, searching for the source of the sound.
Damien and Ivan had snatched Eve away so quickly that only the rushing wind remained. Silas burst through the roof window a moment later, landing on the tiles to investigate for himself. He stood there for a long time, scanning the empty darkness, but when he found no one, he dropped back down into the room.
"It seems the wind was strong enough to shift the tiles, Master," Silas explained, his voice thick with apology.
But his Master didn’t seem convinced. The hooded figure stepped forward and opened a swirling portal, speaking in a raspy whisper. "It seems today is not the day for his appearance. Be more careful, Silas.....you know the consequences of failing me."
"M-Master-" Silas began to plead, but the hooded figure and his companion stepped into the portal before it collapsed into nothingness.
"Damn it!" Silas hissed in frustration, running a hand over his slicked-back hair. Maribel and Ruby remained deathly silent, knowing all too well the depth of his temper.
.....
When Cece and Edward returned to the ballroom, they were wary. Having been unable to locate the source of the noise and seeing the guards tightening the perimeter, they decided it was best to return to avoid suspicion.
To their surprise, Ivan, Eve, and Damien were already there, casually sipping from the glasses in their hands.
The couple rushed to them, and Cece asked in a low whisper, "So....did you manage to fix the issues you both were dealing with?" She didn’t have to be explicit for them to understand, as they were all very much aware of the vampires lurking in every corner.
"Not quite," was all Ivan answered.
Cece narrowed her eyes at him, wanting to push for more, but she wisely held back. She then heard Ivan speak in his normal, steady tone.
"Minister Silas, it seems it is time for me to take my leave, as you appear to be particularly occupied tonight," Ivan remarked subtly. His ever-intelligent eyes remained fixed on the man who had just become the primary focus of his radar.
"Leave already? P-please forgive me, Your Highness. It seemed there was an urgent matter that required my immediate attention, b-but I am completely free to attend to you now," he said, returning to that fawning manner while nervously rubbing his hands together.
Damien snorted at the statement and taunted him openly. "What could be more important to you than leaving the Crown Prince unattended at your own soiree? Some might find it highly inconsiderate, even disrespectful. Or did you leave to meet someone you find more important than the future ruler of this kingdom?" He tilted his head slightly, assessing the man with keen eyes, not mincing his words at all.
The exchange did not escape the eyes and ears of the other guests. They began to whisper, wondering what the Minister could possibly be up to. Some rejoiced, thinking he was an idiot for squandering his chance to be close to the Prince, while those loyal to the crown observed the Minister with growing disdain.
Maribel stepped forward then, her voice coated in honey. "Your Highness, please forgive our family for not tending to you. A series of unfortunate events led us to act this way." Being clever, she saw an opportunity in the tension. "How about we make it up to you by letting our daughter accompany you for the remainder of the night? Ruby is particularly fond of you, and she would be delighted to serve you."
A heavy silence settled over the group as Maribel’s "offer" hung in the air like a desperate plea. Before Ivan could unleash a cutthroat response, Eve beat him to it.
She didn’t look angry. Instead, she wore a smile of such effortless grace that it made Ruby’s painted face look garish by comparison.
"How incredibly thoughtful of you, Lady Maribel," Eve began, her soft voice carrying just enough volume to ensure the surrounding gossip mongers didn’t miss a syllable. "It is truly touching to see a mother so eager to....find employment for her daughter. However, I fear the Prince has quite a refined palate when it comes to his company. To ask him to adjust to someone so....fond of him so suddenly might be a bit of a shock to his system, don’t you think?"
She paused, her eyes sparkling with a dangerous glint, as she glanced at Ruby and then back to Maribel. "Besides, the Prince and I were just discussing the importance of loyalty tonight. It would be such a shame to clutter his evening with someone who is merely delighted to serve, when he already has someone he loves."
Without waiting for a response, Eve reached out and possessively wrapped her hand around Ivan’s, while still wearing a bright smile, "I’m sure Lady Ruby can find someone else to serve. Perhaps one of the guards who spent so much time searching the empty rooms tonight? They seemed quite lonely."
Ivan’s eyes widened ever so slightly at Eve’s words. He wasn’t the only one; the onlookers nearby seemed to doubt their own hearing, as if they needed to clear their ears to believe what she had just said.
Cece and Edward instinctively pressed the backs of their hands to their mouths, turning away to stifle the laughter threatening to erupt from their chests. Nearby, Damien practically choked on his wine, his reaction not subtle in the least.
Ivan’s lips twitched at the sight of Evelyn’s savageness on full display. He found himself deeply amused and, despite the public setting, undeniably turned on by her fire.
Maribel, Silas, and Ruby stood there absolutely gobsmacked.
When the guards had first reported the unusual noises and the impossible disappearance of anyone from the locked room, the family hadn’t connected the dots. But now, with Eve’s pointed remark, the truth hit them with the force of a blow that it had been these two occupying that room for their private tryst.
As the initial shock subsided, Ruby’s hands clenched into white-knuckled fists, her eyes burning with pure, unadulterated rage.
Driven past the point of rational thought, she finally lashed out.
"You! How dare you say that?!"
"Hm?" Evelyn calmly sized her up, her gaze traveling slowly from Ruby’s furious face down to her overly revealing attire and back again. She replied with a chilling nonchalance, "How dare I? Well, if you don’t want people to think you are looking for... that kind of employment, then I suggest you reconsider your wardrobe."
Eve leaned in just enough for the surrounding guests to catch her final, biting whisper. "One usually expects to see this much skin in a brothel, Ruby, not a ballroom. You look less like a lady of the court and more like a desperate advertisement. If you’re going to scream about respect, perhaps you should first dress like someone who deserves it."
With that, Ruby snapped. Her nails elongated, her eyes flared bright red, and her fangs lengthened as she launched herself towards Evelyn, before either of her parents could stop her.
"You little witch! I will kill you!" she shrieked, the sound echoing off the high ceilings.
