"Monster… just like what you are seeing right now. Are you following now?"
Roman held his breath at the glowing pair of rubies hovering over him. His eyes fell on those long fangs, which he witnessed grow. The sound of bone cracking as Conan's fangs grew tickled his ears, sending unspeakable dread up his spine.
When Conan blinked, his red eyes reverted to their natural color. And when he pushed himself away, his fangs grew back into short canines.
Aries clapped slowly. "That scares me," she remarked, gazing down at Dexter.
"No," Dexter uttered with a straight face, glancing at her inquisitive eyes in return. "I will not show you mine. They're not for display."
Aries frowned. "Stingy."
"Hey, you! If Lady Aries hated us because you don't want to show her yours, I will strangle you to death!" Conan pointed at Dexter and huffed. It took him a lifetime of courage to show this side of him, and yet Dexter was being a diva.
"No." The Marquess' expression remained stoic, stirring Conan's emotion even more.
"It's alright." Aries waved and then gazed at Roman. "I hope that is enough for you to understand what we're talking about, Your Highness."
"How…" Roman's lips trembled. "… how is that possible?"
"I was just as shocked as you, Rome." Ismael sighed. "But they exist. This world sheltered not just humans and animals, but also people like them. But that isn't what's important."
"Humans are far crueler than the monster they deem," Curtis chimed in, locking eyes with Aries, who offered him a subtle smile. "The primary dilemma here is not them, but what an ambitious and vicious human, such as the crown prince, could take advantage of this fact."
"Joaquin wants to be just like them," Aries continued, filling Roman's head with new information without a break. "Not only is he aiming for the throne, but he also sought forever youth and strength that surpassed human comprehension."
"In other words, that bastard wants to rule forever," Conan added with a nod.
"Which is why he is foolish." Dexter voiced out. "Human turning to a vampire is already complicated as it is, but… it is not impossible. Even so, there were more cons in it than the benefits."
"What do you mean by that?" asked Ismael, as he had a general idea about everything, but was also unaware of the bigger picture. All he knew was if the morphing was successful, they were most likely to become powerful — according to Morro.
"Morphing is the easiest part. But unlike what you believed, vampires aren't invincible," Dexter explained. "Vampire still die. They had long lives, but they still die."
Aries nodded. "I heard."
"I see…" Ismael breathed out a sigh of relief. "I thought once his plans come to fruition, it'll be the end for us."
"It'll be the end for you if we're not here," Dexter corrected in a knowing tone. "One way or another, you have a higher chance of survival since my sister is here to help, and we're here because of her."
"That's right. You should bow down to her." Conan nodded, having to agree with Dexter for the first time.
"I agree." Curtis set his eyes on Ismael and nodded encouragingly. "Bow down."
Ismael frowned, darting his eyes between Curtis, Conan, and Dexter, who were looking back at him in silence. Meanwhile, Aries rolled her eyes and shook her head sideways.
"Stop teasing him," she said, only for her face to contort when the three replied in unison.
"We're serious."
"Fine, fine!" Ismael huffed and submitted, knowing he should hug Aries's thigh since she was the sole reason there was hope in this seemingly hopeless situation. But before he could go down and bow to worship Aries, the latter spoke.
"Stop it." Aries pinched the bridge of her nose in distress. "You're getting out of track. Your praises will change nothing."
"I remember…" Roman, who was keeping his silence while forcing himself to register everything in one go, panted for air. "… Joaquin had sent an order."
As soon as the last syllable escaped his lips, all eyes landed on the man lying flat on the bed.
"He was distributing something which the knights and I, myself, drank. He said it was something to help us with our fatigue." Roman swallowed down the tension in his throat. "I couldn't afford to raise suspicion, so I did it with Hernan. He had sent this order days before my arrest."
"I think… the research had finally come to fruition, and he is just waiting for the perfect time to strike," he added under his breath, dread filling up his chest.
There was a long silence that fell into the dim room after Roman's confession. Ismael couldn't help but ball his hands into a fist, his heart thudding against his chest. Meanwhile, Aries's eyes darkened, but she didn't show any sign of surprise.
"I figured that will happen," she whispered. "Although it is surprising, it occurred sooner than I expected, but it is to be expected."
"He's really amazing, isn't he?" Conan mumbled, showing the opposite reaction, unlike Roman and Ismael.
"He won't reach this far if he is less competent," Curtis admitted since Joaquin deserved that acknowledgment. The crown prince might be vicious and would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, but he was also cunning and wise. They wouldn't gather here today if dealing with Joaquin was that easy.
There was only one person who could deal with Joaquin without raising a finger, but that person wasn't allowed to participate. Abel would surely run wild and destroy the entire Maganti Empire while counting the innocent lives as mere… casualties. It would be a mistake to rely on a ticking time bomb like him.
"What's your plan, Dani?" Dexter was the first one to break the silence. "I will assist you this time, and you won't get to say no. Or else I'll drag you back home until you reflect on your actions."
Hearing this, Curtis quirked a brow. "You sound familiar," he pointed out, making Dexter glance at him, but the latter said nothing.
"My plan?" Aries smacked her lips before its sides stretched from ear to ear. "A wedding."
"Huh?" Everyone looked at her — even Roman — in confusion. Seeing the misplaced smile on her face, their brows creased together.
Aries smirked. "Isn't that the reason we're here? To plan my wedding? Abel already told Sir Conan what he likes to have at our wedding. It's my time to add my wishes, don't you think?"
"…"
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om