VPCV 09

Chapter – 09: Black Lily and Red Rose

The banquet was more extravagant than expected—far beyond expectations.

On the surface, it looked no different from a human noble’s gathering. The guests’ attire, the music echoing through the hall, the lavish food, even the decorations—everything resembled what one might see in the human world. If it weren’t for the red eyes of every single guest, one might even forget this was a vampire gathering.

Leotiz leaned on the second-floor railing, looking down at the scene below. A memory of a recent moment flashed through his mind.

He and Camilla had arrived at the banquet. Instead of entering the main hall, they had gone to an empty room on the second floor, where Camilla instructed him to wait.

Leotiz had offered to accompany her, but she had refused outright. She said she would come back for him later, leaving the room with a slightly somber expression.

Normally, he would have obeyed without question, but he couldn’t forget the look on Camilla’s face before she left. So instead of waiting in the room, he chose to watch the scene from a less conspicuous vantage point.

“This is impressive too.”

Camilla had been right—once inside, it was astonishing. He had expected a chaotic scene, perhaps with blades flying at him, but it was so peaceful that he could barely tell whether this was a vampire gathering or a human noble banquet.

The difference, however, lay in hierarchy. The hall was divided into three groups, each spaced apart with the precision of a ruler’s measurement.

He recalled something Camilla had said long ago:

“Vampires are monsters that imitate humans.”
“It’s ironic how they look down on humans, call them inferior, yet adopt human systems and culture.”

Though they hadn’t borrowed human systems for long, vampires adapted incredibly quickly, eventually making these practices their own. Certain terms and ways of life had changed as a result. The term “Lord” remained for kings, but pureblood families were called Dukes. Depending on one’s purity, they were classified as Marquises, Counts, Viscounts, and Barons. Common vampires, if serving in the noble ranks, were compensated in human money or blood. This brought stability to the previously chaotic vampire society.

“Those must be the Marquises.”

The smallest and most isolated group farthest from the entrance likely consisted of the higher-ranking Marquises, the middle group the Counts and Viscounts, and the largest group closest to the entrance the Barons. Vampires who didn’t fit into any of these circles, floating around serving drinks, were probably commoners.

The distinction of blood carried immense meaning here.

A small commotion caught his attention. Naturally, he looked toward it.

Camilla descended the stairs.

She appeared like a single black lily, cloaked in pure darkness. Her pale skin and crimson eyes contrasted sharply, radiating an allure so captivating that one dared not approach.

Leotiz froze, fully captivated. This must be the pinnacle of vampires, the purebloods.

“Lady Camilla.”

As she appeared, the vampires knelt in unison, bowing deeply toward her—the pureblood at the top of the hierarchy.

Camilla’s gaze swept over the hall until it met Leotiz’s eyes on the second floor. Surprised, her pupils widened, and he responded with a casual wave.

Sighing internally, she turned back to the other vampires.

“Thank you all for coming. Please enjoy the banquet.”

“Indeed, it’s a marvelous banquet.”

Someone suddenly interjected, drawing everyone’s attention.

A woman sat on a sofa at the corner, crossing her legs seductively, holding a champagne glass, surrounded by noble followers.

Camilla’s expression stiffened.

The woman rose, letting her rose-red hair sway as she approached Camilla.

“Long time no see, Camilla.”

“Lamia.”

Lamia Bathory. She was the only daughter of the Bathory pureblood family, one of the remaining pureblood houses alongside Camilla.

Among the vampire clans, four were recognized as the Great Houses: Chepesh, Bathory, Re, and Lilith. After the death of the Lilith patriarchs ten years ago, only the heads of Chepesh, Bathory, and Re remained, now called the Three Great Houses.

Although Camilla existed, she had been treated as a minor until now and thus excluded.

Purebloods rarely attended events unless necessary. This was to prevent power from tipping in one direction, maintaining a balance among the houses.

