Chapter 12: The Curtain Rises
The standoff between Leotiz and Pietro lasted longer than expected.
Camilla found herself exasperated by the prideful struggle between the two men.
Every time Pietro grabbed and tried to pull her arm, Leotiz held her closer to his chest.
She wondered if she should ask for help, but it was clear that no one around her had any intention of intervening.
On the contrary, they all seemed to be watching with amusement, as if they were witnessing an unexpected spectacle.
A few ladies and young noblewomen huddled in groups, whispering about a love triangle and writing little dramas in their minds.
Then Pietro looked down at Camilla and said,
“Let go.”
Leotiz immediately glared at Pietro and replied,
“Release her.”
Camilla lost count of how many times they had exchanged the same words.
However, she could tell from their eyes that much stronger messages were being exchanged silently.
They were probably viciously teasing each other behind the polite words.
The murderous glint in their eyes was proof that, had Camilla not been in the middle, blood might have been spilled already.
As his grip tightened and it became hard to breathe, Camilla’s patience reached its limit.
She was about to intervene physically when an unexpected savior appeared.
“It’s been a while, Pietro.”
Lamia, who had been seated in a corner, suddenly approached, holding the hem of her dress in both hands and slightly bowing her head.
Her greeting was flawless, elegant, and utterly charming.
But Pietro’s response was simple.
“Yeah, it’s been a while.”
He barely acknowledged Lamia’s greeting before turning his gaze back to Camilla.
Lamia ground her teeth in frustration.
In truth, she had no intention of attending the banquet.
Being a lower-ranking pureblood who couldn’t even drink blood, she feared she would be treated like nothing at a gathering hosted by the upper echelon.
Yet, upon learning that Pietro would be attending, she decided to come.
As she prepared herself, Lamia resolved to outshine Camilla in beauty and elegance, intending to capture Pietro’s full attention.
After all, she believed she was the one worthy to stand beside him.
But all her efforts were in vain. Pietro wasn’t paying attention to her at all; he was busy wrestling with a human with Camilla between them.
Moreover, Camilla looked at her with strangely pitying eyes.
‘Are you… sympathizing with me, Camilla?’
Lamia, interpreting Camilla’s gaze as pity, clenched her teeth in frustration and approached Pietro.
“Pietro, calm down for now. Don’t bother with these people here. Let’s talk over there, shall we?”
Lowering her eyes seductively, Lamia clung to Pietro’s arm.
“Why should a noble pureblood lower herself like this? That common human isn’t worth your time.”
At Lamia’s words, Pietro finally looked around.
Indeed, in such a public setting, personal emotions could not be displayed freely.
Realizing he almost compromised his dignity over a mere human, Pietro finally released Camilla’s arm.
Yet, Leotiz still held her tightly.
“Leotiz, you need to let go too.”
“But—”
“Release her.”
At Camilla’s firm words, Leotiz loosened his hold, though he remained cautious.
“I’m sorry, Camilla. As an apology, may I have the honor of dancing with you?”
Pietro extended his hand to Camilla, but she didn’t take it.
‘Ridiculous,’ she thought.
Two purebloods arguing over “honor” and “privilege.”
‘They probably don’t even see each other as equals.’
As Camilla pondered how to quietly get rid of this leech, Lamia intervened.
“Pietro, let’s dance. As you know, I am far better at dancing than Camilla—”
“I asked Camilla. Are you trying to force me?”
Pietro’s icy glare made Lamia hesitate and then bow her head.
“I… I apologize.”
Camilla noticed Lamia’s deflated expression.
“Don’t sulk. Dance with Lamia.”
“It’s fine. You don’t have to refuse.”
“No, my answer was a refusal anyway.”
“What?”
“I already danced.”
Camilla’s gaze shifted to the back.
Following her eyes, Pietro looked at Camilla with a “you can’t be serious” expression.
“Are you saying… with that human? That’s a joke, right?”
“Does it look like a joke?”
“Fine. Then how about this?”
Pietro called over a servant holding a tray full of champagne and picked up two glasses.
“We’re not so hostile that we can’t even share a glass, right?”
Camilla looked back and forth between the glass and Pietro, then picked up the glass.
“What? You won’t drink? Fine, then I’ll dance with Lamia too.”
At Pietro’s readiness to step aside, Camilla drank the champagne without hesitation.
