Chapter 315: A Vengeful Vow
As Eve and Cece studied the parchment, their confidence lasted approximately three seconds.
The names of the dishes looked less like food and more like someone had spilled alphabet soup across the page. They tried to focus on the few words they recognised, vegetables, chicken, poultry, but everything else read like an elaborate riddle designed to test their survival instincts.
Unable to make a decision and completely lost, Cece and Eve slowly and discreetly turned to look at each other, only to realise that each looked just as confused as the other.
Clearing her throat, Eve leaned closer to Cece and whispered, "Cece, do you have any idea what in the world a Buche Perico is?"
Cece’s face turned grave as she pressed her lips together. "Probably something suspicious," she whispered quickly under her breath.
Well, Cece was not far from her observation as it was a dish of a parrot’s gut.
Ivan and the others, who had been watching the two women, saw the exact moment their excited curiosity transformed into the look of two people who had just realised the world was far more complicated than expected.
The corner of Ivan’s lips twitched as he watched them continue whispering increasingly strange menu names to each other, as though they were attempting to solve the most complicated mystery known to civilisation.
Edward, meanwhile, had to cover part of his face to hide his reaction. But, following Ivan’s lead, he made no move to help, finding the entire situation far too entertaining to interrupt.
Damien, however, had absolutely no intention of letting such a golden opportunity slip by.
"Well, well, well..." he drawled, leaning back in his chair like a man about to enjoy premium entertainment. "Would you look at that? My adorable sisters have appeared to achieve enlightenment in the last thirty seconds."
He tapped the menu lightly. "I assume this intense, highly classified strategic meeting you two have been conducting has finally produced results?"
With a wicked glint in his eyes, he leaned forward across the table, grinning like a predator who had just found two very confused prey.
"So," he said sweetly, "what culinary masterpiece have you two bravely decided to gamble your lives on?"
Cece and Evelyn frowned at Damien, fully aware that he was having far too much fun at their expense.
But Cece was his sister, after all. "Well, since you look so painfully hungry, why do you not tell us what you would like to eat, Damien?"
Damien, having anticipated this moment, turned smoothly towards the server, who still had a broad grin plastered across his face. "One plate of Graveyard Crunch Bites, one Knuckle Crackers, one Street Pyre Skewers, and chicken without a sex life."
Cece and Eve’s eyes widened at his order, but he was not finished. "Oh, and one tall glass of something chilled and strong. Mead will do."
The server blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the noble-sounding confidence with which the order was delivered, but he quickly recovered, nodding as he scribbled everything down.
"And what about the rest of you?" the server asked, turning towards the others.
Cece and Eve both flinched.
Eve leaned in slightly and murmured under her breath, "Whatever is safe to eat?"
But the vampires heard her clearly.
Ivan’s lips curved into a slow smirk as he glanced at Eve, who immediately turned to him. Her blue eyes were practically screaming, ’Help me.’
"What is it? Do you need my help, baby?" he asked in a low voice. Eve could sense the tease dripping from every word.
When she nodded slowly, his lips stretched into a smile.
He finally turned to the server and, just like Damien, placed an order for the rest of them. Ivan originally ordered juice for Eve, but when she fiercely protested that she wanted to try the local mead, he could only relent.
When the food arrived, they were pleasantly surprised. Despite the bizarre names, the dishes actually looked edible and smelled far better than expected.
When the mugs of mead were placed in front of them, Eve reached for the handle, eager to try it. But Ivan was quick, placing his hand over hers. He warned, "Eve, this isn’t like wine. It’s incredibly strong, so drink it slowly, okay? If you don’t like it, I’ll order that juice for you."
"I am not drinking juice here, Ivan. What am I, five?" Eve replied confidently. "I am sure I can handle it."
Ivan studied her for a moment before lifting his hand away, an amused expression settling on his face. "All right."
Eve beamed at him. "Thank you, darling." There she went again, tossing that word at him so casually that he narrowed his eyes slightly at her, restraining himself from capturing her lips and taking a slow gulp of his drink, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
The atmosphere soon turned lively as they excitedly tried the new dishes alongside the local mead. Cece and Eve’s faces twisted slightly at the strong, bitter taste, but they continued to drink without complaint.
"So... care to explain how you two were able to order everything with such confidence? It was as if you’ve done this a dozen times before," Cece asked, directing her question at Ivan and Damien.
"Ah....during our many missions together, we stopped at places like this for a bit of respite," Damien replied casually.
"So that’s why..." Eve mused. She took another sip, her eyes drifting to Aden, who winced every time the mead hit his tongue.
"Prince Aden, if you don’t like it, you are free to order something else," Eve told him with a sweet smile.
Aden nearly jumped out of his seat at being addressed so suddenly. "Ah. n-no! I love it. In fact, I could drink this all day," he declared far too confidently, clearly unwilling to appear incapable of handling a single drink in front of Evelyn.
Edward and Oliver exchanged silent looks before subtly shaking their heads, deciding it was best not to interfere with what was clearly a losing battle against Aden’s pride.
Meanwhile, the prince continued to blush furiously as he took another heroic, deeply regrettable sip.
After a brief coughing fit that he attempted to disguise as composure, Aden cleared his throat.
"So... ahem..."
He immediately grew aware of the entire table’s attention snapping back to him. His bravado wavered slightly, but he pressed on, his voice noticeably lower this time.
"Princess Evelyn, I have finally managed to decipher the inscriptions on the locket you gave me at the start of the week."
That instantly captured everyone’s interest.
Eve’s eyes widened. "Really? And what did it say?" she asked, barely containing her impatience.
Aden straightened, now sounding far more certain.
"It read....Venom in the vein, blood upon the stone. The one who was lost shall return for the throne."
A visible crease formed on every face at the table upon hearing the words, and a heavy silence settled between them.
"This....it sounds like..." Eve trailed off, her expression darkening as she turned to Ivan, confusion and unease flickering in her eyes.
"Like a vengeful vow," Ivan said quietly, meeting her gaze, "spoken by someone who intends to return for a throne."
Eve swallowed, her throat suddenly dry as she continued staring at him.
"But the real question," Damien added thoughtfully, breaking the silence, "is whether this throne refers to an actual seat of power....or something far less literal."
"Whatever it means, it certainly does not sound good at all," Cece said.
"And it feels like something tied to the past," Edward remarked.
Oliver, who had remained unusually quiet until now, finally spoke.
"If I may, Princess Evelyn....where exactly did you find this locket?"
The table fell silent once more. When Evelyn had handed the locket to Aden at the start of the week, she had not explained how she had come into possession of it, and none of them had pressed her for answers at the time.
Only Oliver had been informed with the details related to her recovery, along with the events at the ball at Silas’s estate. With classes in full swing and examinations looming, there had been little opportunity to dwell on anything beyond immediate concerns.
But now, with the matter laid bare, every gaze turned towards Evelyn, each of them waiting for her response, trusting her judgement on whether she wished to disclose the truth.
Eve paused for a moment, weighing her words carefully. Her thoughts brushed against every implication, including Ivan’s closely guarded secret. She had no desire to reveal anything further, already burdened by guilt over how much others had learned about his power of teleportation because of her.
Finally, she spoke, her voice firm but quiet.
"I found it... inside my mother’s grave."
Shock and confusion rippled across Aden’s and Oliver’s faces.
"The late Queen Selene’s grave..." Oliver murmured in disbelief before asking softly, almost absentmindedly, "How?"
"I cannot go into the details, Lord Oliver," Eve replied, her tone grave. "But you should know that is where I found it. And....I trust you both will keep this matter strictly confidential. It must not be disclosed to anyone."