So, for a non-host pureblood to appear, both the nobles and common vampires serving as attendants were stunned, unsure if their eyes were deceiving them.

“I didn’t expect you to come.”

“Oh, it’s a friend’s coming-of-age celebration. Of course I had to be here. My mother couldn’t attend due to other circumstances.”

Unlike Lamia’s cheerful demeanor, Camilla remained rigid.

Lamia leaned in slightly, whispering into Camilla’s ear:

“You, with the lowest rank, calling this a banquet?”

Brazen.

Camilla’s eyebrows twitched, darkening her expression further.

Lamia lifted her head, erasing the chill from moments ago with a bright smile.

“You’ve been studying hard, haven’t you? Very commendable! Right, El?”

Her gaze briefly shifted to a tall, thin man with ashen hair and pale, sickly features, dark circles under his eyes—Eltanin de Re, eldest son of the Re pureblood family.

“It’s been a while, El.”

“Thanks for the invitation. My father would’ve come, but he’s currently on the battlefield…”

Fatigue showed clearly on Eltanin’s face. As he tried to finish speaking, he fell asleep mid-sentence.

With a silent gesture from Camilla, attendants quietly escorted him from the hall.

“This one truly sleeps anytime, anywhere. Unbelievable.”

“That’s always been the case. We have to accept it.”

Camilla said this, but Lamia frowned, as if she heard something ridiculous.

“Why should we understand? Vampires understanding something? Absurd.”

“Lamia, perhaps we should maintain civility while others are watching.”

If only purebloods were present, perhaps it wouldn’t matter, but this was a gathering of multiple clans. As the top of the hierarchy, Camilla thought they should set a good example. Lamia thought otherwise.

“Why? Everyone here is beneath us anyway.”

“That’s not—… forget it.”

Camilla started to speak again but stopped. She knew that speaking further would be pointless.

If one had to name a difference between humans and vampires, Camilla would point to this: selfishness that disregards others.

Purebloods could do anything without repercussion, yet Lamia and others accepted it naturally. Camilla considered this a natural result of being nonhuman monsters and of long-standing social order.

“Enough with trivial talk. Let’s move to something more interesting.”

Camilla felt uneasy, sensing Lamia’s scheme.

“You’ve taken a thrall, right? A human one.”

The temperature in the hall plummeted. A chilling silence fell over the gathering.

Yet Lamia, unfazed, continued boldly.

“Could there be anything more ridiculous than this? Feeding on humans is one thing, but a thrall!”

Whispers rippled across the hall.

“Is the rumor true?”

“Even as an adult, to make a human a thrall…”

Camilla remained silent, despite the stares and murmurs.

Lamia knew precisely how to draw attention. If Camilla was a black lily, Lamia was a flamboyant red rose.

Unlike Camilla, who rarely attended social gatherings, Lamia reigned at the pinnacle of vampire society. She knew every rumor and how to manipulate it so that others would bow before her.

“Of course, only you could do such a thing. I respect your taste. Haha.”

Mockery accompanied her words.

“By the way, Camilla, I’ll introduce you to some fine gentlemen who might be much better than your… human.”

The nobles surrounding Lamia all looked devoted or infatuated.

One of them offered a dance to Camilla.

“Lady Camilla, would you honor me with a dance? Please don’t refuse. Surely, I am more than adequate as your partner.”

He glanced at the other nobles behind him, laughing.

Camilla silently glanced at his extended hand and his face in turn.

If only it weren’t for Lamia, I wouldn’t even make eye contact with this guy.

“I refuse,” she said firmly.

“Please, just one dance. Others also wish to dance with you.”

Ignoring him, Camilla turned away.

Angered, the noble grabbed her wrist.

Camilla’s eyes widened.

No matter how bold he thought he was, how dare he lay hands on a pureblood. She was on the verge of retaliating when someone stepped between them.

“!”

Seeing the broad figure in front of her, Camilla was startled.