Pietro then extended his hand to Lamia, who, overjoyed, quickly placed her hand in his.
Before they headed to the ballroom, Pietro leaned close and whispered softly into Camilla’s ear,
“I’ll see you later.”
Startled, Camilla lifted her head, but by then Pietro and Lamia had already gone far away.
“Why did you stop him?”
Leotiz and Camilla moved to a quieter corner with food tables, away from the bustling ballroom.
“Huh?”
Camilla scanned the table, then reached out for something.
“You’re both purebloods, yet you were so cautious?”
Camilla took four or five ice cubes from the ice bucket and wrapped them in a handkerchief.
She lifted Leotiz’s arm and rolled up his sleeve.
As expected, there were bruises on his wrist.
They had been caused during his struggle with Pietro.
Camilla pressed the ice pack against the bruises.
“Next time, don’t act on your own.”
“Why?”
“You could die trying to protect me. Especially if the opponent is a pureblood.”
Leotiz might seem confident, but he genuinely believed he could handle it.
He had sensed that the gap in power between him and that irritating vampire wasn’t that large.
Even if Pietro’s abilities were troublesome, they were not insurmountable.
Telekinetic creatures of higher rank were fairly common.
And there were countermeasures.
But Camilla’s reply was cold.
“Do you really think Pietro was holding back?”
“Holding back?”
“Yes, he let you off.”
Camilla understood.
Though Leotiz had held her tightly, Pietro had only lightly touched her arm.
He had merely looked displeased on the surface, without exerting much strength.
In short, Pietro had toyed with Leotiz.
Leotiz, realizing he had been played, let out a hollow laugh.
“Did you think you could match a pureblood while being outdone by an ordinary vampire?”
Camilla applied the ice while speaking sharply.
“Stop, it hurts.”
“As I said earlier, I’ll praise you for not being intimidated in front of Blood. But next time you act on your own…”
“?”
“I’ll drain twice as much blood, that’s all you need to know.”
Camilla’s tone was deadly serious, yet Leotiz smirked.
“Yeah, I’ll look forward to it.”
‘So… you won’t listen?’
Camilla frowned at his unusual reply.
At that moment, someone called her from behind.
A servant in a black robe—likely assigned for the coming-of-age ceremony—had arrived.
“The preparations for the coming-of-age ceremony are complete.”
“Understood.”
Camilla handed the ice pack to Leotiz.
“Keep it on until I return.”
“Are you sure?”
Camilla nodded.
“Yes.”
Even if he didn’t want to, he had no choice.
As a pureblood, she had a duty to attend.
And for her future revenge, she had to go.
“Master.”
As Leotiz rose, Camilla suddenly hugged him.
“!”
“I’ll be back.”
Watching her retreating back, Leotiz felt she looked like a prisoner heading to the execution ground or a warrior marching to the battlefield—resolute and solemn.
The coming-of-age ceremony would take place in the oldest tower of the castle.
It was the origin and historical foundation of the family.
The tower stood beside the annex, where final preparations were made before the ceremony.
Camilla stripped off her dress and jewelry and changed into ceremonial robes, covering herself with a black cloak.
She also blindfolded herself with black cloth.
Living in darkness, vampires didn’t find blindfolds uncomfortable, but rules dictated that no light should enter the eyes until the ceremony began.
Once everything was ready, black-robed servants surrounded her and slowly guided her to the tower.
The tower was much colder than expected.
Though periodically maintained, the air inside was colder than outside.
Moreover, the servants kept leading her deeper into the tower.
It was far larger and more complex inside than it appeared from the outside.
Camilla only knew that the ceremony would take place at the very top; she did not know the details.
The date, location, and time of the coming-of-age ceremony were determined by the Lord and the Elder Council, based on the moon:
- The night of the full moon.
- Where the moonlight shone the strongest.
- When the moon reached its zenith.
All three conditions had to be met for the ceremony to proceed.
Camilla had worried that the skirmish with Pietro and Leotiz might make her late.
Even a minute’s delay could destabilize the entire species.
Seeing the quiet now, she was relieved they hadn’t been late.
‘Of course. If we were late, there would have been chaos.’
As she walked, the lead servant stopped.
“We’ve arrived.”
The servant removed her blindfold, revealing a massive door.
Creeeak.
As the enormous doors opened, the servants bowed and stepped back.
Inside, darkness enveloped everything.
Camilla slowly stepped into the black void.
